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Mark P
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 1:23 am
Post subject: wanting vs. want |
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What do you think of this sort of construction:
"Are you still wanting to go to Burger King for lunch?"
Personally it drives me crazy and I think it should be, "Do you still
want to go to Burger King for lunch?"
I have a similar objection to "Did you still want to go to..." rather
than "Do you still want to go to..."
What do you think?
Mark
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Don Phillipson
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 2:21 am
Post subject: Re: wanting vs. want |
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"Mark P" <usenet@fall2005REMOVE.fastmailCAPS.fm> wrote in message
news:eDv7f.6073$q%.4262@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
| Quote: | "Are you still wanting to go to Burger King for lunch?"
Personally it drives me crazy and I think it should be, "Do you still
want to go to Burger King for lunch?"
|
Better stay away from Wales and other parts of
Britain where this is the traditional and preferred
way of speaking.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada) |
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Mike Lyle
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 2:44 am
Post subject: Re: wanting vs. want |
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Mark P wrote:
| Quote: | What do you think of this sort of construction:
"Are you still wanting to go to Burger King for lunch?"
Personally it drives me crazy and I think it should be, "Do you
still
want to go to Burger King for lunch?"
I have a similar objection to "Did you still want to go to..."
rather
than "Do you still want to go to..."
What do you think?
|
It's quite normal, and perfectly correct. The sense in Scotland and
Ireland is rather different from that in England and Wales, of
course (I mean that it's less marked); but neither is irrational or
unconventional. I rather like the subtlety of it.
The "Did you..." is just one of those courteous distancings in a
culture which may take a too-direct question as in some way
challenging. Social custom over-ruling grammar: I usually like that,
too.
--
Mike.
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Django Cat
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 3:32 am
Post subject: Re: wanting vs. want |
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Mike Lyle wrote:
| Quote: | Mark P wrote:
What do you think of this sort of construction:
"Are you still wanting to go to Burger King for lunch?"
Personally it drives me crazy and I think it should be, "Do you
still
want to go to Burger King for lunch?"
I have a similar objection to "Did you still want to go to..."
rather
than "Do you still want to go to..."
What do you think?
It's quite normal, and perfectly correct. The sense in Scotland and
Ireland is rather different from that in England and Wales, of
course (I mean that it's less marked); but neither is irrational or
unconventional. I rather like the subtlety of it.
The "Did you..." is just one of those courteous distancings in a
culture which may take a too-direct question as in some way
challenging. Social custom over-ruling grammar: I usually like that,
too.
|
I'm not sure this does overrule grammar; moving back one tense value
usually adds politeness and formality to a request - compare 'can you
close the window' with 'could you close the window' or (a bit
differently) 'I want/wanted to talk to you'.
There's probably a word for this sort of thing...
DC |
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Mike Lyle
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 3:53 am
Post subject: Re: wanting vs. want |
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Django Cat wrote:
| Quote: | Mike Lyle wrote:
[...]
The "Did you..." is just one of those courteous distancings in a
culture which may take a too-direct question as in some way
challenging. Social custom over-ruling grammar: I usually like
that,
too.
I'm not sure this does overrule grammar; moving back one tense
value
usually adds politeness and formality to a request - compare 'can
you
close the window' with 'could you close the window' or (a bit
differently) 'I want/wanted to talk to you'.
There's probably a word for this sort of thing...
|
Yes: "British". And, yes, you're right: it isn't a matter of
sociality over-ruling grammar: grammar is nothing without a society
to base it on. We'll turn those linguisticians back into people if
it's the last thing we do.
--
Mike. |
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baldycotton
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:04 am
Post subject: Re: wanting vs. want |
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On Tue, 25 Oct 2005 19:23:54 GMT, Mark P wrote:
| Quote: | What do you think of this sort of construction:
"Are you still wanting to go to Burger King for lunch?"
|
First of all, there's no way I'm wanting to go to Burger King. Or
Greasy Mac's for that matter. (It's sooo bad for you!)
| Quote: | Personally it drives me crazy and I think it should be, "Do you still
want to go to Burger King for lunch?"
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Drives me crazy too. It's just youth's way of differentiating
themselves from us OLD people.
But I ain't tryin' to crit somebody's way of talkin'. |
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Iain
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 5:00 am
Post subject: Re: wanting vs. want |
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Mark P wrote:
| Quote: | What do you think of this sort of construction:
"Are you still wanting to go to Burger King for lunch?"
Personally it drives me crazy and I think it should be, "Do you still
want to go to Burger King for lunch?"
I have a similar objection to "Did you still want to go to..." rather
than "Do you still want to go to..."
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I say "Want you us forto go to the Burger King at lunchtime?"
~Iain |
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Iain
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 5:01 am
Post subject: Re: wanting vs. want |
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Mark P wrote:
| Quote: | What do you think of this sort of construction:
"Are you still wanting to go to Burger King for lunch?"
Personally it drives me crazy and I think it should be, "Do you still
want to go to Burger King for lunch?"
I have a similar objection to "Did you still want to go to..." rather
than "Do you still want to go to..."
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I say "Want you us forto go to the Burger King at lunchtime?"
~Iain |
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Iain
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 5:11 am
Post subject: Re: wanting vs. want |
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Mark P wrote:
| Quote: | What do you think of this sort of construction:
"Are you still wanting to go to Burger King for lunch?"
Personally it drives me crazy and I think it should be, "Do you still
want to go to Burger King for lunch?"
I have a similar objection to "Did you still want to go to..." rather
than "Do you still want to go to..."
What do you think?
|
They both are utterly correct everywhere. One more usual than another,
but I always distinguish normality from validity.
~Iain |
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Iain
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 5:24 am
Post subject: Re: wanting vs. want |
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baldycotton wrote:
| Quote: | On Tue, 25 Oct 2005 19:23:54 GMT, Mark P wrote:
What do you think of this sort of construction:
"Are you still wanting to go to Burger King for lunch?"
First of all, there's no way I'm wanting to go to Burger King. Or
Greasy Mac's for that matter. (It's sooo bad for you!)
Personally it drives me crazy and I think it should be, "Do you still
want to go to Burger King for lunch?"
Drives me crazy too. It's just youth's way of differentiating
themselves from us OLD people.
But I ain't tryin' to crit somebody's way of talkin'.
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Do you realise that everything about that last sentence, except for
"crit", has been normal for centuries?
~Iain |
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Iain
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 6:02 am
Post subject: Re: wanting vs. want |
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Iain wrote:
| Quote: | Mark P wrote:
What do you think of this sort of construction:
"Are you still wanting to go to Burger King for lunch?"
Personally it drives me crazy and I think it should be, "Do you still
want to go to Burger King for lunch?"
I have a similar objection to "Did you still want to go to..." rather
than "Do you still want to go to..."
I say "Want you us forto go to the Burger King at lunchtime?"
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Sorry for repeating it, chaps; M'browser button got a bit, eeew.
~Iain |
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