Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Chan-Seung Lee]

1.These nails on the wall are stubborn and won't come out.
2.These nails on the wall are firm and won't come out.

In the above, 1 is correct but 2 is wrong in my grammar book.
I don't know why. I think 2 make more sense.
Can you tell me the reason why 1 is correct but 2 is wrong?


Thanks.

[Meadowlark]

Firm means stiff or hard.

Stubborn means unwilling to cooperate.

All nails are stiff and hard. It is only the stubborn ones that are not easily pulled from the wall.

The word stubborn is not typically used to describe an object. It usually describes an animal or person because it implies the use of a brain to make a deliberate choice to be uncooperative. We know nails don't have brains, so to say a nail is being stubborn is somewhat humorous.

You may use the word firmly like this:

The nails were attached so firmly that they were difficult to remove.

In this example firmly does not describe the nails. It describes how they were attached. Firm nails can be attached loosely and be nearly falling out of the wall. Firm nails can be attached firmly and be difficult to remove. They may then appear to be behaving stubbornly!


I hope I have not confused you!