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Matt Shepherd
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 12:01 am
Post subject: "I almost forgot." |
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Is that actually good English? I've been trying to figure out if you can
"almost forget" in the past tense, because logically you had forgotten until
you ceased to forget (or remembered).
--
Matthew Shepherd
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Mike Lyle
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 12:01 am
Post subject: Re: "I almost forgot." |
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Matt Shepherd wrote:
| Quote: | Is that actually good English? I've been trying to figure out if
you
can "almost forget" in the past tense, because logically you had
forgotten until you ceased to forget (or remembered).
|
Well, people also say "I nearly didn't remember" if you feel more
comfortable with that. Perhaps "I almost forgot" is a sort of
prolepsis, being equivalent to "I was nearly in the position of
having forgotten at the time when it would have been too late".
Mike. |
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Mark Barratt
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 12:01 am
Post subject: Re: "I almost forgot." |
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Matt Shepherd wrote:
| Quote: | Is that actually good English? I've been trying to figure out
if you can "almost forget" in the past tense, because logically
you had forgotten until you ceased to forget (or remembered).
|
It's perfectly natural English, used when you remember something
just in time. I suppose it's actually an abbreviation of "I
almost forgot to XXX before YYY", e.g. "I almost forgot to tell
you before I left...". It isn't like "almost pregnant" or
something, although it might appear so.
--
Mark Barratt
Budapest
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CyberCypher
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 6:01 am
Post subject: Re: "I almost forgot." |
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Matt Shepherd wrote on 19 Nov 2004:
| Quote: | Is that actually good English? I've been trying to figure out if
you can "almost forget" in the past tense, because logically you
had forgotten until you ceased to forget (or remembered).
Anything that's idiomatic is automatically good English even if it can |
be attacked for incorrect grammar or illogical semantics. Good English
is what we say it is, not what some rule books claim it ought to be.
--
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor
For email, replace numbers with English alphabet. |
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Nell
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 6:02 am
Post subject: Re: "I almost forgot." |
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CyberCypher wrote:
| Quote: | Matt Shepherd wrote on 19 Nov 2004:
Is that actually good English? I've been trying to figure out if
you can "almost forget" in the past tense, because logically you
had forgotten until you ceased to forget (or remembered).
Anything that's idiomatic is automatically good English even if it can
be attacked for incorrect grammar or illogical semantics. Good English
is what we say it is, not what some rule books claim it ought to be.
|
Idiomatic almost equals idiotic if it's picked at. Most idioms can't be
translated word for word to another language because they make no sense,
or worse, mean something completely different. I teased someone in
Spanish by mistakenly translating an English idiom word for word and
ended up insulting his honor. Ouch. I don't recall now what it was (30
years will do that) but his reaction I do remember. Vividly.
Nell |
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don groves
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 6:02 am
Post subject: Re: "I almost forgot." |
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In article <57udnagwKtCe9gDcRVn-pw@comcast.com>, Nell at
mildredskidnospam_atall@comcast.net exposited:
| Quote: | CyberCypher wrote:
Matt Shepherd wrote on 19 Nov 2004:
Is that actually good English? I've been trying to figure out if
you can "almost forget" in the past tense, because logically you
had forgotten until you ceased to forget (or remembered).
Anything that's idiomatic is automatically good English even if it can
be attacked for incorrect grammar or illogical semantics. Good English
is what we say it is, not what some rule books claim it ought to be.
Idiomatic almost equals idiotic if it's picked at. Most idioms can't be
translated word for word to another language because they make no sense,
or worse, mean something completely different. I teased someone in
Spanish by mistakenly translating an English idiom word for word and
ended up insulting his honor. Ouch. I don't recall now what it was (30
years will do that) but his reaction I do remember. Vividly.
|
Very dangerous, as you found out, to use verbatum translations.
Sign in the rooms of a Tokyo hotel: "Please take advantage of the
Chambermaid".
