The pattern

"It's no use" plus an -ing verb says an action won't help. "It's no use arguing with him" means he never changes his mind. "It's no use crying about it" means move on. It is the language of accepting reality, and it often comes with a sigh.

Said alone, "It's no use" means "I give up": you tried the key three times and it won't turn. Close cousins: "There's no point in" plus -ing and "It's pointless to". All three mean the effort is wasted.

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

  4. Alone, it means "I give up".

  6. Same idea: waiting is a waste.

  9. Advice to stop regretting and move on.

Check yourself

1What form follows "It's no use"?
2"It's no use" said alone means...
3Which means the same as "It's no use waiting"?

Practice · 3 min

Say an effort won't help, then point at something better. Prompt on the left, one natural sentence on the right.

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Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.