I'm reading a book which represents sentences of two languages in parallel. I've noticed that one of the sentences is:
When does the museum open?
My question is: Is it not supposed to be with a different type of auxiliary verb (be) rather than the auxiliary verb do – as in the following?
When is the museum open?
…since open is an adjective in this context.
The word open is used to be used in this context as an adverb. Always when I listen to people who talk about the work times of places they say: it IS open between such hour to such hour. I've never heard that someone said "it opens between…" and used it as a verb. Maybe I'm mistaken and it is in use as verb in such context in native English spoken countries.
Best Answer
In the sentence, "When is the museum open," the word "open" acts as an adjective.
Whereas in the sentence, "When does the museum open," the word "open" acts as a verb.
The first sentence would be used when you want to know the time frame of when the store is available for business (The store is open 6am to 7pm).
The second sentence is used to ask what time the store opens its doors; this would be answered with a specific point in time, not a range of times (The store opens at 9).