jack112  +  134626 Wed, 07 Sep 05 04:14 AM Scenario: Yesterday: I'm talking to my pal about my fitness schedule. The fitness center guy didn't mail me any information. Today: I'm there at the fitness center and they have figured out my schedule. My pal calls me and I say: "You know how I don't have my schedule? I had to go to that fitness center so early today to figure out my schedule." I'm not sure if I should use 'don't' or 'didn't' ? I still don't have that schdule that they were supposed to mail to me. So are both of them fine? 1. You know how I don't have my schedule? I had to go to that fitness center so early today to figure out my schedule. 2. You know how I didn't have my schedule? I had to go to that fitness center so early today to figure out my schedule. Thanks. jack112 Joined on Thu, Jul 22 2004 Regular Member 715

	Clive  +  134645 Wed, 07 Sep 05 06:04 AM Hi, Yesterday: I'm talking to my pal about my fitness schedule. The fitness center guy didn't mail me any information. Today: I'm there at the fitness center and they have figured out my schedule. My pal calls me and I say: "You know how I don't have my schedule? I had to go to that fitness center so early today to figure out my schedule." I'm not sure if I should use 'don't' or 'didn't' ? I still don't have that schdule that they were supposed to mail to me. So are both of them fine? 1. You know how I don't have my schedule? I had to come to this fitness center so early today to figure out my schedule. "don't" means you still didn't get the schedule 2. You know how I didn't have my schedule? I had to come to this fitness center so early today to figure out my schedule. "didn't" means you didn't have it in the past but now, at the time of speaking, you do have it. Best wishes, Clive   Clive Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004 Canada Veteran Member 29,583 El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

	ranchhand  +  134736 Wed, 07 Sep 05 12:49 PM  Clive wrote:   2. You know how I didn't have my schedule? I had to come to this fitness center so early today to figure out my schedule. "didn't" means you didn't have it in the past but now, at the time of speaking, you do have it. Best wishes, Clive There's nothing in this that means that this person is now in possession of the schedule. There could have been continued screw ups at the fitness center that precluded the speaker getting the schedule. ranchhand Joined on Sun, May 15 2005 Junior Member 81

	goldmund  +  134749 Wed, 07 Sep 05 01:42 PM Dear Jack112, It is a riddle, no? You called your friend yesterday. You told him that you did not have your schedule. You call your friend today. He still knows that you did not have your schedule yesterday. But he does not know that you «don't have your schedule» today. Therefore you say number 2: «You know how I didn't have my schedule? I had to go to that fitness center so early today to figure out my schedule.» It does not matter if you have your schedule now or not. It is what your friend knows that matters. Kind regards, Goldmund goldmund Joined on Fri, Jun 10 2005 Regular Member 581 «Tout homme peut dire véritablement; mais dire ordonnément, prudemment et suffisamment, peu d'hommes le peuvent.» - Michel de Montaigne Regards, Riddles

	pieanne  +  134785 Wed, 07 Sep 05 03:49 PM Couldn't we replace "how" by "why"?   pieanne Joined on Thu, Jan 20 2005 South of France ...But I'm Belgian! Veteran Member 7,517 I'm glad to help, but I'm not a native! And please excuse my typos...

	CalifJim  +  135227 Thu, 08 Sep 05 05:59 PM As in "You know why I didn't have my schedule?"??? No, I wouldn't make that substitution.  It changes the meaning. With "how", the implication is that the other person does know. With "why" it becomes a true question asking "Do you know why I didn't have my schedule?" The first asks the other person to recall something already known. The second asks the other person to provide a reason or explanation. CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,388 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

	pieanne  +  135242 Thu, 08 Sep 05 06:25 PM Then "how" as in "how come" ? Thanks, CJ!   pieanne

	CalifJim  +  135320 Thu, 08 Sep 05 11:20 PM Pieanne, No.  I still think that "how" means something different from "how come" (the equivalent of "why") in that sentence. Example:  The sentence below doesn't ask for information about the methods of translation.  It asks you to recall an incident or event.  The intent is to elicit an affirmative - a recognition of the incident or event - with the further intent to speak at greater length on the subject once the questioner has oriented the listener to the topic at hand. "Do you know how I translated some material from French a few months ago?" So the "how" means neither "why" nor its equivalent "how come". In fact, "Do you know how I ...?" means "Can you recall that I ...?" or simply, "Recall that I ...". CJ (I hope I interpreted your last post correctly in my response!) CalifJim Translation

	pieanne  +  135466 Fri, 09 Sep 05 09:15 AM Yes, perfectly! I had never come across that expression, but now it makes perfect sense, thanks . I guess we use about the same in French, only it's "You know when I didn't find that letter? Well, I just found it in the the microwave!" Thanks again.   pieanne