notice

Status
Not open for further replies.

Taka

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2004
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Japanese
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
Would you native speakers perceive these two as exactly the same?

I noticed that someone was following me.
I noticed someone following me.
 
Good. What about these two? Still the same?

I found that someone was following me.
I found someone following me.
 
Good. What about these two? Still the same?

I found that someone was following me.
I found someone following me.

There is a difference in emphasis. The first is that you discovered the fact that someone was following you. The second is that you found the actual person (who was following you).

This difference may not matter a whole lot in most situations.
 
There is a difference in emphasis. The first is that you discovered the fact that someone was following you. The second is that you found the actual person (who was following you).

This difference may not matter a whole lot in most situations.

The same is true of the examples of 'notice'?
 
OK. And final question.

Do these two sound equally natural and mean almost, if not exactly, the same?

I found that I was shouting.
I found myself shouting
 
"I found myself shouting" is more natural.

The meaning is basically the same, assuming you don't mean "found myself" in the sense of personal discovery.
 
Sorry about going back and forth, but about the examples of notice+someone/find+someone, do you think one is more natural than the other, like the examples of 'find+oneself'? Or unlike them, do they all sound natural?
 
Last edited:
Would you native speakers perceive these two as exactly the same?

I noticed that someone was following me.
I noticed someone following me.

They basically mean the same thing but I sense a tiny difference between them (note that it might purely be my personal inference).

I noticed that someone was following me = here, I feel that the emphasis is on the action of following you.
I noticed someone following me = here, I feel that the emphasis is on the fact that you noticed a person (and their action was marginally less important).

It's the same sort of difference I would feel between:

I noticed I was being followed.
I noticed a man behind me.
 
Sorry about going back and forth, but about the examples of notice+someone/find+someone, do you think one is more natural than the other, like the examples of 'find+oneself'? Or unlike them, do they all sound natural?

"Notice" someone following you is more natural than "found" someone following you.
 
Sorry, my question wasn't clear.

What I'm asking is, about 'I noticed that someone was following' and 'I noticed someone following', does one sound more natural than the other like the examples of 'found that I was shouting' vs. 'found myself shouting'?

And what about 'noticed that someone was follwoing' vs 'noticed someone following'? Do they equally sound natural or not?
 
Sorry, my question wasn't clear.

What I'm asking is, about 'I noticed that someone was following' and 'I noticed someone following', does one sound more natural than the other like the examples of 'found that I was shouting' vs. 'found myself shouting'?

And what about 'noticed that someone was follwoing' vs 'noticed someone following'? Do they equally sound natural or not?

In this post you have asked the same question twice, the answer is; they are both natural expressions that some people feel may have slight differences of meaning.
 
OK. Thank you.

(Actually, about the first two sets of examples, I didn't ask at first whether they sounded natural or not)
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ask a Teacher

If you have a question about the English language and would like to ask one of our many English teachers and language experts, please click the button below to let us know:

(Requires Registration)
Back
Top