Learn English – When to use “is” vs. “does” when asking a question

auxiliary-verbsdo-supportinversionquestions

When do I use is or does when I ask a question? For example,

  • Is your item still for sale?
  • Does your item still for sale?

I am not sure which one to use.

Best Answer

When the verb in a statement is neither a primary auxiliary verb (be, have, do) nor a modal auxiliary verb (will, would, can, could, may, might, shall, should, must, ought to, used to), do is used to form a question from it. Thus, ‘You know where my house is’ becomes ‘Do you know where my house is?’

Meanwhile, when the verb in a statement is a primary auxiliary verb or a modal auxiliary verb, then a question is formed from it by placing the verb before the subject. That means that ‘Your item is still for sale’ becomes ‘Is your item still for sale?’

Related Topic