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Clarence Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Preposition in a question

Hi,

I thought 'on' is required in the question below for the sentence to be grammatically correct but it sounds awkward. Would anyone have any comments?

May I know which other days will John be available on?

Thank you.
  

Top answer

clarence I thought 'on' is required in the question It is optional. Consider the response: John is available (on) Thursday . The bigger problem is your question form.

— Mister Micawber

  • clarence I thought 'on' is required in the question It is optional.
  • Consider the response: John is available (on) Thursday .
  • The bigger problem is your question form.
  • ' It should read: Could you tell me which other days will John be available (on)?
  • clarence it sounds awkward.
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3 Answers
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clarenceI thought 'on' is required in the question
It is optional. Consider the response: John is available (on) Thursday.

The bigger problem is your question form. We do not use 'May I know'; you are not asking for permission (as in 'May I shut the window?' It should read:

Could you tell me which other days will John be
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Thank you Mr Mister Micawber.

I have been unaware of the "May I know" part. "Could you tell me" sounds a bit forward in the Asian context; that's probably why the former is often used.

I'm thinking of other alternatives. Would it be correct to use "Could I know"?
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clarenceWould it be correct to use "Could I know"?
That does not sound natural. This is not an Asian context; it is English, so you can use what I gave you.
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