Obviously and Apparently
2024-10-05
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1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Martha about the usage of two adverbs commonly used in spoken English.
2Dear Teacher,
3I'm wondering if you could help me [explain] the difference between "obviously" and "apparently."
4Thank you,
5Martha
6Thank you for writing to us, Martha. I'm happy to answer this question.
7Let's look at the adjective form of these words first.
8If something is "obvious," that means it is easy to see or understand.
9For example, it is obvious that an elephant is bigger and heavier than a dog.
10But some things are only obvious if you have enough experience or knowledge.
11For example, if a car needs fixing, it may be obvious to a skilled worker what repairs are needed.
12But the repairs might not be obvious to a person who lacks experience with cars.
13The adjective "apparent" also describes something that is easy to see or understand.
14But we probably use the word "apparent" less often than the word "obvious."
15"Apparent" can sound a little more formal than "obvious" in some situations.
16Both "obvious" and "apparent" can be followed by the preposition "to" plus an object pronoun, as in the following examples:
17It's obvious to me that he is unhappy.
18It was apparent to him that no one in the office had the right skills for the job.
19Next, let's look at the adverbial forms: "obviously" and "apparently."
20Unlike the adjective forms, these two words differ in terms of how easily we can understand or know something.
21When we use the word "apparently," we are expressing the idea that we think we know something is true.
22However, this idea is usually based on information we have heard or read rather than our own direct experience.
23For example, if you say, "Apparently, he's not a very good teacher," that means you have heard reports that the person is not a good teacher.
24At the same time, you do not know for sure if it is true.
25That is because you do not have direct experience yourself with the teacher.
26On the other hand, if you say, "He's obviously not a very good teacher," that means you have-or think you have-enough information to be sure that you are correct.
27It also means you think others should easily understand or agree with what you are saying.
28We can use "obviously" or "apparently" as the first word in a sentence, followed by a comma, as in these examples:
29Obviously, we need to practice more if we want to improve.
30Apparently, it's hard to find a good restaurant in that area.
31We can also place these adverbs next to the verb:
32She apparently needs a lot of help.
33He obviously feels very strongly about this issue.
34For our readers and listeners, what are your questions about American English? We'd like to hear from you.
35Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
36And please include where you are from in your email, too.
37And that's Ask a Teacher.
38I'm Andrew Smith.
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Martha about the usage of two adverbs commonly used in spoken English. 2Question 3Dear Teacher, 4I'm wondering if you could help me [explain] the difference between "obviously" and "apparently." 5Thank you, 6Martha 7Answer 8Thank you for writing to us, Martha. I'm happy to answer this question. 9Let's look at the adjective form of these words first. 10If something is "obvious," that means it is easy to see or understand. For example, it is obvious that an elephant is bigger and heavier than a dog. But some things are only obvious if you have enough experience or knowledge. For example, if a car needs fixing, it may be obvious to a skilled worker what repairs are needed. But the repairs might not be obvious to a person who lacks experience with cars. 11The adjective "apparent" also describes something that is easy to see or understand. But we probably use the word "apparent" less often than the word "obvious." "Apparent" can sound a little more formal than "obvious" in some situations. 12Both "obvious" and "apparent" can be followed by the preposition "to" plus an object pronoun, as in the following examples: 13It's obvious to me that he is unhappy. 14It was apparent to him that no one in the office had the right skills for the job. 15Next, let's look at the adverbial forms: "obviously" and "apparently." 16Unlike the adjective forms, these two words differ in terms of how easily we can understand or know something. 17When we use the word "apparently," we are expressing the idea that we think we know something is true. However, this idea is usually based on information we have heard or read rather than our own direct experience. 18For example, if you say, "Apparently, he's not a very good teacher," that means you have heard reports that the person is not a good teacher. At the same time, you do not know for sure if it is true. That is because you do not have direct experience yourself with the teacher. 19On the other hand, if you say, "He's obviously not a very good teacher," that means you have-or think you have-enough information to be sure that you are correct. It also means you think others should easily understand or agree with what you are saying. 20We can use "obviously" or "apparently" as the first word in a sentence, followed by a comma, as in these examples: 21Obviously, we need to practice more if we want to improve. 22Apparently, it's hard to find a good restaurant in that area. 23We can also place these adverbs next to the verb: 24She apparently needs a lot of help. 25He obviously feels very strongly about this issue. 26For our readers and listeners, what are your questions about American English? We'd like to hear from you. Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. And please include where you are from in your email, too. 27And that's Ask a Teacher. 28I'm Andrew Smith. 29Andrew Smith wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 30______________________________________________ 31Words in This Story 32formal - adj. following or agreeing with established form, custom, or rule