The interrogative sentence for "The wind blew hard" is Did the wind blow hard?
Understanding Interrogative Sentences
An interrogative sentence is a type of sentence that asks a question. These sentences are crucial for seeking information, clarifying details, or expressing doubt. They are typically characterized by a question mark at the end and often involve a specific word order or the use of auxiliary verbs.
Forming Interrogatives in Simple Past Tense
To transform a declarative sentence in the simple past tense into an interrogative one, a specific structure involving the auxiliary verb "did" is used.
- Identify the Original Sentence: The given sentence is "The wind blew hard."
- Determine the Tense: The verb "blew" is the simple past tense of "blow." Therefore, the sentence is in the simple past tense.
- Apply the Simple Past Interrogative Rule: For simple past tense sentences, the structure for forming a question is:
- Did + Subject + Base Form of the Main Verb + Rest of the Sentence?
Let's apply this to "The wind blew hard":
- Auxiliary Verb: Did
- Subject: the wind
- Base Form of the Main Verb: The base form of "blew" is "blow."
- Rest of the Sentence: hard
Combining these elements, we get: Did the wind blow hard?
The Role of Auxiliary Verbs in Questions
Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, play a vital role in forming questions across different tenses. The choice of auxiliary verb depends directly on the tense of the original statement.
- For Simple Past Tense: As demonstrated, "did" is used, and the main verb reverts to its base form.
- Statement: They played outside.
- Interrogative: Did they play outside?
- For Past Continuous Tense: The auxiliary verb "was" or "were" is used at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the subject and the present participle (verb + -ing).
- Statement: The wind was blowing hard.
- Interrogative: Was the wind blowing hard?
- For Simple Present Tense: "Do" or "Does" is used.
- Statement: She sings beautifully.
- Interrogative: Does she sing beautifully?
Why "Did the Wind Blow Hard?" is Correct
This interrogative form accurately reflects the simple past tense of the original statement while transforming it into a question. The use of "Did" correctly indicates the past tense, and the main verb "blow" correctly shifts back to its base form after the auxiliary "did."
Examples of Interrogative Transformations
The following table illustrates how different sentences in various tenses are converted into their interrogative forms:
| Original Sentence | Tense | Interrogative Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| The wind blew hard. | Simple Past | Did the wind blow hard? |
| She ate an apple. | Simple Past | Did she eat an apple? |
| They were studying late. | Past Continuous | Were they studying late? |
| He runs every morning. | Simple Present | Does he run every morning? |
