P
Pitt
Senior Member
Germany
German
- Apr 23, 2008
- #1
Hi everyone,
I'd like to know if all these sentences are correct:
1. Normally I shave before breakfast.
2. Normally I shave myself before breakfast.
3. Normally I have a shave before breakfast.
Which of these sentences is the most common?
Thanks!
bibliolept
Senior Member
Northern California
AE, Español
- Apr 23, 2008
- #2
All are correct. And the order you've listed them in is also probably the order of popularity, with "I shave" being the most common in AE.
"I shave myself" sounds redundant, as people are likely to assume that you are shaving yourself when you say simply "I shave."
To my AE ear, "have a shave" sounds old-fashioned.
P
Pitt
Senior Member
Germany
German
- Apr 23, 2008
- #3
bibliolept said:
All are correct. And the order you've listed them in is also probably the order of popularity, with "I shave" being the most common in AE.
"I shave myself" sounds redundant, as people are likely to assume that you are shaving yourself when you say simply "I shave."
To my AE ear, "have a shave" sounds old-fashioned.
Many thanks! I think that breakfast is a verb (before breakfast). Can I also say before the breakfast (breakfast as a noun)?
elroy
Moderator: EHL, Arabic, Hebrew, German(-Spanish)
Chicago, IL
US English, Palestinian Arabic bilingual
- Apr 23, 2008
- #4
Unlike bibliolept, I think I'd be more likely to say "I have a shave" than "I shave myself" (even though in reality I wouldn't say either - I would say "I shave").
A
anothersmith
Senior Member
Los Angeles
English, U.S.
- Apr 23, 2008
- #5
"I shave myself" sounds a bit strange to me. It's redundant (unless the person in question is shaving someone else).
bibliolept
Senior Member
Northern California
AE, Español
- Apr 23, 2008
- #6
In retrospect, I would say that I agree with elroy. I would also be likelier to say "have a shave" and "shave myself."
... assuming I were talking only about shaving my face. (Which I can assure everyone is the only part of me that has ever been shaved.)
cycloneviv
Senior Member
Perth, Western Australia
English - Australia
- Apr 23, 2008
- #7
Pitt said:
Many thanks! I think that breakfast is a verb (before breakfast). Can I also say before the breakfast (breakfast as a noun)?
In your original sentence, breakfast is a noun. As discussed in a very recent thread, you don't use an article before the nouns breakfast, lunch, dinner, morning tea etc, unless you have an adjective describing the meal.
I had a delicious breakfast this morning.
Do you want to have lunch together next Monday?EDIT: By the way, to use a verb in your original sentence you would have to say "before having breakfast" (fine but not necessary) or "before breakfasting" (uncommon, if not downright odd-sounding).
bibliolept
Senior Member
Northern California
AE, Español
- Apr 23, 2008
- #8
Pitt, you should open a new thread for your new question.
P
Pitt
Senior Member
Germany
German
- Apr 23, 2008
- #9
Many thanks for all the explanations! 
N
nh01
Senior Member
Turkish
- Oct 15, 2019
- #10
Is it true to say "He is getting a shave"? Thanks.
sdgraham
Senior Member
Oregon, USA
USA English
- Oct 16, 2019
- #11
nh01 said:
Is it true to say "He is getting a shave"? Thanks.
Not in the context of the original post.
If you have a different context in mind, you'll have to tell us what it is.
N
nh01
Senior Member
Turkish
- Oct 16, 2019
- #12
Actually I wanted to learn whether it means the same with the sentences in the original post. Thank you.
But would you mind if I learnt in what context we can use "get a shave"? Thanks.
DonnyB
Moderator Emeritus
Coventry, UK
English UK Southern Standard English
- Oct 16, 2019
- #13
nh01 said:
But would you mind if I learnt in what context we can use "get a shave"? Thanks.
It would suggest to me that someone else was shaving you. I don't know if they still do, but at one time barbers' shops used to shave customers.
T
tunaafi
Senior Member
Česká republika
English - British (Southern England)
- Oct 16, 2019
- #14
Some still do.
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