over there /there

[WUKEN]

Hello, teachers:
I am wondering what's the difference between "over there" and "there."
May I have your clarification?
Thanks a lot!

[pyoung]

Dear WUKEN:

Originally Posted by WUKEN

Hello, teachers:
I am wondering what's the difference between "over there" and "there."
May I have your clarification?
Thanks a lot!

'Over there' usually implies that whatever is 'over there' is at some (widely variable) distance.

'Where did you leave the car?'
'Over there by the trees.'

Of course, the reply could just as easily be, 'There by the trees,' with very little change in meaning, so there are also elements of style and habit.

I hope this is helpful,

Petra

[WUKEN]

I see!
Thanks a lot! Petra !

[soutter]

In a phrase, none at all semantically.

"I am over there" is as good as "I am there" or "I am up there", "I am down there".

Of course, there is the matter of idiom and the Anglophone innate feeling for prepostions that drives Francophones up the wall.

But siding with the Francophones, English users do tend to use a lot of redundancy unnecessarily (whoops - pardon my redundancy!).

EG

I might ask someone,
"Print this document off for me" when
"Print this document for me" (no off) would be sufficient.

[Excalibur]

"Print this document off for me"

is a very poor way of saying, "Print off this document for me"

[Abstract Idea]

Originally Posted by Excalibur

"Print this document off for me"

is a very poor way of saying, "Print off this document for me"

Anyway one could leave the "off" out, which is the point.

Does anyone know an example of an expression in which only "over there" could be used, ruling out "there"? Or vice-versa?

[soutter]

"Print off this document for me"

and

"Print this document off for me"

are BOTH very poor ways of saying:

"Print this document for me"

What is the diffeence between "Print off this document for me" and "Print this document off for me", please?

Switch this light off.
Switch off this light.

C'est pareil sans aucune difference!