Ain't Too Proud To Beg

• By: The Temptations
• Album: 50th Anniversary: The Singles Collection 1961-1971

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
leave /liːv/ A1	verb - to go away from
beg /beɡ/ B1	verb - to ask for something earnestly or humbly
plead /pliːd/ B2	verb - to make an emotional appeal
sympathy /ˈsɪmpəθi/ B2	noun - feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune
mean /miːn/ A2	verb - to signify or convey
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human
sense /sens/ B1	noun - a faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus
pride /praɪd/ B1	noun - a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements
weep /wiːp/ B2	verb - to cry
keep /kiːp/ A1	verb - to retain possession of
sleep /sliːp/ A1	verb - be in a state of rest
doorstep /ˈdɔːrstep/ B1	noun - a step or series of steps leading up to an outer door
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - move at a regular and fairly slow pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn.
friends /frendz/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
laugh /læf/ A1	verb - make the sounds and movements of the face and body that express amusement or happiness.
ashamed /əˈʃeɪmd/ B1	adjective - feeling embarrassment or guilt
deep /diːp/ A2	adjective - extending far down from the top or surface.
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.
door /dɔːr/ A1	noun - a hinged, sliding, or revolving barrier at the entrance to a building, room, or vehicle

Grammar:

• I know you wanna leave me

  ➔ Contraction 'wanna' (want to)

  ➔ Informal contraction of "want to." While grammatically acceptable in very informal contexts like song lyrics, it should be avoided in formal writing. Here, the singer is using colloquial language to express his vulnerability.

• If I have to beg and plead for your sympathy

  ➔ Conditional sentence (Type 1) using 'if'

  ➔ This line uses a Type 1 conditional sentence, indicating a possible condition and its probable result. The structure is "If + present simple, will/can/may + infinitive". Here, "If I have to beg and plead" (condition), then "I don't mind" (result).

• Ain't too proud to beg and you know it

  ➔ Negative contraction 'Ain't'

  ➔ "Ain't" is a colloquial contraction of "am not," "is not," "are not," "has not," and "have not." Its use is generally considered nonstandard English, common in dialects and informal speech. Here, it's replacing "am not" or "is not."

• Now I heard a cryin' man is half a man, with no sense of pride

  ➔ Reduced relative clause: 'cryin' man'

  ➔ "cryin' man" is a shortened form of "a man who is crying." The relative pronoun "who is" has been omitted, creating a more concise and informal phrase. The ' is also the spoken form of crying

• But if I have to cry to keep you

  ➔ Purpose clause using 'to'

  ➔ The phrase "to keep you" expresses the purpose of crying. It clarifies why the speaker is willing to cry: to retain the person he loves.

• If I have to sleep on your doorstep

  ➔ Prepositional phrase: 'on your doorstep'

  ➔ The phrase "on your doorstep" acts as an adverbial phrase, modifying the verb "sleep." It indicates where the speaker would be willing to sleep. It shows the extent of the lengths he is willing to go to.

• Just to keep you from walkin' away

  ➔ Gerund phrase as object of preposition: 'from walkin' away'

  ➔ "walkin' away" is a gerund (a verb acting as a noun). The entire phrase "from walkin' away" functions as the object of the preposition "from." This structure emphasizes the purpose of the action described in the main clause.

• Now I've gotta love so deep, in the pit of my heart

  ➔ Colloquial 'gotta' (got to)

  ➔ "Gotta" is a very informal contraction of "got to" or "have got to," indicating obligation or necessity. Like "wanna" and "ain't," its usage is generally confined to informal speech and writing, such as song lyrics. In this context it shows obligation or strong feeling, I have got to love.