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Sat 26 May, 2007 08:25 am
Suppose I went to a wonton restaurant and ordered a bowl of wonton. There should be 16 wontons in the bowl, but when it was served I found there were 17 in my bowl. What should I say to the waiter?
You gave me an extra wonton.
or You've given me a wonton more.
Which sentence sounds more native to you ? or do you have a better one?
Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
You gave me One ton of won ton
Perhaps I'm wrong, but I don't think most people would count the number of won-tons in their soup.
If they did, however, count their wontons, and felt compelled to remark on the surplus, then it is most likely that the native speaker of the American language would say: "You gave me an extra wonton."
The speaker of the British language might say: "You've given me an extra wonton." However, they would be just as likely to say: "You gave me an extra wonton." Neither the speaker of the American language nor the speaker of the British language would be likely to say: "You've given me a wonton more."--it would sound awkward to the speaker of either major dialect of English.
He was just looking for a better tip!