3
   

They speak deliberately slower to - me.

 
 
WBYeats
 
Reply Thu 9 May, 2013 04:27 am
I am thinking of a sentence, in which I just can't think of the right word:

They speak deliberately slower to - me.

THEY refers to native English speakers, and they, when talking to me, will speaker slower than they do other native English speakers. But I just don't know what I can fill that gap with. The nearest I can invent is:

HUMOUR

which means to agree with somebody's wishes, even if they seem unreasonable, in order to keep the person happy

eg She thought it best to humour him rather than get into an argument.

But it still sounds odd; could you help me?
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Type: Discussion • Score: 3 • Views: 898 • Replies: 13
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Setanta
 
  1  
Reply Thu 9 May, 2013 04:47 am
Commonly, native English speakers speak slowly to non-native, alleged speakers of English . . .

Because

They

Assume

You're

Stupid.
0 Replies
 
Setanta
 
  1  
Reply Thu 9 May, 2013 04:48 am
If speaking slowly doesn't answer, they are likely to raise their voices.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME NOW?
WBYeats
 
  1  
Reply Thu 9 May, 2013 06:06 am
@Setanta,
Thanks.

In fact, it's a fill in the blank question.

the sign '-' should have been '___'
0 Replies
 
ehBeth
 
  1  
Reply Thu 9 May, 2013 06:29 am
@WBYeats,
I would probably put "assist" in the blank.

It seems like a poorly structured sentence to begin with so I'd probably ask the instructor where s/he was educated.
Setanta
 
  1  
Reply Thu 9 May, 2013 07:48 am
Well, if we're going to get all technical here, the word "slower" is an adjective, and an adverb is what you want. So one should write "deliberatrely more slowly"--slowly is the adverb.

Oh . . . sorry . . . i was forgetting . . .

Well, if we're going to get all technical here, the word "slower" is an adjective, and an adverb is what you want. So one should write "deliberatrely more slowly"--slowly is the adverb.
WBYeats
 
  1  
Reply Thu 9 May, 2013 07:48 am
@ehBeth,
Thanks.

So could you give me a better sentence to express the same meaning?
0 Replies
 
WBYeats
 
  1  
Reply Thu 9 May, 2013 07:50 am
@Setanta,
When I wrote this sentence, I thought of this question, but many native speakers use it, so I was not worried; from my dictionary:

Slowly is the usual adverb from the adjective slow. Slow is sometimes used as an adverb in informal language, on road signs, etc. It can also be used to form compounds: Slow. Major road ahead. ◇ a slow-acting drug ◇ *They walk very slow. In the comparative both slower and more slowly are used: Can you speak slower/more slowly?

But of course, thank you very much for the reminder; please tell me more about English also in other posts! I like it very much~
0 Replies
 
Setanta
 
  1  
Reply Thu 9 May, 2013 07:55 am
What? I've been speaking slowly, and i've been speaking loudly. You're impossible to please.
0 Replies
 
Ticomaya
 
  2  
Reply Thu 9 May, 2013 08:03 am
@WBYeats,
WBYeats wrote:
They speak deliberately slower to - me.

patronize

insult

assist
WBYeats
 
  1  
Reply Fri 10 May, 2013 08:28 am
@Ticomaya,
Thank you.

It's accurate.
0 Replies
 
JTT
 
  1  
Reply Mon 20 May, 2013 04:45 pm
@Setanta,
Quote:
Well, if we're going to get all technical here, the word "slower" is an adjective, and an adverb is what you want. So one should write "deliberatrely more slowly"--slowly is the adverb.


Rolling Eyes

You really hate it when things get "technical", don't you, Set? "technical" just ain't yer bag.

Quote:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slow

2slow adverb
Definition of SLOW

: slowly

Usage Discussion of SLOW

Some commentators claim that careful writers avoid the adverb slow, in spite of the fact that it has had over four centuries of usage <have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower — Shakespeare>. In actual practice, slow and slowly are not used in quite the same way. Slow is almost always used with verbs that denote movement or action, and it regularly follows the verb it modifies <beans…are best cooked long and slow — Louise Prothro>. Slowly is used before the verb <a sense of outrage, which slowly changed to shame — Paul Horgan> and with participial adjectives <a slowly dawning awareness…of the problem — American Labor>. Slowly is used after verbs where slow might also be used <burn slow or slowly> and after verbs where slow would be unidiomatic <the leadership turned slowly toward bombing as a means of striking back — David Halberstam>.



Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs
http://www.merriam-webster.com/video/0030-flatadverbs.htm
0 Replies
 
JTT
 
  1  
Reply Mon 20 May, 2013 04:57 pm
@ehBeth,
Quote:
It seems like a poorly structured sentence to begin with so I'd probably ask the instructor where s/he was educated.


They speak deliberately slower to [_____] me.

What makes you think that it's "a poorly structured sentence", Beth?
0 Replies
 
JTT
 
  1  
Reply Mon 20 May, 2013 05:03 pm
@WBYeats,
They speak deliberately slower to [___] me.

WB, to illustrate that you believe what they are doing is not helpful, is condescending, is unneeded, is ..., you can/could put quotation marks around words to, in effect, illustrate their meaning is almost the opposite of the intended meaning.

They speak deliberately slower to "help" me.

They speak deliberately slower to "assist" me.

They speak deliberately slower to "teach" me.
0 Replies
 
 

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