He can grasp!

Status
Not open for further replies.

RoseSpring

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2009
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Egypt
Current Location
Egypt
A teacher is saying this about his student. Is it correct?

I want to know how much can he grasp?
 

euncu

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Turkish
Home Country
Turkey
Current Location
Turkey
A teacher is saying this about his student. Is it correct?

I want to know how much can he grasp?


I want to know; how much can he grasp? (Some may use a comma instead of the semi-colon)
I want to know how much he can grasp?
 

billmcd

Key Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Just a minor point, but neither are questions.
 

euncu

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Turkish
Home Country
Turkey
Current Location
Turkey
Just a minor point, but neither are questions.

You are right for the second one, my mistake. But for the first one, I'd like to know your opinion. Because I think it needs a question mark.

I want to know; how much can he grasp?
I want to know how much he can grasp.
 

billmcd

Key Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
No, neither statement is a question and therefore no question mark, even though a question is indirect and implied and it would possibly generate a response from the listener. If the statement were simply, "How much can he grasp? then, of course, it is question.
 

BRENOIRONMAIDEN

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Portuguese
Home Country
Brazil
Current Location
Brazil
No, neither statement is a question and therefore no question mark, even though a question is indirect and implied and it would possibly generate a response from the listener. If the statement were simply, "How much can he grasp? then, of course, it is question.

:up: :up:
 

RoseSpring

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2009
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Egypt
Current Location
Egypt
No, neither statement is a question and therefore no question mark, even though a question is indirect and implied and it would possibly generate a response from the listener. If the statement were simply, "How much can he grasp? then, of course, it is question.

Thanks indeed, I usually got confused in such matter. Thanks for help.
 

Abstract Idea

Key Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Portuguese
Home Country
Brazil
Current Location
United States

I want to know; how much can he grasp?
I want to know how much he can grasp.

Neither statement is a question and therefore no question mark, even though a question is indirect and implied and it would possibly generate a response from the listener. If the statement were simply, "How much can he grasp? then, of course, it is question.

If the first one is not a question, how do you justify the inversion of the auxiliary?
 

billmcd

Key Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Regardless of whether the auxiliary is inverted in the examples and use of a semicolon, it remains an implied question that does not require a question mark. Further, from a grammatical perspective "to know how much can he grasp" qualifies as an infinitive phrase that is the object of "wants". And finally, the sentence structure in the first example, while not terribly bad, is a little awkward.
 

Abstract Idea

Key Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Portuguese
Home Country
Brazil
Current Location
United States
Regardless of whether the auxiliary is inverted in the examples and use of a semicolon, it remains an implied question that does not require a question mark. Further, from a grammatical perspective "to know how much can he grasp" qualifies as an infinitive phrase that is the object of "wants". And finally, the sentence structure in the first example, while not terribly bad, is a little awkward.

So you mean that the first (awkward) example is grammatically correct irrespective of the auxiliary inversion?

I want to know; how much can he grasp.
I want to know; how much he can grasp.

Just to confirm, are the sentences above, although a little awkward, both correct?
 

billmcd

Key Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Yes, they are OK.
 

RoseSpring

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2009
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Egypt
Current Location
Egypt
Which one is the correct one then?

How much he can grasp.
 

billmcd

Key Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Which one is the correct one then?

How much he can grasp.

If you state it in that way, without "I want to know", then it is a question and you must use a question mark (?)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top