tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-377103124456226005.post5344303185128916083..comments2024-03-17T09:14:13.950+00:00Comments on John Wells’s phonetic blog: elseJohn Wellshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684304410735867148noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-377103124456226005.post-57438686762708837172012-04-03T15:28:45.740+01:002012-04-03T15:28:45.740+01:00In America I more often hear:
-I’d like you to com...In America I more often hear:<br />-I’d like you to come, and anyone else who’s not busy (instead of who's free.)<br />I think Americans have a harder time with the act of making requests of others. But also, I hear the possibility of a contextual twist: It's now an invitation; however, the subtle nuance of 'not busy' implies to the listener that I'm making a formal request of 'you.' Because 'not busy' is an implied but polite demand, I'm expecting you to consider the potential consequences if 'you'-the listener -don't attend since now you have the one chance to decline verbally. ThanksAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17602475665842927310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-377103124456226005.post-8913740029388672142012-03-13T22:26:40.047+00:002012-03-13T22:26:40.047+00:00If all else /fails...
Call it idiomatic.If all else /fails...<br />Call it idiomatic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-377103124456226005.post-35592772724370876922012-03-13T21:54:39.951+00:002012-03-13T21:54:39.951+00:00WHAT? JUST TWO COMMENTS??!!!!WHAT? JUST TWO COMMENTS??!!!!Beatrice Portinarihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13626472955669713053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-377103124456226005.post-33952367364814579032012-03-13T14:24:06.737+00:002012-03-13T14:24:06.737+00:00Very, very interesting. And at the same time so di...Very, very interesting. And at the same time so difficult to master for a Spanish speaker...<br /><br />As always, I have printed out this post -and Martin's comment (for private study, needless to say).<br /><br />Thank you.Beatrice Portinarihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13626472955669713053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-377103124456226005.post-45396482989480945542012-03-13T11:21:30.562+00:002012-03-13T11:21:30.562+00:00Hmm, interesting! For me there's something to ...Hmm, interesting! For me there's something to do with factual vs counterfactual. These two patterns both feel natural to me:<br /><br /> What '<b>else</b> did he say?<br /> What else could he have '<b>said</b>?<br /><br />where the fact that he said something feels more 'given' in the first than in the second.<br /><br />In the pair:<br /><br />What else could I '<b>do</b>?<br />What '<b>else</b> could I do?<br /><br />The second, with the nucleus on <i>else</i>, feels more hectoring or defensive; I wonder if that reflects a narrower focus than the first?Martin Barryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04127666691711536810noreply@blogger.com