is there any english who can help me?

Question

i want to know about expression in english
like "what the hell" or "what the hell is going on up here"
do they mean bad things? or just a expression.
please tell me~ because i am considering if it means or it doesn't mean bad things.
and also this question.

be + past particilple.
i learned how use be + past particilple.
for example.
i was amazed.
he was flabbergasted.

my friend(he learned english for 5 years and his mother
has language academy but i learned english only for 1 year.)
said i cannot say that.

Answer 1

Hi Korean, there's nothing wrong with what you learned (i was amazed, he was flabbergasted) but maybe you're not using it in the correct way...for example, if something has just happened and your first reaction is that you are amazed, then you should say I am amazed or it is amazing, but if it is something that happened yesterday and you were amazed, then it's ok to tell someone, "I was amazed" (when something happened). Saying "what the hell" is ok too, but maybe if you are young (younger than 18, etc) maybe you shouldn't say it because saying "hell" is considered swearing. Also, if you are older than 18, you shouldn't say it if there are kids around...
Hope that helps you xxx

Answer 2

In N Z you without doubt have a couple of expressions which don't seem to be heard somewhere else, now not even in Australia. I am southern English, however used to be in Oz for 3 years within the early Seventies. Visited N Z round Auckland for a couple of hours at the method residence from Oz through sea. But then, what's "English" English or British English? As some distance as I am involved the North (of England) is a further nation for language!

Answer 3

"what the hell" is just used when someone's wondering about something, usually a sudden event which falls upon them, like I could walk into a pole and not see it, and my friend could say "what the hell?".
"what the hell is going on up there" is just a very lazy way of saying 'what is going on up there?' like what's happening, what are you doing, etc. it's much more imperative though, usually used by mothers and aggrevated hostel-matrons.
"what the hell" can also be used as another way to say "whatever", like someone deciding if they want to go down the half-pipe or not, then they just think "what the hell" and do it. it's almost an accepted defeat.

hell is usually considered a rude word, so people usually use 'heck' instead, like "what the heck". 'heck' is what's called a 'minced oath', which is a word used to soften the blow of those RUDE words, or reduce/dilute the disagreeableness of the BAD word.

and the second bit using verb and participle is fine. I was amazed at what I saw infront of me. He was flabbergasted, because he hadn't seen it before either.

hope that helps!

Answer 4

You usually use have with the past participle, not be. e.g I have seen; He has asked; They have called us 3 times. With some verbs the past tense is the same as the past participle, like ask or call. In the passive tense you'd say: I was called by my mother. She was asked 2 questions by her teacher.
It is the word flabbergasted that is old fashioned, not your sentence.
Use "what the hang" or "what the heck" instead of "what the hell". It all means the same, ,just expressions, but the first 2 are more polite.

Answer 5

If you say that in class, your teacher might warn you for being inappropiate.
Basically, it's just a saying, but it's a saying with attitude. For example, if you were at work, and you asked your boss, "What the hell is wrong with ____?" your boss will automatically assume you're approaching him or her with a bad attitude. However, if you're joking with friends, and someone annoys you, it can be funny to say, "What the hell?" (or, if you see something odd, you can point it out to your friend with a "What the hell is that over there?")
In short, in a casual situation, it's usually just a joke. In a formal situation, or when addressing a superior or elder, it's better to avoid it.
I've been teaching ELD for a few years now, so I sympathize with how puzzling expressions can be!

Answer 6

"What the hell" means "What is happening?" But the word hell used in this way is a curse word and in that way it is bad."What the hell is going on up here?" is the same"It means "What is happening up here?" but the word hell makes it a very angry and bad sentence. Cursing is done in all languages, but it it is not polite, not something that is good to say with strangers listening. Not good said in public, and really not good to use at all!

The verb to be:
It was amazing. =amazing is a participle describing "it".
I was amazed= in this case I think "amazed" is a predicate nominative that describes what "I" was. "Amazed was I" and "I was amazed" make "amazed" describe "I".

I hope that helps.


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Answer 7

It is common English slang.
Sometimes it is considered profanity and should not really be used except around close friends. What the heck is much more acceptable, and means the same thing.
Don't ask me what a "heck" is though, because i really don't know.

Answer 8

it's not a bad thing necessarily.
if you are surprised about what you are seeing you can say "what the hell?"

Answer 9

It's just the word HELL that's the issue. If you said "What the HECK" instead, it wouldn't sound as rude.

Answer 10

no not always bad. its like saying " oh my God".
like an exclamation.
you are correct when you say I was amazed or he was flabergasted.( old fashioned)