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 #2 (permalink) Thu Aug 17, 2006 11:36 am 'I was about to suggest that you should…' :) |
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Hi Tamara
Was about to means was planning to / was just on the verge of (doing).
So, in your sentence the speaker had been planning to make a suggestion but changed his/her mind for some reason.
Theoretically, saying "I was about to suggest..." could also be used as an indirect (sarcastic) way to make a suggestion.
Amy
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| #3 (permalink) Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:07 pm Suggest |
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Hi Tamara,
I was about to suggest that you should .. is I agree somewhat longwinded but it could also indicate that you are going to agree the self same thing yourself as follows:
A: I think I should go and see Aunt Edith _ I haven't seen her for ages.
B: Yes, I was about to suggest you should do that myself.
Alan
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| #4 (permalink) Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:21 pm 'I was about to suggest that you should…' :) |
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Hi Tamara
Another comment and a question:
I was about to does not sound formal to me.
Just out of curiosity, why did you use the past tense (suggested) in your second example? Or did you want to write "I would suggest that you should ..."?
Amy
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Yankee
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| #5 (permalink) Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:31 pm About to |
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Hi Tamara,
If you don't like I was about to, which seems all right to me, what about -I was just going to suggest/I was just this minute going to suggest ?
Alan
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| #6 (permalink) Thu Aug 17, 2006 14:47 pm I suppose to suggest… :-) :-) :-) |
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Hi
Amy, Alan, thank you for your responses.
| Alan wrote: |
| it could also indicate that you are going to agree the self same thing yourself … |
Hmm. Interesting…
Amy, in regards to your question:
| Quote: |
| why did you use the past tense (suggested) in your second example? |
I don’t actually now, why. Just wrote that - absolutely thoughtlessly :)
The only reason (as I think now :) ) could be that I was keeping in mind Past tense in the last sentence, with the form I was interested to learn :)
(But I intended to write just I suggest that you should…
so, your form
| Quote: |
| I would suggest that you should ... |
would be the third in the row. Just before 'I was about…' :) )
| Quote: |
| I was about to does not sound formal to me. |
Thanks. I know that the pattern itself is not formal.
'We were about to leave.' – I was taught it.
But when it is used in some complicated cases - like the above - it looks (for me) so. Formal or/and mannered (and it’s hard to make a choice between :) ).
To be honest – yes, I generally don’t like the form 'to be about to…'…
| Quote: |
| I was just going to suggest… |
That sounds better for me. More naturally.
OK.
Hopefully I’ll manage to accept the expression in my vocabulary... :)
Thanks a lot.
Tamara
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| Quote: Why is it that we rejoice... | Supplemental proceedings? |
