Re: OT: Questions or Doubts?
On Fri, 2004-08-20 at 14:46, William Ballard wrote:
> My pet peeve is "take a decision" vs. "make a decision". Great
> Britains, Old Europe, New Europe, Asia and the Third World all say "take
> a decision" when they speak english. We never use that in America.
Comment from England: Rubbish! "Take a decision" is rare and sounds
odd. The phrase is "take the decision" followed by an infinitive
expressing what was decided; it is a more verbose synonym of "decide".
It is usually transitive, whereas "make a decision" is usually
intransitive. I make a decision; I will make a decision; I may make a
decision. I made a decision; I took the decision to do something.
> "Take a decision" is so passive; it implies studying what my options
> are, holding my nose, and choosing one. "Make a decision" is much more
> American -- we'll just invent the option we want and then take that one.
As in Iraq...
--
Oliver Elphick olly@lfix.co.uk
Isle of Wight http://www.lfix.co.uk/oliver
GPG: 1024D/A54310EA 92C8 39E7 280E 3631 3F0E 1EC0 5664 7A2F A543 10EA
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"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not,
even as others which have no hope. For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also
which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."
I Thessalonians 4:13,14
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