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He looks like his mother very much etc...

hirashin

Sempai
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8 Apr 2004
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Hello, native English speakers.
Which would be used?
(1a) He resembles his mother very much.
(1b) He resembles his mother very well.
(1c) He really resembles his mother.
(1d) He truly resembles his mother.

(2a) He takes after his mother very much.
(2b) He takes after his mother very well.
(2c) He really takes after his mother.
(2d) He truly takes after his mother.

(3a) He looks like his mother very much.
(3b) He looks like his mother very well.
(3c) He really looks like his mother.
(3d) He truly looks like his mother.
(3e) He looks very like his mother.
(3f) He looks much like his mother.
(3g) He looks very much like his mother.

(4a) He is similar to his mother.
(4b) He is very similar to his mother.
(4c) He is very much similar to his mother.
(4d) He is really similar to his mother.
(4e) He is truly similar to his mother.

Would (4a) mean "He resembles his mother"?

Thanks in advance.

Hirashin
 
I think all are ok except.

(1b) He resembles his mother very well.
(2b) He takes after his mother very well.
(3b) He looks like his mother very well.
(3e) He looks very like his mother.

I don't like "very well" in this context because it sounds like he's actively performing the action which doesn't make sense for a passive activity like resembling somebody. But it may be grammatically correct. I don't know.
The last one just sounds wrong without "much" in it.

> Would (4a) mean "He resembles his mother"?
Yes. Both sentences could mean appearance or character. If you use "resemble" it sounds more like appearance. Whereas "similar" sounds more like character.
 
Hello, native English speakers.
Which would be used?
(1a) He resembles his mother very much.
(2a) He takes after his mother very much.
(3a) He looks like his mother very much.
(3g) He looks very much like his mother.
...

Start with the use of much.

As an american, (very) much is generally used in questions and negative statements--but not positive ones. So all of those would sound okay, or much better, to me if you had:

(1a) He doesn't resemble his mother very much.
(2a) He doesn't take after his mother very much.
(3a) He doesn't look like his mother very much.
(3g) He doesn't look very much like his mother.

or

(1a) Does he resemble his mother very much?
(2a) Does he take after his mother very much?
(3a) Does he look like his mother very much?
(3g) Does he look very much like his mother?

Next, using very much at the end of some of those sounds strained. (3g) is better than (3a), and in the positive statements, moving it as below makes them sound more acceptable:

(1a) He very much resembles his mother.
(2a) He very much takes after his mother.
(3a) He very much looks like his mother.

Those sound UK-like to me, I'd suggest that an american would use really instead of very much in those.
 
Thanks , johnyG.
As an american, (very) much is generally used in questions and negative statements--but not positive ones.

Really? I didn't know that.
How about "I like peaches very much"?
Would this kind of sentence with "very much" rarely used in the US?

Hirashin
 
Instead, you'd say: I like peaches a lot. or I really like peaches.

Or, if asked "Do you like peaches?"

Answer: "I don't like peaches very much." or "I don't really like peaches."

Much is most safely used in questions and negatives; I usually advise students to use really or a lot instead.
 
Thanks for the further help, johnnyG and mdchachi.

mdchachi, you said in your first reply to my question,
I think all are ok except.
(1b) He resembles his mother very well.
(2b) He takes after his mother very well.
(3b) He looks like his mother very well.
(3e) He looks very like his mother.

Did you say that because all the other sentences with "very much" would sound right in formal language?
 
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