ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Complete sentence

Grammar Geek — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:33:17 GMT

RayH

I've never heard "dulcet" used to describe anything but sounds (music, someone's speaking or singing voice, etc.)

Right --- dulcet tones.

Re: Complete sentence

Avangi — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:51:30 GMT

Perfect, GG.

Hi Ray,

Also, temperament, climate, poetry, words, cuisine.

Re: Complete sentence

RayH — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:50:44 GMT

Cute572
At this moment, my room have filled with such vibrant colors that everything gives a dulcet look
I looked in dictionary and its mean pleasent and sweet. Is it fits the context

I've never heard "dulcet" used to describe anything but sounds (music, someone's speaking or singing voice, etc.)

Re: Complete sentence

Grammar Geek — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:39:30 GMT

The vibrant colors that fill my room give it a pleasant, cheerful look.

Re: Complete sentence

Avangi — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:04:35 GMT

Grammar Geek
I don't think that "vibrant" goes with the idea of "calm."

Goodman
VIbrant and calm to me are not compatible. just randomly changing the wording from advices of the experts is not benifitial to learning in the long run.

Cute572
Yes GG, I have changed this calm word seemed strange here.

I agree completely, but I don't think we've yet seen the final result. - A.

Edit. I'm wrong again. The final result was "dulcet," but there was further advice against that. Not sure if that's been acted upon.

Re: Complete sentence

Goodman — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:32:15 GMT

The first is wrong in my view. A room cannot "give a cheerful look to everything" (the colours could, but that's not what the sentence says).

The fourth seems dubious to me. A room can "have a cheerful look" (i.e. look cheerful), or it can "give a cheerful impression", but I'm not sure it can "give a cheerful look". (Again, the colours could give a cheerful look to the room, but that's not what the sentence says.)
Hi Cute,

I completely agree with the above. We talked about verb agreement a lot but in my opinion, we also have to be cognizant with adjective agreements. If we just slap any adjective we come across in our dictionaries to our writing without the considerations of context compatibility in which they are used, the result not only is comprimised but it also can have adverse effects to the readers. VIbrant and calm to me are not compatible. Take yours for example, "vibrant" associates with energy, life, being bright and stimulation to sight, where "calm" brings a sense of mellowness, ease, relaxation. I think there is nothing wrong with trying different techniques and learn from them. But I believe doing so without a firm understanding, rather, just randomly changing the wording from advices of the experts is not benifitial to learning in the long run.

Re: Complete sentence

Avangi — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:29:13 GMT

Mr Wordy
The first is wrong in my view. A room cannot "give a cheerful look to everything" (the colours could, but that's not what the sentence says).

Great point, Wordy. I missed that one completely. I believe I was thinking, "the filling gives the look." But again, that ain't what it says!

So that still leaves us up in the air on the last one.

Thanks, - A.

Re: Complete sentence

Mr Wordy — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:39:45 GMT

Avangi
My room is filled with such vibrant colors that it gives a cheerful look to everything. okay

My room is filled with such vibrant colors that it has a cheerful look. okay

My room is filled with such vibrant colors that it gives a cheerful impression. okay

My room is filled with such vibrant colors that it gives a cheerful look. I'm not sure. Perhaps someone else could double check this.

The first is wrong in my view. A room cannot "give a cheerful look to everything" (the colours could, but that's not what the sentence says).

Re: Complete sentence

Avangi — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:58:47 GMT

Cute572
At this moment, my room is filled with such vibrant colors that it gives more pleasant and calm look to everything.

Without these two words, can we take sentence as complete sentence? or including is better?

Hi Cute572, This is probably not on your radar screen right now, but I've noticed a small conflict in my advice to you. In your original, you asked if the sentence is okay when we omit "to everything," and I said it works either way.

Later in the thread you moved "to everything" to an earlier part of the sentence, and I said because of this you need to change the verb from "gives" to "has." You may have noticed my lack of consistency.

My room is filled with such vibrant colors that it gives a cheerful look to everything. okay

My room is filled with such vibrant colors that it has a cheerful look. okay

My room is filled with such vibrant colors that it gives a cheerful impression. okay

My room is filled with such vibrant colors that it gives a cheerful look. I'm not sure. Perhaps someone else could double check this.

I don't think you posted your final version, so I don't know if this actually applies.

Best wishes, - A.

Re: Complete sentence

Cute572 — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:42:38 GMT

Thanks Guys!

Yes GG, I have changed this calm word seemed strange here.

Thanks !

Re: Complete sentence

Grammar Geek — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:47:05 GMT

I don't think that "vibrant" goes with the idea of "calm."

I've never used the word "dulcet" in my life except to use in jest with "dulcet tones" -- how something sounds, not how it looks.

I like the entire sentence except the use of a word meaning "calm." The colors are so vibrant it makes the whole room seem alive would be the sense you're going for, not calm.

Re: Complete sentence

Avangi — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:44:09 GMT

Cute572
At this moment, my room have filled with such vibrant colors that everything gives a dulcet look

"my room is filled" as in your original; or, "my room has been filled"

"everything has a dulcet look"

You could possibly say, "everything gives a dulcet impression," or "gives off a dulcet aura." (a little bit sickening, but what the heck)

Best wishes, - A,

Edit. The reason we have to change the verb is because you moved the "everything" to an earlier spot.

"gives a [bright] look to everytning"

"has a [bright] look."

Re: Complete sentence

Cute572 — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:31:05 GMT

Thanks Guys !

Well rephrase the sentence like this and put article at end:

At this moment, my room have filled with such vibrant colors that everything gives a dulcet look

I looked in dictionary and its mean pleasent and sweet. Is it fits the context

Thanks

Re: Complete sentence

Philip — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:02:24 GMT

Avangi
Either way is fine, but you should say "it gives a more pleasant and calm look etc."

Best wishes, - A.

My thoughts exactly.

Re: Complete sentence

Avangi — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 03:26:14 GMT

Either way is fine, but you should say "it gives a more pleasant and calm look etc."

Best wishes, - A.