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GSGS Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary

How to ask?

Hi,
How should I ask:
A) What x represents?
B) What does x represent?
I would guess B is more correct. However according to Google A has 1.1 million results while B has only 44,000.
Hope to hear your opinion on that
  

Top answer

GSGS B) What does x represent? That is correct. 1 million results while B has only 44,000.

— Mister Micawber

  • GSGS B) What does x represent?
  • That is correct.
  • 1 million results while B has only 44,000.
  • If you check the results more carefully, I think you will find that they refer to subordinate clauses: we don't know what x represents If we want to find out what 'x' represents, Explain what x represents.
  • etc.
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4 Answers
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GSGSB) What does x represent?
That is correct.
GSGSHowever according to Google A has 1.1 million results while B has only 44,000.
If you check the results more carefully, I think you will find that they refer to subordinate clauses:

we don't know what x represents
If we want to find out what 'x' repres
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Well I Actually put both A and B in inverted commas, but obviosly doing it could not deny the possibility that google returned only parts of sentences.
Anyway now I know the grammatical way to ask. So thank you for that.
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GSGSI Actually put both A and B in inverted commas, but obviosly doing it could not deny the possibility that google returned only parts of sentences.
Inverted commas merely select the grouped words. They do not select complete sentences at all.
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Yes exactly. And actually the original sentence that triggered my question was very similar to one of your exmpales.
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