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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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 Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 10:08 am Post subject: I love Strawberries Very Much! |
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I was trying to tell my JTE, that "I Love strawberries very much" was wrong, but I couldn't find anything in my grammar book to say why.
Why is it ok to say "I love my mother very much" or "I love my car very much" but not "I love strawberries very much" ?
Obviously, the 'my' possesive has something to do with it.
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azarashi sushi
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 562
Location: Shinjuku
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 10:19 am Post subject: |
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I don't think there's anything actually wrong with it ... It just seems unusal to find someone who is so passionate about fruit.
But hey... each to his own. |
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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 10:44 am Post subject: |
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Sure sounds wrong to me.
People say " I love dogs", "I love Cats"........it is kind of tough to feel more for something than 'love'. ie similar to 'the best'.
Where I come from people say "I love (something)" they never add very much unless it has a 'my' in there. ie I love my dog very much. |
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azarashi sushi
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 562
Location: Shinjuku
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 10:57 am Post subject: |
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| Where do you come from Willy? |
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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 11:15 am Post subject: |
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| Ontario Canada |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 11:24 am Post subject: |
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Willy, I don't find anything wrong with it either and it doesn't sound strange at all.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=love
Look at number 3 about the verb love. What's the difference between strawberries and a house? It's perfectly fine. Many people use the word love because they want to say something stronger than like. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 11:55 am Post subject: |
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Sentence sounds good to me too. I also love strawberries very much as long as they don't come from Ontario.  |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 12:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Gordon wrote: |
| Sentence sounds good to me too. I also love strawberries very much as long as they don't come from Ontario. |
So do I. I also love strawberries very much. I loathe persimmons. Wait, can you say that in Ontario?
Looks like you owe your JTE an apology. |
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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 12:33 pm Post subject: |
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I checked the link on 'love' and nowhere in there did I find "I love (something) very much".........very much is not added shall I say, 'very much'.
It might not be grammatically incorrect, but it certainly isn't 'natural' english.
Put it in google......certainly if it was a common phrase such as "would you like fries with that?", it would come up a bit, but it doesnt.
Are you saying you seriously say "I love strawberries very much"?
I would think that "I like strawberries very much" is the proper way to express it.
And besides, Ontario strawberries are delicious. |
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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry to reply to my last message (bad form).
Certainly, I would like to see this usage in a grammar book to be sure.
Many native speakers say "I don't have nothing", and think it sounds pefectly fine. Not that many University educated people say that one particular gaffe, but I actually don't agree that I do owe my JTE an apology.
I just haven't been able to find the reference to it.
Love seems to be an absolute in this case. You either love it or you don't, that is why the intensifiyer seems out of place. But when you put the my in there with people, it seems to separate the absolute from intesity. So, "I love my mother, very much" seems to be ok, but on the other hand "I love my car, very much" seems wrong. |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Willy_In_Japan wrote: |
I checked the link on 'love' and nowhere in there did I find "I love (something) very much".........very much is not added shall I say, 'very much'.
It might not be grammatically incorrect, but it certainly isn't 'natural' english.
Put it in google......certainly if it was a common phrase such as "would you like fries with that?", it would come up a bit, but it doesnt.
Are you saying you seriously say "I love strawberries very much"?
I would think that "I like strawberries very much" is the proper way to express it.
And besides, Ontario strawberries are delicious. |
You're right. Canadian fruit is delicous, generally. I love it. I love many things about Vancouver too. I love the mountains, I love the summer, I love how there aren't very many people compared to back east. I love how it's not considered or looked at the centre of the universe. Many people also must love Vancouver because of the westward migigration from the east to the west.
It is natural. I think you're trying to be nitpicky. Obviously where you grew up, people didn't use love like many of us did (however I find it strange). I find it strange that when a truck drives by, many people comment on how fast the lorry is. Doesn't seem natural, but it's perfectly fine. I really miss driving, because I don't drive in Japan. I loved my car in Canada. I love how my old girl friend used to give me fruit while I was driving. I really love strawberries. 
In short, I disagree with your point of view. If you can find multiple sources to back up your claim, I would love to see them. |
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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=love
Look at number 3 about the verb love. What's the difference between strawberries and a house? It's perfectly fine. Many people use the word love because they want to say something stronger than like. |
3. To have an intense emotional attachment to: loves his house.
Yes, Canuck, "He loves his house" period.
Where does it say 'very much'?
Certainly love is stronger. From the same site, "Love is the most intense", so how can you add the instensity "very much" to love? |
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madeira
Joined: 13 Jun 2004
Posts: 182
Location: Oppama
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:03 pm Post subject: |
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I thank you very much for this topic.
It`s just strange usage, not really wrong. I`d discourage most of my (middle-aged white-collar) students from saying something like `I love my Mother very much`, though... It sounds weird. As in, creepy.
Love doesn`t need any intensifiers, unless you`re writing poetry or are under 20.
A natural sounding de-intensifier for love from where I`m from is `a lot`. `Totally` sounds OK as an intensifier if you`re young.
Anyhoo... I think it`s a lot like limit adjectives. (huge, sterling (character), fabulous..) Some English speakers add intensifiers... and some think it`s wrong.
I love the show `Absolutely Fabulous` very much.
Sorry, still sounds strange. |
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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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You're right. Canadian fruit is delicous, generally. I love it. I love many things about Vancouver too. I love the mountains, I love the summer, I love how there aren't very many people compared to back east. I love how it's not considered or looked at the centre of the universe. Many people also must love Vancouver because of the westward migigration from the east to the west.
It is natural. I think you're trying to be nitpicky. Obviously where you grew up, people didn't use love like many of us did (however I find it strange). I find it strange that when a truck drives by, many people comment on how fast the lorry is. Doesn't seem natural, but it's perfectly fine. I really miss driving, because I don't drive in Japan. I loved my car in Canada. I love how my old girl friend used to give me fruit while I was driving. I really love strawberries.
In short, I disagree with your point of view. If you can find multiple sources to back up your claim, I would love to see them. |
If I am being 'nitpicky' Canuck, why didn't you use 'I love ------- very much" in your response? You said " I love the mountains" "I love the summer" "I love how there aren't many people here compared to the east" but you didn't add 'very much' to your love.
Why not, if it is natural for you to do so?
I know people who say "I don't have nothing", but even THEY don't say "I love ------- very much". |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, it is natural. About sounding natural, what about the statement:
I broke my leg and my friend to me to hospital.
and
I broke my leg and my friend too me to the hospital.
Which is correct?
To me, the first doesn't sound natural at all where the second version is how I would say it. However, both are correct. The first sentence is "British English."
(I also think I'm missing a point, but wanted to throw that in there...as I don't have nothing. and I love strawberries) Sorry, joke is old now. |
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