I posted this in the 'languages' section. Does it seeem strange to non-native speakers that in English we can form a construction such as 'She is always late without fail'? Would you wonder why it is not 'without failure' or 'without failing' or does it seem perfectly natural to you?
Without fail
In spoken English, all sorts of structures are acceptable as long as overall meaning is clear. An an actor myself, I am used to speakin such constructions in my movies where I drop auxiliary verbs. There is a sea diff between spoken and written forms of English.
Thanks Tom Cruise, I didn't mean I didn't think it was acceptable. I know it's English usage to say that. I was just wondering what non-native speakers made of such a construction, considering when you think about it, it doesn't make much actual grammatical sense.
Good luck with the movies by the way, Mission Impossible 3 now isn't it?
Good luck with the movies by the way, Mission Impossible 3 now isn't it?
as a non-native speaker i see nothing unnatural or ungrammatical in "without fail". What makes you feel this way? This combination of words is included in Webster, Cambridge dictionaries as perfectly acceptable.
j
I think it's the fact that we don't tend to use other verbs with 'without' in this way. You wouldn't say 'without succeed', you'd say 'without success' or 'without succeeding'. That's why I wondered whether learners of English might ask why we don't say 'without failure' or without failing' instead.
I think it's the fact that we don't tend to use other verbs with 'without' in this way. You wouldn't say 'without succeed', you'd say 'without success' or 'without succeeding'. That's why I wondered whether learners of English might ask why we don't say 'without failure' or without failing' instead.
I think it's a holdover from an older usage, myself. At least, that's the impression I get, because you're right: it's not used that way with any other word.
Aquatar: "we don't tend to use other verbs with 'without' in this way. You wouldn't say 'without succeed', you'd say 'without success' or 'without succeeding"
Right. Because "succeed" can serve as a verb only unlike a "fail", which is either a noun or a verb. In combination with a "without" a "fail" is a noun.
Right. Because "succeed" can serve as a verb only unlike a "fail", which is either a noun or a verb. In combination with a "without" a "fail" is a noun.
j
Fail is not usually used as a noun, the noun is failure. You wouldn't say, for example, 'His fail to turn up on time for dinner upset her', it would have to be 'His failure...'. I can't think of another instance when it would be used as a noun apart from in a construction with 'without'.
Fail is not usually used as a noun, the noun is failure. You wouldn't say, for example, 'His fail to turn up on time for dinner upset her', it would have to be 'His failure...'. I can't think of another instance when it would be used as a noun apart from in a construction with 'without'.
Aquatar: "I can't think of another instance when it would be used as a noun apart from in a construction with 'without'."
Another example: "the difference between a pass and a fail". I agree, it's definitely not used so often, but you can't say that "it doesn't make much actual grammatical sense."
In any case to ask non-native speakers whether it seems strange to them is going to the wrong place: for many of us very common things seem often "strange" (see a discussion "Overuse of possessive adjectives in English"
http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t2671.htm
or another statement that "if I were you" "seems to be grammaticaly incorrect.")
Sometimes it depends on what's a native language of a non-speaker: whether it possesses a similar structure or not.
Another example: "the difference between a pass and a fail". I agree, it's definitely not used so often, but you can't say that "it doesn't make much actual grammatical sense."
In any case to ask non-native speakers whether it seems strange to them is going to the wrong place: for many of us very common things seem often "strange" (see a discussion "Overuse of possessive adjectives in English"
http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t2671.htm
or another statement that "if I were you" "seems to be grammaticaly incorrect.")
Sometimes it depends on what's a native language of a non-speaker: whether it possesses a similar structure or not.