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Imagine a couple who are watching a movie at the theater and in the middle of the film man starts to move his head right and left. Wife asks him: "What's wrong?!" Why are you moving your head that way?"

The husband answers:

  • I can’t see the movie because that woman’s hat is in the way.

  • I can’t see the movie because that woman’s hat has blocked my way.

Which one of the above-mentioned sentences sounds natural to you? If no one works properly, then please let me know how would a native speaker say it?

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  • The first one. The second one, I'd say, "because it's blocking me" or "because it's blocking my view." Feb 8, 2017 at 11:13
  • Your second sentence, “blocked my way”, would be used when something is preventing you from moving forwards yourself, and not where the object was simply blocking your view. For example: “ I can’t move my car out of my driveway because another car is parked across the entrance, blocking my way”. Mar 20, 2018 at 10:00

1 Answer 1

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Bothe of your sentences are understandable and correct.

that woman's hat is in the way.

might also be expressed as

that woman's hat is in my way.

this could also be said if the hat was on the floor blocking the path of the speaker.

that woman's hat is blocking my view.

is unambiguous and what a native would also say to explain the problem.

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