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It was my pleasure


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How do we use "just"? | Does your cat purr?
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It was my pleasure #16 (permalink) Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:32 am   It was my pleasure
 

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Hi Justin,

This last week emphasises the recentness of the previous week. In other words 'last week' clearly refers to the week that has just gone whereas 'this' last week makes the point that it was really not long ago. Let me put that in some kind of context:

Recently the weather in the north of Scotland has been very bad and this last week it has been particularly severe.

Alan
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It was my pleasure #17 (permalink) Thu Sep 22, 2011 10:32 am   It was my pleasure
 

Thank you, MM and Alan,
Probably, I can understand your explanations. But I have another question. If I hear "this last week" at a Saturday night, is it correct to view "this last week" as the present week, which is about to pass by?

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It was my pleasure #18 (permalink) Thu Sep 22, 2011 13:58 pm   It was my pleasure
 

I would. It is not a matter of 'what is correct', however, but what is understood by the listener.
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It was my pleasure #19 (permalink) Fri Sep 23, 2011 0:29 am   It was my pleasure
 

Mister Micawber wrote:
'This' is a kind of clarifier. Demonstrative adjectives point to something outside the language context, and 'this' points to something nearby. With 'this last week', we make it clear that we mean the week that has just passed (perhaps because the day of the utterance is Sunday, for instance) because the listener might be unsure which week was being spoken of. 'This' also tends to emphasize the boundaries of the week, as if it were slightly special in some way. In this case, the other person did something good.

Dear all,

Thank you for clarifying my doubt.

For me it sounded odd, but now I know that it is OK and meant to emphasise.

Another case of commonly misunderstood use is the auxiliary verb "do" in affirmative sentences.

"I do like coffee" is used when other people doubt it, and to emphasise that you actually do -- you accompany the sentence with "do" as in the example given.

Kind regards,

The Proudest Grandfather : - )
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It was my pleasure #20 (permalink) Fri Sep 23, 2011 0:35 am   It was my pleasure
 

Thank you for clarifying my doubt.-- Do you mean that you doubt more or doubt less now?

Thank you for confirming my doubt = I doubt more now.
Thank you for clearing my doubt = I doubt less now.
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It was my pleasure #21 (permalink) Fri Sep 23, 2011 0:40 am   It was my pleasure
 

Dear Mr Micawber,

I meant "Thank you for clearing my doubt" ; - )

Kind regards,

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