Quorder

[rosieb]

In the UK news recently...

A quorder is an order given in the form of a question. Eg "Are you going to empty the litter tray?"

(I think the formal term is an interrogative imperative, though I expect to be corrected )

Any suggestions for the following:

"The litter tray needs emptying." An order in the form of a statement.

And

"When did you last empty the litter tray?"
"Does the litter tray need emptying?"

More subtle forms of the quorder.



Rosie
"It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong." Richard Feynman

 

[SantaMufasa]

Any suggestions for the following:

"The litter tray needs emptying." An order in the form of a statement.

How about a stamperative: A sta tement that implies an imperative (especially if accompanied by a stamp of the foot <grin>).

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]
“Beware of those that seek to protect you from harm or risk. The cost will be your freedoms and your liberty.”

 

[Stella740pl]

Rosie,

Any suggestions for the following:
"The litter tray needs emptying." An order in the form of a statement.

Suggestions? It depends on who you are talking to.
Experts on child rearing say that quorders and interrogative imperatives may be appropriate when you are talkin to an adult (say, your husband :-D), but not to children, as that gives them an opportunity to start a discussion.

("Are you going to empty the litter tray?"
* "No, not today, I've got way too much homework."
* "Yes, mom, later, after I call Jen."
* "No, Tom will, we traded chores."
* etc.


"When did you last empty the litter tray?"
* "Mmm. Yesterday?"
* "Recently. I don't remeber when."


"Does the litter tray need emptying?"
* "Not yet. It is still clean."

and many, many more.)

"The litter tray needs emptying." will get you nowhere at all, most likely not even with an adult.

If you want you children to actually do it, use plain old imperative, as in
"Empty the liter tray, please.",
or, possibly, a statement like
"I expect you to empty the litter tray today." or
"You are supposed to empty the litter tray today."

Should be accompanied by an appropriate tone of voice and the look that says, "I mean it. No arguments accepted."

Quorder? I don't like the word.

 

[GSCaupling]

I don't like Quorder much either.

How about Mandaquery?

GS

[small][navy]**********************^*********************
I always know where people are going to sit. I'm chairvoyant.[/navy][/small]

 

[rosieb]

Stella

I think that the quorder is mainly meant to be a term for remarks aimed by a woman at her (male?)partner, a new variant on the "nagging wife" joke.

But it did make me laugh, because I know I do it to my husband.

I usually start with Santa's stamperative, then move on to a quorder, followed by a threatment (statement + implicit threat) "Sure, I'll start cooking, when the litter box is emptied".

Rosie
"It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong." Richard Feynman

 

[SantaMufasa]

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]
“Beware of those that seek to protect you from harm or risk. The cost will be your freedoms and your liberty.”

 

[Stella740pl]

I usually start with Santa's stamperative...
So it's true that stamperative would get you nowhere.


...then move on to a quorder, followed by a threatment (statement + implicit threat) "Sure, I'll start cooking, when the litter box is emptied".
Oh, I sure am familiar with both. I do like mild threatments. <Example redacted>

 

[rosieb]

Rosie
"It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong." Richard Feynman