saw/see

[GUEST2008]

Hi

Is it correct to say: Who did see you? It's a question so I think it should be "did"? I know that "Who saw you " is correct, but why the former is incorrect?

 

[Niall]

Firstly, why do you think there should be a "did" there?

And it can be correct to see Who did see you?, as long as you emphasize the "did".
It could be used in the situation:
A: Matthew, Mark and Luke didn't see me
B: Then who did see you?

 

[Neillythere]

I'm not a teacher, but, I believe:

"Who did see you", with the stress on the word "did", could be correct, in the context of, say, trying to substantiate an alibi.

"Bill and Ben, who were there at that time, say they didn't see you, so who, do you believe, did see you there?" i.e "Who, do you believe, specifically noticed that you were there?"

Hope this helps.

Regards

 

[GUEST2008]

Firstly, why do you think there should be a "did" there?

Because it's a question in the past simple tense, so I think we should use the word "did"

So, in your opinion both are correct, i.e., Who did see you and Who saw you?
Personally, the latter is incorrect for me, but maybe I'm wrong.
I would ask someone: Who did see you when you were trying to get here?

 

[mykwyner]

Some English teachers would correct the sentence, "Who did you see?" to "Whom did you see?" The pronoun you is the subject, the pronoun who is the object, and the objective case of who is whom.

 

[engee30]

Because it's a question in the past simple tense, so I think we should use the word "did"

So, in your opinion both are correct, i.e., Who did see you and Who saw you?
Personally, the latter is incorrect for me, but maybe I'm wrong.
I would ask someone: Who did see you when you were trying to get here?

You mean Who did see (= actually saw) you when you were trying to get here? or Who did you see when you were trying to get here? It depends on whether you're talking about the subject or the object of a sentence.
;-)

 

[RonBee]

Everything depends on context.

A: Somebody saw me.
B: Who saw you?
A: I don't know.

------------

A: I don't think Bob saw me.
B: Who did see you?
A: Nobody that I know of. Why did you ask that?
​

 

[Neillythere]

Some English teachers would correct the sentence, "Who did you see?" to "Whom did you see?" The pronoun you is the subject, the pronoun who is the object, and the objective case of who is whom.

The original sentence was actually: Who did see you" rather than: "Who did you see".

I would agree that if it had been the latter then "Whom" would, indeed, be an appropriate modification.

 

[GUEST2008]

Everything depends on context.

A: Somebody saw me.​

B: Who saw you? What if I asked here: Who did see you? Would it be incorrect?​

A: I don't know.​

------------​

A: I don't think Bob saw me.​

B: Who did see you? How about: Who saw you?​

A: Nobody that I know of. Why did you ask that?​

Thank you

 

[RonBee]

A: Somebody saw me.
B: Who did see you?
A: Excuse me? I said, "Somebody saw me." If I had known who saw me I certainly would have said that. But I didn't know, so I said, "Somebody saw me."
​

---------------​

A: I don't think Bob saw me.
B: Who saw you?
A: I was focused on whether Bob saw me. You surely know why that is.
​

Always consider context.

 

[RonBee]

My opinion​

It is not about what is or isn't correct (whatever that means). It is about making sense in the given context.​

~R​