Site Search:
 
Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

"traces a panorama"

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Help Center
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
ClarissaMach



Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 644
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 6:08 am    Post subject: "traces a panorama" Reply with quote

Does this expression exists in English? Does it sound familiar? What could replace it?

"The author traces a panorama about this kind of business today"
_________________
Stormy Weather.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
redset



Joined: 18 Mar 2006
Posts: 582
Location: England

PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 1:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A panorama is a photograph or a painting that depicts a very wide (or tall, but usually wide) view. Figuratively you could say this is the big picture, the opposite of a narrow focus, or something which talks about many different things and creates a full scene for the audience.

I've not heard that specific phrase before, I searched on Google and got 1,280 results (this is a good technique, put the whole phrase in quotes) so a few people have definitely used it. You can think of it like a star in the sky - as it moves it traces a path, if it were a pen it would actually leave a line. Tracing a panorama sounds to me like following a path, relating a story etc. which in the end has outlined a detailed, wide-ranging picture.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ClarissaMach



Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 644
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 3:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Redset. About the google trick, I use it once and again, but it is a little risky - for example, I noticed that when I searched for "traces a panorama", the websites that came as a result usually were from Portuguese or Spanish speaking countries. It made me think that probably "traces a panorama" is not a common English expression but a rough translation from a common Portuguese/Spanish expression into English...
_________________
Stormy Weather.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Lorikeet



Joined: 08 Oct 2005
Posts: 1877
Location: San Francisco

PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ClarissaMach wrote:
Thanks Redset. About the google trick, I use it once and again, but it is a little risky - for example, I noticed that when I searched for "traces a panorama", the websites that came as a result usually were from Portuguese or Spanish speaking countries. It made me think that probably "traces a panorama" is not a common English expression but a rough translation from a common Portuguese/Spanish expression into English...


Sounds like you paid attention, and you are probably right. I've never heard that expression before.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
redset



Joined: 18 Mar 2006
Posts: 582
Location: England

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ClarissaMach wrote:
Thanks Redset. About the google trick, I use it once and again, but it is a little risky - for example, I noticed that when I searched for "traces a panorama", the websites that came as a result usually were from Portuguese or Spanish speaking countries. It made me think that probably "traces a panorama" is not a common English expression but a rough translation from a common Portuguese/Spanish expression into English...


Yeah I meant to say something like that, it's a good idea to look at the results and make sure some of them are from English-language countries, that the people using the phrase are using correct English (as far as you can tell), and so on. In all honesty a total of 1,280 uses on the entire Internet rings a few alarm bells! But like Lorikeet said you're obviously paying attention, so you have the right approach. Wink

But grammatically the phrase is fine and it does make sense, even if people don't commonly use it. We'd probably say something like paints a panorama, which sounds more like someone creating a detailed scene. Tracing implies a basic outline, or following a path.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Lorikeet



Joined: 08 Oct 2005
Posts: 1877
Location: San Francisco

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh! I hadn't thought about "paints a panorama". That sounds fine. The other one sounds odd, but it isn't wrong.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Help Center All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Dave's ESL Cafe is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Banner Advertising | Bookstore / Alta Books | FAQs | Articles | Interview with Dave
Copyright © 2018 Dave's ESL Cafe | All Rights Reserved | Contact Dave's ESL Cafe | Site Map

Teachers College, Columbia University: Train to Teach English Here or Abroad
SIT
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group