All queries begin with which command?

• A. UPDATE
• B. SELECT
• C. DELETE
• D. INSERT

Answer: (B)

In SQL, a data retrieval operation starts with the SELECT command. It tells the database which columns to return and from which tables, forming the basis of a query that fetches data. After the SELECT part, you add clauses like FROM, WHERE, GROUP BY, and ORDER BY to refine the results. The phrase “queries” in this context refers to retrieving data, so the starting keyword is SELECT. The other commands—UPDATE, INSERT, and DELETE—are for modifying data: updating existing rows, inserting new rows, or deleting rows. They aren’t used to perform a data-queried retrieval, so they don’t serve as the starting point for a typical query. For example: SELECT name, salary FROM employees WHERE department = 'Sales';