It feels like...

Question

Does "It feels like S + V" mean "It seems like S + V"?

Enoon · Accepted Answer

Not this time. She can actually feel it.

HUBLOT · Answer

Thanks a lot, enoon.

Is it wrong to say, "He feels like he is..."?

Enoon · Answer

Sorry, but who feels like who is what?

Greg Arious · Answer

Ok, I think I understand what confuses you here. I'll try to explain:

From the context of this text you can see that this pregnant woman is citing her own words saying that the baby in her stomach is moving.
1. Now, she says "IT feels like he is playing ..". This IT does not refer to the baby itself. I don't know the right term, but this IT is the one you use in sentences like: It is raining, It has to be here, it seems wrong, it helps, and so forth.

2. There is another IT that refers to the third person singular like: IT is a boy, IT runs easily (referring to a machine), etc.

So "He feels like he is..." in this context does not seem to make sense. Both 'HE" in this sentence would refer to this baby, and since the baby is still in the stomach it cannot say how it feels so that someone else can repeat it.

Let me give you an example when this is possible:

Jack: I feel like I'm in love!
Mary repeats Jack's words: He feels like he is in love!

Now instead of Jack imagine it was the baby from the stomach. It cannot say this sentence yet, so how can anyone repeat it.

Sorry for such a long explanation, but I gave my best. I hope I got you right, and that this helps.

p.s. If the sentence was: "It is moving/ playing ... " then IT would be the third person singular pronoun for baby

Fivejedjon · Answer

My initial reacion to the question was similar to Greg's.

However, I think utterance such as these are possible:

That man looks like he's waving to us.
She sounds like she's crying.

I would use 'as if' rather than 'like, but not everybody does.

So, a prgenant woman can, I think, say, "he feels like he's playing basketball", as can a person placing his/her hand on the woman's stomach.

HUBLOT · Answer

Thanks a lot, everyone.

Could you please give me some examples of "It feels like S + V"?

Greg Arious · Answer

Here's a good way to find such examples:

Type "It feels like" (with quotation marks) in your web browser and you'll get many useful results.

HUBLOT · Answer

Greg AriousHere's a good way to find such examples:Type "It feels like" (with quotation marks) in your web browser and you'll get many useful results.

Is that how I can only find correct examples?

Greg Arious · Answer

That's a very good question, and I'm glad you asked it.

The answer is NO, not always. However, if you are an advanced learner/ user of English it can help a lot, because you will be able to see if something is right or wrong.

I wouldn't recommend this to beginners.

If you are interested in finding examples the way I suggested, I can give you further help.
If you are not, I'll find some examples where 'it feels like' is used and write them down for you.

HUBLOT · Answer

Greg AriousThat's a very good question, and I'm glad you asked it.The answer is NO, not always. However, if you are an advanced learner/ user of English it can help a lot, because you will be able to see if something is right or wrong.I wouldn't recommend this to beginners.If you are interested in finding examples the way I suggested, I can give you further help. If you are not, I'll find some examples where 'it feels like' is used and write them down for you.

If you don't mind, could you please find some helpful examples for me?

It feels like...

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