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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Tried to see what happened

Here is a weekend athlete, and he strained a muscle while playing tennis on Sunday.

A doctor told him "Just stay away from the court for a couple of weeks."

Then, the athlete says:

"Oh, such is life. I finally got out and tried to exercise and look what happened."

I think the athlete meant that he had expected some reward by exercising, such as becoming healthy. He is kind of disappointed.

However, my English teacher says that he meant he moved his strained muscle to check how bad it was after playing tennis.

Which is the correct interrpetation?
  

Top answer

Your definition comes close, Rino, but neither - especially your teacher's - is totally correct. A "weekend athlete" is a person that exercises only at the weekend and can hardly be called an "athlete". Chances that such a person will injure himself or herself, especially if they are not careful and moderate in their approach to exercise, are greatly increased.

— JohnParis

  • Your definition comes close, Rino, but neither - especially your teacher's - is totally correct.
  • A "weekend athlete" is a person that exercises only at the weekend and can hardly be called an "athlete".
  • Chances that such a person will injure himself or herself, especially if they are not careful and moderate in their approach to exercise, are greatly increased.
  • His statement: " Oh, such is life.
  • I finally got out and tried to exercise and look what happened " is naively philosophical in and means: "well, that's how things go.
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7 Answers
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Your definition comes close, Rino, but neither - especially your teacher's - is totally correct.

A "weekend athlete" is a person that exercises only at the weekend and can hardly be called an "athlete".

Chances that such a person will injure himself or herself, especially if they are not careful and moderate in their approach to exercise, are greatly increased.

His state
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Thank you, John.

Is "look" connected to "tried to"?

Or, is it more accurate if it has a comma after "excercise" as below?

"I finally got out and tried to exercise, and look what happened."

Regards,

Rino
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The comma is used to add a pause in reading (or speaking) between thoughts. I wouldn’t use a comma here, but that just my opinion. There is no real rule.

John
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Actually, you're supposed to put a comma between two independent clauses, and the second clause is a complete imperative clause, so I'd definitely use the comma.
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Rino... my English teacher says that he meant he moved his strained muscle to check how bad it was after playing tennis.
No! That would be something like:

I finally got out and tried to exercise and (then) [look at / see] what happened.

Even that is not completely idiomatic, but it illustrates that 'look at' is necessary to con
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Thank you, John and Jim.

Now it is very clear.

The weekend athlete said "look what happened" to himself (and maybe the doctor or the world);

He didn't "try to look what happened," right?

Now the problem is how I tell it to my English teacher...

Rino
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Give him a link to this thread. Emotion: smile
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