Can I put the original sentence in the following way?

Question

The original sentence: They learn so fast, they find ordinary lessons boring.

Can I put it in the following way?

#1: They learn so fast and they find ordinary lessons boring.

#2: They learn so fast, finding ordinary lessons boring.

Thanks for your help!

Doctor D · Accepted Answer

No, the original sentence has a different meaning than the rephrases.

They learn so fast (that) they find ordinary lessons boring. (No comma, and the implied word "that" is now included). This means that they find ordinary lessons boring because they learn so quickly.
Sentence #1 just links two facts, but does not explain the relationship between them.
Sentence #2 almost suggests the reverse meaning, that because the original lessons are boring, they learn much faster!

You could try something like: The faster they learn, the more they find ordinary lessons boring. But this adds to the meaning rather than simply rephrases it.
Perhaps you could just vary the language: They are so quick to learn that they find ordinary lessons boring.

Hope this helps.

CalifJim · Answer

Bob2010They learn so fast, they find ordinary lessons boring.

The implied that is crucial. so goes with that.

They learn so fast that they find ordinary lessons boring.

Your paraphrases, #1 and #2, are not quite right, and I don't think it is possible to provide a very smooth paraphrase that preserves the meaning. The following may work, however.

They find ordinary lessons boring because of how fast they learn.
___________

You can use the same pattern with many different adjectives. Place so before the adjective and the that-clause after it.

The shelf was so high that I could not reach it.
~ I could not reach the shelf because of how high it was.

The bear was so close to them that they smelled its breath.

~ They smelled the bear's breath because of how close to them it was.

Karen became so angry that she smashed the vase.
~ Karen smashed the vase because of how angry she became.

Larry found her so charming that he asked her to marry him.
~ Larry asked her to marry him because of how charming he found her.

The coat was so expensive that Laura decided not to buy it.
~ Laura decided not to buy the coat because of how expensive it was.
______

You can use the same pattern with adverbs, and you can use the same pattern without the word that.

The violinist played so well the audience applauded for five minutes.
~ The audience applauded for five minutes because of how well the violinist played.

CJ

Ticce · Answer

Doctor D#2 almost suggests the reverse meaning, that because the original lessons are boring, they learn much faster!

It's an interesting comment.
I wonder if the only way to undersatnd this sentence is the way you explained it.

They learn so fast finding ordinary lessons boring.

Could you give some more examples of a similar construction?

Bob2010 · Answer

Doctor D, thanks for your detailed explanation.

It helps a lot

Bob2010 · Answer

CalifJim , thanks for your detailed explanation. I got it.  really<img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/> thanks.

CalifJim · Answer

TicceThey learn so fast finding ordinary lessons boring.

Could you give some more examples of a similar construction?

The more typical form is reversed and without so:

!Finding ordinary lessons boring, they learn fast.
(!Because they find ordinary lessons boring, they learn fast.)

With the present participle:
Rolling on the ground, the man whose clothes were on fire saved his own life.
Being in a good mood, Barry decided to take a long walk along the beach.

Reaching the top of the hill, they were able to see the valley below.
Failing to win the majority of votes, the candidate lost the election.
Hiding in the closet, the thief was not discovered by the police.

With the past participle:

Frightened by the tornado, the entire family took cover in the basement.
Thickened with butter and flour, the sauce became rich and smooth.

Puzzled by what the woman was saying, they ignored her.

Faced with so many problems, Susan began to despair.

Packed in ice, the cake remained cool for several hours.

CJ

Can I put the original sentence in the following way?

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions