Forrest Gump, portrayed by Tom Hanks, despite being slow-witted, never sees himself as being at a disadvantage. His life, far from being confined, is enriched by the unwavering support of his mother, played by Sally Field. Forrest’s natural optimism, reminiscent of a child’s innocence, becomes a source of inspiration to those around him, whether he’s excelling as a star in college football, serving in Vietnam, or leading a shrimp boat.
Facing death, Forrest’s mother delivers a gem of a famous line. Below is a conversation between Forrest Gump and his mother.Forrest Gump:
What’s the matter, Momma?Mrs. Gump: I’m dyin’, Forrest. Come on in, sit down over here.
Forrest Gump: Why are you dyin’, Momma?
Mrs. Gump: It’s my time. It’s just my time. Oh, now, don’t you be afraid, sweetheart. Death is just a part of life. It’s something we’re all destined to do. I didn’t know it, but I was destined to be your momma. I did the best I could.
Forrest Gump: You did good, Momma.
Mrs. Gump: Well … I happen to believe you make your own destiny. You have to do the best with what God gave you.
Forrest Gump: What’s my destiny, mama?
Mrs. Gump: You’re gonna have to figure that out for yourself. Life is a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you’re going to get
Could it be that foreigners struggle to master English even after studying it for a long time because they do not think in English? Thinking in English, or at least thinking like a native English speaker, seems to make speaking English relatively easier. Thinking in English means knowing the corresponding English words, and thinking in their way means being able to naturally accept the order of English.
While Europeans tend to learn English relatively easily, the reason why Koreans and those who speak languages similar to Korean find it difficult to become accustomed to English lies in the order of words. For some, English is an entirely different game. This order of words is called Syntax, which is one of the largest components of English grammar. However, this theory is not only diverse and complex but also quite voluminous. Fortunately, there are rules to the order of English, which are organized in “Why Is It So Hard for Koreans to Learn Speaking in English?”
Here, we plan to learn English by using the order of English based on simple common sense. And we think of enjoying movie dialogues with this method.
The first principle that should be learned about the order of English is that English speakers start with the subject and verb, stating the conclusion right away. This principle aligns with most of the theories we learned in English grammar. Therefore, it can be considered as the first principle of English. And this principle works like a law of nature, with hardly any exceptions.
The First Principle of English (Conclusion First Principle!) English starts with the subject + verb, giving the conclusion first.
Starting with <subject + verb> means starting by giving the conclusion. All English speakers jumps straight to the conclusion saying a subject and a verb. Perhaps the ancestors who began using English were very impatient, or there were many fights due to misunderstandings in communication, leading them to state conclusions upfront like “I did it.” Of course, this is my speculation. A more scientific basis for English expressions starting with <subject + verb> to give the conclusion first is because, unlike Korean, English does not have particles (助詞) like in Korean.
The reason why the meaning changes entirely depending on the order in Chinese is also due to the lack of particles. In Korean, there are many particles which indicate grammatical relationships (case particles) or add meaning. Regardless of the position of the word, the particle attached to the word allows us to know whether the word is an object, subject, an adverb modifying a verb, or an adjective modifying a noun. However, English is different.
In English, the role and meaning of words are mostly determined and changed by their position. The structure of Korean is <like this + like that + how… + this way + that way + conclusion>, with the conclusion coming at the end. Negations and affirmations, as well as verbs, come at the very end. Hence, one must listen to the end of a Korean sentence in order to understand it clearly. On the other hand, English starts with the conclusion. Then, it requires a lot of explanation afterwards.
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