To Throw

[Casiopea]

I might throw something on the table or on the floor, but I would throw something at the wall or at the ceiling.

Ducking as she writes,

Me, too. I'd throw X on a horizontal surface, like a table or the floor 'cause that's how gravity works, and I'd throw X at a point in space, like a bug on a wall or a fly on the ceiling. I'd also throw X at a cockroach on the table or on the floor. We have those here


Cas :D

[whl626]

Regarding the ' bus leaves at 5.00 on the dot '. is it against the rule to use ' at about ' at the same time. ???

I learned from somewhere that at refers to fixed time and about is more or less the exact time. So it is wrong to use both at the same time ??? Any comments ?

[Casiopea]

Regarding the ' bus leaves at 5.00 on the dot '. is it against the rule to use ' at about ' at the same time. ???

I learned from somewhere that at refers to fixed time and about is more or less the exact time. So it is wrong to use both at the same time ??? Any comments ?

Depends on whose rule book, I guess :D

What's the diff between 'fixed' and 'exact'? I'm confus-ed.

To my knowledge, 'at' refers to exact (precise) time (e.g. 5:00), whereas 'at about' refers to at a time near exact time (e.g. some time around 5:00, maybe 5:05 or 4:55. It really depends on what the speaker consitutes as 'about'. Some people might assume 'at about 5:00' means, 5:10 or 4:50. There's also, "Let's meet at about 7:00 ~ 7:30 ish", which confuses me, too.

Cas :)

[RonBee]

I might throw something on the table or on the floor, but I would throw something at the wall or at the ceiling.

Ducking as she writes,

Me, too. I'd throw X on a horizontal surface, like a table or the floor 'cause that's how gravity works, and I'd throw X at a point in space, like a bug on a wall or a fly on the ceiling. I'd also throw X at a cockroach on the table or on the floor. We have those here


Cas :D

You have cockroaches there? Imagine that!

:wink:

[RonBee]

Regarding the ' bus leaves at 5.00 on the dot '. is it against the rule to use ' at about ' at the same time. ???

I learned from somewhere that at refers to fixed time and about is more or less the exact time. So it is wrong to use both at the same time ??? Any comments ?

If I understand your question, the answer is no. You can use at X time or at about X time, but it wouldn't make sense to use them both together.

Did I understand the question?

:)

[Casiopea]

Regarding the ' bus leaves at 5.00 on the dot '. is it against the rule to use ' at about ' at the same time. ???

I thought he meant 'at' + 'about' together

Cas

I don't have to imagine them. I'm looking at one right now

[RonBee]

You could be right. Obviously, I wasn't sure.

We don't have cockroaches. We have cats.

:wink: