This week we answer a
question from Yang in China.
Yang writes: I'm confused with the
BE verb and the DO verb. Which one should I use, especially when
making a question? – Yang, China
confused
with: confundido/a con; which one: cuál (de ellos); should I use:
debería usar; when making: cuando hago;
Answer: Dear Yang, BE and
DO
are called auxiliary or “helping” verbs. That means they help make
questions or negative statements with main verbs.
auxiliary or
helping verbs: verbos auxiliares (que ayudan a estructurar una oración);
that means: eso significa (que); negative statements: oraciones
negativas; main verbs: verbos principales (los que aportan el verdadero
significado a la oración);
"DO" AS AN AUXILIARY VERB
To answer your question,
let us start with the auxiliary verb DO.
let us start
with: empecemos con;
Use DO when you
make a question in the simple present tense. In the
following questions, the main verb does not change.
does not change:
no cambia;
What DO you want to eat? (WANT is the main verb)
¿Qué
quieres comer? (QUERER es el verbo principal)
DOES she like her job? (LIKE is the main verb)
¿Le gusta a
ella su puesto de trabajo? (GUSTAR es el verbo principal)
You also can use DO to ask a question in the simple past tense. Use the
past tense DID with the main verb, as in these questions.
as in these
questions: como en estas preguntas;
DID you eat pizza yesterday? (EAT is the main verb)
¿Comiste
pizza ayer? (COMER es el verbo principal)
Which car DID you buy? (BUY is the main verb)
¿Cuál
auto/coche compraste? (COMPRAR es el verbo principal)
NEGATIVES "DON'T" AND "DIDN'T"
Use the helping verb
DO when using NOT in a question or statement in the simple present or
past. Here are two examples:
use the
helping verb DO: utiliza el auxiliar DO (DON'T o DOESN'T en presente simple
negativo y DIDN'T en pasado simple negativo); here are: aquí tienes;
Why DON'T you ask her? (ASK is the main verb)
¿Por qué no
le preguntas a ella? (PREGUNTAR es el verbo principal)
DIDN'T he go to the party? (GO is the main verb)
¿No fue él
a la fiesta? (IR es el verbo principal)
"BE" AS AN AUXILIARY VERB
Use BE when you
want to make a question in the present continuous or past continuous tense. The
continuous form of English verbs adds the letters ING to the end of the main
verb and BE matches the subject. These
questions can be negative, too.
the
continuous form: la forma continua (o gerundio ING); to the end of the
main verb: al final del verbo principal; and BE matches the subject:
y de esa manera BE concuerda con el sujeto;
Are you thinkING about the Christmas party? (THINK is the main verb)
¿Estás
pensando en la fiesta de Navidad? (PENSAR es el verbo principal)
Were they makING dinner when you arrived? (MAKE is the main verb)
¿Estaban
preparando la cena cuando llegaste? (PREPARAR es el verbo principal)
Isn’t she drivING home now? (DRIVE is the main verb)
¿No está
ella conduciendo a casa ahora? (CONDUCIR es el verbo principal)
And that is Ask a
Teacher. I’m Jill Robbins.
