Search results for 'tag:Adverbs tag:Jokes' matching tags 'Adverbs' and 'Jokes'

Re: Those who took the courses are able to study more efficiently

Doll — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 19:57:04 GMT

i.Those who took the courses are able to study more efficiently.
   Those who took the courses are able to study more efficient.

The original sentence is the first one. I thought of the second one when I read the first one, because I thought after the 'more' should be an adjective, not an adverb.--- It has nothing to do with more. You should give your atten to the study in the sentence. It is a verb and folowed by an adverb. You can say an efficent study(noun), but to study(verb) efficiently.

ii.It is often possible to explain the behaviour of young people by examining the social environment where they have to live.
   It is often possible to explain the behaviour of young people by examining the social environment where they live.

The former is a sentence taken from the same book. I don't understand why the author used 'they have to live', because 'have to' has the meaning of 'forced'.--- maybe he just wants to give this meaning. Without the context, you just can't figure out whether it is have to or just a simple tense.

iii.They made great progress in their studies and in their work
   They made great progress in their studies and their work.

Same, the second one is my suggestion, while the first one is what I read from the book( and I wasn't sure if it is correct. Thanks, Paulio).---- In fact you don't have to use the in again. .... in their studies and work will be correct too but it is obvious that the book gave the examples in a very open way. Sometimes, it is a matter of style.

Last, what is the meaning of 'at times'? (sometimes?) <= this one I couldn't find it in my dictionary.-- yes it means sometimes.
at times, at intervals; occasionally: At times the city becomes intolerable. www.dictionary.com
Hey guys, homework time. <= this one is a joke, but I doubt if anyone could get it. Really need to polish up my english.-- In spoken English it is okay. I don't think anyone will ask you what did you say? in return.

Re: Those who took the courses are able to study more efficiently

Masa — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 19:13:06 GMT

Thanks Doll and Paulio.

sorry didn't write down why I have doubt with these questions.

i.Those who took the courses are able to study more efficiently.
   Those who took the courses are able to study more efficient.

The original sentence is the first one. I thought of the second one when I read the first one, because I thought after the 'more' should be an adjective, not an adverb.

ii.It is often possible to explain the behaviour of young people by examining the social environment where they have to live.
   It is often possible to explain the behaviour of young people by examining the social environment where they live.

The former is a sentence taken from the same book. I don't understand why the author used 'they have to live', because 'have to' has the meaning of 'forced'.

iii.They made great progress in their studies and in their work
   They made great progress in their studies and their work.

Same, the second one is my suggestion, while the first one is what I read from the book( and I wasn't sure if it is correct. Thanks, Paulio).

Last, what is the meaning of 'at times'? (sometimes?) <= this one I couldn't find it in my dictionary.

Just want to clearify, all the questions I posted are not school homework, although they are the problems, which I couldn't understand after I checked with the answers, taken from a grammar book.

Finally,
Hey guys, homework time. <= this one is a joke, but I doubt if anyone could get it. Really need to polish up my english.

Re: a reader aloud, straight-faced humour and unsurpassed

Michelia — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 09:00:03 GMT

Thank you very much for your help. Now I have understood what is 'straight-faced'jokes

Since my computer has been out of work, it is not until today can i read your reply and say thank you

Can you please explain to me more thoroughly the meaning of the sentence ( i can't get the idea here)

'As a reader aloud of his own work, Andersen was unsurpassed, and this tale ( the ugly duckling) is always a favourite'

Moreover, in my opinion, 'aloud' is a adverb, and it shouldn't be used after a noun 'reader', is this a grammatical error?

Re: Languages without tense ???

Clive — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 18:10:50 GMT

Hi,

I do not think that even a language without adverbs of time could prevent its speakers from having a concept of time.

My wife has no concept of time. (Cheap joke, rim-shot. And not actually true, in case she reads this.)

Best wishes, Clive

Re: all

Cool Breeze — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:03:36 GMT

Hi Tung Quoc

If you place an adverb of time (now) at the beginning of the sentence, it is more emphatic:
Now I understand everything.
I understand everything now.

Both are correct.

It is usually not a good idea to put anything between the main verb (understand) and its object (everything), and word order in English is very fixed. That's why the main verb is usually before its object, in other words, understand must come before everything.

Things are different in some other languages. There is a joke about two people listening to someone delivering a speech in German. One of the two didn't understand German at all, so after they had listened to the speech for a minute he asked his German-speaking friend: "What's he saying?"
"I don't know yet. We're waiting for the verb."

Cheers
CB

Re: adverb or adjective

Feathers — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 18:08:42 GMT

Umm... Thank you, Alienvoord, IK.

I thought this way: "His joke fell flat" is nearly equal to "His joke appeared to be flat (=dull)" just as in "He fell ill" = "He became ill."

But now I think it's possible to take it as a figurative idiom. Thank you both again.

(BTW, Alienvoord, aren't you a Mac user, by any chance? Don't you use "Safari" as an Internet browser? I cannot post any emoticons either when I use "Safari.")

Re: adverb or adjective

CalifJim — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 17:55:21 GMT

Could anybody explain to me why flat is an adjective in the first sentence and direct is an adverb in the second, please.

The jokes were flat. flat describes jokes. flat tells what kind of jokes they were. They were flat jokes.
You may be thinking that flat describes how the jokes fell, but the verb fall is not being used literally here. The idea is that the jokes seemed to be flat jokes; they struck the audience ("fell upon the audience") as flat jokes.
direct describes how we are flying. It answers the question how, not the question what kind of, certainly not what kind of we!

CJ

Re: adverb or adjective

Alienvoord — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 17:52:38 GMT

Thats' right, IK, "flat" can function as both and adverb and an adjective. We can tell which one it is by its distribution.

The countertop is flat.
The countertop is white.

We can replace it with an adjective, so it's an adjective here.

He fell flat on his face.
He fell clumsily.

We can replace it with an adverb, so it's an adverb here. For that reason, I think "flat" in "the joke fell flat" is also an adverb.

Re: adverb or adjective

Alienvoord — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 17:25:25 GMT

I think it is, yes.

But it's also an idiom. We can't replace "flat" here with another adverb. We can say "He fell flat on his face" or "He fell clumsily" but we do not say "The joke fell clumsily."

Re: adverb or adjective

Feathers — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 17:18:53 GMT

Alienvoord wrote:
As Grammar Geek says, these are adverbs.

Hi Alienvoord, I have a question, 'cause I took that "flat" as an adjective. So when I read GG's post,

Grammar Geek wrote:
A person can fall "flat on his face" - and in that case, it's a little more literal and it would be an adverb phrase (how did he fall?).

... I put a stress on in that case.

Let me make sure: "flat" in "His jokes fell flat" is an adverb?