There is a small stone on a flat surface like a table and Tom puts his mug on it as shown in the picture.
Is it correct to say "The mug's wobbly if you do like that"?
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2To me, it would be more idiomatic to say "Don't set your cup on that stone. It'll wobble or tip over."– Jack O'FlahertySep 15, 2020 at 0:58
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1"The mug will be unstable if you set it there."– Micah WindsorSep 15, 2020 at 1:40
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1"Do like that," certainly is not proper.– DrMoishe PippikSep 15, 2020 at 3:17
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1I don't get the "do like that" part, am I missing something?– CardinalSep 15, 2020 at 5:39
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1The mug will be wobbly if you do that - but if you put it there would be more idiomatic..– Kate BuntingSep 15, 2020 at 8:04
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1 Answer
"if you do it like that" would be fine - "like that" refers to the way something is being done, it implies that there are different options, and Tom's chosen to do "it" (the act of putting a cup down) in a bad way. "Don't do it in that way, do it like this".
"If you do that" just refers to the action - the thing you're doing will have this effect. So don't do that thing!
