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Interventizio Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Faces/is faced with
"When you are an adult, you ARE FACED with responsibilities."
I googled something similar, and it gave many results, so it'd appear to be accepted. But that would mean that responsibilities actually FACE you, not the other way around, wouldn't it?
Question being : can I say that in place of the more common: "face responsibilities?" I guess if you face responsibilities, they face you at the same time, so there is reciprocity, right? But wouldn't it in that case be: "You are faced BY responsibilities?"
A little convoluted, I know...
I googled something similar, and it gave many results, so it'd appear to be accepted. But that would mean that responsibilities actually FACE you, not the other way around, wouldn't it?
Question being : can I say that in place of the more common: "face responsibilities?" I guess if you face responsibilities, they face you at the same time, so there is reciprocity, right? But wouldn't it in that case be: "You are faced BY responsibilities?"
A little convoluted, I know...
Top answer
It's a good idea to just learn the correct idioms and not worry about the reasons behind them. In this case, there are two common ways to express the intended meaning. We faced many problems during our journey.
- It's a good idea to just learn the correct idioms and not worry about the reasons behind them.
- In this case, there are two common ways to express the intended meaning.
- We faced many problems during our journey.
- We were faced with many problems during our journey.
- CB
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8 Answers
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It's a good idea to just learn the correct idioms and not worry about the reasons behind them. In this case, there are two common ways to express the intended meaning.
We faced many problems during our journey.
We were faced with many problems during our journey.
CB
We faced many problems during our journey.
We were faced with many problems during our journey.
CB
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Hi
I'll mildly disagree with CB, respectfully. It's interesting to see where idioms come from:
- I had heard of Mr P since I was a young man. Now I was face to face with him
- Now I was faced with my responsibilities
I'd say the natural preposition is 'with', both in the literal phrase and the metaphorical one
Dave
I'll mildly disagree with CB, respectfully. It's interesting to see where idioms come from:
- I had heard of Mr P since I was a young man. Now I was face to face with him
- Now I was faced with my responsibilities
I'd say the natural preposition is 'with', both in the literal phrase and the metaphorical one
Dave
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dave_anonI'd say the natural preposition is 'with'Hi dave_anon
With is the preposition I offered.
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Hi CB
I agree with you absolutely on the preposition 'with'
I was just making a Sunday morning point really, because you said:
- It's a good idea to just learn the correct idioms and not worry about the reasons behind them
I disagreed, slightly. I think you can usually trace the structure of an idiom back to it's literal meaning, so it is good to think about wh
I agree with you absolutely on the preposition 'with'
I was just making a Sunday morning point really, because you said:
- It's a good idea to just learn the correct idioms and not worry about the reasons behind them
I disagreed, slightly. I think you can usually trace the structure of an idiom back to it's literal meaning, so it is good to think about wh
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dave_anon We are face to face with someone; we are faced with our problems. So it is 'with'With isn't always used with face: I'll have to face him tomorrow. I have no idea which is older and original, to face someone or to be faced with someone. Face entered the English language in the Middle English period from French, but its roo
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Hi
I concede. My intuitions as a native speaker went to pot there; they should go in the pot
Still, I think it's an open question whether learners of another language wish to know how the words came about
Dave
I concede. My intuitions as a native speaker went to pot there; they should go in the pot
Still, I think it's an open question whether learners of another language wish to know how the words came about
Dave
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I think it's obviously true the you don't always need to know what's behind an expression or idiom to be able to use it, but I think the process may be useful to understand the logic it's based on and use it more properly, and that's especially true of course for a non-native speaker/student of English (or any other language for that matter), who has to deal not only with the actual meaning of tho
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Hi
I think that's totally right. If an English idiom came from the 1960s or from a Guy Ritchie film then it's good English, but maybe you don't use it at your next job interview
Dave
I think that's totally right. If an English idiom came from the 1960s or from a Guy Ritchie film then it's good English, but maybe you don't use it at your next job interview
Dave
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