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Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..."



 
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ESL Forums | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
Usage of 'mind +ing' (Would you mind ... it again?) | A Possessive adjective exercise
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Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..." Mon Sep 03, 2007 17:20 pm  Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..."
 

Hi

Could you please tell me which of the following expressions is correct and natural?

Quote:
People don't have the luxury in life to know what their future holds for them.

People don't have the luxury in life of knowing what their future holds for them.

Tom
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Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..." Mon Sep 03, 2007 17:52 pm  Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..."
 

Hi Tom,

My preference would be for 'the luxury of knowing'.

Alan
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Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..." Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:35 am  Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..."
 

Alan wrote:
Hi Tom,

My preference would be for 'the luxury of knowing'.

Alan

Many thanks, Alan

...but what about "in life"? Could you please write the complete sentence for me?

Tom
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Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..." Tue Sep 04, 2007 8:58 am  Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..."
 

Hi,

Exactly as you wrote it, Tom -

People don't have the luxury in life to know what their future holds for them.

Alan
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Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..." Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:21 am  Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..."
 

Alan wrote:
Hi,

Exactly as you wrote it, Tom -

People don't have the luxury in life to know what their future holds for them.

Alan

Many thanks, Alan

So, should I understand from your last post that "to know" is also correct--however, you prefer "of knowing"?

Tom
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Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..." Tue Sep 04, 2007 16:25 pm  Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..."
 

Hi Tom

It seems to me that it might be more common to see the "to infinitive" used with the verb "be" and "a luxury". For example:

It is a luxury to be able to sleep the day away whenever you want.

However, you can also say this:
Being able to sleep the day away whenever you want is a luxury.
.
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Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..." Tue Sep 04, 2007 16:54 pm  Expression: "People don't have the luxury in life to know..."
 

Hi Tom,

To answer your point and clarify what I'm on about since I could have misled you with my last answer where I was concentrating only on 'in life', I'm not really happy with 'the luxury to know' because it is too specific when referring back to 'luxury'. What I mean is you could say: The ability to know - suggesting you are able to know. That's why 'luxury of knowing' is more acceptable as the connection between 'luxury' and 'knowing' is less specific and the link is there with the gerund. It's similar to expressions like: the comfort of knowing/the idea of knowing.

Alan
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Usage of 'mind +ing' (Would you mind ... it again?) | A Possessive adjective exercise
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