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Why don’t and why not 

421b

Why don’t

Most occurrences of why don’t are concerned with making suggestions. Other less

frequent uses include asking for reasons and issuing invitations and directives:

[friends talking about a university course which has a language-learning

requirement; TEFL here means a qualification in teaching English as a foreign

language]

A: If I do it over two years, then I’ll have to learn Russian. I’ll have to do

Russian.

B: You know, you did the English stuff, 

why don’t you go and teach English in

Russia

. I’ve seen loads of jobs in the newspaper and some of them you don’t

need TEFL for. 

A: Yeah. I could do.

(suggestion)

The + sign indicates an interrupted turn which continues at the next utterance.

[discussing the best time to go away for a holiday]

A: We would have that cottage which was right on the beach. So I mean we

were thinking of going next weekend but it’s+ 

B: Really? 

A: +it’s just the problem of this work thing. He goes to Brazil next Tuesday. So

if I took off like the Monday, Tuesday, I wouldn’t know what was going on. 

B: 

Well 

why don’t you wait until February or March

.

A: Well, we’re waiting now till Barney gets back cos he rang us the other day.

He’s coming back. 

B: Oh Barney.

A: Yeah he’s coming back for just a few weeks. 

B: Oh great.

(suggestion)