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Thread: for again
- 28-Jun-2004, 12:16 #1
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Teacher
for again Is this sentence correct:
1-I didn't say the truth for you.
Could this have two meanings:
a-I did say the truth, but not for you
and
b-In order to help you, I didn't say the truth.
(This is a follow-up on the question I asked a while ago)
- 28-Jun-2004, 13:54 #2
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Can one say that?
I would say "I didn't tell you the truth".
FRC
- 28-Jun-2004, 17:30 #3
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Threadstarter / Original PosterTeacher That's not what I meant. I meant, I didn't tell the truth to him (them, her) for you. It doesn't matter to whom I didn't say it. Maybe I didn't say it to you for you.
Take:
I didn't tell him the truth for you.
- 28-Jun-2004, 17:39 #4
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Teacher That would be clearer as "I didn't tell him the truth for your benefit." or
Originally Posted by navi tasan
"I told him the truth for his benefit, not yours."
- 28-Jun-2004, 17:59 #5
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Threadstarter / Original PosterTeacher Thanks Mike,
How about:
It was for you that I didn't tell him the truth.
and:
It wasn't for you that I told him the truth.
- 28-Jun-2004, 18:08 #6
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Sorry for my misunderstanding.
Your two latest sentences seem fine.
FRC
- 28-Jun-2004, 18:09 #7
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Teacher Those are a little better, but the "for you" part could still be clearer. Originally Posted by navi tasan
- 28-Jun-2004, 20:00 #8
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How about:
- I lied for you.
Or:
- I didn't lie for you. (It was for another reason.)
:wink:
- 28-Jun-2004, 20:13 #9
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I buy Ron's sentences.
FRC
- 28-Jun-2004, 22:57 #10
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Threadstarter / Original PosterTeacher Thanks RonBee,
That is the problem in a way. Lying isn't the opposite of saying the truth!
I kept silent for you.
I refrained from speaking the truth for you.
I talked about something else and avoided addressing the issue altogether for you.
But, at the end of the day, the conclusion seems to be that in English I can say:
I did something for somebody;
I did something for somebody to be able to do something else
bit when I say:
I didn't do something for...
the ambiguity becomes annoying. Nobody says straight out it is wrong, but nobody likes that structure.
