Friday November 2, 2007
‘Was I cheated?’
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED by FADZILAH AMIN
I’VE just bought a watch from a retail store for RM150 and I was wondering whether the shopkeeper has cheated me. Let’s say I want to ask someone (say, an experienced watch dealer) whether I was cheated, how do I ask that person in English that is equivalent to “Adakah saya kena tipu?”
Is it
a) Could I have been cheated?
b) Did I get cheated?
c) How do I know I was cheated or not?
d) Was I cheated?
e) Did I get conned?
– Kimhin Goh
“Was I cheated?” is the simplest way to ask the question. You could also say: “Do you think I was cheated?”, since it is his opinion that you are seeking.
‘Is’ and ‘has’ before the word ‘gone’
I AM somewhat confused about the use of “is” and “has” before the word “gone”.What is the meaning of “she’s gone”? Should it be replaced with “she has gone”? Would that convey the same meaning?
– Fauzi, Petaling Jaya
“She’s gone” can stand for either “she is gone” or “she has gone”, depending on the context.
In “she is gone”, “gone” is an adjective, indicating that “she” is no longer there. The expression may also be used as a euphemism to mean that she is dead.
In “she has gone”, “gone” is the past participle of the verb “go” and “has gone” is the present perfect tense of the verb “go”, as used in a sentence like “She’s (she is) not here; she’s (she has) gone to market.
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