What's more idiomatic?

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Hela  #335015  Fri, 02 Mar 07 06:14 PM
Dear teachers,

In English is it more idiomatic to say “don’t you remember your old friends now?” than “you forget your old friends now?”
If this is the case, would you please tell me if there is a reason why English would rather use :
a) the verb “not remember” (negative) instead of “forget” (affirmative)?
b) the interrogative form rather the affirmative form, even in informal language?

All the best,
Hela
  
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Yankee  #335018  Fri, 02 Mar 07 06:30 PM

Hi Hela

I think people are going to have difficulty answering this question simply because there is no context.  However, my gut feeling says that the first one would be more likely -- but only because 'forget' would more easily or more often be used in a different tense.

  
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Hela  #335035  Fri, 02 Mar 07 08:03 PM

Here is more context Yankee Smile [:)]

Tammy has been waiting for Tex at the library for an hour. Finally, he arrives / he comes at last.

 

Tammy (ironically): Take your time my dear Tex! Don’t you remember your own appointments now?!

 

Would you say 

a) "Don't hurry my dear Tex" instead of "take you time"?

b) "Do you forget your own appointements"?

 

See you

  
Goodman  #335059  Fri, 02 Mar 07 09:21 PM

Hi Hela,

Based on the given context, I would say this:

Hi Tex, you finally got here, but it's ok, just take your time. (being sarcastic)

Didn’t you remember your appointment?

Did you forget your appointment? Big Smile [:D]

  
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Yankee  #335106  Sat, 03 Mar 07 12:26 AM

Hi Hela

There probably isn't any one comment that would be the "most likely thing" to say to Tex.  The comment(s) would depend the personalities involved and also on whether Tex had often kept Tammy waiting in the past.

I don't really understand why you want to use the word "own" unless you want to imply that he forgets appointments that he has no part in (but why should he worry about other people's appointments?)

I don't really see much difference between using forget and not remember here.  But to me the use of the word forget would usually tend to sound more negative even though it wouldn't be negative grammatically.

Assuming that Tex is often late for appointments with Tammy, here are some ideas (to be uttered with the appropriate level of sarcasm and possibly with a bit of eye rolling):

Tex, your memory is like a sieve.  Don't you ever remember your appointments?

Don't hurry just on my account, Tex.  (I've only been waiting for an hour.)

Just take your sweet old time, Tex... 

Do you forget all of your appointments (or do you just like giving me special treatment)?

  
Hela  #335232  Sat, 03 Mar 07 12:42 PM

Thank you for your replies.

Amy, this is a translation into English this is why I've inserted "own" before appointments and I used the auxiliary "do" in the present. And what I wanted to know is if my sentences sounded idiomatic to an "English ear". Wink [;)]

Is it also possible to replace "appointment" by "date" or "rendezvous" in this context?

All the best

  
Yankee  #335364  Sat, 03 Mar 07 07:21 PM

Hi Hela

Translations can be tough, especially with such minimal context. 

What about these:

"Take your time, Tex my dear!  Are you now forgetting your appointments?"

Whether you use appointment, date or rendevous depends on the context.  The word appointment tends to sound the most impersonal and/or businesslike.  The word date is much more personal. The word rendezvous is often used when the meeting is secret.

Hope that helps.

  
Hela  #335368  Sat, 03 Mar 07 07:33 PM

Hi,

So is it possible to use the progressive ?  "Are you now forgetting your appointments?"

Does it refer tp a new habit?

See you

  
Yankee  #335403  Sat, 03 Mar 07 11:24 PM

Hi Hela

I didn't like the sound of the sentence with the simple present tense and the word 'now'.  In your sentence, the word 'now' suggests to me that this activity has just recently begun.  In this sentence, I'd say the continuous would be understood as a new, current "activity" (the forgetting of appointments).  But the continuous combined with the plural 'appointments' does suggest longish duration, and therefore possibly the beginnings of a habit. Wink [;)]  And, don't forget:  the present continuous is sometimes used to complain about habitual activity. 

  
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