[General] Sentence Structure. My colleague was having fever this morning ...

[DANAU]

Hi,

Please let me know if the sentence below is correctly written.

- My colleague was having fever this morning and when she started coughing rigorously, I got worried so I told her to go (go and?) consult doctor.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Re: Sentence Structure

Hi,

Please let me know if the sentence below is correctly written.

- My colleague had a fever this morning, and when she started coughing vigorously, I got worried, so I told her to see a doctor.

All these are correct:

- go and consult a doctor.
- go consult a doctor.
- consult a doctor.
- go and see a doctor.
- go see a doctor.
- see a doctor.

I like coughing hard. Coughing vigorously is better than rigorously, but it's still not very natural.

Likewise, it's a little more natural to say see a doctor. And don't forget the article: a doctor.

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Sentence Structure

1) This would work better as two sentences. Can you see where to divide it?

2) "Rigorously" is the wrong word. You can change a single letter to get an appropriate one.

3) "Go and" is not incorrect in American English, but "go" is simpler and means the same thing.

 

[Rover_KE]

DANAU, pPlease note that I have improved your thread title.

Extract from the Posting Guidelines:

'Thread titles should include all or part of the word/phrase being discussed.'

 

[DANAU]

Re: Sentence Structure

1) This would work better as two sentences. Can you see where to divide it?

2) "Rigorously" is the wrong word. You can change a single letter to get an appropriate one.

3) "Go and" is not incorrect in American English, but "go" is simpler and means the same thing.

Actually I am trying to form a compound-complex sentence, which is why I formed this sentence
to include 2 independent clauses with 1 dependent clause.

 

[DANAU]

Re: Sentence Structure

All these are correct:

- go and consult a doctor.
- go consult a doctor.
- consult a doctor.
- go and see a doctor.
- go see a doctor.
- see a doctor.

I like coughing hard. Coughing vigorously is better than rigorously, but it's still not very natural.

Likewise, it's a little more natural to say see a doctor. And don't forget the article: a doctor.

I missed the time marker again. "Was having" is past continuous and since my sentence has a time marker "this morning", so it should be simple past "had".
I hope I have understood the correctly.

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Sentence Structure

Actually I am trying to form a compound-complex sentence, which is why I formed this sentence
to include 2 independent clauses with 1 dependent clause.

The structure was correct.

 

[emsr2d2]

Re: Sentence Structure

2) "Rigorously" is the wrong word. You can change a single letter to get an appropriate one.

Charlie already changed it to the correct word in the post before yours.

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Sentence Structure

Charlie already changed it to the correct word in the post before yours.

It's almost as if I'm not the only member sitting at home tapping on a laptop. I wonder why? :-?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Re: Sentence Structure

It's almost as if I'm not the only member sitting at home tapping on a laptop. I wonder why? :-?

Well, for God's sake, put down that laptop and go inject some Lysol into your lungs!

 

[jutfrank]

Re: Sentence Structure

I like coughing hard. Coughing vigorously is better than rigorously, but it's still not very natural.

Agreed. I suggest coughing violently.

 

[tedmc]

Re: Sentence Structure

3) "Go and" is not incorrect in American English, but "go" is simpler and means the same thing.

"Go and see a doctor" is actually Singaporean/Malaysian English. It is far more common than "go see a doctor" which a native would more likely say.

 

[Rover_KE]

Re: Sentence Structure

Well, for God's sake, put down that laptop and go inject some Lysol into your lungs!

I can't trump that quip.

 

[tedmc]

Re: Sentence Structure

A native speaker of British English is far more likely to say 'Go and see ..." than "Go see ...".

GoesStation in post #3 seems to have a different opinion.

 

[Rover_KE]

Re: Sentence Structure

GoesStation in post #3 seems to have a different opinion.

GS in post #3 made no comment on British English.

(cross-posted)

 

[emsr2d2]

Re: Sentence Structure

GoesStation in post #3 seems to have a different opinion.

GS didn't mention BrE in post #3. He said that "Go see" is more likely in AmE.

Piscean is absolutely right. We wouldn't use "Go see a doctor" in BrE. We'd use either "Go and see a doctor" or more commonly (in my experience) "Go to the doctor".

(Cross-posted with Rover and Piscean)

 

[jutfrank]

Re: Sentence Structure

Piscean is absolutely right. We wouldn't use "Go see a doctor" in BrE.

I feel I should correct this.

Piscean didn't say that. He said that Go see is less likely than Go and see, which I'm pretty sure is true. Both are used, in both British and American English, and I assume in Singaporean/Malaysian English too.

 

[jutfrank]

Re: Sentence Structure

I wrote, emphasis added, "A native speaker of British English is far more likely to say 'Go and see ..." than "Go see ...".".

Yes, I think that's fair to say. (It depends how far, of course.)

I think there's a more even distribution, though, with come and see and come see.

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Sentence Structure

A native speaker of British English is far more likely to say 'Go and see ..." than "Go see ...".

GoesStation in post #3 seems to have a different opinion.

I said nothing about British English in post #3.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Re: Sentence Structure

I said nothing about British English in post #3.

I didn't, either.