not a child to...

[5jj]

Just don't do it with others in the future. Every forum has some moderators and they are here for that.
That may upset someone. Let's not continue my friend.

Now that is the sort of instruction that we tend to reserve for moderators.

We are, generally, not a forum in which moderators do not allow any members to do anything but ask questions and, if they are qualified teachers, respond to them.

We benefit enormously from both non-native speakers and non-teachers who give useful responses, and from non-moderators who assist by pointing out the rules. If anybody goes too far, we step in to give some friendly advice, but that doesn't often happen. The overwhelming majority of our members have not the slightest intention of upsetting or offending anybody. It does make life much easier for us all if we are not too ready to take offence or be upset.

 

[SlickVic9000]

(Not a Teacher)

BarbD has already examined your sentences, but allow me to present my take on it:
"She is your wife, not some child for you to tell what to do."

 

[Matthew Wai]

...It does make life much easier for us all if we are not too ready to take offence or be upset.

I venture to ask whether "too ready to take offence or be upset" can be replaced with "touchy"?

 

[navi tasan]

Thank you Barb_D and SlickVic and Anhnha and...

I had one more question here:

Do these work?
I have just changed the place of 'by you'. I think these are more natural than my original '3' and '4', but I do not know if they work.

3a-Jane is your wife. She is not your child to be told what to do by you.

4a-Jane is your wife. She is not a child to be told what to do by you.

Gratefully,
Navi.

 

[Barb_D]

No. Don't use this construction. It will almost always sound awkward, stilted, or unnatural.

 

[5jj]

I venture to ask whether "too ready to take offence or be upset" can be replaced with "touchy"?

In some contexts.

 

[Matthew Wai]

... always sound awkward, stilted, or unnatural.

It may always be difficult for non-native speakers like me to discern whether a sentence sounds awkward, stilted or unnatural.

Not a teacher.

 

[5jj]

That's one of the many things we can help with in this forum.

 

[Barb_D]

Matthew, it's okay to omit "not a teacher" when you are clearly speaking from the perspective if a learner or when you are asking questions.

In many, if not most, uses of the passive, using the "by [person]" is not necessary unless telling us who did it also tells us new information. "A new element was discovered by scientists working on the super collider in Bern." If the person who is doing something is already known, and especially if it's you or me, try leaving it out.