[Grammar] I saw Jim swimming

[TheParser]

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


Maybe: "Our teacher encouraged us to study English really hard." (Refers to the students' efforts.) (It might also be passable without "really." But the verb "learn" does NOT seem acceptable.)

Maybe: "Our teacher encouraged us really hard to learn English." (Refers to the teacher's efforts.) (The "really" seems to be absolutely necessary.)


James

 

[emsr2d2]

"Study hard" works for me. "Learn hard" doesn't.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I have thought hard for a whole day, yet I still cannot figure out why 'study hard' can be said but 'learn hard' cannot.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

I would explain it like this:

When you study you are actively doing something, with more or less assiduity. If it's more rather than less, you could say that you are studying hard.

Learning is passive. It's the result of something else, such as study, experience, exposure and so on. In English it's not something that you do hard; it just happens as a consequence.

 

[Tarheel]

Additionally:

A person might study hard because he really wants to learn something. The learning is a result of the studying.
​

(The word "really" is used for emphasis.)