BrainKing - Discussion boards (Languages)

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Walter Montego

, Pedro Martínez

Languages

Ask questions or just talk about different languages. Since BrainKing is an international game site supporting many languages, this board can be kind of useful.

Since we will be dealing with pronunciation of words rather than their spelling, I think it's useful to have a link to The sounds of English and the International Phonetic Alphabet.

To see translations of some frequently used phrases and sentences in other languages see Languages

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2. July 2006, 13:49:03

King Reza

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I am fully aware of how embeded questions are made, like:

Do you know?
What time is it?

Do you know what time it is ?

But I heard a sentence in a movie : What do you think the cure for cancer is?

I think at least in this very example, the other option is possible too. So it can be said as:

What do you think is the cure for cancer?

Am I right?

2. July 2006, 16:04:37

Czuch

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Subject: Re:

King Reza: The first sentence is correct, the second one is probably also correct,, but it just doesnt sound right to a native speaker.

2. July 2006, 16:13:50

King Reza

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Subject: Re:

Czuch Czuckers:What would I do without you natives, man! Thanks.

2. July 2006, 21:11:00

Peón Libre

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Subject: Re:

King Reza: Both are correct, and both sound fine to this native speaker.

Also, if you should ever need to discuss Louis VI's throne and you want to avoid that string of consonants, you could of course say, "It's the throne of Louis the Sixth."

3. July 2006, 10:43:46

King Reza

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Subject: Re:

KotDB: Thanks for your reply. Yeah, good suggestion about that throne!

3. July 2006, 13:02:40

Hrqls

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Subject: Re:

King Reza: to my (non native english ears) the sentence 'What do you think is the cure for cancer?' puts more emphasis the word 'you' (or at least it asks more directly what 'you' think while the other sentence asks more about the cure for cancer

but thats just a feeling :)

3. July 2006, 14:28:50

Czuch

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Subject: Re:

Hrqls: That makes some sense... its probably one of those that are a toss up. i suppose there are some native speakers where it sounds strange to them the other way around, what seems normal to me.

3. July 2006, 14:33:02

King Reza

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Subject: Re:

Czuch Czuckers:That's what it sounds like to me too. I'd ask the second question --What do you think is the cure for cancer?-- indeed with a stress on YOU.