this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2024
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English usage and grammar

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Can "n't " and " + [pronoun]" be used with any verb? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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When I first learnt English, I thought this type of formulation only worked with a few verbs like "do", "have","should" (ex: "Should I do this? No, I shouldn't.")

More recently I also encountered "Need I?" and "needn't", tho they're more rarely used. But this got me wondering, is it still an exceptional construction, with "need" being one of the exceptions, or can it be done with every verbs? For example, are the following sentences correct:

  • Read you mangas? No, I readn't them.
  • Grow they potatoes? No, they grown't these.
  • Sounds it like a good idea? No, it soundsn't.

I know talking like this would raise a few eyebrows, but does it break any established rule?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

i get the question, but your examples seem contrived. they're all actually "have"/"did" inquiries.

have you read that manga?

have the potatoes grown?

does it sound like a good idea?

did it sound like a good idea?

if one reads them this way, one can see a clearer connection between these questions and question tags--and the reason why certain verbs in the tags have a tendency to be overused in speech, ultimately leading to necessary contraction.