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#2 (permalink) Fri Apr 05, 2013 9:47 am rain is going to gradually stop |
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First of all, your sentences all lack something, either an article or a subject:
The rain's begun to ease off. It seems as if the rain is easing off. It seems as if the rain is going to ease off.
'Easing off' is the most appropriate form and I cannot think of an example which works as well as that. You could say The rain's not so heavy which sounds more natural than the rain's getting lighter. _________________ "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett |
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Beeesneees Language Coach

Joined: 08 Apr 2010 Posts: 39144 Location: UK, born and bred
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#3 (permalink) Fri Apr 05, 2013 11:21 am rain is going to gradually stop |
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Would it then be appropriate to say
1) Huh, what a pouring, but it seems as though the rain's getting lighter now.
2) Huh, what a pouring, but it seems as though getting lighter now.
Are there any other words which can be used in such case? (after pouring)
Thanks again |
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E2e4 I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 1563
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#4 (permalink) Fri Apr 05, 2013 11:55 am rain is going to gradually stop |
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'what a pouring' is not appropriate.
You could use 'what a pour-down' Huh, what a pour-down, but it seems as though the rain's getting lighter now. Huh, what a pour-down, but it seems as though it's getting lighter now. Huh, what a pour-down, but it/the rain seems to be getting lighter now. _________________ "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett |
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Beeesneees Language Coach

Joined: 08 Apr 2010 Posts: 39144 Location: UK, born and bred
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#5 (permalink) Fri Apr 05, 2013 12:34 pm rain is going to gradually stop |
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Beeesneees wrote: | 'what a pouring' is not appropriate.
You could use 'what a pour-down' Huh, what a pour-down, but it seems as though the rain's getting lighter now. Huh, what a pour-down, but it seems as though it's getting lighter now. Huh, what a pour-down, but it/the rain seems to be getting lighter now. |
In the US, gullywashers aren't pour-downs, they are downpours,
Rains may subside.
I've heard people say that the rain is ebbing, but that usage of "to ebb" makes my skin crawl. |
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SteveThomas I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 16 Mar 2013 Posts: 281
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#6 (permalink) Fri Apr 05, 2013 13:10 pm rain is going to gradually stop |
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If a down-pour with lighting is about to subside, can I say that "it seems the cats and dogs is (are) dying down now".
Thanks |
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E2e4 I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 1563
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#7 (permalink) Fri Apr 05, 2013 14:16 pm rain is going to gradually stop |
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SteveThomas wrote: | In the US, gullywashers aren't pour-downs, they are downpours,
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Hah! Thanks Steve. That's actually what I meant! I think I sug=ffered some sort of brain dump! _________________ "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett |
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Beeesneees Language Coach

Joined: 08 Apr 2010 Posts: 39144 Location: UK, born and bred
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#8 (permalink) Fri Apr 05, 2013 15:49 pm rain is going to gradually stop |
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E2e4 wrote: | If a down-pour with lighting is about to subside, can I say that "it seems the cats and dogs is (are) dying down now".
Thanks |
No, that doesn't really make any sense. You can't rearrange the idiom 'raining cats and dogs'. _________________ "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett |
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Beeesneees Language Coach

Joined: 08 Apr 2010 Posts: 39144 Location: UK, born and bred
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#9 (permalink) Fri Apr 05, 2013 16:30 pm rain is going to gradually stop |
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Can't I invent a new idiom? You for sure have got what I meant. "The cats and dogs are dying down." Let's go!
"The cats and dogs are dying down." is now a new idiom. He he, just wait the confirmation by people all over the world in a decade or two. Thanks
P.S. don't be angry with me for I am an innovative person. |
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E2e4 I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 1563
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#10 (permalink) Fri Apr 05, 2013 17:46 pm rain is going to gradually stop |
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Well done on the innovation. I predict it won't catch on. _________________ "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett |
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Beeesneees Language Coach

Joined: 08 Apr 2010 Posts: 39144 Location: UK, born and bred
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#11 (permalink) Sat Apr 06, 2013 9:08 am rain is going to gradually stop |
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I wonder if you can apply 'petering out' to rain (like conversation) figuratively. |
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Eugene2114 I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 22 Dec 2010 Posts: 2998
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#12 (permalink) Sat Apr 06, 2013 9:14 am rain is going to gradually stop |
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If you mean something like: The rasin petered out gradually. The rain seems to be petering out now. Then yes, those work.
Good thinking. _________________ "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened."
Terry Pratchett |
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Beeesneees Language Coach

Joined: 08 Apr 2010 Posts: 39144 Location: UK, born and bred
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Dread to do vs. dread doing | Introducing to the boss for the first time |