VOA慢速英语--Good and Nice: Common Adjectives with Many Uses

Good and Nice: Common Adjectives with Many Uses

The 2014 film Whiplash tells the story of a young man who wants to be a great jazz musician. He has a music director who often says cruel things to him.

At one point in the film, the music director makes this statement to the young man:

There are no two words in the English language more harmful than "Good Job.''

Today's report will be much nicer than the lines of the film suggest.

We will not be learning about mean music directors (at least, not today). Instead, we will talk about two very common adjectives: the words "nice" and "good."

We will show you how Americans use these words in everyday speech. We will also show you how they are used in social situations.

But first, we have to give you a few definitions.

What are adjectives?

Adjectives are words that help describe or provide information about nouns.

Speakers generally use adjectives before a noun or after a non-action verb. Such verbs are sometimes called linking verbs.

In everyday speech, Americans often use the adjectives "good" and "nice." These words have a positive, but inexact meaning.

Here are two examples:

She is a good person.

He is a nice man.

In the examples, the adjectives "good" and "nice" come before a noun – the words "person" and "man."

These are pleasant, respectful ways to describe people.

Not very good and not very nice

Americans use the adjectives "good" and "nice" in other ways. They use them in a few common expressions. Terms like "not very nice" and "not very good" are generally used to describe people and their behavior.

These indirect expressions show an undesirable¹ or bad opinion, but they have a softer meaning than direct speech does.

Consider our next example. Listen to this exchange that two students might have:

1: Have you finished your math homework?

2: No, I'm not very good at math.

1: Well, the teacher doesn't help much...

2: Yeah, he gave me an F on the last test. He told me my grade in front of the entire class… that wasn't very nice of him...

In this example, you heard two uses of not very + an adjective: not very good and not very nice.

Americans often use these expressions in place of direct language. Instead of saying "I'm not very good at mathematics," the student could have said, "I'm bad at math."

Instead of saying, "that wasn't very nice of him…," the other student could have said, "that was a mean thing to do."

The two speakers used "good" and "nice" in indirect expressions because they are considered to be more polite.

Social Uses of Good and Nice

Susan Conrad and Douglas Biber are experts on English grammar. They say English speakers often use "good" and "nice" for social reasons. They use these words to give praise, express approval, and show appreciation². They also use them to show a positive reaction.

We are not able to give you examples of all of these uses. However, we can show you how Americans use them in a few situations.

#1 Good and nice – Expressions that give compliments³ on possessions or achievements.

Speakers often use "good" and "nice" in expressions that praise people for their possessions or successes.

A friend might comment on your new shoes by saying, for example, "Those are nice shoes. Where did you get them?"

Or a teacher might congratulate a student by saying, "You did a very good job on the test."

Think back to the film Whiplash. You heard the music director tell his student:

'There are no two words in the English language more harmful than "Good Job.''

By saying that the words 'good job' are harmful, the music director means that words of praise are bad. He believes that true artists will never become disheartened – no matter how mean people are to them!

#2 Showing approval for ideas

Another use of good is to show approval of an idea.

One speaker presents an idea and another speaker reacts in an approving way by saying, "Good idea," for example.

In an office, a supervisor⁴ might tell an employee, "That's a good idea. I like that."

Friends eating at a restaurant, for example, might say the following words:

1: Do you want dessert?

2: Sounds good to me!

Here, the second speaker is showing approval at the first speaker's idea – getting something to eat after the meal. This is an easy-going, friendly way to agree with another person.

What can you do?

The next time you are watching a film or listening to music in English, try to find examples of "good" and "nice." Ask yourself how the speakers use these words. Do they have a social use? Are they replacing direct speech that might be considered rude or uncultured?

Learning how to use good and nice can be difficult. But with hard work and effort, you will make good progress.

I'm John Russell.

And I'm Dorothy Gundy.

Words in the Story

cruel – n. causing or helping⁵ to cause suffering : terrible and unfair

appreciation – n. an ability to understand the worth, quality, or importance of something : an ability to appreciate something

positive – adj. thinking about the good qualities of someone or something

inexact – adj. not completely correct or precise : not exact

polite – adj. having or showing good manners or respect for other people

grammar – n. the set of rules that explain how words are used in a language

dessert – n. sweet food eaten after the main part of a meal

rude – adj. not having or showing concern or respect for the rights and feelings of other people : not polite

1 undesirable   

adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子

参考例句：

• They are the undesirable elements among the employees.他们是雇员中的不良分子。
• Certain chemicals can induce undesirable changes in the nervous system.有些化学物质能在神经系统中引起不良变化。

2 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

3 compliments   

n.问候，道贺，致意；赞美（话）( compliment的名词复数 )；向…送礼以表示敬意；问候；致意v.表扬，恭维( compliment的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He ladles out compliments to everyone, but he's not really sincere. 他见人就大加吹捧，但并非出于诚意。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• You pay her a few compliments and she immediately rises above herself. 你只要稍许赞扬她几句，她即会沾沾自喜。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。