* 29 Different Versions

Sometimes different versions of the same expression can be heard in live speech. The difference is in the use of various grammatical forms.

29.1 ï¿½ï¿½Can, May, Could

17.8ï¿½ï¿½ Can I help you?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½Can I be of service for you?ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ < ï¿½ ï¿½Iï¿½m not ready to order yet.ï¿½>

May I help you?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Whoï¿½s calling? May I help you?ï¿½>

Could I help you?ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½What are you looking for? Could I help you?ï¿½>

29.2 ï¿½ï¿½Tenses

3.4ï¿½ï¿½ Iï¿½m OK.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½How are you?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Iï¿½m OK, thanks.ï¿½>

Iï¿½ve been OK.ï¿½ï¿½ Listen ï¿½ï¿½<ï¿½How have you been?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Iï¿½ve been OK, thanks.ï¿½>

17.16ï¿½ï¿½ It doesnï¿½t bother me any.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½It does not trouble me and I donï¿½t have any objections.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Do you mind if I listen to the radio?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½No. It doesnï¿½t bother me anyï¿½>

It wonï¿½t bother me any.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Do you mind if I turn on the radio?ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½No. It wonï¿½t bother me anyï¿½>

12.28ï¿½ï¿½ It canï¿½t be helped.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½Unfortunately, nothing can help in this situation.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½My rose bush looks dead.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½It canï¿½t be helped. The current drought is killing many plants in the garden.ï¿½>

It couldnï¿½t be helped.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½Unfortunately, nothing could be done to help in this situation.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½My rose bush died.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½It couldnï¿½t be helped. The current drought killed many plants in the garden.ï¿½>

17.4ï¿½ï¿½ I bet itï¿½s still raining.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½I can bet this is true. I am sure that....ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½I bet itï¿½s still raining. I can hear raindropsï¿½. ï¿½ Itï¿½s pouring!ï¿½>

Iï¿½ll bet itï¿½s still raining.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Iï¿½ll bet itï¿½s still raining.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Itï¿½s raining cats and dogs!ï¿½>

Iï¿½ll bet you itï¿½s still raining.ï¿½ï¿½ Listen ï¿½ï¿½<ï¿½Iï¿½ll bet you itï¿½s still raining.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½And how! Without interruption!ï¿½ >

17.9ï¿½ï¿½ Thatï¿½s all.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½Thatï¿½s all I need.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Would you like anything else?ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½No, thatï¿½s all.ï¿½>

Thatï¿½ll be all.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Do you need anything else?ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½No, thatï¿½ll be all.ï¿½>

29.3 ï¿½ï¿½Pronouns

12.25ï¿½ï¿½ Thatï¿½s all I need.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½<ï¿½My car got stalled in the garage, and the garage door broke. Thatï¿½s all I need!ï¿½>

Itï¿½s all I need.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½A pregnant cat! Itï¿½s all I need.ï¿½>

26.12ï¿½ï¿½ It doesnï¿½t quite suit me.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½It is not exactly what I want.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½This dress is nice. It doesnï¿½t quite suit me, though. I want something lighter and more ornate.ï¿½>

That doesnï¿½t quite suit me.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Your life is too hectic. Your interests are outlandish. Your views are too radical. That doesnï¿½t quite suit me. Letï¿½s break up.ï¿½>

29.4 ï¿½ï¿½Contraction

2.1ï¿½ï¿½ Iï¿½ll talk to you soon.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½Good-bye until I talk to you again soon.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½It was nice talking to you, Jane. Iï¿½ll call you in a few days.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Good-bye, Greg. Iï¿½ll talk to you soon.ï¿½>

Talk to you soon.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½See you tomorrow.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Talk to you soon.ï¿½>

2.4ï¿½ï¿½ It was good to see you.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½I am glad I saw you this time.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Good-bye, Henry. It was good to see you.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Bye, Margaret. See you around.ï¿½>

Good to see you.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½Bye, Henry. Good to see you.ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½Bye, Margaret. See you.ï¿½>

12.37ï¿½ï¿½ Itï¿½s just as I expected.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ A ï¿½I thought it would be this way.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½The market is falling now. Itï¿½s just as I expected.ï¿½>

Just as I expected.ï¿½ï¿½ Listenï¿½ï¿½ <ï¿½The market is down. Just as I expected.ï¿½>

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