How to understand “you like it the shape it is”












3















Fred and George looked at each other. Then Fred said abruptly, “I've told you before, Ron, keep your nose out if you like it the shape it is. Can't see why you would, but -”




I don't know how to understand the grammar of "you like it the shape it is". It seems to me that "you like it with the shape it is" looks more grammatical. How should we understand the grammar of the sentence?




  • Excerpted from Harry Potter.










share|improve this question
























  • "you like it in the shape it is" sounds correct to me.
    – CinCout
    10 hours ago










  • What about "you like it the shape it is"? @CinCout
    – dan
    10 hours ago










  • Sounds incomplete.
    – CinCout
    10 hours ago










  • @CinCout, oh, it's excerpted from the Potter book.
    – dan
    10 hours ago










  • That part I got. Hence, not sure if Rowling messed up!
    – CinCout
    10 hours ago
















3















Fred and George looked at each other. Then Fred said abruptly, “I've told you before, Ron, keep your nose out if you like it the shape it is. Can't see why you would, but -”




I don't know how to understand the grammar of "you like it the shape it is". It seems to me that "you like it with the shape it is" looks more grammatical. How should we understand the grammar of the sentence?




  • Excerpted from Harry Potter.










share|improve this question
























  • "you like it in the shape it is" sounds correct to me.
    – CinCout
    10 hours ago










  • What about "you like it the shape it is"? @CinCout
    – dan
    10 hours ago










  • Sounds incomplete.
    – CinCout
    10 hours ago










  • @CinCout, oh, it's excerpted from the Potter book.
    – dan
    10 hours ago










  • That part I got. Hence, not sure if Rowling messed up!
    – CinCout
    10 hours ago














3












3








3


2






Fred and George looked at each other. Then Fred said abruptly, “I've told you before, Ron, keep your nose out if you like it the shape it is. Can't see why you would, but -”




I don't know how to understand the grammar of "you like it the shape it is". It seems to me that "you like it with the shape it is" looks more grammatical. How should we understand the grammar of the sentence?




  • Excerpted from Harry Potter.










share|improve this question
















Fred and George looked at each other. Then Fred said abruptly, “I've told you before, Ron, keep your nose out if you like it the shape it is. Can't see why you would, but -”




I don't know how to understand the grammar of "you like it the shape it is". It seems to me that "you like it with the shape it is" looks more grammatical. How should we understand the grammar of the sentence?




  • Excerpted from Harry Potter.







grammar






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 10 hours ago

























asked 10 hours ago









dan

4,40922565




4,40922565












  • "you like it in the shape it is" sounds correct to me.
    – CinCout
    10 hours ago










  • What about "you like it the shape it is"? @CinCout
    – dan
    10 hours ago










  • Sounds incomplete.
    – CinCout
    10 hours ago










  • @CinCout, oh, it's excerpted from the Potter book.
    – dan
    10 hours ago










  • That part I got. Hence, not sure if Rowling messed up!
    – CinCout
    10 hours ago


















  • "you like it in the shape it is" sounds correct to me.
    – CinCout
    10 hours ago










  • What about "you like it the shape it is"? @CinCout
    – dan
    10 hours ago










  • Sounds incomplete.
    – CinCout
    10 hours ago










  • @CinCout, oh, it's excerpted from the Potter book.
    – dan
    10 hours ago










  • That part I got. Hence, not sure if Rowling messed up!
    – CinCout
    10 hours ago
















"you like it in the shape it is" sounds correct to me.
– CinCout
10 hours ago




"you like it in the shape it is" sounds correct to me.
– CinCout
10 hours ago












What about "you like it the shape it is"? @CinCout
– dan
10 hours ago




What about "you like it the shape it is"? @CinCout
– dan
10 hours ago












Sounds incomplete.
– CinCout
10 hours ago




Sounds incomplete.
– CinCout
10 hours ago












@CinCout, oh, it's excerpted from the Potter book.
– dan
10 hours ago




@CinCout, oh, it's excerpted from the Potter book.
– dan
10 hours ago












That part I got. Hence, not sure if Rowling messed up!
– CinCout
10 hours ago




That part I got. Hence, not sure if Rowling messed up!
– CinCout
10 hours ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















8














It is syntactically analogous to the way it is.




