[General] at the table

[wace]

Hello, I'd like to know if the phrasal verb TAKE OFF is okay in the following context.

I'm sitting at the table and my host has just given me a huge portion of rice, but I can only manage half of that.
Could I say: 'Oh, that's too much. Could you take some off?'

Feel free to suggest any other alternative should TAKE OFF (or the whole sentence) sound partially or totally wrong.

Thanks in advance

 

[emsr2d2]

Hello, I'd like to know if the phrasal verb TAKE OFF is okay in the following context.

I'm sitting at the table and my host has just given me a huge portion of rice, but I can only manage half of that.
Could I say: 'Oh, that's too much. Could you take some off?'

Feel free to suggest any other alternative should TAKE OFF (or the whole sentence) sound absolutely wrong.

Thanks in advance.

It's OK. It depends how friendly you are with your host, of course. If you don't know them very well, that might be seen as quite rude and you might be better off starting the meal but eventually saying "Wow, that was delicious but I'm completely full and I can't quite finish it all".

If you are friendly enough with them, you can say "Could you take some of it away?", "Could you remove some?", "Just give me half that amount", "I can probably only eat half that. Please give the rest to someone else". "Take off" isn't wrong though - I just added some alternatives.

 

[wace]

If you are friendly enough with them, you can say "Could you take some of it away?", "Could you remove some?", "Just give me half that amount", "I can probably only eat half that. Please give the rest to someone else". "Take off" isn't wrong though - I just added some alternatives.

BRILLIANT! Wow, that was quick!!
Thank you very much. Your alternatives are just what I was hoping for!!!!!!!!!!! :up:

 

[wace]

Oh, come to think of it.. You used 'half that'...Does that mean you can leave out the preposition of in front of a determiner on its own? I could have sworn that the preposition 'of' was necessary there...

'I can probably only eat half of that' is how I would have said it... 'half the cake' but 'half of that/it'.

 

[emsr2d2]

Oh, come to think of it.. You used 'half that'...Does that mean you can leave out the preposition of in front of a determiner on its own? I could have sworn that the preposition 'of' was necessary there...

'I can probably only eat half of that' is how I would have said it... 'half the cake' but 'half of that/it'.

In BrE, the "of" can be omitted.

I'm only going to eat half that apple.
She's only eaten half her rice.
I remembered to put makeup on only half my face.

 

[wace]

Thank you. However, as you noticed, my question was about the omission of OF after 'half' used in combination with determiners and pronouns on their own.. You wouldn't say 'half it', would you? But apparently you can say 'half that'....

 

[emsr2d2]

No, we don't say "half it".

 

[wace]

No, we don't say "half it".

I'm sure you don't!!!! It sounds AWFUL!!! But you do say 'half that', right???

 

[bhaisahab]

I'm sure you don't!!!! It sounds AWFUL!!! But you do say 'half that', right???

One exclamation mark is sufficient, as is one question mark. Some native speakers say "half that", some don't.

 

[wace]

Bhaisahab, thank you for your reply, but your comment on the number of question and exclamation marks I use was frankly uncalled-for.

 

[bhaisahab]

Bhaisahab, thank you for your reply, but your comment on the number of question and exclamation marks I use was frankly uncalled-for.

I don't agree that my comment was uncalled for. This is a forum to help people who are learning English, it is not helpful for learners to see a teacher misusing punctuation.

 

[emsr2d2]

Bhaisahab, thank you for your reply, but your comment on the number of question and exclamation marks I use was frankly uncalled-for.

That is an unacceptable complaint, wace. We always correct spelling, punctuation and spacing. Other learners read these threads so they need to see correctly written posts or the corrections to those posts. I have typed the following more times than I care to imagine:

When using the forum, please follow the rules of written English:

- Start every sentence with a capital letter.
- Always capitalise the word "I".
- End every sentence with a single appropriate punctuation mark.
- Do not put a space before a comma, full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.
- Always put a space after a comma, full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.

We all know that native speakers don't necessarily follow these rules when writing messages to each other but on a teaching forum, it is important to stick to them.

 

[wace]

I apologize for being a little... straight-forward, but I couldn't imagine that an additional exclamation mark would cause such a stir.
I promise I will only use one exclamation or question mark at a time so as not to breach the rules and set a bad example for other learners.

 

[emsr2d2]

I apologize for being a little... straight-forward, but I couldn't imagine that an additional exclamation mark would raise such a dust.
I solemny swear that I will only use one exclamation or question mark at a time so as not to breach the rules and set a bad example for other learners.

Good. That is exactly what we need you to do.

 

[wace]

.
We all know that native speakers don't necessarily follow these rules when writing messages to each other...

I'm glad you wrote that, because native speakers are known to make much worse mistakes when writing and speaking than overusing punctuation (sorry, but I still find it hard to think of the whole thing as a case of 'misused punctuation')..

 

[5jj]

(sorry, but I still find it hard to think of the whole incident as 'misused punctuation')..

Would you prefer 'overused', 'excessive' or some other word?

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm glad you wrote that, because native speakers are known to make much worse mistakes when writing and speaking than overusing punctuation (sorry, but I still find it hard to think of the whole incident as 'misused punctuation')..

Then I suggest you get used to the idea of it being considered misused punctuation because you will see such things corrected and commented on over and over again on this forum. That is exactly what I am about to do now - we do not end sentences with two full stops as you have done above (now in red and bold).

Anyway, we have moved completely off topic and you seemed satisfied with the answers to your original question, so I am closing this thread.