Re: I must say, I am impressed. <-- is that correct?

The Other Fran wrote:
> Spockie wrote:
> > "The Other Fran" <fran_beta@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
> > news:1135396309.301093.148800@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:
> >
> > >
> > > Spockie wrote:
> > >> I must say, I am impressed. <-- is that correct?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> It does not seem correct.
> > >
> > > If you're speaking it, it's fine. If you're typing it, then italicising
> > > the "am" might be worthwhile.
> > >
> > > TOF
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > It does not follow any rules of combining two sentences though.
> >
> >
> >
> > "I must say - I am impressed" <-- that seems more correct than the
> > prior.
>
> "I must say" could technically stand as a sentence, but it would be
> most odd. In practice "I must say" is a prefatory clause that
> introduces what ever it is you must say. When joining two clauses, a
> conjunction is considerdd good form:
>
> i.e. I must say that I am impressed.
>
> Here however, the sense is more like an emphatic. It is conversational,
> and accordingly it makes sense to omit the conjunction, since the one
> above saps the force of the declaration.


The following are given as example sentences under the entry for the
auxiliary "must" in online dictionaries that I know to have versions
published in paper:


I must say you're looking well

I must say, I don't think much of her dress.

I must say, that is a lovely hat.


Since "I must say" was defined in one dictionary as "I must admit," I
should mention the following example sentence, also found under an
entry for "must":


I must admit I enjoy these movies.


--
Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA

E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com

.

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