• Sign up
  • Log in

Seem / I heard that / it is said that

  •  
  • 41
  • 1
  • 2
  • English 
Apr 16th 2010 19:21 pronoun-selection phrase-nuance
(A) "Betty seems depressed. What's wrong with her?"
"Well, she has difficulty doing her homework. She seems to have taken it for granted that his boyfriend would help her with it."

(B) "Betty seems depressed. What's wrong with her?"
"Well, she has difficulty doing her homework. I heard that she took it for granted that his boyfriend would help her with it."

(C) "Betty seems depressed. What's wrong with her?"
"Well, she has difficulty doing her homework. It is said that she took it for granted that his boyfriend would help her with it."


I suppose (A) and (B) are correct, but (C) is unnatural because of the phrase "it is said that", which I supposed to be used to refer to what is generally believed, not believed in specific communities or people.


Is this supposition right?


Thank you in advance!!!


[Memo: phrase-selection, phrase-nuance]
tony
Thank you for your correction!
Apr 16th 2010 21:59
  • She seems to have taken it for granted that his boyfriend would help her with it."

  • She seems to have taken it for granted that her boyfriend would help her with it." [Possessive pronouns in English agree in gender with the possessor (she), not with what is possessed (boyfriend).]

 
  • I heard that she took it for granted that his boyfriend would help her with it."

  • I heard that she took it for granted that her boyfriend would help her with it."

 
  • It is said that she took it for granted that his boyfriend would help her with it."

  • Someone told me that she took it for granted that her boyfriend would help her with it."

 
  • Is this supposition right?

  • Is this supposition right? [Yes. You can say something like "someone told me" or "a friend told me," but "it is said that" sounds unnatural here. However, "it is said that" or "they say that" can be used for what is generally believed in a large enough community, such as the population of an entire city.]

 
M-K-G
Apr 18th 2010 01:02
Thank you very much for frequently giving me comments, tony!!
Jonadab
Apr 19th 2010 21:49
  • She seems to have taken it for granted that his boyfriend would help her with it."

  • She seems to have taken it for granted that her boyfriend would help her with it."

 
  • I heard that she took it for granted that his boyfriend would help her with it."

  • I heard that she took it for granted that her boyfriend would help her with it."

 
  • It is said that she took it for granted that his boyfriend would help her with it."

  • It is said that she took it for granted that her boyfriend would help her with it."

 
All three constructions are valid (aside from the pronoun issue someone else already pointed out), but they have different meanings.

Saying "It seems that" implies that the information is based on your own observations

"I heard that" means someone else told you. (The person who told you may have actually known, or he may have heard it from someone else, or he may have simply been speculating or making things up. It's hard to tell with rumors, unless you know the source.)

There's also "overheard", which means the information was not intentionally given to you, but you heard it anyway, probably while someone else was being told and you were eavesdropping.

The passive, "it is said that", sounds somewhat more formal than the active-voice equivalent "People say that", but yeah, either would be used when something is widely or generally said, not usually when just one person says it. (It doesn't have to be a worldwide thing, though. If the whole school is abuzz with a rumor, you could use "it is said" or "people are saying".)
x

Report this entry as spam

Spam entry

(A) "Betty seems depressed. What's wrong with her?" "Well, she has difficulty doing her homework. She seems to have taken it for granted that his boyfriend would help her with it." (B) "Betty seems depressed. What's wrong with her?" "Well, she has difficulty doing her homework. I heard that she


Author

M-K-G


Reporter

0

Close Send