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Pastsimple Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
at the ophthalmologist's office
Hi,
imagine the following situation:
You're at the ophthalmologist's office and the specialist has just found out that your eyesight is very bad. Is he going to say:
"You're not driving, are you?"
or
"You don't drive, do you?"
Also, can the contexts below affect the choice:
a. The specialist doesn't know you and it's your first visit to his/her office.
b. You're a returning patient and your eyesight was OK during the last visit.
c. Context b + the specialist knows you have a driving licence.
Thanks in advance.
P.S. Sorry for the strange question but a colleague of mine came up with this today. Of course we had different opinions.
imagine the following situation:
You're at the ophthalmologist's office and the specialist has just found out that your eyesight is very bad. Is he going to say:
"You're not driving, are you?"
or
"You don't drive, do you?"
Also, can the contexts below affect the choice:
a. The specialist doesn't know you and it's your first visit to his/her office.
b. You're a returning patient and your eyesight was OK during the last visit.
c. Context b + the specialist knows you have a driving licence.
Thanks in advance.
P.S. Sorry for the strange question but a colleague of mine came up with this today. Of course we had different opinions.
Top answer
Option 2 is more a general question about driving Option 1 is option 2 PLUS it infers the current situation ie you didnt drive here today, did you?
- Option 2 is more a general question about driving Option 1 is option 2 PLUS it infers the current situation ie you didnt drive here today, did you?
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3 Answers
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Option 2 is more a general question about driving
Option 1 is option 2 PLUS it infers the current situation ie you didnt drive here today, did you?
Option 1 is option 2 PLUS it infers the current situation ie you didnt drive here today, did you?
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English-fixOption 2 is more a general question about drivingThanks.
Option 1 is option 2 PLUS it infers the current situation ie you didnt drive here today, did you?
Actually, I thought - and from what you're saying I was wrong - Option 2 was better. "Your" ophthalmologist usually knows whether you drive or not because you can't drive
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He's going to say: You're not driving, are you?, meaning You are not currently in the habit of driving, are you?
You don't drive, do you? seems to indicate that (he thinks) you don't know how to drive, as if to say, You don't drive, so that's just as well, because you shouldn't be driving.
CJ
You don't drive, do you? seems to indicate that (he thinks) you don't know how to drive, as if to say, You don't drive, so that's just as well, because you shouldn't be driving.
CJ
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