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TeacherJapan Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
what S seem?
Are these expressions below all possible?
1. He isn't what he seems.
2. He isn't what he appears.
3. He isn't what he looks.
I think 3 is ungrammatical, but is my understanding correct?
1. He isn't what he seems.
2. He isn't what he appears.
3. He isn't what he looks.
I think 3 is ungrammatical, but is my understanding correct?
Top answer
To me, (1) seems the most usual and idiomatic, then (2) and then (3). I think it is possible that someone might say (3), but I wouldn't recommend that you use it yourself. If you want to use any of these, I would recommend (1).
- To me, (1) seems the most usual and idiomatic, then (2) and then (3).
- I think it is possible that someone might say (3), but I wouldn't recommend that you use it yourself.
- If you want to use any of these, I would recommend (1).
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3 Answers
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To me, (1) seems the most usual and idiomatic, then (2) and then (3). I think it is possible that someone might say (3), but I wouldn't recommend that you use it yourself. If you want to use any of these, I would recommend (1).
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teacherJapanI think 3 is ungrammatical, but is my understanding correct?It doesn't seem grammatical to me, though I'm sure some people say it occasionally.
I think of "what" as a place-holder for a noun, and He looks + noun is not grammatical. Nevertheless, He seems + noun and He appears + noun don't work either. Strange. The
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I see! Thank you very much, GPY and CJ. In our language, too, some people use some phrase they know is wrong in terms of grammar. But it doesn't mean that they write it in formal writing.
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