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le-paul
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Location: dans la chambre
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 Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 10:22 pm Post subject: very simple grammar question |
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im sure this must have been posted here before but cant find it.
Is the sentence 'it was very fun' or 'its so fun' gramatically correct?
i argued with a korean teacher about this the other day, as i thought it wasnt but he said his american teacher had told him it was?
any insight please? |
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augustine
Joined: 08 Sep 2012
Location: México
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| Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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| its not correct. |
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le-paul
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Location: dans la chambre
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| Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 10:41 pm Post subject: |
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| augustine wrote: |
| its not correct. |
yeah, i had an idea that it wasnt correct. Im after finding out why. cheers |
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augustine
Joined: 08 Sep 2012
Location: México
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| Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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I was joking...
I don't understand why saying, "It was very fun" or "It's so fun" is incorrect in the right context. I bolded the apostrophe in case no one noticed; new low.  |
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Patrick Bateman
Joined: 21 Apr 2009
Location: Lost in Translation
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| Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 10:49 pm Post subject: Re: very simple grammar question |
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| le-paul wrote: |
im sure this must have been posted here before but cant find it.
Is the sentence 'it was very fun' or 'its so fun' gramatically correct?
i argued with a korean teacher about this the other day, as i thought it wasnt but he said his american teacher had told him it was?
any insight please? |
It seems like the first, "It was very fun" would be correct in both written and oral English: http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/pronoun.asp Rule 1.
The second "Its (It's?) so fun" isn't correct when written because "so" should not act as that kind of modifier http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/so?s=t usage note 5 |
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le-paul
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Location: dans la chambre
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| Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 12:02 am Post subject: |
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| thanks |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 6:23 pm Post subject: Re: very simple grammar question |
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| Patrick Bateman wrote: |
| le-paul wrote: |
im sure this must have been posted here before but cant find it.
Is the sentence 'it was very fun' or 'its so fun' gramatically correct?
i argued with a korean teacher about this the other day, as i thought it wasnt but he said his american teacher had told him it was?
any insight please? |
It seems like the first, "It was very fun" would be correct in both written and oral English: http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/pronoun.asp Rule 1.
The second "Its (It's?) so fun" isn't correct when written because "so" should not act as that kind of modifier http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/so?s=t usage note 5 |
In your second link...they give examples of using 'so' as that kind of modifier.
The usage note mentions only that is is informal...not incorrect.
The 'its' is a problem...just a typo?
Both are grammatically correct.
It was very fun.
It is so fun. It's so fun. |
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nukeday
Joined: 13 May 2010
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| Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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To me, it would be incorrect (or, at least, difficult to comprehend) if someone was talking about the past (say, last night's party) and said "It's so fun."
That's the mistake I tend to hear more often. |
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War Eagle
Joined: 15 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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It is/was very fun. (Correct)
It is/was so fun. (Incorrect)
"So" cannot be used as an intensifier in formal grammar. It must be followed by a "that" clause (written or implied).
The party was so fun that I didn't leave until 3am. (Correct)
The party was so fun, I didn't leave until 3am. (Correct) |
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Patrick Bateman
Joined: 21 Apr 2009
Location: Lost in Translation
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| Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 8:39 pm Post subject: Re: very simple grammar question |
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| The Cosmic Hum wrote: |
In your second link...they give examples of using 'so' as that kind of modifier.
The usage note mentions only that is is informal...not incorrect.
The 'its' is a problem...just a typo?
Both are grammatically correct.
It was very fun.
It is so fun. It's so fun. |
From the link: usage note 5:
The intensive so meaning �very or extremely� ( Everything's so expensive these days ) occurs chiefly in informal speech. In writing and formal speech, intensive so is most often followed by a completing that clause: Everything is so expensive that some families must struggle just to survive. |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 10:46 pm Post subject: |
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| War Eagle wrote: |
It is/was very fun. (Correct)
It is/was so fun. (Incorrect)
"So" cannot be used as an intensifier in formal grammar. It must be followed by a "that" clause (written or implied).
The party was so fun that I didn't leave until 3am. (Correct)
The party was so fun, I didn't leave until 3am. (Correct) |
The OP is asking if the sentence is grammatically correct.
It is.
Period.
But your second example sentence is grammatically incorrect.
It is a comma splice.  |
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War Eagle
Joined: 15 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Tue May 14, 2013 1:59 am Post subject: |
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| The Cosmic Hum wrote: |
| War Eagle wrote: |
It is/was very fun. (Correct)
It is/was so fun. (Incorrect)
"So" cannot be used as an intensifier in formal grammar. It must be followed by a "that" clause (written or implied).
The party was so fun that I didn't leave until 3am. (Correct)
The party was so fun, I didn't leave until 3am. (Correct) |
The OP is asking if the sentence is grammatically correct.
It is.
Period.
But your second example sentence is grammatically incorrect.
It is a comma splice. |
Both are not correct for the reason stated above. (EDIT: meaning 1 is and 1 isn't. That needed clarification.)
Yes, there should be no comma in my last example. 
Last edited by War Eagle on Tue May 14, 2013 3:24 am; edited 1 time in total |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Tue May 14, 2013 2:50 am Post subject: |
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| Which all goes to show that grammar questions are seldom "very simple." |
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