Just short question

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JCDenton

#503976 Tue, 22 Apr 08 09:22 PM

Hi my EF friends,

Please, just one little question. Two persons are speaking with each other.

Person A: Why didn't you tell me this?

Person B: Because...it's not like you wanted to talk about it anyway.

It sounds like an easy conversation, but I'm a little confused about the answer of the person B. Did the person say: "Because, you wouldn't be into speak about it anyway?"

thx in advance

regards

JCDenton

Joined on Tue, Jul 3 2007

Europe

Full Member (379)

Conversations, Regards

MrPedantic

#504003 Tue, 22 Apr 08 10:40 PM

Hello JC,

In B's response, "like" = "as if", i.e.

1. (I didn't tell you this) because it's not as if you wanted to talk about it anyway.

"It's not as if you wanted to do X" is an emphatic way of saying "It's not the case that you wanted to do X", with an implication that if "you" had wanted to do X, the situation might have been different.

Best wishes,

MrP

MrPedantic

Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004

Veteran Member (11,837)

...opella forensis / adducit febris...

JCDenton

#504006 Tue, 22 Apr 08 10:49 PM

Perfect! Thank you, Mr.P

JCDenton

Susankay

#504013 Tue, 22 Apr 08 11:06 PM

Because...it's not like you wanted to talk about it anyway.

The situation is that I did not feel that you wanted to talk about it anyway, so I didn't tell you.

Susankay

Joined on Sat, Jan 19 2008

Full Member (201)

JCDenton

#504166 Wed, 23 Apr 08 08:49 AM

Thanks SusanKay!

What confused me was the part with "it's not like you wanted.. "

It didn't sound me natural. I didn't know that "like" in that sentence can be substituted for "as if"...wow.

thanks to both of you for your advice

regards

JCDenton

Regards

Susankay

#505827 Sat, 26 Apr 08 09:44 PM

Americans, like, put that word in, like, everything they say! Surprise

Susankay

Grammar Geek

#505845 Sat, 26 Apr 08 10:59 PM

Well, like, even when we're, like, not using "like" as a verbal tic, we still use it differently.

"It looks like rain" is VERY normal thing to say.

"You look like you could use a drink."

How can you be upset we're running late for the party?! It's not like you wanted to go in the first place!

Grammar Geek

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006

Pennsylvania, USA

Veteran Member (14,711)

Barbara, who answers in American English.

JCDenton

#506362 Mon, 28 Apr 08 06:36 AM

Grammar Geek

..."It looks like rain" is VERY normal thing to say.

Yes, I agree. Very normal thing...Very known to me.

Grammar Geek

"You look like you could use a drink."..

Again. Very widely used....very known.

Grammar Geek

How can you be upset we're running late for the party?! It's not like you wanted to go in the first place!

This seems to be the same example as in my previous post and I don't have a problem with admitting that this was a new thing for me..:-). So thank you for clarification.

regards

JCDenton

Grammar, Regards