Smallwhite needs help with English expressions

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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions

Postby Elenia » Wed Sep 28, 2016 7:48 pm

Another slightly dramatic answer to 3.a: 'I can't bear it' or (perhaps less melodramatic), 'I can't bear the thought [of the cat moving away]'.

EDIT: Or, more simply, 'I can't believe it' to express the feeling of something hard to accept. Perhaps not right for this situation, though. Stay strong. There will be other cats!
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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions

Postby Marais » Fri Oct 07, 2016 11:11 am

smallwhite wrote:Question 3, English

My neighbour's cat is very friendly, comes over every day, and I like to think that I'm his favourite neighbour. But they're moving away next week! I'm very sad. Can I say "I can't take it!" to mean I find it hard to accept that he's moving away?

"That's so sad!", I tell everyone. What are other expressions I could use?

Thanks!

"So are they getting us another cat...?"

You could do but to me it would sound weird. 'I can't take it' would be more for if you're in pain, or someone is really getting on your nerves, and would usually be used with 'I (just) can't take it' or 'I (just) can't take it (any more).' A good example of this is Homer in the Simpsons screaming and giving in when he's asked to take Lisa and Bart to Mount Splashmore and they ask him over and over and over for a whole day. 'He just couldn't take it any more.'

To me, better expressions would be 'It('s) breaks/breaking/broken my heart', 'I'm gutted/wounded/devastated/devvo'd'

I feel weird explaining that to you actually as your English is so good i feel like i'm teaching you to suck eggs.
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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions

Postby smallwhite » Sun Mar 19, 2017 2:25 pm

Question 4

I went stay with family after my surgery. A friend thought that I went there because someone there needed help. "It's actually I who needed taken care of," I replied.

Does that sound right? Or do I have to say "It's actually I who needed to be taken care of"? I think the "to be" is optional, but even if it is I'm not sure if it sounds natural to omit it.

(I prefer "it's actually I" to "it's actually me". I believe "I" is correct although less common).

Thank you!
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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions

Postby DaveBee » Sun Mar 19, 2017 2:59 pm

smallwhite wrote:Question 4

I went stay with family after my surgery. A friend thought that I went there because someone there needed help. "It's actually I who needed taken care of," I replied.

Does that sound right? Or do I have to say "It's actually I who needed to be taken care of"? I think the "to be" is optional, but even if it is I'm not sure if it sounds natural to omit it.

(I prefer "it's actually I" to "it's actually me". I believe "I" is correct although less common).

Thank you!
needed to be taken care of. 'to be' is not optional here.

you could have said "It's actually I who needed caring for" or "I who needed taking care of"
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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions

Postby Steve » Sun Mar 19, 2017 3:13 pm

If the situation was current and still going on, I might say one of the following.
1. It's actually me who needs taking care of.
2. It's actually me who needs to be taken care of.

If the situation was in the past, I would say something like this.
1. It was actually me who needed taking care of.
2. It was actually me who needed to be taken care of.

Off the top of my head, I'm not sure if "I" or "me" would be the form English language authorities would recommend. Without thinking about it, I'd use "me" in these sentences in an informal conversation.
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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions

Postby smallwhite » Sun Mar 19, 2017 3:25 pm

But can't you say "things that needed done"?
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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions

Postby DaveBee » Sun Mar 19, 2017 3:27 pm

smallwhite wrote:But can't you say "things that needed done"?
No.

Things that needed to be done. Things that needed doing.
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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions

Postby smallwhite » Sun Mar 19, 2017 3:51 pm

Sorry, should've posted the link that I was looking at.

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&s ... 0gTpwI7wAw

I can't see the number of search results here on my phone, but "things that needed done" seems to be quite common or at least acceptable?

Edit: "About 48,000 results".
Last edited by smallwhite on Mon Mar 20, 2017 12:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions

Postby DaveBee » Sun Mar 19, 2017 4:10 pm

smallwhite wrote:Sorry, should've posted the link that I was looking at.

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&s ... 0gTpwI7wAw

I can't see the number of search results here on my phone, but "things that needed done" seems to be quite common or at least acceptable?
Following your link, I can see the instances. I still think it's wrong/unacceptable.

Perhaps others can chime in?
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Re: Smallwhite needs help with English expressions

Postby Daristani » Sun Mar 19, 2017 4:23 pm

There are English dialects in which "needed taken care" of is the normal way of speaking. In the US, this construction is standard in Western Pennsylvania, but is also used more broadly as well. See this very recent online discussion:

http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=31585

Since I'm from Western Pennsylvania, I talk this way, even though it drives my wife mad. I also have a vague recollection that this construction came up once before either in this forum or on the earlier HTLAL forum, and that it was common in some parts of Scotland as well.
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