[Grammar] 'it' is necessary?

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Heidi

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Dear teachers,

Do we say 'carry around' or 'carry it around' in the following dialog? Thank you!

- Why did you bring so much money to class?
- It's not safe to leave this money at home.
- It's not safe to carry around either. Why don't you put it in the bank where it will be safe and you can earn some interest.
 

5jj

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Dear teachers,

Do we say 'carry around' or 'carry it around' in the following dialog? Thank you!

- Why did you bring so much money to class?
- It's not safe to leave this money at home.
- It's not safe to carry around either. Why don't you put it in the bank where it will be safe and you can earn some interest.
We need 'it' in your sentence.

If thing carried were a hand grenade, rather than money, we could say:

1. It's not safe to carry around or
2. It's not safe to carry it around

The slight difference is that #1 means that it (the hand grenade) is not safe to carry - it might explode. #2 means that carrying a hand grenade is not a safe thing to do - it might explode, or you might be arrested by the police..

Money is safe enough to carry (it will not explode), but carrying it may not be safe for you - somebody might steal it.
 
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Heidi

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Thank you, 5jj.

Your explanations are really, really helpful! It might be not very polite to say that they are execellent, but I do think so. I appreciate them.
 

birdeen's call

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Thank you, 5jj.

Your explanations are really, really helpful! It might be not very polite to say that they are execellent, but I do think so. I appreciate them.
Heidi, why would it be impolite to tell somebody that they did something excellent? Is it impolite to say things like that in Taiwan?
 

5jj

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I have to say that I have no objection at all to being told that my posts are excellent. :) It may not be true, but it's nice to hear - even if I shouldn't admit it. :oops:

Thank you, Heidi.
 

Heidi

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Heidi, why would it be impolite to tell somebody that they did something excellent? Is it impolite to say things like that in Taiwan?
Yes, I think so.

We Chinese normally don't tell someone who is older and wiser than we are that they do something excellent, because it's just impolite for someone in a lower position to say that.

It's roughly like that. I'm not able to explain very well in English.:oops:
 

5jj

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We Chinese normally don't tell someone who is older and wiser than we are that they do something excellent, because it's just impolite for someone in a lower position to say that.

It's roughly like that. I'm not able to explain very well in English.:oops:
You explained it clearly.

I hope that in this forum nobody feels lower than anybody else. Those of us who are older may have had time to acquire more knowledge and experience, but that does not necessarily make us wiser. Some teachers with forty years of experience have had forty years of learning and developing. Others have had one year repeated forty times.
 
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birdeen's call

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Yes, I think so.

We Chinese normally don't tell someone who is older and wiser than we are that they do something excellent, because it's just impolite for someone in a lower position to say that.

It's roughly like that. I'm not able to explain very well in English.:oops:
I think your explanation was very good. (Now I know that I shouldn't say it's excellent!) Thank you very much.

To my knowledge, we have no qualms about saying things like this in the Western world.
 
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