who is this VS. who this is

Question

I don't know who this is

I don't know who is this

Though I know the first one is more acceptable, especially grammatically, eventually, I want to raise the following question:

We could use the second one in especial situation, that is:

When we are going to emphasis the who, so we use the second one, if so, would you show me it in a vivd way?

Any help would be appreciated

Brian Hitchcock · Accepted Answer · 2015-01-13 23:01:04Z

2

I cannot think of any circumstance when the second form would be valid. That reversed construction is used only in interrogative: "Who is this?"

answered Jan 13 '15 at 8:17

Brian Hitchcock

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Nevertheless, I am sure the second one exists. But, I am not able to explain it in English. A native might explain. – nima Jan 13 '15 at 18:07
I was born in Seattle,and live in California; I am a 14th-generation American. What kind of native are you looking for? – Brian Hitchcock Jan 13 '15 at 23:02
1

@BrianHitchcock, I've heard it in African-American Vernacular English and AAVE-influenced chants, rap, etc. Nima, while I would accept AAVE as an acceptable dialect of spoken English, it is not accepted as grammatical written. "Who this is?" is not a grammatical English sentence. Nor is there any particular change in emphasis in this phrasing. Please try to find a non-AAVE reference. – miltonaut Jan 14 '15 at 10:01

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