[Grammar] formal confusion

Status
Not open for further replies.

Checkmate

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Malay
Home Country
Malaysia
Current Location
Malaysia
My friend hadn't gotten his book from someone and then my english teacher asked:

"You gave the book to whom?"

I think it was incorrect because the right question should be:

"To whom you gave the book?"

or

"Who did you give the book to?"

Was my teacher wrong?
 
Last edited:

Checkmate

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Malay
Home Country
Malaysia
Current Location
Malaysia
'To whom did you give the book?' should be correct.

Not a teacher.

So, "To whom you gave the book" should be "To whom did you give the book" and my teacher was wrong, right?
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
So, "To whom you gave the book" should be "To whom did you give the book" and my teacher was wrong, right?

No, your teacher wasn't wrong. This is perfectly correct: "You gave the book to whom?"
 

Checkmate

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Malay
Home Country
Malaysia
Current Location
Malaysia

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
Please don't close threads- other people may have point to make and a forum is a public area for discussions. They will close automatically after a while.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
When asking for clarification, the original question would be perfectly fine but as a standalone question, it is incorrectly structured. We do not, as a general rule, make a question by using a statement and simply putting a question mark at the end.

Dialogue 1
Teacher: Where is your book?
Student: I gave it to Martin.
Teacher: You gave it to whom?
Student: I gave it to Martin.
Teacher: Ah, that makes sense. I thought you said you gave it to a Martian!

Dialogue 2
Teacher: Where is your book?
Student: I haven't got it with me. I gave it to someone.
Teacher: Who did you give it to?
or
Teacher: To whom did you give it?

"You gave it to whom?" does not work in Dialogue 2.
 

Checkmate

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Malay
Home Country
Malaysia
Current Location
Malaysia
When asking for clarification, the original question would be perfectly fine but as a standalone question, it is incorrectly structured. We do not, as a general rule, make a question by using a statement and simply putting a question mark at the end.

Dialogue 1
Teacher: Where is your book?
Student: I gave it to Martin.
Teacher: You gave it to whom?
Student: I gave it to Martin.
Teacher: Ah, that makes sense. I thought you said you gave it to a Martian!

Dialogue 2
Teacher: Where is your book?
Student: I haven't got it with me. I gave it to someone.
Teacher: Who did you give it to?
or
Teacher: To whom did you give it?

"You gave it to whom?" does not work in Dialogue 2.

Would it be wrong if I use "You gave it to whom?" in Dialogue 2 even it doesn't work like that
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top