My grammar book is showing me two different sentences. As near as I can tell, they differ only in the use use of 履いて vs. 履き:
ジョンさんはどんなズボンの履いて どんな上着を着ましたか
ジョンさんはどのズボンの履き どんな上着を着ましたか
Google Translate says they both mean “What kind of pants and jacket did John wear?”.
So, what’s the difference between these two sentences? Do they really mean exactly the same thing? When would I choose one form over the other?
Thanks for any help!
The ます stem of a verb can be used as a connective form, just like the て form. I believe the ます stem is a bit more formal, but there’s no difference in meaning
Yep, it’s basically this. The conjunctive -te form is used in everyday speech, while the -masu stem conjunctive is found mostly in formal writing.
It’s also worth noting that the て form can do some extra things that the stem form cannot do. So, if you need any of those extra functions (like implying causation, linking certain auxiliaries, etc.) then the stem is not an option.
Was this really の, or did you mistranscribe it? I would expect を…
Thank you!
Absolutely right - it was a mistranscription on my part. Thanks for catching that!
Thanks to everyone for your quick, accurate, and informative answers!
This topic was automatically closed 365 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.