0
Reegis Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
Some people look down on the way we live, but I think deep down they envy us.
Hello,
do the below sentences have different meanings?
1) Some people look down on the way we live, but I think deep down they envy us.
2) Some people look down on the way we live, but I think they deep down envy us.
I guess that deep down in the first one concerns how they think whereas deep down in the second one concerns how they envy. Is is correct?
do the below sentences have different meanings?
1) Some people look down on the way we live, but I think deep down they envy us.
2) Some people look down on the way we live, but I think they deep down envy us.
I guess that deep down in the first one concerns how they think whereas deep down in the second one concerns how they envy. Is is correct?
Top answer
Firstly, I think that there should be commas in the second clauses. However, the second sentence, to a British ear at least, sounds a bit unnatural. they deeply envy us' to get the meaning you're positing.
- Firstly, I think that there should be commas in the second clauses.
- However, the second sentence, to a British ear at least, sounds a bit unnatural.
- they deeply envy us' to get the meaning you're positing.
- Maybe an American ear would hear it differently?
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
7 Answers
0
Firstly, I think that there should be commas in the second clauses. However, the second sentence, to a British ear at least, sounds a bit unnatural. I would change it to '...they deeply envy us' to get the meaning you're positing. Maybe an American ear would hear it differently?
00
Hmmm, what about placing it at the end?
2b) Some people look down on the way we live, but I think they envy us deep down.
2b) Some people look down on the way we live, but I think they envy us deep down.
00
That certainly suggests to me that they are the ones who are envying us, and they are doing so not on the surface, but from a deeper perspective. It doesn't suggest to me that they are envying us particularly strongly.
00
Now it came to my mind that maybe the first sentence is in fact ambiguous and can be read in two ways. Let me visualise this by adding one that and grouping the words together in brackets:
1a) Some people look down on the way we live, but (I think deep down) they envy us.
1b) Some people look down on the way we live, but I think [that] (deep down they envy us).
1a) Some people look down on the way we live, but (I think deep down) they envy us.
1b) Some people look down on the way we live, but I think [that] (deep down they envy us).
00
Yes, it seems to alter the 'deep down' from being relevant to 'I' to relevant to 'them'.
00
David HattonYes, it seems to alter the 'deep down' from being relevant to 'I' to relevant to 'them'.I see, then let me ask - did both interpretations come to your mind when you were reading this sentence for the first time (without my suggestions as 1a and 1b)?
Could anyone else also please share his/her thoughts after reading 1 (especially 1a and 1b
00
I have to say that, on first read, I was inclined to see the sentence as ambiguous. Before you made the changes, I felt that there was real confusion as to whether it was 'I' or 'they' who were feeling this emotion 'deep down'. I think the context would have to have led us to the answer on that one!
0
Related Questions