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Johnsonef Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Complete & finish

Complete is more frequent in written English; finish is more frequent in spoken
English. You can finish doing sth but you cannot complete doing sth:

He hasn't finished speaking.(O)

He hasn't completed speaking.(X)

OALD 8th 'complete'

above description comes form OALD 8th edtion.

I can't understand why the second sentence is wrong.

let me catch a torch in the dark room. ^ ^

thanks a lot
  

Top answer

Hello, Johnson - and welcome to English Forums. I don't agree that complete is written English while finish is spoken English: both words enjoy standard register. 'Completed', however, does in fact not collocate with 'speaking' in your sentence.

— Mister Micawber

  • Hello, Johnson - and welcome to English Forums.
  • I don't agree that complete is written English while finish is spoken English: both words enjoy standard register.
  • 'Completed', however, does in fact not collocate with 'speaking' in your sentence.
  • 'Complete' seems to require a circumcribed entity.
  • This is fine, for instance: He hasn't completed/finished his speech.
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2 Answers
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Hello, Johnson - and welcome to English Forums.

I don't agree that complete is written English while finish is spoken English: both words enjoy standard register.

'Completed', however, does in fact not collocate with 'speaking' in your sentence. 'Complete' seems to require a circumcribed entity. This is fine, for instance: He hasn't completed/finished his speech
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Thank Micawber!

The last remark is just another changed expression (just joke ^^) instead of 'let'me know ~ ~', but that didn't make you follow. ^^; sorry!
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