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HSS Posted 17 years ago
1) I didn't trust myself to respond.
Does this mean "I didn't believe I could respond in a proper way" or "I didn't think I would repond"? Which is close in meaning, or does this mean anything else?
2) I ran a hand over my face.
Isn't "I ran my hand over my face" a more idiomatic way?
3) We didn't have that long to go.
How would you paraphrase this? Is "long" a noun here, or an adverb? Is this a "have to" construction with "that long" splitting "have" and "to"?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Hiro/ Sendai, Japan
Grammar
Trust oneself to Do, Run a Hand, Have Long to Do
Hi!
"It was my first time. I'll never forget it, and in its own way, it will always be special to me. What happened between us was beautiful."
I didn't trust myself to respond, and after a moment, she seemed to collect herself. Leaning forwar, she asked, "When you found out that I had married Tim, what did you think?"
I waited to answer, wanting to choose my words with care. "My first thought was that in a way, it made sense. He's been in love with you for years. I knew that from the moment I met him." I ran a hand over my face. "After that, I felt ... conflicted. I was glad that you picked someone like him, because he's a nice guy and you two have a lot in common, but then I was just ... sad. We didn't have that long to go. I would have been out of the army for almost two years now."
1) I didn't trust myself to respond.
Does this mean "I didn't believe I could respond in a proper way" or "I didn't think I would repond"? Which is close in meaning, or does this mean anything else?
2) I ran a hand over my face.
Isn't "I ran my hand over my face" a more idiomatic way?
3) We didn't have that long to go.
How would you paraphrase this? Is "long" a noun here, or an adverb? Is this a "have to" construction with "that long" splitting "have" and "to"?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Hiro/ Sendai, Japan
Top answer
Hi, 1) I didn't trust myself to respond. I was reluctant to respond because I felt that, if I responded, I would lose control of myself and of my emotions. eg I might lose my temper.
- Hi, 1) I didn't trust myself to respond.
- I was reluctant to respond because I felt that, if I responded, I would lose control of myself and of my emotions.
- eg I might lose my temper.
- Does this mean "I didn't believe I could respond in a proper way" or "I didn't think I would repond"?
- Which is close in meaning, or does this mean anything else?
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4 Answers
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Hi,
1) I didn't trust myself to respond. I was reluctant to respond because I felt that, if I responded, I would lose control of myself and of my emotions. eg I might lose my temper.
Does this mean "I didn't believe I could respond in a proper way" or "I didn't think I would repond"? Which is close in meaning, or does this mean anything else?
2) I ran a hand over my fac
1) I didn't trust myself to respond. I was reluctant to respond because I felt that, if I responded, I would lose control of myself and of my emotions. eg I might lose my temper.
Does this mean "I didn't believe I could respond in a proper way" or "I didn't think I would repond"? Which is close in meaning, or does this mean anything else?
2) I ran a hand over my fac
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Would you then say, "We don't have too long to go," or "We don't have too much long to go"? If "long" is a noun, then it should be "too much long," but it doesn't sound all right to my ear.
Hiro/ Sendai, Japan
Hiro/ Sendai, Japan
00
Hi,
Would you then say, "We don't have too long to go," or "We don't have too much long to go"? The former.
If "long" is a noun, then it should be "too much long," but it doesn't sound all right to my ear. True.
I tried to show a little uncertainty in what I said before. Such words can be a bit hard to classify.
My dictionary gives these examples of 'long' as a noun
Would you then say, "We don't have too long to go," or "We don't have too much long to go"? The former.
If "long" is a noun, then it should be "too much long," but it doesn't sound all right to my ear. True.
I tried to show a little uncertainty in what I said before. Such words can be a bit hard to classify.
My dictionary gives these examples of 'long' as a noun
00
Hi, Clive.
You are quite right, and I didn't deny ( and I can't because I'm a non-native speaker of English
) that it may be a n
You are quite right, and I didn't deny ( and I can't because I'm a non-native speaker of English
) that it may be a n0
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