Question 46

[toto1115]

Hello, teacher, coould you rephrase this sentense for me please



It is just that the timing of you asking me wasn't right

or

It is just that the timing when you asked me wasn't right



I know we could use

I was not in the right frame of mind when you asked me about it


BUT I REALLY WANT TO PUT TIMING IN THE SENTENCE,
AND I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE SAYING THE FIRST TWOS

thanks

[Temico]

Hello, teacher, coould you rephrase this sentense for me please



It is just that the timing of you asking me wasn't right

or

It is just that the timing when you asked me wasn't right



I know we could use

I was not in the right frame of mind when you asked me about it


BUT I REALLY WANT TO PUT TIMING IN THE SENTENCE,
AND I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE SAYING THE FIRST TWOS

thanks
How about, "You simply asked me at the wrong time.", direct, plain and simple?

[Harmony]

Hi Toto,


BUT I REALLY WANT TO PUT TIMING IN THE SENTENCE,
Here are some suggestions which I hope will be helpful:
Your question wasn't a problem, but your timing was!

It was your timing, not your question that bothered me.

Your question wasn't a problem for me. It was just that your timing wasn't right.

It wasn't your question that bothered me. It was your timing.

Harmony :)

[toto1115]

Thank to you two

I have considered all of your suggestions but i really want to use TIMING




It is just that the timing of you asking me wasn't right

or

It is just that the timing when you asked me wasn't right


First of all, do these two sentences have grammar mistakes?

[Harmony]

Hi Toto,

Both sentences contain grammatical mistakes. The sentences I gave you all used timing, but if you want something as close as possible to the original two, the best I can offer is this:

It is just that the timing of your question wasn't right.

If anyone has another suggestion please feel free to let us know! :)

Harmony

[Rusty]

Hi Toto,

Both sentences contain grammatical mistakes. The sentences I gave you all used timing, but if you want something as close as possible to the original two, the best I can offer is this:

It is just that the timing of your question wasn't right.

If anyone has another suggestion please feel free to let us know! :)

Harmony "Your asking me" may have been an invitation rather than a question.
How about, "It was just that the timing of your asking me wasn't right."
I agree with Harmony's change of "you" to "your."

[toto1115]

"Your asking me" may have been an invitation rather than a question.
How about, "It was just that the timing of your asking me wasn't right."
I agree with Harmony's change of "you" to "your."

Thank you to Harmony and Rusty

I do agree with all your suggestions

But i am being fussy here,

the sentense I originally wanted to use was Rusty's one

"It was just that the timing of your asking me wasn't right."


But I don't understand why you changed " YOU " to " YOURS " here

I think

"It was just that the timing of you asking me wasn't right."

sounds good enough to me

thanks

[Rusty]

Thank you to Harmony and Rusty

I do agree with all your suggestions

But i am being fussy here,

the sentense I originally wanted to use was Rusty's one

"It was just that the timing of your asking me wasn't right."


But I don't understand why you changed " YOU " to " YOURS " here

I think

"It was just that the timing of you asking me wasn't right."

sounds good enough to me

thanks Pete gave a good explanation to this difference one time (you asking vs. your asking). I'll have to look in my notes.

[Rusty]

Pete gave a good explanation to this difference one time (you asking vs. your asking). I'll have to look in my notes. I couldn't find what Pete said, so here's my analysis.
1. It was just that the timing of your asking me wasn't right. Asking is a gerund. Your is a possessive pronoun modifying asking.
2. It was just that the timing of you asking me wasn't right. Asking is a participial adjective modifying you.
1. In the phrase of your asking me, asking is the object of the preposition of.
2. In the phrase of you asking me, you is the object of the preposition of.
Since you are talking about the timing of the asking, 1. is the sentence you want.
2. is not impossible. You could say, "It was just that the timing of you in a blue suit wasn't right." In a blue suit modifies you. But you are talking about the timing, not you + adjectives.

[toto1115]

I couldn't find what Pete said, so here's my analysis.
1. It was just that the timing of your asking me wasn't right. Asking is a gerund. Your is a possessive pronoun modifying asking.
2. It was just that the timing of you asking me wasn't right. Asking is a participial adjective modifying you.
1. In the phrase of your asking me, asking is the object of the preposition of.
2. In the phrase of you asking me, you is the object of the preposition of.
Since you are talking about the timing of the asking, 1. is the sentence you want.
2. is not impossible. You could say, "It was just that the timing of you in a blue suit wasn't right." In a blue suit modifies you. But you are talking about the timing, not you + adjectives.



