Results 1 to 8 of 8
Thread: You might be wrong...
- 17-Aug-2003, 13:19 #1
Senior Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2003
- Posts
- 519
You might be wrong... I was just asked about this sentence:
"You might be wrong, mightn't you?"
I'm pretty sure I've heard some people use this kind of phrase before, but I'm not 100% sure.
Can anyone enlighten me on what might be gramattically correct for this? :D
- 17-Aug-2003, 15:43 #2
Editor, UsingEnglish.com
- Join Date
- Nov 2002
- Posts
- 35,298
Teacher It's perfectly correct, but we don't often use that contraction because it isn't easy to say. It's a basic tag question, where the tag is the opposite of the main verb. HTH
- 17-Aug-2003, 21:46 #3
Senior Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2003
- Posts
- 519
Threadstarter / Original Poster Great. Thanks a lot, Tdol :)
- 17-Aug-2003, 21:49 #4
Editor, UsingEnglish.com
- Join Date
- Nov 2002
- Posts
- 35,298
Teacher It's like 'oughtn't'- not much used because it's hard work to say it. You don't hear 'mayn't' much either, although that's not difficult.
- 17-Aug-2003, 21:52 #5
Senior Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2003
- Posts
- 519
Threadstarter / Original Poster I have to admit, I've never heard "mayn't" - is it a real word??!
Originally Posted by tdol It's like 'oughtn't'- not much used because it's hard work to say it. You don't hear 'mayn't' much either, although that's not difficult.
- 17-Aug-2003, 22:12 #6
Editor, UsingEnglish.com
- Join Date
- Nov 2002
- Posts
- 35,298
Teacher Potantially, but you rarely, if ever, hear it.
- 19-Aug-2003, 05:47 #7
Junior Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2003
- Posts
- 50
Potentially Originally Posted by tdol Potantially, but you rarely, if ever, hear it.
- 21-Aug-2003, 11:44 #8
Editor, UsingEnglish.com
- Join Date
- Nov 2002
- Posts
- 35,298
Teacher I'm a terrible typists.
Similar Threads
-
Why use "the" before "wrong number"?
By Anonymous in forum Ask a TeacherReplies: 29Last Post: 09-Jul-2004, 08:32
