Do you want me to VS Do you want I

[Mehdi_B]

Hello,

Like you can see in the title, I would like know why we should use "Do you want me to" instead of "Do you want I". Like I'm french, I traduce from french but "Do you want I" isn't the good syntax. If someone can explain me (and correct if I did a mistake in my post), it will be very sympatic.

Thanks you.

 

[konungursvia]

He may be wondering whether there is a construction like: "Tu veux que fasse une omelette?" [Do] you want that I make an omelette? The answer is no, we don't use such a construction any more.

 

[BobK]

Is that a Canadienisme? In France the question would be '... que je fasse...', wouldn't it.

I do hear this sort of thing in period US crime dramas: "Boss, you want I should teach him some manners?" (It's not standard/acceptable grammar though.)

b

 

[emsr2d2]

Hello,

[STRIKE]Like[/STRIKE] As you can see [STRIKE]in[/STRIKE] from the title, I would like to know why we [STRIKE]should[/STRIKE] use "Do you want me to" instead of "Do you want I". [STRIKE]Like[/STRIKE] I'm French so I [STRIKE]traduce[/STRIKE] translated it from French but "Do you want I" isn't [STRIKE]the good syntax[/STRIKE] grammatically correct. If someone can explain it to me (and correct [STRIKE]if I did a[/STRIKE] any mistakes in my post), [STRIKE]it[/STRIKE] ​I will be very [STRIKE]sympatic[/STRIKE] grateful.

[STRIKE]Thanks[/STRIKE] Thank you.

See my corrections above, in red.

 

[Tdol]

I traduce from french but "Do you want I" isn't the good syntax.

Direct translation will often not help. In French, you would use que after want. We don't use that, so it's not the same- in English, it's the direct object, so we use me, and followed by a to- infinitive. It may not be good syntax in French, but it is in English. English derives a huge amount of vocabulary from French, but less grammar.

 

[BobK]

:up: ...And "traduce" is a faux ami. The word "traduce" does exist in English but only in a rarely-used sense. It does not mean "translate".

At the very bottom of that Collins page there is an interesting figure. But when you first see it, it shows frequency of use of the word for only the last 10 years. This does show a decline; but the decline is not nearly as dramatic as the decline over the last 300 years. I‘ve captured the screen, to show it more clearly.

b

 

[konungursvia]

Is that a Canadienisme? In France the question would be '... que je fasse...', wouldn't it.

I do hear this sort of thing in period US crime dramas: "Boss, you want I should teach him some manners?" (It's not standard/acceptable grammar though.)

b

Ha, yes, I simply thought too fast and did not type the subject, je.

 

[Mehdi_B]

I'm sorry to responding so late.
Thank you for responding me.

Have a good day and merry party of end of the year (bad syntax I think) !

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm sorry [STRIKE]to[/STRIKE] for responding so late.
Thank you for responding to me.

Have a good day and merry [STRIKE]party of end of the year[/STRIKE] New Year celebrations. [STRIKE](bad syntax I think) ![/STRIKE]

See above. There is no need to write a new post to say "Thank you". Simply click on the "Thank" button on any post you find helpful.
I hope you have a good New Year too.