Hello dear native English speakers.
My three different sentences are trying to express the same meaning, but unfortunately as Chinese with poorer and lower degree of English, they are still question for me to very worry about. I really want: If only I were to a native English speaker now!

1. Couldn't we ask someone to do the work privately without anyone knowing?
2. Couldn't someone be asked to do the work privately without it being known by anyone ?
3. Couldn't someone be asked for the work to be done privately without being known by anyone ?
Question:
Which is grammatically correct?
Do they have the same meaning?

Question

Hello dear native English speakers.
My three different sentences are  trying  to express the same meaning, but unfortunately as Chinese with poorer and lower degree of English, they are still question for me to very worry about. I really want: If only I were to a native English speaker now!

1.  Couldn't  we ask someone to do the work privately without anyone knowing?
2. Couldn't  someone be asked to do the work privately without it being known by anyone ?
3.  Couldn't  someone be asked for the work to be done  privately without being known by anyone ?
Question:
 Which is grammatically correct?
Do they have the same meaning?

Answer

Both 1 and 2 are grammatically correct, but have slightly different meanings. 1 is how a native speaker would speak. 2 is written in the passive voice (you don't say 'who' is asking the worker, you say 'couldn't someone be asked...?' (without saying 'we' should ask) and so has a less understandable meaning in this context.

3 doesn't quite make sense, as you can't ask someone 'for' the work, they must 'do' the work. If you ask 'for' the work, it means you ask them to show you it/ give you it, and so doesn't make sense as you go on to say 'done....' (to do).

Hope this helps!

Answer

i think 1 is correct!

Answer

I cannot comment on the accuracy of AI: I’m a human teacher and native speaker from the UK, not a robot 🤖

Answer

The first sentence is the most grammatically correct. The second sentence still has the same meaning, but harder to understand while speaking. And the third sentence, while it has all the correct words to convey the meaning, is very hard to understand.

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