I'd like to know if these following setences are fine.
1) Jonh told me he is very upset.
2) John said he is upset to me.
3) Mary said to me that John is not upset, he's a nerve.
4) Mary told he (john) is not that intelligent as he's said.
A told there's a hole in the wall.
A said there's a hole in the wall.
A said to me there's a hole in the wall.
1) John told me he is very upset.
2) John said he is upset [to] with me.
I don't know the meaning of 'nerve' here, Marcio.
4) Mary told [he] him that [need subject](john) is not [that] as intelligent as he['s] said. OR as he's said to be.
A [told] said there's a hole in the wall.
Ok, riverkid, I got it. Many thanks.
Mary meant he's pretending to be upset in order to win something. Actually I guess it's fine, it depends on the context, right?
Last edited by Offroad; 01-Mar-2008 at 05:04.
It could be fine, Marcio. It might just be that I've never heard that usage. Being an older guy and having been abroad for many years, I've found that I'm not up on current slang terms.
Here's how tell and say work for this meaning.
I will try and find some way helping you to understand the meaning of the idiom in question above.
have a nerve = also, have some nerve. Have audacity, show effrontery. For example, You have a nerve telling me what to do, or She had some nerve, criticizing the people who donated their time. The related have the nerve is used with an infinitive, as in He had the nerve to scold his boss in public. This idiom uses nerve in the sense of "courage" or "audacity."
Well, it can be like that. I am not sure, but I think it was a native speaker who told me that "He's a nerve" means "He is never not ashamed of himself, he says what he wants to anyone".
He's a nerver hunter = he hunts what he wants no matter what they tell him about rules.
Please, could someone correct these idioms for us?
2) John said he is upset to me. If we refer to grammar, they are correct. But 1) and 2) express different things the way they´re written. If you want to express the same, eliminate "to me" in the second sentence. And in sentece 3) "to me" is also unnecessary.
4) Mary told he (john) is not that intelligent as he's said. Mary told HIM, he´s not AS intelligent AS he said he is. (Honey: I just used capital letters to drive your attention to some important points: Before the verb, we use a subject, after, we use an object. You can use inequality or comparatives to express the same, however, you cannot mix them in the same sentence).
I hope this will be helpfull. Good luck!
If it´s not clear, don´t get desperate, There are many People (including me) that will try to help you until you get it.
There is no difference in our standpoints.
(mine) This idiom uses nerve in the sense of "courage" or "audacity."
(yours) He's a nerve" means "He is never not ashamed of himself, he says what he wants to anyone".
audacity = · fearless daring; intrepidity.
· bold or insolent heedlessness of restraints, as of those imposed by prudence, propriety, or convention.
audacity = adventurousness, boldness, brass neck, bravery, brazenness, check, chutzpah, courage, daring, defiance, disrespectfulness, enterprise, fearlessness, forwardness, gall, guts, impertinence, impudence, insolence, intrepidity, nerve, presumption, rashness, recklessness, rudeness.