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There's no circle, but there are two semi-circles. It was a circle, but I cut it in half. Can I describe this picture "a circle is cut in half"?

  • No. There isn't 'a circle' to be 'halved'. – Michael Harvey Nov 20 '23 at 09:09
  • @MichaelHarvey Is "there is a halved circle" a correct version? –  Nov 20 '23 at 09:57
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    Yes, you could say that. The point is that the picture is of two semicircles. We cannot necessarily infer that they were originally together as one circle. – Michael Harvey Nov 20 '23 at 09:59
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    What is your actual, real, problem. What situation are you in in which you need to describe a diagram like this? The best questions arise from actual problems that learners have, rather than invented problems. – James K Nov 20 '23 at 19:16
  • Just post it first with showing the two halves. – Lambie Nov 20 '23 at 23:09
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    I've voted to close. I don't know what your actual real problem is. So I don't think an answer will be useful. – James K Nov 22 '23 at 21:58
  • @MichaelHarvey Can I say "A circle is halved"? –  Dec 06 '23 at 18:24
  • @MichaelHarvey Or "A circle is cut in half"? –  Dec 06 '23 at 18:25
  • @Lambie They are two halves. –  Dec 06 '23 at 18:40
  • This all depends on context. You might in some say "The circle was cut in half". Cut the [paper] circle in half. Fold the circle in half. Unfold and cut down the folded line. Distress the text side of the circle with ink (optional). https://www.inspirationmadesimple.com/half-circle-paper-trees/ This stuff can be googled you know. – Lambie Dec 06 '23 at 19:05
  • @Lambie I mean in a linguistic way... I want to use it in the present tense... "A circle is cut in half"... Is it semantically correct? –  Dec 06 '23 at 19:10
  • @Lambie I'm confused because some said I can't say "a circle is cut in half" because there's no circle. –  Dec 06 '23 at 19:12
  • Any passive can be made to be grammatically correct. "A [paper] circle is cut in half by the students, and then they are asked to [whatever]. So again, it depends on context. There is a piece of paper cut in the form of a circle. – Lambie Dec 06 '23 at 19:12
  • The main point though is this: The simple present whether passive or not, is used in general statements. So, yours needs to be that, a general statement. Can you see how the example I gave in the previous comment is a general statement?? – Lambie Dec 06 '23 at 19:14
  • @Lambie But still, why did some say it's impossible to say "a circle is cut in half" or "ice is melted in the water" because ice or a circle doesn't exist? –  Dec 06 '23 at 19:16
  • @Collins Because they don't know what I know? [joke] Who knows? People can be very complicated. Make sure your ice is always melted in water before continuing with the recipe. OR in the water if specific, like: melted in the pasta water. – Lambie Dec 06 '23 at 19:19
  • @Lambie I want to trust you because I think so too, ice is melted in the juice. –  Dec 06 '23 at 19:29
  • I concur with James K, what exactly is the problem? Why are you asking if a circle can be "cut" in half? What's wrong with "a split circle" or "a circle sliced in half" or "two halves of a circle" or just "two semicircles" What was the situation that spurred you to inquire further? Let's say everyone agrees, then what? Are you going to ask if we say "the fire burned among the branches" when there is a visible pile of grey ash? – Mari-Lou A Dec 06 '23 at 19:31
  • @Mari-LouA I want to use the present passive tense. A circle is sliced in half, a circle is split in half. But there's no circle. But is it still correct? –  Dec 06 '23 at 19:36
  • Then use it. When you will actually use it in real life, that's open for debate. The present passive is for things that are true now or occur habitually. Oranges are grown in Southern Italy. Paper is made from wood. Politicians are bribed by lobbyists etc. etc. – Mari-Lou A Dec 06 '23 at 19:38
  • @Mari-LouA What about "a circle is sliced in half"? –  Dec 06 '23 at 19:43
  • What about an apple is sliced in half? Once it was whole and now it's in two separate pieces. – Mari-Lou A Dec 06 '23 at 19:45
  • @Mari-LouA You think "a circle is sliced in half" is a semantically correct sentence for the picture? –  Dec 06 '23 at 19:45
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    Please stop changing your sentence. You slice with a knife. That would therefore not apply here. – Lambie Dec 06 '23 at 19:46
  • @Lambie You know what I'm trying to... Mari didn't know what I want to know before I use "slice". –  Dec 06 '23 at 19:47
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    You think "a circle is sliced in half" is a semantically correctWhat do you think? In your mother tongue would anyone object? Of course you're going to have people who will argue that a circle, or an apple if no longer " a circle" or "an apple" because now there are two halves. So what? These are philosophical or mathematical debates that ordinary folk will not care one single bit. – Mari-Lou A Dec 06 '23 at 19:48
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    You can't slice it, no. If it is paper or just geometrical. You can divide it in two. – Lambie Dec 06 '23 at 19:49
  • @Lambie Then, should I say to Mari is it possible to say "a circle is divided in two in the picture"? –  Dec 06 '23 at 19:50
  • @Mari-LouA If I ask this question in philosophy, they will remove me from there and say to go to linguistics stackexchange like Lambie removed me from linguistics stackexchange and say to come to here. –  Dec 06 '23 at 19:55
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    Trust me, your versions are fine. People will understand, but as a grammatical or semantical issue I don't see much merit. Among the hundreds of visitors and users who would consider this question useful or interesting? Someone will nitpick, there's always a know-it-all, but if you get a chorus of "no" or "ungrammatical" or "unnatural" then you should pay attention. If only one or two voice disagreement then make a mental note and try out your sentence to a native speaker. – Mari-Lou A Dec 06 '23 at 20:01
  • @Mari-LouA Thank you, you are a warm-hearted lady. –  Dec 06 '23 at 20:02
  • @Lambie What about my idea? A circle cut in half=a circle which is cut in half=a circle is cut in half, what do you think? –  Dec 06 '23 at 20:08
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    Please stop asking questions on this. It is becoming quite tedious. – Lambie Dec 06 '23 at 20:26
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    Please edit to explain why you think this would not be an option. Please put all necessary info in the question; comments are not permanent. – Andy Bonner Dec 06 '23 at 21:30
  • Does this answer your question? Ice is melted in the water – Andy Bonner Dec 06 '23 at 22:04
  • @MichaelHarvey Then, is "a circle is divided in two in the picture" correct? –  Dec 07 '23 at 11:56
  • @MichaelHarvey I think it's possible even though there's no circle. –  Dec 07 '23 at 11:57
  • As it stands, this isn't a question about learning English, but a proofreading request, which is off-topic on this site. Please edit your question to be about learning some aspect of English. You have asked a nearly identical question here about ice. We still don't know what you want to learn. Passive voice? Simple present? How to describe pictures that show the result of a process? – gotube Dec 07 '23 at 20:37

