[Vocabulary] abstract?

Status
Not open for further replies.

mabzki

Member
Joined
May 26, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Tagalog
Home Country
Philippines
Current Location
Philippines
You're welcome. Please see amendments in red! :)

Thanks for correcting me, this really helps a lot of non-English speaker just like me. Could I write it like this though, without removing the word "freely"?

"Thanks, that explains it. Now I can breathe freely."?

@Bobk Thanks for that wonderful link you gave. By the way, what did you mean by "OP"?
 

Mannysteps

Member
Joined
May 23, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Portuguese
Home Country
Portugal
Current Location
Portugal
Okay Nyota, I used feel as a reaction to touch. Off couse there is also feel and feelings as a result of intuition, for instance. All of them abstract, of course. Also I think abstract art, not showing any theme in concrete, is meant to do just that: induce feelings. While to induce them the artist abstracted from the theme turning it into a thought without specific terms of referrence.
 

mabzki

Member
Joined
May 26, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Tagalog
Home Country
Philippines
Current Location
Philippines
Is this an abstract idea? Not applicable in real life?

"Someday I will go to Mars and play tag with the Martians."
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Is this an abstract idea? Not applicable in real life?

"Someday I will go to Mars and play tag with the Martians."

I wouldn't say that that is an abstract idea. It seems quite concrete, although completely unrealistic!

An abstract version of that might be something like "Someday I might go to some planet or other and play something with some beings who might live on that planet." That's pretty abstract as far as ideas go!
 

mabzki

Member
Joined
May 26, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Tagalog
Home Country
Philippines
Current Location
Philippines
I wouldn't say that that is an abstract idea. It seems quite concrete, although completely unrealistic!

An abstract version of that might be something like "Someday I might go to some planet or other and play something with some beings who might live on that planet." That's pretty abstract as far as ideas go!

I'm figuring out the sentence that you wrote, you're referring to a non-specific things that an abstract idea is. So this is correct?
Why would you say its concrete? Do Martians actually exist, I think no one knows, so it is an abstract idea right?
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
I'm figuring out the sentence that you wrote, you're referring to a non-specific things that an abstract idea is. So this is correct?
Why would you say its concrete? Do Martians actually exist, I think no one knows, so it is an abstract idea right?
The idea of an 'abstract idea' is in itself rather abstract.

There does not seem to be much agreement in what an 'abstract idea' is, as you will find if you google the words.

An idea itself is, in some ways abstract, but, in my opinion, the possible existence of Martians is not particularly abstract. It is a hypothetical question, but that's not the same thing.
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
...
An idea itself is, in some ways abstract, but, in my opinion, the possible existence of Martians is not particularly abstract. It is a hypothetical question, but that's not the same thing...

:up: I had a friend many years ago studying for the priesthood, and while he was studying Canon Law he came across - and briefly but unsuccessfully adopted - the prescriptive view that ideas were about concrete things, whereas notions were about abstract things: 'the idea of an apple' but 'the notion of seriousness'. But this is silly. ;-) I only mention it because some students may meet such a prejudice.

b
 

mabzki

Member
Joined
May 26, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Tagalog
Home Country
Philippines
Current Location
Philippines
Another try of the abstract idea:

"An innocent being with an unknown lifeform that lives in a destructive planet which has a powerful force of energy.

Is this abstract?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top