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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!


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ESL Forum | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
Time expressions (a.m.; p.m) | can vs could (I could/can finish the project tomorrow)
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #1 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 9:01 am   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

I am trying to post a joking remark for a friend, with whom I am playing chess online. He has a better position on the board and I want to post the sentence. But I am not sure which of the sentences below is the most correct (or correct). Can anyone help, please? Thanks in advance!

1. Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly (this is the sentence that came to my mind immediately, but I thought it might be wrong.)

2. Has your mom not told you not torture the elderly (I designed this sentence to my knowledge of grammar, not my feeling.)

3. Hasn't your mom told you not to torture the elderly (this is another option to let teachers explain where should we have "not" for "has". I have seen different usage of not in such sentences...)

Any explanation is highly appreciated, as officials and businessmen say Smile

Zahir
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #2 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:36 am   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Ahmadov, I think you should use the word 'elders' but not 'elderly'. You are not an old man yet. Smile

My humble opinion Cool
Pamela
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #3 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:38 am   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Pamela wrote:
Ahmdov, I think you should use the word 'elders' but not 'elderly'. You are not an old man yet. Smile

Pamela, how do you know that I am not an old man?
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #4 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:41 am   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Feminine intuition and nothing more. Laughing Smile
Pamela
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #5 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:57 am   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Pamela wrote:
Feminine intuition and nothing more. Laughing Smile


You can rely on your feminine intution unless you live in Zambia. People who live my age are considered the eldest generation in that country. As far as I know, live expectancy in Zambia is 35, the lowest in the world.

Actually, I meant "the elderly" not "elders" because that was a joking remark for my friend with whom I play chess online. I copied that joke from a chess web site, which reported on a game between Morozevich and Korchnoi (I believe you know them both if you are Russian). The web site jokingly criticized Morozevich for torturing the old Korchnoi on the board...
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #6 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:04 pm   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Ok then, Zahir. Laughing
Pamela
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #7 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:13 pm   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

So, what do you think about the sentences? Nobody wants to comment on them Sad Or are they all correct?
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #8 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:23 pm   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Only the third sentence ( showing,perhaps, surprise, reproach--depends on the intonation). The first one has a tad another emotional colouring. Do you understand what I am driving at?
Pamela
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #9 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:27 pm   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Pamela wrote:
Only the third sentence ( showing,perhaps, surprise). The first one has a tad another meaning. Do you understand what I am driving at?

I am trying to comprehend, ma'am...
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #10 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:32 pm   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly( I 'd say elderly people)?
You simply ask a question, make an inquiry.

That is how I perceive your sentences. It would be better to wait for other replies. Laughing
Pamela
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #11 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:40 pm   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Thanks Pamela!

Ahmadov wrote:
Pamela wrote:
Only the third sentence ( showing,perhaps, surprise). The first one has a tad another meaning. Do you understand what I am driving at?

I am trying to comprehend, ma'am...

I have just noticed that this post of mine fits well with my avatar Smile
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #12 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:44 pm   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Spot on!
Pamela
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #13 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 14:10 pm   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Ahmadov wrote:
1. Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly (this is the sentence that came to my mind immediately, but I thought it might be wrong.)
I understand this:
I am older than you are. Is that why you are letting me win?


2. Has your mom not told you not to torture the elderly (I designed this sentence to my knowledge of grammar, not my feeling.)
I understand this:
I am older than you are, so why are you not letting me win?


3. Hasn't your mom told you not to torture the elderly (this is another option to let teachers explain where should we have "not" for "has". I have seen different usage of not in such sentences...)
I understand this:
I am older than you are, so why aren't you letting me win?



Hi Zahir
Sentence (1) does not mean the same thing as sentences (2) and (3).

Good luck with your game, old man. Cool
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #14 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 14:26 pm   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Thanks a lot, Amy!
Actually, the meaning that I wanted to express was the one expressed by sentences two and three. Unfortunately, I have already posted sentence 1, which implies something different Smile

Amy, can you explain the usage of "not" in similar sentences. Where do you think "not" should be in the sentences below:
Have you not read the latest article? //Haven't you read the latest article?

The problem is that I was taught at school that "Haven't" is the right form, i.e. we should use "not" immediately after "have", but I sometimes run accross the other usage as well, where "not" is used before the verb in present or past perfect.

Zahir
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Ahmadov
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Joined: 23 Dec 2005
Posts: 312
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Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?! #15 (permalink) Tue Jun 26, 2007 14:35 pm   Has your mom told you not to torture the elderly?!
 

Pamela and Amy,

The penny has dropped! Now it makes sense why my first sentence is different from the other two...

Thanks for your help...
_________________
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Posts: 312
Location: Azerbaijan

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