The color of fruit is probably not something most native speakers of American English spend much time thinking about. And they don't need to; it's something they just know.
If the fruit is the same color on the inside and the outside, then it's a no-brainer. For example:
Oranges are orange.
Grapes are green or red.
But when the color of the skin or peel is different from the fruit itself, it gets confusing and can seem pretty random. Usually, the rule of thumb is that the fruit is whatever color the skin or peel is. For example:
An apple is red.
A banana is yellow.
A pear is green.
A strawberry is red.
On the other hand, some fruit is described by the color it is on the inside. For example:
Watermelon is red.
Kiwi is green.
It turns out that the color a fruit is described as being has to do with how native speakers usually encounter it or picture it in their minds. Do they see it as a piece of whole fruit, so it is the color on the outside? Or do they think of it as cut up, so it is the color on the inside?
Example:
-If apples are red, why isn't watermelon green?
-Good question! I have no idea!
True story:
I have used lots of idioms in this entry that haven't been defined yet, such as 'no brainer,' 'pretty,' 'random,' 'rule of thumb,' 'on the other hand, 'it turns out that,' and 'Good question!' I will define them in the future and then go back and link them with their definitions.
I love analyzing my native language, American English, and helping non-native speakers make sense of it. I've been doing this for fun with friends who speak English as a second language for nearly 30 years. I would like to first thank A.D., C.F. and E.A., and now P.G., for inspiring me to finally write this stuff down!
Showing posts with label native speakers don't question. Show all posts
Showing posts with label native speakers don't question. Show all posts
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Should we watch a movie or see a movie?
While many native speakers of American English may be unaware they are doing it, they do actually distinguish between 'watching' a movie and 'seeing' one. "Watching" a movie means you are going to do it at home or in someone else's house on TV, whereas "seeing a movie" means you're going to do it at a movie theater.
Examples:
-What movie are you going to watch?
-Oh, I don't know. Whatever's on the classic movie channel tonight.
-What movie are you going to see?
-Well, we haven't decided yet. We'll see what looks good when we get there.
Examples:
-What movie are you going to watch?
-Oh, I don't know. Whatever's on the classic movie channel tonight.
-What movie are you going to see?
-Well, we haven't decided yet. We'll see what looks good when we get there.
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