what's wrong

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joham

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Joined
Oct 30, 2007
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Student or Learner
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Chinese
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China
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China
This dialogue comes from a test paper:

---I haven't seen Mary for a long time. What's wrong with her?
---Nothing. She's occupied with a translation of a French novel these days.

I thought the sentence in black read oddly. Should it have been 'What's happened to her?'

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.
 

Deepurple

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Joined
Dec 19, 2007
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Interested in Language
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Chinese
Home Country
Hong Kong
Current Location
Hong Kong
This dialogue comes from a test paper:

---I haven't seen Mary for a long time. What's wrong with her?
---Nothing (in particular). She's occupied with a translation of a French novel these days.

I thought the sentence in black read oddly. Should it have been 'What's happened to her?'

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.
;-)(Not a teacher)
 
Joined
Feb 18, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Joham, I would agree with you that 'what's wrong with her' does not sit well. That phrase also implies that she is ill or absent for a negative reason.

'What's happened to her' is much more natural, and dare I disagree with my learned friend DeepPurple? You do not necessarily need (in particular).
 
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