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well, do you think "I've been wishing not to do smth" sounds good?

Why not?
Lately I've been wishing I had one desire..

Цитата: Искандер от мая  4, 2012, 09:37
well, do you think "I've been wishing not to do smth" sounds good?

sure, but what does it mean?

if it's something particular like "I've been wishing not to fail at English" then it's OK

Цитата: iopq от мая  4, 2012, 22:58
sure, but what does it mean?

Like
Iʼve been wishing not to do that but this morning the circumstances have changed tho Iʼll do it.

Цитата: Искандер от мая  5, 2012, 16:53

Цитата: iopq от мая  4, 2012, 22:58
sure, but what does it mean?

Like
Iʼve been wishing not to do that but this morning the circumstances have changed tho Iʼll do it.

I had been wishing not to do that, but this morning the circumstances have changed; I'll do it.

since the wishing was in the past it has to be in the past tense

Цитата: iopq от мая  5, 2012, 23:59

I had been wishing not to do that, but this morning the
circumstances have changed; I'll do it.

since the wishing was in the past
it has to be in the past tense

It is simpler to say "I didn't want (or I hadn't wanted) to do that...", or even beter "I wasn't going to do that...", than to build such an awful consruction...

Цитата: RockyRaccoon от мая  6, 2012, 09:08
It is simpler to say "I didn't want (or I hadn't wanted) to do that...", or even beter "I wasn't going to do that...", than to build such an awful consruction...

Is a «since I've been loving you» also awful?

Цитата: autolyk от мая  6, 2012, 09:14
Is «since I've been loving you» also awful?

Why not say "since I love you"?

Цитата: RockyRaccoon от мая  6, 2012, 09:19
Why not say "since I love you"?

It's R. Plant who sang not me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMbxbT1WA3Y&feature=fvst

Цитата: autolyk от мая  6, 2012, 09:24
It's R. Plant who sang not me:

Robert knows better, of course, but would he say so in the real world, not in a song? I just dont know...

It seems to me he would, because there is a difference of sense between these expressions. 

Цитата: RockyRaccoon от мая  6, 2012, 09:08

Цитата: iopq от мая  5, 2012, 23:59

I had been wishing not to do that, but this morning the
circumstances have changed; I'll do it.

since the wishing was in the past
it has to be in the past tense

It is simpler to say "I didn't want (or I hadn't wanted) to do that...", or even beter "I wasn't going to do that...", than to build such an awful consruction...

but the perfect signifies that it's important to the present but it happened in the past
past perfect signifies it was important in the past and happened earlier

I didn't want to do that, but this morning the circumstances changed - мне не хотелось этого делать, но утром все поменялось
I had been wishing not to do it, but this morning the circumstances changed - я все это время не хотел этого делать, но утром все поменялось

there's a difference in meaning, in the second sentence the wishing came BEFORE the morning

It's a pity there are no native English-speaking people here...

Цитата: RockyRaccoon от мая  6, 2012, 10:43
It's a pity there are no native English-speaking people here...

iopq is an English native speaker, by the way.

Цитата: Passerby от мая  6, 2012, 14:39
iopq is an English native speaker, by the way.

Is Igor himself aware of this?

Цитата: Hellerick от мая  6, 2012, 14:57

Цитата: Passerby от мая  6, 2012, 14:39
iopq is an English native speaker, by the way.

Is Igor himself aware of this?

He said he speaks English better than Russian and Ukrainian, didn't he?

Цитата: Hellerick от мая  6, 2012, 14:57

Цитата: Passerby от мая  6, 2012, 14:39
iopq is an English native speaker, by the way.

Is Igor himself aware of this?

I consider my first language to be Russian, mother tongue to be Ukrainian and my best language to be English...

First or second, Iopq speaks it every day...

Цитата: Искандер от мая  8, 2012, 22:07
First or second, Iopq speaks it every day...

but it's my third 

Цитата: RockyRaccoon от мая  6, 2012, 09:19

Цитата: autolyk от мая  6, 2012, 09:14
Is «since I've been loving you» also awful?

Why not say "since I love you"?

«Since I've been loving you» = «there was a time I used to love you, and beginning from that time <...>».
«Since I love you» = «because I love you (now)».

Hi,fellas! Have any of you seen phrases like "no can do"(means"I can't do that")? Its pattern looks "very hispanic" but never mind the background (that must be a long story).. Just name some further examples of the pattern usage if they do exist.

Цитата: Maksim Sagay от июля 28, 2012, 07:23
Hi,fellas! Have any of you seen phrases like "no can do"(means"I can't do that")? Its pattern looks "very hispanic" but never mind the background (that must be a long story).. Just name some further examples of the pattern usage if they do exist.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/no_can_do
From Chinese Pidgin English. A calque of Chinese 不能做.

(wiki/en) Chinese_Pidgin_English
other examples in that article

It will be "I boo neng zhoo it" correct soon with such a march...

bu4 neng2 zuo4