Clause

hello   Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:40 pm GMT
So I wanna ask somebody which colour her/she likes, blue or red. Can I say -
"May I ask you which colour you like between blue or red?"
"May I ask you like blue or red?"
Which one is correct? Thank you.
Lazar   Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:33 pm GMT
Well, the problem with the two sentences that you wrote is that it's possible 1) that someone could like both blue and red, or 2) that they could dislike both blue and red. Therefore, the question needs to be put in comparative terms. For example,

"Which color do you like better - blue or red?"
"Which color do you like more - blue or red?"
"Which color do you prefer - blue or red?"
Lazar   Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:35 pm GMT
(I think "comparative" should actually be "relative" in my previous post.)
hello   Fri Aug 18, 2006 6:59 am GMT
Thanks. But what if the answer just could be either? Say like there are two candies on the table, chocolate and banana flavour respectively, and now the kid just can choose either. Can I say "Now I will ask you which one you want between the two"? And how can I express myself more correctly? Thank you.

And please tell me if there's any problem with these sentences.

That was your friend I can't remember his name.
That was your friend whose name I can't remember.
Uriel   Fri Aug 18, 2006 2:02 pm GMT
You can say, "Do you prefer the banana or the chocolate?"




"That was your friend I can't remember his name. "

Because this sentence includes two separate clauses that are not linked by a connecting word, you need some punctuation -- either a semi-colon or a dash between "friend" and "I".

This is not the case in your second sentence, because "whose" is acting as the linking verb relating the two parts of the sentence to each other.

So, "That was your friend whose name I can't remember. " is perfectly fine.
trung   Sat Aug 19, 2006 4:20 am GMT
west or east , home is best.
Lazar   Sat Aug 19, 2006 8:40 pm GMT
<<Thanks. But what if the answer just could be either? Say like there are two candies on the table, chocolate and banana flavour respectively, and now the kid just can choose either. Can I say "Now I will ask you which one you want between the two"? And how can I express myself more correctly? Thank you.>>

I'm sorry, but I don't understand how this question is any different from your first. In both situations, there are just two possible choices. Your version, "May I ask you which one you want between the two?" isn't technically incorrect, but it sounds very cumbersome and unnatural. Again, I would suggest:

"Which one do you like better - the chocolate or the banana?"
"Which one do you like more - the chocolate or the banana?"
"Which one do you prefer - the chocolate or the banana?"

Or as Uriel said,

"Do you prefer the chocolate or the banana?"

Again, you have to bear in mind that someone could like both flavors, or dislike both flavors, so you should ask it in relative terms, using phrases such as "like better", "like more", or "prefer".