I had an English exam days ago and a question was written like this:
In what year did you ____ to the United States?
A. come
B. coming
So I chose A, but the teacher insisted that it was B, because it was continuous. What do you think?
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2Where on earth did the "teacher" fail to learn English?– mplungjanDec 14, 2017 at 16:10
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To do is only ever used with the bare infinitive of the verb (Did you eat? I do run, they don't work etc.) so your teacher is completely incorrect if he or she insists that it's coming.– stangdonDec 14, 2017 at 16:11
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If the teacher insisted it was B, the teacher is a very bad teacher. Also, in what year is a bit awkward. What year did you come to the US? What weeks were you coming to school?– LambieDec 14, 2017 at 16:33
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1@Lambie - Or maybe even: When did you come to the US?– J.R. ♦Dec 14, 2017 at 17:21
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1 Answer
It is 100% come! 'Did you coming' sounds ridiculous... why?
Because we want the present participle of the verb to come (come) not the continuous.
Now if you are remembering the question incorrectly, it could have been option B as in the following example: 'In what year were you coming...'
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1Nah In what year were you coming to the US? is not idiomatic either Dec 14, 2017 at 16:11
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Agreed that it's come, but "come" is not the present participle of "to come". The present participle is the -ing form.– stangdonDec 14, 2017 at 16:11
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Yes, I understand it is grammatically OK. but it sounds very wrong to ask this in the present - as if the coming to America was a continuous action - better served by "in what year were you travelling to America" Dec 14, 2017 at 16:18