[General] Singing or crooning

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Tina3

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1.A person is sitting on a park bench and crooning a song.

2.A person is sitting on a park bench and singing a song.

I could barely hear the song. What is the correct sentence?
 

emsr2d2

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"Crooning" means "singing a song" so the "a song" part of sentence 1 is redundant.

I wouldn't use "and" in either version.

A person is sitting on a park bench, crooning.
A person is sitting on a park bench, singing a song.

I'm not sure what relevance "I could barely hear the song" has.
 

Skrej

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I'm not sure what relevance "I could barely hear the song" has.


I'm guessing it's because many dictionaries define 'croon' as "to sing in a soft, low voice", and the OP has misunderstood this to mean 'barely audible'.

If that's the case, then learners need to understand that here 'soft and low' just refers to a smooth, intimate manner of singing, rather than whispering. Gentle songs require a softer voice, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're inaudible.

It has also come to refer to a style of singing which allows for the microphones to amplify the singer's voice without distortion.

Edit: Here you can hear Tonny Bennett and Nora Jones crooning.
 
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