Stephenlearner Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary
Do not hurry / Do not be anxious / Take your time?
Hi,
A student wanted to ask his teacher a question when the class was over and the teahcer was ready to leave.
"I am sorry, but are you in a hurry? I want to ask a question."
"I am sorry, but are you anxious to leave? I want to ask a question.”
My friend asked me to help him translate a document for him. I asked,
"Are you in a hurry to get it?"
"Are you anxious to get it?"
My boss told me to prepare a document for him. He said to me,
"I am not in any hurry to get it, so take your time."
"I am not anxious to get it, so take your time."
Which one is acceptable in each group?
Can you make improvements to them?
Thanks very much.
A student wanted to ask his teacher a question when the class was over and the teahcer was ready to leave.
"I am sorry, but are you in a hurry? I want to ask a question."
"I am sorry, but are you anxious to leave? I want to ask a question.”
My friend asked me to help him translate a document for him. I asked,
"Are you in a hurry to get it?"
"Are you anxious to get it?"
My boss told me to prepare a document for him. He said to me,
"I am not in any hurry to get it, so take your time."
"I am not anxious to get it, so take your time."
Which one is acceptable in each group?
Can you make improvements to them?
Thanks very much.
Top answer
'Anxious' can have ambiguous meanings. Use 'in a hurry'.
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stephenlearner"I am not anxious to get it, so take your time."As MrM has noted, this can be ambiguous.
This one in particular could suggest that the speaker is actually dreading it!
Even "I'm in no hurry to get it, so take your time" is sometimes used sarcastically to indicate reluctance to receive the thing.
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