Comments | learn_languages: what`s the difference?

waboo313 in learn_languages

what`s the difference?

Feb 26, 2011 15:56

Hi!
Now I`ve got another question: why do we say "knocking ON the door", but "there was a knock AT the door". What`s the difference? (I know, I`m a bother, but answer it, please!)

Comments 6

sarbear12456 February 26 2011, 13:13:46 UTC

"Knocking on the door" is an action. The statement is a bit like a verb. 'I am knocking on the door' or 'I knocked on the door'. A bit like 'I run' or 'I ran'.

"There was a knock at the door" acts like a noun.

That's not a real explanation, but that's the way it's used. I'm sure someone will come up with a better one soon.

myrags February 26 2011, 21:32:40 UTC

I would've explained it the same way!

To the original poster (and you, sarbear12456, if you're interested!) I found this article the other day which proves just how much of a crazy language English can be! Enjoy it :)

http://fresh-perspectives.net/2008/02/did-you-think-english-was-an-easy-language.html

ditto and a bad joke sarbear12456 February 27 2011, 00:49:50 UTC

I know. I study Japanese, which is easy as once you get past the hiragana, katakana and kanji.

English has thousands of sounds. Japanese has about 100.
In English the plural of goose is geese, and the plural of fish is fish. In Japanese the plural of goose is goose, and the plural of fish is fish.
In English you were at the game, I was at the game, you are at the game, I am at the game, you/I will be at the game. In Japanese, being at the game in the past end in ~mashita, being there in the present ends in ~teimasu, and being there in the future ends in ~masu. I can't explain it properly in English, because it differs depending on who the subject of the sentence is, and doesn't change in Japanese.

In English, there are no collective terms for aunts and uncles or nieces and nephews. (I don't know if there are in Japanese)

Summed up in the words of Tucker, from Red vs. Blue. "People learn English all the time. It aren't that hard."

waboo313 February 27 2011, 06:04:47 UTC

about the article:
I think that each language isn`t simple. And each can be crazy :)
And in my mind theese "crazy things" are the most interesting.
:)
When I read it I immediately remembered the phrase: "It`s raining cat`s and dogs" :)

waboo313 February 27 2011, 05:59:30 UTC

thank you very much.

archaicos February 27 2011, 07:55:27 UTC

While I might be completely wrong (I'm not a native speaker of English), the difference may lie in the certainty/distance of the location from the speaker's view. After all, if you're far away from the door or can't see the knocking person, how do you know the knock was on the door and not somewhere near it?