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01Hello!
02This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Martha about the usage of two adverbs commonly used in spoken English.
03Dear Teacher, I'm wondering if you could help me explain the difference between obviously and apparently.
04Thank you, Martha.
05Thank you for writing to us, Martha.
06I'm happy to answer this question.
07Let's look at the adjective form of these words first.
08If something is obvious, that means it is easy to see or understand.
09For 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.
15Apparent 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.
20Obviously and apparently.
21Unlike the adjective forms, these two words differ in terms of how easily we can understand or know something.
22When we use the word apparently, we are expressing the idea that we think we know something is true.
23However, this idea is usually based on information we have heard or read rather than our own direct experience.
24For example, if you say, apparently he's not a very good teacher.
25That means you have heard reports that the person is not a good teacher.
26At the same time, you do not know for sure if it is true.
27That is because you do not have direct experience yourself with the teacher.
28On 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.
29It also means you think others should easily understand or agree with what you are saying.
30We can use obviously or apparently as the first word in a sentence, followed by a comma, as in these examples.
31Obviously, we need to practice more if we want to improve.
32Apparently, it's hard to find a good restaurant in that area.
33We can also place these adverbs next to the verb.
34She apparently needs a lot of help.
35He obviously feels very strongly about this issue.
36For our readers and listeners, what are your questions about American English?
37We'd like to hear from you.
38Send us an email at learningenglish at voanews.com And please include where you are from in your email, too.
39And that's Ask a Teacher.
40I'm Andrew Smith.
41I'm Andrew Smith.
42I'm Andrew Smith.
43I'm Andrew Smith.!
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