[Grammar] This is the real me / This is what I real am.

[Tae-Bbong-E]

Hi
Are these common expression? And are they grammatical?

This is the real me.
This is what I real am.

Before asking my question, I posted it on another forum. Some guy said "This is what I real am. (X) . | . This is what/who I really am .(O)".

<Context>
In fact, I have watched these sentences from Shrek. The scene is that Fiona shows how she looks in the sunlight, and then she turns out female ogre(?).
And then she says "This is the real me".

 

[Skrej]

The first sentence is grammatical. I don't know that it's particularly common, but it's natural enough in the limited context you'd need to use it.

The second one is not grammatical. The feedback you received on the other forum is correct - you need the adverb form of 'really'.

Like the first sentence, I wouldn't say the corrected second sentence is particularly common, but it's natural enough within the right context.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Hi
Are these common expressions?

They're common enough.

And are they grammatical?

This is the real me.
This is who I really am.

Before asking my question here, I posted it on another forum. Some guy said "This is what I real am. (X) . | . This is what/who I really am .(O)".

X? O?

When you say "Some guy," it sounds disparaging. That's okay, as long as you really meant it that way. I'm just making sure you know that.

<Context>
In fact, I have heard these sentences in Shrek. The scene is that Fiona shows how she looks in the sunlight, and then she turns out to be female ogre.

And then she says "This is the real me".

It's more natural to say who I am rather than what I am. But since she's not human, what can make sense, too.

 

[Rover_KE]

You posted the same thread here.

Please do not post the same question simultaneously to more than one forum. Doing so wastes our valuable time. Instead, post your question to one forum and wait for replies. If you're not satisfied with those replies, you can try another forum, but please indicate in your thread that you've already asked the same question elsewhere (provide a link), and outline why you were not satisfied with the answers you received already.​

(teechar)

EDIT: To be fair, I've just noticed that you actually did mention the other forum in post #1, but you didn't post a link to it.


​

 

[Tae-Bbong-E]

Yeap even though I copied and pasted the website link, it looked like it didn't work. Just right now I've noticed that. I should have double checked if the website link was exactly pasted. Next time, I will do it. Sorry for my being careless.

Anyway the reason why I was not satisfied with someone's answer I received is that I somehow wanted to know why this [This is what I real am] is wrong.
Now, everything about my question became clear thank to your replies.
Thank you so much.

 

[GoesStation]

Anyway the reason [STRIKE]why[/STRIKE] I was not satisfied with [STRIKE]someone's[/STRIKE] any of the answers I received is that I [STRIKE]somehow[/STRIKE] wanted to know why [STRIKE]this [[/STRIKE] "This is what I real am" [STRIKE]][/STRIKE] is wrong.

See above. Never say or write "the reason why". Never use square brackets, parentheses ("brackets" in British English), or any other non-standard punctuation to mark quoted text. Use single or double quotation marks (but be consistent) or italics.

"Yeap" is not an English word. Don't use it.

 

[Tae-Bbong-E]

Okay. Though this is out of question, I am wondering why you said " Never say or write 'the reason why' ".
Because I have seen many sentences like the above so far.

• The reason why the injection needs repeating every year is that the virus changes.

• Give me one good reason why I should help you.
• I'd like to know the reason why you're so late.
from Oxford dictionary.

 

[jutfrank]

I think members differ considerably in our tastes for reason why.

Give me one good reason why I should help you.

I wonder whether people think the above use is any more or less acceptable than any others.

 

[GoesStation]

Give me one good reason why I should help you.

I wonder whether people think the above use is any more or less acceptable than any others.

That's fine, but it doesn't say the reason why.

 

[GoesStation]

Though this isn't related to my [STRIKE]out of[/STRIKE] question, I am wondering why you said "Never say or write 'the reason why'".
Because I have seen many sentences like the [STRIKE]above so far[/STRIKE] following:

See above. Don't put a space after an opening quotation mark or before a closing one.

 

[Tarheel]

Give me one good reason why I should help you.

I'm speculating here. (I have no context, obviously.) The speaker doesn't like the other person and doesn't want to help them. The redundancy is perhaps on purpose (for emphasis).

 

[Skrej]

Anyway the reason why I was not satisfied with someone's answer I received is that I somehow wanted to know why this [This is what I real am] is wrong.

It sounds like you've figured this out, but I'll clarify in case other learners haven't made the connection.

'Real' is an adjective. The adverb form is 'really'

With the sentence 'This is what I real am', you're trying to modify the verb 'am' with the adjective 'real', which we can't do. You need an adverb to modify a verb.

However, with 'This is the real me', the adjective 'real' is modifying the pronoun 'me', which of course is perfectly acceptable.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I think members differ considerably in our tastes for reason why.

Give me one good reason why I should help you.

I wonder whether people think the above use is any more or less acceptable than any others.

It looks perfectly natural to me. Is there something odd about it?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I'm speculating here. (I have no context, obviously.) The speaker doesn't like the other person and doesn't want to help them. The redundancy is perhaps on purpose (for emphasis).

Right. Or to be more exact, the person doesn't want to do what's requested.

 

[jutfrank]

It looks perfectly natural to me. Is there something odd about it?

Yes, I agree with you, Charlie, but several of our members don't like the use of reason and why together. In many cases, I share their distaste, but here I think it's okay. I was was just curious to know what others thought about this particular example.

 

[probus]

I detest every use of "reason why". It is "reason that".

 

[jutfrank]

I detest every use of "reason why". It is "reason that".

Not here though, right? That would be quite wrong, surely?

 

[emsr2d2]

Not here though, right? That would be quite wrong, surely?

No, it would be right.

Give me one good reason I should help you. :tick:
Give me one good reason that I should help you. :tick:
Give me one good reason why I should help you. :cross:

I explain it to students by saying that "reason" is "explanation for why", so adding another "why" would be tautologous.

 

[jutfrank]

No, it would be right.

Give me one good reason I should help you. :tick:
Give me one good reason why I should help you. :cross:
Give me one good reason that I should help you. :tick:

I explain it to students by saying that "reason" is "explanation for why", so adding another "why" would be tautologous.

This is interesting because I quite disagree.

Give me one good reason I should help you. :tick:
Give me one good reason why I should help you. :tick:
Give me one good reason that I should help you. :cross:

The key difference for me is that the word reason is used in two very different senses. When it means 'motivation', as is meant in the sentences above, I think it's okay to say reason why in some contexts. But when it means 'explanation', I don't like it and would strongly suggest using reason (that).

Here's a pair that might better show the explanatory use:

The reason that it keeps breaking is ... :tick:
The reason why it keeps breaking is ... :cross:

The 'motivation' use can also uniquely be expressed with the infinitive pattern reason to do something, which is probably what I'd suggest learners use anyway.

Give me one good reason to help you. :tick:

I realise this is topic drift but I feel it could be interesting/useful for members to discuss their thoughts on this.

 

[Rover_KE]

Topic drift.

Thread moved.