This one cropped up at work yesterday....................

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makaveli

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Hi all,

A chap at work said this yesterday and once I had questioned it's validity, it sparked quite a debate!!!!!!

"He has been getting late of late".

Is this ok? Just clumsy, or a definite 'between you and I' NO NO :wink:

Many thanks
 

dduck

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Re: This one cropped up at work yesterday...................

makaveli said:
"He has been getting late of late".

Is this ok? Just clumsy, or a definite 'between you and I' NO NO :wink:

Can't see anything wrong with it myself. I guess it means "Recently, he's been arriving late".

Iain
 

RonBee

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The typical English phrase is he has been getting in late. Thus, the sentence would be: "He has been getting in late of late."

*its validity*

Does that help?

:)
 

makaveli

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Yes,

many thanks I was concerned because the statement already mentions him getting late, that the second use i.e. 'of late' was rather superfluous and broke some sort of rule.

thanks for clearing it up for me!!!!!!


Mak
 

RonBee

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Nope. No rule broken. :)

"Lately, he's been getting in late" or "He's been getting in late of late" just mean that recently (probably within the last week or two) he has been tardy (late) in arriving.

You're welcome.

:)
 

Tdol

Editor, UsingEnglish.com
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I'd use 'Lately, ...'. ;-)
 
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