Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

naohsi · Joined: 08 Dec 2005 Posts: 12

"He is a foreigner, as is evident from his accent."

Is it OK to say
"He is a foreigner, as it is evident from his accent." ?

If so, is there any difference?

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

ebb · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 87 Location: USA

just "as is evident" in your examples. Your second rendition isn't grammatical.

Typically "As it is evident..." will take a suffixed clause with "that". Examples could be--

"As it appears from the record that the defendant has prior convictions, he will not be considered for parole."

"As it is evident that you cannot break through the enemy defenses, you are hereby relieved of command of the 3rd Division" (NB: this is called a "performative" sentence or utterance -- do you see why?)

Of course Lauri's rewrite is a nice and elegant way to express the idea. Do you see why she uses ",which" and not "that"?
_________________
"This is insolence up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill, upon reading a newspaper�s criticism of his having ended a sentence with a preposition.

"You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than with just a kind word." Al Capone.

naohsi · Joined: 08 Dec 2005 Posts: 12

Thank you Lorikeet for the rewrite.

ebb · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 87 Location: USA

1 No, big words do not a performative make. You will be able to write a very short one, soon ..... Cool

But you are getting close when you touch on the word "hereby" .... does that help any?

Think of what the word "performative" means....

Here is another performative: "Insofar as you have taken your vows, one to the other, and before God and these witnesses, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife."
_________________
"This is insolence up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill, upon reading a newspaper�s criticism of his having ended a sentence with a preposition.

"You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than with just a kind word." Al Capone.

ebb · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 87 Location: USA

2 When something like this puzzles you, don't give up !! You have the Internet... something students never enjoyed in ye olden daze ... Laughing

try Google for instance with "that which English grammar" ... you can answer your own question, if you are ingenious !!
_________________
"This is insolence up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill, upon reading a newspaper�s criticism of his having ended a sentence with a preposition.

"You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than with just a kind word." Al Capone.