|
|
 Wed Aug 16, 2006 11:49 am Who |
|
|
Hi
Should it be "who knows..."?
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…
 |
|
Tamara
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1577
Location: UK
|
|
| Wed Aug 16, 2006 11:55 am Who |
|
|
Yes,
What is correct btw:
a. Who knows who is who?
b. Who knows who is who.
What 's the meaning? I am almost "crazy" by my teacher.
Tung Quoc |
|
tung quoc
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 372
Location: VIETNAM
|
 |
| Wed Aug 16, 2006 11:56 am Who |
|
|
Hi,
You asked:
| Quote: | a. Who know who is who?
b. Who know who is who.
In your opinion, a or b is correct? I understand nothing. please explain me the meaning of the correct sentence. |
The main difference is that a is a question and b is a statement
I assume that who refers to a plural subject in a but it is divorced from a sentence to which the relative pronoun refers and you could ask: Who are the people who know who is who (which person is which)?
I assume that who in b also refers to a plural subject but as a relative clause it doesn't relate to a subject in another/preceding sentence. You would have to say for example: These are the people who know who is who.
To answer your question the grammar in your two examples is correct but as relative clauses they are, as it were, hanging in the air because they have to relate to another sentence which they are describing.
Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Here comes 2004... |
|
Alan
Co-founder
Joined: 27 Sep 2003
Posts: 6857
Location: UK
|
|
| Wed Aug 16, 2006 12:20 pm Who |
|
|
Dear teacher,
1/I understand:
These are the people who know who Alan is.
But I don't understand:
These are the people who know who is who. (a)
What is the meaning of who in (a)?
2/I understand:
Who are the people who know who who Alan is?
But I don't understand:
Who are the people who know who is who? (b)
What is the meaning of who in (b)?
Please explain me.
Many thanks
Quoc |
|
tung quoc
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 372
Location: VIETNAM
|
|
| Wed Aug 16, 2006 12:30 pm Who |
|
|
| tung quoc wrote: | | These are the people who know Alan is who. |
The form 'Alan is who' is wrong grammatically.
In my view 'the second who' (in 'who is who') is used as a reference to the social status of a person or persons being referenced - implicitly or explicitly - by the first who.
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…
|
|
Tamara
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1577
Location: UK
|
|
| Wed Aug 16, 2006 12:36 pm Who |
|
|
Hi Tamara,
"
| tung quoc wrote: | | These are the people who know Alan is who. |
The form 'Alan is who' is wrong grammatically. "
Are you sure it's wrong?
"Alan is who" in my sentence is as in:
Who is Alan? I know Alan is who.
Quoc |
|
tung quoc
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 372
Location: VIETNAM
|
|
| Wed Aug 16, 2006 12:57 pm Who |
|
|
| tung quoc wrote: | | Are you sure it's wrong? |
I' not not native, but for me the correct forms are / seem to be:
There are people who know (that) Alan is a highly experienced English teacher. (for particular example)
and
There are people who know who Alan is. (for a more general case).
Please, correct me, if I’m wrong.
Tamara
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…
|
|
Tamara
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1577
Location: UK
|
|
| Wed Aug 16, 2006 13:13 pm Who |
|
|
Hi,
You're right. I'm mistaken. Please re-see my edited paragraph above.
Quoc |
|
tung quoc
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 372
Location: VIETNAM
|
|
|
Tamara
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1577
Location: UK
|
|
| Wed Aug 16, 2006 13:25 pm Who know who is who? |
|
|
Hi all
I think we should just go back to Quoc's original question and say that only sentence a (with "knows" instead of know") is correct as a sentence (i.e., The sentence can only be a question):
"Who knows who is who?"
Option "b" is incomplete and therefore incorrect as a sentence.
..........................................................................................
Hi Quoc
Here is an example to illustrate your sentence a:
Let's assume that there are pictures of 5 people hanging on the wall in your classroom. The person in each picture has to be identified.
The names of the 5 people are written on the blackboard in your classroom. Each name has to be matched with one of the pictures.
- If I ask only you "Who is who?", I want you to tell me which name matches which picture. In other words, I want you to identify the pictures by name.
- If I ask "Who knows who is who?", then I am asking if anyone in the classroom can tell me which name matches which picture.
Amy
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English |
|
Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 6619
Location: USA
|
|
| Wed Aug 16, 2006 17:05 pm Who know who is who? |
|
|
Dear teacher,
You're great. I understand now. This is also the sentence my teacher sometimes told in class.
Quoc |
|
tung quoc
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 372
Location: VIETNAM
|
|
|
| Could she be more out of my league? | Insane versus Idiot |
)