Search results for 'tag:Conversations tag:Constructions' matching tags 'Conversations' and 'Constructions'

Re: "a" or "the"

Clive — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 03:19:33 GMT

Hi,
But doesn't the use of a possessive adjective in these particular examples have the effect of emphasizing the negative quality perceived in the described person, object or situation... or am I imagining this? I realize the difference may be subtle... but if there is one, I'd like to know about it. You may be right to some extent. However, if there is that difference, it's a very subtle one. You don't think you get a similar negative sense if you talk about 'the oversized earrings'? And there's nothing immediately negative about 'a/the/her blue dress'.
I think a great deal more negativity is likely to be conveyed in other ways, eg by tone of voice, facial expression, the use of negative adjectives.
I think the particular context and the particular topic of conversation plays a role, too.

a) "(...) to say nothing of that rundown store with its neon sign that keeps blinking on and off." Doesn't this construction suggest that the defective neon is (at least partially) directly responsible for the store being perceived as rundown and dilapidated?

b) "(...) particulaly that screeching soprano with her oversized earrings and blue dress." Isn't this the equivalent of saying: "As if it weren't enough that she has a screeching voice, her taste in clothing is shockingly bad."

Of course, as always, I could be wrong... Correct me if that's the case. I'm trying very hard to understand.

Clive

Re: made and entered into by and among

Avangi — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:52:02 GMT

Hi Stephen, I think you said what I meant better than I did.

If we're speaking of the U.S., I've had experience as a litigant in NH, VT, MA, and CA, and the difference in language is striking, Vermont using what sound like antique phrases and California favoring more modern constructions. Not much of it would be used as dinner conversation.

Best wishes, - A.

Edit. I don't wish to put down Vermont courts. They seem the most determined to see that everyone gets a fair shake.

Re: Correct use of 'to'?

MrPedantic — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:42:07 GMT

You might hear the construction in ordinary conversation, or see it in less formal written English.

It's probably more usual for the subject of the first verb and the second (unexpressed) verb to be the same, e.g.

1. If you want me to come over tonight, I'd be happy to [come over tonight].

Best wishes,

MrP

Re: "as ... as" expression

Spides — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:30:35 GMT

Your instinct is right--the phrase refers to "last year's figure" but the word "figure" is understood and so dropped. So grammatically the spelling should be year's. However, it has become common ~~especially in conversation~~to drop the 's, and that has slipped into common usage in many cases. It's common for this to happen, as a language is a constantly changing thing. But careful writers will still, I think, make that a possessive form. A similar thing has happened with a sentence like, "James is taller than I." The pronoun "I" is correct because the entire sentence would be "James is taller than I am," but when the understood verb "am" is dropped, many speakers will say, "James is taller than me." That construction, too, has slipped into common usage in writing for many people. In fact, those who insist on the grammatically correct form are thought of as old-fashioned, perhaps, by many.

Re: How - like - the way... aaaargh!

Spides — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:39:03 GMT

These are all acceptable ways of phrasing these sentences in colloquial American English. In more formal, careful English the use of "like" and "how" as subordinate conjunctions (Do it how I told you. Do it like I told you. And so forth) would not be as acceptable--meaning that the other sentences might be preferable in that context. But in everyday conversation, these constructions are interchangeable for most speakers.

Re: How does she look?

Yankee — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:39:26 GMT

Hi Kooyeen

The question "How is she" is very often a question about health, but not necessarily a question about health. It depends on the context (particularly in this third person construction):

A: We got a new boss last week. Her name is Jane Smith.
B: Oh, really? How is she?

In the conversation above, the question is not about health, but instead it basically asks for a general description of Jane Smith as a boss.

The question "How does she look" is likely to be a question about appearance as related to health, but again, context may change that.

