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Mr. Tom Posted 10 years ago
Vocabulary
Malfunction and comprise
Hi
Would these two words sound over-formal in an everyday conversation (and attract meaningful smiles?)
A- What about your car?
B - My car? Well, it has malfunctioned beyond repair.
A - Tell me about the committee.
B- The committee comprises people from at least 5 different cultures.
Thanks,
Tom
PS: in everyday conversation VS in an everyday conversation -- which one sounds more natural?
Would these two words sound over-formal in an everyday conversation (and attract meaningful smiles?)
A- What about your car?
B - My car? Well, it has malfunctioned beyond repair.
A - Tell me about the committee.
B- The committee comprises people from at least 5 different cultures.
Thanks,
Tom
PS: in everyday conversation VS in an everyday conversation -- which one sounds more natural?
Top answer
Mr. Tom Would these two words sound over-formal in an everyday conversation Yes. Mr.
- Mr.
- Tom Would these two words sound over-formal in an everyday conversation Yes.
- Mr.
- Tom and attract meaningful smiles?
- No.
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7 Answers
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Mr. TomWould these two words sound over-formal in an everyday conversationYes.
Mr. Tomand attract meaningful smiles?No.
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Thanks, MM.
...but doesn't it happen when people sound too formal in everyday conversations the listener -- how should I put it? -- kind of 'gets a kick out of it?'
Would you say that both in everyday conversation and in an everyday conversation are natural phrases?
Tom
...but doesn't it happen when people sound too formal in everyday conversations the listener -- how should I put it? -- kind of 'gets a kick out of it?'
Would you say that both in everyday conversation and in an everyday conversation are natural phrases?
Tom
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Mr. TomWould you say that both in everyday conversation and in an everyday conversation are natural phrases?I'd drop "an". In my opinion, the noun "conversation" in the PP "in everyday conversation" is uncountable.
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Mr. Tom...but doesn't it happen when people sound too formal in everyday conversations the listener -- how should I put it? -- kind of 'gets a kick out of it?'I have not experienced that.
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Mr. TomWould these two words sound over-formalWould these two words sound overly-formal
Mr. TomB - My car? Well, it has malfunctioned beyond repair.This is an odd wording. It would be more natural as: My car? Well, it has broken down beyond repair.
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Thanks, Anon.
...but I think (I may be completely wrong) that I have seen the phrase over-formal somewhere. I tried to peep into the n-grams.
...but I think (I may be completely wrong) that I have seen the phrase over-formal somewhere. I tried to peep into the n-grams.
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Mr. TomDoes the phrase over-formal sound odd to your native ears?No, because we use it here in a lot of discussions. In general English, I would expect it to be replaced by 'overly formal'.
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