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 Wed Jul 23, 2008 0:52 am waste away |
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| Molly wrote: | Do both these uses of waste away sound OK?
She wasted away for a few weeks until he returned.
He wasted away in just a few weeks. It was a sad loss to the world of football. |
Is it homework?
MrP |
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MrPedantic
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 0:55 am waste away |
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No. it's headwork. What's your thoughts on those sentences? |
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Molly
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 0:58 am waste away |
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| Molly wrote: | | What's your thoughts on those sentences? |
| Quote: | | She wasted away for a few weeks until he returned. |
Georgie Best's girlfriend whilst he was in hospital.
| Quote: | | He wasted away in just a few weeks. It was a sad loss to the world of football. |
Georgie Best before he forever left the hospital.
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Ralf
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 1:03 am waste away |
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Thanks, Ralf.
Who's Georgie Best, BTW? |
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Molly
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 1:10 am waste away |
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Here, the particle expresses perfectivity:
Molly drank her wine up.
So here the particle really doesn't work:
*?Molly drank her wine up a bit.
Why is it that "away" works in both these?
She wasted away for a few weeks until he returned.
He wasted away in just a few weeks. It was a sad loss to the world of football. |
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Molly
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 1:26 am waste away |
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Note:
1. ???She wasted for a few weeks until he returned.
2. ???He wasted in just a few weeks. It was a sad loss to the world of football.
But:
3. He drank his wine.
4. He drank his wine up.
MrP |
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MrPedantic
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 1:26 am waste away |
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| Molly wrote: | Here, the particle expresses perfectivity:
Molly drank her wine up.
So here the particle really doesn't work:
*?Molly drank her wine up a bit. |
Both examples for 'drink up' sound quite unnatural when used in the simple past. Use 'emptied'.
Molly emptied the wine.
| Molly wrote: | Why is it that "away" works in both these?
She wasted away for a few weeks until he returned.
He wasted away in just a few weeks. It was a sad loss to the world of football. |
Connotational differences can often be observed with prepositions or words in general.
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Ralf
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 8:46 am waste away |
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| Quote: | | Both examples for 'drink up' sound quite unnatural when used in the simple past. Use 'emptied'. |
Really? So we'd have to write "Molly emptied her wine"?
How about here, R?
He drank up and left.
| Quote: | | Connotational differences can often be observed with prepositions or words in general. |
Of course, but what do you think that connotational differences are there? |
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Molly
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:31 am waste away |
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| I'm aware of this usage : He wasted away his life. |
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Lost_Soul
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:43 am waste away |
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| lost_soul wrote: | | I'm aware of this usage : He wasted away his life. |
Yes, me too. I'd normally hear it as "He wasted his life away" though. |
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Molly
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:44 am waste away |
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He drank up and left.
That's your new example. Nothing wrong with it. But it's different from your old one.
| Molly wrote: | | Molly drank her wine up. |
Your old example's a bit odd, but you'd get away with it.
| Quote: | | Really? So we'd have to write "Molly emptied her wine"? |
That's what I said.
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Ralf
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:50 am waste away |
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| Quote: | Really? So we'd have to write "Molly emptied her wine"?
That's what I said. |
Sounds a bit formal or literary.
| Quote: | He drank up and left.
That's your new example. Nothing wrong with it. But it's different from your old one. |
Not if written in the "full" form:
He drank up his wine and left.
What is it that makes you say "He drank up and left" is OK, but not "He drank up his wine and left"? |
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Molly
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 14:32 pm waste away |
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Hi guys
How about finished off instead of "emptied" or "drank up";
He finished off his wine and left.
Or He finished his wine off and left.
cheers stew.t.
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Stew.t.
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| Wed Jul 23, 2008 15:29 pm waste away |
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| stew.t. wrote: | Hi guys
How about finished off instead of "emptied" or "drank up";
He finished off his wine and left.
Or He finished his wine off and left.
cheers stew.t. |
An option indeed, but what's wrong with Ralf's suggestion? |
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Molly
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| sides of a cube | About non-restrictive relative, "that" |
