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MrPernickety Posted 17 years ago
Vocabulary
Usage of "can't but"
Hi,
I've known this expression: "he can't help but wonder", but recently I came across this one:
"one can't but assume".
After some deliberation, I took the latter expression to mean "one can't help but assume"
Do you agree ?
Do you use the latter expression alongside the former expression in day-to-day speech?
Thanks !
I've known this expression: "he can't help but wonder", but recently I came across this one:
"one can't but assume".
After some deliberation, I took the latter expression to mean "one can't help but assume"
Do you agree ?
Do you use the latter expression alongside the former expression in day-to-day speech?
Thanks !
Top answer
e. "one can't do anything except assume". "can't but...
- e.
- "one can't do anything except assume".
- "can't but...
- " (in this sense) is not very common in my experience, and it's not a form of words I'd be likely to use.
- ".
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3 Answers
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Yes, that's how I understand it -- i.e. "one can't do anything except assume".
"can't but... " (in this sense) is not very common in my experience, and it's not a form of words I'd be likely to use. If I wanted to say something along these lines then I'd use "can't help but...".
"can't but... " (in this sense) is not very common in my experience, and it's not a form of words I'd be likely to use. If I wanted to say something along these lines then I'd use "can't help but...".
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MrPernicketyAfter some deliberation, I took the latter expression to mean "one can't help but assume"Yes. That's the meaning.
Do you agree ?
MrPernicketyDo you use the latter expression alongside the former expression in day-to-day speech?No. can't but reminds me of Dickens, who died more than
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Hi,
"can't but" should not be taken in the way people have. It can never refer to "one can't help but assume".
Amongst the usages of "BUT", we have it's very distinctive usage which is as conjucntion - "ONLY". Thus in this scenario, when you have to write as "one can't but assume", it becomes eventually "one can't only assume", and inevitably one needs more data to be
"can't but" should not be taken in the way people have. It can never refer to "one can't help but assume".
Amongst the usages of "BUT", we have it's very distinctive usage which is as conjucntion - "ONLY". Thus in this scenario, when you have to write as "one can't but assume", it becomes eventually "one can't only assume", and inevitably one needs more data to be
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