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Navitasan Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Not standing by

Are these sentences correct:

1-He wasn't a real friend, not helping me when it was so easy for him to do so.

2-Not helping me when it was so easy for him to do so, he wasn't a real friend.

3-He wasn't a real friend, not standing by, watching me get beaten up without lifting a finger.

3 is supposed to mean, '... not when he stands by and watches me get beaten...' I think this could be used in spoken English if 'not' is accentuated.

I don't know why I don't like 2. Logically it is the same as 1.

I have the feeling that 2 is telling us he wasn't a real friend at that point in time, while 1 is telling us 'sience he didn't help me... then he wasn't a real friend.'
  

Top answer

navitasan Are these sentences correct: 1-He wasn't a real friend, not helping me when it was so easy for him to do so. 2-Not helping me when it was so easy for him to do so, he wasn't a real friend. 3-He wasn't a real friend, not standing by, watching me get beaten up without lifting a finger.

— CalifJim

  • navitasan Are these sentences correct: 1-He wasn't a real friend, not helping me when it was so easy for him to do so.
  • 2-Not helping me when it was so easy for him to do so, he wasn't a real friend.
  • 3-He wasn't a real friend, not standing by, watching me get beaten up without lifting a finger.
  • The third is not correct.
  • The first two may be correct, but they are awkward and unidiomatic.
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1 Answers
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navitasanAre these sentences correct:
1-He wasn't a real friend, not helping me when it was so easy for him to do so.
2-Not helping me when it was so easy for him to do so, he wasn't a real friend.
3-He wasn't a real friend, not standing by, watching me get beaten up without lifting a finger.
The third is not correct. The first two may be correct,
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