I like it the way it is.




That is, "as it is (now)".



If you like the present shape of your nose, butt out.




Would you like some more milk to cool your tea down?

-- No thanks, I like it the temperature it is.




or




Shall we keep the room the color it is?



The conveyor belt is working out nicely. Let's keep it the speed it is.




P.S. This pattern works with intrinsic attributes (shape, color, speed, temperature, age, height, width, etc). the [attribute] it is doesn't work with the extrinsic:




Shall I add more cumin?

-- No, I like it the taste it is. marginal




or




Should we make our games for children ages 7-10 more difficult? Are they challenging enough?

-- Let's keep them the difficulty they are. marginal




or




Shall we add a torx bit to our multi-function tool? Is the tool's usefulness competitive?

-- No, let's keep it the usefulness it is. ungrammatical




or




There have been many fatalities in our new Corvair model. Shall we do something about the car's safety?

-- No, let's keep it the safety it is. ungrammatical







share|improve this answer























  • Can we insert prepositions in those sentences? Any difference?
    – dan
    10 hours ago






  • 1




    Yes, appropriate prepositions could be inserted there, The effect would be to make the statement a little less colloquial. in the shape it is ... at the temperature it is...in the color it is...at the speed it is. The phrase in the way it is not quite so well in this particular context, as the prepositional phrase in the way goes better with manner than with state.
    – Tᴚoɯɐuo
    10 hours ago













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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









8














It is syntactically analogous to the way it is.




I like it the way it is.




That is, "as it is (now)".



If you like the present shape of your nose, butt out.




Would you like some more milk to cool your tea down?

-- No thanks, I like it the temperature it is.




or




Shall we keep the room the color it is?



The conveyor belt is working out nicely. Let's keep it the speed it is.




P.S. This pattern works with intrinsic attributes (shape, color, speed, temperature, age, height, width, etc). the [attribute] it is doesn't work with the extrinsic:




Shall I add more cumin?

-- No, I like it the taste it is. marginal




or




Should we make our games for children ages 7-10 more difficult? Are they challenging enough?

-- Let's keep them the difficulty they are. marginal




or




Shall we add a torx bit to our multi-function tool? Is the tool's usefulness competitive?

-- No, let's keep it the usefulness it is. ungrammatical




or




There have been many fatalities in our new Corvair model. Shall we do something about the car's safety?

-- No, let's keep it the safety it is. ungrammatical







share|improve this answer























  • Can we insert prepositions in those sentences? Any difference?
    – dan
    10 hours ago






  • 1




    Yes, appropriate prepositions could be inserted there, The effect would be to make the statement a little less colloquial. in the shape it is ... at the temperature it is...in the color it is...at the speed it is. The phrase in the way it is not quite so well in this particular context, as the prepositional phrase in the way goes better with manner than with state.
    – Tᴚoɯɐuo
    10 hours ago


















8














It is syntactically analogous to the way it is.




I like it the way it is.




That is, "as it is (now)".



If you like the present shape of your nose, butt out.




Would you like some more milk to cool your tea down?

-- No thanks, I like it the temperature it is.




or




Shall we keep the room the color it is?



The conveyor belt is working out nicely. Let's keep it the speed it is.




P.S. This pattern works with intrinsic attributes (shape, color, speed, temperature, age, height, width, etc). the [attribute] it is doesn't work with the extrinsic:




Shall I add more cumin?

-- No, I like it the taste it is. marginal




or




Should we make our games for children ages 7-10 more difficult? Are they challenging enough?

-- Let's keep them the difficulty they are. marginal




or




Shall we add a torx bit to our multi-function tool? Is the tool's usefulness competitive?

-- No, let's keep it the usefulness it is. ungrammatical




or




There have been many fatalities in our new Corvair model. Shall we do something about the car's safety?

