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Nina_Nia Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary
The most natural question
Hello,
Which is the most natural way to ask about this?
Whose are these notebooks?- (Of) our students'. (These notebooks are of our students/These notebooks belong to our students)
Whom do these notebooks belong to?- (To ) our students.
To whom do these notebooks belong? ( To) our students.
Who do the notebooks belong to? - (To)our students
As far as I know, 'to whom' is a very formal question, but what about the rest? Is it the same with
'To whom are you talking?- 'To our students.' (To is not optional in these three sentences, is it?)
Whom are you talking to? 'To our students'.
Who are you talking to? 'To our students'.
Thanks
Which is the most natural way to ask about this?
Whose are these notebooks?- (Of) our students'. (These notebooks are of our students/These notebooks belong to our students)
Whom do these notebooks belong to?- (To ) our students.
To whom do these notebooks belong? ( To) our students.
Who do the notebooks belong to? - (To)our students
As far as I know, 'to whom' is a very formal question, but what about the rest? Is it the same with
'To whom are you talking?- 'To our students.' (To is not optional in these three sentences, is it?)
Whom are you talking to? 'To our students'.
Who are you talking to? 'To our students'.
Thanks
Top answer
'Whom' is always more formal than 'who'—even when they are misused, speakers are usually trying to be more formal with 'whom'. Whose are these notebooks? Whom do these notebooks belong to?
- 'Whom' is always more formal than 'who'—even when they are misused, speakers are usually trying to be more formal with 'whom'.
- Whose are these notebooks?
- Whom do these notebooks belong to?
- To whom do these notebooks belong?
- Who do the notebooks belong to?
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7 Answers
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'Whom' is always more formal than 'who'—even when they are misused, speakers are usually trying to be more formal with 'whom'.
Whose are these notebooks?
Whom do these notebooks belong to?
To whom do these notebooks belong?
Who do the notebooks belong to?
Any of those questions might be uttered. The 2nd one is frowned upon by more grammari
Whose are these notebooks?
Whom do these notebooks belong to?
To whom do these notebooks belong?
Who do the notebooks belong to?
Any of those questions might be uttered. The 2nd one is frowned upon by more grammari
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Q. Whose notebooks are these?
A. Our students. OR They belong to our students. OR They're our students'. ["These notebooks are of our students" is not possible, but the unnatural "these are the notebooks of our students" just barely is.]
Q. Who do these notebooks belong to? [The others are also correct. "To whom do these notebooks belong?" should be used in formal writing but is painf
A. Our students. OR They belong to our students. OR They're our students'. ["These notebooks are of our students" is not possible, but the unnatural "these are the notebooks of our students" just barely is.]
Q. Who do these notebooks belong to? [The others are also correct. "To whom do these notebooks belong?" should be used in formal writing but is painf
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Could you tell me if my replies in parenthesis are correct? I put 'of', and 'to', in parenthesis, because I thought they were optional.
Whose are these notebooks?- (Of) our students'. (These notebooks are of our students/These notebooks belong to our students)
Whom do these notebooks belong to?- (To ) our students.
To whom do these notebooks belong? ( To) our student
Whose are these notebooks?- (Of) our students'. (These notebooks are of our students/These notebooks belong to our students)
Whom do these notebooks belong to?- (To ) our students.
To whom do these notebooks belong? ( To) our student
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These are optional as answers:
Whose are these notebooks?- Our students'.
Whom do these notebooks belong to?- (To ) our students.
To whom do these notebooks belong? ( To) our students.
Who do the notebooks belong to? - (To) our students
Whose are these notebooks?- Our students'.
Whom do these notebooks belong to?- (To ) our students.
To whom do these notebooks belong? ( To) our students.
Who do the notebooks belong to? - (To) our students
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And these two sentences are wrong?
Whose are these notebooks?- Of our students.
These notebooks are of our students
So 'to' is optional in these sentences below too as in 'belong to' replies? I mean in answers.
'To whom are you talking?- 'To our students.
' Whom are you talking to? 'To our students'.
Who are you talking to? 'To our students'.
T
Whose are these notebooks?- Of our students.
These notebooks are of our students
So 'to' is optional in these sentences below too as in 'belong to' replies? I mean in answers.
'To whom are you talking?- 'To our students.
' Whom are you talking to? 'To our students'.
Who are you talking to? 'To our students'.
T
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Whose are these notebooks?- Of our students.- Wrong, as I have already said.
These notebooks are of our students- Wrong, wrong.
These are the notebooks of our students -- OK, but very non-native.
'To whom are you talking?- 'To our students.
'Whom are you talking to? 'To our students'.
'Who are you talking to?' 'To our students'.
So 'to' is optional
These notebooks are of our students- Wrong, wrong.
These are the notebooks of our students -- OK, but very non-native.
'To whom are you talking?- 'To our students.
'Whom are you talking to? 'To our students'.
'Who are you talking to?' 'To our students'.
So 'to' is optional
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