Thursday, August 2, 2012

grammaticality - "I would like to ask you that have you"



Someone sent me something and then checked back with me writing:




I would like to ask you that have you received my gift?




I myself thought this sentence was really uncommon (I have not heard it before). I discussed it with my friend and suggested that the correct way should be





I would like to ask if/whether you have received my gift.




He said both should be okay. Google gives more than 27 000 000 results for "I would like to ask you that have you" (maybe many people are incorrect?).



Since I am not a native speaker, I cannot prove that it is wrong.


Answer



The use of "that" in a question isn't right, and "have you" should be reversed.







You'd use "that" if it was a statement, not a question: "it is true that...", for example:




  • I would like to tell you that you should have received my gift

  • I would like to show you that you must have received my gift

  • I would like to inform you that you will soon have received my gift




Your example is a question, so the word needs to match the intention of the question - indicating that this question seeks a yes or no answer:




  • I would like to ask you if you have received my gift?

  • I would like to ask you whether you have received my gift?



Replacing this changes the meaning of the question:





  • I would like to ask you how you have received my gift?

  • I would like to ask you when you have received my gift?

  • I would like to ask you why you have received my gift?

  • I would like to ask you who has received my gift?



Or maybe you meant more like this:





  • I would like to ask you a question: have you received my gift?

  • I would like to ask: have you received my gift?


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