-- No, let's keep it the safety it is. ungrammatical







share|improve this answer























  • Can we insert prepositions in those sentences? Any difference?
    – dan
    10 hours ago






  • 1




    Yes, appropriate prepositions could be inserted there, The effect would be to make the statement a little less colloquial. in the shape it is ... at the temperature it is...in the color it is...at the speed it is. The phrase in the way it is not quite so well in this particular context, as the prepositional phrase in the way goes better with manner than with state.
    – Tᴚoɯɐuo
    10 hours ago
















8












8








8






It is syntactically analogous to the way it is.




I like it the way it is.




That is, "as it is (now)".



If you like the present shape of your nose, butt out.




Would you like some more milk to cool your tea down?

-- No thanks, I like it the temperature it is.




or




Shall we keep the room the color it is?



The conveyor belt is working out nicely. Let's keep it the speed it is.




P.S. This pattern works with intrinsic attributes (shape, color, speed, temperature, age, height, width, etc). the [attribute] it is doesn't work with the extrinsic:




Shall I add more cumin?

-- No, I like it the taste it is. marginal




or




Should we make our games for children ages 7-10 more difficult? Are they challenging enough?

-- Let's keep them the difficulty they are. marginal




or




Shall we add a torx bit to our multi-function tool? Is the tool's usefulness competitive?

-- No, let's keep it the usefulness it is. ungrammatical




or




There have been many fatalities in our new Corvair model. Shall we do something about the car's safety?

-- No, let's keep it the safety it is. ungrammatical







share|improve this answer














It is syntactically analogous to the way it is.




I like it the way it is.




That is, "as it is (now)".



If you like the present shape of your nose, butt out.




Would you like some more milk to cool your tea down?

-- No thanks, I like it the temperature it is.




or




Shall we keep the room the color it is?



The conveyor belt is working out nicely. Let's keep it the speed it is.




P.S. This pattern works with intrinsic attributes (shape, color, speed, temperature, age, height, width, etc). the [attribute] it is doesn't work with the extrinsic:




Shall I add more cumin?

-- No, I like it the taste it is. marginal




or




Should we make our games for children ages 7-10 more difficult? Are they challenging enough?

-- Let's keep them the difficulty they are. marginal




or




Shall we add a torx bit to our multi-function tool? Is the tool's usefulness competitive?

-- No, let's keep it the usefulness it is. ungrammatical




or




There have been many fatalities in our new Corvair model. Shall we do something about the car's safety?

-- No, let's keep it the safety it is. ungrammatical








share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 9 hours ago

























answered 10 hours ago









Tᴚoɯɐuo

107k679173




107k679173












  • Can we insert prepositions in those sentences? Any difference?
    – dan
    10 hours ago






  • 1




    Yes, appropriate prepositions could be inserted there, The effect would be to make the statement a little less colloquial. in the shape it is ... at the temperature it is...in the color it is...at the speed it is. The phrase in the way it is not quite so well in this particular context, as the prepositional phrase in the way goes better with manner than with state.
    – Tᴚoɯɐuo
    10 hours ago




















  • Can we insert prepositions in those sentences? Any difference?
    – dan
    10 hours ago






  • 1




    Yes, appropriate prepositions could be inserted there, The effect would be to make the statement a little less colloquial. in the shape it is ... at the temperature it is...in the color it is...at the speed it is. The phrase in the way it is not quite so well in this particular context, as the prepositional phrase in the way goes better with manner than with state.
    – Tᴚoɯɐuo
    10 hours ago


















Can we insert prepositions in those sentences? Any difference?
– dan
10 hours ago




Can we insert prepositions in those sentences? Any difference?
– dan
10 hours ago




1




1




Yes, appropriate prepositions could be inserted there, The effect would be to make the statement a little less colloquial. in the shape it is ... at the temperature it is...in the color it is...at the speed it is. The phrase in the way it is not quite so well in this particular context, as the prepositional phrase in the way goes better with manner than with state.
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
10 hours ago






Yes, appropriate prepositions could be inserted there, The effect would be to make the statement a little less colloquial. in the shape it is ... at the temperature it is...in the color it is...at the speed it is. The phrase in the way it is not quite so well in this particular context, as the prepositional phrase in the way goes better with manner than with state.
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
10 hours ago




















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