A Skeletal Introduction to English GrammarRemember that when a sentence contains more than one auxiliary verb, it is
the first of these that moves to the left of the subject:
j. Will John be leaving soon?
(k) is a Wh-interrogative. It begins with what and its auxiliary verb, should,
occurs before its subject, you:
k. What should you be doing now?
A clause’s polarity has to do with whether it is positive or negative Ex-
amples (a-k) are all positive. Negative clauses are created by placing not after
the first auxiliary, should in (l):
l. You should not be sleeping here.
The first auxiliary and not can be contracted into a single word:
m. You shouldn’t be sleeping here.
Negative sentences may be declarative, like (l) and (m). They can also be
interrogative:
n. Shouldn’t you be sleeping over there?
And imperative:
o. Don’t touch me!
Note the appearance of don’t in the negative imperative.
And (p) is both negative and passive:
p. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Exercise
For each of the following sentences say whether it is (i) active or pas-
sive; (ii) declarative, interrogative, or imperative; and (iii) positive or
negative. For example, Couldn’t it have been left behind? Passive, in-