So, we have seen that every phrase needs :
TOPIC – ACTION
In reality, almost ALL the actions in English are made up of two (or sometimes even three) actions :
flexi-action (aka “helping verb”) and fixed-action
TOPIC – FLEXI-ACTION+FIXED-ACTION
Here are some basic examples that you will easily recognize:
He will leave the country in a few weeks.
= He (“topic”) will (flexi-action) leave (fixed-action)
She has already mentioned this idea.
= She (“topic”) has (flexi-action) mentioned (fixed-action)
In the examples above, Flexi-action (“will” or “has”) doesn’t have any meaning. It only shows the time of the action : “will” for the future, “has” for the past
Flexi-action is very important in negations (where it combines with the word “not”) and in Questions! (where it jumps in front of the Topic)
Here is the combination of the flexi-action and “not” in negations:
He won’t leave the country. (“won’t = will+not)
She hasn’t mentioned this idea to me. (“hasn’t” = has+not)
Here comes the most important part: THE GENERAL STRUCTURE OF ALL QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH – the flexi-action jumps before the topic
Flexi-action TOPIC fixed-action
Examples:
Will he come tomorrow?
Has she talked to you about this?
Remember : flexi-action always stays directly before the topic
When will he come tomorrow? (the word “when” starts the question, but the flexi-action keeps its place before the Topic)
Remember: never start a question with “he”, “you”, or any other topic!
Keep the place before the topic reserved for the flexi-action!
he/she/you etc. + action
(flexi-verb)
A special case to keep in mind (=remember):
Usually the flexi-action is already in the phrase in the affirmative form:
She will come / he has finished
EXCEPT in the Regular Present and the Specific Past (two very basic and very frequent times):
– She plays the piano. They play drums. (the Regular Present)
– I bought a car last week. (the Specific Past)
Do you know how you can construct a negative form or a question for the phrases above?
The answer is that you will need to introduce a flexi-action that was not there in the beginning!
Here is how you can make negative phrases from the examples given above:
– She doesn’t play the piano. They don’t play drums.
– I didn’t buy a car last week.
Here is how you can make questions from the examples given above:
– Does she play the piano? Do they play drums?
– Did you buy a car last week?
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