Have you applied what you'[re] read into your life?

Question

The following is from online an English-Korean dictionary.
Have you applied what you're read into your life?

I'd like to know if the underlined "are" should have been "have."
Thank you in advance for your help.

Michael Chambers Teaching English · Accepted Answer

You are right. Also "in" not "into". Two mistakes in the same sentence suggests to me that this dictionary is unreliable.

Kind regards, Michael

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, Michael Chambers Teaching English, for your so very kind answer.

Also "in" not "into".

I was wondering if I can't use "into " in my example as in "Don't read too much into what she says."

Michael Chambers Teaching English · Answer

"Have you applied what you're read into your life?"

You can say "read something / anything/ nothing / a lot / too much into [spoken or written words]".

But you can't "read into your life". This does not make sense. The most likely intended meaning of the writer was "apply in".

You also can't "apply" anything "into" anything else.

I am 100% sure that "into" is wrong here. Have a look at the entry for "apply" at the Oxford Collocation Dictionary here : http://oxforddictionary.so8848.com/search?word=apply

Kind regards, Michael

Anonymous · Answer

"Don't read too much into what she says." is correct. "...in what she says." is theoretically grammatical, but this construction is not used in (US) English.

Similarly, "Have you applied what you've read into your life." is theoretically grammatical, but this construction is not used in English. "...in your life." or "...to your life." is what would be heard.

Michael Chambers Teaching English · Answer

Maybe there is a terminology issue here but if a construction is never used in English, I would not consider it grammatical. If I say : "I will apply it behind my life", I would also consider it ungrammatical.

Kind regards, Michael

Anonymous · Answer

The reason I distinguish between "theoretically grammatical - but never used in English" and "ungrammatical," is because questions repeatedly come up here from adult learners about grammatical constructions that seem feasible but are not used in English due to tradition or established usage. Rather than say simply that it's wrong, I feel that these people are more or less on the right track and should be encouraged rather than have their efforts dismissed out of hand; and so I say that their efforts are theoretically grammatical but not used.

For example, the sentence "I'm going at the store." is ungrammatical, but the adult learner is close to being correct - and moreover, this is readily understandable by a native speaker - and furthermore, it is not really clear why this is ungrammatical, and "I'm going to the store." is correct. So I say "theoretically grammatical but not used."

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymoustheoretically grammatical but not used

Actually they are grammatical, not just theoretically grammatical. The problem in those cases in not the grammar, but the usage.

Anonymousthe sentence "I'm going at the store." is ungrammatical

This is an example. There's nothing wrong grammatically. You can have "I'm going" with a prepositional phrase. It's the usage of "at" that's wrong. Recall that, as an example of the difference between grammar and usage, the famous linguist Chomsky once constructed a very strange sentence which is grammatical, and there are many more like it. It's the usage of the words that makes it atrocious.

Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

CJ

Michael Chambers Teaching English · Answer

Ok. I won't confuse ungrammatical with bad usage in future - thanks.

On the previous point, I think that for most learners, they want to know if it a certain expression is acceptable to the average native speaker. The distinction between bad grammar and poor usage is a subtle one for most, and I don't think learners will be more discouraged if their problem is identified as the former rather than the latter.

In this case, the sentence came from a dictionary and it's important to be critical of poor dictionaries. If students make small mistakes, I do point out that they are small.

Michael Chambers Teaching English · Answer

I can confirm that "Don't read too much into what she says" would be a natural expression in the UK.  I am sure I have said it and heard "read into" numerous times in my life.

CalifJim · Answer

Michael Chambers Teaching English If students make small mistakes, I do point out that they are small.

So do I. I tell them they won't go to grammar jail for such a small mistake.

Michael Chambers Teaching EnglishThe distinction between bad grammar and poor usage is a subtle one for most

That may be, especially for learners. I'd guess that almost 80% of the problems the students have are usage problems, and they typically think there's something wrong with their grammar.

Michael Chambers Teaching Englishit's important to be critical of poor dictionaries

Agree.

CJ

Have you applied what you'[re] read into your life?

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