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Mon 25 Nov, 2013 10:48 pm
Situation:
Peter is sitting in the classroom, when the teacher walks into the room. Then the teacher intones: who is Peter? Wanting to know why the teacher calls him, what should Peter as a student say in natural/idiomatic English? Would these do?:
-What's the matter?
-What business have you?
@WBYeats,
Neither. Peter should say "I'm Peter, can I help you with something?"
"What's the matter" would work fine. I don't think that your paragraph was written by a native speaker of English.
I might also add that i cannot think of a situation in which an English speaker would say "what business have you."
@WBYeats,
Quote:-What's the matter?
-What business have you?
These sound much too abrupt/impolite, considering the circumstances, WB.
"I'm Peter."
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