Meanings into Words: Grade XII

Unit 2 (Appearance)

The uses of look, look like and look as if/look as though.

 

Points to remember:

a) A noun is a word that functions as the name of some specific thing or set of things such as living creatures, objects, places, actions, qualities, state of existence, or ideas. Linguistically, a noun is a member of a large, open part of speech whose members can occur as the main word in the subject of a clause, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition.

b) An adjective in linguistics, is a describing word, the main syntactic role of which is to

qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified.

c) A clause is a group of words that includes at least a subject and a verb that form a sentence or part of a sentence. e.g. They often go to Italy because they love the food.

Follow-up structures:
a) sub+look/looks+ (adv) adj.

b) sub+look/looks+like+ (adv) (adj) Noun

c) sub+ look/looks+as if/as though+clause

NB: look as if can be replaced by look as though everywhere. 

From Student’s Book: Ex—2.1: page: 11 (Judging from appearances)

Question: Make comments about the following expressions using look/look like or look as if/as though.

 

1. He needs a wash. ( a clause)

® He looks as if he needs a wash.

2. Rather aggressive (adj.)

® He looks rather aggressive.

3. A tramp (beggar) (noun)

® He looks like a tramp.

4. Angry (adj.)

® She looks angry.

5. He’s going to start a fight.

® He looks as if he’s going to start a fight.

6. Terribly complicated

® They look terribly complicated.

7. It cost a lot.

® It looks as though it cost a lot.

8. Very elegant (Refined and tasteful in appearance)

® She looks very elegant.

9. Something from outer space.

® It looks like something from outer space.

10. It gives excellent reproduction.

® It looks as if it gives excellent reproduction.

11. A honeymoon couple

® They look like a honeymoon couple.

12. They’re celebrating.

® They look as though they’re celebrating.

13. They’re in love.

® They look as if they’re in love.

14. Happy

® She looks happy.

15. They’ve just had some good news.

® They look as if they’ve just had some good news.

 

From student’s Book: Ex—2.2: page: 11 (look as if & look as though)

Question: what do the activities of the people below suggest to you? Write one sentence for each using look as if or look as though:

1. You see a girl standing on the seashore, staring into the water.

® She looks as if she’s going to commit suicide.

2. You see a man lying on the floor, laughing.

®  He looks as though he’s watching a comedy show.

3. You see a woman whose clothes are soaked, and she’s sneezing.

® She looks as if she’s got drenched in the rain.

4. You see a man lying underneath a car.

® He looks as if he’s repairing his car.

5. You see someone climbing through a window.

® He looks as though he’s a thief.

 

From Work Book: Ex—2: page—10: (Identifying with ‘like’)

Question: Continue the following remarks with look, sound, smell, feel or taste+like:

1. Surely he’s not a manual worker…...

® He looks like a businessman to me.

2. Are you sure this is tea?......

® It tastes like  coffee.

3. I wonder who wrote that music…..

® It sounds like Shambhujit Baskota’s.

4. He’s got a foreign accent…..

® It sounds like Chinese.

5. This material’s very soft….

® It feels like velvet.

6. What’s that you’re cooking? ………

® It smells like rice-pudding.

7. They’ve got very similar faces…

® They look like triplets.

8. This isn’t real leather, is it?....

® It feels like plastic.

9. I’ve got something in my shoe….

® It feels like a tiny stone.

10. I don’t think you made this cake yourself….

® It tastes like doughnut.

From student’s Book: Ex—2: page--11(look as if & look as though)

Now try these:

6. You can hear people singing next door.

® They sound as if they’re celebrating a party.

7. When you open the door of your flat, there’s a strong smell of smoke.

® It smells as though someone’s recently smoked cigarette here.

8. When you touch your writing desk, you notice it’ sticky.

® It feels as if someone’s spread gum on it.

9. When you drink a glass of water, you realize it certainly isn’t ordinary drinking water.

® It tastes as if it’s chemical-mixed water for washing.

 

From Student’s Book: Ex—2.3: page—12: (General Impressions: ‘Seem’)

The meaning of ‘Seem’:

1. Give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect; e.g. She seems to be sleeping.

2. Give the impression of being true, probable, or apparent; e.g. It seems that he is very gifted"

3. Appear to exist; e.g. There seems no reason to go ahead with the project now.

4. Appear to one's own mind or opinion; e.g.  I seem to be misunderstood by everyone; I can't seem to learn these Chinese characters.

General Structures for using ‘seem’:

a) Sub+seem/seems+ to+verb+obj. (for positive sentence)

b) Sub+ don’t/doesn’t+seem+ to+verb+obj. (for negative sentence)

NB: if the last word of the given sentence is adjective, follow the structure below:

i) Sub+ seem/seems+adj.

If the last word of the given sentence is a noun, follow the structure below:

ii) Sub+ seem/seems+tobe+Noun.

How to change: (look at the table below)

 

 

Sl. No.	Given verbs	Changed into
1	Is/am/are	Seem/seems (tobe)
2	Was/were	Seem/seems to have been
3	V1/v5	Seem/seems to+v1
4	V2	Seem/seems+to have+v3
5	Has/have+v3	Seem/seems+to have+v3

 

Question: Change the following sentences using ‘seem’: (Std. Book: page—12)

1. He’s very friendly

® He seems (to be) very friendly.

2. He isn’t very rich.

® He doesn’t seem (to be) very rich.

3. He’s happily married.

® He seems (to be) happily married.

4. He’s some kind of businessman.

® He seems to be some kind of businessman.

5. He doesn’t spend much time out of doors.

®He doesn’t seem to spend much time out of doors.

6. He watches television a lot.

® He seems to watch television a lot.

7. He has lived a very interesting life.

® He seems to have lived a very interesting life.

Practice: (Std. Book: page—12)

Question: What do the following activities suggest to you about Mr Harvey? Write about him using ‘seem’:

                             or

                         Continue the following remarks using 'seem':

1.  He never stops to chat with you if you’ve got your dog with you.

® He seems to be afraid of dogs.

2. His front garden always looks a bit neglected.

® He doesn’t seem to be very keen on gardening.

3. There’re African masks on the wall of his sitting room.

® He seems to have lived in Africa at some time in his life.

4. The postman always delivers a lot of letters with foreign stamps to his house.

® He seems to know a lot of people in different places.

5. You only see his children during the school holidays.

® His children seem to stay at boarding school hostel.

6. He usually carries a walking stick when he goes out.

® He seems to have injured his leg.

 

From Student’s Book: Ex—2.7: page—16 (Police Description)

Question: Write a police description of the person you’ve chosen.

® Here is the description of a boy whom the police wish to interview in connection with this morning’s fight in the campus. The boy is in his teens. He has a round face and pointed nose. His eyes are black. He’s is thin. He is about five feet tall. He has a fair complexion. His hair is black, long and a bit curly. He’s well-dressed, wears a gold ring and speaks with Bhojpuri accent. Police believe he’s still carrying a knife used in the fight. If anybody happens to see him, s/he is requested to inform the police immediately.

The End of Unit 2