[General] I am not sure

[suniljain]

. I am not sure as to why you say that interest is not payable to IEDCL. Can you give the contract references as to why this is not payable?



I understand that after Why "do" will come to make the sentence correct.

Also would like understand why do we use "as to". Can't we simply write: Can you give the contract references,why this is not payable?

 

[emsr2d2]

"As to" is widely misused in English.

I am not sure why ...
Can you say why ...?

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

'I am not sure as to why you say that interest is not payable to IEDCL.' This is not a question, and that's why there is no 'do' after the 'why'. The words 'as to' are just filler and completely superfluous; a sort of meaningless business-speak.

Why do you say that interest is not payable to IEDCL? This is a question.

'Can you give the contract references as to why this is not payable?' The question here is 'Can you give the contract references?', not 'Why is this not payable?' The words 'as to' in this context mean, that would make clear/that justify/that explain.

You can't just say, 'Can you give the contract references, why this is not payable?' but you can say, 'Can you tell me why this is not payable?'

 

[Raymott]

. I am not sure as to why you say that interest is not payable to IEDCL. Can you give the contract references as to why this is not payable?

Roman is correct, but I'd like to add to it. The following are both questions, but only one uses 'do'.
"Why do you say that interest is not payable?"
"Will you tell me why you say that interest is not payable?

On the other hand, sometimes 'do' is used in a non-question:
Dialog:
A: "Don't tell me you don't steal from the shops. I know you do [steal from the shops]."
B: "I don't steal."
A: "You do steal! I know that because I've seen you do it."

 

[suniljain]

I understand: "Why this is not payable" is also a question and every interrogative sentence would be followed by the "auxiliary verb".

 

[emsr2d2]

"Why this is not payable" is not a question. The word order is wrong. "Why is this not payable?" is a question.

 

[suniljain]

Can you tell me why is this not payable?

Is the above sentence correct?

 

[emsr2d2]

No.

I think you need to go back to basics with "Wh-" questions. If the question starts with "Who/What/Why/When/Where", we invert the subject and the verb.

Who am I?
I am Bob.

What is it?
It is a cat.

Why has it stopped?
It has stopped because it's broken.

Where are you?
I am in Hawaii.

When will you eat breakfast?
I will eat breakfast at 8am.

"Can you tell me why ..." is not a question which starts with a "Wh-" word. The correct version of that sentence is "Can you tell me why this is not payable?"

It is confusing, we don't deny that. You are going to have to study these constructions in your own time or ask your teacher to revise them.

 

[suniljain]

Can I conclude that if sentences starts with "WH" then the auxiliary verb will follow else the same is not required?

 

[Matthew Wai]

if sentences starts with "WH" then the auxiliary verb will follow

'What you said is not true.'
No auxiliary verb follows the wh- word here.

Not a teacher.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't understand what you're asking. The second half of your question doesn't make sense. Give us some example questions so that we can see what you mean.

 

[suniljain]

If we ask questions which starts with WH then it will always follow auxiliary verb.

Is the above rule correct?

 

[Matthew Wai]

it will always follow auxiliary verb.

It should always be followed by an auxiliary/modal/linking verb.

Not a teacher.

 

[Raymott]

It should always be followed by an auxiliary/modal/linking verb.

OK, that's unambiguous. We can agree or disagree with that without guessing your meaning.
"Who plays on first base?"
Is 'plays' auxiliary, modal, or linking?

 

[Matthew Wai]

It should always be followed by an auxiliary/modal/linking verb, with the exception of the construction used in Raymott's above post.

Not a teacher.

 

[MikeNewYork]

That's not much of a rule, Matthew.

Who walks in the park every night?
Who sang the lead for the Beatles?
Who fiirst walked on the moon?

 

[suniljain]

I understand except for simple present tense and past tense, the above rule will always follow. (If we ask questions which starts with WH then it will always follow auxiliary verb)

The Reason is that even we construct normal sentence it does't contain any auxiliary verb like 1) Ram plays. 2) He sang the song.

 

[emsr2d2]

You keep mixing up "will follow" with "will be followed by".

 

[Matthew Wai]

The Reason is that even we construct normal sentence it does't contain any auxiliary verb like 1) Ram plays. 2) He sang the song.

Do you consider the following sentences abnormal because they contain an auxiliary verb? 1) Ram is playing. 2) He was singing the song.

Not a teacher.

 

[suniljain]

The above sentences are present and past continuous tense and not the simple present and past tense.