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Tenacious Learner Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

He did learn. The 'did' there is just for emphasis

Hi teachers,
The context:
Did Peter learn to drive? Probably not, you may think. But he did learn how to drive, and in fact Peter learned to drive without too much difficulty.
Two questions:
a) 'But he did learn ...' The 'did' there is just for emphasis?
b) Could it also be 'But he learned ...', in this case?

Thanks in advance.
  

Top answer

' The 'did' there is just for emphasis? Yes. The speaker knows from personal experience or observation that Peter has mastered the techniques of driving.

— AlpheccaStars

  • ' The 'did' there is just for emphasis?
  • Yes.
  • The speaker knows from personal experience or observation that Peter has mastered the techniques of driving.
  • ', in this case?
  • It would not make sense stylistically, since it would just be repeating the last clause in the sentence.
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4 Answers
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Tenacious Learnera) 'But he did learn ...' The 'did' there is just for emphasis?
Yes. The speaker knows from personal experience or observation that Peter has mastered the techniques of driving.
Tenacious Learnerb) Could it also be 'But he learned ...', in this case?
It would not make sense stylistically, since it would just
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AlpheccaStarsYes. The speaker knows from personal experience or observation that Peter has mastered the techniques of driving.
Hi A-
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Yes, it is past tense.
The present perfect could also be used, but it is much less emphatic than the simple past.

Peter has learned...
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AlpheccaStarsYes, it is past tense. The present perfect could also be used, but it is much less emphatic than the simple past.
Hi A-
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