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 Tue May 27, 2008 10:30 am 'forget' vs 'forget about' |
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| Quote: | | "Forget it" means "forget the help"; "forget about it" means "forget that which relates to the help". |
And how do you know that?
It may be this way: "it" relates to the help itself in both cases. Or, "forget it/forget about it" means "don't even think to thank me".
Tell me, what does "it" refer to here?
A: Thanks for your help.
B: Don't mention it.
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A: Thanks for your help.
B: It was nothing.
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A: Thanks for your help.
B: It's no big deal. |
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Molly
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 3710
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| Tue May 27, 2008 11:59 am 'forget' vs 'forget about' |
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Molly wrote:
| Quote: | 1. And you can forget going to that party tonight, young man! I told you that if you didn't do your homework, I wouldn't let you go.
2. And you can forget about going to that party tonight, young man! I told you that if you didn't do your homework, I wouldn't let you go.
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For me forgot doing smth. means that you did something and forgot it. (Comparing with forgot to do smth., not with forget about ) 
_________________
I am an incurable optimist. |
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Inga
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 214
Location: Minsk, Belarus
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| Tue May 27, 2008 12:33 pm 'forget' vs 'forget about' |
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| Quote: | | For me forgot doing smth. means that you did something and forgot it. (Comparing with forgot to do smth., not with forget about ) |
Not always, Inga.
e.g.
1. If you don't have a ticket, you can forget getting in. It's sold out.
2. Aw, it's raining. I guess we can forget going anywhere else this evening.
3. And you can forget becomng an electrician, you can't even pass tenth grade math.
The question is: is "about" ellipted in those examples? |
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Molly
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 3710
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| Tue May 27, 2008 12:49 pm 'forget' vs 'forget about' |
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| Wonderful examples! Sequence of tenses, or the flow of time is subtle, isn't it? Sometimes it doen't 100% depend on the physical stream but on how we imagine it. |
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Haihao
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 1374
Location: Japan
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| Tue May 27, 2008 19:48 pm 'forget' vs 'forget about' |
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| Molly wrote: | It may be this way: "it" relates to the help itself in both cases. Or, "forget it/forget about it" mean "don't even think to thank me".
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1. Thanks for your help!
2. Forget it.
3. There is no need to thank me.
4. Forget about it.
5. Forget the matter of my help.
The function of #2 in response to #1 may well be to express #3, in a particular context.
Its meaning however is "forget my help". (Which is an example of hyperbole, incidentally: we don't expect the addressee to make literal attempts to eradicate every thought of our help from his mind.)
#4 can also express #3. Its meaning is "forget the things concerning my help", i.e. (here) #5. "Forget about" therefore addresses the "help" in a slightly different way from "forget".
The difference between the two expressions increases in other contexts:
6. I forgot your mother.
— e.g. I forgot to bring your mother.
7. I forgot about your mother.
— i.e. the thing concerning your mother, e.g. I forgot that your mother was coming to stay.
MrP |
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MrPedantic
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 1193
Location: Southern England
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| Tue May 27, 2008 20:11 pm 'forget' vs 'forget about' |
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| Quote: | 1. Thanks for your help!
2. Forget it.
3. There is no need to thank me.
4. Forget about it.
5. Forget the matter of my help.
The function of #2 in response to #1 may well be to express #3, in a particular context. |
LOL! Well, you seem pretty sure of your READING, so I guess we'll leave you to it. |
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Molly
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 3710
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| In spite vs inspite of | Topic translation: As to the duty of pursuing equality, there is no such consent |