3 Answers3

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I would say so. The circle clearly was a circle and now it is split in half, or halved, as you put it. That seems accurate to me. :)

Teslaaa
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    You don't know that it was a circle. The question is unclear. It might be about geometry, but it is more likely something that the OP is hiding. So I don't think an answer is very useful. – James K Nov 22 '23 at 22:00
  • @JamesK It was a circle. Can I say "The circle is cut in half"? –  Dec 06 '23 at 18:25
  • @JamesK The OP clearly stated that it was a circle before he divided it in half.... – Lambie Dec 06 '23 at 19:16
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    @Lambie My point is that we can't answer the question because we don't know what the problem that the OP is facing. You can't "describe the picture" as "A circle is cut in half". That passive clause is equal to "Someone cuts a circle in half", which isn't a description of a picture. – James K Dec 06 '23 at 21:06
  • I think from all he has said, it is pretty clear. – Lambie Dec 06 '23 at 21:08
  • Clear as mud. But I've put an answer since the community has decided that I'm wrong about closing this question. – James K Dec 06 '23 at 21:10
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Your passive voice statement "A circle is cut in half." is equivalent to the active voice "Someone cuts a circle in half." This is a simple present sentence that states something as a general truth and isn't a description of a picture.

To describe the picture you'd say something like "This diagram shows a circle that has been cut in half".

The relative clause uses a perfect "has been cut". You should use the perfect to describe present states resulting from past events.

James K
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The core misconception here, as some of your other questions, is in the claim "There is no circle." Yes there is. The shape on the screen might not be a circle, but any reasonable person can intuitively identify the idea of a circle to be similar and relevant to the object. You can not reasonably say "this giraffe has been cut in half," and then when questioned, explain that the drawing used to be a giraffe, but then you erased it and drew these two semicircles. That would reference an idea that is not immediately evident. But the idea of a circle is easily suggested by this picture. (Just as a strawberry is suggested by this one or ice is suggested by this one, even if cropped to show only the glass in which it had melted.) To sum up some of the answers to many of your recent questions:

  • We can discuss non-existent objects, abstract concepts, and imaginary ideas.
  • The tangibility or reality of a topic is not primarily dictated by the language we use for it. The choice of "a," "the," or "this" does not make something real or not-real; rather, context does. The phrase "this unicorn" does not mean that unicorns are real, and "this circle" (or "a circle" or "the circle") is valid as long as it is clear what you are talking about. If it's not clear, then it's not a good idea, and changing the article can't help.
  • We can discuss not-real things (and symbols, and representations) using the same grammar as we do for real things. This in itself is not misleading, unless the overall meaning of our content starts to claim reality for it.
Andy Bonner
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  • Then, in "a circle is cut in half" "a circle" is a concept? –  Dec 07 '23 at 06:02
  • Andy, "a circle is cut in half" "a circle" is hypothetical? –  Dec 07 '23 at 11:52
  • Well, some might argue that every time we talk about "a circle" we talk about the concept of a circle. But that's semiotics, not English-for-learners. But I think there are some who would say that there is a circle in that picture. It depends how strict a context we're using. It's not a true geometric circle, but "circle" is the easily-identifiable common thing that it most closely suggests. It's more "a circle" than it is "a triangle." If you showed this to a child and asked if it's a circle, they might say yes, and so might an adult if we're being quick and "careless." – Andy Bonner Dec 07 '23 at 15:09
  • @Collins Furthermore: Like your "ice" questions, the phrase "a circle is cut in half" implies a previous not-pictured state. Some here have suggested "has been cut in half," but really it works the same way even if you use "is": It makes a slight, maybe even unconscious, suggestion of a different image, one that is not cut in half. So we have two ways of looking at this: one, which is not too precise, says that this is still "a circle" right now, even bisected. Another imagines a hypothetical pre-bisected circle, but yes, even in that hypothetical way, it's okay to say "a circle." – Andy Bonner Dec 07 '23 at 15:12
  • @Collins I think that's why some are getting so frustrated by these questions. There's a common-sense way of looking at objects and identifying them that some of these questions seem to ignore. It seems intentionally obtuse to insist that "this is not a circle," or that the planter "is not a strawberry," or to suggest that those who identify them as such are wrong to do so. – Andy Bonner Dec 07 '23 at 15:14
  • You're a genius. –  Dec 07 '23 at 16:07