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"I've tried" and "to find the truth" is a phrase?



 
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ESL Forum | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
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"I've tried" and "to find the truth" is a phrase? #1 (permalink) Wed Sep 23, 2009 15:49 pm   "I've tried" and "to find the truth" is a phrase?
 

hello everybody. I'm sorry, my english is terrible, but maybe this is exactly the right place for this problem Smile

So, there's a phrase from a song I can't understand well:

"I've done a lot / God knows I've tried
To find the truth / I've even lied."

I write it how I listen it, since in some websites I visited I found it with different puntuaction.

My question is: "I've tried" and "to find the truth" is a phrase? I mean, I have to read it "God knows I've tried to find the truth"?

To be clear, if I want to insert the punctuaction, the right version would be this:
- "I've done a lot, God knows I've tried to find the truth, I've even lied"
or this:
- "I've done a lot, God knows I've tried; to find the truth, I've even lied"

Thanks a lot Smile
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"I've tried" and "to find the truth" is a phrase? #2 (permalink) Wed Sep 23, 2009 18:34 pm   "I've tried" and "to find the truth" is a phrase?
 

"I've done a lot, God knows I've tried; to find the truth, I've even lied"

Given the options, I would use this one. Very poetic.

Kitos.
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"I've tried" and "to find the truth" is a phrase? #3 (permalink) Wed Sep 23, 2009 18:44 pm   "I've tried" and "to find the truth" is a phrase?
 

1. - "I've done a lot, God knows I've tried to find the truth, I've even lied"

2. - "I've done a lot, God knows I've tried; to find the truth, I've even lied"

It could be either one, both constructions are possible. Based on this context, I couldn't say which one is better. The one Kitos chose, the second, goes best with metre; the first one has the advantage of being somewhat clearer, since it gives "tried" an object, i.e. the infinitive "to find...". I can't make a choice. The general meaning stays the same in either case, since the paradox truth - lied is present in both. Perhaps you could listen as to whether there is a small pause after "truth": if there is one, this might give a slight edge to the first interpretation.
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