[Grammar] uses of we

[satya_sson33]

good evening sir

it is satyendra (not a teacher)

sir i having a problems to understand the clear sense of "we"

we = i + you or others but some sentence is creating problems like:

# we lived in forest earlier . here "we" means i+others or humans

it is confusing me plz explain me uses of we

why do author, writer and speaker use "WE" to explain sth to others::-|

 

[Kotfor]

Not a teacher. If you translate this word into your native tongue what meaning do you get? If you get any meaning how do you understand it?

 

[Khosro]

1) "We" refers to a group. The speaker, the one who says "we", is a member of that group. the listeners or the listener might be members of that group, or they migh be not.
- "We love each other." : The listener is a member of the group.
- "We hate you." : The listener is not a member of the group.

Authors and lecturers say "we" in sentences like: "we know that humans are equal."
When they say "we", they mean that the author and the reader are in the same group regarding that issue.

2) What about Indian writers? Don't they write "we" in their texts?!!

-----------------------------------------

("listener" is not the proper word here, I just say "listener" to make the explaination easier. To tell you the truth I can't remember the correct word)

 

[satya_sson33]

1) "We" refers to a group. The speaker, the one who says "we", is a member of that group. the listeners or the listener might be members of that group, or they migh be not.
- "We love each other." : The listener is a member of the group.
- "We hate you." : The listener is not a member of the group.

Authors and lecturers say "we" in sentences like: "we know that humans are equal."
When they say "we", they mean that the author and the reader are in the same group regarding that issue.

2) What about Indian writers? Don't they write "we" in their texts?!!

-----------------------------------------

("listener" is not the proper word here, I just say "listener" to make the explaination easier. To tell you the truth I can't remember the correct word)

what is the sense of it

# we lived in forest earlier . here "we" means i+others or humans

 

[Barb_D]

Please use proper capitalization in your posts.

There is no way to tell without context whether the "we" in your sentence includes the person the the speaker is talking to. If he is reminding the listener of a shared past, then it does include the listener. Again, there is no way to tell without context.

 

[satya_sson33]

Please use proper capitalization in your posts.

There is no way to tell without context whether the "we" in your sentence includes the person the the speaker is talking to. If he is reminding the listener of a shared past, then it does include the listener. Again, there is no way to tell without context.

why does we use "WE" to explain others.

Teacher and student class:
when Teacher explain students on blackboard then he uses "WE" even-though only he did somethings on this board , like. "we added 5 and 6 and we wrote 11 here" but problem is that only teacher is adding 5 & 6 and writing 11 then
why does he uses "WE" whereas student is understanding not adding and writing on blackboard.

 

[satya_sson33]

what is the sense of it

# we lived in forest earlier . here "we" means i+others or humans

why does we use "WE" to explain others.

Teacher and student class:
when Teacher explain students on blackboard then he uses "WE" even-though only he did somethings on this board , like. "we added 5 and 6 and we wrote 11 here" but problem is that only teacher is adding 5 & 6 and writing 11 then
why does he uses "WE" whereas student is understanding not adding and writing on blackboard.

 

[probus]

why does we use "WE" to explain others.

Because we = ham log.

Hope this helps.

 

[5jj]

why do[STRIKE]es[/STRIKE] we use "WE" to explain to others.

Teacher and student in class:
[STRIKE]w[/STRIKE]When the Teacher explains something to students on the blackboard, then he uses "WE" even though only he did something[STRIKE]s[/STRIKE] on this board , [STRIKE]like[/STRIKE]such as: "we added 5 and 6 and we wrote 11 here" but the problem is that only the teacher is adding 5 & 6 and writing 11. [STRIKE]then [/STRIKE]
So why does he uses "WE" [STRIKE]whereas student is understanding not adding and writing on blackboard[/STRIKE]when the students have not done the addition or writing?.

Khosro explained this:
Authors and lecturers say "we" in sentences like: "we know that humans are equal."
When they say "we", they mean that the author and the reader are in the same group regarding that issue.

The students did not do the actual work, but the teacher involved them in the process.

 

[satya_sson33]

I think it is ambiguous to understand particular meaning of "WE"

 

[5jj]

I think it is ambiguous to understand particular meaning of "WE"

It may be difficult for non-native speakers to understand exactly how native speakers are using we (or you and, to a lesser extent, they) in particular situations, but native speakers normally know from context what is meant.

One sometimes regrets that the use of one is now generally considered to be vey formal and rather old-fashioned.

 

[TheParser]

good evening sir

it is satyendra (not a teacher)

sir i having a problems to understand the clear sense of "we"

we = i + you or others but some sentence is creating problems like:

# we lived in forest earlier . here "we" means i+others or humans

it is confusing me plz explain me uses of we

why do author, writer and speaker use "WE" to explain sth to others::-|

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Satya sson,


(1) You have asked a very interesting question about that very little

word we.

(2) I have learned a lot from the other posters' answers.

(3) I thought that you would like to know what one expert says:

(a) Professor Sidney Greenbaum (in his The Oxford English Grammar)

tells us that sometimes speakers and writers use "we" because they

want

"...to avoid using I, which is felt by some to be too intrusive."

I think that means that if a speaker or writer uses I too much, the

person who is listening or reading will pay too much attention to the

word I. (For example, when you read a newspaper article, the reporter

usually does not use I. S/he wants you to concentrate on the story,

not on "me.")

(b) Professor Greenbaum also reminds us that sometimes people (such

as doctors -- or teachers) use we because they want "to convey a

friendly tone." For example, when you go to the doctor's office, she

can say "I will now take your blood pressure." Or -- in a more friendly

manner --:

We'll just check your blood pressure now./ Let's (let us) check your blood

pressure now.

*****

CAREFUL: As many books remind us, sometimes we = you!!!

If a little boy is naughty (a little bad), maybe his mother will say to

him:

We have been a naughty litttle boy, haven't we!!! (That means:

You have been ... haven't you!!!

If you come to work late, and your manager says to you:

Why are we late today? that means "Why are you late today?"

If the manager speaks that way to you, he is treating you as if

you were a child. Many people would feel insulted.