0
Ann225 Posted 8 years ago
Grammar

Fit the purpose

Hi,

1)Can I say this?

“I decided to purge my closet and sell some clothes that no longer fit the purpose I bought them for.”

2)Is the word ‘yield’ too formal in everyday speech?

“I tried to knock some sense into him but my attempts didn’t really yield any results.”

Thank you.

  

Top answer

Ann225 1)Can I say this? ” "purge" is a rather odd word to use here. You can say "clear out".

— GPY

  • Ann225 1)Can I say this?
  • ” "purge" is a rather odd word to use here.
  • You can say "clear out".
  • "fit the purpose" is correct English, but in this case you could consider changing "fit" to "suit", just to avoid the possible slight hiccup of initially reading "no longer fit" in the sense that you have gained (or, I suppose, lost) weight.
  • Be aware of whether you are using "fit" as present tense or past tense.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

3 Answers
0
Ann2251)Can I say this?
“I decided to purge my closet and sell some clothes that no longer fit the purpose I bought them for.”

"purge" is a rather odd word to use here. You can say "clear out".

"fit the purpose" is correct English, but in this case you could consider changing "fit" to "suit", just to avoid the possible slight hiccup of initially r

0
0

1) You can say it. But the clause that no longer fit the purpose I bought them for does not seem very natural to me. I suggest simply 'that I don't wear anymore'.

2) Yes, perhaps a bit. You might consider eg but with no success.

0
0

GPY is British, and Clive is Canadian, originally from the UK. In the US you'd more likely hear something like the following:


"I decided to clean out my closet and sell the clothes that I don't wear anymore."


"I tried to knock some sense into him with no success." (The word "yield" would rarely be heard in everyday speech in the US.)

0

Related Questions