Describing Color

Question

HelloMy daughters English teacher is teaching the kids to write, "so and so is of so and so color" as a descriptive sentence/ adjective, for example. the apple is of red color. The pen is of green color, etc. which I find strange. Shouldn't it be "red in color, green in color", etc. ? Or simply the apple is red, etc? Is the way she's doing it grammatically correct and if not, can someone show me some reference for that so I can show her?Thanks

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Anonymous The pen is of green color, etc. which I find strange.

I too find it strange --- but grammatically correct.
I agree completely with your assessment of how these things should be phrased.

We may be looking at regional or cultural differences here.

The only Google hit for "the pen is of green color" is your post.

Nevertheless, I've seen this same subject discussed elsewhere recently. I can't seem to find it.

Edit. I get sixteen million hits for "is of red color."
It seems to be natural when we are calling attention to color as a specific attribute, perhaps among others.
". . . . especially when the felt is of red color."

The fruit as mentioned heretofore is of red color over about eighty (80%) percent of its spheroidal surface and has a very attractive appearance.

Ayers' rock is made of sandstone which is also called Conglomerate. The hill is of red color.

I think "the pen is of green color" should not be taught as the correct phrase.

Enoon · Answer

"The apple is of red color" violates no rule or convention, and if it appeared in, say, a poem, it would be unremarkable, but it is not at all standard English and should not be taught to ESLers. It is a good example of something that is both correct and wrong.

Fivejedjon · Answer

enoon It is a good example of something that is both correct and wrong.

I see your point, but do not entirely agree. It is not natural English, and therefore it is not 'correct. It does violate a convention,

Avangi · Answer

I agree with all of you, but the problem remains: how do we articulate this distinction for ESL students or for students in the primary grades? Do we just ignore the legitimate use of "this is of green color"?
If, as jed says, it violates a convention, let's define the convention. And let's define the legitimate use of "this is of green color." I made a feeble attempt earlier, but failed miserably.

- A.

CMFletcher · Answer

Agree with other comments.

Native English speakers say "the apple is red" or maybe "the apple has a red colour". Not "is of red colour", although there's nothing specifically wrong with that phrase. It's just no one would say it like that!

PS I have used the spelling of "colour" rather than "color" as I'm Australian - both are correct spellings. One is UK/Australian, the other is American.

Fivejedjon · Answer

AvangiIf, as jed says, it violates a convention, let's define the convention.

CM Flecher has:"Native English speakers say "the apple is red" or maybe "the apple has a red colour". Not "is of red colour", although there's nothing specifically wrong with that phrase. It's just no one would say it like that!"

AvangiAnd let's define the legitimate use of "this is of green color."

I don't think there is one.

Avangi · Answer

I respect your position, Jed.

I'm struggling with the fact that there are sixteen million Google hits for "is of red color" alone.
I've read many of these which are written by people in scholarly pursuits. They seem legitimate to me.
I'm looking for a clear way to describe the distinction between the two uses.

Rgdz, - A.

Fivejedjon · Answer

AvangiI'm struggling with the fact that there are sixteen million Google hits for "is of red color" alone.

There are 14,000,000 Google hits for "ain't gonna". Should we accept this as standard English?

In the rather more relevant Corpus of Contemporary English there is one single 'of red colour' citation. The words before it (she like, ... she need) suggest that we don't have to take it too seriously: "Yeah. She like red. So she -- she need a lot of red color."

Fivejedjon · Answer

Just in case some people might think that my dismissal of the google hits was too casual, I did look at the first few – I’m afraid I am not prepared to go through several million.

The first is this thread.

The second is from a Finnish site and contains several examples of non-standard English.

The third contains such non- standard English as : “Slovakian Ensign is comprised with three horizontal bands of color with similar size.

The third is from a Czech source; it contains such gems as : “, moreover, blue color of the sky caused by Rayleigh scattering was necessary to remove.”

The fourth is in a problem-solving forum full of examples of non-standard English

The fifth is from a blog about astrology.

The sixth is an Indian site. ‘Of red color’ may well be acceptable in Indian English but it is not standard British or, as far as I know, American or Australian..

The seventh has this paragraph: “Scented candles are depicted in bath salt. The salt is of red color and fills a large glass vase. The vase is decorated with red flowers. The backgroung [sic] is red and silky surface on the table. The half of the vase and candles is depicted from the right side.”

The eighth has this paragraph:”1.Mooladhara Chakra: This ‘Chakra’ is situated near the ****. It is of ‘Red’ color and has 4 petals viz. ‘Va’, ‘Sa’, ‘Sha’, ‘Sa’. It is of the form of consonant ‘Na’ (its ‘Mantram’ is ‘Na’), and is of the quality of Earth (‘Prudhvi Tatwam, Prudhvi Nilayam).

I rest my case.

Avangi · Answer

fivejedjonI rest my case.

Being aware that the OP was posting from Pakistan, this was my original response:
I too find it strange --- but grammatically correct.
I agree completely with your assessment of how these things should be phrased.

We may be looking at regional or cultural differences here. .

In Fables For Our Time, James Thurber posits, "You might as well fall flat on your face as to bend too far over backward."
I plead guilty.

(I was well aware that many of the millions of examples were "substandard.")

The eighth has this paragraph:”1.Mooladhara Chakra: This ‘Chakra’ is situated near the ****. It is of ‘Red’ color and has 4 petals viz. ‘Va’, ‘Sa’, ‘Sha’, ‘Sa’. It is of the form of consonant ‘Na’ (its ‘Mantram’ is ‘Na’), and is of the quality of Earth (‘Prudhvi Tatwam, Prudhvi Nilayam).

This was of course my favorite.

Describing Color

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