Does that make it acceptable? Where there is a difference between common usage and opinions about correctness, I have pointed this out. This information is important for learners. In some situations it maybe safer for them to use the form which is traditionally seen as correct. | 4 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PAGE36 We can use why not verb instead of Why don tyou. in a suggestion. Why not use your credit card d Negative questions with who what and which usually request information. Who hasn t returned this library book What can tyou understand Which of the guests doesn t eat meat e We can use a negative question to ask the hearer to agree that something is true. Didn t I see you on television last night The meaning is similar to a tag question with a rising intonation. 34 3 I saw you on television last night didn t I NOTE For a negative question form in exclamations . Wasn t thatfun 20 3 . 2 Form a We make a question negative by putting n t after the auxiliary. Haven tyoufinishedyet NOT Have notyoufinishedyet Why doesn t the government take action NOTE The negative of am I is aren t I. Why aren t I getting paidfor this b In more formal English not comes after the subject. Have you notfinishedyet Why does the government not take action c If the question word is the subject n t or not comes after the auxiliary. Who hasn t returned has not returned this library book d We can use other negative words. Are you never going to finish Why does the government take no action NOTE In informal speech the question can be without inversion. You haven tfinished yet 3 Yes no answers The answer no agrees that the negative is true. The answer yes means that the positive is true. Haven t they repaired ityet No it s an awful nuisance. Yes they did ityesterday. 31 Questions with or 1 A question can contain two or more alternative answers. The word or comes before the last alternative. Are you coming back today or tomorrow Today. Didyou speak to a man or a woman It was a woman. PAGE 37 33 Indirect questions When are you coming back today or tomorrow Who didyou speak to a man or a woman Were you running orjogging The voice rises for the first alternative and then it falls after or. Shall we take a bus or a taxi NOTE This question does not contain alternative .
