I was wondering
- Thread starter jjshin
- Start date
Thomas Tompion
Member Emeritus
English - England
The suggestion is that you want an answer now to a question which has already occurred to you.
You can say, for example, I was wondering if you would like to come to the cinema with me. It's not gramatically a question but nevertheless there is an expectation of an answer.
You could also say I was wondering: would you like to come to the cinema with me? which is definitely a question and which expalins what you were wondering about.
You can also use I was wondering in the past tense (imperfect). For example I was wondering if she wanted to come to the cinema with me when the telephone rang. In other words I was in the process of wondering about something when the telephone rang.
Richard
You could also say I was wondering: would you like to come to the cinema with me? which is definitely a question and which expalins what you were wondering about.
You can also use I was wondering in the past tense (imperfect). For example I was wondering if she wanted to come to the cinema with me when the telephone rang. In other words I was in the process of wondering about something when the telephone rang.
Richard
Thomas Tompion
Member Emeritus
English - England
No, not at all, Jjshin. I'm sorry I wasn't clear.
When you say 'I was wondering' you are suggesting that you have been considering the question for some little time.
I was wondering if I could trouble you to lend me your car.
You've been thinking for some time if it would be a reasonable question to ask. The suggestion is that you've decided it is, becasue you are asking it.
No humour, no irony, of any kind, Jjshin. Please take this quite literally.