ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

New2grammar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:17:08 GMT

Thank you, Avangi. I really appreciate it. Another example, hithkock "Psycho".

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

Avangi — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:12:12 GMT

I'd agree with Pamela Anderson, but the Boeing 747 would be a classic, not the company. I liked North American Aviation's P51 Mustang.

Well, I should take that back. Boeing is certainly a classic example of an aircraft company.

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

New2grammar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:01:38 GMT

Thanks, Avangi. I think it means symbolic, iconic. My example may not be artistic but this is what I can think of as of now, Pamela Anderson as sex symbol

Another, Boeing symbolizes aviation.

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

Avangi — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:53:57 GMT

New2grammar
Khoff, if you don't mind, what's the meaning of classic here? well-known?

Hopefully, Khoff will put it better than I can. I've tried to explain it before and failed miserably.

To me, "classic" = "iconic," but the dictionary definition of "iconic" doesn't seem to be in my favor. Well-known certainly applies. Let's say, something so well-known that everyone immediately thinks of it as the best, most perfect, example of a particular class or genre.

Michelangelo's David, or DaVinci's Mona Lisa, or Van Gogh's Daisies, or Beethoven's fifth, or Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever," or a 1964 Mustang, or the Eiffel Tower, or Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, or Mae West's "Is that a pistol in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?", or the wife's reply, "Not now dear, I have a headache."

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

nona the brit — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:11:45 GMT

I agree that 'wash my hair' is more natural than bothering to specify soap/shampoo/lather.

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

New2grammar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:00:35 GMT

That's a good example of irony. I'm slowly getting its meaning. Thanks Avangi.

Avangi
Could this be an example of irony?

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

New2grammar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:57:43 GMT

Khoff, if you don't mind, what's the meaning of classic here? well-known?

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

khoff — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:03:10 GMT

If I may digress back to the original question -- at least in the U.S., I think "wash my hair" is at least as common as "shampoo my hair." ("No, I can't go out with you tonight -- I have to wash my hair" is sort of a classic made-up excuse.)

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

Avangi — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:38:39 GMT

New2grammar
Clive, you're asking me to compare something I'm inquiring about. I have no idea which one is correct

Could this be an example of irony?

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

Clive — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:57:54 GMT

Hi
OK.
The point of my example was this, to illustrate some aspects of usage.

The kids ran home to get their mother. It's unclear how many mothers are involved, but probably one.
Compare it to
The kids ran home to get their mothers. More than one mother is involved.

I don't know if I've gone off the point. If you have more questions, please ask them.
Clive

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

New2grammar — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:31:46 GMT

Clive, you're asking me to compare something I'm inquiring about. I have no idea which one is correct
Kooyeen and I have this problem all the time. Probably, he has figured it out but I haven't.

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

Clive — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:11:35 GMT

Hi,
I think I understand why you prefer what you suggested. Before that, let me test you for consistency.

The kids ran home to ~~take~~ get their bicycle/ bicycles?

It's less a matter of consistency than of context and intuition. Here, I'd probably say 'bicycles' if I meant that each kid had a bicycle.

We probably can assume one person/one shower or one kid/one bicycle, but consider this example.
The kids ran home to get their mother.
Compare it to
The kids ran home to get their mothers.

Clive

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

New2grammar — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:32:49 GMT

I think I understand why you prefer what you suggested. Before that, let me test you for consistency.

The kids ran home to take their bicycle/ bicycles?

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

Avangi — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:22:57 GMT

Funny thing. I believe I'd say "They all went home to take a shower," not "to take showers," but without the infinitive, I'd say, "They all went home and took showers." I'm not quite comfortable with Clive's version.

Of course if someone planted a concealed microphone, I might be heard to contradict myself.

Re: shampoo our hair or what?

Clive — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:17:32 GMT

Hi,
Both are OK, but I usually hear the singular term. One shower each is easily understood.

Clive