Interrogatives

Question

Hi,Which one of the following is correct?A: What do you think the best way to learn English is?B: What do you think is the best way to learn English?Some people think, myself included, both are correct because of the following reasoning:There are two types of uses of the verb "be".1. Ascryptive useThis is a good idea/fair.In the ascryptive use, the predicative denotes a property that is ascribed to the subject.  The predicative "a good idea/fair" gives a property ascribed to "this".2. Specifying useThe only problem is the cost.The specifying use defines a variable and specifies its value.  It specifies the value of the variable x in "the x such that x was the only problem."  The specifying normally allows the subject and predicative reversed.The cost is the only problem.With that in mind, I think both of the following constructions are possible.A: I think the best way to learn English is something.B: I think something is the best way to learn English.When you convert each of them into an interrogative form, you get the following results:A: What do you think the best way to learn English is.B: What do you think is the best way to learn English.I'd like to hear some comments from native speakers.  Thank you.

Regards · Accepted Answer

jooneyHi,
Which one of the following is correct?
A: What do you think the best way to learn English is? This one is correct.
If you're unsure, think of this question too:

What do you think she did there?

You don't say 'What do you think did she do there?', do you?

If you don't, you understand my reasoning.

Regards

Eponymous · Answer

I believe either is actually correct, though in most situations "What do you think is the best way to learn English?" sounds more natural. The prior stresses (or should stress) is, signifying a response. For instance, if someone was speaking about learning English and how to best do so, but failed to mention what they believed the best method to be, then it would be more natural to ask "What do you think the best way to learn English is?", stressing "is" in your speech.

That's what I think, at least. Whether or not it's grammatically correct, I'm not 100% certain. And sentence "A" shouldn't be the initial sentence.

If anyone can explain further or better, I'd like to hear. I'm curious about this, too!

Regards · Answer

Hi,

What do you think she looks like? Not: What do you think does she look like?

What do you think they said about you? Not: What do you think did they say about you?

What do you think the best way to learn English is? Not: What do you think is the best way to learn English?

Compare: What is the best way to learn English? Not: What the best way to learn English is?

With that in mind, 'I don't know what the best way to learn English is'. Not: 'I don't know what is the best

way to learn English'.

Regards

Eponymous · Answer

It's important to understand that the verb "to be" functions differently than other verbs.

Also, can't you say "What do you think this is?" "Do you know where the restroom is?" etc.?

Edit: Sorry, Regards. I misread your posts and thought you were explaining B to be the correct sentence.

Sorry for the misunderstanding!

But you can also say "What is the best way to learn English?" This is, of course, a slightly different kind of sentence and I can understand how it can lead to some confusion when asking the question in question.

Third edit:
In vernacular, I suppose you could speak with the invisible commas to make the sentence grammatically correct (this is where I became so perplexed). I.e., "What, do you think, is the best way to learn English?"
I believe this would be my personally most natural way of asking this question. I tend to speak just a little differently than most people, however, so I'm curious about what others think.

Jooney · Answer

Thank you for the reply, Regards.

But the example you gave me is a little different from mine. They are different in that one is a main clause and the other one is an embeded clause.

What is the best way to learn English?

This interrogative is derived from the following declarative statements.

A: Something is the best way to learn English.

B: The best way to learn English is something.

When the subject of a declarative statement is questioned(A), no inversion applies. All you need to do is replace "something" with "what".

What is the best way to learn English?

But, when the element being questioned is non-subject(B), the inversion is necessary.

The best way to learn English is something.

What is the best way to learn English?

But my example is the one that is embeded in a bigger construction.

I think the best way to learn English is something.

Or

I think something is the best way to learn Englsih.

In this case, inversion rules apply to the verb and subject of the main clause. Actually, there is no inversion because the verb in question is not an auxilary verb. Instead, you need to insert "do" right in front of the subject as follows:

What do you think~

The point is that the fact that both versions of my original example are possible has nothing to do with inversion rules. It has to do with the reversibility of the subject and predicate of the embeded clause.

I may be wrong, but that's how I see it.

Jooney · Answer

Thank you for your input, Eponymous.

Pkr · Answer

EponymousIt's important to understand that the verb "to be" functions differently than other verbs. Also, can't you say "What do you think this is?" "Do you know where the restroom is?" etc.?.....so I'm curious about what others think.

In "What do you think (that) this is?","what" is the subject complement of "this",whereas in "What do you think(~~that~~) is this?","what"is the subject of the embeded that-clause.and thus the subordinator "that" must be omitted. So both forms in question are acceptable, except the "what" element functions differently.

Pkr · Answer

"Do you know where the restroom is?" is a different construction,in that "where" introduces an embeded nominal interrogative clause instead of a nominal that-clause.

In interrogative construction,according to CGEL,"subject-verb inversion occasionally occurs in literary style when the wh-element is the subject complement or an obligatory adverbial,particularly if the subject is lengthy":

She told us how strong was her motivation to engage in research.

The inversion is common in Irish English and dialectally:

Whenever I see her,she asks when will I be visiting her mother.

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