"why" can be compared to an old Latin form qui, an ablative form, meaning how. Today "why" is used as a question word to ask the reason or purpose of something. This use might be explained from a formula such as "How does it come that ...".

Understanding the Context

If you meet an old friend of yours, whom you never expected to meet in town, you can express your surprise by saying: Why, it's Jim! This why in the ... 11 Why is it that everybody wants to help me whenever I need someone's help? Why does everybody want to help me whenever I need someone's help?

Key Insights

Can you please explain to me the difference in meaning between these two questions? I don't see it. So, what, the different between "b" and "p" is supposed to have something to do with how the noise is formed in the throat area (in the larynx)? For me it's purely an airflow thing - "b" builds up pressure behind the lips which stops building the moment the lips are opened, while "p" keeps the airflow going a moment after the lips are opened up. This answer doesn't seem to make sense.

Final Thoughts

(US ... Why does the 'b' in absorb change to a 'p' in absorption? The meaning of DOES is present tense third-person singular of do; plural of doe. DOES definition: a plural of doe. See examples of does used in a sentence. Definition of does verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Do and does are forms of the verb “to do.” They appear frequently in English sentences, especially when forming questions, negative statements, or emphasizing an idea.