eating, climbing, and digging

[Phaedrus]

Are the following questions clear? I.e., can you tell
what type of information is being sought in each?

(1) What did you use to eat?
(2) What did you use to climb?
(3) What did you use to dig?

Thank you!

 

[MikeNewYork]

They seem to be clear. The third is a bit strange.

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

Why does the third sentence sound strange to you, Mike?

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think this is because few people would dig regularly, but I am not a teacher.

 

[MikeNewYork]

What Matthew said.

 

[Phaedrus]

Thanks very much!

I had worried that in answer to each question
two very different types of response would be
possible. I'd like to see whether you agree.

(1) What did you use to eat?
Answer set A: a fork; utensils; chopsticks
Answer set B: French fries; meat; hot sauce

(2) What did you use to climb?
Answer set A: rope; full climbing gear; special shoes
Answer set B: snow-covered mountains; granite cliffs

(3) What did you use to dig?
Answer set A: a shovel
Answer set B: graves

 

[Matthew Wai]

(3) What did you use to dig?
Answer set A: a shovel
Answer set B: graves

Is the listener a grave raider?

 

[Phaedrus]

Is the listener a grave raider?

Well, he might have been a grave digger -- one who used to dig graves.

Or he might simply have been one who used a shovel to dig (anything).

Mightn't he?

 

[bhaisahab]

Thanks very much!

I had worried that in answer to each question
two very different types of response would be
possible. I'd like to see whether you agree.

Yes, you are right.

 

[Phaedrus]

Thank you, Bhaisahab.

I was kind of hoping that someone might object as follows:
"No, for the B readings, you can't drop the 'd' in 'used to.'
The fact that auxiliary 'did' is present doesn't matter." Thus:

(1a) What did you use __ to eat? -a fork, utensils, chopsticks
(2a) What did you use __ to climb? - rope, climbing gear, picks
(3a) What did you use __ to dig? - a shovel, a tractor, my hands

(1b) What did you say you used to eat __? - too much salt
(3b) What did you used to climb __? - cliffs, mountains, icy peaks
(3b) What did you used to dig __? -- ditches, graves, sand, dirt

Notice that if things were that way there would be no ambiguity
in the original three questions, or, if there were ambiguity, it would
not be ambiguity of a radically syntactic variety.

Does anyone think, as I do, that "used to" takes the "d" even under
the influence of auxiliary "did"? Should TheParser be following this
thread, I would (nay, should) very much like to know his take.

 

[Raymott]

I used to dig Bob Dylan. Dig?