HIGH REGARD

Question

Dear Teachers,1. I didn't investigate the thing you stole that car because I have high regard for your boss. - Is this natural to say? Thanks very much to Teachers, Stevenukd.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

It's not natural. I think you mean:

I didn't investigate whether you stole that car because I have a high regard for your boss.

(But I don't understand the reasoning of the sentence itself.)

CJ

Avangi · Answer

Stevenukd
Dear Teachers,

1. I didn't investigate the thing you stole that car because I have high regard for your boss.

- Is this natural to say?

Thanks very much to Teachers,

Stevenukd.

Hi Stevenukd,

The idea seems natural but it needs some work. Did the second person steal the car or a "thing" from the car?

Perhaps "investigate" isn't the right word, because if you know the person is guilty, what's to investigate? "Report" might be better.

Both "report" and "investigate" are transitive verbs and take a direct object. As it stands, "thing" is the object. What you might report/investigate is the theft, not the thing.

It might be more natural to say, "I didn't report what you stole from the car . . . ." than to say, "I didn't report the thing you stole . . . ."

or - "I didn't report your theft from the/that car because . . . " [the rest is good.]

or - "I didn't report [that] you stole something from the/that car because . . ."

If the car was stolen - "I didn't report your theft of that car . . . "

or - "I didn't report [that] you stole the car . . . . "

or - "I kept quiet about you/your stealing that car . . . "

Best of luck, - A.

Edit. [Sorry, CJ, I didn't see your post.]

Maybe I shouldn't have assumed you knew the person was guilty, but that's what it seemed like.

CalifJim · Answer

Edit. [Sorry, CJ, I didn't see your post.]

There's no need to apologize. Those with questions often like to see the solutions offered by a variety of repondants!

CJ

Stevenukd · Answer

Dear Teachers,

- Instead of saying "I have a high regard for your boss", can I say "I have great respect or I have great esteem for your boss" and are they the same meaning and common?

Thanks very much to Teachers,

Stevenukd.

Avangi · Answer

Hi Stevenukd,

I read "great esteem" and "high regard" as very close to the same in this usage. "Great respect" might fit the situation, but it often carries an aspect of fear, or "respect for one's position," where the others lean toward admiration of one's achievements.

"High regard" is probably the least common of the three. Last time I heard it was six years ago when an elderly gentleman said to me, "I've always held you in high regard," and I thought, "How quaint." I attributed it to his advanced years.

Regards, - A.

HIGH REGARD

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