What does "the thing is..." mean here? Is it commonly used?
The thing is, I can't really make it this week.
The thing is, she's dating a new guy now.
The thing is, I can't really make it this week.
The thing is, she's dating a new guy now.
the thing is
It is commonly used, and it's used to provide contrast before you explain a problem you have in or a concern you have about doing something.
I use this one all the time. One can also abbreviate it to "Thing is...", without the article. (This is very colloquial, but it's a colloquial construction to begin with.)
It means more or less the same thing as "The problem is...", but it's more colloquial. It can also sometimes be used with things that aren't really problems but are still contrary to expectations.
A related construction is "That's the thing." Here's an example:
Eric: I went to the store to get some bananas...
Jerry: Hmm, I'd like a banana right now.
Eric: That's the thing: they didn't have any bananas, so I got apples instead.
But Eric couldn't have said "That's the thing" if he hadn't just said something that might lead Jerry to expect that he actually had bananas.
I'm sure somebody can provide better examples. :)
- Kef
It means more or less the same thing as "The problem is...", but it's more colloquial. It can also sometimes be used with things that aren't really problems but are still contrary to expectations.
A related construction is "That's the thing." Here's an example:
Eric: I went to the store to get some bananas...
Jerry: Hmm, I'd like a banana right now.
Eric: That's the thing: they didn't have any bananas, so I got apples instead.
But Eric couldn't have said "That's the thing" if he hadn't just said something that might lead Jerry to expect that he actually had bananas.
I'm sure somebody can provide better examples. :)
- Kef
<<"Thing" is a very flexible word, isn't it?>>
Yes -- often it's a general-purpose placeholder noun, whose meaning is clear only in the context of the whole sentence or paragraph.
Yes -- often it's a general-purpose placeholder noun, whose meaning is clear only in the context of the whole sentence or paragraph.
I would say that "the thing is" is more equivalent to "the matter is" than "the problem is", because it can be used with many things that aren't really problems per se but rather are just issues or considerations of some sort or another,
>><<"Thing" is a very flexible word, isn't it?>>
Yes -- often it's a general-purpose placeholder noun, whose meaning is clear only in the context of the whole sentence or paragraph.<<
That definitely applies here, even though there are more notable uses in everyday speech of it that probably should be pointed out. In particular, one specific usage is that can speak of "a thing of <something>", indicating some self-contained quantity of something.
Yes -- often it's a general-purpose placeholder noun, whose meaning is clear only in the context of the whole sentence or paragraph.<<
That definitely applies here, even though there are more notable uses in everyday speech of it that probably should be pointed out. In particular, one specific usage is that can speak of "a thing of <something>", indicating some self-contained quantity of something.
The thing is, You're English really is not as good as you like to make it out to be. ;)
<< You're English really is not as good as you like to make it out to be. >>
I think you mean "your". ;)
I think you mean "your". ;)
Yeah, I think so too. Eh, the universal thing English speakers just can't get, the difference between "you're" and "your." LOL.
I think it should read, "You're English really is not as good as you would like it to be."
It still should be "your" (it doesn't mean "You are English really is not..."). Other than that, there's nothing wrong with beneficii said... it means, "Your English really is not as good as you would like us to believe", or, more literally and less naturally, "Your English really is not as good as you like to try to make it appear."
- Kef
- Kef
suzette,
Here:
"Your English really is not as good as you like to make it out to be."
This is correct.
Here:
"Your English really is not as good as you like to make it out to be."
This is correct.
<<A related construction is "That's the thing.">>
Another similar construction is "Here's the thing", which can be used to introduce a problem.
Another similar construction is "Here's the thing", which can be used to introduce a problem.
I've hear "there's a thing", meaning something strange or surprising".
There's a thing, I just saw Mary in the street and she didn't even say hello."
"There's a thing, I put my pen down a few moments ago and now I can't find it."
There's a thing, I just saw Mary in the street and she didn't even say hello."
"There's a thing, I put my pen down a few moments ago and now I can't find it."