Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[perspectives]

Hi,

What does 'Don't I know your name?' mean? Does it mean 'do I know you from somewhere?' or 'Do I know you?' If so, why use specifically the negative form?
Also, in what context could it be used? Could you please give me some examples?

Thanks in advance.

[redset]

A negative yes/no question implies that the speaker is expecting you to reply with 'yes' or some other positive response. So "don't I know your name?" really means "I know your name, right?" It's not something I'd expect to hear often, you're more likely to hear "don't I know you?" which basically means "you seem familiar, we've met before right?" or something similar.

Some other examples:

Don't you have a plane to catch? (You have a flight to catch, right? Don't forget/be late!)
Doesn't he want to stay for dinner? (I would really like it if he did)
Doesn't that song drive you crazy? (I expect you to say it does, it's annoying to me!)

When it's not a negative construction the question is open - I don't expect any particular answer:

Do you have a plane to catch? (I have no idea - do you have a flight today? Or are you in town for a while?)

[perspectives]

Thank you for your detailed explanation and examples, redset. So the negative interrogation here is used to request a confirmation from the addresee?

[redset]

It's either because the speaker is expecting an affirmation, or because the speaker wants to express how they feel - for example:

"Don't we have anything better than this?"

The speaker isn't necessarily expecting someone to say 'yes we do', but the speaker hopes there's something better. Even if they don't believe there is something better available, they're expressing their opinion that what they have right now is not good enough. Similarly "don't you have a plane to catch" could be someone looking for confirmation, a simple reminder not to miss their flight, or a way of saying "go away"