0
Gene93 Posted 10 years ago
Vocabulary
Are you serious/Are you being serious
Hello,
Would both work for you and are there any differences between them in the context below:
Anna: My oven stopped working, Jack. Can you come round and fix it?
Jack: I am pretty busy at the moment, but I might be able to have a look at it in a few hours.
Anna: In a few hours? Are you being serious/Are you serious?
"Are you serious" is probably the safer option, but I don't play safe. For some reason "Are you being serious" sounds good to me. "Are you serious" could suggest that the person's serious in general/by nature. "Are you being serious" means to me "serious at the moment of speaking".
Would both work for you and are there any differences between them in the context below:
Anna: My oven stopped working, Jack. Can you come round and fix it?
Jack: I am pretty busy at the moment, but I might be able to have a look at it in a few hours.
Anna: In a few hours? Are you being serious/Are you serious?
"Are you serious" is probably the safer option, but I don't play safe. For some reason "Are you being serious" sounds good to me. "Are you serious" could suggest that the person's serious in general/by nature. "Are you being serious" means to me "serious at the moment of speaking".
Top answer
I see no difference in meaning in that context. " version to be more natutal. It's a bit odd though.
- I see no difference in meaning in that context.
- " version to be more natutal.
- It's a bit odd though.
- Seems to me that having a friend drop everything he's doing to rush to you is not realistic and saying you'll be able to help in a few hours is quite fair.
- Unless he knew she was hosting a huge dinner party soon, or something that would make "a few hours" not an acceptable solution.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
2 Answers
0
I see no difference in meaning in that context. I do find the "Are you serious?" version to be more natutal.
It's a bit odd though. Seems to me that having a friend drop everything he's doing to rush to you is not realistic and saying you'll be able to help in a few hours is quite fair. Unless he knew she was hosting a huge dinner party soon, or something that would make "a few hours" no
It's a bit odd though. Seems to me that having a friend drop everything he's doing to rush to you is not realistic and saying you'll be able to help in a few hours is quite fair. Unless he knew she was hosting a huge dinner party soon, or something that would make "a few hours" no
00
Yes, the lady does sound a little selfish, but I had to come up with something. I thought that asking "What's the difference between A and B" without any context would be even worse. Thank you for your help.
0
Related Questions