Express

Express Express Express By Maeve Maddox A reader has a question about the use of the transitive verb express: Is there something wrong with a phrase like this: He expressed that he was tired? It seems odd to me, but I cant figure out why or if Im just off base. It seems like you could say, He expressed the idea that he was tired. Yes, the sense is slightly different, but is one right and the other wrong? Is the issue that express is a transitive verb? The literal meaning of the verb express is â€Å"to press or squeeze out.† For example: Water may be expressed from a wet towel by twisting the towel. Breast milk may be expressed manually or with a mechanical device. Amorphous metal tapes are produced by expressing a metallic melt in a supply container through at least one nozzle opening. Express has more than one figurative use. In one sense, express is â€Å"to portray† or â€Å"to represent,† either physically or symbolically. For example, artists express the human figure in drawing and in sculpture; mathematicians express one quantity in terms of another quantity. Express can mean, â€Å"to manifest or reveal by external tokens.† For example, â€Å"Ancient Roman aqueducts still in use express the genius of Roman engineering.† Another meaning of express is â€Å"to put into words†: True wit is nature to advantage dressed, What oft was thought, but neer so well expressed.- Essay in Criticism, Alexander Pope This meaning of express is also used reflexively, as in the titles of songs by Madonna and Ice Cube: â€Å"Express Yourself,† i.e, â€Å"say what you think.† These definitions do not exhaust the uses of express, but they do bring us back to the reader’s question: â€Å"Is there something wrong with a phrase like this: ‘He expressed that he was tired?’ † The answer is â€Å"Yes, there’s something wrong.† It’s not idiomatic. Express is transitive, but that is not the problem. Other transitive verbs, like say and admit, can take a noun clause as their objects: He says that he was there, but I did not see him. (noun clause, direct object of says) I admit that I was wrong. (noun clause, direct object of admit) When express takes a direct object, however, the object cannot be a clause. For that reason, the reader’s first example (He expressed that he was tired) â€Å"sounds wrong,† but the second example (He expressed the idea that he was tired) â€Å"sounds right.† Why? It’s a matter of idiom. I can only say with Professor Brians (Common Errors in English Usage), You can express an idea or a thought, but you can’t ever  express that.    Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite AdjectivesBetween vs. In BetweenWhen Is a Question Not a Question?