She was a bit cool and was a member of....

[kachibi]

1) I can do many things but (omit I) have not been praised by my parents. This is fine.

2) I seldom see Mary but (omit I) always see her husband. I find this more natural with the "I".


Ok, you think the first one is fine without "I" while the opposite for the second sentence. It seems that to determine whether to add an "I" is so arbitrary. Are there actually any rules behind?

 

[bhaisahab]

1) I can do many things but (omit I) have not been praised by my parents. This is fine.

2) I seldom see Mary but (omit I) always see her husband. I find this more natural with the "I".


Ok, you think the first one is fine without "I" while the opposite for the second sentence. It seems that to determine whether to add an "I" is so arbitrary. Are there actually any rules behind?

No, there is no rule.

 

[kachibi]

Then what make(s) them natural/unnatural if there are no rules.

 

[emsr2d2]

Then what make(s) them natural/unnatural if there are no rules.

Experience! Practice! Being a native speaker. Sorry if that doesn't help you much, but there are lots of cases where there is no discernible rule but something will just sound right or wrong to a native speaker. It's something we really can't explain. In most cases, it doesn't mean that something you say is necessarily "wrong" but it would probably mark you out as a non-native speaker. That's not a problem.

 

[kachibi]

Okkkay..got it~