3 questions need help with please?

Question

Could you please tell me how you would say these 3 sentences properly.

Could you please help me with these 3 sentences please? Could you tell me how to say them grammatically?

1 You bring that subject up when it suits you/when it's to your advantage, but when it doesn't suit you, you act like it never happened. Stop using that as an excuse everytime you are looking for one.

- It's whenever it suits her. I'm not to be trusted when it suits her. I'm to be trusted when it suits her.

- When she got something to gain, she tells people I can be trusted, when there is nothing in it for her, she tells people not to trust me.

2 You would be better off not opening your mouth. You sound stupid when you open your mouth/start speak.You make a better first impression if you keep it shut.

3 I keep my computer in the inside pocket of my bag not the outside as I don't want people banging into it. (the bag has to pockets on either side of the luggage with zippers. One faces your leg and one faces outward.) (how would you say this?)

Thank you

Doctor D · Accepted Answer

My changes are in bold face. My comments are in brackets and in bold face. My deletions are crossed out. Here is how I see the sentences.

1 You bring that subject up when it suits you/when it's to your advantage [either, but I prefer "advantage" for variety], but when it doesn't suit you, you act like it never happened. Stop using that as an excuse ~~everytime you are looking for one~~ [unneeded].

- It's whenever it suits her. I'm not to be trusted when it suits her. I'm to be trusted when it suits her. [Generally okay, but "it" is vague. Use a more exact term. "The truth is whatever suits her." etc.]

- When she's got something to gain, she tells people I can be trusted; when there is nothing in it for her, she tells people not to trust me. [Either a semicolon or two separate sentences. Do not join with a comma.]

[These three are not variations of the same sentence, even if they are on the same topic. One addresses the "she," while the others talk to friend. Any of the corrected sentences will work. It depends on what you want to say and to whom.]

2 You would be better off not opening your mouth. You sound stupid when you open your mouth/start to speak [or: start speaking] .You'd make a better first impression if you kept your mouth ~~keep it~~ shut. [This is advice for the future.]

3 I keep my computer in the inside pocket of my bag not the outside as I don't want people banging into it. (the bag has to pockets on either side of the luggage with zippers. One faces your leg and one faces outward.) (how would you say this?)
[Shorten it up. "Since I don't want people banging into my computer, I keep it in the inner pocket of my bag, the one that faces my leg."]

Hope this helps.

Alc24 · Answer

Thank you Doctor D for the explanation.

Let me tell you what I'm trying to say:

Lets say

X has a little son who's always been nice to X's friend (Y). The only reason he's been nice to Y is because every time he comes over he's bearing gifts. Now this one time, he's not bearing gifts and the little kid is mean to Y.
To justify his child's behavior X says to Y.

"You know how kids are, when it's to their advantage/when it suits them, they are nice to you and when it's not to their advantage/when it doesn't suit him or they have nothing to gain, they are mean to you. Don't take it personally.

That's how I'm trying to use 'when it's to your advantage" and "when it suits you"
How would you say the above and do you understand what I'm trying to say?

Thank you

Alc24 · Answer

For "trusted" sentence I don't think you understood what I was trying to say:

One day the wife tells her best friend her husband isn't to be trusted, the next day she says he can be trusted. The only reason she say that is because when she's got something to gain in saying "he can't be trusted" then she says it and when she's got something to gain in saying "he can be trusted" then she says that.

The husband one day confronts the wife and tells her wife.
"I know why somedays you tell your friend she can trust me and other days that she can't trust me"

"When it's to your advantage/when it suits you, I'm a liar and can't be trusted and when it suits you/to your advantage I'm not a liar. You always knew how to talk to people to get them to do whatever you wanted them to."

Could you please tell me how you would say the bold and if "isn't to be trusted" is correct?

Thank you so much

Doctor D · Answer

The phrasing "isn't to be trusted" is fine. Jack isn't to be trusted (he is unreliable).

In the last paragraph, I would use "advantage" because you are talking not about a whim (it suits you) but a definite gain (advantage).

Also I would spell it out a little more and use the present tense (she still has this trait).

"When it's to your advantage, you say I'm a liar and can't be trusted; but when it's to your advantage to say the opposite, then I'm not a liar and can be trusted. You say whatever works to get people to do what you want."

Does this answer your question?

