
"Why ...?" vs. "Why is it that ... ?" - English Language & Usage Stack ...
I don't know why, but it seems to me that Bob would sound a bit strange if he said, "Why is it that you have to get going?" in that situation.
Where does the use of "why" as an interjection come from?
Mar 18, 2011 · "why" can be compared to an old Latin form qui, an ablative form, meaning how. Today "why" is used as a question word to ask the reason or purpose of something.
Contextual difference between "That is why" vs "Which is why"?
Thus we say: You never know, which is why... but You never know. That is why... And goes on to explain: There is a subtle but important difference between the use of that and which in a …
Is "For why" improper English? - English Language & Usage Stack …
Dec 4, 2018 · For why' can be idiomatic in certain contexts, but it sounds rather old-fashioned. Googling 'for why' (in quotes) I discovered that there was a single word 'forwhy' in Middle English.
"Why it is" vs "Why is it" - English Language & Usage Stack …
Nov 7, 2013 · What is the difference between these two sentences: 1 ) Please tell me why is it like that. (should I put question mark at the end) 2 ) Please tell me why it is like that. (should I put …
What is the purpose of using the word "why" in "why, thank you"?
44 Why is used here as an interjection. According to Merriam-Webster: —used to express mild surprise, hesitation, approval, disapproval, or impatience <why, here's what I was looking for> …
Why is "pineapple" in English but "ananas" in all other languages?
Nov 7, 2013 · The question is: why did the English adapt the name pineapple from Spanish (which originally meant pinecone in English) while most European countries eventually …
Why do eleven and twelve get unique words and not end in "-teen"?
Why don't these words fit the pattern of thirteen through nineteen? [Answer to 1] A remarkably thorough answer to (1) appears at Why do eleven and twelve get unique words and not end in …
Why does "No" mean "Number?" - English Language & Usage …
Aug 13, 2018 · Why does English use "No." as an abbreviation for "Number"? It's a preserved scribal abbreviation like the ampersand & (formed by eliding the letters of et to mean and). The …
grammaticality - Is it incorrect to say, "Why cannot....?" - English ...
Dec 2, 2011 · Since we can say "Why can we grow taller?", "Why cannot we grow taller?" is a logical and properly written negative. We don't say "Why we can grow taller?" so the construct …