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Teleostomi Posted 20 years ago
Vocabulary

wonder if



(1) I wonder if he didn't tell us the truth.

(2) I wonder if he told us the truth.

I think "wonder" has two major meanings. (x):doubt (y):curious to know.

Can there be any examples where "wonder if" definitely means (y)?


Also I'd like to ask you which (2) means, "I want to know if he told us the truth." or "I doubt that he told us the truth."
  

Top answer

" you are almost certainly using the "curious to know" sense of the word. With #2, if you want to know if he did, you are inherently expressing a doubt that he did. If I say "I wonder if we'll get there on time," then I obviously am not 100% sure that we will.

— BarbaraPA

  • " you are almost certainly using the "curious to know" sense of the word.
  • With #2, if you want to know if he did, you are inherently expressing a doubt that he did.
  • If I say "I wonder if we'll get there on time," then I obviously am not 100% sure that we will.
  • I don't think you can take the doubt sense OUT of a question like that.
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1 Answers
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Hello Teleostomi,

If you say "I wonder how..." you are almost certainly using the "curious to know" sense of the word.

With #2, if you want to know if he did, you are inherently expressing a doubt that he did. If I say "I wonder if we'll get there on time," then I obviously am not 100% sure that we will. I don't think you can take the doubt sense OUT of a question like tha
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