TransWikia.com

Meaning of 'That seems to be it' in context

English Language & Usage Asked by Zaxixiy on August 14, 2021

Read the passage and answer the question below

John: Have you ever done any of these extramural courses before?
Amy: No don’t think so although I did do something on psychodrama once but no it wasn’t extramural was it?
John: That seems to be it.

Question: Previous extramural courses attended by Amy:_____

I put psychodrama there as I thought John said that psychodrama seems to be a extramural course, but the answer says it should be ‘no’. I am always confused with tag questions and do not understand what ‘That seems to be it’ means.

3 Answers

In this context, the phrase "That seems to be it" means a positive answer. The verb seems is used to say that someone or something, in the subjective opinion, has certain qualities. Seem is the stative verb and is never used in the Continuous form. Seem is also a linking verb, that is, it does not denote a specific action, but connects words in a sentence. When seem appears in a sentence as a linking verb, it is usually followed by an adjective, less often a noun.

For example:

This task seems difficult.

In addition to personal sentences with the word seem, you can build impersonal sentences. They can start with either it seems or there seems. In impersonal sentences, there is no specific character.

For example:

It seems that she won’t come.

It seems like he is going to move to Moscow.

In addition to personal sentences with the word seem, you can build impersonal sentences. They can start with either it seems or there seems. In impersonal sentences, there is no specific character.

For example:

It seems that she won’t come.

It seems like he is going to move to Canada.

There are two parts in these sentences, one is the main one - impersonal with (it seems), and the other is a subordinate clause. And these two parts are connected by such words as that, as if, as though and like, they are translated as “what, if” or may not be directly translated into Russian at all. These words can be used interchangeably. The combination it seems like is the most informal.

The words that/as if/as though and like can be omitted if desired. Thus, everything will remain exactly the same in the sentence, but these words will not be there.

For example:

It seems to me that he is an honest man. It seems to me that he is an honest man.

Let's remove that, we get:

It seems to me he is an honest man. He seems to be an honest man.

If it is necessary to clarify in an impersonal sentence that something seemed to someone, then the sentence will be built according to the scheme: it + seem (in the required form) + to + pronoun, proper noun, or noun.

For example:

It seems to me that I have lost my keys. I feel like I lost my keys.

There seem (in the proper form) is used when it is necessary to say that something has happened or if a fact is true.

For example:

There seemed to be a lot of food in the fridge. There seemed to be a lot of food in the refrigerator.

Using there seems or it seems allows you to soften the statements, make them more polite.

Seem is used in conjunction with the verb can. Usually this construction sounds like can’t (in the past couldn’t) seem to do something. It is used when it is necessary to say that something cannot be done, despite the attempts.

For example:

We can't seem to repair this computer. We cannot fix this computer.

Answered by Paula Evans on August 14, 2021

In this case, I would consider "That seems to be it" as an affirmation of the fact that psychodrama is not an extramural course. If you consider "That seems to be it" to be analogous to "That seems to be the case", it clears things up quite a bit.

As an example,
Mr Jones had had the card all along.
That seems to be the case.

Answered by shattereddonuts on August 14, 2021

Since Amy has already said, in effect, No, the phrase “That seems to be it” is an interview ender, and means that all the questions have been asked.

Given that this is ambiguous, that choice is likely, as “That seems to be it” or some variant of it is frequently used this way.

John and Amy seem to agree that psychodrama is not extramural.

Answered by Xanne on August 14, 2021

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question

Get help from others!

© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP