MichaelLu2000
Member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2019
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- Chinese
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- Taiwan
- Current Location
- Taiwan
Hello guys!
I would like to ask a question about the difference between different indirect questions.
As we know, when using indirect questions after a verb, the order of the words after the question indicator remains the same. Be verbs should be put at the end of the sentence.
For example: What do you like? > I don't know what you like. Who are you? > I don't know who you are
However, there are some exceptions, which is often neglected in most of the dictionaries and textbooks.
For example:
Tell me which one is yours.
Tell me which one is your favorite movie.
We don't know who is the friend and who is the enemy.
I have come up with a possible explanation after finding some information in other forums.
The difference is about which part is the subject and which part is the object (This sentence itself is an example indirect question where the be verb still remain in the same position as they are in a direct sentence: Which part is the subject and Which part is the object)
1. We don't know who the enemy is> The original question is: Who is the enemy? and the answer should be "The enemy is Jack". We know there is an enemy, but we don't know who he is. As "the enemy" is the subject. "An enemy is there" is the information that we first know. We don't have a set of candidates. The enemy can be anyone not mentioned before.
On the other hand,
2. We don't know who is the enemy> The original question is also: Who is the enemy? but the answer should be "Jack is the enemy". In this sentence, we already know there are a group of people and Jack is one of them. The fact that Jack is the enemy is revealed later. As "who" is the subject of the question. We actually already know that the enemy is among these people. In other words, "someone among us is the enemy" is the information that we first know because the "who" actually refers to a set of candidates we've already known.
Another interesting pair is: Tell me which one yours is/which one is yours
1. Tell me which one yours is> The original question is: Which one is yours? and the answer should be "Mine is this one". In this sentence, as "Yours" is the subject, "You must have something" is the information that the speaker already knows. So this sentence might be used when the speaker asks the listener to match some of his features or belongings with a set of choice. For example: A: We have three sizes here, S, M, and L. Would you please tell me which one yours is? B: My size is L. In this conversation, A already knows B definitely has a size, and he firmly believes B's size is one of the three sizes they have. Which one it is is revealed later.
In comparison:
2. Tell me which one is yours> The original question is: Which one is yours? but the answer should be "This one is mine " or simply "This one". In this sentence, by contrast, as "which one" is the subject, "One of these things belong to you" is the information that the speaker knows first. It might be a situation where the speaker knows the listener has lost something and is trying to find it at the lost and found counter. So, the conversation might be like this: A: I have lost a bottle in the station. Have you seen it? B: We have found these bottles in the station today. Can you tell me which one is yours? In this conversation, B first knows he has a set of bottles first, and then which one of them belongs to A is revealed later. He didn't know one of them might belong to A until she asked him.
In conclusion, I think the difference is that the topic or the focus of the sentence is usually the subject of the sentence. Even though the question sentences might look exactly the same, they mean different things. The subject is usually the information that is known first, and the object serves only to describe them.
What do you guys think about my analysis?
Any suggestions and advice are welcome.
Thanks in advance.
I would like to ask a question about the difference between different indirect questions.
As we know, when using indirect questions after a verb, the order of the words after the question indicator remains the same. Be verbs should be put at the end of the sentence.
For example: What do you like? > I don't know what you like. Who are you? > I don't know who you are
However, there are some exceptions, which is often neglected in most of the dictionaries and textbooks.
For example:
Tell me which one is yours.
Tell me which one is your favorite movie.
We don't know who is the friend and who is the enemy.
I have come up with a possible explanation after finding some information in other forums.
The difference is about which part is the subject and which part is the object (This sentence itself is an example indirect question where the be verb still remain in the same position as they are in a direct sentence: Which part is the subject and Which part is the object)
1. We don't know who the enemy is> The original question is: Who is the enemy? and the answer should be "The enemy is Jack". We know there is an enemy, but we don't know who he is. As "the enemy" is the subject. "An enemy is there" is the information that we first know. We don't have a set of candidates. The enemy can be anyone not mentioned before.
On the other hand,
2. We don't know who is the enemy> The original question is also: Who is the enemy? but the answer should be "Jack is the enemy". In this sentence, we already know there are a group of people and Jack is one of them. The fact that Jack is the enemy is revealed later. As "who" is the subject of the question. We actually already know that the enemy is among these people. In other words, "someone among us is the enemy" is the information that we first know because the "who" actually refers to a set of candidates we've already known.
Another interesting pair is: Tell me which one yours is/which one is yours
1. Tell me which one yours is> The original question is: Which one is yours? and the answer should be "Mine is this one". In this sentence, as "Yours" is the subject, "You must have something" is the information that the speaker already knows. So this sentence might be used when the speaker asks the listener to match some of his features or belongings with a set of choice. For example: A: We have three sizes here, S, M, and L. Would you please tell me which one yours is? B: My size is L. In this conversation, A already knows B definitely has a size, and he firmly believes B's size is one of the three sizes they have. Which one it is is revealed later.
In comparison:
2. Tell me which one is yours> The original question is: Which one is yours? but the answer should be "This one is mine " or simply "This one". In this sentence, by contrast, as "which one" is the subject, "One of these things belong to you" is the information that the speaker knows first. It might be a situation where the speaker knows the listener has lost something and is trying to find it at the lost and found counter. So, the conversation might be like this: A: I have lost a bottle in the station. Have you seen it? B: We have found these bottles in the station today. Can you tell me which one is yours? In this conversation, B first knows he has a set of bottles first, and then which one of them belongs to A is revealed later. He didn't know one of them might belong to A until she asked him.
In conclusion, I think the difference is that the topic or the focus of the sentence is usually the subject of the sentence. Even though the question sentences might look exactly the same, they mean different things. The subject is usually the information that is known first, and the object serves only to describe them.
What do you guys think about my analysis?
Any suggestions and advice are welcome.
Thanks in advance.
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