[Grammar] "We always cook it, as if it is Mom's heart."

Status
Not open for further replies.

sky3120

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Korean
Home Country
South Korea
Current Location
South Korea
"We always cook it, as if it is Mom's heart."

I saw the sentence at a restaurant and I felt scared. What do you native English speakers feel about it? Do you think "is" should change to "was" or the sentence does not make sense at all?

Thank you in advance.
 
Last edited:

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
"We always cook it, as if it is Mom's heart."

I saw the sentence at a restaurant and I felt scared. What do you native English speakers feel about it? Do you think "is" should change to "was" or the sentence does not make sense at all?

Thank you in advance.

I think in the original language it was probably fine but it has clearly lost something in the translation. If it was written by a native speaker, then they have written a very poor statement. It doesn't matter whether it says "is" or "was" - it still sounds as if they are imagining that they are cooking their mother's heart when they cook the food they are going to serve you!

I hope they meant something like "Our mother always cooked from the heart ..." or "Our mother always put her heart and soul into her cooking ..." and the restaurant is saying that they still cook the same way.
 

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
In any case, the comma is wrong if it's meant to say something about how they cook it.
 

sky3120

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Korean
Home Country
South Korea
Current Location
South Korea
Thank you so much and I have a question for you. Is the structure of this sentence fine to use?

If it was written by a native speaker, then they have written a very poor statement.

I think that it should be

If it was /were written by a native speaker, then they would write a very poor statement.

or

If it had been written by a native speaker, then they would have written a very poor statement.

Or is there a reason you say the sentence that way and is there a meaning difference between them? Thank

you so much in advance.
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Emsr2d2's original sentence is correct.
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland


If it was /were written by a native speaker, then they would write a very poor statement.



If it had been written by a native speaker, then they would have written a very poor statement.


These are completely wrong.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top