is done=finish always?

[ostap77]

Does "to be done" alway take the gerund or it may take a noun as well?

"I think Kate is right. Frank is done good work. The last version of the sauce is pretty durn good." So I take it "is done" means as usuall "finished". I thought "to be done" might take a gerund not a "real" noun "work","studies" etc.?

[birdeen's call]

You need "with" between "be done" and a noun. In the sentence

I'm done with school.

"I'm done" means the same as "I'm finished" would mean.

But I don't think that's what you want in your sentence, am I right? I think you want to say,

Frank has done good work.

The meaning of this sentence is literal. The sentence

Frank is done with good work.

is grammatical, but it wouldn't make sense in the given context in my opinion.

[ostap77]

You need "with" between "be done" and a noun. In the sentence

I'm done with school.

"I'm done" means the same as "I'm finished" would mean.

By I don't think that's what you want in your sentence, am I right? I think you want to say,

Frank has done good work.

The meaning of this sentence is literal. The sentence

Frank is done with good work.

is grammatical, but it wouldn't make sense in the given context in my opinion.

We may well use "to be done" without "with". "I'll be done writing a report when you come back." I was wondering if it's possible to say like this "I'm done work" instead of "I'm done working."?

[birdeen's call]

As I said, no. We don't have to use "with" before gerunds, but we do before regular nouns like "work".

[birdeen's call]

Here's what Google gives about the dialectal usage: Language Log: "Be done" again

[ostap77]

Here's what google gives about the dialectal usage: Language Log: "Be done" again

Thanks a bunch for this comment.

[2006]

Does "to be done" alway take the gerund no
I am done with that.


or may it take a noun as well? Infrequently it can.
So far we have done Math and Chemistry. (here "done" = studied or taken an exam)

"I think Kate is right. Frank is done good work.
Frank has done good work.

The last version of the sauce is pretty darn good." This sentence has nothing to do with "done".

So I take it "is done" means as usuall "finished". yes

I thought "to be done" might take a gerund not a "real" noun "work","studies" etc.? usually yes
I am done (with) shopping there. (= I am not going to shop there any more)

2006

[birdeen's call]

Thanks a bunch for this comment.

You're welcome.

[ostap77]

2006

You haven't come across this spelling "durn"? Would this use be considered uneducated or dilect "- "I'm finally done the laundry" in Kanata, Ontario"?

[birdeen's call]

You haven't come across this spelling "durn"? Would this use be considered uneducated or dilect "- "I'm finally done the laundry" in Kanata, Ontario"?

It is dialectal. Any educated English speaker would consider it such, be they in Kanata, Ontario or Shanghai, China. It would also be considered uneducated by many educated English speakers. I've never been to Kanata though, so it's hard to say for sure what they think about it.

As for "durn", why would you choose a less common version?