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Hi from Türkiye,1. I wish my girlfriend were more punctual.    I wish my girlfriend would be more punctual. Which one is correct?2. I wish they get home safely.                                  Is it correct?3. We arrived just as dinner was served.   We arrived just as dinner was being served.      Which one is correct?4. ....................., I am afraid.a) Both of them don't work                 b) Neither of them works                  Which one is correct?

Yoong Liat · Accepted Answer

1. I wish my girlfriend were more punctual. (correct)

I wish my girlfriend would be more punctual. (incorrect)

Which one is correct?

2. I wish they get home safely. (incorrect) I wish they got home safely.

3. We arrived just as dinner was served. (incorrect)

We arrived just as dinner was being served. (correct)

4. Neither of them works, I am afraid.

a) Both of them don't work (incorrect) b) Neither of them works (correct)

Yankee · Answer

I see things a little differently:

1. I wish my girlfriend were more punctual. Correct. The fact is that my girlfriend is not very punctual and I want something contrary to the fact to be true.

I wish my girlfriend would be more punctual. Also OK. This basically means "I wish my girlfriend were willing to be more punctual (but, in fact, she isn't)"

2. I wish they get home safely. Incorrect. You should use the word 'hope' instead of 'wish' here: "I hope they get home safely."

3. We arrived just as dinner was served. Possible

We arrived just as dinner was being served. Correct

4. ....................., I am afraid.

a) Both of them don't work Possible b) Neither of them works Correct

Yoong Liat · Answer

Yankee4. ....................., I am afraid.

a) Both of them don't work Possible

4. ....................., I am afraid.

a) Both of them don't work Possible (I beg to differ.)

"Neither of them works" is grammatically correct.

"Both of them work" is incorrect.

Yankee · Answer

You're a stubborn one, Yoong Liat, but so am I.

I agree that "Neither of them works" would be the more common expression of the two and also the version you're most likely to find on a test. (That's why I wrote "Correct" there.) But I don't agree that "Both of them don't work" is necessarily incorrect.

Yoong Liat · Answer

Yankee
You're a stubborn one, Yoong Liat, but so am I.

I agree that "Neither of them works" would be the more common expression of the two and also the version you're most likely to find on a test. (That's why I wrote "Correct" there.) But I don't agree that "Both of them don't work" is necessarily incorrect.

I'm not being stubborn and I don't think you are. Just because you disagree with what I've said does not mean that you're stubborn and vice versa. We are discussing, not arguing. What I've said is based on the English usage books that I've read. I believe, by discussing, we're learning. Even grammarians sometimes differ.

I would like to have the view of another native speaker on the usage "Both of them don't work." Is it standard English? Is it is acceptable, but non-standard English? Thanks in advance.

Redkiddy · Answer

last question ,, which one please..

Why "both ...." sentence is wrong, it looks correct meaningfully.

Marius Hancu · Answer

>it looks correct meaningfully.

Kooyeen · Answer

Hi,
I once asked a similar question.
The fact is that "both" + "negative" is an ambiguous construction and should be avoided.
"Both of them don't work" could mean:

The first doesn't work and the second doesn't work either.
Either only the first or only the second could possibly work, but not both.

Now, the correct logical interpretation is #2. Despite that, the usual interpretation is #1, so when you find "Both of them don't work" it usually means #1. However, it could have meaning #2, if used in an appropriate context. When you want to make clear that the meaning is #2 and still use the word "both", you can say "Not both of them work".
That's what I think.

Redkiddy · Answer

Thank guys.

CalifJim · Answer

Any universal quantifier (both, all, every, ...) followed by a negative verb creates a problem of ambiguity. I would recommend avoiding such constructions. (All of them aren't here.)

CJ

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