ESL BLUE(s)

Troubleshooting present simple questions

Here are some of the most common errors using the present simple question forms.
The correct form is given first:

Correct Forms	Common Errors
What do you eat for breakfast? To ask questions, use the auxiliary verb do, does) in the following order: do/does  +  subject  +  basic verb form	What  you eat  for breakfast? What  are you eat  for breakfast?
What does your husband eat for breakfast? When the subject (here = "your husband") is third person singular, use does, (not do).	What  your husband eats  for breakfast? What  do your husband eats  for breakfast? What does your husband  eats  for breakfast?
Don't you eat breakfast? Do you not eat breakfast? (The second form is much less common.)	Do you don't eat  breakfast?
Do your brothers and sisters eat breakfast?	Your brothers and sisters,  do they eat  breakfast? The above form is not grammatically incorrect, but it is very rarely used, and only for emphasis.
Who eats breakfast in your family? How many people smoke in your family?	Who  does eat  breakfast in your family? Do not use the auxiliary (do/does) when the question word is the subject of the sentence.
Can you come tomorrow?	Do you can  come tomorrow? Do not use the auxiliary DO / DOES with modal verbs (can, must, may, should, might).

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