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Thread: There is nothing bad to say it, and there is nothing bad in saying it.

  1. #1
    aachu's Avatar
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    Default There is nothing bad to say it, and there is nothing bad in saying it.

    Which of the following sentences is correct?

    1-There is nothing bad to say it.
    2-There is nothing bad in saying it.

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    Nicky_K is offline Junior Member
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    Default Re: There is nothing bad to say it, and there is nothing bad in saying it.

    Quote Originally Posted by aachu View Post
    Which of the following sentences is correct?

    1-There is nothing bad to say it.
    2-There is nothing bad in saying it.
    Hi,

    I suppose it's you again with the same question. But in this case both sentences sound ok. I need more context. But anyway the 2. one is, in my eyes, better. The 1. one would be 100% ok if you complete it e.g. 'There is nothing bad to say it that way' or opposite trim it 'There is nothing bad to say'...

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    Default Re: There is nothing bad to say it, and there is nothing bad in saying it.

    I'm not sure what the first one is supposed to mean.

    The second one seems to mean "You won't be criticized simply for expressing your opinion."

    I'm not sure if that's what you meant. You may have meant something like "It's so good that there is nothing bad you can say about it."
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    I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.

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    Default Re: There is nothing bad to say it, and there is nothing bad in saying it.

    1 is just wrong. I'm afraid Nicky_K's advice, like his/her English, is not reliable.. :

    b

    PS Conceivably 'There is nothing bad to say it' might be regarded as acceptable in an English-speaking expatriate community that has become inappropriately receptive to transliterations of foreign grammar. (When I came home from Spain I spoke a very stilted sort of English - local language norms are very catching. )
    Last edited by BobK; 07-Oct-2011 at 10:09. Reason: PS added
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    Default Re: There is nothing bad to say it, and there is nothing bad in saying it.

    Sorry, but I thought that e.g. in this context it could be appropriate:

    - I want to say to my girlfriend that I don't like she smokes, but I think it will ruin our relationship.

    - There is nothing bad to say it.


    Because you just use the same 'to say' twice.

    FYI: I did't mention that this sentence is 100% correct. I just said 'It sounds ok'

    If it's totally wrong I'm very sorry about it

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    Default Re: There is nothing bad to say it, and there is nothing bad in saying it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Nicky_K View Post
    Sorry, but I thought that e.g. in this context it could be appropriate:

    - I want to say to my girlfriend that I don't like she smokes, but I think it will ruin our relationship.

    - There is nothing bad to say it.


    Because you just use the same 'to say' twice.

    FYI: I did't mention that this sentence is 100% correct. I just said 'It sounds ok'

    If it's totally wrong I'm very sorry about it
    Not to worry (Now there's an idiomatic but strange to-infinitive!)

    b

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    Default Re: There is nothing bad to say it, and there is nothing bad in saying it.

    - I want to say to my girlfriend that I don't like she smokes, but I think it will ruin our relationship.

    I want to say to my girlfriend that I don't like her smoking...
    I want to say to my girlfriend that I don't like the fact that she smokes...

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    Default Re: There is nothing bad to say it, and there is nothing bad in saying it.

    Quote Originally Posted by BobK View Post
    When I came home from Spain I spoke a very stilted sort of English - local language norms are very catching. )
    "Important is that we realise it", as we expats in the Czech Republic have been heard to say.
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    Default Re: There is nothing bad to say it, and there is nothing bad in saying it.

    Quote Originally Posted by fivejedjon View Post
    "Important is that we realise it", as we expats in the Czech Republic have been heard to say.
    - [It spoils the joke rather, but not all students will be aware that 'Important is to...' is not generally accepted by native speakers as a variant of 'It is important to....'.]

    Quote Originally Posted by fivejedjon View Post
    - I want to say to my girlfriend that I don't like she smokes, but I think it will ruin our relationship.

    I want to say to my girlfriend that I don't like her smoking...
    I want to say to my girlfriend that I don't like the fact that she smokes...

    There's also 'I want her not to smoke', but this doesn't mean the same.

    b
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