Thank you to Rusty, but I still have doubts in example 1

1. It was just that the timing of your asking me wasn't right. Asking is a gerund. Your is a possessive pronoun modifying asking.

if your is the possessive pronoun of ASKING, would it be better if we omit the ME from the sentense?

It was just that the timing of your asking wasn't right?


I can only comprehend thw sentence this way ~~

slightly confused with YOUR and ME both in the sentense

I am perfectly fine with

It was just that the timing of you asking me wasn't right.

[danmahaffey]

Thank you to Rusty, but I still have doubts in example 1

1. It was just that the timing of your asking me wasn't right. Asking is a gerund. Your is a possessive pronoun modifying asking.

if your is the possessive pronoun of ASKING, would it be better if we omit the ME from the sentense?

It was just that the timing of your asking wasn't right?


I can only comprehend thw sentence this way ~~

slightly confused with YOUR and ME both in the sentense

I am perfectly fine with

It was just that the timing of you asking me wasn't right.Toto and Rusty, I know this is Rusty's to sort out, but I can't resist.

(a) Forget asking for a moment. It was just that the timing of your question wasn't right, is a good sentence.

(b) Delete question, and add back asking. It was just that the timing of your asking wasn't right, is a good sentence.

(c) Forget your and add me (an indirect object) to tell us who got asked. It was just that the timing of asking me wasn't right, is a good sentence.

(d) Now add back your to clarify whose question, or whose asking wasn't right. It was just that the timing of your asking me wasn't right, is a good sentence.

Is this clear as mud?

[toto1115]

getting there Dan, Thanks

[Temico]

getting there Dan, Thanks

"getting there"?? Where is "there",Toto1115? To "where" it is "clear as mud", perhaps????

[danmahaffey]

"getting there"?? Where is "there",Toto1115? To "where" it is "clear as mud", perhaps????Temico, English is a complex and difficult language in its subtleties, as difficult there as it is easy in its core. Accomplished speakers and writers make mistakes with the best of intentions, so it is no wonder that students struggle.

The appropriate response to a student's struggle is not ridicule. If you can help toto understand better than we have, please do so. You can begin by saying, Toto, I'm sorry I made fun of your effort to understand this difficult subject.

[Rusty]

1. It was just that the timing of your asking me wasn't right. Asking is a gerund. Your is a possessive pronoun modifying asking. Asking is a gerund. Because a gerund is a verb form it can take an object of its own. Me the object of asking. The sentence sounds fine to me.

[Temico]

Temico, English is a complex and difficult language in its subtleties, as difficult there as it is easy in its core. Accomplished speakers and writers make mistakes with the best of intentions, so it is no wonder that students struggle.

The appropriate response to a student's struggle is not ridicule. If you can help toto understand better than we have, please do so. You can begin by saying, Toto, I'm sorry I made fun of your effort to understand this difficult subject.

FYI, I wanted to know what Toto meant by "getting there" because it can mean "getting to where it is clear as mud", which I doubt is where s/he wants to go.
BTW, I remember telling you, "I don't need your advice". I still mean it.

[lotus]

Hi toto1115,

Might I suggest:

It was just bad timing when you asked me.


--lotus

[danmahaffey]

FYI, I wanted to know what Toto meant by "getting there" because it can mean "getting to where it is clear as mud", which I doubt is where s/he wants to go.
BTW, I remember telling you, "I don't need your advice". I still mean it.Temico, you are disingenuous at best. Your baiting of toto is transparent to all. And you need someone's advice, badly, so you'll have to do with mine.

[danmahaffey]

Hi toto1115,

Might I suggest:

It was just bad timing when you asked me.


--lotusGood solution. Have you thought of becoming a diplomat?

[toto1115]

Thanks to lotus, but I still prefer using TIMING OF ~~~ Thanks anyway

To Temico and Dan, I am sorry to you both, so please don't get upfront on this matter, you two have been vey helpful on this matter, it is just that the stupidity of mine is not doing any good. Therefore, This is not worth getting worked up over. Thanks to you two

After Rusty's reply by saying gerund can take an object on it own ~ I do unterstand it now, thanks

Sorry for everything.

[Temico]

Temico, you are disingenuous at best. Your baiting of toto is transparent to all. And you need someone's advice, badly, so you'll have to do with mine.
Only an arrogant fool would think that I was baiting toto and there's no need to guess who that is. Keep your advice to yourself, you surely need it bad!!