I don't know if someone

English grammar questions, answered by Alan

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azz
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I don't know if someone

Post by azz »

A. They told me every group had to have a doctor. I didn't know if someone in my group was a doctor. I had to go ask.

B. I didn't know if someone in my group was a doctor. That person was John. I knew what everyone else did and I know Pete and Harry were doctors.


Are both of the above correct?

The sentence 'I didn't know if someone in my group was a doctor.' had been used with two different meanings in them. In A I don't have anyone specific in mind. In B, I do.

Many thanks.
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Alan
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Re: I don't know if someone

Post by Alan »

All of the sentences you cite here are grammatically possible.

The two with 'someone', however, are stylistically poor (--> anyone).

The possibility of 'someone' replacing 'anyone' is essentially limited to interrogative sentences.
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