I doubt that I would ever interchange "What is she like?" with "What does she look like?" when referring to a living being. To me, "What is she like?" asks about personality rather than appearance. If the reference were to a car, for example, then the question "What is she like?" might refer to performance and/or appearance. (Some people refer to their beloved cars as "she". )

Re: Please, correct my review of the film

Mister Micawber — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 04:59:56 GMT

I have underlined any remaining problems and answered your questions, I think. You seem to have created some new problems:

I've seen this movie twice and it astonishes me a lot. Each person fits into themselves a bit of truth . Although there are many of films with the same scenario however Mikhalkov can gets (wrong verb) the main purpose into a deep of (i have no idea what use instead of this-- perhaps 'deeply into') our souls. An Old Jew said that he had very many drawbacks except one small quality - becoming thoughtful. Also he said he valued it a lot.(this should idea should be a subordinate clause of the previous sentence) Another point was the playing of Garmash. Suddenly he realized he was all abroad when he heard about Nikolay's life . Suddenly his atrocity and aversion to "*** dirty Chechen cur" were dissipated and he obviously realized his dumb prejudices. And it would really bother me much, because many of young people becomes so cruel. Another person I want to emphasize is Alexei Gorbunov. The perfect actor. And there is no need to say something else. (is it grammaticaly incorrect or this construction is abortive?-- Yes; you have a sentence fragment. Combine the two pieces of the idea) When he told them about his girlfriend I burst out laughing from his words as "It ought to *** her every 30 minutes". His conversation about school and funerals reveals pitiful reality. The school was erected far away from Moscow. But as was said: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". I think that it's impossible to do good and bad at the same time. The words of Mikhalkov are: "A Russian officer cannot escape his past". It hurts me a lot when some persons who have even no notions about what the Russian officer was in the nineteenth century and what was honour in general.

Re: Please, correct my review of the film

Fandorin — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:59:34 GMT

I've seen this movie twice and it astonishes me a lot. Each person fits into themselves a bit of truth . Although there are many of films with the same scenario however Mikhalkov can gets the main purpose into a deep of (i have no idea what use instead of this) our souls.An Old Jew said that he had very many drawbacks except one small quality - becoming thoughtful. Also he said he valued it a lot. Another point was the playing of Garmash.Suddenly he realized he was all abroad when he heard about Nikolay's life . Suddenly his atrocity and aversion to "*** dirty Chechen cur" were dissipated and he obviously realized his dumb prejudices. And it would really bother me much, because many of young people becomes so cruel. Another person I want to emphasize is Alexei Gorbunov. The perfect actor. And there is no need to say something else. (is it grammaticaly incorrect or this construction is abortive?) When he told them about his girlfriend I burst out laughing from his words as "It ought to *** her every 30 minutes". His conversation about school and funerals reveals pitiful reality. The school was erected far away from Moscow. But as was said: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". I think that it's impossible to do good and bad at the same time. The words of Mikhalkov are: "A Russian officer cannot escape his past". It hurts me a lot when some persons who have even no notions about what the Russian officer was in the nineteenth century and what was honour in general.

Re: When the 2:50 P.M. bell rang

Verade — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:27:36 GMT

Angliholic, I was simply writing quickly and as in spoken conversation I did not choose the "cleanest" construction. You have a very good grasp of English indeed! Well done.

Re: it doesn't work and its not working

Clive — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:38:52 GMT

Hi again,

my question is

what is the difference between the usage of "the issue has been resolved" and "the issue is resolved"

I'd like to quote a few sentences about the passive from a favourite book called 'Teaching Tenses', by Rosemary Aitken.

In all passives, the past participle forms a kind of adjectival construction, and in simple forms it is difficult to determine where adjectives begin and passives stop. The window is broken for instance has two meanings. It can describe an ongoing state, or a repeated process. . . . . The state is usually regarded as an adjective, the repeated process as a passive.

eg The window is broken every week, because a vandal throws a rock through it every week. This is a repeated process.

eg The door is OK, but look, the window is broken. This describes the state of the window.

Your sentence "the issue is resolved" is similar in structure to 'The window is broken'. Depending on the context, it can be seen as describing a state or a process.

Let's turn to the perfect passive. eg The window has been fixed. This means that someone has fixed the glass in the window, and now the window is OK.

Your sentence "the issue has been resolved" thus means that someone has resolved, by their actions, the issue in the period leading up to the time of speaking.

Consider this conversation.

A: The issue about taxes has been resolved, by getting all the people involved to compromise. (This refers to the actions that have lead to the resolution of the issue.)

B: Oh, good, I was worried about that issue. I'm glad that it is resolved. (This refers adjectivally to the state of the issue.)

Do you have any more questions arising from this?

Best wishes, Clive