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There are a few options here:

  • When is the end of the world?
  • When the end of the world happens?
  • When is the end of the world going?
  • When does the end of the world happen?

Any wrong options here? Maybe you have had some other variant?

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Two of these four options (and three out of the five original ones) are strikingly ungrammatical. The last one is unnecessarily cumbersome. This question is better suited for our proposed sister site for English language learners. You can support it by committing. Thank you. – RegDwighт♦ Dec 21 '12 at 10:34
@RegDwighт Sure, I will support your site. But could you add some more details? What answers are incorrect at all here? What is your choice? – abdmob Dec 21 '12 at 10:47

closed as not constructive by Kris, kiamlaluno, MετάEd, FumbleFingers, tchrist Dec 28 '12 at 6:09

As it currently stands, this question is not a good fit for our Q&A format. We expect answers to be supported by facts, references, or specific expertise, but this question will likely solicit debate, arguments, polling, or extended discussion. If you feel that this question can be improved and possibly reopened, see the FAQ for guidance.

1 Answer

up vote 1 down vote accepted

When is the end of the world?

This is grammatically and idiomatically fine. It's standard English. Another way of saying it is:

When will the world end?

These two:

When the end of the world happens?
When is the end of the world going?

are both ungrammatical.

When does the end of the world happen?

is a special kind of question. It implies a blasé attitude, sounds ironic, and suggests as much interest as "When does the shoe store close?" It's not a normal way of asking this question. But it's perfect for asking someone who believes that the apocalypse will occur today, for example, when it's going to happen. It's mockery.

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