Red wines I adore

Question

A question many of us have been asking for a couple of years.Many of us have been asking a question for a couple of years.For a couple of years, many of us have been asking a question.I adore red wines.Red wines I adore.Are sentences above grammatical?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

tkacka15A question many of us have been asking for a couple of years.

Not a sentence, but OK as a noun phrase.

tkacka15Many of us have been asking a question for a couple of years.
For a couple of years, many of us have been asking a question.

This is a grammatical sentence, but it contains the unexpected "a question". Is each person among the many asking a question, but not the same question as the others? Is each person asking the same question?

I expected "that question". Nevertheless, "a question" might be exactly the right phrasing in the right context. (But I can't think of that context just now.)

tkacka15For a couple of years, many of us have been asking a question.

Don't ask me why, but 'a question' occurs in such a stereotypical way here that it seems appropriate to me. (The next sentence is going to say which question it is.) Obviously, for the desired effect the sentence must end with 'a question', not with 'for a couple of years'. It's a matter of rhetoric rather than grammar.

tkacka15I adore red wines.

Fine.

tkacka15Red wines I adore.

This one is problematic in isolation. It sounds exactly like a noun-phrase title of an article on red wines. Red wines that I adore.

However, it's also possible as a complete sentence with a fronted direct object in a situation where contrastive emphasis is desired:

I am not really very fond of white wines, but red wines I adore. ('red wines' is emphasized by stressing those words with the voice.)

CJ

Clive · Answer

1) A question many of us have been asking for a couple of years. OK as a phrase or eg a heading or title.

2) Many of us have been asking a question for a couple of years. OK, standard

3) For a couple of years, many of us have been asking a question.OK, standard

4) adore red wines. OK, standard

5) Red wines I adore. #4 above is correct grammar. #5 is a simple reversal of #4. You could argue that if you start with a correct sentence and simply change to an uncommon word order, the result is still a correct sentence.

However, I'd argue this way. The so-called grammar rules are really just guidelines and suggestions. People who have very good English can play with such things as word order, and bend or ignore the 'rules'. This is not done often, but the result is usually English that is poetic and interesting. But learners of English should only do this if they feel their English is really, really good.

Clive

Anonymous · Answer

1. This is okay.

2. This is not right. This means many have been asking one question for a couple of years.

3. This is not right, for the same reason as 2.

4. This is okay.

5. This is a little melodramatic, but okay.

Red wines I adore

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