Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hiromichi]

Are "Why not"s in (a) and (b) the same in meaning?

(a) “I haven't finished it yet.” “Why not?”

(b) "You don't want to do that." "Why not?"
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Hiromichi

[ebb]

Yes, both seek an explanation. Or no, they seek different kinds of explanation. I give Yes about an 8.

Some look at things that are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were and ask why not
George Bernard Shaw
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"This is insolence up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill, upon reading a newspaper�s criticism of his having ended a sentence with a preposition.

"You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than with just a kind word." Al Capone.

[hiromichi]

ebb-san, Thanks for your comment. Is my understanding below right?
In case of (a) the connotation is: You should have done it by now.
In case of (b) the connotation is: It is NOT wrong for me not to want to. OR Certainly.
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Hiromichi

[ebb]

maybe. you can't tell the connotations without the context. Maybe the questioner is just curious as to why... (or why not).
_________________
"This is insolence up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill, upon reading a newspaper�s criticism of his having ended a sentence with a preposition.

"You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than with just a kind word." Al Capone.

[hiromichi]

ebb-san, Thank you. I got your point. I will judge "why not" is a simple question or a rhetorical one in each context.
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Hiromichi

[ebb]

yes, perfect. It COULD be rhetorical, but then again ....maybe not. Certainly #1 is often rhetorical in real life.
_________________
"This is insolence up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill, upon reading a newspaper�s criticism of his having ended a sentence with a preposition.

"You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than with just a kind word." Al Capone.

[hiromichi]

ebb-san, Thank you very much.
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Hiromichi

[ebb]

I got your point. I will judge "why not" is a simple question or a rhetorical one in each context.

Try: "I get your point. I'll just have to use the context to judge whether "why not" poses a simple or a rhetorical question."

You got it, and you still get it. So present is good. More colloquially, you can simply say "I get it" or "OK, I get it." Or slangy "Gotcha." ("Got you").

Also slangy for "I get it":

Roger. (From military lingo -- means in military radio talk "I acknowledge and understand"... "Roger wilco" means "I acknowledge and understand your command and will comply with it").
Roger dodger. (A joke and play on words ... don't try this with your commanding officer. He will not appreciate the humor.)
10-4 ("ten four"). Citizens band radio slang for "roger" -- USA only (I think...)
That's a big 10-4, good buddy. Very slangy derivation. Surely an Americanism only.

---
"just have to use" carries the connotation that it's a bit of an inconvenience, but is a necessary evil.

Or a nice twist: use "genuine" rather than "simple" as your adjective for question. That, after all, is the essence of a rhetorical question -- it does not seek an answer, but is a "pointed" question, as we say .... it is a statement (or more precisely, a criticism, in our example anyway) that masquerades as a question and seeks to make a "point."
_________________
"This is insolence up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill, upon reading a newspaper�s criticism of his having ended a sentence with a preposition.

"You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than with just a kind word." Al Capone.

[hiromichi]

ebb-sensei, I am very much indebted to you for your useful advice.
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Hiromichi

[ebb]

You betcha.
_________________
"This is insolence up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill, upon reading a newspaper�s criticism of his having ended a sentence with a preposition.

"You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than with just a kind word." Al Capone.