ESL Vocabulary and Idioms

Re: Just short question

JCDenton — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:36:08 GMT

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

Re: Just short question

Grammar Geek — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:59:07 GMT

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!

Re: Just short question

Susankay — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:44:59 GMT

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

Re: Just short question

JCDenton — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:49:42 GMT

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

Re: Just short question

Susankay — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:06:18 GMT

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.

Re: Just short question

JCDenton — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:49:45 GMT

Perfect! Thank you, Mr.P

Re: Just short question

MrPedantic — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:40:59 GMT

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

Just short question

JCDenton — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:22:57 GMT

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