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ILE Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Very dreadfully nervous I HAD BEEN and AM.

If someone says "Very dreadfully nervous I had been and am.", I'm guessing the speaker once worried about something in the past. Then he stopped worrying (maybe because the issue had been resolved or something). Then for some reason the anxiety developed again at the present time.

Argh........ I'm at a loss now.

Please help Emotion: smile.

Thanks.

Isabelle
  

Top answer

Your tense analysis is correct, but it is not a likely interpretation of what the speaker meant. I suspect that the speaker means that s/he has been very nervous for some time now.

— Mister Micawber

  • Your tense analysis is correct, but it is not a likely interpretation of what the speaker meant.
  • I suspect that the speaker means that s/he has been very nervous for some time now.
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4 Answers
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Your tense analysis is correct, but it is not a likely interpretation of what the speaker meant. I suspect that the speaker means that s/he has been very nervous for some time now.
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I see. Thanks, Mr. Micawber.

In other words, the speaker is emphasizing his feeling "stylistically"? I believe it's more common for us to say "Very dreadfully nervous I has been" to make thing clearer and easier for others, right?

Isabelle
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Well, it certainly cannot be 'I has', but anyway, a normal way to say that is 'I've been very dreadfully nervous for the last few days/months/years'.
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I'm sorry, Mr. Micawber. It was a serious typo! I meant to say I've been. Emotion: embarrassed

I shouldn't have called it a typo. Proba
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