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Conversational
Language (#2)
The grammar
used in written language and the grammar
used in
conversational
language are often quite
different.
In
fact, what's
normal, common, and
acceptable in spoken
language
is often considered
unacceptable in written
language.
For
that reason, we'll take a look, in the next
several Hints,
at what some of these
differences are.
2. Yes / No
Questions
(more)
Written
English
In written language, Yes /
No
("simple") questions have
the forms
BE + subject + other words, auxiliary
+
subject + other words, and Do / Does / Did +
subject
+ other words.
Conversational
English
In everyday conversation,
Yes / No questions
are often
"abbreviated" by omitting some of the words.
In the last
Hint, we saw that BE
and some auxiliary verbs are
often omitted:
Is anyone absent? ===>
Anyone absent?
Was she at work today? ===>
She at work
today?
Is
anyone listening? ===>
Anyone listening?
Do you understand me? ===>
You understand me?
Did Joe call you last night?
===> Joe call
you
last night?
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In
everday conversation, you
may also hear Yes /
No
questions in which both the
auxiliary
verb and the
subject
are omitted--when the
subject is
you:
Are you hungry? ===>
Hungry?
Are you feeling hungry? ===>
Feeling
hungry?
Do
you understand this? ===>
Understand
this?
Do
you do your laundry more
than once a week?
===>
Do your laundry more than once a
week
Did
you eat lunch? ===>
Eat lunch?
Have you seen that movie?
===> Seen that movie?
Have you had lunch yet? ===>
Had lunch yet?
Have you got change for a
dollar?
===>
Got change for a dollar??
This kind of
"shortening"
is most common with
are, do,
did,
and have, but it's sometimes heard with other
auxiliaries.
_______________________________________________
Special Notes:
| 1. |
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As noted before, the auxiliary
might be
said, but only in very contracted
form:
Do you understand this? ===>
'D you understand this?
Do you do your laundry more
than once
a week? ===>
'D you do your laundry
more than once a week?
Did you eat lunch?
===>
'D you eat lunch?
Have you seen that movie?
===>
'Ve you seen that movie?
Have you had lunch yet?
===>
'Ve you had lunch yet?
Have you got change for a
dollar? ===>
'Ve you got change for a dollar??
Important:
When this kind of "shortening"
happens with did,
there is a sound change:
[Di]d + you ===>
dzh. This sound change does
happen with
do and have: Do you ===>
Diú;
Have you ===> Viú.
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| 2. |
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Notice that this "abbreviation"
is used with
you. When subjects are not you, they
are usually
not omitted:
Are Joe and Bill brothers?
===> Joe and
Bill brothers?
Were Jun's parents born in
Japan? ===>
Jun's parents born in Japan?
Is anyone listening? ===>
Anyone listening?
Has Fred's wife had her baby
yet? ===>
Fred's wife had her baby yet?
Does Mahmoud speak French?
===>
Mahmoud speak French?
Did Joe call you last
night?===>
Joe call you last night?
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| 3. |
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Auxiliaries other than is
are, do,
did, and have
are sometimes also omitted. When this happens,
the questions can be understood in several
different ways:
Understand me? = Do / Did
/ Can / Could you
understand me?
Help me? = Will / Would /
Can / Could you help me?
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Remember:
These "abbreviated"
Yes / No questions are for speaking.
They're
not
acceptable in writing!
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