"Kyslík, jak ho známe, je plyn."

Translation:Oxygen as we know it is a gas.

November 24, 2017

11 Comments
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https://www.duolingo.com/profile/walkinwolk

The correct English sentence is "Oxygen, as we know it, is a gas". (Unless you're Mick Jagger)


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/sjpet

Not quite, that would be "Kyslík, jaký známe, je plyn". That would probably be a more common utterance, but is somewhat imprecise since, like all other elements, it can also be liquid or solid given a low enough temperature.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/dsarkarati

The correct translation was given as: "Oxygen as we know it's a gas." This sentence is incorrect because it has two subjects: oxygen and it.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/VladaFu
Mod
  • 73

This must have been a contraction created automatically from the "it is" you can see above. There is nothing we can do.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Tony733454

The English translation would be clearer written ( as is the Czech example) with the addition of a comma ie. "Oxygen as we know it, is a gas".


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/VladaFu
Mod
  • 73

I do not think it is generally used that way in English.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Tony733454

I respectfully disagree with you , as a native English speaker . :-)


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/VladaFu
Mod
  • 73

Unfortunately, being a native speaker is not per se a good prerequisite for any authority about placing commas. Not in Czech and not in English either. These are the things that must be learned - at school or somewhere else.

A brief search in Google Books or the example entry in https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as%20we%20know%20it does not support your statement.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Tony733454

The problem as commented by another poster in the discussion is how to differentiate between , “Oxygen, as we know, is a gas” and “Oxygen, as we know it, is a gas” The pause given by the second comma helps us understand the intention much better.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/walkinwolk

Vladu, the Marriam Webster explanation regards only the meaning of “as we know it”, and not the use of punctuation marks with a phrase like that in a sentence. If the original Czech sentence used them, why remove them from the English sentence?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/VladaFu
Mod
  • 73

I only offered the link as an example. Use search to find more.

You really cannot transfer commas from Czech to English, Czech uses commas much more. And, on the other hand, lacks some English comma uses.

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