Why is LINQ deferred?

Short answer: foreach (var emp in query) Console.WriteLine(emp.Name); ✅ Output includes “Frank” — because query is executed at enumeration time. var query = employees.Where(e => e.Salary > 70000); employees.Add(new Employee { Id = 6, Name = "Frank", Department =

Example code

"IT", Salary = 90000 });

Real-world example (ShopNest)

ShopNest builds a LINQ query for search filters, then calls ToListAsync() once in the repository—so the SQL runs one time, not inside a loop.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.