Verb question

[mrrich]

Why is "Children do learn" wrong? Pres Bush said it the other day, and he was laughed at.

mrrich

[peterpiper]

Really? I don´t think this sentence is wrong. Maybe the reason why they laughed is that they were kinda not agreeing with that statement...

[Soup]

Originally Posted by mrrich

Why is "Children do learn" wrong? Pres Bush said it the other day, and he was laughed at.

mrrich

Pragmatics: to communicate more than that which is explicitly stated.

Children learn.
=> meaning, it's a general truth or fact about children.

Children do learn.
=> meaning, children do indeed learn. Do is used for emphasis.


President Bush's meaning is in orange; the audience members who laughed is in purple:

Helping and Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Emphatic do has many uses in English.

1. To add emphasis to an entire sentence: "He does like spinach. He really does!"
2. To add emphasis to an imperative: "Do come in." (actually softens the command)
3. To add emphasis to a frequency adverb: "He never did understand his father." "She always does manage to hurt her mother's feelings."
4. To contradict a negative statement: "You didn't do your homework, did you?" "Oh, but I did finish it."
5. To ask a clarifying question about a previous negative statement: "Ridwell didn't take the tools." "Then who did take the tools?"
6. To indicate a strong concession: "Although the Clintons denied any wrong-doing, they did return some of the gifts."

The laughter
A: Children do learn.
B: No one said they didn't.