Why aren't you or Why are you not

Question

Your friend said, "I'm going to clean my car next month." Which phrase do you usually use?
1) Why aren't you going to do that this month?
2) Why are you not going to do that this month?

Regards has already given you an expert answer. Both are correct. I myself use both of them, but I more likely contract, I think.

I find The Grammar Book remark quite in oppositio

Regards · Accepted Answer

Hi,
Personally, I would use the second one, though both are correct.

Regards

Makiasan · Answer

Thanks!

Anonymous · Answer

You may be interested in the opinion of Mesdames Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman, who wrote The Grammar Book.

They believe that the contracted version often has a negative feeling. Their example:

Why didn't you do the work? You should have!

The two scholars feel that "Why did you not do the work?" is "formal and more neutral."

If we accept their opinion, then maybe "Why aren't you going to do that this month?" = You promised me that you would!
I'm very disappointed in you!
**********

But another scholar, Mr. L.G. Alexander in his Longman English Grammar, says that we use the full form (no contraction)

when we wish to express anger, surprise, etc. His example:

Have I not asked you again and again to be here on time?

If we accept his opinion, then maybe "Why are you not going to do that this month?" expresses anger or surprise.

*****

Who is correct? The two ladies or the gentleman? Of course, I do not know. Hopefully, an expert will tell us.

Makiasan · Answer

Thanks for this interesting information!
Hope native speakers here would give us some advice!

Anonymous · Answer

Yes! I hope that some of the experts will soon answer us.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Your friend said, "I'm going to clean my car next month." Which phrase do you usually use?
1) Why aren't you going to do that this month?
2) Why are you not going to do that this month?

Regards has already given you an expert answer. Both are correct. I myself use both of them, but I more likely contract, I think.

I find The Grammar Book remark quite in opposition to what I think, which is that the full form (stressing as it does the word 'not') is obviously more negative. Alexander's remark is far too limiting and prescriptive. Both books, while certainly competent, appeared early in the era of communicative English and contain many opinions that are no longer so generally held.

Makiasan · Answer

Thanks, Mister Micawber! I won't worry about the difference any more!

CalifJim · Answer

MakiasanWhich phrase do you usually use?1) Why aren't you going to do that this month?or2) Why are you not going to do that this month?

If I had to choose, I'd choose 1), but the phrase I would use is "Why not this month?" because this is a response to something already said. In other words, someone else has already started the conversation. I would use 1) (the full sentence) to start a conversation. I can't imagine just now any situation in which I would use 2).

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Why are not you coming

Why aren't you or Why are you not

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