isolated sentences and context

Status
Not open for further replies.

ripley

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Italian
Home Country
Italy
Current Location
Italy
Hi; at first I decided to write the text dividing it into sentences for correction, but then I understood that without the the links the correction may not be complete; so I decided to show you the whole text. I hope someone can help.:oops: A friend of mine wrote it and I told her I would ask my teachers on line to check it.:cool:
Thanks.
Rip


"Here I am, I feel you, my passion is starting out. Talk to me, I was born to live, to have you now. There’s only us, me and you.
Now please have me as you have always done; give me those shivers I like and need so much.
You are the drug I have always wanted.
You stay there in front of me; look at me and listen to me. I’m here to make you feel and let you know my emotions.
I’m here for you. It's you who give me the strength to stand up every day, to be really what I am.
 

tzfujimino

Key Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2007
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Japanese
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
Hello.
Those words are too passionate for me.:oops:
I understand the strong messages they convey.
However, I'm not really sure if they are natural or not. Please wait for native speakers to reply.
Is your friend writing a story or...?
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Hardly my cup of tea. I've bolded the parts that sound wrong to me.

"Here I am, I feel you , my passion is starting out. Talk to me, I was born to live [were any of us not?], to have you now [sounds like a stalker - try "be with you"]. There’s only us, me and you.
Now please have me as you have always done; give me those shivers I like and need so much. [sounds sexual, which could be okay in this context]
You are the drug I have always wanted. [Probably the best line in the paragraph]
You stay there in front of me; look at me and listen to me. [Are these commands or descriptions? Commands are weird. Maybe using continuous would be better. You are standing HERE (not there) in front of me, looking at me and listening to me.]
I’m here to make you feel [make you feel what?] and let you know my emotions. [Must you?]
I’m here for you. [This one doesn't fit. The entire rest of it is how "you" make "me" feel and then you suddently say something about yourself and doing something for them. ] It's you who give me the strength to stand up every day, to be really what I am.

I'm one of the "it's you who gives me..." people instead of "you who give me" people. You'll find arguements for both.
 

ripley

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Italian
Home Country
Italy
Current Location
Italy
I think she is writing a kind of song which is also a message to her boyfriend. She is a singer but we are Italian and so we would like to know if those sentences sound natural to a native speaker' s ear. if they don't, I'd like to know how to make them better trying to remain faithful to the original message.;-)
I didn't think those words were too passionate, I'm sorry. For us Italians they aren't too hot.:-o
 

SoothingDave

VIP Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
"You who give" sounds wrong to me, too.
 

ripley

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Italian
Home Country
Italy
Current Location
Italy
Thanks Barb-D,
What can I say instead of "I feel you" (Depeche Mode said" I feel you, Your sun it shines , I feel you
Within my mind") and "my passion is starting out?" ( I mean my passion is exploding, but I'd like be more delicate and give the idea of a sort of engine which is starting up);
I was born to live you. Sorry I forgot to write the word you.
I'm here to make you feel my emotions and let you know may emotions . Should I repeat the words emotions twice?
Why doesn't "I'm here for you"" fit? I mean I' m here because I want to be with you, I don't mean I want to do you a favour.;-)
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
My problem with the "I'm here for you line" is that everything else is "You make me feel this. You make me feel that. I feel this when I'm with you. I feel that when I think of you." It's all about the person writing this. Then suddenly, and not even as the last line, it says "Oh, and by the way, if you should need something, I'm here for you too." It's a complete (and temporary) change of focus from how this other person affects you to what you'll do for this other person.

My feelings for you grow stronger every day - is better than exploding (ick!) and "starting out" (too tame).
I have no idea what to say instead of "I was born to live you." It makes no sense. Just delete it.
I need you to know my feelings for you, perhaps.
 

ripley

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Italian
Home Country
Italy
Current Location
Italy
Hi Barb- D,
By "I'm here for you" is meant "I'm here because I need to stay with you", not because I want to support you.
Should one say "I'm here because of you"?
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
"I'm here for you" means "If you need me, I am here." It absolutley conveys the idea of you being there to support her/him.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Without wishing to sound like I'm trying to avoid answering the question - song lyrics hardly ever worry about grammar or whether the words sound natural. The lyrics are frequently written to fit the rhythm and rhyme of the song itself.
 

ripley

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Italian
Home Country
Italy
Current Location
Italy
I agree, but to be a native speaker helps a little bit; I mean at least one is sure not to sound weird (if he/she doesn't want to) or to be misunderstood.:-(; one thing is Poetic License, quite another to make mistakes due to your lack for sense of language.:roll:
Getting back to the point, I know what my friend means when she says "I'm here for you" and I'd like to be sure that a native speaker understand the meaning she wants to convey; I mean if the sentence in English has a meaning which is different form her intentions, if it's possible, I'd really like to know how to change it to make it a proper expression. Could you help?;-)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top