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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Complete Sentences

Suppose this is a question on a test: Who at the chololate?
Is "Robert did" a correct answer (a complete sentence)?
And why doesn't "Robert ate" work as an answer?
  

Top answer

Suppose this is a question on a test: Who at e the chololate? Is "Robert did" a correct answer (a complete sentence)? Yes And why doesn't "Robert ate" work as an answer?

— Clive

  • Suppose this is a question on a test: Who at e the chololate?
  • Is "Robert did" a correct answer (a complete sentence)?
  • Yes And why doesn't "Robert ate" work as an answer?
  • It's a convention of the English language that the short answer (Robert did) refers back to the action more fully described in the previous sentence.
  • ie Robert did (eat the chocolate).
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3 Answers
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Suppose this is a question on a test: Who ate the chololate?
Is "Robert did" a correct answer (a complete sentence)? Yes


And why doesn't "Robert ate" work as an answer? It's a convention of the English language that the short answer (Robert did) refers back to the action m
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"Robert ate." would be okay in a particular context. The following are okay:

A: Who ate the chocolate?
B: Robert did.

C: You were all told not to eat anything until tonight. We've got to ration the food carefully until help arrives. But there's food missing. Who ate?
D: Robert ate.
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AnonymousC: You were all told not to eat anything until tonight. We've got to ration the food carefully until help arrives. But there's food missing. Who ate?D: Robert ate.
That sounds most unnatural to me. I'd say "Robert (did)".
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