Grammar

Asking Questions A sentence that has the verb to be in it is easily formed as a question. Just invert the position of the verb and the subject. Look at these examples: Statement Question I am late. Am I late? She is his sister. Is she his sister? They are from Puerto Rico. Are they from Puerto Rico? All other verbs, including to have, form a question by using the verb to do (do, does). The verb to do is conjugated for the subject of the sentence. The original verb in the sentence becomes an infinitive. English infinitives begin with the word to: to run, to jump, to sing, and so on. Sometimes the word to is omitted: run, jump, sing, and so on. The word to is omitted in questions. Statement Question Jacques has a new job. Does Jacques have a new job? You see the ocean. Do you see the ocean? She likes my brother. Does she like my brother? Tanya usually finds the books. Does Tanya usually find the books?

Change each sentence to a question. 1. Rocco’s uncle lives in Washington. 2. She is his cousin. 3. We take this road to Chicago. 4. They are in the garden. 5. I have your new address. 6. I am your student. 7. Linda likes Jack. 8. You buy flowers every day. 9. She sings beautifully. 10. It is a nice day.

Change each question to a statement. 1. Are the boys at home? 2. Do you want this book? 3. Does she have the money? 4. Am I your friend now? 5. Does he go there every day? 6. Is it in there? 7. Do you understand English? 8. Does the boy feel better? 9. Are you in the garden? 10. Do we have enough money?

Negate each sentence by adding not to it. 1. Delores is in the capital. 2. We have enough money now. 3. My father sends him a postcard. 4. The books are on the table. 5. I go home late. 6. I am an American. 7. The girls buy some ice cream. 8. We do our homework. 9. Lisa likes my cousin. 10. It seems very old.

Negation Add not after the verb to be to make it negative: I am ➞ I am not you are ➞ you are not she is ➞ she is not we are ➞ we are not they are ➞ they are not With all other verbs, use do/does and not to make a verb negative. Do is conjugated for the subject of the sentence, and the original verb becomes an infinitive. The structure is do not infinitive. Look at these examples: Original Sentence Negative Sentence I like hot milk. I do not like hot milk. She has my books. She does not have my books. Danielle goes to the window. Danielle does not go to the window. We find the money. We do not find the money. It grows cold. It does not grow cold.