Vocabulary: the real meaning of “of course”
Vocabulary: the real meaning of “of course”
I was on the phone recently getting some tech support. As is often the case, I was talking with someone from India. I wanted to know whether I was doing something correctly and, after explaining it to the technician, I asked if I was doing it in the right way. “Of course!” he responded.
To me that sounded like “Obviously,” which is what it would mean if I used it in that context. My immediate response was, “Don’t talk to me like that. It’s not obvious to me!”
Later I thought about it and realized a few things about the expression. Commonly, there are two meanings for “of course.”
One meaning is: “It’s obvious.” This could also be interpreted as: “You are an idiot for not realizing that.” If someone asks you how to do something and you are irritated with them, say “of course” if you want them to feel like it is totally obvious and they are probably a little slow to not realize it. This isn’t so polite when someone is asking about themselves. But if someone asks something about you, for example if you are really going to do something — as in: “Are you really going to try sky diving?” – you can say “of course” to mean they shouldn’t doubt it. This sounds polite.
The other meaning is the one my tech support person really meant. If I am visiting you and want to take something from the fridge — for example: “Can I get some milk from the fridge for my coffee?” – if you answer “of course,” it would be interpreted as “please, you are welcome to take what you want.” In this case, it has a similar meaning to the first but it really means “of course you can take what you want.” It sounds generous and friendly.
The main thing to watch out for is when someone is unsure about their own knowledge and/or ability. Then you should probably just say “Yes.”
Phrasal verbs are verbs that are used with prepositions or adverbs, thus creating a different meaning from the original verb. For example, TURN is different than TURN ON (meaning to flick the switch to on, or the more sexual meaning of to excite) or TURN INTO (which means to become or convert into something different.)
One thing to remember is that, with phrasal verbs, we put emphasis on the preposition (technically called a particle for grammatical reasons.) So we say, “WATCH OUT,” making the word OUT louder and higher and longer than we would normally pronounce a preposition. This increased stress is one thing that indicates a phrasal verb.
Here’s an example of how confusing a phrasal verb can be. “Mary RAN INTO her old friend Hassan, who is visiting from Pakistan.” A non-native speaker could be forgiven for wondering whether Mary physically collided with her visiting friend – the use of the verb “to run” is misleading, if read literally. But, in day-to-day meaning, this phrasal verb could be used to describe an unexpected, chance meeting.
Here’s another phrasal verb that can connote something unexpected: “I thought that Mary would still be out of town last weekend, but she SHOWED UP at the party.” For non-native speakers who are familiar with the common use of the verb “to show,” the use of a phrasal verb like this might sound confusing.
One more example: “Mary wanted to come to the concert last night, but she CAME DOWN with the same cold virus that Hassan caught on the weekend.” Obviously, in context, the use of “to come” or “to come down” does not depict the arrival of someone or something, nor does it illustrate a descent. Rather, “come down” is used to describe the act of contracting, catching or developing something, like an illness or a case of nerves. Naturally, for non-native English-speakers, this phrasal verb lays a potential trap for confusion or misunderstanding.
Despite the endless variations of phrasal verbs, paying attention to the stressed preposition or particle will help you to identify its presence. Then you can ask or look it up to see what it means.
By Heather Chetwynd