Search results for 'tag:Auxiliaries tag:Affirmative sentences' matching tags 'Auxiliaries' and 'Affirmative sentences'

Re: You need only see her. (Is this correct?)

Tanit — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:05:30 GMT

Viceidol

Hi, I know that auxiliary verb "need" cannot be used in affirmative statements, but how about this one? Is this correct?
You need only see her.

Hi,

Let me quote Swann (Practical English Usage, 3^rd ed., Â§ 366.2):

Need can also have the same present-tense forms as modal auxiliary verbs ... In this case, need is normally followed by an infinitive without to.
        She needn't reserve a seat - there'll be plenty of room.
These forms are used mainly in negative sentences (needn't), but they are also possible in questions, after if and in other 'non-affirmative' structures.
        You needn't fill in a form.
        Need I fill in a form?
        I wonder if I need fill in a form.
        This is the only form you need fill in. (BUT NOT ~~You need fill in a form~~.)

If we follow Swann, we can use need as a modal verb in an affirmative sentence when a 'non-affirmative' word (such as only, hardly, seldom etc.) gives the sentence a negative kind of meaning. Look at Swann's last example: the sentence becomes incorrect when only is removed.

That said, please notice this usage is mainly British.

Re: auxiliary verb "to do"

Yankee — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:16:04 GMT

1. "Which day comes before Monday?" would be fine.
2. You do not need to use 'do' because 'which day' replaces the subject of the sentence:

Interrogative sentence: Which day comes before Monday?
Affirmative sentence (and answer): Sunday comes before Monday. (Sunday is the subject of the sentence.)

Compare those sentences with these two:

Interrogative sentence: Which day does Monday come before? (Which day replaces the object of the sentence.)
Affirmative sentence (and answer): Monday comes before Tuesday. (Tuesday is the object of the sentence.)

3. Typical short answers for your sentence might be these:
- Sunday.
- Sunday does.

Re: semi-modals

Anonymous — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 04:08:39 GMT

"The semiauxiliary does not normally appear in affirmative sentences-- only negative (They needn't be) and interrogative (Need they be?)."

good to know, thanks.

Re: semi-modals

Mister Micawber — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 02:51:26 GMT

I needn't have gone to work (was unnecessary, still I did)
I did not need to go to work (was unnecessary, not inferable if I did) -- These are different because you have set them in different tenses. The appropriate comparison is between I needn't go to work and I did not need to go to work-- which have the same meaning.

You needn't be 18 to be allowed to enter this club.
You do not need to be 18 to be allowed...
Difference? IMO, no.-- I agree

(X) Major changes need be implemented.
Major changes need to be implemented. -- The semiauxiliary does not normally appear in affirmative sentences-- only negative (They needn't be) and interrogative (Need they be?).

I cannot offhand think of cases where the meanings are different; perhaps another member can.

Re: I not want/People don't want

CalifJim — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 19:37:44 GMT

Note the definition: Operators are the modals (can, could, will, would, etc.) and forms of be -- and also forms of do or have used as auxiliaries.

The negative adverb not can only be carried by an operator, i.e., can only be used when accompanied by an operator. To negate a sentence without an operator, the operator do must be added together with not. The technical term for the addition of a form of do is do-support.

Operators underlined below. Note the third example, where negation requires do-support because the affirmative sentence has no operator.

Popcorn can be eaten. > Popcorn cannot be eaten.
Popcorn is eaten. > Popcorn is not eaten.
People eat popcorn. > People do not (don't) eat popcorn.

CJ

Re: how to make question

pieanne — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 19:10:20 GMT

The pattern for questions is as follows:

(Interrogative Word) - Auxiliary - Subject - (rest of the verb) - (Complements)

If there's an auxiliary in your affirmative sentence, then use it. Otherwise, use do, does, did.

"They can sleep in the morning" > IW: HOW - Auxiliary:CAN - Subject: THEY - Rest of the verb: SLEEP - Complement: IN THE MORNING.

Result: "How can they sleep in the morning?"

Re: Spanish (or German) student Vs Japanese student!

Novalee — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 15:45:04 GMT

Hello meg2589 and all,
I almost exclusively teach Spanish students, with the exception of some American students who are learning Spanish but this is a different story. I can tell you the most common mistakes and difficulties that we, Spanish people, find when studying English.
The first problem that you mention is the 'false cognates' which we call 'false friends': they are similarly written words or expressions that have different meanings in both languages. The funniest example I can give is 'to be constipated', which I'm sure you know the meaning. Well, in Spanish we have 'constipado' which means to have a cold: not at all the same meaning
The overuse of articles is also a problem. But students learn the rules of when to use it and when not.
As for more grammar mistakes:
- 'Auxiliary verbs': there is no such thing in Spanish, so a lot of emphasis must be put on the use of them. A useful and popular exercise is to change an affirmative sentence to negative and interrogative.
-Third person singular s in the Present Simple: Even with 18-year-old students, we still have this problem. They simply skip it and we, teachers, must put a lot of emphasis in this simple aspect of grammar.
-Adjectives: 'they have no plural form'. I repeat this sentence thousands of times and they don't catch it. This doesn't happen in Spanish: adjectives have gender and number, unlike English. The same happens with the order: in Spanish they usually go after the noun, not before it.
-Speaking of order...: Word order in a sentence. In Spanish it's much more free, but in English is more fixed. Another point to be taken into account if they want to be understood. Common mistakes are, for example, Said the teacher that would give we more homework which should be The teacher said that he would give us more homework Do you see what I mean?
Well, the list would go on and on, but I'm giving you some examples. I don't know if you were looking for this. If I'm right, feel free to ask for more, and I'll post more examples of common mistakes Spanish students make.

See you.

Re: Am I or I am

miriam — Sat, 29 May 2004 13:37:00 GMT

"Who am I?" is correct if you are asking a direct question.

In indirect speech you might say something like "I wonder who I am."

Miriam
------------------------------

~comes back to edit~

I forgot you asked "why".
The verb "to be" doesn't use any auxiliaries in the present simple, so in order to make a question you only need to invert the position of the subject and the verb.
In an affirmative sentence, you say:
"I am atm."

In a question, you turn "I am" into "am I", so you have:
"Who am I?" (for a wh-question)
or
"Am I atm?" (for a yes-no question)

Affirmative:
I am
You are
He/she/it is
We/you/they are

Interrogative:
Am I?
Are you?
Is he/she/it?
Are we/you/they?

Hope it helps.