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American or British slangs/idoms?



 
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American or British slangs/idoms? #1 (permalink) Mon Mar 19, 2007 14:42 pm   American or British slangs/idoms?
 

1. It is believed that the thief escaped in a stolen car. Which has the same meaning?
a) The thief is believed to escape in a stolen car.
b) The thief is believed to have escape in a stonlen car.

Another sentence:
It is believed that Einstein invented E = mc^2.

So the sentence which has same meaning is:
Einstein is believed to invent E = mc^2 ?

2. If you see John tomorrow, _____ you mind ______ him to get in touch with me?
a) will..... reminding
b) would..... reminding

3. Words as pull an all-nighter, cram, flunk, goof off, ace a test, hit the books, sluff class, be a whiz at, flying colors, hang in there are American or British slangs/idoms?
Tortoise
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Joined: 05 Oct 2005
Posts: 105
Location: Vietnam

American or British slangs/idoms? #2 (permalink) Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:16 am   American or British slangs/idoms?
 

Hi Tortoise

My comments are in blue in the quote:

Quote:
1. It is believed that the thief escaped in a stolen car. = b) The thief is believed to have escaped in a stolen car.

It is believed that Einstein invented E = mc^2. (The verb 'invent' is not a perticularly good word to use here. 'Create' or 'develop' would be better, in my opinion.)

So the sentence which has same meaning is:
Einstein is believed to invent E = mc^2 ? No.
Einstein is believed to have invented E = mc^2.


2. If you see John tomorrow, _____ you mind ______ him to get in touch with me?
b) would..... reminding

This does not follow the usual "rules" for if sentences. "Would" is used in order to make a polite request.


3. Words as pull an all-nighter, cram, flunk, goof off, ace a test, hit the books, sluff class, be a whiz at, flying colors, hang in there are American or British slangs/idoms? I've heard all of them except 'sluff a class' in American English.
Yankee
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Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 8265
Location: USA

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American or British slangs/idoms? #3 (permalink) Wed Mar 21, 2007 14:43 pm   American or British slangs/idoms?
 

Thank you for your help, Yankee. But I can not make out the tense of the sentence.

1. If "The thief is believed to escape in a stolen car".
= "The thief is believed to have escaped in a stolen car", does it refer The thief has escaped in a stolen car.
Also, if "Einstein is believed to invent E=mc^2" = "Einstein is believed to have invented E=mc^2", does it alsom refer that Einstein has invented E=mc^2?

2. I want to know that:
People say that John is a mad man
= It is said that John is a mad man
= John is said to be a mad man or John is said to have been a mad man?

Tortoise.
Tortoise
I'm here quite often ;-)


Joined: 05 Oct 2005
Posts: 105
Location: Vietnam

American or British slangs/idoms? #4 (permalink) Wed Mar 21, 2007 16:01 pm   American or British slangs/idoms?
 

Hi Tortoise

My comments are in blue inside the quote:
tortoise wrote:
Thank you for your help, Yankee. But I can not make out the tense of the sentence.

1. If "The thief is believed to escape in a stolen car".
= "The thief is believed to have escaped in a stolen car", does it refer The thief has escaped in a stolen car.
The first sentence does not mean the same thing as your second sentence(s).

"The thief is believed to have escaped in a stolen car" means "People believe that the thief escaped in a stolen car."
In other words, this is what people believe now about what the thief did once in the past.

"The thief is believed to escape in a stolen car" means "People believe that the thief always escapes in a stolen car every time he commits one of his crimes." The sentence talks about many escapes -- not just one. 'To escape' has a present tense meaning.


Also, if "Einstein is believed to invent E=mc^2" = "Einstein is believed to have invented E=mc^2",These two sentences are NOT the same! does it alsom refer that Einstein has invented E=mc^2?

"Einstein is believed to invent E=mc2" is not correct because it means "Einstein regularly invents E=mc2" (simple present tense!). And that isn't true.

The correct sentence is "Einstein is believed to have invented E=mc2." This means "People believe that Einstein invented E=mc2" (i.e. one finished activity in the past!)


2. I want to know that:
People say that John is a mad man (simple present tense)
= It is said that John is a mad man (simple present tense)

= John is said to be a mad man (Yes, this also talks about the present) or John is said to have been a mad man? (No, this sentence refers to what John was in the past, therefore it means that John is either dead or is not a mad man now.)
Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 8265
Location: USA

American or British slangs/idoms? #5 (permalink) Fri Mar 23, 2007 13:47 pm   American or British slangs/idoms?
 

Thank you very much, Yankee. I realise that my grammar is not very good Smile

Tortoise
Tortoise
I'm here quite often ;-)


Joined: 05 Oct 2005
Posts: 105
Location: Vietnam

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