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Stevenukd Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Electric shock

E: What's the matter with him?
F: He gets an electric shock / He drowns / He swallows poison / He chokes.

- Are these sentences grammatical?

Thanks very much to Teachers,

Stevenukd.
  

Top answer

They are grammatical, but they make no sense! When you ask what's the matter, you don't expect an answer in the present simple, that is, an answer that refers to something that happens habitually, regularly. You need a different tense.

— CalifJim

  • They are grammatical, but they make no sense!
  • When you ask what's the matter, you don't expect an answer in the present simple, that is, an answer that refers to something that happens habitually, regularly.
  • You need a different tense.
  • -- What's the matter with him?
  • -- He got an electric shock.
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3 Answers
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They are grammatical, but they make no sense! Emotion: smile

When you ask what's the matter, you don't expect an answer in the present s
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If perhaps the who asked the question was not aware that he is dead, the question will still be valid, such as:

Q. What's the matter with him?
A. He's dead; he drowned.

Chris
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cbstehIf perhaps the who asked the question was not aware that he is dead, the question will still be valid, such as:

Q. What's the matter with him?
A. He's dead; he drowned.

Chris

True. But almost funny, to my ear! Not an everyday situation, certainly!
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