Forum newsfeeds 
|  | | Notices | You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post. Please note, all posts are moderated by our in-house language experts, so make sure your suggestions, help, and advice house the kind of information an international language teacher would offer. If not, and your posts do not contribute to the topic in a positive way, they will be subject to deletion. | 
01-Feb-2007, 03:27
| | Member | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Country: Taiwan
Posts: 289
Current Location: Taiwan First Language: Taiwanese Member Type: Academic Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| |  turn all psychic
"Well," I began, concentrating hard(ish) and trying to turn all psychic. "I bet you're ... a Pisces!"
"No." Dylan replied.
"Um ... Capricorn?"
"No."
This is an excerpt from the "INDIE KIDD" book.
My first question is what does turn all psychic mean and how do we analyze its structure, i.e. is psychic a noun or an adjective in this context?
Second, why did the author put (ish) at the end of hard? Is there any purpose or function that she attempted to get by doing so? |
01-Feb-2007, 04:20
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Country: Canada
Posts: 3,025
Current Location: Canada First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 4
Thanked 484 Times in 444 Posts
| |  Re: turn all psychic
Quote:
Originally Posted by piousoul  "Well," I began, concentrating hard(ish) and trying to turn all psychic. "I bet you're ... a Pisces!"
"No." Dylan replied.
"Um ... Capricorn?"
"No."
This is an excerpt from the "INDIE KIDD" book.
My first question is what does turn all psychic mean and how do we analyze its structure, i.e. is psychic a noun or an adjective in this context? I'm in a 'cyan' mood. 
pretending to/play acting that he/she had become a psychic; a psychic is one who can read people's minds.
I'd say it's an adjective, PS. If it were a noun, it would have been, "turn into a psychic
Second, why did the author put (ish) at the end of hard? Is there any purpose or function that she attempted to get by doing so? | This 'ish' means "kind of [___], but not /completely/totally ...".
"Well," I began, concentrating kind of hard, but not totally. |
01-Feb-2007, 04:54
| | Member | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Country: Taiwan
Posts: 289
Current Location: Taiwan First Language: Taiwanese Member Type: Academic Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| |  Re: turn all psychic
Quote:
Originally Posted by riverkid This 'ish' means "kind of [___], but not /completely/totally ...".
"Well," I began, concentrating kind of hard, but not totally. | Thanks, riverkid, for the excellent parse. There is no more clouds of doubts over me except that I'm in a cyan mood.
What do you mean by that?
Last edited by piousoul; 02-Feb-2007 at 11:28.
|
01-Feb-2007, 05:17
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Country: Canada
Posts: 3,025
Current Location: Canada First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 4
Thanked 484 Times in 444 Posts
| | Re: turn all psychic
Quote:
Originally Posted by piousoul Thanks, riverkid, for the excellent parse. There is no more clouds of doubts over me excet that I'm in a cyan mood.
What do you mean by that? | You're welcome, PS.
'cyan' is the color I happened upon in the color chart. I clicked on it, not having the foggiest what 'cyan' was, and I jokingly remarked that I was in a cyan mood. |
01-Feb-2007, 17:25
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Country: England (South East)
Posts: 5,948
Current Location: England (South East) First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 86
Thanked 981 Times in 868 Posts
| | Re: turn all psychic
I hadn't thought about it before, but it wouldn't surprise me if cyanide was bluish.
b |
01-Feb-2007, 17:29
| | Moderator | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Country: England (South East)
Posts: 5,948
Current Location: England (South East) First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 86
Thanked 981 Times in 868 Posts
| | Eureka
|
02-Feb-2007, 02:00
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Country: Canada
Posts: 3,025
Current Location: Canada First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 4
Thanked 484 Times in 444 Posts
| | Re: turn all psychic
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobK I hadn't thought about it before, but it wouldn't surprise me if cyanide was bluish.
b | Now I'm starting to have trouble breathing, Bob. |
02-Feb-2007, 11:24
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
Posts: 25,603
Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 6
Thanked 500 Times in 439 Posts
| | Re: turn all psychic
Quote:
Originally Posted by riverkid This 'ish' means "kind of [___], but not /completely/totally ...".
"Well," I began, concentrating kind of hard, but not totally. | That is a ghastly colour- it may not be cyanide, but it made me feel a bit unsettled.  |
03-Feb-2007, 00:55
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Country: Canada
Posts: 3,025
Current Location: Canada First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 4
Thanked 484 Times in 444 Posts
| | Re: turn all psychic
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tdol That is a ghastly colour- it may not be cyanide, but it made me feel a bit unsettled. | Damn hard to make out too, 'specially for a set of old eyes. |
03-Feb-2007, 08:44
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
Posts: 25,603
Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 6
Thanked 500 Times in 439 Posts
| | Re: turn all psychic
Maybe it was designed for MySpace users. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
Posting Rules
| You may post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT. The time now is 16:01. | |
