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There are some common ‘false friends’ and misunderstandings related to the phrase ‘It’s not worth (it)’.
Which sentence do you think is correct?
‘There is so much free information online.’
1. ‘Is it worthy to buy a course?’
2. ‘Is it worth buying a course?’
2. is correct: ‘be worth + ing’
I often see this expression confused with ‘It’s not worthy to’* (grammatically wrong).
1. Good or important enough to justify taking action
e.g. It’s worth buying a course if writing feedback is included.
1. Not good or important enough to justify taking action
e.g. It’s not worth buying a course if you can get the same information for free online.
2. Not as valuable or as important as someone thinks.
e.g. The course costs a lot of money but there’s no feedback, so it’s not worth buying.
‘Stop worrying about the test. It’s not worth it’.
= the importance does not justify the concern you’re showing.
‘Why are you crying about your ex? He’s not worth it.’
= he doesn’t deserve the time/energy that you’re wasting on him.
[Task 2] ‘It’s worth pointing out that most people are law-abiding citizens’.
[Academic Task 1] ‘It’s worth highlighting the fact that only 3% of the population have been vaccinated’.
‘The museum is quite expensive. Is it worth a visit?’
‘Yes it’s definitely worth visiting‘.
As you can see from all the examples above, ‘It’s worth’ can be followed by
1. a nouns
It’s worth a try.
It’s worth the wait/the time/the trouble.
It’s worth it. (dummy ‘it’)
2. ‘ing’ verbs
It’s worth doing.
Meaning: having or showing the qualities that deserve the specified action.
Use: ‘Worthy’ is a much more formal expression and takes ‘of + noun’.
Grammar: ‘be worthy of + noun’.
Example: [Task 2] ‘These issues are worthy of further consideration.’
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