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A grammar/parts of speech question

(57 Posts)
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Doodledog Sat 10-Jul-21 18:21:20

Sorry - I meant to say thank you all for your contributions.

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Doodledog Sat 10-Jul-21 18:20:45

You are all (separately) having the same thoughts as me ?

'It's an adjective
But it's being used as a verb in the second usage.
But is it? Or if it is, what kind of verb is it?'

I tried replacing 'difficult' with another word to see if that helped, but it didn't.

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foxie48 Sat 10-Jul-21 18:16:39

Difficult is an adjective, I don't think there is a verb "to be difficult" just as there isn't a verb "to be clever" etc.

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FarNorth Sat 10-Jul-21 18:09:31

I think they are both adjectives, describing 'It' and 'You'.

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Grandmabatty Sat 10-Jul-21 18:07:47

There is the verb 'to be difficult' and they are different parts of that. I wouldn't agree that they are adjectives.

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Cabbie21 Sat 10-Jul-21 18:01:17

Maybe I am missing something but I don’t see a difficulty. They are adjectives. The sentences are constructed differently as the verbs are in different tenses, with different pronouns.

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Doodledog Sat 10-Jul-21 17:53:16

Are words still called 'parts of speech'? It seems rather old-fashioned, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

Can anyone help me to differentiate between the uses of the word 'difficult', please?

What I mean is, how to define the terms as used in the following ways:

'It was difficult to decide . . .'

'You are being difficult.'

I am going round in circles, as they seem to me both to be adjectives, but they are clearly being used in different ways - or am I overthinking that bit? I used to be good at this sort of thing, but it's so long since I needed to do get it right that I'm doubting myself.

It's for something I am writing, and I am procrastinating by trying to work it out, so if anyone knows the answer it will help me to get on with what I'm doing ?.

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