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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > Which variant is correct?    

Which variant is correct?



Katiapulko
Ukraine

Which variant is correct?
 
Hello, 
could you please help me?
which variant is correct:
1) What day is it today? / What day is today?
I always use the 1st variant, but recently heard my colleague saying the other that �s why some doubts appeared in my head.
2) Let �s go swimming! The water / Water is warm.
And if you can, please explain why this or that variant.
Thank you.

26 Feb 2012      





Kr�mel
Germany

I would say "What day is today?"

26 Feb 2012     



starrr
Brazil

I suggest you check the article below about INVERSION

http://www.eslmonster.com/article/inversion-of-the-verb-after-certain-adverbs

Check these information taken from http://www.englishexperts.com.br/2011/05/25/resenha-michaelis-dicionario-de-erros-comuns-do-ingles/

and written by Mark G. Nash e Willians Ramos Ferreira

Wrong: �Do you know what time is it?�

Correct: �Do you know what time it is?�

Explanation: It is the special case of two linked/joined sentences or embedded questions in English, where the first sentence is in the interrogative form and the second remains in the affirmative form.

Examples:

Do you know why she is here?
Do you know where the bank is?
Do you know when the movie starts?

so the first sentence is wrong

it could be better to use: Do you know what day it is today?

and the second is correct: What day is today?  we understand "what day" as (it) that way we must use "is" and then What day is today? is correct.

hope it helps you !

26 Feb 2012     



cunliffe
United Kingdom

�What day is it today? � is correct. �What day is today? � is just not right. As a native speaker, I �m afraid I can �t explain why.

26 Feb 2012     



cocho16
Costa Rica

I feel like..... IT and TODAY................ is a redundance

26 Feb 2012     



yanogator
United States

As cunliffe said, "What day is today?" isn �t what a native speaker would say, although it is grammatically correct. I agree with cocho16 that the best choice is "What day is it?" It parallels "What time is it?", which is also standard usage.
 
As for your second question, we aren �t talking about all water in the world - just the water where we are now, so we say "The water is warm".
 
Bruce

26 Feb 2012     



Katiapulko
Ukraine

Thank you for your replies. I �ve been telling myself that if there is IT in the answer "It is Monday", then IT should be used in question "What day is it today?" 
Is there at least a little sense in my "made-up" explanation?))
And what about the third variant "What is the day today?" Is it grammatically correct? And what do you, dear colleagues, start your lesson with? I mean this question in particular.

26 Feb 2012     



yanogator
United States

"What is the day today?" is grammatically correct, but a native wouldn �t say it. It sounds very formal.
 
And, yes, your logic sounds pretty good about "it".
 
Bruce

26 Feb 2012