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Old 20-Mar-2007, 06:00
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Default different vocabulary item instead of simply using more modifiers?

Why is it that in many contexts, English often needs to use a different vocabulary item (a different phrase or word) instead of simply adding modifiers (adverbs and adjectives) in order to sound natural?, whereas in my native language, in those contexts, you can often just add modifiers and not use a different vocabulary item and it would already sound natural.
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Old 20-Mar-2007, 20:31
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Default Re: different vocabulary item instead of simply using more modifiers?

Well, then it wouldn't be English. That is how the language has evolved, and wanting it to be different won't change things. Your own language has itself evolved from early forms.
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Old 03-Apr-2007, 12:26
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Default Re: different vocabulary item instead of simply using more modifiers?

another question:
`
Why is it that sometimes, a formal construction in another language is informal in English and an informal construction in another language is formal in English?
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Old 04-Apr-2007, 05:47
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Default Re: different vocabulary item instead of simply using more modifiers?

Formality is determined by the social values of a society, so there will be differences about what is treated formally or not at any time.
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