[title]Family quotes[/title] [description]Welcome to our family quotes section! Here you'll find some of the funniest (and wisest) quotes on the subject of family life![/description]
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Latest post Sat, Jul 26 2008 9:05 PM by Grammar Geek. 9 replies.
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New2grammar  +  546643 Sat, 26 Jul 08 02:24 PM
A: Hi, I'm calling to see if you carry kayak.
B: Yes, we do.
A: How many types of karaks do you have?
B: We have three different models of 2 seater plastic kayaks.
A: How much do they cost?
B: The prices range from five hundred to two thousand dollars depending on the model.

Could you please make the conversation natural?
Thanks.
Joined on Tue, Nov 21 2006
Veteran Member 7,676
Who wants to go sailing around the world with me?
Yankee  +  546651 Sat, 26 Jul 08 02:36 PM
Hi N2G

Just a couple of comments:

- A: Hi, I'm calling to see if you carry kayaks.
- A: How many types of karaks do you have? => I would suggest that people normally don't want to know "how many" but rather either "what kind" or whether the company carries a specific type or brand.
Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006
Connecticut, USA
Veteran Member 6,502
Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain
New2grammar  +  546653 Sat, 26 Jul 08 02:43 PM
Thanks, Yankee.I agree with you. One last question, should it be "What kind of kayaks/What kindS of kayaks do you carry?"
Yankee  +  546655 Sat, 26 Jul 08 02:47 PM
I'd probably go with "what kinds of kayaks".
New2grammar, 1 yr 122 days ago
Thank you, Yankee.
Grammar Geek  +  546706 Sat, 26 Jul 08 05:21 PM
 I would suggest that if you asked "what kind" you are asking "which brand."

 

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006
Veteran Member 19,683
Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!
New2grammar  +  546709 Sat, 26 Jul 08 05:29 PM
GG, are you saying the singular "what kind" suggests brand while what kinds suggests builts ie: two seater, plastic, wooden?
Grammar Geek  +  546719 Sat, 26 Jul 08 05:50 PM
 Well, you asked to make it natural, right?

As someone who used to kayak a great deal, I would assume, if you carry kayaks at all, that you carry single-person seak kayays, maybe double sea kayaks, white-water kayaks, and probably those little sit-a-top fool-around-on-the-water kayaks. But if I've done my research about what type of kayak I want to buy, at this point, if I said "what kind" I am probably thinking which brand.

A more natural question would be "do you carry double (or tandem) kayaks?"

New2grammar, 1 yr 121 days ago
I see your point now, GG. I just want to confirm. Which is better, what kind of kayak/kayakS?
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