Doctor D · Answer

See my response to your other reply. Again, in this case, I would use "advantage" because you are talking about a gift as the determining factor. "Advantage" implies a tangible gain. "Suit" implies that it meets the unseen needs or desires of.

So I would word this as follows:

"You know how kids are. When it's to their advantage, they are nice to you. But when they have nothing to gain, they are mean. Don't take it personally."

This assumes that kids are naturally mean, but can be bribed to be nice. If, instead, you were talking about a kid being nice or mean according to how they feel, I would use some wording other than "advantage."

"You know how kids are. When they feel like it/when it suits them, they are nice to you. But at other times, they will act mean. Don't take it personally.:"

Alc24 · Answer

Hello Doctor D,

How are you?
I had a discussion with a teacher and got this, could you tell me what you think?

I had a question that's been tormenting me

1

Are the answers and questions in accordance and do they make sense and are grammatical?

Question:

Can you not wait for him to leave before eating? Are you that hungry?

Answer:

I can't wait for him to leave before eating.
I can't wait until he leaves to eat.

Question:

Can you not wait to eat/have eaten before doing that?

Answer:

I can't wait to eat/have eaten before doing that. I need to do it now
I can't wait until I eat to do that. I need to do it now.

Do these 2 mean something different and what do they mean?

I can't wait to eat before doing that.
I can't wait have eaten before doing that.

2

What do you think about what this person told me
Teacher's reply

The problem for me is that "I can't wait to eat..." means that I am expecting to eat, and am looking forward to it (either it is delicious food or I am very hungry. To make it clear, and unambiguous I believe you need to state that Something can/can't be done later, it needs to be done now, before you eat. Without doing this, it becomes very awkward English, and the meaning is no longer clear. Great if you are a lawyer trying to confuse people, or for hypnotic induction, but not for clear, concise communication.

3

Students reply:

If I were to say

I can't wait to eat. "that would mean I am expecting to eat, and am looking forward to it"

but if you add "before doing that"

Would "I can't wait to eat" still mean I am expecting to eat, and am looking forward to it"

or does it no longer make sense at all?

What if I added a sentence to clear things up

I can't wait to eat before doing that. I need to do it before I eat.

I can't wait have eaten before doing that. I need to have done that before I eat.

What about now

Does that make sense and is it grammatical? Are the tense in accordance with each other in the sentences?

Thank you Doctor D

Alex

Doctor D · Answer

The wording is awkward. And the phrase "I can't wait have eaten" is ungrammatical. Instead, I would say:

I can't wait until after I eat to do that. I need to do it right away.

The teacher is correct in saying that "I can't wait to eat" normally refers to your desire to eat (not to a time frame).

Alc24 · Answer

Thank you

But I know that if you were to say "I can't wait to eat" on its own, it would refer to desire, but ir you add "before doing that" would it change anything? and if you were to add a sentence to clarify things?

What does this sentence mean if anything "I can't wait to eat before doing that"?

Which of these sentences are correct? How would you say these 2 sentences please?

1 What does this whole sentence mean?/What does this sentence mean as a whole?
2 What does "I can't wait to eat" mean on its own/by itself.

Could you please help me with this thread please as I'm struggling with it?

Thank you so much Doctor D

Doctor D · Answer

I don't think adding more words to "I can't wait to eat" helps. The problem is that you would word the sentence differently if you want to talk about time (waiting to eat) rather than desire.

For example:
I can't wait until after I eat to call Jane.
Or:
I can't wait to eat: I must call Jane now.

As for your two sentences:

1 What does this whole sentence mean?/What does this sentence mean as a whole?
2 What does "I can't wait to eat" mean on its own/by itself.

The first one could be expressed either way. I prefer "as a whole."

For the second one, I prefer "by itself." But I would clarify and simplify:

What does the phrase "I can't wait to eat" mean?

Alc24 · Answer

Hello Doctor D,
Could you please tell me what you think of the following?

But I know that if you were to say "I can't wait to eat" on its own, it would refer to desire, but ir you add "before doing that" would it change anything? and if you were to add a sentence to clarify things?

What does this sentence mean if anything "I can't wait to eat before doing that"?

Which of these sentences are correct? How would you say these 2 sentences please?

1 What does this whole sentence mean?/What does this sentence mean as a whole?
2 What does "I can't wait to eat" mean on its own/by itself.

Thank you

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