--
dg (domain=ccwebster) |
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Stan Brown
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 6:02 am
Post subject: Re: "I almost forgot." |
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"Matt Shepherd" <matthewshepherd@hotmail.com> wrote in
alt.usage.english:
| Quote: | Is that actually good English? I've been trying to figure out if you can
"almost forget" in the past tense, because logically you had forgotten until
you ceased to forget (or remembered).
|
It's idiomatic for "I forgot for a moment, but now I've remembered
again."
--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/
"And if you're afraid of butter, which many people are nowa-
days, (long pause) you just put in cream." --Julia Child |
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Donna Richoux
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 12:02 pm
Post subject: Re: "I almost forgot." |
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Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:
| Quote: | "Matt Shepherd" <matthewshepherd@hotmail.com> wrote in
alt.usage.english:
Is that actually good English? I've been trying to figure out if you can
"almost forget" in the past tense, because logically you had forgotten until
you ceased to forget (or remembered).
It's idiomatic for "I forgot for a moment, but now I've remembered
again."
|
And the "almost" says something about the relative timing, doesn't it?
"I've remembered just now, just in time. I came close to continuing to
forget, through this crucial moment."
I almost finished -- I came close to finishing, at that time.
I almost died -- I came close to dying, at that time.
I almost forgot -- I came close to forgetting, at the moment that
counted.
What happened before that moment, whether you had been conscious of the
thing for most of your life, or very little of it, is not the point.
(Forgetting things -- my kind of subject.)
--
Best -- Donna Richoux |
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Matt Shepherd
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 12:01 am
Post subject: Re: "I almost forgot." |
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"CyberCypher" <cybercypher@19-16-25-13-01-03.com> wrote in message
news:Xns95A651018C6F8cctxt2002@130.133.1.4...
| Quote: | Matt Shepherd wrote on 19 Nov 2004:
Is that actually good English? I've been trying to figure out if
you can "almost forget" in the past tense, because logically you
had forgotten until you ceased to forget (or remembered).
Anything that's idiomatic is automatically good English even if it can
be attacked for incorrect grammar or illogical semantics. Good English
is what we say it is, not what some rule books claim it ought to be.
I agree entirely. I just thought of that on the bus ride to work this |
morning and was sort of funnin' with it. |
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Charles Riggs
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 6:02 pm
Post subject: Re: "I almost forgot." |
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On 18 Nov 2004 23:57:42 GMT, CyberCypher
<cybercypher@19-16-25-13-01-03.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Matt Shepherd wrote on 19 Nov 2004:
Is that actually good English? I've been trying to figure out if
you can "almost forget" in the past tense, because logically you
had forgotten until you ceased to forget (or remembered).
Anything that's idiomatic is automatically good English even if it can
be attacked for incorrect grammar or illogical semantics.
|
Acceptable English, but not necessarily good English. Good English
originates from good writers and speakers, not from Joe Blow. Joe Blow
writes, by definition of the Joe Blows, only average quality English.
| Quote: | Good English
is what we say it is, not what some rule books claim it ought to be.
|
I could issue a non sequitur alert or I could ask, "we" can't write
rule books?
--
Charles Riggs
They are no accented letters in my email address |
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CyberCypher
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 12:01 am
Post subject: Re: "I almost forgot." |
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Charles Riggs wrote on 21 Nov 2004:
| Quote: | On 18 Nov 2004 23:57:42 GMT, CyberCypher
cybercypher@19-16-25-13-01-03.com> wrote:
Matt Shepherd wrote on 19 Nov 2004:
Is that actually good English? I've been trying to figure out if
you can "almost forget" in the past tense, because logically you
had forgotten until you ceased to forget (or remembered).
Anything that's idiomatic is automatically good English even if it
can be attacked for incorrect grammar or illogical semantics.
Acceptable English, but not necessarily good English. Good English
originates from good writers and speakers, not from Joe Blow. Joe
Blow writes, by definition of the Joe Blows, only average quality
English.
Good English
is what we say it is, not what some rule books claim it ought to
be.
I could issue a non sequitur alert or I could ask, "we" can't
write rule books?
|
I'm just imitating the grammer genius.
--
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor
For email, replace numbers with English alphabet. |
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