English word choices
Hi friends which one is right?

1. I really cannot tell if they are British from the looks of them, only when they speak, do I know.
2. I really cannot tell if they are British by the looks of them, only when they speak, do I know.

Question

English word choices
Hi friends which one is right?

1. I really cannot tell if they are British from the looks of them, only when they speak, do I know.
2. I really cannot tell if they are British by the looks of them, only when they speak, do I know.

Answer

I would use #2, but that is by my personal preference as they are both entirely correct.

Edit: #2 sounds just a tiny bit more old-fashioned/literary than #1 and because the sentence itself sounds rather old-fashioned/literary, I would use #2.

Answer

Thanks a lot

Answer

They're both run-on sentences and should be split into two shorter sentences.  Still, "by" is better than "from."

Answer

I wouldn't use, 'by the looks of them'. I think it would sound more modern to say, 'by looking at them, I couldn't....'. The last part also jars; it sounds stilted. It is better to say, 'I can only tell when they speak.'

Answer

Both can be used however, i think the first one is more formally correct.

Answers · 6

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