In this article, we’ll break down the structure of the sentence ‘So what do such experiments and accounts of war and peace among other primates have to do with our own species?’ and clarify the role of key components such as ‘what’ and ‘have to’. Understanding this structure is crucial for mastering English grammar, particularly in constructing complex questions and statements.
Breaking Down the Sentence
The sentence begins with ‘So what’, which functions as the subject of the sentence. The word ‘what’ in this context is acting as an interrogative pronoun, asking for the subject or object of the action. In this case, it’s asking about the connection or relevance of ‘such experiments and accounts’ to our species.
Next, we have ‘do’, which is the auxiliary verb used to form the question. ‘Do’ helps turn the statement into a question. The main verb is ‘have’, which connects the subject (‘such experiments and accounts’) to the predicate (‘to do with our own species’).
Understanding ‘Have to do with’
The phrase ‘have to do with’ is an idiomatic expression in English that means ‘to be connected or relevant to’. It does not imply physical action or control. In this sentence, ‘have to do with’ is used to express a relationship or relevance between the experiments and accounts of war and peace in other primates and our own species. It is not meant to convey a literal action of ‘doing’.
For example, ‘The books have to do with history’ means that the books are related to or concerned with history. In the sentence, ‘have to do with’ indicates that the experiments and accounts are relevant or related to humans in some way.
Clarifying the Use of ‘What’ and ‘Have to’ in the Sentence
In this construction, ‘what’ is used to ask for the relevance or connection of the subject (the experiments and accounts) to our species, while ‘have to do with’ explains that the subject is connected or related to the object (our species).
It’s important to note that ‘have to’ in this context does not mean ‘must’ or ‘need to’. It’s part of the phrasal verb ‘have to do with’ and should not be confused with the more common meaning of ‘have to’ in other contexts.
Alternative Phrasal Verbs and Usage
Other phrases that can be used similarly to ‘have to do with’ include ‘relate to’, ‘concern’, and ‘be connected to’. Each of these phrases can be used to describe the relationship between different things. For example:
- ‘These experiments relate to human behavior.’
- ‘These accounts concern our understanding of society.’
- ‘These studies are connected to the research on human evolution.’
Conclusion
Understanding complex sentence structures in English can be challenging, but by breaking down phrases like ‘have to do with’ and understanding their role, you can better grasp the meaning of the sentence. In this case, the sentence ‘So what do such experiments and accounts of war and peace among other primates have to do with our own species?’ is asking about the relevance or connection between certain experiments and accounts and our species. The phrase ‘have to do with’ is key to understanding the relationship between the two.
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