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I have written an question in form "Where an attribute comes from?". Immediately I realized that this is not grammatically correct and rewrote it to "Where an attribute does come from?" But I started to think why I wrote the question the first way. I have seen it before. Even when I wrote this question, StackExchange offers me question written similarly.

My question is whether it is possible (ok) to write such questions: "Where an attribute comes from?" and why.

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Neither of them is the correct way IMO.

The proper way is...

Where does an attribute come from?

As I'm advised by learned people in the language, the question is better with 'verb' separated (known as Subject-Auxiliary Inversion as snailplain said). Having this said, "What does he like?" is preferred over "What he likes?'

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    I'm not sure that What he likes? is acceptable at all. What likes he? is "correct", but extremely archaic. What does he like? is normal.
    – TRiG
    Jun 13, 2014 at 9:01
  • @TRiG I was one of those Indians who practiced it! In India, it's damn common. Thanks to my dear native speakers! :)
    – Maulik V
    Jun 13, 2014 at 9:17
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    Or, the question could be asked in the plural: Where do attributes come from?
    – J.R.
    Jun 13, 2014 at 9:35
  • Btw I just realized native speaker song in this form: "Who wants to live forever?". Do artists have special english rules? Sep 15, 2014 at 6:31
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    Lyricists enjoy flexible grammar rules!
    – Maulik V
    Sep 15, 2014 at 6:47

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