--- In [email protected], "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], cardemaister <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], cardemaister <no_reply@> > > wrote: > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > More like, "I'd rather you were dead." > > > > > > > > > > > > Is that a full sentence? > > > > > > > > > > The part in quotes is. > > > > > > > > Were is the verb? > > > > > > > > > > That's an interesting expression in English. "Rather" seems > > > to act like a verb. I think it's an ellipsis, or stuff. > > > I'd say from the English point of view it's perfectly > > > grammatical. > > > > > > This from Webster's: :) > > > > > > 7. had or would rather, to prefer that or to: I had much rather we > > > not stay. We would rather go for dinner after the show. > > > > > > > On second thought, I might be all wrong. I've always thought > > there's an ellipsis of the predicate verb, but it might > > not be the case after all. Beats me! > > > > The apostrphe-d is the verb. Stands for "would" or "had" in > informal English.
Yeah, but those are auxiliary verbs, no? I think the main verb is "rather," standing in idiomatically for "prefer," although there's no verb "to rather," obviously. To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
