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09-Jul-2007, 17:30
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| |  Which one is more natural?
Hi,
Which one is more natural?
1. "it is influenced by all variables previous to it"
2. "it is influenced by all previous to it variables"
I know it can be rewritten in other ways, but just want to know which phrase is more natural. I'd vote for the first one, but I am not an English native speaker so have no idea what natural in English is.
For example: for me this "what natural in English is" sounds completely unnatural, and I have some English colleagues (with really good knowledge of the English language) who would write "what is natural in English"... but still the former is correct and the latter is not (as I think...).
Thanks,
Nyggus  |
09-Jul-2007, 18:23
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| |  Re: Which one is more natural?
Hi,
I would say "It is influenced by all of the variables that precede it."
[not a teacher] |
09-Jul-2007, 18:25
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| | Re: Which one is more natural?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barb_D  Hi,
I would say "It is influenced by all of the variables that precede it."
[not a teacher] | Thanks. But between the two I gave, which would you use? (For example, if I need to use one of these constructions to avoid repetition or something.)
Nyggus |
09-Jul-2007, 18:27
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| | Re: Which one is more natural?
Without a doubt, of the two you gave: by all variables previous to it |
09-Jul-2007, 18:32
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| | Re: Which one is more natural?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barb_D Without a doubt, of the two you gave: by all variables previous to it | Thanks! Happy to hear this.
And what would you say about what I wrote in the starting post of this thread? --
For example: for me this "what natural in English is" sounds completely unnatural, and I have some English colleagues (with really good knowledge of the English language) who would write "what is natural in English"... but still the former is correct and the latter is not (as I think...).
I'm just curious.
Thanks,
Nyggus |
09-Jul-2007, 19:13
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| | Re: Which one is more natural?
For example: for me this "what natural in English is" sounds completely unnatural, and I have some English colleagues (with really good knowledge of the English language) who would write "what is natural in English"... but still the former is correct and the latter is not (as I think...).
Where have you met "What natural in English is..."?
The normal phrase would be "What is natural in English". |
09-Jul-2007, 19:20
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| | Re: Which one is more natural?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anglika For example: for me this "what natural in English is" sounds completely unnatural, and I have some English colleagues (with really good knowledge of the English language) who would write "what is natural in English"... but still the former is correct and the latter is not (as I think...).
Where have you met "What natural in English is..."?
The normal phrase would be "What is natural in English". | Oh, dear... now I am confused... Do I indeed have a fine feeling of what is natural in English, then?! This would be great, wouldn't it? Too much of computer today to answer your question where I have met this construction. Maybe I have not, and just made it up somewhere in the deep recesses of my non-English mind...
Thanks, Anglika!
Nyggus |
10-Jul-2007, 06:21
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| | Re: Which one is more natural?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anglika For example: for me this "what natural in English is" sounds completely unnatural, and I have some English colleagues (with really good knowledge of the English language) who would write "what is natural in English"... but still the former is correct and the latter is not (as I think...).
Where have you met "What natural in English is..."?
The normal phrase would be "What is natural in English". | So (after a sleepless night of mulling it over and over  ), my question is: Would you say:
"I don't know what is it." OR "I don't know what it is."?
Nyggus |
10-Jul-2007, 22:31
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| | Re: Which one is more natural?
What is that?
I don't know what that is.
What is she wearing?
I don't know what she is wearing.
With the "I don't know what..." you use the subject-verb order.
With simply a "What..?" you invert the order and go verb-subject.
[not a teacher] |
11-Jul-2007, 04:21
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| | Re: Which one is more natural?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barb_D What is that?
I don't know what that is.
What is she wearing?
I don't know what she is wearing.
With the "I don't know what..." you use the subject-verb order.
With simply a "What..?" you invert the order and go verb-subject.
[not a teacher] | Exactly! But I also noticed where is the mistake in the sentence
"I'd vote for the first one, but I am not an English native speaker so have no idea what natural in English is."
It indeed should be "what is natural in English." To err is human...
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