|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Ask for help > Help needed!
Help needed!
|
Fallen Angel
|
Help needed!
|
|
Dear friends from all over the world,
I guess I need your help once again. I�m not a native speaker, so sometimes I have a few questions regarding the English language. Well, this is the sentence which is bothering me: �Don�t you mind that we�re from different countries?� In your opinion, is it correct? It sounds awkward to me, but perhaps it is correct. If it is not accurate, what would you suggest instead?
Thanks in advance!
Cristina |
12 Dec 2011
|
|
|
|
stuartallen77
|
|
Hiya Fallen Angel!
"You don �t mind that we are from different countries, do you?" might be used more by native-speakers, but I think the sentence you used is absolutely fine, is grammatically correct and was probably used somewhere in the world today! 
Hope this helps,
Stuart |
12 Dec 2011
|
|
|
yanogator
|
|
Stuart �s answer is good, but we now have two different questions. Stuart �s, with the tag question, would be more common. It is asking for information about how a person feels about the situation. Since it uses a positive tag with a negative sentence, it implies that the asker thinks that the answerer doesn �t mind.
Cristina �s original would be asked if the person wants to be sure of the other person �s feelings. It indicates that there is a potential problem, and expresses the desire to know if the problem is real or not. It expresses surprise that the answerer apparently doesn �t mind.
Bruce |
12 Dec 2011
|
|
|
MarionG
|
|
IMHO, even though I am not a native speaker, there is a slight difference between your sentence and the one suggested by Stuart.
Don �t you mind that we �re from different countries? sounds a little as if you half expected the person to mind and you are somewhat surprised s/he doesn �t.
You don �t mind that we are from different countries, do you? sounds as if you assume the person doesn �t have any problem with it, and you would be somewhatsurprised if the person does object.
This last construction can also be used in a manipulative sense: You don �t mind that we decided to put all the disruptive kids together in your class, do you? With this construction it is much harder for the person to object exactly because it kind of assumes s/he will agree, and therefore would disappoint you by saying s/he does mind.
am I making sense to anyone?
edit: Bruce, we were writing at the same time, i didn�t see your reply before I posted mine... |
12 Dec 2011
|
|
|
RabbitWho
|
Very well explained Marion!
For that reason be careful not to use "Don�t you" when asking for a favour. E.g. "Don�t you want to help me" - I am shocked that you don�t, you should help me! "Don�t you know the dates of the summer holidays?"- You don�t know them! How silly of you!
|
12 Dec 2011
|
|
|
|
|
Fallen Angel
|
|
The first situation pointed out by Marion is exactly the context in which this sentence is supposed to be used. So everything is clear now.
Thank you for the time you spent helping me!
Cristina |
12 Dec 2011
|
|
|
tancredo
|
I would probably write " Does it bother you we are from different countries?"
Not sure,though.
|
12 Dec 2011
|
|
|
