Uses of anomalous finites
Compare:
- He will come. He will not come.
- He came. He did not come. (NOT He came not.)
- Can I do it? No, you can’t.
- Should I take it? No, you shouldn’t.
- He took the medicine. He did not take the medicine. (NOT He took not the medicine.)
To form questions
A question is usually formed by putting the anomalous finite before the subject of the sentence.
- He is a good singer. Is he a good singer?
- They have won the race. Have they won the race?
- The cat will kill the mouse. Will the cat kill the mouse?
- He killed the spider. Did he kill the spider? (NOT Killed he the spider?)
- They went to Beijing. Did they go to Beijing?
- He fell off the ladder. Did he fall off the ladder?
- They make good cheese. Do they make good cheese?
- She likes ice cream. Does she like ice cream?
The anomalous finites are also used to form negative questions.
He does not like it. Does he not like it? Doesn’t he like it?
They do not eat meat. Do they not eat meat? Don’t they eat meat?
She did not touch it. Did she not touch it? Didn’t she touch it?
Notes
The question ‘Does he not like it?’ is more formal than the question ‘Doesn’t he like it?’
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