last / continue / go on

Question

Hi,As always after interacting with any of my foreign friends, I'm having a hard time expressing myself verbally. Consider the following example:"The humidity level had been unusually high for the past few days. I felt if it lasted / continued / went on any longer, I would grow fins and mutate into a fish."My first instinct was to use the verb "last". Then, I ran a Google search and only found 7 pages of results for the phrase "if it lasted any longer" and 1 result for "felt if it lasted any longer". Strange... At first, it seemed like a perfectly natural thing to say... Then again, it's entirely possible that the areas of my brain devoted to verbal processing are "malfunctioning". I've been struggling for the last 4-5 days to keep my mind from degenerating any further... For this reason, I would appreciate if you could point out any mistakes (of any nature) you may find in this post.As long as I'm talking about the verb "last", one of my non-English-speaking friends said something that sounded a bit odd to my ears the other day. He said: "You will have to tolerate it (referring to a situation) for the time it lasts." I could be wrong, but it doesn't sound very idiomatic to me. Then again, maybe it is... I guess I won't be able to tell until my verbal skills and instincts are "functional" again.

Annvan · Accepted Answer

"... lasted/ continued/ went onany longer..." are all absolutely fine!

Don't let google searches cause you to doubt your own verbal fluency!

And if your friend had said "You will have to put up with it for as long as it lasts" - that might have sounded a bit more natural.

Don't worry - your verbal skills and instincts are already functional!

MarvinTheMartian · Answer

AnnvanAnd if your friend had said "You will have to put up with it for as long as it lasts" - that might have sounded a bit more natural.

Indeed, it does sound more natural. Thanks. This will no doubt help me adjust my "language parameters". Now that I think of it, he used the phrase "for the time it lasts" quite a lot, which is probably what got me so confused in the first place. As I recall, he also said something along the lines of "It will seem great for the time it lasts but then it will become worse." I can't seem to remember the exact context in which he said that. I believe he was giving me financial advice regarding a certain banking plan. I assume he meant to say "At first, it may seem great, but it will only get worse (in the long run)." Offhand, I can't think of a substitute for "at first"... I suppose "while it lasts" would also work here... Any suggestions?

AnnvanDon't worry - your verbal skills and instincts are already functional!

Thanks, but this is far from being the case. Language-wise, I guess I could be described as the opposite of a dyslexic person. While I have no trouble reading or spelling, I often find myself unable to put my thoughts into words, more often than not due to outside interference (i.e. my friends' bad English, etc.) It's as if my brain only worked one way: it converts language into thoughts with no difficulty, but not the other way around... It's quite baffling. Sometimes, it gets so bad that, when asked about my native language, I simply answer "I don't have one", which, come to think of it, isn't so far from the truth...

Annvan · Answer

Substitutes for "at first", e.g. initially, to begin/start with, in/at the beginning.
"While it lasts" also fits here, though it has a different meaning, I think.

From how you write I certainly don't get the impression you have trouble 'converting thoughts into language'! May I ask - what's your nationality, the countries you have lived in, any other languages you speak, what country do you live in now, and what language do your (non-native English) friends speak?

MarvinTheMartian · Answer

Thanks for your interest, Annvan!

To answer your first question, I'm from a region of Canada where English-speakers like myself are marginalized and ostracized. As much as I would like to assimilate myself to the local populace and become a fully-functioning member of society, I cannot. Every time I've tried to acquire a second language, my efforts have been met with catastrophic results. When I tried to learn conversational French a few years ago, I ended up not being able to form sentences for a year! I'm not kidding you. For a year, I had to resort to a combination of signs, grunts and moans to communicate. Likewise, when I'm exposed to unidiomatic or broken English for an extended period (which occurs whenever I hang out with non-native English speakers), I lose some of my proficiency, often forcing me to re-learn the basics of my own language! It's such a drag! To you, I may sound eloquent, but believe me: it's only a temporary state. Before long, I will have to endure the same cycle I've been going through since I was a child: I will lose my verbal skills, then slowly regain them, then lose them again, and so on... Unless I take some drastic measures and sever all links with the outside world, it's likely I'll be like this until my dying day... I've been seeing neurologists and psychologists about my difficulties with language since as long as I can remember. So far, there seems to be no permanent solution to my problem.

To answer your other question, my friends and acquaintances are from very diverse ethnic backgrounds and extractions: French, Austrian, Lebanese, Algerian, Pakistani, Chinese, etc. Some of them are very interesting people... It's a shame I have to limit my contact with them. Then again, I have no choice... It's either my social life or my sanity. I can't have both.

What about you? What's your ethnicity? I see you are an English teacher. Is English your native language?

Annvan · Answer

Dear MarvinTheMartian, whoever you are and whatever your struggles - one thing's for sure, as far as I'm concerned: You're a writer!

Yes, English is my native language. Born in London, England 48 years ago, my father was English (though born and raised in India), my mother is from New Zealand. I've lived just over half my life in either Holland or the Philippines - so I can identify with that feeling of being slightly(!) 'befuddled' in one's English at times...

Ann

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