Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11
Like Tree3Likes

Thread: everybody thinks

  1. #1
    jiang is offline Key Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Student or Learner
      • Native Language:
      • Chinese
      • Home Country:
      • China
      • Current Location:
      • China
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    2,668

    Default everybody thinks

    Dear teachers,

    I've nver been a wonderful kid that everybody in the world loves and thinks is so well.

    I feel confused by the structure. Does this sentence mean:

    I've nver been a wonderful kid that everybody in the world loves and a kid that everybody in the world thinks is so well.

    Is the word "is" used incorrectly here?

    Looking forward to hearing from you.
    Thank you in advance.

    Jiang

  2. #2
    JohnParis's Avatar
    JohnParis is offline Senior Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Retired Academic
      • Native Language:
      • English
      • Home Country:
      • United States
      • Current Location:
      • France
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    776

    Default Re: everybody thinks

    A synonym for "well" as used in this horrid sentence could be the word "admirable".
    I've never been the wonderful kid who everybody in the world loves and thinks is so admirable.
    Does the sentence make more sense if you replace "well" with "admirable?"
    Last edited by JohnParis; 26-Oct-2011 at 16:07.

  3. #3
    SoothingDave is offline VIP Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Interested in Language
      • Native Language:
      • English
      • Home Country:
      • United States
      • Current Location:
      • United States
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    7,505

    Default Re: everybody thinks

    I think "good" is the word, not "well." They think I'm a good boy.

    (Usually people err the other way, using "good" as an adverb, not "well" as an adjective.)

  4. #4
    Barb_D's Avatar
    Barb_D is offline Moderator
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Other
      • Native Language:
      • American English
      • Home Country:
      • United States
      • Current Location:
      • United States
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    14,401

    Default Re: everybody thinks

    Or, they could "think so well of you."
    I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.

  5. #5
    jiang is offline Key Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Student or Learner
      • Native Language:
      • Chinese
      • Home Country:
      • China
      • Current Location:
      • China
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    2,668

    Default Re: everybody thinks

    Hi JohnParis,

    Thank you very much for your explanation.
    I think I failed to make my idea clear.
    I've nver been a wonderful kid that everybody in the world loves and thinks is so well.
    I don't know which is the subject of "is" in ....and thinks is so well.

    Looking forward to hearing from you.
    Thank you in advance.

    Jiang

    Quote Originally Posted by JohnParis View Post
    A synonym for "well" as used in this horrid sentence could be the word "admirable".
    I've never been the wonderful kid who everybody in the world loves and thinks is so admirable.
    Does the sentence make more sense if you replace "well" with "admirable?"

  6. #6
    jiang is offline Key Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Student or Learner
      • Native Language:
      • Chinese
      • Home Country:
      • China
      • Current Location:
      • China
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    2,668

    Default Re: everybody thinks

    Hi SoothingDave,

    Thank you very much for your explanation.
    I think I failed to make my idea clear.
    I've nver been a wonderful kid that everybody in the world loves and thinks is so well.
    I don't know which is the subject of "is" in ....and thinks is so well.

    Looking forward to hearing from you.
    Thank you in advance.

    Jiang


    Quote Originally Posted by SoothingDave View Post
    I think "good" is the word, not "well." They think I'm a good boy.

    (Usually people err the other way, using "good" as an adverb, not "well" as an adjective.)

  7. #7
    jiang is offline Key Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Student or Learner
      • Native Language:
      • Chinese
      • Home Country:
      • China
      • Current Location:
      • China
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    2,668

    Default Re: everybody thinks

    Hi Barb_D,
    Thank you very much for your explanation.
    I think I failed to make my idea clear.
    I've nver been a wonderful kid that everybody in the world loves and thinks is so well.
    I don't know which is the subject of "is" in ....and thinks is so well.

    Looking forward to hearing from you.
    Thank you in advance.

    Jiang



    Quote Originally Posted by Barb_D View Post
    Or, they could "think so well of you."

  8. #8
    5jj's Avatar
    5jj
    5jj is offline Moderator
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Retired English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • British English
      • Home Country:
      • England
      • Current Location:
      • Czech Republic
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    24,356

    Default Re: everybody thinks

    What everybody has been trying to tell you is that this sentence is not English. Let's turn it into acceptable English with the suggestions you have received:

    I've never been the wonderful kid that everybody in the world loves and thinks is so good
    I've never been the wonderful kid that everybody in the world loves and thinks is so admirable.
    I've never been the wonderful kid that everybody in the world loves and thinks so well of
    .

    We can now expand them. Let's try it with the first:

    I've never been the wonderful kid that (or whom) everybody in the world loves and (who everybody) thinks is so good.

    The subject of the verb 'is' is the omitted 'who', referring back to 'wonderful kid'.

    ps. Please don't post the same message three times. It makes reading the thread rather tedious.

  9. #9
    jiang is offline Key Member
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Student or Learner
      • Native Language:
      • Chinese
      • Home Country:
      • China
      • Current Location:
      • China
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    2,668

    Default Re: everybody thinks

    Hi 5jj,

    Thank you very much for your explanation. Now I understand the grammar of it.

    I thought it was polite to reply to each response. Now I see I only need to reply to one post.

    Best wishes,

    Jiang


    Quote Originally Posted by 5jj View Post
    What everybody has been trying to tell you is that this sentence is not English. Let's turn it into acceptable English with the suggestions you have received:

    I've never been the wonderful kid that everybody in the world loves and thinks is so good
    I've never been the wonderful kid that everybody in the world loves and thinks is so admirable.
    I've never been the wonderful kid that everybody in the world loves and thinks so well of.

    We can now expand them. Let's try it with the first:

    I've never been the wonderful kid that (or whom) everybody in the world loves and (who everybody) thinks is so good.

    The subject of the verb 'is' is the omitted 'who', referring back to 'wonderful kid'.

    ps. Please don't post the same message three times. It makes reading the thread rather tedious.

  10. #10
    5jj's Avatar
    5jj
    5jj is offline Moderator
    • Member Info
      • Member Type:
      • Retired English Teacher
      • Native Language:
      • British English
      • Home Country:
      • England
      • Current Location:
      • Czech Republic
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    24,356

    Default Re: everybody thinks

    Sorry if I appear rather critical this morning, but I'll also add that there is no need to QUOTE a post unless you wish to refer directly to something in it, in which case you need only QUOTE the relevant words. This is especially true if your post immediately follows the one you are responding to.
    Rover_KE and JohnParis like this.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. that everybody in the world thinks is so well
    By jiang in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 22-Oct-2011, 08:31
  2. tag question?I think/ You think/She thinks
    By WUKEN in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 28-Jul-2009, 07:39
  3. thinks!!!
    By zoobinshid in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 25-Aug-2006, 18:13
  4. "Me thinks!"
    By Latoof in forum Ask a Teacher
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 09-Jan-2005, 08:44

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Hotchalk

Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.1