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Please consider these two sentences:

(a) Did the train arrive at 11:00 and departed at 11:15?

vs

(b) Did the train arrive at 11:00 and depart at 11:15?

Another sentence:

(a) Did you go to market and bought groceries?

vs

(b) Did you go to market and buy groceries?

Which sentences in set 1 and set 2 are correct?

I have been told to use 1st form of any verb after did (primary auxiliary) but I get puzzled when I use another verb after and.

In a past question made with the primary auxiliary "did", should I use the 2nd form of the verb depart which is departed, or 1st form of the verb depart (in set 1)?

and 2nd form of verb buy which is bought or 1st form buy? (in set 2)

I would really appreciate your help, guys.

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  • Always use an infinitive verb-form (your 1st form) after the auxiliary "do", even in a coordination of verb phrases linked by "and". Thus "depart" and "buy" are the correct verbs in your examples.
    – BillJ
    Jun 17, 2019 at 7:02

1 Answer 1

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"B" is correct in both examples. When using the auxiliary did, the verbs that follow should always be in the infinitive, even if they're separated by and. Since did is in the past tense, the following verbs cannot also be. Did bought and did departed don't make sense and are incorrect.

In the absence of did, and in the form of a statement rather than a question, the other verbs should be in the past:

  • The train arrived at 11:00 and departed at 11:15.
  • You went to the market and bought groceries.
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    Verbs that follow auxiliary "do" are plain (infinitival) forms. Thus, "depart" and "buy" are not present tense, but plain (infinitival) forms.
    – BillJ
    Jun 17, 2019 at 6:50
  • Good catch; I corrected it.
    – tssmith2425
    Jun 17, 2019 at 7:24

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