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John Smith
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 9:58 pm
Post subject: Want / Must |
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Hello,
Recently, I've been told
"[To do this exercise properly] what you want to do is ...".
For me, it sounds a bit odd. I would have said
"if you want to do this exercise then you must do ..."
Is it possible to use sometimes "want" in the sense of "must" ?
Thanks,
JS
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John Hall
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 10:06 pm
Post subject: Re: Want / Must |
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In article <cm0dne$k6q$1@south.jnrs.ja.net>,
John Smith <user@example.net> writes:
| Quote: | Hello,
Recently, I've been told
"[To do this exercise properly] what you want to do is ...".
For me, it sounds a bit odd. I would have said
"if you want to do this exercise then you must do ..."
Is it possible to use sometimes "want" in the sense of "must" ?
|
I think that it's increasingly being used colloquially in that sense.
--
John Hall
"Sir, I have found you an argument;
but I am not obliged to find you an understanding."
Dr Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) |
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FB
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 10:07 pm
Post subject: Re: Want / Must |
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On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 16:58:38 +0100, John Smith wrote:
| Quote: | Hello,
Recently, I've been told
"[To do this exercise properly] what you want to do is ...".
For me, it sounds a bit odd. I would have said
"if you want to do this exercise then you must do ..."
Is it possible to use sometimes "want" in the sense of "must" ?
|
I think it means "need", "had better".
Bye, FB
--
Emily: "I'm going to Europe and I'm going to have a marvellous time. I'm
going to get up at ten and have two glasses of wine at lunch every single
day."
Richard: "Only prostitutes have two glasses of wine at lunch!"
(Gilmore Girls, 501)
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FB
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 3:58 am
Post subject: Re: Want / Must |
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On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 17:06:05 +0100, John Hall wrote:
| Quote: | In article <cm0dne$k6q$1@south.jnrs.ja.net>,
John Smith <user@example.net> writes:
Hello,
Recently, I've been told
"[To do this exercise properly] what you want to do is ...".
For me, it sounds a bit odd. I would have said
"if you want to do this exercise then you must do ..."
Is it possible to use sometimes "want" in the sense of "must" ?
I think that it's increasingly being used colloquially in that sense.
|
Meaning "must", not "need"?
Bye, FB
--
"The doctors found out that Bunbury could not live, that is what I meanˇXso
Bunbury died".
"He seems to have had great confidence in the opinion of his physicians".
("The Importance of Being Earnest", Oscar Wilde) |
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John Hall
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 3:55 pm
Post subject: Re: Want / Must |
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In article <1dzy47ook8sdj$.m2cc88pq16rg$.dlg@40tude.net>,
FB <fam.balducciNOSPAM@tin.it> writes:
| Quote: | On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 17:06:05 +0100, John Hall wrote:
In article <cm0dne$k6q$1@south.jnrs.ja.net>,
John Smith <user@example.net> writes:
Hello,
Recently, I've been told
"[To do this exercise properly] what you want to do is ...".
For me, it sounds a bit odd. I would have said
"if you want to do this exercise then you must do ..."
Is it possible to use sometimes "want" in the sense of "must" ?
I think that it's increasingly being used colloquially in that sense.
Meaning "must", not "need"?
|
Perhaps not, though the distinction between "must do" and "need to do"
in that sentence would be quite a fine one.
--
John Hall
"Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes."
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) |
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