2

I wanted to ask if my teacher came today or not. What would be the correct way to ask that question?

Has teacher came?

or

Did teacher came?

Improve this question
0

6 Answers 6

Reset to default
9

First off, you are talking about a particular teacher. So you should use the determiner "my" or "the" in front of "teacher".

Secondly, you use the first form of a verb with the auxiliary verb "did". So you should use "come" instead of "came". The correct sentences should be as follows:

Has the/my teacher come?

Did the/my teacher come?

Improve this answer
3
  • Which one is cdorrect. Has or Did. Also I am asking this from a man whose teacher is same. So really need to use my or the
    – David
    Oct 11, 2016 at 8:58
  • 3
    Then you should use our, @David.
    – Lucian Sava
    Oct 11, 2016 at 9:04
  • 2
    @David Either of Has or Did is correct.
    – jpaugh
    Oct 11, 2016 at 15:28
8

If you are still at school when you are asking the question you could say "Did the teacher come today?" but it would be better to say "Has the teacher come today?" because you are expecting your teacher to be in school if he has come.

If you are at home and your mother is asking you about the teacher your mother would say "Did the teacher come today?" because she is asking you about something that is past and, even if your teacher came, he might not still be at school.

Improve this answer
3

As others have already pointed out the basic structural problems, I won't repeat that. Instead, I'll add that other forms might be more appropriate. Instead of using come, we can in this example substitute it for arrive. (The reason for doing so is that it preseves the intention of the sentence, while better highlighting the difference between the did and has question forms.)

Did the teacher come?

Did the teacher arrive [at all]?

The sense of this question is in the past: I came to school at 9am and left at 11am, and the teacher wasn't there during this time. I want to know if the teacher was present at all during the day.

Likewise, we can rephrase the second variant:

Has the teacher come?

Has the teacher arrived [yet]?

The sense of this question is in the present, and ongoing: I came to school at 9am and am still here, waiting for the teacher. Somebody else, who might have more information than me, is present. I will ask if he knows.

Improve this answer
6
  • How is come ambiguous? I'm a (US) native speaker, and I don't see that. Thanks!
    – jpaugh
    Oct 11, 2016 at 15:30
  • 1
    "Did the teacher arrive?" is strange in British English, compared with "Did the teacher come?". The word "arrive" is too formal. Aircraft and trains "arrive" and "depart", and perhaps so do famous people ("Elvis has arrived at the stadium"), but ordinary teachers "come" and "go".
    – alephzero
    Oct 11, 2016 at 15:51
  • Sometimes, come is all that is needed, I should say. Also preseves?
    – I.Am.A.Guy
    Oct 11, 2016 at 17:15
  • @jpaugh I think filth is referring to "cum"... But that deviation speaks more about him, and I suppose about me.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Oct 12, 2016 at 7:34
  • @Mari-LouA While I've heard of those two being confused intentionally for a joke, I've never known of someone actually being confused about it... and, I suppose, it speaks about myself as well.
    – jpaugh
    Oct 12, 2016 at 18:30
1

Has the teacher come today?
Has the teacher shown up today?

Did the teacher come today?
Did the teacher show up today?

are usual ways of asking if your teacher was present.

Improve this answer
2
  • What about : Is the teacher present?.
    – I.Am.A.Guy
    Oct 11, 2016 at 17:16
  • That is a more specific question than the OP asked. "The teacher came in earlier today, but is not longer present (in the building)."
    – Peter
    Oct 11, 2016 at 18:38
0

"Has the teacher come" simply means you are still expecting him or her. "Did the teacher come" implies you only want the information (school hours are probably over). Just as "she has been waiting or she has waited means she is still waiting while " she waited" implies she left having waited for a while.

Improve this answer
-2

The correct

Has the teacher come?

Did the teacher come?

For your case

Has the teacher come?

Improve this answer
2
  • 3
    No, it's neither of them. You can't use 'teacher' without an article (or possessive like my) here.
    – Glorfindel ♦
    Oct 11, 2016 at 7:50
  • 1
    'Teacher' may be used as a title (especially in the adage 'Teacher is always right') as these Google results show. In such cases, the determiner would be inappropriate. But in OP's example, dropping it would show a register one might expect from an infant (and the adage itself is probably mimicry). // Here, 'my teacher' shows a familiarity that probably makes 'Mrs Smith' etc the idiomatic choice.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Oct 11, 2016 at 10:43

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .