Which one is correct - You better ask James or better you ask James? [on hold]
"You better ask James" or "better you ask James" which one is correct?
phrase-requests questions you-all
asked yesterday
J. DoeJ. Doe
61
New contributor
J. Doe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
put on hold as off-topic by Lawrence, Skooba, sumelic, tmgr, tchrist♦ 10 hours ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – tchrist
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
add a comment |
"You better ask James" or "better you ask James" which one is correct?
phrase-requests questions you-all
asked yesterday
J. DoeJ. Doe
61
New contributor
J. Doe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
put on hold as off-topic by Lawrence, Skooba, sumelic, tmgr, tchrist♦ 10 hours ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – tchrist
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Both are correct, but with subtly different meanings. What is supposed to bebetter, the action of asking James, or the whole act of you asking James?
– mama
yesterday
the action of asking James.
– J. Doe
yesterday
The second has an implicitIt isand athat, as inIt is better that you ask James. It keepsyou ask Jamesas a single entity undivided entity. The first one doesn't necessarily includeYouin the entity which is calledbetter. If this is the meaning that you want to convey, then use the first. Maybe I shouldn't have said as much as different meanings, but instead the same meaning with different flavors.
– mama
yesterday
2
To me (British English speaker) 'You better...' is very informal; the correct version would be 'You had better ask James.'
– Kate Bunting
yesterday
add a comment |
"You better ask James" or "better you ask James" which one is correct?
phrase-requests questions you-all
asked yesterday
J. DoeJ. Doe
61
New contributor
J. Doe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
"You better ask James" or "better you ask James" which one is correct?
phrase-requests questions you-all
phrase-requests questions you-all
asked yesterday
J. DoeJ. Doe
61
New contributor
J. Doe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
J. DoeJ. Doe
61
New contributor
J. Doe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
J. DoeJ. Doe
61
New contributor
J. Doe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
J. DoeJ. Doe
61
asked yesterday
J. DoeJ. Doe
61
61
New contributor
J. Doe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
J. Doe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
J. Doe is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
put on hold as off-topic by Lawrence, Skooba, sumelic, tmgr, tchrist♦ 10 hours ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – tchrist
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
put on hold as off-topic by Lawrence, Skooba, sumelic, tmgr, tchrist♦ 10 hours ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – tchrist
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Both are correct, but with subtly different meanings. What is supposed to bebetter, the action of asking James, or the whole act of you asking James?
– mama
yesterday
the action of asking James.
– J. Doe
yesterday
The second has an implicitIt isand athat, as inIt is better that you ask James. It keepsyou ask Jamesas a single entity undivided entity. The first one doesn't necessarily includeYouin the entity which is calledbetter. If this is the meaning that you want to convey, then use the first. Maybe I shouldn't have said as much as different meanings, but instead the same meaning with different flavors.
– mama
yesterday
2
To me (British English speaker) 'You better...' is very informal; the correct version would be 'You had better ask James.'
– Kate Bunting
yesterday
add a comment |
Both are correct, but with subtly different meanings. What is supposed to bebetter, the action of asking James, or the whole act of you asking James?
– mama
yesterday
the action of asking James.
– J. Doe
yesterday
The second has an implicitIt isand athat, as inIt is better that you ask James. It keepsyou ask Jamesas a single entity undivided entity. The first one doesn't necessarily includeYouin the entity which is calledbetter. If this is the meaning that you want to convey, then use the first. Maybe I shouldn't have said as much as different meanings, but instead the same meaning with different flavors.
– mama
yesterday
2
To me (British English speaker) 'You better...' is very informal; the correct version would be 'You had better ask James.'
– Kate Bunting
yesterday
Both are correct, but with subtly different meanings. What is supposed to be
better, the action of asking James, or the whole act of you asking James?– mama
yesterday
Both are correct, but with subtly different meanings. What is supposed to be
better, the action of asking James, or the whole act of you asking James?– mama
yesterday
the action of asking James.
– J. Doe
yesterday
the action of asking James.
– J. Doe
yesterday
The second has an implicit
It is and a that, as in It is better that you ask James. It keeps you ask James as a single entity undivided entity. The first one doesn't necessarily include You in the entity which is called better. If this is the meaning that you want to convey, then use the first. Maybe I shouldn't have said as much as different meanings, but instead the same meaning with different flavors.– mama
yesterday
The second has an implicit
It is and a that, as in It is better that you ask James. It keeps you ask James as a single entity undivided entity. The first one doesn't necessarily include You in the entity which is called better. If this is the meaning that you want to convey, then use the first. Maybe I shouldn't have said as much as different meanings, but instead the same meaning with different flavors.– mama
yesterday
2
2
To me (British English speaker) 'You better...' is very informal; the correct version would be 'You had better ask James.'
– Kate Bunting
yesterday
To me (British English speaker) 'You better...' is very informal; the correct version would be 'You had better ask James.'
– Kate Bunting
yesterday
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
They mean subtly different things.
"You better ask James" simply means "You should ask James".
"Better you ask James" means "It would be better if you asked James". It implies that someone else is being asked, eg "instead of me". It's like saying "You've asked the wrong person - James is a better person to ask."
Some context examples:
"Can I leave early today?" - "You better ask James". James here could be the boss. Speaker B is saying "You need to ask James, since he can make that decision".
"What time is James leaving today?" "Better you ask James". Here, speaker B is saying "How am I supposed to know? Ask James."
answered yesterday
Max WilliamsMax Williams
21k54067
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
They mean subtly different things.
"You better ask James" simply means "You should ask James".
"Better you ask James" means "It would be better if you asked James". It implies that someone else is being asked, eg "instead of me". It's like saying "You've asked the wrong person - James is a better person to ask."
Some context examples:
"Can I leave early today?" - "You better ask James". James here could be the boss. Speaker B is saying "You need to ask James, since he can make that decision".
"What time is James leaving today?" "Better you ask James". Here, speaker B is saying "How am I supposed to know? Ask James."
answered yesterday
Max WilliamsMax Williams
21k54067
add a comment |
They mean subtly different things.
"You better ask James" simply means "You should ask James".
"Better you ask James" means "It would be better if you asked James". It implies that someone else is being asked, eg "instead of me". It's like saying "You've asked the wrong person - James is a better person to ask."
Some context examples:
"Can I leave early today?" - "You better ask James". James here could be the boss. Speaker B is saying "You need to ask James, since he can make that decision".
"What time is James leaving today?" "Better you ask James". Here, speaker B is saying "How am I supposed to know? Ask James."
answered yesterday
Max WilliamsMax Williams
21k54067
add a comment |
They mean subtly different things.
"You better ask James" simply means "You should ask James".
"Better you ask James" means "It would be better if you asked James". It implies that someone else is being asked, eg "instead of me". It's like saying "You've asked the wrong person - James is a better person to ask."
Some context examples:
"Can I leave early today?" - "You better ask James". James here could be the boss. Speaker B is saying "You need to ask James, since he can make that decision".
"What time is James leaving today?" "Better you ask James". Here, speaker B is saying "How am I supposed to know? Ask James."
answered yesterday
Max WilliamsMax Williams
21k54067
They mean subtly different things.
"You better ask James" simply means "You should ask James".
"Better you ask James" means "It would be better if you asked James". It implies that someone else is being asked, eg "instead of me". It's like saying "You've asked the wrong person - James is a better person to ask."
Some context examples:
"Can I leave early today?" - "You better ask James". James here could be the boss. Speaker B is saying "You need to ask James, since he can make that decision".
"What time is James leaving today?" "Better you ask James". Here, speaker B is saying "How am I supposed to know? Ask James."
answered yesterday
Max WilliamsMax Williams
21k54067
answered yesterday
Max WilliamsMax Williams
21k54067
answered yesterday
Max WilliamsMax Williams
21k54067
answered yesterday
Max WilliamsMax Williams
21k54067
21k54067
add a comment |
add a comment |
Both are correct, but with subtly different meanings. What is supposed to be
better, the action of asking James, or the whole act of you asking James?– mama
yesterday
the action of asking James.
– J. Doe
yesterday
The second has an implicit
It isand athat, as inIt is better that you ask James. It keepsyou ask Jamesas a single entity undivided entity. The first one doesn't necessarily includeYouin the entity which is calledbetter. If this is the meaning that you want to convey, then use the first. Maybe I shouldn't have said as much as different meanings, but instead the same meaning with different flavors.– mama
yesterday
2
To me (British English speaker) 'You better...' is very informal; the correct version would be 'You had better ask James.'
– Kate Bunting
yesterday