Velimir  +  627858 Wed, 31 Dec 08 04:16 PM Hello everyone, It's close to the beginning of the New Year and I would like to wish all the best to all the teachers and learners on Englishforums  Happy New Year I was watching a movie and in one scene one movie character is asking the following question his daughter in the movie, and here's what he says, which I've checked in the movie transcript: "Why'd you take the box out ?" The problem for me is that he is asking that question after he saw the box i.e  she already took the box out. I understand that in this situation the construction "Why would you do that?" means " What made you do that? but I'm not sure. Can you help me? Best wishes for New Year Velimir Joined on Mon, Nov 12 2007 Junior Member 88 Constructions

	Cool Breeze  +  627860 Wed, 31 Dec 08 04:18 PM Velimir “ "Why'd you take the box out ?" ” "Why did you take the box out?" CB Cool Breeze Joined on Fri, Apr 7 2006 Senior Member 3,979 "I hope you'll all live to be 150 years old - and the last voice you hear is mine!" Frank Sinatra on stage in Oslo, Norway, 28 September 1991

	Velimir  +  627905 Wed, 31 Dec 08 05:13 PM Hello Cool Breeze, Thank you for the answer. I guess that was what he said actually. The transcript I checked wasn't the original but english titles for the movie and I guess that was incorrect translation. After listening again the scene I think that he simply swallowed  "did" or pronounced it as "d" as it is often case I think in a regular  conversation, at least it is in movies. Best wishes for New Year Velimir Translation, Countries, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Speaking, Chat, Friendships, Conversational, Languages

	Grammar Geek  +  627926 Wed, 31 Dec 08 05:39 PM This is an interesting aspect of contractions. Although he'd or I'd is only for had or would, when you use it with how, why, and where, the "did" becomes 'd. How'd it go?  How did it go Where'd you get that? Where did you get that Why'd you do that? Why did you do that Oddly, for these, if we want to say "would" in a contracted way, we'd say something like "why-ud" or "where-ud you get an idea like that?" Who seems the most flexible. Who'd you see at the party? - Who did you see...? Who'd have thought so! Who would have thought so! Who'd already replied when we had to cancel? Who had already replied?   Grammar Geek 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! Spelling, Contractions

	CalifJim  +  627949 Wed, 31 Dec 08 06:41 PM Velimir “"Why'd you take the box out ?"” 'd means did after a question word, not would or had. CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,452 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

	Velimir  +  628543 Thu, 01 Jan 09 09:57 AM Hello Grammar Geek and Calif Jim, It is interesting and surprising to me that  'd can stand for contracted "did" . It's really strange that I've never come across it earlier. I thought the contraction 'd is used instead of "would" or "had" , at least in the written language and that it is a conversational habit for native speaker to swallow "did" and pronounce it simply as 'd.  Thank you for the explanation and best wishes for New Year Velimir Spelling, Contractions, Speaking, Chat, Friendships, Conversational, Languages