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10-Jul-2006, 06:00
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| | time’s a-flying Hi;
I wanna know whether this structure is right or not? “ time’s a-flying “
Thanks & regards, | 
10-Jul-2006, 06:45
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| | Re: time’s a-flying If you're writing dialog in a particular dialect, such as from the perspective of someone from the American South or maybe a farmer or cowboy, then it's correct. | 
11-Jul-2006, 04:12
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| | Re: time’s a-flying Quote: |
Originally Posted by Ouisch If you're writing dialog in a particular dialect, such as from the perspective of someone from the American South or maybe a farmer or cowboy, then it's correct. | hi dear Ouisch ,
this is the exact sentence of "Rabindranath Tagore" story "A wrong man in workers' paradise". | 
11-Jul-2006, 07:56
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| | Re: time’s a-flying It's OK- we use a-...ing sometimes | 
11-Jul-2006, 08:01
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| | Re: time’s a-flying Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol It's OK- we use a-...ing sometimes | I've met such a construction several times (e.g., in O Brother, Where Art Thou). What's the meaning of this construction?
Thanks,
Nyggus | 
11-Jul-2006, 17:08
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| | Re: time’s a-flying Quote: |
Originally Posted by nyggus I've met such a construction several times (e.g., in O Brother, Where Art Thou). What's the meaning of this construction?
Thanks,
Nyggus  | Again, it's a matter of dialect. O Brother was set in the Deep South, where they often speak like that: "Hurricane's a-coming." Truly cynical people would say it's because folks in that region are lazy and it takes less effort (and less words) to say "hurricane's a-coming" versus "There is a hurricane approaching." | 
11-Jul-2006, 23:36
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| | Re: time’s a-flying There is an interesting history behind the a...ing form. English speakers have been using it for hundreds of years. Today, however, its usage is considered archaic or dialectal. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes | Linear Mode |
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