since/now that

[joham]

In some books, tense vowels are called long and lax vowels are called short. Since you will be learning how to lengthen vowels when they come before a voiced consonant, it would be confusing to say that 'hen' has a long, short vowel. It is more descriptive to say that it has a lax vowel that is doubled or lengthened.


Can we use 'Now that' instead of 'Since' in the blue part without changing the meaning? Thank you in advance.

[BobK]

In some books, tense vowels are called long and lax vowels are called short. Since you will be learning how to lengthen vowels when they come before a voiced consonant, it would be confusing to say that 'hen' has a long, short vowel. It is more descriptive to say that it has a lax vowel that is doubled or lengthened.


Can we use 'Now that' instead of 'Since' in the blue part without changing the meaning? Thank you in advance.

No. I'm not sure what 'since' is used to mean here (I'm not sure what sort of subordination is intended), but 'now that' would belong in a different sort of sentence:

'Now that we have done chapter one, we will start chapter two'

b

[joham]

Thanks, BobK. Does the 'since' in the above sentence mean 'As' (indicating some reason)?
Thank you again.

[BobK]

I think you're right. The sense seems to be:

In some books, tense vowels are called long and lax vowels are called short. The reason is this. As you will be learning, in spoken English vowels are lengthened when they come before a voiced consonant. Now, it would be confusing to say that 'hen' has a long, short vowel. It is less confusing to say that it has a lax vowel that is doubled or lengthened.

But you will be learning how to lengthen vowels when they come before a voiced consonant, is very badly expressed - unless the book is teaching the student to make a conscious effort (which might lead to the enunciation of correct vowel lengths, but in a slow and hesitant delivery which makes the vowel lengths incorrect, and the communication less effective).

So, as the subordinate clause makes no sense to me, I find it hard to say what the subordinating conjunction is supposed to mean.


b