Holmes
Banned
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2022
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- United States
- Current Location
- United States
A student in my ESL writing class recently began his paper in a way I found interesting from a semantic standpoint:
1) Do you know that many students have trouble with online learning?
The topic of his paper was online learning, and he began with the above sentence as a "hook." In his mind, I think, "Do you know that . . ." was equivalent to "Are you aware that . . .":
2) Are you aware that many students have trouble with online learning?
In my experience as a native speaker, (1) and (2) are not equivalent. Indeed, (1) sounds very weird to me in the present tense. I explained to the student that it would be more natural for a native speaker to use "Did you know that . . ." in (1), or to use "Are you aware that . . . ." I think that I only use "Do you know that . . ." sentences when stressing "know," as if to say, "Are you absolutely certain that . . . ?"
Does this harmonize with the sensibilities of other native speakers here?
Thank you.
1) Do you know that many students have trouble with online learning?
The topic of his paper was online learning, and he began with the above sentence as a "hook." In his mind, I think, "Do you know that . . ." was equivalent to "Are you aware that . . .":
2) Are you aware that many students have trouble with online learning?
In my experience as a native speaker, (1) and (2) are not equivalent. Indeed, (1) sounds very weird to me in the present tense. I explained to the student that it would be more natural for a native speaker to use "Did you know that . . ." in (1), or to use "Are you aware that . . . ." I think that I only use "Do you know that . . ." sentences when stressing "know," as if to say, "Are you absolutely certain that . . . ?"
Does this harmonize with the sensibilities of other native speakers here?
Thank you.