English grammar

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For this sentance :
I trust you won’t mind if we leave early, ... you?
We have to put WILL you or DO you ?

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Type: Question • Score: 4 • Views: 1,683 • Replies: 20

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@jopak,

I'd use "will" 'cause "do" implies an going feeling, as if I might have minded a bit all along

1 Reply

@dalehileman,

Politeness is important.

1 Reply

@jopak,

For a normal neutral tag question, the tag follows the main auxiliary verb in the statement portion. Again, for normal neutral tags, the tag is reversed - main verb positive then a negative tag; main verb negative then a positive tag follows.

As Dale mentioned, DO is possible but it sounds strident, accusatory, not normal and neutral.

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@cicerone imposter,

Quote:

Politeness is important.

It's only important if that is what a speaker wants to convey. Teaching a language isn't a Miss Manners exercise. Students must be made aware of all language if they are to be successful.

0 Replies

Thank you for your answer !

And what answer will you choose for the 2 next sentences and why ?

1)… about something and … it are two very different things.
A- To Worry - curing
B- To worry - cure
C- Worrying - cure
D- Worrying - curing

2)Five countries, … in Europe, declined the offer.
A- whose 3
B- 3 of whom
C- 3 of which
D- which 3

1 Reply

@jopak,

1)… about something and … it are two very different things.

A- To Worry - curing
Okay with me

B- To worry - cure
I'd say "to cure"

C- Worrying - cure
Nah, very awkward if grammatical

D- Worrying - curing
Okay I guess

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@jopak,

Quote:

For this sentance :
I trust you won’t mind if we leave early, ... you?
We have to put WILL you or DO you ?

Sentence.

"won't" means "will not" and so I'd use WILL.
There's a suggestion of future in the question so "do" is not a good fit.
"Would" would work too, but is not given as an option.

2 Replies

@McTag,

Quote:

There's a suggestion of future in the question so "do" is not a good fit.

In English DO/DOES/PRESENT SIMPLE is often used for the future.

A: Do you leave tomorrow? B: Yes, I leave on the 10 am flight.

You want to go to the movies tonight, don't you?

She goes to university next week, doesn't she?

In the OP's example,

I trust you won’t mind if we leave early, ... you?

it gives the feeling like the speaker shifts mid sentence, adds a slight pause and uses the more direct DO.

Quote:

"Would" would work too, but is not given as an option.

But it is a fine addition, a more polite, more deferential choice.

0 Replies

@McTag,

There is a pattern to note:

I don't, do I?
You won't, will you? You will, won't you?
He had, hadn't he?
They did, didn't they?

It doesn't have to be more complicated than that in this case.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Quote:

There is a pattern to note:

Yes, I described that pattern already. That's the normal neutral position.

There's also,

That's ... , is it?

She's ..., is she?

...

Quote:

It doesn't have to be more complicated than that in this case.

It was you who introduced WOULD. The OP asked about DO. ESLs see these things because they occur in language. It doesn't help to hide them from them.

1 Reply

@JTT,

Quote:

The OP asked about DO. ESLs see these things because they occur in language. It doesn't help to hide them from them.

DO was part of the set question, as I understood it.

I'm not aware of anyone trying to hide anything.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Quote:

DO was part of the set question, as I understood it.

Yes, it was and you erroneously tried to exclude it based on a false notion.

Quote:

I'm not aware of anyone trying to hide anything.

Three examples of you doing exactly that.

1.There's a suggestion of future in the question so "do" is not a good fit.

2. "Would" would work too, but is not given as an option.

3. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that in this case.

1 Reply

@JTT,

This is patent nonsense. The question was to select one of two.
Duly selected.
It was you who put in the guff about DO. Not helpful in my view, and that's why I ignored it. The questioner can select what he wants.

2 Replies

@McTag,

Quote:

It was you who put in the guff about DO. Not helpful in my view, and that's why I ignored it. The questioner can select what he wants.

You didn't ignore it at all. I'm shocked at how easily you lie, McTag when your own words are right there to illustrate?

Quote:

McTag wrote: There's a suggestion of future in the question so "do" is not a good fit.

I showed how DO could be used. I showed that you were mistaken, that the present simple is used for the future.

Quote:

The question was to select one of two.

Then why did you add WOULD?

1 Reply

@JTT,

I think you were born twisted, and it's not worth arguing with you.
I put in the comment about "would" to be helpful, that's all. It was obvious it was not part of the question. You agreed with me at the time.
Further, I think your comments about DO in this case were unhelpful and misleading. You attempted unnecessarily to complicate a simple situation.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Quote:

I put in the comment about "would" to be helpful, that's all. It was obvious it was not part of the question. You agreed with me at the time.

Of course I agreed with you and I noted it was helpful. I believe I even noted how it would be different.

That does add a measure of complication but it's silly to assume that students cannot handle it. It's silly because, as I have mentioned, they are going to encounter these language complications because language is exceedingly complex.

That's the difference between you and me. I'm interested in the truth while you are interested in obfuscation. I'm interested in helping students negotiate the difficulties, you aren't willing to think beyond a simplistic prescriptive level.

Quote:

Further, I think your comments about DO in this case were unhelpful and misleading. You attempted unnecessarily to complicate a simple situation.

You've shown time and again that you don't have the requisite knowledge to determine that. Even when clear, perfectly natural examples are given, you ignore them. You remain your snotty self and you never provide any proof for your opinions.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Quote:

The question was to select one of two.

Actually, the question

"We have to put WILL you or DO you ?"

was an inquiry about which was required. "have to" tells us that. To let this student think that one and only one is required is an irresponsible reply. You allowed that this is the case when you presented WOULD as a possibility.

Your attempts to cast me in a bad light for doing exactly what you did is risible, not to mention hypocritical.

English grammar

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