"I'll write you once a week," she said
"I'll write you once a week," she said
(OP)
While I was driving home tonight and listening to the radio I picked up on another piece of Americanese which has always puzzled me. Why do the British say "I'll write to you..." while the Americans use "I'll write you..." in exactly the same context?
To a Brit it is gramatical nonsense, yet it seems to be in common usage and is presumably accepted as an entirely normal phrase in the US. Does anyone know the origin of the latest grammatical aberration?
The line is from "Going Away To College" by Blink 182, if anyone is wondering.
http://www .sing365.c om/music/l yric.nsf/G oing-Away- To-College -lyrics-Bl ink-182/14 D7FAAAC5EF E6F6482568 9D00310E37
To a Brit it is gramatical nonsense, yet it seems to be in common usage and is presumably accepted as an entirely normal phrase in the US. Does anyone know the origin of the latest grammatical aberration?
The line is from "Going Away To College" by Blink 182, if anyone is wondering.
http://www
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RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
That one is OK with me. "..write a letter to myself" wouldn't work - I think.
I do not react to the "I'll write you..." But I'm not native British (not British at all, in fact).
Gunnar Englund
www.gke.org
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
"I'll e-mail you" or "I'll e-mail to you."
"I'll fax you" .....
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
I wouldn't say that it's grammatical nonsense, but rather a difference in style. It is perfectly acceptable in English to use an indirect object (you), just as it is to use a prepositional phrase (to you).
Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
MintJulep - those are good examples. Thanks.
Maybe it's just me who has a problem with the "write you / write to you" difference? I've run it by some of my friends and they seem to agree with me - one said "That's American!" and others just thought it was wrong.
Are either of you in the UK?
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I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
But I'm perfectly happy with "call you" and "ring you"
Do Americans say "talk you later" ? No.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
I guess it just goes to show how hard it must be to learn the language, especially if you talk to English people half the time and talk Americans the other half, hang on that doesn’t sound right either.
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
E.E. - I go to University. In E.E this means I attend university to study - treated as a general statement.
A.E. - I go to the University. to an E.E speaker this means I attend university to study, but needs qualifying - who would have to ask - what university?.
The same thing applies to hospital - the hospital.
I was in hospital - I was in the hospital.
Naresuan University
Phitsanulok
Thailand
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
There is a possibility to take 'I will write myself a letter' as 'I will write a letter myself' which may mean that I don't dictate the letter to anybody but I prefer to write it myself. The sentence may not be as ambiguous as I say but there are non native speakers like me.
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
I don't think that is an option. It is just bad English - not even I would use that.
BTW: I mis-quoted that second line. It shouldv'e been "And make believe it came from you". Read all about it here:
h
Gunnar Englund
www.gke.org
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
"There is a possibility to take 'I will write myself a letter' as 'I will write a letter myself' which may mean that I don't dictate the letter to anybody but I prefer to write it myself. The sentence may not be as ambiguous as I say but there are non native speakers like me."
To me, as a native speaker there is no ambiguity - each of the above statements has a different meaning. The second statement can be made to mean the same as the first by adding TO - as in- I will write a letter to myself.
Naresuan University
Phitsanulok
Thailand
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
mentions "write", and many other things.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
I don't think it's just you, but it's not wrong. It's using an indirect object rather than a prepositional phrase.
Here is a site that better explains the indirect object.
http:/
Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
"Talk you" requires a direction. "Talk you up" > as in price. "Talk you down" > calm you with words.
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
"If A equals success, then the formula is: A = X + Y + Z, X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut."
-- by Albert Einstein
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
you
you
you
you
There, that's about a month's worth.
Jim
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
One of my favorite Americanisms is "Why for?" It means, "Why are you asking, and what do you need it for?"
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Steven K. Roberts, Technomad
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
It's just that the song lyric jogged my memory - I've heard it conversationally from some of the Americans who pass through our site. Not that exact phrase, I hasten to add!
BigH,
That phrase is used locally here. More often it sounds like "whaurya'at", all one word.
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I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
After a quick check with Word, it seems all forms are Microsoft approved.
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
A.
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
Willy Trembleknife used it in his famous romance/tragedy "Richard and Julia", based on Pretty Woman, I think.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
Gunnar Englund
www.gke.org
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
Regards,

Qshake
Eng-Tips Forums:Real Solutions for Real Problems Really Quick.
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
But really, you don't call people? Does the following sound odd to you?
"Hand me that phone. I'm going to call my lawyer."
[pause]
"No answer. I guess I'll have to call him later."
What would you say instead?
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
"Hand me that phone. I'm going to call my lawyer."
[pause]
"No answer. I guess I'll have to call him later."
My guess at Qshake's alternative:
"Hand me that phone. I'm going to make a call to my lawyer."
[pause]
"No answer. I guess I'll make a call to him later."
2)
This is a better example, first the American version (I think)
"Hand me that pen. I'm going to write my lawyer."
[pause..can't find pen]
"I guess I'll write him later."
Now, to a Pom that sounds like in the first case I was going to write "my lawyer" on a piece of paper.
We'd say:
"Hand me that pen. I'm going to write to my lawyer."
[pause..can't find pen]
"I guess I'll write to him later."
3) Faxing confusion
I'm going to fax my contract
I'm going to fax my lawyer (better hope he's skinny)
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
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I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
Regards,

Qshake
Eng-Tips Forums:Real Solutions for Real Problems Really Quick.
RE: "I'll write you once a week," she said
But In Australia, we follow the Poms (the Brits) in much of their customary usage, so one "writes to a lawyer", "faxes a lawyer", "phones a lawyer" and so forth.
I can see I am going to have fun here.
Alan64