Home of English Grammar

Free Guide (Updated for 2022)

  • Home
  • Download Lessons
  • Grammar Rules
  • Online Exercises
  • Online Tools
    • Grammar Checker
    • Word Counter
  • Guides
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Lessons / Structures with why

Structures with why

January 31, 2013 - pdf

This structure is used to suggest something for other people’s consideration and acceptance. It is a more direct way of making a suggestion.

  • Why not buy now and pay later?
  • Why not suspend that guy?
  • Why not punish that boy?
  • Why not hire a more competent person?
  • Why not ask him?
  • Why not consult a specialist?
  • Why not throw a party in his honour?
  • Why not buy a new car?
  • Why not change jobs?
  • Why not file a police complaint against him?

Note that in this structure we cannot use a pronoun after why not?

  • Why not get that car serviced? (NOT Why not we get that car serviced?)

The same idea can be expressed using the structure ‘why don’t we?’

  • Why don’t you suspend that guy?
  • Why don’t you hire a more competent person?
  • Why don’t you ask him?
  • Why don’t you consult a specialist?
  • Why don’t you buy a new car?
  • Why don’t you find another job?
  • Why don’t you start dieting?
  • Why don’t we make another attempt?
  • Why don’t we ask him?

Why in replies

In short replies to negative statements, we usually use ‘Why not?’ In replies to affirmative statements, we usually use ‘Why?’

  • ‘She has decided to call off her wedding to Peter.’ ‘Why?’
  • ‘She isn’t coming with us?’ ‘Why not?’
  • ‘We can’t depend on him.’ ‘Why not?’

The structure ‘Why should’ can be used to suggest surprise or anger.

  • I don’t understand why she should hate me.
  • I don’t see why I should pay for your drinks.
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
1,127,749 
194,124 

Check Your Grammar

GrammarCheck.net - Try online
Hint → Bookmark GrammarCheck for future use.

Latest Exercises

  • Gap Filling Exercise May 24, 2022
  • Prepositions Exercise May 22, 2022
  • Question Tags Exercise May 22, 2022
  • Pronouns Exercise May 21, 2022
  • Verbs Exercise May 21, 2022
  • Prepositions Exercise May 20, 2022
  • Conjunctions Exercise May 20, 2022
  • Tenses Exercise May 19, 2022
  • Pronouns Exercise May 19, 2022

Topics

  • Adjectives
  • Adverbs
  • Business Writing
  • Commas
  • Conjunctions
  • Creative Writing
  • Difference
  • Essay Writing
  • Exercises
  • Learning
  • Lessons
  • Nouns
  • Prepositions
  • Pronouns
  • Proofreading
  • Punctuation
  • Quiz
  • Spelling
  • Style Guide
  • Teaching
  • Terms
  • Verbs
  • Words
  • Writing

Quiz

  • Can you correct these 14 basic grammar mistakes?
  • What kind of writer are you?

Copyright © 2022 · EnglishGrammar.org
Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Sitemap