0
Hans51 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Real as a noun?
A : How can you tell real from imitation?
B : Real has a certain feel.
I have seen the dialogue and I was wondering if the word real can be used as a noun? And I looked it up in many dictionaries but no one says that the word real is a noun and then the dialogue was written wrong and should it be a real one or something? Or in spoken English, it is possible to use it as a noun if we tell what it is? What do you native English speakers think? Thank you so much as usual in advance.
B : Real has a certain feel.
I have seen the dialogue and I was wondering if the word real can be used as a noun? And I looked it up in many dictionaries but no one says that the word real is a noun and then the dialogue was written wrong and should it be a real one or something? Or in spoken English, it is possible to use it as a noun if we tell what it is? What do you native English speakers think? Thank you so much as usual in advance.
Top answer
It's an adjective. Your sentence is natural, casual English. Many adjectives can be used this way, eg I like happy better than sad .
- It's an adjective.
- Your sentence is natural, casual English.
- Many adjectives can be used this way, eg I like happy better than sad .
- If I wanted to write more carefully, I'd write it as e g I can't tell 'real' from .
- .
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
3 Answers
0
It's an adjective.
Your sentence is natural, casual English. Many adjectives can be used this way, eg I like happy better than sad.
If I wanted to write more carefully, I'd write it as eg I can't tell 'real' from . . .
More formally, I'd write it as eg I can't tell the real from . . .
Do you know, for example,the saying that 'The mee
Your sentence is natural, casual English. Many adjectives can be used this way, eg I like happy better than sad.
If I wanted to write more carefully, I'd write it as eg I can't tell 'real' from . . .
More formally, I'd write it as eg I can't tell the real from . . .
Do you know, for example,the saying that 'The mee
00
Hans51What do you native English speakers think?I would explain it like this. For the purposes of their conversation the speakers are accepting an ad hoc definition of 'real' as a noun meaning "the quality/property of being real" — in other words, "realness".
CJ
00
Hans51A : How can you tell real from imitation?By definition, "real" is not a noun. However, in conversations such as your sentence, it is sometimes possible. That said, it doesn't necessarily mean it will satisfy the grammar rules. Without extended context, this is correct:
A : How can you tell (something)
0
Related Questions