0
Shellyxiong Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Help me~~

Hey, everybody!!
I was overwhelming by all the vocabulary and the sentences forms.
Here I found the following two sentences slightly different.
  1. How could't they help another family?
  2. How could they not help another family?
Could anyone help me find out the differences?
  

Top answer

The meanings are the same; the first is merely a contraction of the second. )

— Mister Micawber

  • The meanings are the same; the first is merely a contraction of the second.
  • )
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

20 Answers
0
The meanings are the same; the first is merely a contraction of the second. ('Couldn't' is spelt thus, however.)
0
0
Hi,
Hope you won't mind ...
shellyxiongHey, everybody!!
I was overwhelming overwhelmed by all the vocabulary and the sentences forms.
0
0
No, I don't mind, but thank you very much by pointing out my mistake. It's really good to know that.
0
0
Hi Shelly,
I am sorry to have to disagree with Mr Micawber on this, but i think the first sentence is wrong if it was intended to be:

How couldn't they help another family?

That would be like saying: How could not they help another family? That is ungrammatical.

You could say: Why couldn't they help another fami
0
0
There is no other way to contract How could they not, TrysB-- and there is no difference in structure between the one you say is correct (Why couldn't they help = *Why could not they help) and the one you say is incorrect (How couldn't they help = *How could not they help).

In fact, both ( Why/How couldn't they help) are the appropriate contracti
0
0
TrysB
How couldn't they help another family?

That would be like saying: How could not they help another family? That is ungrammatical.

You could say: Why couldn't they help another family?

I have to agree with "why" rather than the "how".
0
0
Then I am afraid that you are both unfamiliar with the use of 'How' in this sort of utterance.

Why couldn't they help? = What is the reason for their inability to help?
How couldn't they help? = How was it possible for them to avoid helping?
0
0
Thanks for the clarification,Mr M. I see how the construction works when you use the other example with don't and do not. I was taking the word order too literally.

I still think the sentence with couldn't sounds very awkward--at least to an American's ear.

Best wishes,
TrysB
0
0
Well, perhaps you are right! But why is that "how could you" can be used in a positive questions without sounding stiff but in the negative form, it sounds so unidiomatic in some contexts?

1-How could you get lost? I gave you a very clear direction to my place!

Negative - How couldn't you get lost?

2-How could you steal from your own mother?
0

Related Questions