How come?
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How come?
What do you suppose is the grammar of "How come (that) you know these things"?
Elision? Subjunctive?
Not that I'm going to lose any sleep over it.
Elision? Subjunctive?
Not that I'm going to lose any sleep over it.
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"How come" advice:
How come it has taken you so long to respond?
Use 'How come' a full clause in the positive statement form (S V O). Notice that this is an indirect question and requires a question mark (?).
http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/bl ... nation.htm
Questions with How Come
In conversational language, questions with "How come" are common. "How come" means Why, but it uses the word order for statements:
How come + subject + verb + other words?
Also, "How come" questions do not use do, does, or did unless the original statement has a negative verb using don't, doesn't, or didn't.
http://www.vnn.vn/vnn4/practice/grammar/07_t1.htm
How come it has taken you so long to respond?
Use 'How come' a full clause in the positive statement form (S V O). Notice that this is an indirect question and requires a question mark (?).
http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/bl ... nation.htm
Questions with How Come
In conversational language, questions with "How come" are common. "How come" means Why, but it uses the word order for statements:
How come + subject + verb + other words?
Also, "How come" questions do not use do, does, or did unless the original statement has a negative verb using don't, doesn't, or didn't.
http://www.vnn.vn/vnn4/practice/grammar/07_t1.htm
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??JuanTwoThree wrote:Well I'm sure people find that very interesting but it doesn't shed any light on the grammar of the structure. But thanks.
"Fact: you know these things. How come?"it uses the word order for statements
Would you ask the same question/s about these structures?
How is it the case (that)...?
Why do you think (that) he's angry all the time?
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http://www.lingref.com/cpp/wccfl/24/paper1216.pdf
and
http://www.unige.ch/lettres/linge/synta ... 414948.pdf
which is interesting about the rise of do but not especially relevant except in a footnote where it mentions "Why risk it?" as another question without do-support.
and
http://www.unige.ch/lettres/linge/synta ... 414948.pdf
which is interesting about the rise of do but not especially relevant except in a footnote where it mentions "Why risk it?" as another question without do-support.
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Do you think the present form is really "how come you to"? "How come" is not "what was the journey from a past point to this" (as in "how came you to..."), but is "how is it that this state of affairs exists."JuanTwoThree wrote:Yes I take your point, about many idioms.
But interestingly, or not, the similar past structure, which I'll admit is a tad archaic, is "How came you to.....".
Questions without do-support are interesting. Not to everybody, though.
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Sorry if I gave that impression. I don't think I did.
No, the present is "How come (that) you......" . But as I said, there is a similar though not identical structure "How came you to....."
There also seems to be another archaic (if Wilkie Collins is archaic) "How come you to" (google it).
So that's three different uses of "come" without do-support, one current and two that were in use after do-support became pretty much generalised. As I said, interesting.
No, the present is "How come (that) you......" . But as I said, there is a similar though not identical structure "How came you to....."
There also seems to be another archaic (if Wilkie Collins is archaic) "How come you to" (google it).
So that's three different uses of "come" without do-support, one current and two that were in use after do-support became pretty much generalised. As I said, interesting.