Продолжаем прокачивать естественность своего английского. Сегодня хит-парад/свалка простых конструкций, которые все понимают, но многие стесняются использовать – и совершенно зря.
In no particular order:
1. I CAN’T BE BOTHERED. = МНЕ ЛЕНЬ.
• It’s no use asking him. He can’t be bothered to help.
• Her pants are getting more and more tight in the waist but she can’t be bothered to exercise.
2. WORK LONG HOURS = ПРОВОДИТЬ МНОГО ВРЕМЕНИ НА РАБОТЕ
• I know you work long hours but what’s there to show for it?
• She only works long hours to spend less time at home.
3. LIVE TO BE ___ = ДОЖИТЬ ДО ___ ЛЕТ
• If I live to be a hundred I’m gonna invite all my school friends to the party.
• After the reform, people won’t live to be old enough for a state pension.
4. OLD ENOUGH TO BE YOUR MOM/GRANDMOTHER = В МАТЕРИ/ БАБУШКИ И Т.П. ГОДИТЬСЯ
• How can you go out with this pervert? He’s old enough to be your dad!
• She’s young enough to be her granddaughter but they’re still good friends.
5. GET how much SLEEP/EXERCISE = МНОГО СПАТЬ/ДВИГАТЬСЯ И Т.П.
• I bought a premium subscription and didn’t get much sleep last night.
• We don’t get enough exercise working in an office.
6. HALF AS MANY/MUCH (AS) = ВДВОЕ МЕНЬШЕ, (ЧЕМ)
• Parkinson’s law says that if need be, you’ll get the job done in half as much time.
• She weighs half as much as her best friend but they’re both quite ugly.
7. HAVE THE NERVE = ИМЕТЬ СМЕЛОСТЬ/НАГЛОСТЬ
8. NEVER = ТАК И НЕ (в прошедшем времени)
• You never paid me back last time and now you have the nerve to ask me for more. You kidding me?
• I never had the nerve to ask for promotion.
9. PLAY how much TENNIS / WATCH how much TELEVISION etc = МНОГО ИГРАТЬ В ТЕННИС, МНОГО СМОТРЕТЬ ТЕЛЕВИЗОР и т.п.
• I don’t see a lot of her these days. I wonder what happened.
• I don’t play that much guitar these days.
10. DID NOT COME/FINISH/KNOW UNTIL… = ПРИШЕЛ/ЗАКОНЧИЛ/УЗНАЛ И Т.П. ТОЛЬКО КОГДА…
Тот случай, когда «минус на минус дает плюс» (не + пока не):
• I didn’t know Russia was the best country in the world until the TV guy said that. (только когда сказал)
• It wasn’t until she saw him that Rory realized how little she missed him. (только когда увидела)
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Пользуйтесь сами и делитесь с окружающими. Все как обычно.
