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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

negative interrogative

which one is right :

why did you not ask him ?
why did not you ask him?

Thanks
  

Top answer

Both are correct. W hy did you not ask him ? Formal / emphatic W hy did not you ask him?

— Clive

  • Both are correct.
  • W hy did you not ask him ?
  • Formal / emphatic W hy did not you ask him?
  • Formal / emphatic The common version in speech is Wh y didn't you ask him?
  • Clive
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2 Answers
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Both are correct.

Why did you not ask him ? Formal / emphatic
Why did not you ask him? Formal / emphatic

The common version in speech is Why didn't you ask him?

Clive
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CliveWhy did not you ask him? Formal / emphatic
That is so rare in the uncontracted form that I would say it's not acceptable. There are no COCA citations for 'why did not you'.
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