The language of suspicion

English as a Second Language What do you want to talk about?
21

I don’t understand the lats sentence in the essay : “… they call you a doubting Thomas”! what does it mean?
Thank you for your response!

22

Hello Mayxanh,

Have you read reply #18 above?

23

I like read …

24

When all run OK…I say…" That’s is so beautiful to be true".

Carlos.

25

‘That is too beautiful to be true’ is the correct expression.

26

Thanks…

27

Please listen to my recording and respond with a voice message too. Many thanks.

28

Hi everyone!
The expression ‘doubting Thomas’ exist in my language too. Though we spell his name quite different, and it’s not easy to recognase him, it’s the same person)

29

I like English

30

Waaw, this very great essay, and i really liked it. Thank you Alan. Please tell somewhere that i can read like this lessons.
Xirsi

31

I do not believe in first sight Love because that was the problems of marry break that We had around Us, So that should stop If we will enjoying Our marriages This is my sure-mission.

32

Reading this passage has brought me joy as i know understand the right word to use in suspicion tales.I am so grateful.Thanks to you Alan

33

Hi friends,

  I don't know what is the relationship between "The language of suspicion" and " won't or shan't"?.

Excuse me to say this,and I know this is a web for learning English, but I need to say something a bout this language.Firstly, in my opinion everybody has the attitude towards suspicious events in our lives. Then, to feel like that means, “I am thinking” and so I am existing.Finally, some incidents need from us to be suspicious, but not always.

With my regards to all

34

Hi Alan Sir

Thank you for essay the language of Suspicion. It was really good. I enjoyed it
when I read it. I am always suspicious others until I know it is truue to me.
I am also like person doubting Thomas.

Day-today life we cannot believe anyone as they behave and tell.
I want to be cautious always in any situation. After reading reading your Essay
I felt that I want to be more careful in all activities.

Thanking you

S.Shanthi

35

Whaa excellent explanations on suspicions

36

hello Mr Alan
The language of suspicion is an important topic and essentially this days in tunisia .
I have many ideas to discus in this forum.
I’m trying now to develop them and I will explain them next time.
my best regards

37

hi! mr. Alan

I read the essay but am not understand well because my vocabulary is very poor and long time my compute was problem to open. very sorry for bad English. i try to read more and more i think am understand.

rose

38

Hi Helen,

Alan Essays are little bit difficullt to understand for average learners like me and you.
Don’t bother please attend vocabalary test and improve your vocabalary.
I will never say that I could undrstand his essay 100%. If you have doubts you
can ask Alan Sir who will solve your problem. But the way he is writting will be
very good. I love to read his Essay at the same time I will also find some difficulties
in understanding, then I used to read others feed back how they understood and wrote
that. You should read other learner’s feed back also, so that you will know others
opinion, and this way you can improve yourself.

Thank you

S.Shanthi

39

Dear Alan,
I`m very grateful for your essays. At times I have questions which I find the answers in your essays.
But now I was wondering if you could help me understanding this sentence: “Some recent commentators, chiefly Alex Potts, have explored Winckelmann’s own republicanism and anticlericalism and the later critical and political reception of his ‘historicist’ determination of the form of Greek art in the civic freedom of the Greek polis”

40

Hello Alan,

This wasn’t again a piece of cake but it was very exciting to be familiar with it.
If you don’t mind I would like to fix what I have learned.

Suspicion: a feeling that sb has done sth wrong, illegal or dishonest, even though you have no proof.

  1. reluctant do sth:hesitating doing sth because you do not want to do it or because you are not sure that it is the right thing to do.
  2. [u]draw up a list:/u write sth that needs careful thought or planning.
  3. prime suspect:most important suspect
    4.[u]questioning: U=the activity of asking sb questions.
  4. to be so guarded:= careful, not showing feelings or giving much information. syn: cautious
    Exp: You should be more guarded what you say.
    6.nobody likes to be proved wrong:
    syn: People are usually reluctant to admit they were wrong.
    7.downright liar = (emphasizing sth negative) syn: barefaced mendacity.
    8.enable us:make it possible for us ; syn: allow us;let us do sth
    9.suspicious being groundless= suspicious not based on evidence; syn: unfounded
    10.double our standard of living After the elections the new government introduced the flat tax with 18% rate in our country. Since the Hungarian standard of living fell down. The gap between the rich and the poor grew wider. The middle class also became poor. This process isn’t over.
  5. be in favour of sb/sth= support sth and agree with sth.
  6. to have my doubts ( about sth)= you have reasons why you are not certain about whether sth is good or will happen.
    Exp:It may be all right. Personally I have my doubts.
    13.smell a rat= to suspect that sth is wrong about a situation.
  7. fishy:=suspicious
    Hamlet of Shakespeare: “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”
    Nowadays it is saying: Something is fishy in Denmark.(There was a film with this title.)
    15.not put one’s finger on: to not be able identify what is wrong or different about a particular situation.
    16: hit it off:= to have a good relationship with sb.
    17: far-fetched:= very difficult to believe; syn. artificial
    than meaning of this sentence:" he got his toe stuck in the plughole."- that’s why he wasn’t on time.

wn.com/UK_Man_Stuck_Down_A_Drain

  1. it doesn’t add up.(esp. in negative sentences): it doesn’t seem to make sense.
    19.wretched thing: syn: damn thing
  2. give the doubter
    “I have given the doubter could well have been proved right or wrong in his suspicion.”
    Even did he suspected you and you had to prove right and wrong in his suspicion? You could be very patient in this situation.
    21.preposterous: = completely unreasonable

The last four sentences are very similar to the Hungarian ones:
-You don’t except me fall for that?= You don’t except swallow it.
-Come off it! exp: Come off it! We don’t have chance.
-Tell me another.= I don’t believe what you have said.
-I wasn’t born yesterday. = I am no chicken.

Many thanks.
Best regards:
Kati Svaby