[majid72]

Hello

Would you please tell me some sentences in which one of the following expressions is preferred over the other.
(On the verge of...to be about to).
Take the two following sentences:

-I am on the verge of eating my lunch.
-I'm about to have my lunch.
I think the second is preferred among natives, isn't it.

Thanks a lot.

[STCrowley]

I like the second, because it is how I'd (American) talk. I say 'I'm about to' when I'm talking about the next thing I'm going to do.

'On the verge of' is normally a bit negative for me. I use it when I'm getting close to doing something I don't want to do: "I'm on the verge of losing my temper" or "I was on the verge of telling him just what an idiot he was." It has more the feeling of being 'pushed' into something by your surroundings.

I hope that has helped some!
Any more questions, just let me know,
-Toby

[majid72]

Quote STCrowley

I like the second, because it is how I'd (American) talk. I say 'I'm about to' when I'm talking about the next thing I'm going to do.

'On the verge of' is normally a bit negative for me. I use it when I'm getting close to doing something I don't want to do: "I'm on the verge of losing my temper" or "I was on the verge of telling him just what an idiot he was." It has more the feeling of being 'pushed' into something by your surroundings.

I hope that has helped some!
Any more questions, just let me know,
-Toby

Thank you Dear STCrowley;21541 for being kind to answer me.
Could you explain a bit more with a few examples about your usage of " about to "?

Best regards

[STCrowley]

No problem:

"About to," just means that something is the next thing I'm going to do: "I'm about to go into town, do you want me to bring you anything?" "I'm about to eat dinner, can I call you back later."

If you use 'about to' with a context, it doesn't have to mean the next thing YOU are going to do. If you work Monday to Friday, but talk to a friend on Saturday, you can say "At work, we're about to start a new project." Obviously, that won't mean that the next thing you do is start the project (it's Saturday, you won't even be at work the next day) but it means it's the next thing you'll do at work.

And, of course, since Americans like to exaggerate, we use 'about to' for things that we'll do soon. . . but not as the very next thing. "He's about to get married," for a person who's getting married next month, for example. Or, "I think John's about to lose his job," meaning he could lose his job in the near future.

Hope that helps. If I'm not clear, please say so!
-Toby

[majid72]

Quote STCrowley

No problem:

"About to," just means that something is the next thing I'm going to do: "I'm about to go into town, do you want me to bring you anything?" "I'm about to eat dinner, can I call you back later."

If you use 'about to' with a context, it doesn't have to mean the next thing YOU are going to do. If you work Monday to Friday, but talk to a friend on Saturday, you can say "At work, we're about to start a new project." Obviously, that won't mean that the next thing you do is start the project (it's Saturday, you won't even be at work the next day) but it means it's the next thing you'll do at work.

And, of course, since Americans like to exaggerate, we use 'about to' for things that we'll do soon. . . but not as the very next thing. "He's about to get married," for a person who's getting married next month, for example. Or, "I think John's about to lose his job," meaning he could lose his job in the near future.

Hope that helps. If I'm not clear, please say so!
-Toby

Thank you very much for your very clear and useful answer.

Best Wishes.