Is:
I will go to the only left independent bookstore in my city
a correct expression?
It doesn't sound exceptionally good to me... could you advise on how to express the same meaning in a better way?
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7... the only independent bookstore left in my city ...– bibFeb 12, 2015 at 15:37
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2(Posting as a comment because I can't explain why any of this is true) If you want to use "left", it has to come after "bookstore": ...to the only independent bookstore left in.... If you use "remaining" instead of "left", it can go in both places: ...to the only remaining independent bookstore... or ...to the only independent bookstore remaining...– MarthaªFeb 12, 2015 at 15:46
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2It's correct if it's the only "liberal" bookstore in your city, or, perhaps, the only one on the left bank of the river. Otherwise as @bib said.– Hot LicksFeb 12, 2015 at 17:31
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Hearing this, I would wonder if the store in question carried Socialist manifestos and copies of Mao's Little Red Book.– Wayfaring StrangerFeb 12, 2015 at 21:38
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1I would typically say "The last independent bookstore remaining in my city." To me, saying "last" instead of "only" is a bit more clear. I can't prove why it's a good construction, but I thought I'd post as a comment.– apnortonFeb 12, 2015 at 22:04
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4 Answers
There are some adjectives that do not precede the noun they modify, but the follow it.
Left, in the sense of remaining (and coming from the verb leave) is one of those.
Note that strictly speaking left as opposing right is an adjective, but left meaning "remaining" is a participle that can be used attributively. It is used in some ways like an adjective, but it's not exactly the same thing.
We can use left preceding a noun, but then it is the opposite of right:
Will you take the left door or the right door?
If I remove one of the two doors:
There is only one door left.
So the correct phrasing of your sentence would be
I will go to the only independent book store left in my city.
Unless you do mean a book store that sells books expressing specific political views...
answered Feb 12, 2015 at 15:52
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Thanks, just a a little side question: if I had to use
I will be goinginstead ofI will go, can I still usetoafter that, or does it becomeat?– RedomanFeb 12, 2015 at 16:29 -
2+1 But interestingly, you could say I will go to the only remaining bookstore ...– bibFeb 12, 2015 at 16:34
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@jj_the preposition doesn't change just because of the verb tense, so it stays to. You can "go at the bookstore", but that would give the impression you would relieve yourself there... Feb 12, 2015 at 17:31
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@bib true, remaining is an interesting adjective, it can go after and before the noun. Feb 12, 2015 at 17:31
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1@HotLicks: strictly speaking, following Pullum, it's not an adjective, but an attributively used participle. I'm not sure that distinction is 100% relevant here, but I will add a note :) Feb 12, 2015 at 17:36
In idiomatic American English, we would tend to say, "I am going to the only independent bookstore left in my city".
A "left independent bookstore" implies they are politically-leaning to the Liberal end of the spectrum. And that might be what is meant - but it's most likely not.
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Note that there are countries where liberal (and/or neo-liberal) are terms associated with the political right. A left bookstore might cater to Trotskyists, or anarchists, or other rather illiberal types.– chosterFeb 12, 2015 at 17:32
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@choster - but not in the US, which is where I specified the usage to be =D– warrenFeb 12, 2015 at 18:11
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1What I meant was: how is the following sentence idiomatic? "I am going to the only independent bookstore left in my city."– twipFeb 12, 2015 at 21:07
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1I understand that what was asked in the question was nonstandard, but not ungrammatical. What I am asking is why you would call your example sentence idiomatic: just trying to zero in here. We aren't calling this idiomatic in terms of meaning, but in terms of form? "The syntactical, grammatical, or structural form peculiar to a language." (merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idiom )– twipFeb 13, 2015 at 15:43
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1
"I will go to the only independent bookstore left in my city" or, preferably, "I will go to the only remaining independent bookstore in my city"
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2you still say "independent bookstore remaining" .. putting the "remaining" before "independent bookstore" makes it sound non-native (as an American, that is)– warrenFeb 12, 2015 at 15:46
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1As Al Stewart sings: "There is an independent bookstore, the last one that remains, all the others you might look for have been eaten by the chain ..."– djnaFeb 12, 2015 at 16:15
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@warren I'm American and "only remaining independent bookstore" sounds more natural than putting "remaining" at the end. Feb 12, 2015 at 18:38
The normal construction would be 'the only independent bookstore left in my city', with the presumption that all the other bookstores in town were chain stores.
In some cities where political specialty bookstores can thrive (San Francisco or London, e.g.), then it is possible the speaker could mean the only left-wing or leftist bookstore, but then "independent" would probably be redundant.
