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Expression: "Egg does not suit me."



 
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Expression: "Egg does not suit me." #1 (permalink) Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:49 am   Expression: "Egg does not suit me."
 

Hi

This was one of the posts that we sacrifised on the hacker. I asked if I ever had to say in general that "(The) egg does not suit me.", why it should be without an article. Alan advised to use "Egg does not suit me." without an article. My last question was that (which never saw the light of day) when we say "The apple is a good fruit." or "The lion is a ferocious animal.", why cannot we say, "The egg does not suit me."?

Tom
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Expression: "Egg does not suit me." #2 (permalink) Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:59 am   Expression: "Egg does not suit me."
 

The definite article 'the' isn't normally used before names of meals. I seem to recall that, in his lost post, Alan suggested the expression 'egg doesn't agree with me', which, I'd like to add, would be a more usual way of saying this.
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Expression: "Egg does not suit me." #3 (permalink) Tue Sep 11, 2007 16:22 pm   Expression: "Egg does not suit me."
 

Thank you, Conchita

So am I to understand that the all the following are correct?

Quote:
1- Egg doesn't suit me in winter.

2- Potato doesn't suit me in winter.

3- Apple doesn't suit me at night.


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Expression: "Egg does not suit me." #4 (permalink) Tue Sep 11, 2007 18:44 pm   Expression: "Egg does not suit me."
 

Hi Tom

I don't think those sentences are the most natural ones you've ever come up with. Do I assume correctly that you simply want to indicate that you dislike eating these foods at times?

If so, a sentence like this would be much more natural:

I don't like eating eggs/potatoes/apples in winter/at night.

.
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Expression: "Egg does not suit me." #5 (permalink) Tue Sep 11, 2007 19:51 pm   Expression: "Egg does not suit me."
 

Yankee wrote:
Hi Tom

. Do I assume correctly that you simply want to indicate that you dislike eating these foods at times?

.


No Amy, that's not what I mean. There are things that don't suit certain people. For example, an egg may cause some person allergy. Some people become constipated having eaten a banana. So, in that situation:

Quote:
1- Banana does not suit me.
2- Egg does not suit me.


Now do you find them OK?

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Expression: "Egg does not suit me." #6 (permalink) Tue Sep 11, 2007 21:14 pm   Expression: "Egg does not suit me."
 

.
I'd use the plural form and 'agree with':
Eggs/potatoes/apples don't agree with me.
.
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Expression: "Egg does not suit me." #7 (permalink) Tue Sep 11, 2007 23:55 pm   Expression: "Egg does not suit me."
 

.
I presume that we are not discussing anything but the subject-- Egg vs Eggs vs The egg vs The eggs. I could come up with sentences for each of them, but I could hardly improve upon Alan's and Conchita's and Yankee's sentences, which cover just about every normal, expected use, I think.

As for the apple and the egg--

The apple is a delicious fruit. -- OK
The egg is high in protein.-- OK
(X) The apple agrees with me.
(X) The egg disagrees with me.

Very odd-- I have no idea on this one.
.
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