Is "They cannot seem to understand" proper English?

[thedaveformula]

I've typed the line "They cannot seem to understand the nature of the problem", it rolled off the tongue, but I'm analysing it and I don't see how it can make any sense. Shouldn't it be "It seems they cannot understand ..."

[Count-A-Strong]

They seem ubable to understand the nature of the problem (?)

[Bbbananas]

Why do the words Dirk Gently & Latex Gloves together conjure up a Doctor-In-The-House style Carry On film?
Is it my mind?.................

[Bbbananas]

Bugger - wrong thread.........!!! Sorry Arts & Lit people.... :-(

[Calibax]

You are right, it should either be 'It seems they cannot understand.. ' or 'They do not seem to understand..'

[swedeheart]

And yet I'm sure I've often heard it spoken just like that, in the Queen's English - on the television, lol. I live in Sweden and I'm Swedish so don't trust me too much:) But I know I've heard it often enough and as I was reading your question I sort of heard someone like Stephen Fry saying it in my head... and he should know! ;-) Might it not have something to do with the etymology of the word seem? One of the meanings of 'to seem' has been 'to conform', so could it originally have meant something like "they are unwilling to/incapable of conform(ing)?

[Bambiagain]

I think if you say "They cannot seem to understand..." it puts more stress on the fact that that they are not able, or willing, to understand, than merely saying "It seems they cannot...", which implies that someone thinks they cannot understand. Does that make sense?

[swedeheart]

Does to me Bambiagain, that's exactly the way I "hear" it. (But, again, it's not my lingo.)

[Quizmonster]

'Seem' here surely means appear or give the appearance of. Now, anyone CAN 'give the appearance of' understanding something although they haven't a clue what is really going on! Consequently, the sentence in the question is not really correct and I don't see how it can make any sense either. They do not seem to understand...ie 'As I look at them, I see no signs of comprehension'... is OK.

[jno]

as Quizmonster suggests, "can" really goes with "understand" (or "not understand", to be more accurate) rather than with "seem". I think this is a fairly common way of putting it, and I expect everyone would know what you meant, but technically it should probably be "It seems they cannot understand" or "They seem unable to understand".

[swedeheart]

Huh. I'm so surprised. Could it be it's an American turn of phrase? When I google the exact phrase "cannot seem to" I get 33 000 000 hits. No doubt 33 million people can still be wrong, but could it also be just simply American? For me as a Swede it's not always easy to know what's what.

[Quizmonster]

I googled the phrase you suggested, SH, and here is the relevant part of the very first site listed..."I know the solution to my problem must be simple, but I cannot seem to get it right."
It's pretty clear to me that what the poster means is "...it seems I cannot get it right."
As my earlier answer showed and JNO suggested above, it's a question of which verb - seem or get - has to be attached to the idea of 'cannot'. Obviously, it's the 'getting' that cannot be achieved, not the 'seeming', so the sentences on the site and in the question are simply wrong...senseless, even.

I have no intention of checking the remaining 32,999,999 sites!

[scotman]

If talking proper, like, I would go with 'they seem not to understand.......'

[swedeheart]

QM why I should I believe you unless you first go through those 32,999,999 search hits ;-) Seriously though if it seems like I'm arguing, I'm not - I'm just trying to understand how my misconception has formed. If asked to put it in a sentence to exemplify I would have made up something like "I've told them over and over again but they cannot seem to understand that the carrot cake wrapped in the ABBA serviette is off-limits!" They will not get it through their thick heads and it's possible that they don't even want to.

Again, could it be American?

[Bambiagain]

I have to agree with you, Swedeheart. That is my interpretation as well.

[swedeheart]

Show me your passport Bambi;-)

[mike11111]

'They cannot seem to understand'
This is incorrect English, as Quizm has pointed out, although the meaning will be generally understood. They don't seem to understand, however, is OK in my book, meaning They don't appear to understand.

[swedeheart]

Look, folks (<<just winding the Britons up;-) I do understand what you're saying, again I'm just trying to understand the basis of how my (mis)conception has formed. Is there not a bloody American in the house when you need one;-) ?

[Bambiagain]

Are you checking my right of abode, Swedeheart? My UK passport holds also my (by now very scruffy) papers saying I'm allowed to live in Germany!

[scotman]

Hi Swedeheart

I have to pitch in the side of QM here & JNO here.

I also cannot seem to understand how your misconception arose. You are usually better than this.

[swedeheart]

Ha ha Bambi not being British myself I was just wondering if you too have "foreign ears".