[General] I like the buddha statue very much.

[Silverobama]

I sent my friend Cathy a picture (at the end of this thread) and told her that I went to a local temple last month. I said:

I like the buddha statue very much; it looks magnificent.

Is[STRIKE] it [/STRIKE]the sentence natural [STRIKE]according[/STRIKE][STRIKE]according[/STRIKE] when you see my picture of the buddha? I think probably it is.

 

[teechar]

Is it natural according according ? I think probably it is.

I have tidied your post. In future, please always preview a post before you submit it. It would save us having to correct silly mistakes such as the unnecessary space before the question mark above as well as the repetition of the word "according".

 

[Silverobama]

I have tidied your post. In future, please always preview a post before you submit it. It would save us having to correct silly mistakes such as the unnecessary space before the question mark above as well as the repetition of the word "according".

Sorry, teechar and no offense. After I posted this thread, I saw the picture of a man there and I tried to delete but I don't know how I can delete it. I did go to the "advance" option and see if I can edit the picture, but no, I can't. I was sorry for taking up so much of your time but I really didn't mean it.

As for that second "according", I think it's because when I typed "Is it natural according to this picture" then I inserted a link in "to this picture". That was the first time I did, then I saw the picture of that man and I edited, but I couldn't see my "according to the picture". Maybe it was a typo.

Anyway, I'm sorry. But, it's not a stupid mistake. It was an accident.

 

[teechar]

Is it natural? [STRIKE]according according ?[/STRIKE] I think probably it is.

Yes. What you said to Cathy is natural.

 

[Silverobama]

Yes. What you said to Cathy is natural.

I edited my original post after reading your comments in #2. I hope the question and format are correct now in the OP.

I'm deeply sorry about it.

 

[teechar]

Try "Is that sentence a natural way of describing my photo of the Buddha statue?"

 

[GoesStation]

I like the buddha statue very much; it looks magnificent.

I don't see the need for the semicolon. It would be better as two sentences.

 

[jutfrank]

I don't see the need for the semicolon. It would be better as two sentences.

I'd go a lot further and say that a semi-colon is quite inappropriate (in other words wrong) there. We don't use semi-colons for transcribing casual spoken language. They belong in the domain of written English only.

 

[teechar]

We don't use semi-colons for transcribing casual spoken language. They belong in the domain of written English only.

According to who?

 

[jutfrank]

According to who?

I don't think there's any 'according to' about it. It just is the case. Do you really disagree?

 

[teechar]

Do you really disagree?

I do actually. I don't see any problem with using a semicolon when transcribing something.

I don't think there's any 'according to' about it. It just is the case.

And I disagree with that even more. If you make a claim, the onus is on you to corroborate it.

 

[jutfrank]

If you make a claim, the onus is on you to corroborate it.

Not if it's obvious, which I think it is. In a case like this, the onus is actually on you to find examples where semi-colons are used when transcribing something. I can't be asked to find examples of things that I think don't exist. Let's also remember that if you can find any, it would be only the ratio of semi-colons used in spoken English to those used in written English that would be significant, not the absolute number.

Anyway, aside from any evidence that may or may not support my claim, more to the point here I think is that there are certain rules of appropriacy in language use (including things like register, collocation, style, etc.). In this case, my view is simply that it is not appropriate to use semi-colons in transcribing spoken English. I don't feel there needs to be an argument to support this because it's ultimately nothing more than a prescription. If you disagree with this, teechar, that's fine.

Just to be clear, though, I was referring only to the particular use of a semi-colon to connect clauses.

 

[GoesStation]

Robert Pirsig used one in quoted dialog in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It grated on me the first time I read the book nearly fifty years ago. It still does.

 

[jutfrank]

I'd be surprised to hear that any of the members here would disagree that they are typically used in writing, and what's more, only typically in certain genres of writing, such as essays, literary works, some kinds of academic texts, various kinds of pamphlets, etc. That's all I really meant to say.

 

[Silverobama]

The reason why I used a semicolon in the sentence in the OP was because I was once taught by my language adviser. She was an editor and author. Well, I'm not saying that everyone needs to listen to my late English language adviser; I just want to explain why I used it.

She told me when you write two sentences and if these two sentences are interconnected (the second sentence explains the first) and you can use a semicolon.
I respect her like I respect all of you here. teechar has been helping me with my English writing in the Editing Forum since 2019, and jutfrank, you're the only one who commented on my spoken English and gave me valuable advice on my spoken English and written English. I think both of you are correct. So, the best way to solve this problem is to write down two sentences, one with the semicolon and the other with a period.

Again, I appreciate your help. In China, especially mainland China, it's not easy to learn idiomatic English. Teachers of English here are talking sh*t. Textbooks of English teach nonsense. It's sadly true that children don't learn English at schools but in language schools because they can learn natural English. We buy books online from the UK and the US. We learn from native speakers but it's very expensive and we can't always find a good teacher.

I'm very lucky for having all of you here as my teachers. Much appreciated. I remember the other day when I was praised by a professional who teaches Translation and Interpretation in a university here I was very happy because after a decade-long devotion to this language, I am finally recognized by my peers. Some native speakers on WR who once listened to my voice messages (like the voice mail) told me they'd been to many countries and taught in those countries and my spoken English is good. I think my spoken English is passable. But each time when others said that my spoken English is good, I replied to them "because I have a group of wonderful teachers online".

And you are one of those wonderful teachers.

 

[jutfrank]

Thank you, Silverobama.

I too am happy to be able to share this forum space with other teachers, whom I deeply respect and whose views and insights I value highly, even when we disagree. One needs opposing points of view to help one see the bigger picture.

By the way, I think I adore that Buddha statue even more than you do!

 

[GoesStation]