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What factors...

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 6:03 am
by fluffyhamster
What factors account for the prosody indicated?
A: Take a look at this. It's a solar car.

B: A solar car?

A: That's right. It uses solar energy.

B: Is it fast?

A: Yes, very fast.

B: Whose car IS it?

A: It's mine, of course. It's a present from my uncle.

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:01 am
by metal56
Isn't it "Who would have such a fantastic/ridiculous car as this/that?". Or "who do we know who has a car such as that?", etc.

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:28 am
by fluffyhamster
Oops, I probably should've said that the car is a little model-size affair, more than capable of running on solar energy. :lol: :D :P

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:42 am
by metal56
fluffyhamster wrote:Oops, I probably should've said that the car is a little model-size affair, more than capable of running on solar energy. :lol: :D :P
The questioner could still have a negative view of the vehicle.

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:51 am
by Anuradha Chepur
"What a fantastic car!!" (Never mind whose it is)
Is what is intended, probably.

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 8:43 am
by metal56
Anuradha Chepur wrote:"What a fantastic car!!" (Never mind whose it is)
Is what is intended, probably.
Or it's a rhetorical question meaning "I suppose it's your car, as you are spoiled/spoilt rotten and always getting such presents."

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:20 am
by fluffyhamster
Thanks for the answers.

Yes, AC, the person asking doubtless thinks the car is fab - after all, the extract is from a jolly old junior high school textbook in Japan.

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:00 am
by metal56
<Yes, AC, the person asking doubtless thinks the car is fab>

"Doubtless"? Are you sure?

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:18 am
by fluffyhamster
Well, I was being a bit ironic, but the characters in textbooks do seem to get along so very well, don't they - a bit like the people on this forum, in fact. :lol: :wink: :D

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:21 am
by fluffyhamster
Hey, here's where your interpretation comes into its own, metal:

Whose thread IS this?! Fluffy's - who else?

:oops: :lol: 8) :P

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:41 am
by metal56
fluffyhamster wrote:Hey, here's where your interpretation comes into its own, metal:

Whose thread IS this?! Fluffy's - who else?

:oops: :lol: 8) :P
Public forum?

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:53 am
by fluffyhamster
Yes, public indeed (as in 'lav'); I didn't mean that I own it, but that some might think it yet another questionable thread begun by yours truly (which it probably is). :)

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:28 am
by metal56
<I didn't mean that I own it, but that some might think it yet another questionable thread begun by yours truly >

Err...

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:36 am
by fluffyhamster
Oh, is that your wife calling you, metal? (Quick, guys, what else can I say to distract him from continuing typing?)

:lol:

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:41 am
by metal56
fluffyhamster wrote:Oh, is that your wife calling you, metal? (Quick, guys, what else can I say to distract him from continuing typing?)

:lol:
: