Buller
Member
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2011
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- Danish
- Home Country
- Denmark
- Current Location
- Denmark
Hi!
On another forum, a user posted his/her definition of using "to inform".
For reference, here is the link: inform of vs. about - WordReference Forums
The definitions were as follows (copy/paste):
Someone informed me that person x had succumbed to illness.
Someone informed me that person x had died.
I use of when I say the same whole idea but as a phrase:
Someone informed me of person x's succumbing to illness.
Someone informed me of person x's death.
I use about when I leave out part of the information:
Someone informed me about person x.
(I am not saying whether person x did something or experienced something.)
Someone informed me about what happened to person x.
(I am not saying what it was that happened.)
The first example with 'that' makes sense, but couldn't 'of' and 'about' be used interchangeably in the following examples?
I'm aware, that the combination 'about that' is "forbidden"
Anyone who has a legitimate answer?
***************
Also, could anyone post their view on the following quiz?
19. What did he inform you about? He informed us
A. about that the firm was closingB. that the firm was closingC. that the firm closesD. about that the firm will close.
The question key says, that the correct choise is B. that the firm was closing.
Considering the rule of not using "about that", we can exclude both option A and D. This leaves us with option B and C, both in the future tense. But here, I would regard option B as meaning that the firm was closing in the past tense, ie. we're talking about something that has already happened. But since we're talking about something that will definitely happen in the future, wouldn't the most correct answer be: that the firm will close? Or if the sentence wants to express that the firm is actually in the middle of the progress of closing, the correct answer would be: that the firm is closing. Or what?
Kind regards!
Buller
On another forum, a user posted his/her definition of using "to inform".
For reference, here is the link: inform of vs. about - WordReference Forums
The definitions were as follows (copy/paste):
Someone informed me that person x had succumbed to illness.
Someone informed me that person x had died.
I use of when I say the same whole idea but as a phrase:
Someone informed me of person x's succumbing to illness.
Someone informed me of person x's death.
I use about when I leave out part of the information:
Someone informed me about person x.
(I am not saying whether person x did something or experienced something.)
Someone informed me about what happened to person x.
(I am not saying what it was that happened.)
The first example with 'that' makes sense, but couldn't 'of' and 'about' be used interchangeably in the following examples?
I'm aware, that the combination 'about that' is "forbidden"
Anyone who has a legitimate answer?
***************
Also, could anyone post their view on the following quiz?
19. What did he inform you about? He informed us
A. about that the firm was closingB. that the firm was closingC. that the firm closesD. about that the firm will close.
The question key says, that the correct choise is B. that the firm was closing.
Considering the rule of not using "about that", we can exclude both option A and D. This leaves us with option B and C, both in the future tense. But here, I would regard option B as meaning that the firm was closing in the past tense, ie. we're talking about something that has already happened. But since we're talking about something that will definitely happen in the future, wouldn't the most correct answer be: that the firm will close? Or if the sentence wants to express that the firm is actually in the middle of the progress of closing, the correct answer would be: that the firm is closing. Or what?
Kind regards!
Buller
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