How would you have interput this sentance?

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Spokane_Girl

21 Dec 2007, 3:09 am

KimJ wrote:

I take the sentence literally and there is no room for interpretation.

What do you mean no room for interputation?

When you took it literal too, did you take it the same way I meant it?

RudolfsDad
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21 Dec 2007, 9:30 am

For me, it would depend on who said it. If a NT said that to me, I would take the entire sentence somewhat non-literally. NT say stuff like that a lot without literally meaning that they will never talk to the person again or that they will never talk to the person when he is in a joking mood. In most cases, it's just the kind of thing people say when they are angry, but it is mutually assumed that no permanent changes in policy are being threatened. So, if a NT said that, I would take it to mean something like the following:

"If you don't stop joking and be serious, I will not talk to you any more right now.

If someone with AS said it to me, I might be a little more concerned that they may actually be threatening a permanent change in policy. I would worry a little in this case because people with AS are more literal than NT.

dupertuis
Raven
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21 Dec 2007, 11:01 am

"I'm not talking to you anymore if you're going to be joking around."

My interpretation: A warning that if you persist in keeping me at a distance with your rapid-fire humor I'm not going to be around for you much longer.

Glad you able to walk away.

dp

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KimJ
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21 Dec 2007, 12:36 pm

Spokanegirl,
Room for interpretation means you can understand a word, phrase or utterance in different ways, and it depends on the context of the situation.
No room for interpretation means there is only one correct way to understand the utterance.
I based my opinion on what I said here;

Quote:

It's in the subjunctive mood-which isn't used or understood much in English anymore-but it's not open to interpretation for any other context than the present one. "If you keep doing this, I will do that", you may not be doing "this", so I won't do "that".

We don't know for sure if this guy would have reacted the same way or differently if she had left out, "anymore". Really, we don't.

""I'm not talking to you, if you're going to be joking around." Is it really that different? "Anymore" seems to be signaling that she is talking and she will stop, if he continues to joke. The number of gerunds is more than necessary but it doesn't change the meaning of the sentence.

Besides what I said in the "possible reasons" he said you were rude, I also agree with pluto's comments. Ex-boyfriend started the rudeness and you were only letting him know that you weren't appreciating the nonstop joking.
I will also add that some complaints I have had that I've discussed with my psychologist have been dismissed as "sloppy communication". So, I wonder if that's their way of dismissing personality conflict? Even if you're right, the psychologist will tell you that it's not about "being right" but trying to communicate better.

Dieselsmoke
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker