What tense is better for this?

[Phyrebrat]

When you are seated next to someone in a restaurant:

My character says, 'darling he's not the kind of person you'd want to be sat next to in a dinner party'

But I know using to be seated is quite colloquial and could confuse. Would it be '...want to be seated next to' ? My PoV wouldn't use that construction. Do you think I should change it?

Thanks

pH

 

[TitaniumTi]

My first thought was, "want to sit next to", but I guess you want to emphasise the fact that someone else is arranging the seating.

What about, "want to be placed next to"?

 

[Ray McCarthy]

'darling he's not the kind of person you'd want to be sat next to in a dinner party'

"darling he's not the kind of person you'd want to sit next to at a dinner party"

 

[The Judge]

If you think the character would say "... be sat next to..." then use it, but it is grammatically wrong and to me would indicate someone who is either not well educated, has watched too many soaps, or is deliberately speaking common (and which fights against the "darling" which to me sounds posh).

The "... be seated next to..." isn't colloquial**, but is the correct form. Otherwise "... to sit next to..." works, but as as Ti says it loses the implication that someone else is doing the seating plan and "you" is a hapless attendee forced to sit alongside the ghastly man.

NB: a comma after "darling".



** unless you happen to think the Queen's English is only a dialect, which I know is fashionable.

 

[HareBrain]

forced to sit alongside the ghastly man.

Whoa, how do you know he's ghastly? He might be so popular and charming that you'd always be fighting the person on his other side and opposite for his attention, which nobody wants. And you couldn't talk to your other side because, thanks for the peculiar construction of the house, that space is occupied by a pillar. I'm pretty sure that's what Phyrebrat's character meant.

 

[The Judge]

If he were popular he would know enough of dinner party etiquette to dispense his attention and charm between those on either side of him in equal measures, and if he were charming then notwithstanding the presence of the pillar, sitting next to him and listening to his conversation would be a delight even if he were gauche enough to concentrate on the attractive blonde with the fluttering eyelashes and low-cut dress opposite.

Of course, it's entirely possible that Phyrebrat's character is lying**, and wants to keep the guest to herself, which is why she's trying to dissuade "darling" from getting to know him.


** she sounds like she's a blonde with falsies and poor dress sense.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Judging by number of blonde men, most blonde women aren't.
I'm no gentleman though.

 

[Ursa major]

Shouldn't

in a dinner party'

be

at a dinner party'

Judging by number of blonde men, most blonde women aren't.

If one were to be really pernickety, men are (or can be) blond, women are (or can be) blonde.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Two things:

1. I hate you all for making me snort out a piggy laugh on the Overground home. It was running late and overcrowded and my laughter definitely brought some reverse-schadenfreude to coach C
2. I shouldn't ever post a question in haste and not edit it for madness and unsense.

Thank you all for the replies.

"darling he's not the kind of person you'd want to sit next to at a dinner party"

You see, this is how I hear the preferable alternative, but it misses the fact that 'you're' being seated somewhere, as opposed to you choosing your seat. I know it's an academic distinction but it bugs me and I 'want' to use sat instead of sit, but...

If you think the character would say "... be sat next to..." then use it, but it is grammatically wrong and to me would indicate someone who is either not well educated, has watched too many soaps, or is deliberately speaking common (and which fights against the "darling" which to me sounds posh).

The "... be seated next to..." isn't colloquial**, but is the correct form. Otherwise "... to sit next to..." works, but as as Ti says it loses the implication that someone else is doing the seating plan and "you" is a hapless attendee forced to sit alongside the ghastly man.

NB: a comma after "darling".

Well the character is somewhat nouveau riche but in no way a chav. However, she is always going to 5* restaurants and so the 'be sat' would be more appropriate in a logical sense, too. What worries me is that to some people (like you, eg) it suggests an ill-educated person etc. Where I did a lot of my growing up - Dorset - I heard 'sat' used in this way a lot, so that's why I think it is regional colloquialism as opposed to bad English (I made an error in my first post - I meant 'be sat' was the colloquial). I know Mouse and I both use 'sat' in this way and have to catch ourselves when beta-ing each other, and check whether it's POV or us.

Whoa, how do you know he's ghastly? He might be so popular and charming that you'd always be fighting the person on his other side and opposite for his attention, which nobody wants. And you couldn't talk to your other side because, thanks for the peculiar construction of the house, that space is occupied by a pillar. I'm pretty sure that's what Phyrebrat's character meant.

Yes, ^this. Funnily enough the house does have quite a few doric pillars lying around.

Shouldn'tbe

If one were to be really pernickety, men are (or can be) blond, women are (or can be) blonde.

Yes, you're right there; 'at' a dinner party - I posted that query from my iPhone and rushed without proofing.

pH