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Another objection is that mere intentions seem to be insufficient to cause actions, that other additional elements, namely volitions or tryings, are necessary. For example, as John Searle has pointed out, there seems to be a causal gap between intending to do something and actually doing it, which needs an act of the will to be overcome. [6]
Various sentences using the syllables mā, má, mǎ, mà, and ma are often used to illustrate the importance of tones to foreign learners. One example: Chinese: 妈妈骑马马慢妈妈骂马; pinyin: māma qí mǎ, mǎ màn, māma mà mǎ; lit. 'Mother is riding a horse... the horse is slow... mother scolds the horse'. [37]
Some verbs can take either a to+infinitive construction or a gerund construction (for example, to start to do something/to start doing something). For example, the gerund is more common: In AmE than BrE, with start, [1]: 515 begin, [1]: 67 omit, enjoy; In BrE than AmE, with love, [26] like, intend. [27]
For example, in the sentence, "The neighbor is at the door," at is the preposition indicating location. In "We will be there by noon," by is the preposition indicating time.
The following pair of examples illustrates the contrast between active and passive voice in English. In sentence (1), the verb form ate is in the active voice, but in sentence (2), the verb form was eaten is in the passive voice. Independent of voice, the cat is the Agent (the doer) of the action of eating in both sentences.
Image credits: Wichella #8. Can only remember a moment in personal history. I was the last generation in my country to do mandatory military service. And apparently my generation is particularly lazy.
An example of a verb used in the imperative mood is the English phrase "Go." Such imperatives imply a second-person subject (you), but some other languages also have first- and third-person imperatives, with the meaning of "let's (do something)" or "let them (do something)" (the forms may alternatively be called cohortative and jussive).
The initial examples of performative sentences Austin gives are these: "I do (sc. take this woman to be my lawful wedded wife)" – as uttered in the course of a marriage ceremony. "I name this ship the Queen Elizabeth" "I give and bequeath my watch to my brother" – as occurring in a will "I bet you sixpence it will rain tomorrow" (Austin ...