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Wholegrain Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

What does for mean here? (difficult question)?

They wanted action but Martin wasn't listening to them or to her senior policy staff, who were anxious for her to reveal a plan to take over the world.

I think for means "because of", but I am not sure. Can you confirm this?
  

Top answer

Hi, They wanted action but Martin wasn't listening to them or to her senior policy staff, who were anxious for her to reveal a plan to take over the world. I think for means "because of", but I am not sure. Can you confirm this?

— Clive

  • Hi, They wanted action but Martin wasn't listening to them or to her senior policy staff, who were anxious for her to reveal a plan to take over the world.
  • I think for means "because of", but I am not sure.
  • Can you confirm this?
  • No, not right.
  • Generally speaking, if you are anxious for someone to do something , it means you are waiting impatiently for them to do it.
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6 Answers
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Hi,

They wanted action but Martin wasn't listening to them or to her senior policy staff, who were anxious for her to reveal a plan to take over the world.


I think for means "because of", but I am not sure. Can you confirm this?


No, not right.

Generally speaking, if you are anxious for someone to do something, it means you are waiting im
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Thank you. Is it an idiom though? Because I can't find a matching definition in the dictionary.
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Definition from www.m-w.com for anxious: ardently or earnestly wishing <anxious to learn more>
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I meant a definition for the word "for". I seriously know what the sentence mean now, but can't figure out what "for" means exactly.
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for her to reveal = that she reveals
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wholegrainfor her to reveal = that she reveals
Hi, wholegrain.

To my ear, this is subjunctive, and uses the opposite ending.
I was anxious that she reveal her whereabouts = I was anxious for her to reveal her whereabouts.

I know it's not "that she reveals," but I'm not sure of the particular category of subjunctive.
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