Not until

[Chico3576]

Very good poll. At the beginning of my studies this kind of sentence pattern would make my mind blow up with thinking. Though I'm able already to understand what it means, I don't yet know why it must be structured that way.

[Tdol]

I'd put it down as to something to learn without questioning why.

[Chico3576]

I'd put it down as to something to learn without questioning why.

Wise words sir... I have no doubt that I only managed to acquire a somewhat decent knowledge of the English language by not questioning why things are so, say, why do I have to use the Present Perfect Tense in this situation and the Past Simple in that other situation? Or, why do I have to structure my sentence like the one you put forward to discussion here to convey a particular idea, say, in a more stylish way as we know that it could have been structured in a less complex format. But anyways, I do believe that a great deal of English learners get so obsessed with grammar rules that they end up developing a necessity of figuring out why things are like they are and get stuck on their studies as a result; consequently they aren't likely to move anywhere further. We should accept the fact that native speakers talk like that in this particular context or situation and "full stop" Whenever you find yourself in a similar situation you're supposed to express yourself in that way. I have to admit that this was the only way I could find to understand the Present Perfect and the innumerable contexts in which it is used. lol Had I kept asking myself why is this or that so, I most certainly wouldn't be taking part in this forum right now.

[Tdol]

When people walk through a forest, they make paths- that doesn't mean that there aren't other ways to walk through the forest, but people tend to follow paths. When learning a language, we just have to accept this- I'm learning Tagalog at beginner level now and the same logic is true- they do things certain ways because everybody else does, so learning the pattern and accepting that there may be no explanation is a good way to progress. Often the answer to why is because and no more.

[Chico3576]

When people walk through a forest, they make paths- that doesn't mean that there aren't other ways to walk through the forest, but people tend to follow paths. When learning a language, we just have to accept this- I'm learning Tagalog at beginner level now and the same logic is true- they do things certain ways because everybody else does, so learning the pattern and accepting that there may be no explanation is a good way to progress. Often the answer to why is because and no more.

Just loved this Tdol. I'm gonna show it to all of my students.

[keen learner]

Which one is correct?

[Tdol]

The second

[keen learner]

The second

Yippee...Thanks

[cosmober]

I suppose that, in this case, 'did' is used to emphasise as it usually happens in affirmative statements.