How to understand “you like it the shape it is”
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
add a comment |
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
"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
add a comment |
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
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
grammar
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
add a comment |
"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
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
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
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
add a comment |
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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
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
add a comment |
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
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
add a comment |
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
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
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
add a comment |
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
add a comment |
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"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