Tagged Questions
5
votes
5answers
370 views
Why put the verb before the subject?
The opening sentence to The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien reads,
In a hole in the ground there lived [verb] a hobbit [subject].
I wonder if there are accepted stylistic purposes for such a structure. ...
1
vote
2answers
85 views
''I don't know what" + direct object [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Changing subject and verb positions in statements and questions
Why do we put the verb to be at the end of these questions?
Is the expression
I don't know what is ...
4
votes
1answer
135 views
Where does the verb go on this question? Is it even a reported question?
I understand that when I report a question, I put the subject back in front of the verb, as in: "He asked if she was going to be late."
But I always get puzzled when it comes to reporting a question ...
0
votes
2answers
235 views
“Where am I?” vs. “Where I am?” [closed]
Which is more correct to say in a question? (For example a guy that wakes up in a train)
"Where am I?"
or
"Where I am?"
3
votes
1answer
102 views
“He said, X” vs. “X, he said” vs. “X, said he”
I’ve long wondered how in reported speech, what sort of change in nuance is produced by switching around the normal order of the subject (that is, the speaker) and the “speech-related” verb (such as ...
-1
votes
5answers
217 views
“Not once he would” vs. “not once would he”
Not being a native speaker and suffering semantic satiation from overthinking this, I'd like to ask this probably overly simple question.
Not once would he...
uses reversal for negation and ...
-1
votes
1answer
107 views
What qualification you are looking for? [closed]
Well this may be a very silly and obvious question but it's bothering me so I am asking it here. I am writing a letter and I asked the question
What qualification are you looking for?
However my ...
1
vote
2answers
273 views
Position of verb for object clause
Is the general word order of this sentence correct?
We investigate how strong the effect of X on Y is.
Or, as an alternative,
We investigate how strong the effect of X is on Y.
In a ...
1
vote
0answers
26 views
What is the correct “noun-verb” order when preceded by “only when”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Sentences using: [something] + have + they
Inversion in “Only when the virus introduces its nucleic acid into a cell does disease occur”
In a sentence like this:
...
2
votes
2answers
180 views
Not always + inversion? [closed]
My neighbour's little son (they are from UK) asked me for something, saying that he wants it and hence he will get.
I realized I do not know how to say that correctly (for the first one I used ...
2
votes
6answers
334 views
“Sure I am not” — is that valid English?
Consider this conversation:
— Iceland has more than 200 rainy days per year.
— Are you sure?
— No, I am not sure.
Is it valid or wrong English to say,
— No, sure I am not.
...in the ...
4
votes
3answers
900 views
Why do we invert word order when asking a question?
What's the difference between an inverted question and a normal-order question?
Why invert? Is there a reason or a benefit?
I love you?
Do I love you?
5
votes
3answers
827 views
Changing subject and verb positions in statements and questions
We always change subject and verb positions in whenever we want to ask a question such as "What is your name?". But when it comes to statements like the following, which form is correct?
I ...
17
votes
6answers
8k views
Why do you say “so do I”?
Why is the order of the words in "so do I" or "nor do I" different from the normal order?
