[Grammar] American English: Did you ever go to a basketball game?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Nov 27, 2017
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Canada
Re: Did you ever go to a basketball game?

Number 1.
 

tedmc

VIP Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2014
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Malaysia
Current Location
Malaysia
Re: Did you ever go to a basketball game?

2 and 3 are unnatural.
 

Yankee

Banned
Joined
Sep 13, 2013
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Are the above sentences acceptable to native speakers of American English?
I think that, when a question is phrased like that, it's probably a good idea to stand back and let native speakers of AmE respond.
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
NOTE: 5jj's remark above was addressed to constantinophilo and tedmc.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Indeed. It was in no way directed at sitifan. Sorry if I did not make that clear.
 
Last edited:

probus

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 7, 2011
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Canada
They are all "acceptable" to this AmE speaker. 1 is the most natural and the one I would choose. If I heard 3 I'd be inclined to guess that the speaker was somewhat ill-educated.
 

Skrej

VIP Member
Joined
May 11, 2015
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I find #1 and #2 equally acceptable, and both quite natural. The third one sounds like I'm asking if they ever completed a goal from a prior conversation. They must have mentioned to me that they intended to attend a baseball game at some point in the past. Now that I'm talking to them again later, I'm asking if they ever made it to a game.

In that context, #3 would be natural.
 

Charlie Bernstein

VIP Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States

Charlie Bernstein

VIP Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I find #1 and #2 equally acceptable, and both quite natural. The third one sounds like I'm asking if they ever completed a goal from a prior conversation. They must have mentioned to me that they intended to attend a baseball game at some point in the past. Now that I'm talking to them again later, I'm asking if they ever made it to a game.

In that context, #3 would be natural.
To me, they all amount to the same question, phrased differently, and I'd answer them all the same way.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top