What is the cause/What are the causes

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bigC

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When an appliance is not working properly.

Which is the correct way to ask:

1. What is the cause of the malfunction.
2. What are the causes of the malfunction.

Which is the correct way to say:

1. Tell me the cause(s) of the malfunction
2. Tell me what is (are) the cause(s) of the malfunction.
 

bubbha

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1. What is the cause of the malfunction?
2. What are the causes of the malfunction?

Both of the above are correct. Don't forget: use a question mark when asking a question.

1. Tell me the cause(s) of the malfunction. (Correct.)
2. Tell me what the cause(s) of the malfunction is/are. (Note the placement of the verb "is" or "are".)


 

tedmc

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I think a more natural response would be: 'What's wrong with it?'
 
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bigC

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Do you think "what...is/are" in "
Tell me what the cause(s) of the malfunction is/are" is superfluous?

Is it better just to say "
Tell me the cause(s) of the malfunction."?
 

Tdol

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How do you actually say cause(s)? You could remove the problem of number by asking What caused the malfunction?
 

SoothingDave

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I think it is most natural to ask what the cause is. At least until some time when it is known that there are multiple causes.
 

bigC

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I think it is most natural to ask what the cause is. At least until some time when it is known that there are multiple causes.


I have made the sentence complicated.
 

Tdol

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It's easy to do this if you worry too much about all the possibilities. Most native speakers will use the most obvious one, as SoothingDave suggests, and allow for the other possibilities afterwards. It is, after all, simply a question and not a legal contract.
 

bigC

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Non native speakers usually write and speak English base on the grammar and style/format of their own language, or pay too much concern in English grammar, (in fact some non English speakers do not understand English grammar well), thus making what they write/speak clumsy and unnatural.
 
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Tarheel

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If my attitude is typical, most people don't care what caused the problem. They just want their broken washing machine, automatic dishwasher or whatever to be put back in working order. They might listen patiently while the repair person explains things, but their only concern is to get it working again.
 
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