Question

Aggiornato il 24 set 2021

VickieJ

8 set 2021

Coreano

Inglese (Regno Unito)

Domande Inglese (Regno Unito)

Can someone who is good at grammar rules explain the following sentence please?

You will see what a difference a dog makes.

I cannot understand why “a” is in front of difference if the sentence is an indirect interrogative sentence. Or if it is an exclamatory sentence the word order is not correct, so it is really confusing.

Risposte

ladybug

8 set 2021

Inglese (Regno Unito)
Inglese (Stati Uniti)

This is not an interrogative sentence. It is direct speech.

Subject+verb = You will see
Direct object (a noun clause) = what a difference a dog makes

WHAT acts as an adjective, intensifying the noun “difference”.

The word order is correct: subject + verb + direct object

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-_-mimi

8 set 2021

Italiano
Inglese (Regno Unito) Quasi esperto

I believe it’s an exclamatory sentence: what can be used in exclamations to express a strong feeling or opinion. In this case, we use what as a determiner before a noun or before a/an (+ adjective) + noun
Examples:
What a difference (a dog makes)
Do you remember what a horrible smell that place had?
What a mess!

But remember that this only works with the singular
What lovely flowers!

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VickieJ

8 set 2021

Coreano

@ladybug yes overall it is an direct speech. But when we talk just the part “what a difference a dog makes” is like an indirect interrogative sentence which can be used as a noun. But because of “a” there I cannot say it is an indirect intorrogative sentence. So I am confused

VickieJ

8 set 2021

Coreano

@-_-mmm thank you for helping me 🥰. Then do you think an objective relative noun is omitted in front of a dog makes? If so, that makes sense.

-_-mimi

8 set 2021

Italiano
Inglese (Regno Unito) Quasi esperto

@VickieJ In this structure with “what a….” the relative noun isn’t needed. I understand the confusion, because in the sentence “the difference that a dog makes” the relative noun works. However when you use “what a…” we don’t omit it, it would just be wrong.

(I noticed that I wrote “Do you remember what a horrible smell that place had?”, but in this case that is the adjective of place, so you could also write “Do you remember what a horrible smell this place had?” and it would still be right👍)

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ladybug

8 set 2021

Inglese (Regno Unito)
Inglese (Stati Uniti)

@VickieJ No this sentence is not a question: an interrogative is a question.
An interrogative would be this (and notice the change in word order):

What difference DOES a dog make?

But your sentence is a “declarative” sentence.

WHAT is the confusing word:

Usually WHAT asks a question, but not always. Sometimes WHAT is just an exclamatory word, similar to SUCH.
EXAMPLES:
What a tragedy!
Such a tragedy!
Such a difference a dog makes!
What a loud bark that dog has!
Such a loud bark that dog has!

These examples are not questions. They are exclamatory sentences.

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VickieJ

8 set 2021

Coreano

@-_-mmm oh I got it
Just expression then. Thank you so much. You helped me a lot 🙏🏻😆🥰

-_-mimi

8 set 2021

Italiano
Inglese (Regno Unito) Quasi esperto

@VickieJ No problem😆 I know English can be very tricky sometimes 🤣

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VickieJ

8 set 2021

Coreano

@ladybug I meant “indirect” interrogitive expression” like
I know “where you are from”.
Could you tell me “where he went”?
I am just wondering “why he is here”.
Could you tell me “ where the hospital is”?
I meant The “Bla bla~” parts are the indirect interrogative sentences.”