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Not grammar
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A lot of these have different connotations
Your grammar lesson for today
Submitted 3 weeks ago by Mickey7@lemmy.world to [deleted]
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/5da1340d-25ef-4f25-b856-1431a1bc83d9.png
Comments
ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
“Hmmm you’re very dirty 😏”
“Hmmm you’re filthy 😏”
Nope, not the same.
NannerBanner@literature.cafe 3 weeks ago
As a personal thing, I’ve always detested that usage of the word big. More so than any of these ‘very’ replacements, there are so many words available to convey the meaning of that big.
pjwestin@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
It is definitely not a grammatical issue, but it a good rule of thumb for writing, particularly academic writing. One of the first things that was drilled into me as an English major was to drop, “very,” and find a better adjective.
Also, yeah, a lot of these are very poor matches, especially without context, but one of my favorite things about the English language is that it is a very large, redundant language, but none of our words have the exact same connotation. Big, large, huge, enormous, gigantic, tremendous, mammoth, gargantuan, and humongous are all technically synonyms, but all conjure different images in the reader.
But yeah, telling someone to say, “fragile,” instead of, “very weak,” is dumb, given they could mean, “delicate,” or, “feeble.” And if you’re not writing a term paper, just say, “very.”
PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Yeah, “idle” is much milder than “very lazy” imo
panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
“Very busy” and “overloaded” are wildly different things.
As are very hot and boiling, very lazy and idle, very nervous and anxious, and like a good third more of these.
rosco385@lemmy.wtf 3 weeks ago
Australian Version
Χ very tired √ fucking knackered Χ very poor √ fucking skint Χ very thirsty √ dry as a dead dingo’s donger
osanna@lemmy.vg 3 weeks ago
Very busy = flat out like lizard drinking
rosco385@lemmy.wtf 3 weeks ago
Not enough swearing to be truly Aussie.
Cunt.
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
I’ve never been too interested in Australia, but after becoming the world’s foremost expert on Bluey, I’m starting to like it more and more. May have to visit one day.
Siethron@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Me very meticulously checking every word to see why this in in shitpost.
Zoomboingding@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
The shitpost was that we both wasted our time
mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
yeah some of these aren’t accurate
ParadoxSeahorse@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Verily
Zacryon@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
You can put ‘very’ before every suggested alternative. What then?
tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
I teach foreign language students and they often write about how their food was “very delicious”, and it always sounds so jarring to me. There are a lot of really strong words that native speakers tend to not use very with.
eg:
very difficult task / very monumental task
very good cooking / very superb cooking
very happy man / very elated manFor some reason intensifiers like so and such don’t have those restrictions:
The task was very/so monumental.
It was very/such superb cooking.
He was very/so elated.Zacryon@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
Bring ‘fucking’ into it and even native speakers say how fucking delicious the food was.
It’s funny how it suddenly appears to work with “fucking” but “very” is weird.
ohlaph@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
When very then?
Sheldan@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Some of them feel better than others. Very boiling is kinda weird.
Very powerful works imo.
kunaltyagi@programming.dev 3 weeks ago
Most of the alternatives feel odd with a very. Eg: very powerful, sure I get your message but it sounds awkward
Atropos@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I am a fan of putting “very” in front of everything in the suggested list.
panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
Very tiny. Very exhausted.
Atropos@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Very good examples!
iMastari@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
This post is very interesting.
infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 3 weeks ago
very cool, thank you.
ohlaph@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
You’re very welcome.
jpablo68@infosec.pub 3 weeks ago
skhayfa@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Very useful
Alberat@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
veruseful
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.cafe 3 weeks ago
Handy
ivanafterall@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Don’t mind if I do.
Hoimo@ani.social 3 weeks ago
bounced on my boy’s challenging lengthy to this until he boisterous stuffed
rosco385@lemmy.wtf 3 weeks ago
You bounced on your boy’s very hard very long to this until he very loud very full?
You saucy minx!
basxto@discuss.tchncs.de 3 weeks ago
very very words
AAA@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
Legit criticism! But hear me out. Who remembers all those different words anyway?
Instead of NOT using “very”, I say we ONLY use “very”.
