Be Known To, As, For or By? | English Grammar

6,036 views ・ 2023-10-27

English with Jennifer


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

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Hi everyone. I'm Jennifer from English  with Jennifer. Did you know that when  
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I first started on YouTube my channel name was  JenniferESL? I later changed it, but even now to  
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some older viewers, I'm known as JenniferESL. It's  interesting to think of all the names we've used  
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over our lifetime. Sometimes an official form,  like a passport application, will ask us if we've  
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ever been known by other names. And this makes  sense if we've changed our name due to marriage,  
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adoption, or some other life event. Isn't it  interesting to think how we're known to different  
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people by different names? When I was a kid,  from about 3rd grade to 8th grade, I was known  
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as Jenny. That was my my nickname. In high school,  my friends called me Jen. To my brothers, I'm Jenn  
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with two n's, by the way. Recently, a viewer asked  me about prepositions that follow the passive verb  
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"be known." It may be surprising to see variations  because when you learn to form the passive voice,  
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you mostly practice using by-phrases to name  the agent, that is, the doer of the action.  
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For example: I was given a first name and a middle  name by my parents. Who were the agents, the doer  
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of the action? My parents. The by-phrase names  them. Given by my parents. But we don't always  
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use "by" with passive verbs. First of all, we can  omit the by-phrase when it's not important, when  
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it's not necessary, or when it's impossible to  name the agent. I was given a nickname at school.  
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It's not really important to say who came up with  the nickname. I was named after a famous actress.  
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Isn't it obvious who named me? My parents. The  name Jennifer was created long ago. Who came  
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up with the name? It's practically impossible to  state the agent. Second, we have stative passive  
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verbs that often use a preposition other than  "by." Be composed of, be located in, be filled  
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with. These are just some examples. We don't use a  by-phrase because no one and nothing is receiving  
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an action. We're simply describing a state. You  can watch my other grammar lesson on stative  
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passive verbs to learn more. In this video, let's  practice the different combinations with "be  
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known." I told you that I'm known to older viewers  as JenniferESL. Why "to"? I use "to" to name who  
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knows me. It's like saying I'm familiar to them.  I use "as" to state the name they associate with  
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me. JenniferESL is the same channel as English  with Jennifer. And I gave the example that,  
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to some of my childhood friends, I'm still known  as Jenny. So, different name, but same person. So,  
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when do I use "by"? We can use "by" to state the  means, the means by which someone is known. They  
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can be known by another name, known by their last  name, known by their first name, known by their  
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middle name, known by their stage name -- the name  which they use when they perform. Do you know who  
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Norma Jean Mortenson is? Maybe not. That's because  she's better known as Marilyn Monroe. She's known  
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to pretty much everyone by her stage name, not  her birth name. Some celebrities are known by  
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their real names as well as special titles.  Elvis Presley is also known as The King of Rock  
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and Roll. Michael Jackson is known as The King of  Pop. Who is known as The Queen of Pop? Madonna. Do  
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you know Lady Gaga? Is that her real name or her  stage name? Stefani Germanotta (aka Lady Gaga) is  
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one of the most talented female artists today.  "Aka" is a common abbreviation that we say and  
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write. It stands for "also known as." We could  also say "otherwise known as." Do you think you  
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can identify famous people by their stage name  or a pen name? A pen name is a different name,  
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a fake name that an author uses. Here's a  3-question quiz. We'll start with an easy one.  
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One. Robyn Rihanna Fenty is not known to many by  her first name. Why? She goes by her middle name.
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Rihanna. Two. Eric Marlon Bishop, known  professionally as ...has enjoyed success  
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as an actor, singer, and comedian. His talent was  on full display when he played Ray Charles in the  
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film Ray (2004). Answer: Jamie Foxx. Three.  Samuel Clemens (aka ...) wrote The Adventures  
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of Huckleberry Finn. Answer: Mark Twain. Four.  This is a bonus because it involves a fictitious  
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character. The British spy... is otherwise known  by his code name 00.7 The answer: James Bond. Mark  
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Twain, by the way, was known for his humor.  He's one of the most famous American authors.  
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Personally, I enjoy the work of James Thurber  more. Thurber was also known for creating humor,  
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but he saw it in funny places, like in the  context of marriage. We use "known for" to  
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name the quality, feature, or skill that makes  a person or place memorable. Hawaii is known  
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for its beautiful beaches. New England is  known for its cold winters. What is your  
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hometown known for? Tell me in the comments.  Here's a final quiz. Name the city or country  
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based on my hint. One. This beautiful European  capital is known as the City of Light. Paris,  
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France. Two. Another European capital city  is known for its canals and art, including  
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works by Van Gogh and Rembrandt. Amsterdam in the  Netherlands. Three. Visitors flock to see Machu  
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Picchu up in the Andes, but the capital city  of this country is also known for its beauty,  
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history, and culture. Lima, Peru. Four. This  island country and city-state is known for having  
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the world's best airport. It even has a waterfall  and a butterfly garden! Singapore. By the way,  
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there's another variation we can consider  here. We can say this island country and  
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city-state is known to have the world's best  airport. We can use "known" + an infinitive.
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Do you want to quiz me and other viewers  on famous people and places? Go ahead and  
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write your own question. You have to use  "known" + a preposition. That's all for  
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now. Please like and share the video if  you found the lesson useful. Remember.  
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You can join my channel as a member if you'd  like to participate in the next monthly live  
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stream and support my channel. Thank you to all  current members. As always, thank you, everyone,  
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for watching and I wish you happy studies!  Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter,  
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and Patreon. And don't forget to subscribe  here on YouTube. Turn on those notifications.
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