What did he say? What was it he said?

Question

0I have a question about Grammar that has been perplexing me for a while, and hopefully the good people out there who know better English than I do might be able to help me!02br02br00 This actually came to me while I was reading a badly translated script, which is unimportant, but it made me think;02br02br00Why is it that we say, "What did he/she say?" or "What did I say?" even when it is past tense?02br02br00When something has been said, then shouldn't it be "What did I said" even though this sounds grammatically incorrect to me.02br02br00However, as I understand it, you would use the phrase "I said", "What was it he [had] said?" and the like.02br02br00As a follow-up question to those kind enough to answer, is there a difference between 'do' and 'have' that allows the different conjugation of the verb 'to say' in the different examples, or is this just simply a case of the strange way grammar works?02br02br00 Any help is of course, greatly appreciated. Thanking the responders in advance.0-

Philip · Accepted Answer

0 Why is it that we say, "What did he/she say?" or "What did I say?" even when it is past tense?02br
01b00We use 'did' in making a past tense sentence interrogative or negative, using the base form of the verb.02br
02br
02b00As a follow-up question to those kind enough to answer, is there a difference between 'do' and 'have' that allows the different conjugation of the verb 'to say' in the different examples, or is this just simply a case of the strange way grammar works?02br
01b00What 01u00did02u00 you 01u00say02u00 ~ What 01u00have02u00 you 01u00said.02u02b0-

CalifJim · Answer

0 The auxiliary verb carries the tense. 01i00did02i00 shows the past. (Otherwise it would be 01i00do02i00 or 01i00does02i00.) You can't indicate tense twice in the same clause. (01i00*What di01b00d02b00 I sai01b00d02b00?02i00) The main verb shows the past tense ONLY when no auxiliary verb is present to do the job! (01i00I sai01b00d02b00 so.02i00)02br
02br
00CJ 0-

Anonymous · Answer

0Thank you very much for the swift and consise reply.0-

Anonymous · Answer

So, "what i said?" and "what did i say?" are both right, and both the same?

Mister Micawber · Answer

Only 'What did I say?' is right as a stand-alone question.

What did he say? What was it he said?

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