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Newguest Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Or can you?

Hi

I am sure you can do the same as me. Or can you?

--- Is "or" necessary? Is it correct?
  

Top answer

Newguest Is "or" necessary? Is it correct? It's necessary and correct.

— CalifJim

  • Newguest Is "or" necessary?
  • Is it correct?
  • It's necessary and correct.
  • The or is what makes the question an expression of doubt and to some extent a challenge.
  • I am sure you can ....
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6 Answers
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NewguestIs "or" necessary? Is it correct?
It's necessary and correct. The or is what makes the question an expression of doubt and to some extent a challenge.

I am sure you can ....
Or can you? = Or am I mistaken, and you really cannot?
Or can you? = But maybe I'm mistaken, and you are not as capable a person as I thou
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What about:

You can't swim, can you?

Or maybe: You can't swim, or can you?
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NewguestI am sure you can do the same as me. Or can you?
This one is a bit subtle. The OR makes a lot of difference. I will describe both versions separately.
"I'm sure you can do the same as me. Can you?"
This is not idiomatic. It would mean the same as "I'm sure you can do the same. Don't you agree?". I'm making the statement, then asking whether he
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KrisBlueNZ"I'm sure you can do the same as me. Can you?"

Actually I wanted to write: I'm sure you can do the same as me. Can't you?
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NewguestI'm sure you can do the same as me. Can't you?
This is very similar, but subtly different again.
You're saying "I'm sure you can", then pausing (the full stop, or period, ".", indicates the pause). Then you have "second thoughts" - you're not sure any more. So you say "Can't you?", which means "I think you can, or I thought you could, but maybe you
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correct answer : can't you ?
explanation : the sentence above is a question tag. if the sentence is positive, the question tag must be in negative.
I am sure you can do the same as me. can't you ?
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