[General] Why I am looking for a new job

I am writing to my friend, and I want to say: "I'm looking for a new job because my current job just isn't stretching enough. I have submitted three application forms so far but to no avail. I hope I get a big break soon." Is that okay to say?

Thank you :-D

Dominoes said:

I am writing to my friend, and I want to say: "I'm looking for a new job because my current job just isn't stretching enough. I have submitted three application forms so far but to no avail. I hope I get a big break soon." Is that okay to say?

Thank you :-D

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Well...jobs don't stretch. Are you trying to say that the money you receive from your job isn't stretching?

Gillnetter said:

Well...jobs don't stretch.

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In Br E, a job can stretch you. (stretch - definition. American English definition of stretch by Macmillan Dictionary, meaning 8). The intransitive use of the verb does not sound too unlikely to me,

5jj said:

In Br E, a job can stretch you. (stretch - definition. American English definition of stretch by Macmillan Dictionary, meaning 8). The intransitive use of the verb does not sound too unlikely to me,

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That's exactly the meaning I intended

Intransitive verb? It says it is a transitive verb on the Macmillan Dictionary website :-?

I actually thought that "just isn't stretching enough" would be an adjective phrase seeing as it is modifying "job". :-?

It's a transitive verb. It need to stretch something. You need to say "it isn't stretching me enough."

SoothingDave said:

It's a transitive verb. It need to stretch something. You need to say "it isn't stretching me enough."

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Oh, I see. Thank you.

Can I say "I'm now looking for a job that's more stretching."?

Or would I have to say "I'm now looking for a job that will stretch me more."?

Also, does the rest of what I wrote make sense?

Thanks for your time.

SoothingDave said:

It's a transitive verb. It need to stretch something. You need to say "it isn't stretching me enough."

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It is normally a transitive verb. In my opinion, "This job isn't stretching" is acceptable in BrE. Whether 'stretching' is part of the progressive form of a verb used intransitively or a participle used adjectivallly is another question.

5jj said:

It is normally a transitive verb. In my opinion, "This job isn't stretching" is acceptable in BrE. Whether 'stretching' is part of the progressive form of a verb used intransitively or a participle used adjectivallly is another question.

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We don't use "stretching" like this in AmE, so I will defer.

Even as a BrE speaker, I find "This job isn't stretching" rather unnatural, though not incorrect. I would say "This job isn't stretching me". If I wanted to describe the job in a similar way, I might say it isn't "challenging".

5jj said:

It is normally a transitive verb.

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When dictionaries state that certain verbs are "transitive", are they basically saying that that's the type of verb they are usually? Sometimes verbs are marked as both "transitive" and "intransitive". It seems as though labelling the verbs is pointless if a verb that is labelled as "transitive" can also be intransitive. Very confusing

emsr2d2 said:

Even as a BrE speaker, I find "This job isn't stretching" very natural, though not incorrect.

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Is there a don't missing there?

Dominoes said:

When dictionaries state that certain verbs are "transitive", are they basically saying that that's the type of verb they are usually? Sometimes verbs are marked as both "transitive" and "intransitive". It seems as though labelling the verbs is pointless if a verb that is labelled as "transitive" can also be intransitive. Very confusing

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No dictionary can possibly cover every usage of every word. However, when a verb is labelled only 'transitive' in good dictionaries, then you can take it that it is rarely, if ever, used intransitively.

I happen to think that 'this job isn't stretching' is possible. Howver, as you have seen in this thread, SoothingDave feels it is not possible in AmE, and ems doesn't find it very natural in BrE.

Your safest course as a learner is to use the verb only transitively with this meaning.

Not 'pointless', just 'open to question' - and the questions get more frequent as contexts get more complex (or should that be 'sureal' - there have been many discussions on this subject that have made me wonder what some of the participants were smoking ;-))

But I don't think just giving 'stretching' an object is enough; I think 'my job doesn't stretch me' would be more likely in the context of this sort of letter. 'My job isn't stretching me' is the sort of thing you say when someone says 'Why are you looking so glum?'

b