Mean

• By: Taylor Swift

Lyrics:

Grammar:

• You, with your words like knives

  ➔ Prepositional phrase (with your words like knives)

  ➔ Shows the manner in which the words are used, using the preposition "with" to connect the subject and the descriptive phrase.

• But you don't know what you don't know

  ➔ Negative present simple with auxiliary "do not" + base verb

  ➔ Uses auxiliary "do" + "not" to negate the verb "know" in the present simple tense, emphasizing the statement.

• Someday, I'll be livin' in a big old city

  ➔ Futur Simple with "will" + base verb, contracted as "I'll"

  ➔ Expresses a future intention or plan, using "will" + base form of the verb, with the contraction "I'll" for "I will".

• You have pointed out my flaws again

  ➔ Present perfect tense with "have" + past participle

  ➔ Indicates an action that has been completed at some point before now, emphasizing relevance to the present.

• And you don't know what you don't know

  ➔ Nested negative clauses with "don't" + base verb

  ➔ Uses multiple negative clauses to emphasize the paradoxical idea that the person is unaware of their own ignorance.

• And all you're ever gonna be is mean

  ➔ Future continuous with "gonna" (informal for "going to") + base verb

  ➔ Expresses a planned or inevitable future state using informal contraction "gonna" with "be" + adjective or noun complement.