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    Distancing: Infinitive

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    Lora
    The document discusses various linguistic techniques used to distance oneself from information when presenting it, including: 1) Using "seem" and "appear" followed by a clause to give information without stating it is definitely true. 2) Using passive constructions with verbs like "say", "think", etc. followed by a clause or infinitive to introduce information from an unspecified source. 3) Using other distancing expressions like "apparently", "according to", and "may/might" which suggest information is possible but not certain.

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    Distancing: Infinitive

    Uploaded by

    Lora
    140 views3 pages
    The document discusses various linguistic techniques used to distance oneself from information when presenting it, including: 1) Using "seem" and "appear" followed by a clause to give information without stating it is definitely true. 2) Using passive constructions with verbs like "say", "think", etc. followed by a clause or infinitive to introduce information from an unspecified source. 3) Using other distancing expressions like "apparently", "according to", and "may/might" which suggest information is possible but not certain.

    Original Description:

    How to express distancing in English

    Original Title

    Distancing

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    The document discusses various linguistic techniques used to distance oneself from information when presenting it, including: 1) Using "seem" and "appear" followed by a clause to give information without stating it is definitely true. 2) Using passive constructions with verbs like "say", "think", etc. followed by a clause or infinitive to introduce information from an unspecified source. 3) Using other distancing expressions like "apparently", "according to", and "may/might" which suggest information is possible but not certain.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    140 views3 pages

    Distancing: Infinitive

    Uploaded by

    Lora
    The document discusses various linguistic techniques used to distance oneself from information when presenting it, including: 1) Using "seem" and "appear" followed by a clause to give information without stating it is definitely true. 2) Using passive constructions with verbs like "say", "think", etc. followed by a clause or infinitive to introduce information from an unspecified source. 3) Using other distancing expressions like "apparently", "according to", and "may/might" which suggest information is possible but not certain.

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    Distancing

    seem/appear
    It seems/appears that when people multitask, they in fact do one thing after another

    in quick succession.

    The new Head of Department seems/appears to be quite friendly.

    Excuse me. There seems to be a mistake with the bill.

    It would seem/appear that Mr Young had been using the company's assets to pay off

    his private debts.

    1. We often use seem and appear to give information without stating that we

    definitely know it is true, in this way distancing ourselves from the

    information.

    We can use It seems/appears + that + clause, or subject + seem/appear +

    infinitive.

    2. We use It would seem/appear + that + clause to distance ourselves even

    further from the information, making it sound even less sure. This is more

    formal than It seems/appears...

    the passive with verbs of saying and reporting


    It is said that using a washing machine saves people on average 47 minutes a day.

    It has been announced by a White House spokesman that the President has been

    taken to hospital.

    The company director is expected to resign in the next few days.

    The missing couple are understood to have been living in Panama for the last five

    years.

    There are thought to be over a thousand species in danger of extinction.


    Another way of distancing ourselves from the facts, especially in formal written

    English, is to use the passive form of verbs like say, think, etc. to introduce

    them. We can use:

    1. It + passive verb + that + clause.

    1. Verbs commonly used in this pattern are: agree, announce, believe,

    expect, hope, say, suggest, and think.

    2. subject + passive verb + to + infinitive

    1. Verbs commonly used in this pattern are: believe, expect, report, say,

    think, and understand.

    3.  There can also be used + passive verb + to + infinitive.

    Compare:

    It is said that there are more than five million people living in poverty in this

    country.

    Fraud is thought to cost software companies millions of dollars a year.

    There are said to be more than five million people living in poverty in this

    country.

    other distancing expressions: apparently, according to, may/might

    1. We use apparently (usually either at the beginning or the end of a phrase)

    to mean that we have heard/read something, but that it may not be true. This

    is very common in informal conversation.

    Apparently, Jeff and Katie have separated.

    2. We use according to to specify where information has come from. We use it

    to attribute opinions to somebody else. NOT According to me...


    According to new research, the idea that we have to drink two litres of water a day is

    a myth.

    3. Using may/might also suggests that something is a possibility, but not

    necessarily true.
    Dinosaurs may have died out due to extremely rapid climate change.

    There are rumours that the band, who broke up ten years ago, might be planning to

    reform and record a new album.

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