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yoshi-pooh
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 195
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 Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 10:23 pm Post subject: Do they have the same meaning? |
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Hi, everyone!
1. I couldn't help laughing.
2. I couldn't but laugh.
3. I couldn't help but laugh.
Are the sentences above same in meaning? They are all in my texbook, but I'm not sure if the have the same meaning. As for #3, it seems like #1 and #2 were mixed up by mistake to make #3. Is this really used?
Thank you!
yoshi-pooh |
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wintersweet
Joined: 03 Jun 2007
Posts: 35
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, USA
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 10:59 pm Post subject: |
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I think they're all basically equivalent, but #1 and #3 are much more common than #2 in the varieties of American English with which I'm familiar.
I'd usually say either #1, I think.
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wintersweet
http://www.readableblog.com/
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yoshi-pooh
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 195
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| Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:39 pm Post subject: |
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Hi, wintersweet
Thank you for your reply. |
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