truth/true

[GUEST2008]

Hi

1. I just want to know the truth.

2. I don't know what is true and what is not. Can I also say: I don't know what is the truth and what is not.

Sometimes I'm not sure when to use "truth" and when "true".

take care

[PROESL]

Originally Posted by GUEST2008

Hi

1. I just want to know the truth.

2. I don't know what is true and what is not. Can I also say: I don't know what is the truth and what is not.

Sometimes I'm not sure when to use "truth" and when "true".

take care

As far as when to use "truth" or "true" goes, you should understand, first, that "true" is an adjective, and "truth" is a noun.


2. I don't know what is true and what is not.

Can I also say: I don't know what is the truth and what is not. <<

This is almost correct, but not quite. It's that noun clause thing again. Remember that?

You've written what should be a noun clause as an interrogative, which means you've inverted the subject and the auxiliarly verb "be". A noun clause does not invert the subject and an auxiliary verb. The order remains in statement form: what the truth is - not "what is the truth".

This is how the sentence is correct: I don't know what the truth is and what is not.

[GUEST2008]

Hi

But now these two: I don't know what the truth is and what is not. AND I don't know what is true and what is not. are correct and convey the same meaning?

What is interesting, however, is that in the second sentence, despite it being a statement, we write "I don't what is true ..." instead of "I don't know what true is and what is not".

But I think it's got something to do with the fact that "true" is an adjective and "truth" a noun.

take care

[PROESL]

Originally Posted by GUEST2008

Hi

But now these two: I don't know what the truth is and what is not. AND I don't know what is true and what is not. are correct and convey the same meaning?

What is interesting, however, is that in the second sentence, despite it being a statement, we write "I don't what is true ..." instead of "I don't know what true is and what is not".

But I think it's got something to do with the fact that "true" is an adjective and "truth" a noun.

take care

I understand your confusion. It's a question of "whether or not you what "true" is at all in the first or whether or not you know what is true - what you can say is true.

1. Do you know what "true" is? - This means that "true" is something, but you don't know what that something is.

2. Do you know "what" is true? - This means that you can say that things are true, but you don't know what they are.

Using the adjective, it's much more likely that one means "Do you know what is true?" (true and not true) This would be sentence number two. It could be that the meaning contained in question one is applicable in other inquiries of what something is.
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But now these two: I don't know what the truth is and what is not. AND I don't know what is true and what is not. are correct and convey the same meaning?

These are very close in meaning. One or the either might be more likely at certain times, but it would hard to say. It could be splitting hairs to really try to define the difference in meaning between "what is true" and "what the truth is".

I don't know what the truth is and what is not. - This speaks of something that is the truth. It calls to mind the question: what is the truth? Tell me the truth.

I don't know what is true and what is not. - This speaks of things you can think of as being true or things that are true. It could be that this is likely to refer to specific things. It could call to mind the question: is it a fact?