Tom’s standing proud/proudly there.

[diamondcutter]

1. Tom’s standing proud there.
2. Tom’s standing proudly there.

I think both of these sentences make sense. In sentence 1, the verb “standing” is a linking verb and the word “proud” is an adjective. In sentence 2, the verb “standing” is an intransitive verb and the word “proudly” is an adverb.

I think the difference between them is this.

The first sentence is the reply to this question.
How does he look when he is standing there?
That is to say the first sentence emphasizes the whole state of Tom.

The second sentence is the reply to this question.
How is he standing there?
The second sentence emphasizes the way of Tom standing.

I’d like to read your comments.

 

[Tarheel]

Try:

Tom is standing erect with his head held high.

Do you see how that one differs from your sentences?

 

[diamondcutter]

Thanks for your reply, Tarheel.

Let me explain why I compared the two sentences in #1.

Recently my kids and I are reading a novel for children named Mrs. Roopy Is Loop by Dan Gutman. We read this in the book.

When he got to the bottom, the army guy with the wig stood all straight and proud at attention. He gave us a salute.

My kids asked me if the adjective “proud” could be replaced with the adverb “proudly”. I didn’t answer their question at once but asked here first.

In order to make things simpler, I asked the question in the way I did in #1. I don’t know if I’ve made things simpler or complicated.

Now would you please answer my kids’ question for me?

If the answer is yes, what’s the difference between the two patterns?

 

[jutfrank]

I think this question comes from the fact that you're not familiar with the phrase to stand proud, which is what the author apparently decided to use. Have a look in a few dictionaries to see what you can make of it.

Why he decided to use that phrase is a different question. From one point of view, it seems to be combined with the phrase stand straight (where straight is in adjective form) to render stand straight + stand proud. From another point of view you can see it as stand + straight and proud. In both views, symmetry is kept in that both straight and proud are in the same adjective form. Using proudly wouldn't sound as nice.

So one answer to your kids' question is no, because it wouldn't sound good. However, if you think they're thinking purely about meaning, then yes is the best answer.

 

[Tarheel]

Thanks for your reply, Tarheel.

Let me explain why I compared the two sentences in #1.

Recently my kids and I have been reading a novel for children named Mrs. Roopy Is Loop by Dan Gutman. We read this in the book.

When he got to the bottom, the army guy with the wig stood all straight and proud at attention. He gave us a salute.

My kids asked me if the adjective “proud” could be replaced with the adverb “proudly”. I didn’t answer their question at once but asked here first.

In order to make things simpler, I asked the question in the way I did in #1. I don’t know if I’ve made things simpler or more complicated.

Now would you please answer my kids’ question for me?

If the answer is yes, what’s the difference between the two patterns?

That is helpful information. When a military person (soldier, sailor, airman or marine) stands at attention he or she stands erect with eyes facing forward. It is unclear to me why the writer used the word "proud" there. It is not about pride. It is about showing respect. Perhaps you could google "standing at attention" and find some pictures of people doing exactly that.

The phrase "standing proud" might work, but I advise against using the other one.

(The name of a book is its title. I would use "titled" there.)

 

[diamondcutter]

Thanks for your replies, teachers.

The word “straight” can be an adjective and adverb. When we read “someone is standing straight”, it’s not necessary to tell whether the word “straight” is an adjective or adverb. Adjective or adverb won’t make any difference to the sentence in meaning. Am I right?

 

[jutfrank]

Generally speaking, what you need to focus on above all as a learner is what a sentence means. In terms of grammar, think about the function (complement/modifier, etc.) that a particular word/phrase has in the sentence it appears in. Ask what the word/phrase is doing and how it relates to other words/phrases around it.

 

[Tarheel]

Thanks for your replies, teachers.

The word “straight” can be an adjective or an adverb. When we read “someone is standing straight”, it’s not necessary to know whether the word “straight” is an adjective or an adverb. It doesn't make any difference as to the meaning of the sentence. Am I right?

You need to get used to understanding a sentence as a whole and stop focusing on the individual parts so much.

 

[diamondcutter]

Dear teachers, thanks again for your replies, which have always helped me so much.

As a Chinese native speaker, I’ve never learned Chinese grammar, but I can use Chinese very well.

As an English learner in a non-English environment, things are quite different. Learning some grammar is necessary.

Everything has its good side and bad side. Grammar can explain many things. It can help learners understand, memorize and use English effectively and correctly. But not everything can be explained or at least can be explained well enough. The bad side of learning grammar is that learners always have the impulse to find the logic in every language phenomenon. It’s reasonable and understandable but not always necessary. Sometimes, it may be a waste of time. Maybe that’s the price of learning grammar. As a teacher of English, I always point out that to my students.

But for teachers of English, studying grammar a little bit further is important and necessary. It doesn’t mean that teachers should teach students all the things they know about grammar. They should find a way which can answer students’ questions well and meanwhile doesn’t lead them to focus on grammar too much.

Let’s come back to the question in #1. When students read “someone stood proud”, they will naturally recall the sentence they’ve learned before--someone stood proudly and ask the difference between them and how to use them according to contexts.

I can simply tell them the difference is very small and can be ignored and they can use them freely. But as a teacher of English, maybe it’s not a waste of time to know the real answer. Maybe my explanation or imagination in #1 makes a little sense.

Diamondcutter

 

[Tarheel]

It's hard to know what's in somebody's mind. Maybe by "standing proud" the writer meant the person looked proud. It's hard to know what the person was thinking.

The only time I talk about grammar is on this website.

That's all for now.