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Moon7296 Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
didn't VS wouldn't
1. I asked her where she was, but she wouldn't talk to me.
2. I asked her where she was, but she didn't talk to me.
Q) What's the difference between #1 and #2?
Can #2 imply that she was not able to talk to me for some reason? For example, she was taken hostage?
2. I asked her where she was, but she didn't talk to me.
Q) What's the difference between #1 and #2?
Can #2 imply that she was not able to talk to me for some reason? For example, she was taken hostage?
Top answer
) the answer. ) It all depends on the context though...
- ) the answer.
- ) It all depends on the context though...
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4 Answers
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I would say that number 1 has a stronger implication that she was unwilling to give him/her (you?) the answer. Perhaps she was mad with him/her (you?) It all depends on the context though...
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moon7296difference between #1 and #2?I asked her where she was, but she wouldn't talk to me. ~ ... but she refused to talk to me (either by word or gesture).
I asked her where she was, but she didn't talk to me. (No reason given. It doesn't say she couldn't talk to you, and it certainly doesn't say anything about being taken h
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CalifJimI asked her where she was, but she didn't talk to me. (No reason given. It doesn't say she couldn't talk to you, and it certainly doesn't say anything about being taken hostage. This sentence is unusually devoid of information.)You mean, to explain what the speaker of the sentence intended, a reason should be given?
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moon7296You mean, to explain what the speaker of the sentence intended, a reason should be given?I mean that if all you hear is that one sentence with "didn't", you don't have any information by which you can draw conclusions like "She couldn't talk to me" or "She was taken hostage", but I think you already knew that.
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