Is there a linguist in the house?
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**Fill in** and **fill out** are both correct, but are a bit informal. In a technical manual I would use something like: * Please **complete** this questionnaire. * Please **answer** this questionnaire. * Please **respond to** this questionnaire. * Can you **explain** the details to me? * Can you **update** me on the details? etc.
Yvan Rodrigues wrote:
Please answer this questionnaire.
It did not ask me a question, it is a list of questions.
Yvan Rodrigues wrote:
Please respond to this questionnaire.
My old English teach would ask what kind of response I'd be expecting from the piece of paper :) I could respond to your request to fill out the form. You can fill out the form by filling in your answer to each question.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)
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So whenever I'm writing I often wonder about all kinds of small and silly language details. I just wondered what the (more?) correct translation of the Dutch word 'ingevuld' is. My first thought was 'fill out' (as in "can you fill out this questionnaire?"). Then I though 'fill in' (as in "can you fill in this questionnaire?"). Google Translate just gives me 'fill' when I give it 'invullen'. I think both are correct even though 'in' and 'out' are each others opposites... Of course 'fill in' can also be used in the following sentence: "Can you fill me in on the details?", where 'fill out' would be a no-go: "Can you fill me out on the details?". Any ideas on what I should use? In or out?
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
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**Fill in** and **fill out** are both correct, but are a bit informal. In a technical manual I would use something like: * Please **complete** this questionnaire. * Please **answer** this questionnaire. * Please **respond to** this questionnaire. * Can you **explain** the details to me? * Can you **update** me on the details? etc.
Yvan Rodrigues wrote:
Please complete this questionnaire.
I've already completed it. All I need is for the user to fill it in/out :)
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
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http://www.in-n-out.com/ It was a popular thing, when they sold bumper stickers, to remove the "B" and the "R". ;) Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project!
Marc Clifton wrote:
to remove the "B" and the "R"
In-N-Out uge :confused:
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
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Though I've been called a cunning linguist by some, the only answer I can think of at this time is, "complete."
Will Rogers never met me.
I won't be complete until I know the difference between fill in and fill out and why two opposites are used for the same thing :D
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
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What is the difference between filling out and filling in a questionnaire? It is "ingevuld", "filled in".
Sander Rossel wrote:
I think both are correct even though 'in' and 'out' are each others opposites...
As you already said yourself, 'fill out on details' is a no go - spoken language is not coherently logical.
Sander Rossel wrote:
In or out?
Throw 'filled out' into GTrans and have your answer.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)
Eddy Vluggen wrote:
Throw 'filled out' into GTrans and have your answer.
Now do the same with "filled in" :laugh:
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
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"Fill in" really means "put down so there's nothing wanting". So there's a great amount of leeway left to chance in the directive. This is not a lecture but you shouldn't let your mind wander in this way. Concentrate.
RedDk wrote:
This is not a lecture but you shouldn't let your mind wander in this way. Concentrate.
I was concentrating on my writing. So much even that I started to wonder what would be better, in or out? And then I set off to find out about it. Or did I find it in? Now that's dedicated writing! :laugh:
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
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Yvan Rodrigues wrote:
Please complete this questionnaire.
I've already completed it. All I need is for the user to fill it in/out :)
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
LOL. As someone who writes **a lot**, English is definitely a quirky language.
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Marc Clifton wrote:
to remove the "B" and the "R"
In-N-Out uge :confused:
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
Sander Rossel wrote:
In-N-Out uge
See? This is what happens when the customer does not provide sufficiently detailed specs. Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project!
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Eddy Vluggen wrote:
Throw 'filled out' into GTrans and have your answer.
Now do the same with "filled in" :laugh:
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
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So whenever I'm writing I often wonder about all kinds of small and silly language details. I just wondered what the (more?) correct translation of the Dutch word 'ingevuld' is. My first thought was 'fill out' (as in "can you fill out this questionnaire?"). Then I though 'fill in' (as in "can you fill in this questionnaire?"). Google Translate just gives me 'fill' when I give it 'invullen'. I think both are correct even though 'in' and 'out' are each others opposites... Of course 'fill in' can also be used in the following sentence: "Can you fill me in on the details?", where 'fill out' would be a no-go: "Can you fill me out on the details?". Any ideas on what I should use? In or out?
