[Grammar] usage of 'fit'

[Heidi]

Dear friends,

Would you please modify and correct mistakes for me in the following sentences. Especially, if a house is too small to cantain a whole family, should I say 'it's too small to fit the entire family' or 'it's too small to fit in entire family'? Thank you!

If a disaster has hit an area, houses are destroyed. People might try to do something very quickly to rebuild the house, it ends up being very low quality, it's not going to last for very long, maybe it's too small to fit the entire family.

 

[Pedroski]

maybe it's too small to fit the entire family in.

好的？

 

[Raymott]

Dear friends,

Would you please modify and correct mistakes for me in the following sentences. Especially, if a house is too small to cantain a whole family, should I say 'it's too small to fit the entire family' or 'it's too small to fit in entire family'? Thank you!

If a disaster has hit an area, houses are destroyed. People might try to do something very quickly to rebuild the house, it ends up being very low quality, it's not going to last for very long, maybe it's too small to fit the entire family.

Pedroski is right, or:
"... maybe it's too small to accommodate the whole family."
"Fit" is more often used in the converse way. "Maybe the family is too large to fit in the house."

 

[susiedq]

How about:

too small for large family use.

just right for a small family.

 

[Heidi]

Pedroski is right, or:
"... maybe it's too small to accommodate the whole family."
"Fit" is more often used in the converse way. "Maybe the family is too large to fit in the house."

Thank you, Raymott, Pedroski and susiedq.

Can I say that "a pocket computer which is small enough to fit in your pocket" can also be changed to "your pocket will be large enough to fit this pocket computer in", although the former is more common?

 

[Pedroski]

Yes, that's fine.
Prepositions usually take objects: in the bath, on the telly, under the floor. If you leave the preposition without an object, this is called 'a stranded preposition'. Some people like to say, this is ungrammatical, or at least not good style. But such usage is ubiquitous,

Here a professor is talking to his class:

"A preposition," said a college professor to his class, "is a bad word to end a sentence with."

What is that at the end of his sentence?

 

[Heidi]

Yes, that's fine.
Prepositions usually take objects: in the bath, on the telly, under the floor. If you leave the preposition without an object, this is called 'a stranded preposition'. Some people like to say, this is ungrammatical, or at least not good style. But such usage is ubiquitous,

Here a professor is talking to his class:

"A preposition," said a college professor to his class, "is a bad word to end a sentence with."

What is that at the end of his sentence?

Dear Pedroski,

It's very helpful. Thank you very much!

非常感謝你!:lol:

 

[Pedroski]

不客气

 

[Munch]

I am going to disagree and say you don't need the word "in".

"Too small to fit the entire family."
"Too small to fit the entire family in."

Both sentences sound fine to me.

Can I say that "a pocket computer which is small enough to fit in your pocket" can also be changed to "your pocket will be large enough to fit this pocket computer in", although the former is more common?

You can change it, but the meaning changes slightly. The first sentence tells me the computer is conveniently small - I imagine a small computer. The second emphasizes the size of my pocket, which is probably not what you want.

Just to emphasise what Pedroski said, don't worry about "stranded prepositions". They are gramatically correct in English and avoiding them can cause as many stylistic problems as using them.

 

[Heidi]

I am going to disagree and say you don't need the word "in".

"Too small to fit the entire family."
"Too small to fit the entire family in."

Both sentences sound fine to me.



You can change it, but the meaning changes slightly. The first sentence tells me the computer is conveniently small - I imagine a small computer. The second emphasizes the size of my pocket, which is probably not what you want.

Just to emphasise what Pedroski said, don't worry about "stranded prepositions". They are gramatically correct in English and avoiding them can cause as many stylistic problems as using them.

Dear Munch,

"They are gramatically correct in English and avoiding them can cause as many stylistic problems as using them."

I'm not sure what it means, would you please explain it more for me?

"When a deaster happens, often times, they destroy a large portion of land that we are living" Can I say "...that we live in?"

And " ...often times, they destroy houses that we live in", Can I say "...that we live"?

Thank you!

 

[Munch]

"They are gramatically correct in English and avoiding them can cause as many stylistic problems as using them."

I'm not sure what it means, would you please explain it more for me?

Just, don't worry about stranded prepositions. They are OK in English.

"When a disaster happens, often times, they destroy a large portion of land that we are living" Can I say "...that we live in?"

And " ...often times, they destroy houses that we live in", Can I say "...that we live"?

In both these cases, you must say "in".

 

[Heidi]

Just, don't worry about stranded prepositions. They are OK in English.


In both these cases, you must say "in".

Dear Munch,

I got more and more confused.
Now, please let me focus on the word 'live'. For example,

"After a diaster, charitable organizations often help people who need a place to live."

Do we say "...often help people who need a place to live in"?

Thank you!