It’s a very idea!
echodot@feddit.uk 3 weeks ago
The veryist of ideas. Bigley very
rompe@lemmy.wtf 3 weeks ago
A very idea from a very mind! You’re very.
hakunawazo@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
Very helpful
Tartas1995@discuss.tchncs.de 3 weeks ago
Very lazy = idle?
No? Or is my english bad?
PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Kinda, kinda not. To me, idle means “not doing anything at the moment”, e.g. “standing idly by”, which is definitely different than “very lazy”.
Tartas1995@discuss.tchncs.de 3 weeks ago
Yeah. Same.
tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
It’s an older use, to the point that I’ve never heard it used. Merriam marks that definition as “old-fashioned” (which is a bit odd, because I thought they only used the archaic or obsolete terms).
The lazy sense is probably what’s meant from the old bible quote about “idle hands” related to the devil.
Tartas1995@discuss.tchncs.de 3 weeks ago
Fair enough while I have opinions.
But it makes me wonder if OP actually used idle for very lazy or if they never actually read their own post.
Shayeta@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
Damn honey, you look boiling in that outfit!
bob_lemon@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
Looking at you makes me challenging!
imetators@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
Dunno if it is me, non-native English speaker, but it seems that very old can vary depending on context, while ancient barely changes on the context. And it seems few others could be divisive and a few green ticked ones repeat.
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
Mmm I’ve definitely heard ancient used similarly to very old. E.g mice with balls are ancient technology.
smeenz@lemmy.nz 3 weeks ago
Very astute.
osanna@lemmy.vg 3 weeks ago
Very cold and freezing are different things. You can be very cold but above 0°.
NannerBanner@literature.cafe 3 weeks ago
Listen, I need to introduce you to any hot climate’s weather terms (done in american and rest-of-the-fucking-world-but-liberia units for funsies):
- >90/32 = hot
- >28/82 = stifling (if humid) / little warm
- >78/25 = warm
- >75/24 = nice out
- >22/72 = okay
- >70/21 = cool
- >68/20 = chilly
- >60/16 = cold
- <16/60 = freezing
You can be very cold and freezing. You can’t be very cold and not freezing. ;)
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
In freedom units, as viewed from New Mexico, where humidity is typically under 50% and often below 10% in the summer:
100 = hot or “sweltering” just because I like the word. 90 - 100 = hot 80 - 90 = warm 70 - 80 = comfortable 60 - 70 = cool 50 - 60 = chilly 35 - 50 = cold < 35 = freezing
humanamerican@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
I have some hot takes regarding this scale.
68/20 isn’t chilly - it’s room temperature during Winter. (Also, 75/24 is room temperature in Summer and whatever-temp-it-is-outside is room temperature during Spring and Autumn.)
How can 78/25 be warm, but 28/82 (dry) is “little warm”?
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.cafe 3 weeks ago
It ain’t the heat, it’s the humidity.
assertnull@programming.dev 3 weeks ago
This is extra plus good
ohlaph@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Apparently, my stomach is vacant.
kunaltyagi@programming.dev 3 weeks ago
My stomach and mind both
BigBrownDog@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
This list is massively gay.
OriginEnergySux@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
This is actually a very good lesson in grammar
OwOarchist@pawb.social 3 weeks ago
This isn’t grammar at all – it’s style.
OriginEnergySux@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
It was a joke referencing what OP said, correct them
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
Very good.
Rivermoonwolf@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Very good. Carry on
Surp@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Borat very nice!
ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
99.99 % ≠ 100 %
wpb@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
No, I like that language is composable. I think it’s very convenient. It also allows me to say stuff in a way that’s easier to grasp for folks who might not understand English that well. Very dumb suggestion.
Paper_Phrog@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Reads comment. Looks up list. Ah, he means it’s a foolish suggestion. Splendid.
baines@lemmy.cafe 3 weeks ago
idle does equate to very lazy
this was shit when it was on reddit
Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Very -> Verraily
foliumcreations@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Veraiously?
chefdano3@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
Listen, I’m too very exhausted to read this very lengthy, and very tedious list.
Speculater@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Listen, I’m fatigued beyond imagination and incapable of reading this prosaic litany of mundane drivel.
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.cafe 3 weeks ago
That is something up with which I will not put.