Expression: 'Discuss about' and 'wait!'

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hello,

1.Malaysian have the tendency to use ‘discuss’ with ‘about’. To a native speaker, does this sound redundant?

We were discussing…
We were discussing about…

  1. I always hear moms in Malaysia say “Wait!Wait!Wait!” when stopping their children from pursuing something. Again, how does this sound to a native?Shouldn’t it be, “Wait up!” or “Hold on!”?

Thank you in advance.
Nina

2

Hi Nina

The word ‘discuss’ should be used without the preposition ‘about’. It seems to me that ESL students tend to mistakenly use ‘discuss about’ mainly because we do say ‘talk about’.

I see nothing wrong with saying “Wait!” but your description does sound as though “Stop!” might be more (or at least just as) appropriate.

I’d use “Wait up” informally, for example, if I wanted some friends to stop walking temporarily so that I could catch up with them (i.e. so that we could all continue walking together).

“Hold on” can be used in a variety of situations to ask someone to pause or wait. You often hear this in telephoning situations, for example. To me, ‘Hold on’ often has the sense of ‘Please wait while I do something else’.

Hope that helps.

Amy

3

I thought the same too but always thought it was just a matter of opinion. Now I know for sure it’s a rule.

Oh, okay! Anyway I usually say ‘nothing is wrong’, is that okay?

Thanks Amy!

4

You can say, for example:

Nothing is wrong with saying …
-or-
There is nothing wrong with saying …
-or-
I see nothing wrong with saying …

Amy

5

Putting ‘is’ is already a habit of mine but I think the last one sounds cool 8)

Thank you very much, Amy.

6

Hi Nina

These two expressions have different meanings:

  1. I see nothing wrong with doing …

  2. I see nothing is wrong with doing …

In my opinion, the difference is more or less as follows:

(1) This is my opinion. I cannot discern a problem.
(2) It has been decided (probably by someone else) that there is not a problem and I see (notice) the fact that this has already been decided.

Amy

7

Hmm, would it be the same without ‘I see’?

  1. Nothing wrong with… (I feel something lacking but will it still deliver ‘This is my opinion’ meaning to it?)

  2. Nothing is wrong with…(Sounds ok to me but other than the ‘has been decided’ meaning, can it also deliver ‘This is my opinion’? meaning to it)

Thanks again, Amy for taking the trouble to be as detailed as you can.

8

Hi Nina

Maybe it would also be helpful to look at the two versions this way:

I see nothing (that is) wrong with …
I see (that) nothing is wrong with …

The difference is subtle, but for me it’s definitely a difference.

Amy

9

Oh I am getting so interested in this talking! I began to see the light at the end of a tunnel with:

But I’d like to ask a further question on the first example. Is it possible or not to consider the verb see carrying both an object and an objective complement so that the sentence could also be described as: I see nothing (as) wrong with … or I see nothing (as a) wrong (thing) with … ?

Many thanks in advance.

Haihao

10

I took a little time more to comprehend the first but yes, I do see the difference Amy.

Thanks!

p/s Haihao: I don’t think I speak your language this time :cry: I’m eager to know the teachers’ comment thou.