[General] Well, there's a first time for everything, I guess.

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Ferdie11

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Jul 2, 2009
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Hi,

Is the sentence below correct? Even the phrase "I guess" is just separated by a comma? If so, how do we call this pattern?

Well, there's a first time for everything, I guess.

Many thanks.
 

TheParser

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Hi,

Is the sentence below correct? Even the phrase "I guess" is just separated by a comma? If so, how do we call this pattern?

Well, there's a first time for everything, I guess.

Many thanks.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Hello, Ferdie.

(1) Oh, yes, that sentence is perfect.

(2) We often speak like that.

(3) Some books call "I guess" a comment clause. That is, the speaker

is commenting on "There's a first time for everything." (Some books just call "I guess" a sentence adverb.)

(a) A very famous grammar book gives some more:

There's a first time for everything, _____.

I guess
I believe
I think
I feel
I suppose
I'm told
I have heard
They say
They tell me

(b) This same book (A COMPREHENSIVE GRAMMAR OF THE ENGLISH

LANGUAGE) says that we can change a sentence such as:

(a) There's a first time for everything, I guess.

TO

(b) I guess that there's a first time for everything.

Sometimes there is a difference between (a) and (b), but I do NOT

know whether there is a difference between your (a) and (b) sentences.

Maybe they are the same. Hopefully, a smarter answerer can explain it to

you and me.



Here is an example from that book that shows you a difference:

(a) It belongs to me, you know. = I want you to know that fact.

(b) You know that it belongs to me. = You already know that fact.

***** Thank you for asking the question *****
 
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