(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
You use ~ you or, in more informal English, ~s to express your gratitude when someone does something for you or gives you what you want.
Thank you very much for your call...
Thanks for the information...
Thanks a lot, Suzie. You’ve been great.
CONVENTION formulae
2.
You use ~ you or, in more informal English, ~s to politely accept or refuse something that has just been offered to you.
‘You’d like a cup as well, would you, Mr Secombe?’—‘Thank you, Jane, I’d love one.’...
‘Would you like a cigarette?’—‘No ~ you.’...
CONVENTION formulae
3.
You use ~ you or, in more informal English, ~s to politely acknowledge what someone has said to you, especially when they have answered your question or said something nice to you.
The policeman smiled at her. ‘Pretty dog.’—‘Oh well, ~ you.’...
‘It’s great to see you.’—‘Thanks. Same to you.’
CONVENTION formulae
4.
You use ~ you or ~ you very much in order to say firmly that you do not want someone’s help or to tell them that you do not like the way that they are behaving towards you.
I can stir my own tea, ~ you...
We know where we can get it, ~ you very much.
CONVENTION emphasis
5.
When you ~ someone for something, you express your gratitude to them for it.
I ~ed them for their long and loyal service...
When the decision was read out Mrs Gardner ~ed the judges.
VERB: V n for n, V n
6.
When you express your ~s to someone, you express your gratitude to them for something.
They accepted their certificates with words of ~s.
N-PLURAL
7.
see also ~you
8.
You say ‘Thank God’, ‘Thank Goodness’, or ‘Thank heavens’ when you are very relieved about something.
I was wrong, ~ God...
Thank heavens we have you here.
PHRASE: oft PHR with cl, PHR that feelings
9.
If you say that you have someone to ~ for something, you mean that you are grateful to them because they caused it to happen.
I have her to ~ for my life...
PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR for n
10.
If you say that something happens ~s to a particular person or thing, you mean that they are responsible for it happening or caused it to happen.
It is ~s to this committee that many new sponsors have come forward...
PHRASE: PHR n, usu PHR with cl, v-link PHR, PHR after v
11.
If you say that something happens no ~s to a particular person or thing, you mean that they did not help it to happen, or that it happened in spite of them.
It is no ~s to the Government that net assets did rise.
PHRASE: PHR n, usu PHR with cl, v-link PHR