can anybody help me??

Question

can anybody help me with this scrambled sentence: who/the boys/play volleyball with? using present continuous

Please fill in your user profile with your gender and levels of proficiency in English and Spanish. This information is very important for participants in the forum. You may tell us your general location also if you wish. Thanks! - Jubilado, Jun 15, 2016

Correct English: Can anybody help me with this scrambled sentence using the present continuous: who/the boys/play volleyball with? - Jubilado, Jun 15, 2016

Finally, try doing it yourself and someone will correct any mistakes. Do you want this in English or Spanish? Please specify. - Jubilado, Jun 15, 2016

A clue to the "continuous" - there is always a "to be" verb. :) - ian-hill, Jun 15, 2016

Please capitalise at all times we have members learning Spanish and English, this is mandatory. - ray76, Jun 15, 2016

Answer 1

I'm going to try to answer this, but only because It prompts a question from me.

Who are the boys playing vollyball with?---But isn't this bad English? (although quite common in the US.) Shouldn't it be:

"With whom are the boys playing vollyball? ¡Angloparlantes ayúdenme!

(The Spanish is a lot easier, but I don't know if she wants a translation or not.)

"With whom are - is correct but sounds a bit stilted and old fashioned in England Dani. - ian-hill, Jun 15, 2016

When I'm with my American English speaking friends, I use all their slang and try not to be "stilted" Gracias, don Ian. ♥ - Daniela2041, Jun 15, 2016

You did good, Dani.....and Ian, I used slang on purpose here. lol - rac1, Jun 15, 2016

Adding to Ian - correct, but very rare. I'd suggest less than 1% of native English speakers would use this form conversationally. Picture an elderly professor determined to maintain a grasp on the crumbling remains of proper English. - jellonz, Jun 15, 2016

This is one of those grammatical conventions imposed on English by the use of Latin grammar rules. However in order to use "whom" one should say "with whom". Whom is in the process of becoming obsolete,however - at least over here. - Jubilado, Jun 16, 2016