Angliholic  +  435362 Sat, 27 Oct 07 03:08 AM A: I got a speeding ticket on my way home from work. B: It serves you right. I've told you again and again that you drive too fast. I doubt if You deserve it conveys the same concept as It serves you right. For curiosity's sake, what are the alternatives of the same idea? Thanks. Angliholic Joined on Wed, Feb 14 2007 SomewhereinFormosa Veteran Member 6,473 Without true love, life is meaningless and worthless since our physical world is nothing but a dream. ~~Angliholic~~簡瑞達

	Grammar Geek  +  435366 Sat, 27 Oct 07 03:22 AM You got what you deserved. Note that "serves you right" has a negatives sense. You wouldn't say that to someone who took first place in a competition. Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,506 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random! Negatives

	Angliholic  +  435377 Sat, 27 Oct 07 04:05 AM  Grammar Geek wrote: You got what you deserved. Note that "serves you right" has a negatives sense. You wouldn't say that to someone who took first place in a competition. Thanks, GG. Just to make sure, do your version and mine have a negative sense? That is, you got what you deserved/you deserved it. Angliholic Grammar, Negatives

	Grammar Geek  +  435389 Sat, 27 Oct 07 04:45 AM This is highly idiomatic in terms of whether it's negative or not. In the following two, context tells you: Congratuations! You took first place. It's nice to see that you got what you deserved after working so hard. (Positive) So your girlfriend finally left you? The way you treated her, you got what you deserved! (Negative) However, you deserved what you got and serves you right are both negative. So your girlfriend finally left you? The way you treated her, you deserve what you got.   Grammar Geek Negatives