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
This is a question of preference by location. Yanks tend to use Fill Out Poms tend to use Fill In I would suggest that "Fill In" is strictly more correct as "fill out" is just nonsense. Best definition I cold find of Fill Out was "to extend or enlarge to the desired limit; to make complete" (Websters) Which explains its use as in "Sean fills out the dress" and you can see how it could be used to suggest extending the contents of a form to complete it. Fill In on the other hand, is "to enrich with detail" Which is why you can "fill someone in" on the results of the enquiry.
PooperPig - Coming Soon
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So whenever I'm writing I often wonder about all kinds of small and silly language details. I just wondered what the (more?) correct translation of the Dutch word 'ingevuld' is. My first thought was 'fill out' (as in "can you fill out this questionnaire?"). Then I though 'fill in' (as in "can you fill in this questionnaire?"). Google Translate just gives me 'fill' when I give it 'invullen'. I think both are correct even though 'in' and 'out' are each others opposites... Of course 'fill in' can also be used in the following sentence: "Can you fill me in on the details?", where 'fill out' would be a no-go: "Can you fill me out on the details?". Any ideas on what I should use? In or out?
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
A coder tends to use "fill in" but a manager want it to be "fill out"ed ...?
Find more in vertical search portal[^]. Email searcher Email Aggregation Manager[^].
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A coder tends to use "fill in" but a manager want it to be "fill out"ed ...?
Find more in vertical search portal[^]. Email searcher Email Aggregation Manager[^].
When in doubt, use "complete". The reader can then make her own interpretation. Bobby
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Now try "ox boll". ;P
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
fuzzy duck?
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So whenever I'm writing I often wonder about all kinds of small and silly language details. I just wondered what the (more?) correct translation of the Dutch word 'ingevuld' is. My first thought was 'fill out' (as in "can you fill out this questionnaire?"). Then I though 'fill in' (as in "can you fill in this questionnaire?"). Google Translate just gives me 'fill' when I give it 'invullen'. I think both are correct even though 'in' and 'out' are each others opposites... Of course 'fill in' can also be used in the following sentence: "Can you fill me in on the details?", where 'fill out' would be a no-go: "Can you fill me out on the details?". Any ideas on what I should use? In or out?
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
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Hi Sander, In Afrikaans we also use "invul". But the more correct Afrikaans would be "voltooi" for a form of some sort. So I would go with "complete" for a questionnaire. So it is probably going to depend on the context :) Regards, Eben
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I won't be complete until I know the difference between fill in and fill out and why two opposites are used for the same thing :D
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
The phrases "fill in" and "fill out" are idiomatic in English. The word idiomatic is the linguistic weasel term for "beats the crap out of us why it's this way".
Software Zen:
delete this; -
The phrases "fill in" and "fill out" are idiomatic in English. The word idiomatic is the linguistic weasel term for "beats the crap out of us why it's this way".
Software Zen:
delete this;Gary R. Wheeler wrote:
The word idiomatic is the linguistic weasel term for "beats the crap out of us why it's this way".
:laugh: :thumbsup:
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
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fuzzy duck?
Highlighting the importance of the comma: Peter helped his uncle Jack off a horse
Dave
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So whenever I'm writing I often wonder about all kinds of small and silly language details. I just wondered what the (more?) correct translation of the Dutch word 'ingevuld' is. My first thought was 'fill out' (as in "can you fill out this questionnaire?"). Then I though 'fill in' (as in "can you fill in this questionnaire?"). Google Translate just gives me 'fill' when I give it 'invullen'. I think both are correct even though 'in' and 'out' are each others opposites... Of course 'fill in' can also be used in the following sentence: "Can you fill me in on the details?", where 'fill out' would be a no-go: "Can you fill me out on the details?". Any ideas on what I should use? In or out?
Visit my blog at Sander's bits - Writing the code you need. Or read my articles at my CodeProject profile.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. — Edsger W. Dijkstra
Regards, Sander
I think these are idiomatic phrases; there's no particular sense to the meaning of the specific words as an entity; native speakers have developed this phrase over time which people just understand the meaning. So, there's not a way to take phrase 1 from Dutch and translate it word-for-word; it's more about figuring out the context and replacing the entire phrase. I was told by a Dutchie a couple years ago about 'kip' and playing cards like a chicken, but it didn't mean afraid like English would take chicken. I can't remember exactly, but it was more like being nonsensical.
