Zatimco zaporna otazka v cestine - "Nemate ohen?" pusobi mnohem slusneji nez otazka prima "Mate ohen?" (protoze jakoby nepredpokladate, ze dotycny clovek ohen ma), v anglictine je to NAOPAK(!).
Opomenuti tohoto faktu muze vest k nedorozumneni a rozpakum oslovene osoby. Je dobre si to uvedomit, nez se nekoho na neco zeptate.
"Have you got a light?" Mate ohen?
"Do you happen to have a light?" Nemate nahodou ohen?
"Don't you have a light?" vy nemate ohen? (Coze? To se mi snad zda tohleto! No toto!)
Vyvarujte se v rozhovoru s anglicky mluvici osobou zapornych otazek, pokud nevedete diskuzi s nekym koho znate a muzete do jiste miry popichnout:
"Didn't i tell you that a minute ago? Common mate you'd better be listening to me!"