Could someoe please answer some of my question related to English language?

Question

1)Is the adjective '' adamant'' a negative adjctive?Does it have any negative connotations?

2) Which verb phrase is more natural; ''make an apology'' or '' to apologize'' ''make a reservation'' or '' to reserve'' ''do the ironing'' or ''to iron''? Is there a degree of formality attached to these two different uses of the verbs?

3) The use of short form of verbs like ''dont'' and ''isnt'' is considered informal but great writers use them today in their serious books.Any ideas why?

Thanks a lot.

Answer 1

1)Is the adjective '' adamant'' a negative adjctive?Does it have any negative connotations?

No. Strong maybe, but not necessarily negative.

2) Which verb phrase is more natural; ''make an apology'' or '' to apologize'' ''make a reservation'' or '' to reserve'' ''do the ironing'' or ''to iron''? Is there a degree of formality attached to these two different uses of the verbs?

Yes. To make puts more emphasis on what it is you are making by making it a noun, a real thing, rather than an action.

3) The use of short form of verbs like ''dont'' and ''isnt'' is considered informal but great writers use them today in their serious books.Any ideas why?

Because people feel more comfortable reading and writing in a more informal, conversational way. Formal communication is used only where people will be graded, as it were - in a legal system, governing body, dealing with a boss or student even etc. It shows a stiffness or a professional authority, which is not comfortable to linger in.

Peace!

Answer 2

1) adamant means to have particularly strong feelings about something, and not taking no for an answer. Like "He was adamant about getting his way".

2) It depends on what you're talking about. Make an apology and apologize are the same - "He would like the make an apology", versus "He would like to apologize". I usually say the second one. If you were eating at a restaurant, you would make a reservation. If you were sleeping at a hotel you would mak a reservation. It would either be "I am reserving a table" or "I am making a reservation". I usually say the second one. As for ironing..."I would like you to do the ironing today" versus "I am going to iron this". There is no formality attached to these words...that's the good thing about English. For the most part, it's all the same.

3) Don't and Isn't are common words. Writers use them because they're making their own voice heard in books, and it would be weird if everything was "do not do this" or "is that not great?". Do not is usually used when you need more force. Like when a mother is saying "Do NOT touch that stove!". But either can be used, they are just a part of our common english now - even though they're technically "informal".

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

1. "adamant" meaning unyielding, uncompromising--I consider it generally descriptive, but it might suggest a slight negative connotation, if you imagine someone with a lot of power who refuses to consider viewpoints other than his/her own. Its root means "hard," so you could use it in situations where you would refer to someone as "a hard man," for example, and it would suggest someone who possibly should change, but won't.

2. The more natural in each case is the shorter. Although in British English I think "do the ironing" and "iron" might be about equivalent (I am an American English speaker). Each of the longer expressions would seem more formal than the shorter forms.

3. Most writing today takes a conversational or semi-conversational tone, even if it is relatively formal, so contractions like those you mentioned are considered acceptable in current writing, whether in fiction or non fiction works. You still might see them less frequently in literary essays or papers, but some of the rules of formality have relaxed.

Answer 4

adament usually just means that you strongly feel a certain way, since it can describe any feeling it can be used both as a positive and a negative.

most people would use to apologize, make a reservation, and to iron as far as I know it is not a sense of formality but more of common occurance

because at least for american english americans are more informal than most cultures

Answer 5

1. Not exactly negative, but I find it conveys a bit of a sense of excessive stubbornness.

2. usually "to apologize"; either one, but if you're asking for one, probably "I'd like to make a reservation"; "do the ironing" if there's a lot, "iron" one single shirt or outfit (maybe that's just my bad housekeeping)

3. They're much more common in speech than the long forms, and used in writing that is meant to represent speech or "talking to oneself".

Answer 6

adamant is a positive adjective.
apologize, reserve and iron are shorter, and therefore more convenient if they fit into your sentence.
Don't and isn't, with apostrophes are mostly used in books when someone's oral words are being quoted. A few authors take license with the language, and these are usually Americans.

Answer 7

I like to use contractions when I write because they don't sound like you're "writing ABOUT something." They sound more like you are "talking TO somebody." I don't use them every time one is available, I just intersperse them, same way I do in my speech pattern. It keeps things from getting "monotonous"

Using an informal tone allows you to get into a person's "comfort zone" when using the written word.

ADAMANT is neutral, it becomes positive or negative depending on whether the action or emotion that it modifies is positive or negative.

Much like "stubborn"...
"He stubbornly stuck to his high work ethic" is positive in this case.
.

Answer 8

It all defends on how you use the word or the phrase.