You seem happy = You look happy = You appear happy?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi have asked this question:

You seem happy. (1) = You look happy.(2)=You appear happy.(3)?

Van Khanh answered:

look = appear (you are really happy)
seem (either you are happy or you aren’t happy).

Another person answered:

look (you are reakky happy)
seem = appear.(either you are happy or you aren’t happy).

Other answered:

For me, if someone says “You appear [something]” it would sound like that person had doubts about whether I really was [something] or was just trying to make it look that way.

I really don’t understand. The dictionary also answered in a general way.

How about your opinions, my experienced teachers?

Q

2

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On paper, I see no difference in meaning whatsoever, except that seem can apply to other senses than sight.

No one can know in any case whether the other person is ‘really’ happy. In practice, tone of voice along with idiolect could imply other variations of confidence on the part of the speaker.
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3

Teacher,

So, on paper, they all have the same meaning and interchangeable but in conversations, when saying :

You seem/look/appear happy

All these 3 verbs can express the person can either be really happy or not be happy.

Is that what you mean?

Q

4

Hi!
Could you please explain the way one should use “whatsoever.” I tried the search function, but it didn`t work out too well.

5

Hi SkiIucK

I’d say whatsoever is an intensifier and can be used interchangeably with at all in negative sentences as well as in questions and IF-sentences:

[i]I don’t have any free time whatsoever/at all at the moment.

Did he have any idea whatsoever/at all what the source of the problem might be?

If you had any decency whatsoever/at all, you wouldn’t treat her that way.[/i]

Amy

6

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The speaker can never know whether the listener is really happy or unhappy-- s/he is just commenting on the semblance of happiness; so the actual state of the listener is irrelevant to the use of these verbs… on paper. In context, the speaker may well be able to express different levels of confidence in what s/he thinks is the listener’s condition by varying these verbs and their paralinguistic attendants.
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7

Hi teacher,
You wrote:

In context, the speaker may well be able to express different levels of confidence in what s/he thinks is the listener’s condition by varying these verbs and their paralinguistic attendants. (1)

Could you analyse (1)?
(Main clause:the speaker may well be able to express different levels of confidence in what s/he thinks.
So, what is the subject of is? ) :?

Q

8

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What …is. I think.
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9

Hi,

Did he have any idea whatsoever/at all what the source of the problem might be? (1)

If you had any decency whatsoever/at all, you wouldn’t treat her that way. (2)

Could you tell me the meaning of at all in these 2 sentences?Do they have the same meaning as at all in negative sentences?

Q