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 

Alleged, allegedly, purported, and purportedly

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Learning English
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
BMO



Joined: 19 Feb 2004
Posts: 705
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 1:09 am    Post subject: Alleged, allegedly, purported, and purportedly Reply with quote
Are these two pairs of synonyms?

Thanks.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
iitimone7



Joined: 09 Aug 2005
Posts: 400
Location: Indiana, USA
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 6:21 am    Post subject: allege, purport Reply with quote
actually, i've never seen the word purport before.

looking in the merriam-webster dictionary online, i would have to say they are close to synonyms, but not exactally.

purport - conveyed, professed, or implied (something is all ready proved)
allege - to assert without proof or before proving



does anyone dissagree with me?

iitimone7
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
bud



Joined: 09 Mar 2003
Posts: 2111
Location: New Jersey, US
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Not at all. I'd say "allege" is used mostly in accusing someone of wrongdoing... "Bud, as treasurer of his church, has allegedly pilfered over $10,000 dollars from its coffers." (It has yet to be proven in court.)

"Purport" is used for some unsupported or unprovable claim. "IBM purportedly made the best computers in the 1980s."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
river1974



Joined: 20 May 2003
Posts: 525
Location: Taiwan
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
(a) The alleged issues will be carefully dealt with on our end upon response.
(b) The asserted issues will be carefully dealt with on our end upon response.

Are they the same in meaning? Thanks.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
BMO



Joined: 19 Feb 2004
Posts: 705
PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 8:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you all very much, I can see the difference now.

bmo
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
iitimone7



Joined: 09 Aug 2005
Posts: 400
Location: Indiana, USA
PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 10:44 am    Post subject: alleged Reply with quote
man...i've got to stop writing after midnight, or before sunrise. i can't believe that i misspelled exactly... Embarassed
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
bud



Joined: 09 Mar 2003
Posts: 2111
Location: New Jersey, US
PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 1:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Maybe I should stop reading in the afternoon - I didn't even notice the typo! Laughing

River, probably "asserted" would work, but I don't think "alleged" does. Maybe it would it a certain context.

It sounds as if you (your company) do not know if any issues might exist. If any are communicated to you, then you will deal with them when you learn of them. I think "assert" works in that case, but I don't think it is necessary. It'd be more natural to say, "Any issues will be..."

"Allege" has a sense of uncertainty. Evidence exists that backs the statement, but at this time we do not know enough to say for sure. Thus, I don't see how an issue can be alleged. If I, as your cutomer, say I have an issue, then I have an issue. There will be no evidence that comes forth to disprove that I had an issue.

Does that make any sense?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
river1974



Joined: 20 May 2003
Posts: 525
Location: Taiwan
PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
If any are communicated to you, then you will deal with them when you learn of them. I think "assert" works in that case, but I don't think it is necessary. It'd be more natural to say, "Any issues will be..."

Thanks bud. As you guess, I draft a response when the Office Action from the Patent Office is communicated to our firm. In the Office Action, the Examiner generally lists some defects regarding the specification and asks us to make an amendment therefor. That is, the defects have already existed, and the Examiner just points them out. As you suggest, "assert" would work in this case, but "allege" wouldn't. Is that right?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
bud



Joined: 09 Mar 2003
Posts: 2111
Location: New Jersey, US
PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 8:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
That's right, River. (In my opinion, anyway.) In fact, in that case I think "assert" works quite well.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Learning English 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