[Vocabulary] about say

[szy9967]

Can I say 'Anna's mother would say the prayers that…'

 

[MikeNewYork]

Could we have an entire sentence?

 

[Odessa Dawn]

***NOT A TEACHER***

Can I say 'Anna 's mother would say the prayers that…'

Can I say 'Anna's mother would say the prayers that (leave a space) …'?

 

[szy9967]

Sorry. 'Anna's mother would say the prayers that started the Sabbath, the holy day for Jewish people.'I think it should be 'say to the prayers'. Thank you.

 

[MikeNewYork]

No. "Say the prayers" is correct. There needs to be a space before "Anna's", no space between "Anna" and "apostrophe s", no space after "Sabbath", and a space before "the holy day".

 

[Odessa Dawn]

***NOT A TEACHER***

Sorry. 'Anna's mother would say the prayers that started the Sabbath, the holy day for Jewish people.'


I think it should be 'say to the prayers'. Thank you.

 

[szy9967]

Thank you. I get it. Is it a linguistic habit? I didn't find it in the dictionary.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Is what a habit? We say prayers; we don't say to prayers. It is not an idiom. It simply means we recite prayers.

 

[szy9967]

OK. I regard prayer as a person. Thank you very much.

 

[MikeNewYork]

A prayer is not a person. It is a religious oratory. Something that is written or spoken for a religious purpose. You can look up the Lord's Prayer for an example. Also Sabbath Prayer was one of the most beautiful songs from Fiddler on the Roof.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Sorry. 'Anna's mother would say the prayers that started the Sabbath, the holy day for Jewish people.'I think it should be 'say to the prayers'. Thank you.

Sorry, no. "Say to the prayers" makes no sense. "Say the prayers" is good.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

OK. I regard prayer as a person. Thank you very much.

Why would you regard a prayer as a person? Are you calling a person who prays a prayer? In English, the word prayer is not a person praying. It is a spoken or silent message to a god or gods.

 

[tzfujimino]

Why would you regard a prayer as a person? Are you calling a person who prays a prayer? In English, the word prayer is not a person praying. It is a spoken or silent message to a god or gods.

Hello, Charlie Bernstein.:-D

May I ask you a question?
What do you call a person who prays?

 

[MikeNewYork]

That is a good question. It turns out that the OP was correct in stating that a "prayer" could be a person. The two words "prayer" (something spoken or written) and "prayer" (one who prays) are pronounced differently. The first has one syllable; the second has two syllables with a distinctive long A in the first syllable. In the original sentence, with "say the prayers", it has to be the first. But someone could say something "to the prayers" using the second.

 

[Rover_KE]

What do you call a person who prays?

A supplicant.

 

[charliedeut]

A supplicant.

If they are believers, too. A supplicant may be asking for something from an authority or someone holding power: http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/supplicant. ;-)