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The classical question in English when we use the word “interest” is:

  1. Are you really so interested in that book that you are going to buy it?

I wonder if the following constructions are ok?

  1. Is this book interest you so much that you will buy it?
  2. Did you take so much interest in the book that you are going to buy it?
  3. Do you interest so much in this book that you will buy it?
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    #2 is syntactically invalid (the auxiliary verb should be Does it interest you so much...?). #3 is syntactically valid, but no native speaker would be likely to say it. #4 is syntactically invalid, and there's no obvious simple way to make it valid. But this all just looks like Off Topic proofreading to me.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Oct 27, 2022 at 14:11
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    We say the book interests me, but not I interest in the book.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Oct 27, 2022 at 14:13
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    The important thing to remember is that in English, interest works "backwards" from the way similar verbs do in other languages. We don't say "I interest in the book", we say, "The book interests me" (active) or "I am interested in the book" (passive).
    – stangdon
    Commented Oct 27, 2022 at 14:27

1 Answer 1

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(2) Is incorrect. It should be: "Does this book interest you so much that you will buy it?"

(3) Appears to be correct but sounds somewhat unnatural. "Have you taken" is more natural than "Did you take"

(4) Is incorrect, it should be: "Do you have so much interest in this book that you will buy it?"

Generally, in this context, to sound more natural, it is better to use 'are you going to', rather than 'will' (as in example 3):

e.g. "Does this book interest you so much that you are going to buy it?"

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    #4 could also be "Are you so interested in this book..."
    – stangdon
    Commented Oct 27, 2022 at 14:28

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