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What is the difference between "it is common to be sleepy" and "it is common that one is sleepy"?

I am not sure whether the sentences are equal.

In all likelihood, the first sentence ("it is common to be sleepy") is more similar to "it is common that everybody can be sleepy", isn't it?

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    Yes, you can replace those two. The second one is much more formal though.
    – Alex K
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 18:48
  • If I understand you well all this sentences are semantically identical. So thanks for help.
    – Anton Marinin
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 18:58
  • The last sentence of your post is grammatically correct, but logically incorrect/awkward, so stay away from that one...
    – Alex K
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 19:09
  • What is the reason why the last sentence is awkward? Is it because I am using "everybody" instead of "somebody"?
    – Anton Marinin
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 19:21
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    It doesn't make very much sense to say "everybody can be sleepy". Firstly, everybody means, well, every single person. I don't think you mean that every single person on earth gets sleepy at once. It would be more natural to say anybody. Secondly, can means ability or possibility. What does it mean to say "it is common that everyone has the possibility of being sleepy"? Either they have the possibility, or they don't. Thirdly, when we're speaking of hypotheticals, we usually use could, not can, as in "Michael could be sleeping right now."
    – stangdon
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 19:40

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Yes, "it is common to be sleepy" and "it is common that one is sleepy" have essentially the same meaning. In this usage, "one" is an impersonal or generic pronoun that just means "any person". It tends to sound very formal, though.

"It is common that everybody can be sleepy" doesn't really make sense in English for a few reasons. "Everybody" is not the same as anybody or somebody: everybody essentially means "all people". You probably don't mean that all people are sleepy at once. If you mean "any person", anybody or anyone would be a better choice. Also, the word "can" is used to refer to possibility or ability, as in "I can run very fast" or "the baker can deliver the cake tomorrow". It doesn't really make sense to say it is common that everyone has the ability. When referring to a hypothetical, it's more common to use could or might, as in "Michael could be asleep by now" or "I might fall asleep soon". If you really want to use a phrase something like the third option, I would use something like "Anyone might be sleepy".

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  • Although I agree that "anybody" sounds more natural than "everybody," I still don't see how "everybody can be sleepy" translates to "all people get sleepy at once." I think "everybody can be sleepy" means "all people can get sleepy at some time or another," which is probably a true statement.
    – J.R. ♦
    Commented Dec 18, 2015 at 0:09
  • @J.R. - Hm, that's a good point; perhaps I phrased things too strongly. It's just that "everybody" sounds unnatural with "can", I suppose, particularly in this case. In the sentence "Everyone gets sleepy sometimes" it sounds more natural.
    – stangdon
    Commented Dec 18, 2015 at 5:52

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