John is nervous around/with Mary.

You can't be nervous with someone, only around someone.

A Cornish PastyYou can't be nervous with someone, only around someone.

Thanks, Pasty.

But I still have some doubt.

It's ok to say "John is angry with Mary," but why isn't it all right to say "John is nervous with Mary."

By the way, is it ok to say "John is nervous whenever he is with Mary?"

Hi Angliholic,

I"ve been enjoying Cornish Pasty's responses, but on this one, I disagree. If he is nervous with someone, he is nervous whenever he is with her, around her. I have the same sense as you, but it does sound better to say "when he is with" not just "with."

Here's another little thing:

Being something with someone means that you are feeling something because of the other person; it is their fault.

John is angry with Mary - it is Mary's fault that John is angry with her; Mary is directly involved.

But it is not Mary's fault that John is nervous around her.

John is nervous, independant from Mary, so we use around not with. Mary is indirectly invol

Hi Grammar Geek, I agree that you can say "he is nervous when he is with her", but I meant you can't say "he is nervous with her", as a sentence on its own. Perhaps I should have included the "when he is with her" example too :-)

Regards

On a totally unrelated subject, when I was in England, I thought the pasties were delicious! But I never new if they wer "paste-y" or "past-y" in pronunciation.

Grammar GeekHi Angliholic,

I"ve been enjoying Cornish Pasty's responses, but on this one, I disagree. If he is nervous with someone, he is nervous whenever he is with her, around her. I have the same sense as you, but it does sound better to say "when he is with" not just "with."

Here's another little thing:

A Cornish PastyHi Grammar Geek, I agree that you can say "he is nervous when he is with her", but I meant you can't say "he is nervous with her", as a sentence on its own. Perhaps I should have included the "when he is with her" example too :-)

Regards

Thanks, Pasty.

Got it.

Past-y , glad you liked them :-)

It is sometimes misspelled as pastie, but a "Cornish Paste-y" gives me the impression of a Cornishman who needs to spend some time under the sun

Or an exotic dancer who needs to keep things covered up a bit more than her costume allows!