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Navitasan Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

I only regret him

1) Of all the lovers I had, I only regret James.

Can't this sentence mean three things:
a) They are all dead, but I regret James only.
b) I regret breaking up with James, but not with any of the others.
c) They are all dead, but I only regret James.

Gratefully,
Navi.
  

Top answer

I don't know why you think they are dead. They are simply no longer in a relationship with you. It means you were happy to have been in a relationship with all of them except one.

— BarbaraPA

  • I don't know why you think they are dead.
  • They are simply no longer in a relationship with you.
  • It means you were happy to have been in a relationship with all of them except one.
  • You wish you had not been with James.
  • The others were apparently good relationships.
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3 Answers
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I don't know why you think they are dead. They are simply no longer in a relationship with you. It means you were happy to have been in a relationship with all of them except one. You wish you had not been with James. The others were apparently good relationships.
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Thank you very much Barbara,

Well, I wasn't sure of my interpretations, but I thought you generally regret the loss of something. Now the loss is not really defined in the sentence.

Let us say I say:
2) I regret my grandfather.

Wouldn't you think that I regret the fact that he has passed?

Gratefully,
Navi.
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navitasanWouldn't you think that I regret the fact that he has passed?
No. eg.
I regret that my grandfather is a notorious assassin who will spend the rest of his life in prison.
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