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How clever girls they are! (?)
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Viceidol  #494217  Sat, 29 Mar 08 02:26 AM

Can I say "How clever girls they are!" and "How nice weather it is!" ?

Thank you for your answer!
  
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Grammar Geek  #494221  Sat, 29 Mar 08 02:32 AM

No.

How clever the girls are!

How nice this weather is!

What clever girls they are!

What nice weather we're having!
  
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Barbara, who answers in American English.
khoff  #494223  Sat, 29 Mar 08 02:36 AM
No, sorry.  Choose one of these instead:

How clever the/those/these girls are!

How clever they are!

What/Such clever girls!

What/Such clever girls they are! 

How nice the weather is today!

What/Such nice weather!

What/Such nice weather we are having!

 
  
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khoff  #494225  Sat, 29 Mar 08 02:37 AM

Hi, Barb!  Great minds think alike!
  
Grammar Geek  #494227  Sat, 29 Mar 08 02:41 AM

Yours thinks more thoroughly than mine though!

 
  
Viceidol  #494250  Sat, 29 Mar 08 05:05 AM
Thank you, Barbara and Khoff.  May I ask more about this structure?
I was thinking that we should use "such a ..." after subjcets and verbs. But after I saw Khoff's reply I know I was wrong.
 
Like the following examples:
It is such a hard exam!
Such a hard exam (it is)! 
 
Am I right about this?
 
Thank you very much for your help!!
  
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Grammar Geek  #494320  Sat, 29 Mar 08 03:03 PM

In normal conversation, use the "It is such..."

When I'm talking to babies or my cat, I will say "Such a pretty girl you are, yes, aren't you? Such a pretty girl." The inversion is not a very normal way to talk.
  
Maple  #494330  Sat, 29 Mar 08 03:37 PM

Can I say "How clever girls they are!"

You need an adjective to modify "clever girls", which seems a noun phrase. How has no adjective part of speech. So how can how modify "clever girls"? Thus you can't say  "How clever girls they are!"

But what has the adjective part of speech. It's because of this that what can be used before the noun phrase "clever girls". Thus you can say  "What clever girls they are!"

Well, that's how I learn such stuff. I hope it's not wrong.
  
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Viceidol  #494411  Sat, 29 Mar 08 11:10 PM

Yes, Maple, after I saw Barbara's reply, I realize what's going on. It's just like what you said.
  
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