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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > I have a doubt
I have a doubt
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colibrita
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I have a doubt
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Hi Everyone
I hope nobody minds me pointing this out but gosh, if I had a dollar for every time somebody posts "I have a doubt"..... or one of my students says this when they don �t understand something, I �d be a very very rich lady (wouldn �t give up English teaching though. Honest!!!)
See if you can catch a native speaker saying it though! It �s just not something we say when we are having problems understanding something, even though "doubt" is to do with uncertainty.
When you �re not sure about what the difference between "among" and "between" is, or why your w/s has been reported, or the difference between "going to" and "will" for the future, how about saying:
"I have a question"
"I �m having trouble with..."
"I have a problem with ...."
"I don �t understand ....."
"I �m confused about ...."
"Can someone help me understand..."
Now of course, I had my doubts about posting this. But hey, I �m going to stick my neck out. I doubt most of you will mind.
Have a great weekend everyone!
La Colibrita
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21 Aug 2010
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mariannina
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Hello, dear Colibrita! "Can you help me understand" your sentence "I �m going to stick my neck out"? Is it an idiomatic saying related to old times beheadings?
Thank you so much and have a wonderful weekend.
Ciao |
21 Aug 2010
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anitarobi
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Thanks, Colibrita. That �s really an interesting point. And it helps to know stuff like that from native speakers...
Btw, I just love idioms - once you try to translate them logically, it �s like Lewis Carroll.... |
21 Aug 2010
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libertybelle
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But you CAN say
I �m in doubt about something. (not I have a doubt)
good message!!!
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21 Aug 2010
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joy2bill
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Yay, Colibrita. I would also be a rich woman. I �ve got to the stage where I hardly flinch any more when my students say "I have a doubt".
Thanks for the alternatives as I �m often lost for a more natural correction.
Libertybelle is also correct.
Cheers Joy |
21 Aug 2010
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Zora
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 Ah, my dear colibrita! I would also be a millionaire if I had a euro each time I heard "I have a doubt"... and like Joy, I have gotten to the point that I hardly flinch or go into silent convulsions anymore when I hear it! lol
Thanks again, for "sticking your neck out" and gently reminding everybody about this very common faux pas...
I hope everyone is having a great weekend!!
Hugs!!
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21 Aug 2010
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cristinasuma
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Well, if I got a pound for every pupil who says something like "I have a doubt" (even if it is not correct) I would be really happy but I would certainly not be rich. Some pupils will just nod their heads when I ask "Did you understand?" or "Is there any doubt/problem?" even if they haven �t understood at all.  |
21 Aug 2010
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Learning Together
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Great post! It`s so important to have a native speaker �s correction!
Don`t be afraid! Say everything you think Colibrita.. In the end we spend our lives studying but we �ll never sound natural..  Thanks a lot |
21 Aug 2010
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kaz76
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Thanks Colibrita for a great post. I have been a member here now for 2 and a half years and the first time I ever saw this phrase was in this forum - I have seen it used so much that I started to �have a doubt � that it was wrong lol. |
21 Aug 2010
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