is done=finish always?

ostap77 · Feb 16, 2011

Does "to be done" alway take the gerund or it may take a noun as well?

"I think Kate is right. Frank is done good work. The last version of the sauce is pretty durn good." So I take it "is done" means as usuall "finished". I thought "to be done" might take a gerund not a "real" noun "work","studies" etc.?

birdeen's call · Feb 16, 2011

You need "with" between "be done" and a noun. In the sentence

I'm done with school.

"I'm done" means the same as "I'm finished" would mean.

But I don't think that's what you want in your sentence, am I right? I think you want to say,

Frank has done good work.

The meaning of this sentence is literal. The sentence

Frank is done with good work.

is grammatical, but it wouldn't make sense in the given context in my opinion.

ostap77 · Feb 16, 2011

birdeen's call said:
You need "with" between "be done" and a noun. In the sentence

I'm done with school.

"I'm done" means the same as "I'm finished" would mean.

By I don't think that's what you want in your sentence, am I right? I think you want to say,

Frank has done good work.

The meaning of this sentence is literal. The sentence

Frank is done with good work.

is grammatical, but it wouldn't make sense in the given context in my opinion.

We may well use "to be done" without "with". "I'll be done writing a report when you come back." I was wondering if it's possible to say like this "I'm done work" instead of "I'm done working."?

birdeen's call · Feb 16, 2011

As I said, no. We don't have to use "with" before gerunds, but we do before regular nouns like "work".

birdeen's call · Feb 16, 2011

Here's what Google gives about the dialectal usage: Language Log: "Be done" again

ostap77 · Feb 16, 2011

birdeen's call said:
Here's what google gives about the dialectal usage: Language Log: "Be done" again

Thanks a bunch for this comment.

2006 · Feb 16, 2011

ostap77 said:
Does "to be done" alway take the gerund no
I am done with that.

or may it take a noun as well? Infrequently it can.
So far we have done Math and Chemistry. (here "done" = studied or taken an exam)

"I think Kate is right. Frank is done good work. :cross:
Frank has done good work. :tick:

The last version of the sauce is pretty darn good." :tick: This sentence has nothing to do with "done".

So I take it "is done" means [STRIKE]as usuall[/STRIKE] "finished". yes

I thought "to be done" might take a gerund not a "real" noun "work","studies" etc.? usually yes
I am done (with) shopping there. (= I am not going to shop there any more)

2006

birdeen's call · Feb 16, 2011

ostap77 said:
Thanks a bunch for this comment.

You're welcome.

ostap77 · Feb 16, 2011

2006 said:
2006

You haven't come across this spelling "durn"? Would this use be considered uneducated or dilect "- "I'm finally done the laundry" in Kanata, Ontario"?

birdeen's call · Feb 16, 2011

ostap77 said:
You haven't come across this spelling "durn"? Would this use be considered uneducated or dilect "- "I'm finally done the laundry" in Kanata, Ontario"?

It is dialectal. Any educated English speaker would consider it such, be they in Kanata, Ontario or Shanghai, China. It would also be considered uneducated by many educated English speakers. I've never been to Kanata though, so it's hard to say for sure what they think about it.

As for "durn", why would you choose a less common version?

2006 · Feb 16, 2011

ostap77 said:
You haven't come across this spelling "durn"? not that I remember

"I'm finally done the laundry" in Kanata, Ontario" :cross:

2006

is done=finish always?

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