Not to mention that in English

[angliholic]

It's hard to study linguistics in Chinese, not to mention that in English.
Linguistics in Chinese is hard, not to mention that in English.



Do both of the above sound right and good? I try to use "not to mention" in my sentence, but I'm sure if it should be "let alone" in the above context. Thanks.

[BobK]

It's to study linguistics in Chinese, not to mention that in English.
Linguistics in Chinese is hard, not to mention that in English.



Do both of the above sound right and good? I try to use "not to mention" in my sentence, but I'm sure if it should be "let alone" in the above context. Thanks.

The second is better; but I'm not sure what it means. Linguistics is linguistics.

If you mean studying the language, rather than language, what about this? -

Studying Chinese is hard [enough], let alone [or 'not to mention'] English.

[I'd have changed the languages round, but I imagine your perspective is different!]

b

[BobK]

PS When I said 'the second is better' I didn't mean to imply that the first is acceptable at all - although it reads that way. 'It's to <verb>' is most unusual; in rhetoric it might be used:

'I guess you're wondering why I'm here. Is it to shake hands with all the graduates? Is it to give out prizes? No. It's to celebrate these young people's achievements.'

b

[angliholic]

Thanks, Bob, for your reply.
Sorry that I missed a word "hard" in the first sentence.
The following are what I really mean:

It's hard for us to study linguistics in Chinese, not to mention that in English.
Linguistics in Chinese is hard for us, not to mention that in English.

[BobK]

Thanks, Bob, for your reply.
Sorry that I missed a word "hard" in the first sentence.
The following are what I really mean:

It's hard for us to study linguistics in Chinese, not to mention that in English.
Linguistics in Chinese is hard for us, not to mention that in English.

Part of my first post still applies. In studying linguistics, I can refer to more than a dozen languages (although I've studied only 5 or 6 as languages). People don't study linguistics "in Chinese" (except in the trivial sense that an English person studies anything in English). So do you mean

'Studying the Chinese language is hard'?

b

[angliholic]

Thanks, Bob.
I mean "Studying linguistics written in Chinese is hard."
By the way, I still can't figure out why you omit "that" in the context.
Would you think it's a good idea to omit that in the following?

The climate of this island is like that of France.
The weather today is quite different from that yesterday in Formosa.

[BobK]

Thanks, Bob.
I mean "Studying linguistics written in Chinese is hard."
By the way, I still can't figure out why you omit "that" in the context.
Would you think it's a good idea to omit that in the following?

The climate of this island is like that of France.
The weather today is quite different from that in Formosa yesterday , but note the changed word order.

It's not just not 'a good idea to omit' the 'that'. It'd be wrong. Note that the thing you're contrasting here is the weather. In the first case, the thing being contrasted is not 'linguistics' but 'studying linguistics'.

b

[angliholic]

It's not just not 'a good idea to omit' the 'that'. It'd be wrong. Note that the thing you're contrasting here is the weather. In the first case, the thing being contrasted is not 'linguistics' but 'studying linguistics'.

b

Thanks, Bob.
But what about the second sentence? Does it sound right?


Linguistics in Chinese is hard, not to mention that in English.

[BobK]

Thanks, Bob.
But what about the second sentence? Does it sound right?


Linguistics in Chinese is hard, not to mention that in English.

In the context of linguistics it sounds very odd. But that form of sentence is OK.... Although .... "not to mention" sounds as if you're intensifying the focus, rather than changing it entirely:

The weather in Portugal is hot, not to mention that in the Algarve. [The Algarve is part of Portugal, so the focus is intensified.]

But

The law on drink/driving is strict in the UK, not to mention that in France. [The focus is changed entirely.]

In this case, some other sort of comparative phrase is needed, for example:

The law on drink/driving is strict in the UK, but not nearly as strict as that in France.

b




b

[angliholic]

Thanks, Bob, for your sensible explanation.
I know where the problem with my question is--I forgot to put "for us" in the context:


Linguistics in Chinese is hard for us, not to mention that in English.


I presume the above does sound right eventually, right?