How many legs does a octopus have/has?

Question

How many legs does an octopus have?

How many legs does an octopus has?

If octopus is singular, why do we use "has" instead of "have"?

*why do we use "has" instead of "have"?* The short answer is ***We don't!*** This is "basic English". — FumbleFingers, Sep 10 '17 at 14:14

SovereignSun · Accepted Answer · 2017-09-11T05:29:11.460

2

"has" is incorrect in this structure. The correct sentence is:

The only way "has" can be correct is in this structure:

When we use the auxilary verb "do" in the interrogative it is always "have" with either plural or singular subject.

edited Sep 11 '17 at 05:29

answered Sep 10 '17 at 13:54

SovereignSun

2

Octopus "legs" or "arms" would be understood by most folks. Tentacles in informal spoken English could seem awkward in some cases. – ColleenV Sep 10 '17 at 14:05
@ColleenV My god, is it really so different in English? – SovereignSun Sep 10 '17 at 14:06

1 Answers1