sentence checking #1

Cornie   Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:55 pm GMT
Are those below acceptable, not necessarily grammatical, in English. If not, tweak them a bit!

1. "Not bad for a college student to get upso early huh?"
"Not bad for a college student getting up so early huh?"

Like when you see a lazy bum brushing his teeth at seven a.m.

2. "You were an idiot not to choose Jenny. Everyone else there was, like, all falling over her"

3. "Who do they think they are lecturing me like that?"

4. "I like you bossy like that, turns me on totally."

5. "In my opinion, that's both of your fault, you both let me down."
Sarmackie   Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:19 pm GMT
The only one that I'm having trouble with 5. That's how a lot of people speak, but it bogs down with that second clause. I don't know exactly what to do with it. Making it 'faults' doesn't seem to be right to me. I think that because 'both of you' is a noun phrase here, it should be 'both of you's'.

Maybe not. You could just say 'you're both at fault'. That's less of a headache.
Cornie   Wed Jan 07, 2009 7:47 pm GMT
Hmmm...yeah...that's exactly the reason I wrote #5 'cause that sounds good but somehow doesn't seem right. Maybe, in a restrict grammar sense.
User   Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:02 pm GMT
In 2, did you mean "falling all over her"? That is a common expression, whereas "all falling over her" is not.
Duke   Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:47 am GMT
Very informative.
Another Guest   Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:29 am GMT
#1 sounds kinda odd.
#2 has an extra "like", which is how people talk, but not really grammatical. Also, "not to choose" seems to be an attempt to avoid "splitting the infinitive", a rule that I do not agree with. I find "not to choose" awkward phrasing.
#3 should have a comma after "are".
#4 is slang; formal English would have a "it" before "turns", and a semi-colon rather than a comma.
#5 I would recommend changing to "the fault of both of you".
Robin Michael   Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:36 pm GMT
<<
5. "In my opinion, that's both of your fault, you both let me down."
>>

that's: is wrong

It might be how people speak, but it should not be written this way.

In my opinion, you are both at fault, you both let me down.

<<
3. "Who do they think they are lecturing me like that?"
>>

Who do they think they are! Lecturing me like that!

<<
4. "I like you bossy like that, turns me on totally."
>>

I like you bossy like that: it turns me on totally!

I like you when you lose your temper: You look so sexy!
Robin Michael   Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:40 pm GMT
I know that people learning English often go through various exercises which are designed to bring out a particular point about Grammar or what ever.

However in practice, it is often better to abandon the construction that does not work, and try to think of expressing yourself in a different way.

<<I like you bossy like that: it turns me on totally!>>

You are so sexy when you boss me about!