Waɪ Questions Reason Adverb Late I People Leaving

• why were you late?
• tell me why you did it.
• ‘i would like you to go.’ ‘why me?’
• why oh why do people keep leaving the door open?

why

1. used in questions to ask the reason for or purpose of something
• Why were you late?
• Tell me why you did it.
• ‘I would like you to go.’ ‘Why me?’
• Why oh why do people keep leaving the door open?
2. used in questions to suggest that it is not necessary to do something
• Why get upset just because you got one bad grade?
• Why bother to write? We'll see him tomorrow.
3. used to give or talk about a reason
• That's why I left so early.
• I know you did it—I just want to know why.
• The reason why the injection needs repeating every year is that the virus changes.
4. used in questions to mean ‘why’, expressing surprise
• Why ever didn't you tell us before?
5. used to make or agree to a suggestion
• Why not write to her?
• ‘Let's eat out.’ ‘Why not?’
• Why don't we go together?

Word Origin

• Old English hwī, hwȳ ‘by what cause’, instrumental case of hwæt ‘what’, of Germanic origin.