When A Man Loves A Woman

• By: Percy Sledge

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to have a strong feeling of affection for someone noun - an intense feeling of affection
woman /ˈwʊmən/ A1	noun - an adult female human being
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - to be desired or approved of
bad /bæd/ A1	adjective - of poor quality or a low standard
friend /frend/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
dime /daɪm/ B1	noun - a US coin worth ten cents
needs /niːdz/ A2	noun - something required because it is essential or very important verb - require (something) because it is essential or very important
comforts /ˈkʌmfərts/ B2	noun - a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint
rain /reɪn/ A1	noun - moisture condensed from the atmosphere that falls visibly in separate drops
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to have a strong feeling of affection for someone
precious /ˈpreʃəs/ B2	adjective - of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal
misery /ˈmɪzəri/ B2	noun - a state or feeling of great physical or mental distress or discomfort
fool /fuːl/ B1	noun - a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs that detect light

Grammar:

• When a man *love* a woman

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement (with a conditional nuance). While grammatically incorrect in standard English (should be "loves"), it's used for emphasis and to fit the song's rhythm and emotional tone.

  ➔ The verb "love" should be "loves" because the subject "a man" is singular. The usage here adds a folksy, more emotional feel. It's as if the conditional 'if' is implied: *if* a man loves a woman.

• Can't keep his mind on *nothin'* else

  ➔ Double negative. 'Nothin' ' is already a negative, so adding 'can't' makes it technically positive. However, it's used colloquially for emphasis.

  ➔ The sentence means he can't think about anything else. The double negative isn't grammatically correct but adds emphasis and a casual tone to the song. Correct grammar would be: 'Can't keep his mind on *anything* else', or 'Can keep his mind on *nothing* else'.

• If she *is* bad, he can't see it

  ➔ Conditional Clause Type 0/1. Simple present tense in the 'if' clause shows a general truth or a likely situation.

  ➔ This is a conditional sentence where the consequence is likely to happen if the condition is met. If the woman *is* bad, even then, the man cannot see it.

• He'd give up all his comforts

  ➔ Conditional 'would' ('d) + infinitive ('give'). Used to express a hypothetical situation or a willingness to do something under certain conditions.

  ➔ "He'd" is a contraction of "He would". It shows a strong willingness or hypothetical action. In this context, it describes the extreme measures a man in love is willing to take.

• If she *said* that's the way it ought to be

  ➔ Past subjunctive (implied). While "said" is past simple, the overall sentence construction creates a hypothetical scenario with "ought to be" adding to the hypothetical nature.

  ➔ The sentence implies 'If she *were to say*'. 'Ought to be' expresses an expectation or a moral obligation. The entire phrase sets up a hypothetical situation about what the woman desires.

• She can bring him such *misery*

  ➔ Use of 'such' as an intensifier. 'Such + adjective + noun' emphasizes the degree or extent of the misery.

  ➔ 'Such misery' implies a significant amount of misery, more than just a little. It highlights the potential depth of pain that a woman can cause a man who loves her.

• Lovi*n'* eyes can never see

  ➔ Gerund used as an adjective (participle adjective). The present participle 'loving' is used to describe 'eyes'.

  ➔ 'Loving eyes' are eyes that are full of love. The '-ing' form is acting as an adjective describing the eyes.