Is this correct? Do you know Jamal? We all played basketball together last time.

[B45]

Is this correct?

Do you know Jamal? We all played basketball together last time.

 

[emsr2d2]

Are you asking the person if they remember Jamal (from playing basketball together at some point in the past)?

 

[B45]

Well, Yes and no. Let me rewrite the sentence.

Do you know Jamal? I think we all played basketball together last time.

 

[emsr2d2]

There is still a difference between him knowing Jamal and him remembering Jamal. Is Jamal present when this question is asked? Is it part of an introduction?

 

[B45]

Jamal is not present and just wondering if he's going to be at the ball game.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Do you mean the listener might have played basketball with Jamal last time but did not know his name?

 

[B45]

A bunch of people were at the courts last time so I'm just asking if my friend knows Jamal because they might've without him even realizing it.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think you have to show Jamal's photo while asking the question, but I am not a teacher.

 

[emsr2d2]

I would probably say something like "Do you remember meeting someone called Jamal when a big group of us played basketball a few days/weeks/months ago?" I agree with Matthew Wai that if the person might have met Jamal but not realised it, you'll probably have to show him a photo of Jamal or at least try to describe him.

 

[B45]

Haha, that's funny. Thanks for the laugh. But my real question is:

We all played basketball together last time. - Is this sentence okay?

 

[emsr2d2]

I have no idea what you thought was funny about my suggestion. I was being perfectly serious.

"We all played basketball together last time" is grammatically correct but suggests that you are absolutely certain that you, the listener and Jamal played basketball together on the last occasion you played basketball.

 

[B45]

Ok. I understand.