ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: sigh of relief

Abil — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:45:37 GMT

Optilang, you have given "a sigh of relief" on a logical foundation. I never thought that way. I use this phrase because many people use it.

A big thanks.

Re: sigh of relief

optilang — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:30:12 GMT

If you give a sigh, it is possible to feel it, just as it is possible to feel yourself breathing.

See the following link for some examples:

http://books.google.com/books?lr=&q=%22felt+a+sigh+of+relief%22&as_brr=0&sa=N&start=0

Re: sigh of relief

Abil — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:23:01 GMT

Thanks Optilang, but I have not found "feel a sigh of relief" in my Oxford Idioms Dictionary.

Re: sigh of relief

optilang — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:12:59 GMT

Books 1 - 10 of 258 on "felt a sigh of relief". (0.03 seconds)

I agree that we breathe/give a sigh of relief.

However, it is possible to use - feel a sigh of relief.

Re: sigh of relief

Abil — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:02:34 GMT

Thanks MM

Re: sigh of relief

Mister Micawber — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:58:58 GMT

.
Better than mine, except for the spelling: breathe.

Re: sigh of relief

Abil — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:54:13 GMT

Now I understand. I want to breath a sigh of great relief! (Is it okay?)

Thanks MM

Re: sigh of relief

Mister Micawber — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:39:32 GMT

.
Never, I think. It doesn't really make sense-- we don't feel our own sighs. We sigh as an expression of our feeling. I think you may have it confused with 'I gave a sigh of relief'-- that's not to say that others on the internet have not also confused the phrase.

Re: sigh of relief

Abil — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:03:32 GMT

Thanks MM. "I sighed in relief" sounds more appropriate, but could you tell me in which situation / context should I use "I felt a sigh of relief"?

Re: sigh of relief

Mister Micawber — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:55:00 GMT

.
Your punctuation and some phrasing do not support the story flow.

I was in a hurry-- the meeting would start in a few minutes. I gobbled some biscuits, poured down my tea and ran for the bus.

When I reached our office, I found the lift busy-- it was all queued up. With no time to waste, I took the stairs and ran down the hall to the meeting room. When I got there, I sighed in relief that I was the first to arrive.

sigh of relief

Abil — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:54:24 GMT

I was in a hurry. The meeting would begin in a few minutes. I gobbled some biscuits, poured the tea into my mouth and then ran for the town bus.

When I reached our office building, to my utter disappointment, I found the lift busy - all queued up to get into it. No time to waste, I took the stair and ran to the hall room where the meeting was to take place. But when I got there in the end, I felt a sigh of relief as I was the first to arrive.

Is there any mistake and weak points? Thanks