When to use 'do' in a question?

Question

How can I explain to my students when to use the verb 'do' in a question?

What did you do?

Did you study English?

Where did you go?

etc....

Please give me a way to definitively explain when to use 'do'

Thanks.

Danyoo · Accepted Answer

Monseul, could you rephrase your question?  I am not sure what you are trying to ask.

Monseul · Answer

Yeah, sorry.

Is there an easy way to explain to my students when they should use the verb 'do' when asking a question? They seem to be able to get most of the question right, but forget that verb. Are there specific verbs that 'do' goes with in a question? For example, I know it usually goes with 'have'. Do you have to go?

Example, instead of asking:

What do you like? --> They say: What you like?

Where did you go? --> Where you go?

How do you feel? --> How you feel?

..Does that make sense?

Pieanne · Answer

I tell my students that, basically, every time they formulate a question in English, they have to use an auxiliary (except when "who" or "what" are the subject of the question), the pattern being

(Int. word) - Auxiliary - S - V (- complements) ?

If there's no auxiliary in the verbal form they use, then "do", "does" or 'did" must fill the auxiliary slot, the main verb being then a bare infinitive.

When to use 'do' in a question?

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