Introducing English Linguistics

She
listens to herself. 
(BNC KBE 1398)
→ Does she listen to herself?
The use of so-called periphrastic do in the above examples is a relatively
new phenomenon in English, dating back to Early Modern English. Not
only is it used in questions such as the above but in parallel environments
with the negative marker not. Consequently, when the first two examples
below are negated, not will be positioned directly following should and are.
Should abortion be illegal?
→ Abortion should not be illegal.
Are some people lucky?
→ Some people are not lucky.
In the next example, however, did is added before not, just as it was added
when the sentence had the form of a yes/no question:
Did she leave it on the seashore?
→ She did not leave it on the seashore.
In the other kind of major interrogative sentence in English, the