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#2 (permalink) Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:21 am REFER TO |
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What do 'they' refer to ?. is correct. _________________ Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting. |
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Kitosdad Language Coach

Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Posts: 13417 Location: ESSEN, Germany, (but English.)
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#3 (permalink) Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:33 am What do 'they' refer to in the sentence or what does 'they' refer to...? |
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Hi Kitosdad!
Shouldn't it be, "What does 'they' refer to?"?
I think we are talking about the word they. That's why they is in single quotes. What do you think?
If they refers to a group of people then it should be What do they refer to? _________________ Non-native speaker of English
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I intend to live forever - so far, so good. |
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Daemon99 I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 841
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#4 (permalink) Wed Mar 25, 2009 19:06 pm What do 'they' refer to in the sentence or what does 'they' refer to...? |
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Live forever my friend, but only if you accept my answer as being correct. :D :D :D
What does you think ....???????????????? Not right eh.!! _________________ Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting. |
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Kitosdad Language Coach

Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Posts: 13417 Location: ESSEN, Germany, (but English.)
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#5 (permalink) Wed Mar 25, 2009 19:54 pm What do 'they' refer to in the sentence or what does 'they' refer to...? |
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I am still confused :?
Few replacements creating that confusion --
1) What does the term 'they' refer to? OR
2) What do the term 'they' refer to?
3) What does it refer to? OR
4) What do it refer to?
Can we conclude on similar lines? Or 'What do 'they' refer to?' is a special case? :? _________________ First lesson - English, not english. I, not i. ~A student of English |
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Gray I'm here quite often ;-)

Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 978 Location: Proxima Centauri
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#6 (permalink) Wed Mar 25, 2009 20:27 pm What do 'they' refer to in the sentence or what does 'they' refer to...? |
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What do they refer to.? They being a thing in this instance.
What does that refer to.? That being a printed comment being referred to. _________________ Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting. |
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Kitosdad Language Coach

Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Posts: 13417 Location: ESSEN, Germany, (but English.)
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#7 (permalink) Wed Mar 25, 2009 20:50 pm What do 'they' refer to in the sentence or what does 'they' refer to...? |
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Hi Gray,
To make this question clearer it's necessary to say: What does the word/pronoun 'they' refer to? Then the ambiguity disappears. And also I hope, the confusion.
Alan _________________ English as a Second Language You can read my ESL story Present Simple |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 13891 Location: UK
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#8 (permalink) Wed Mar 25, 2009 21:06 pm What do 'they' refer to in the sentence or what does 'they' refer to...? |
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Exactly Alan. _________________ Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting. |
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Kitosdad Language Coach

Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Posts: 13417 Location: ESSEN, Germany, (but English.)
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| how much or how often or how larg | About -ING (you can try to help/helping) |