Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Confusing Words

AS


as... as as adverb / preposition

Look at this example:

  • He came as quickly as he could.

This structure is used to measure and compare things that are of similar proportion. In this construction, the first as functions as an adverb modifying the following adjective or adverb. The second as functions as a preposition when it relates to the following noun or pronoun. (It can also function as a conjunction when it relates to the following clause.)

Compare the following:

  • The meal was as good as the conversation: spicy and invigorating!
  • She spoke as slowly as she could
  • Has everybody eaten as much as they want?
  • I hope you will agree that I am as imaginative a cook as my wife (is)!

Note from the above example that if there is an adjective and a noun after the first as, a / an must go between them. Note also that if we want to make a negative statement, we can use so…as instead of as…as:

  • He is not so / as intelligent as his sister is.
  • The cafeteria was not so / as crowded as it was earlier.

There are a large number of idiomatic expressions or fixed phrases which we use in informal English when we are making comparisons like this. Here are a few of them in context:

  • He went as white as a sheet when he saw the ghost.
  • My maths teacher is as deaf as a post and should have retired years ago.
  • She sat there as quiet as a mouse and wouldn’t say anything.
  • Electricity will be restored to our homes as soon as possible.
  • All the children were as good as gold when they came to visit me.
  • These stories are as old as the hills and have been passed down from generation to generation.

Remember that when we are measuring or comparing things that are of unequal proportion, we need to use the structure comparative + than:

  • Let me finish the report. I can type much faster than you (can). He played the piece of music more slowly than I had ever heard it played before.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Friday, October 10, 2008

Confusing Words

FAULTS, FLAWS, WEAKNESSES AND DRAWBACKS


Faults

Fault is not so much used to talk about someone’s character. Instead we talk about electrical, mechanical or technical faults:

There was a fault in the wiring, and I had no idea how to correct it.There was a delay in the broadcast of the programme, and this was due to a technical fault.A mechanical fault caused the train to come off the rails.

A fault then describes a weakness in something, primarily. But sometimes it is used to describe a weakness in someone’s character:

She has her faults, but, on the whole, she’s a nice person.We all have our own faults, I suppose.

We also have the frequently used expression: It’s (not) my/your/his/etc fault. This is a more idiomatic way of saying: I am (not) to blame or I am (not) responsible (for this unfortunate situation).

It’s not my fault he’s late. Don’t blame me.I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I forgot to pass on the message.If you don’t get enough sleep, it’s entirely your own fault.It was partly the teacher’s fault for giving them too much homework.