Sound or sound like ?

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nayeem19

#94914 Sat, 30 Apr 05 10:17 PM

" Summarising Oakeshott in this way is bound to make him sound a hothouse English plant . "

Is it typical British usage to use only sound here ?

Why not " ....to make him sound like a hothouse English plant . " ?

nayeem19

Joined on Thu, Apr 14 2005

New Member (25)

paco2004

#94932 Sun, 01 May 05 12:02 AM

Hello Nayeem

I'm not sure about what your sentence means exactly, but I think 'sound' (if it is used as a verb) should be followed by , not directly by , be it AmE or BrE.

paco

paco2004

Joined on Wed, Nov 17 2004

Senior Member (4,095)

In Japan today even dogs are learning how to bow-wow in English.

Verbs

abbie1948

#94945 Sun, 01 May 05 12:52 AM

Certainly in BrE it would be "sound like".

to make him sound a hothouse English plant

This sounds like the poor chap is a plant doctor, and trying to listen to a plant's chest! Smile [:)]

abbie1948

Joined on Thu, Mar 24 2005

England

Senior Member (2,657)

Hope that helps. Abbie

MrPedantic

#94961 Sun, 01 May 05 02:14 AM

It certainly sounds strange to me.

MrP

MrPedantic

Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004

Veteran Member (12,168)

...opella forensis / adducit febris...

abbie1948

#94973 Sun, 01 May 05 03:53 AM

Have you ever listened to the chest of a hothouse English plant Mr. P. (whatever is a "hothouse English plant??) It is indeed a very strange experience.

abbie1948

CalifJim

#95000 Sun, 01 May 05 07:16 AM

Can't we allow this construction as a literary device forming a parallel with "appear", "seem", and perhaps others, or do you feel that these, too, always require "like"?

It makes him seem an idiot. (?)
It makes him appear a fool. (?)

CJ

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (17,765)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Constructions

nayeem19

#95020 Sun, 01 May 05 11:16 AM

All my life I've hearing " sounds like " . Obviousl , I was a bit surprised to see
that type of sentence construction in the Economist magazine . I thought it
was typical British English then .

Should I presume that both sounds like and sound like are acceptable in the sentence given before ?
Oakeshott was a conservative British philosopher . A hothouse English plant is a plant which grows very quickly inside the hothouse .

The hothouse children are those children who were protected by their rich parents since their birth from the harsh realities of life .

nayeem19

Resume, Constructions, British English

abbie1948

#95026 Sun, 01 May 05 12:39 PM

Hi Jim,

Can't we allow this construction as a literary device forming a parallel with "appear", "seem", and perhaps others, or do you feel that these, too, always require "like"?

It makes him seem an idiot. (?)
It makes him appear a fool. (?)

On reflection I think you are correct here, though I still find that this particulr sentence sounds strange. Maybe it is something to do with the adjectives; too many? not enough? wrong order?

"It makes him sound an idiot."

hothouse English plant

I was questioning the adjective order here, nayeem. I think it should be "English hothouse plant", though I still don't know quite what that is. I am familiar with English plants, and with hothouse plants, but have been unable to find a definition for or description of a "hothouse English plant". Tongue Tied [:S]

abbie1948

Constructions

pieanne

#95085 Sun, 01 May 05 04:23 PM

A wild guess:
a hothouse plant: a rare and wonderful flower that has to be taken care of, fragile, fearing cold temp's.
an English hothouse plant: a luscious English belle?
Some wouldn't mind listening to her chest, bu no wonder you have never tried, Abbie...

pieanne

Joined on Thu, Jan 20 2005

South of France ...But I'm Belgian!

Veteran Member (7,512)

I'm glad to help, but I'm not a native! And please excuse my typos...

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