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 #2 (permalink) Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:50 am Too |
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Hi Tamara,
You asked:
| Quote: |
Could you give a comment about the difference (emphasize) between
I am too interested and I too am interested?
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The placing of the word too immediately after the subject here points up the emphasis immediately so that the other person (the listener/reader) knows straightaway that the subject is in agreement with a certain matter Placing the word too before the word interested changes the whole meaning because this suggests you are excessively interested in something.
By the way in Poirot's speech Agatha Christie has added certain constructions to indicate that as a Belgian he is speaking English as a foreign language. He often says things like: That is a subject most interesting ...
Alan
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| #3 (permalink) Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:30 am Tongue-tied foreigners :) |
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| Alan wrote: |
| By the way in Poirot's speech Agatha Christie ( Thanks! And sorry...) has added certain constructions to indicate that as a Belgian he is speaking English as a foreign language. He often says things like: That is a subject most interesting ... |
Ah, indeed!
...Sorry for my morning stupidity in-full-height. 
P.S.
By the way,
my first language is much more careless about word order than English, but I’d say that English (being generally more strict with the order) is more flexible and expressive (in subtle shades) in stresses /inflexion… that could lead to a great gap in meanings – between what you read and what would be heard (if and when it’s uttered).
In Russian the gap seems to be narrowly – because even very formal Russian allows more fluency with the sentence structure.
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Tamara
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| #4 (permalink) Thu Jul 27, 2006 21:29 pm What a little comma can do! |
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I am too interested / I too am interested
If I may add my little thought -- there are two more possibilites with this phrase, both meaning 'I too am interested/I, too, am interested:
I am, too, interested
I am interested, too |
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Conchita
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| #5 (permalink) Fri Jul 28, 2006 18:48 pm If I were Poirot… :) |
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Hi
Just to make sure.
Conchita, am I right and
in I too am interested. 'too' = more-than-very
whereas in I, too, am interested. 'too' = also, as well
?
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Tamara
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| #6 (permalink) Fri Jul 28, 2006 19:53 pm If I were Poirot… :) |
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| Tamara wrote: |
Hi
Just to make sure.
Conchita, am I right and
in I too am interested. 'too' = more-than-very
whereas in I, too, am interested. 'too' = also, as well
? |
I'd understand both versions (with and without commas) to mean the same thing. (i.e., too = also)
They'd both also mean the same thing as "I'm interested, too."
Conchita's "I am, too, interested " --> I would understand this as a disagreement which is usually shortened to "I am too!". The word "too" would be spoken very emphatically and the words "I am" would never be contracted in this usage:
Mary: John, you're never interested in what I think.
John: I am, too, interested!
Mary: Come off it! You're not interested at all!
John: I am too!
Mary: No, you're not!
John: I am too!!!!
Mary: No, you're not!!!!
John: I am too!!!!!!!!
Mary: You're not!!!!
John: I am !!!!
Mary: You're not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John: I am !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
etc. 
There's no sense of either "very" or "also" in this case. "Too" indicates disagreement (or that the opposite of what's been said is true). 
Without the commas and with I am contracted as usual when spoken ("I'm too interested") the meaning of "too" would change to "overly" (i.e., I have too much interest.)  |
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Yankee
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| #7 (permalink) Fri Jul 28, 2006 22:06 pm A big box |
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Oh mamma mia…
As my king-size can is quite full of 'rather-quite' worms, I’ve prepared a large box for 'too'-worms. Just in case.
Thank you very much, Amy. I’ll try to accommodate them with all possible comfort (and as they will get).
Tamara
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