function etc.

[jiang]

Dear teachers,

I have three questions to ask:

No.1

The countryside was, in fact, famous for the abundance and variety of its bird life.
The prepositional phrase functions as adverbial of reason. Is that right?

No.2
See to it that everything is ready________ 5 p.m. Tuesday. The fair opens at 9 sharp the next day.
a. before b. by
If I choose 'a' that means 'ealier than 5 p.m.' If I choose 'b' that means any time to 5 p.m., which means 'it can be ready ealier than or at 5 p.m.' Is that right? If it is that means both are correct. The only difference is the meaning.

No.3
I am confused by the use of 'off' and 'from'.
from: used to express the idea of being removed or separated)
The house is two miles from the shore.
off: at a particular distance from something, REMOVED ( capitalized like the question concerning INVESTIGATION I asked last time)
My house is aobut 50 yeards off Main Street.

Then please read the following sentences:

a. They lived in a lane _________ broadway for half a year.
a. off b. from
The key is 'a'.
b. The boy's home is just five minutes' walk _____ his school.
a. from b. off
The key is 'a'.
c. His office is more than 10 miles away_____where he lives.
a. from b. off
The key is 'a'.
I don't understand why those 'bs' are not correct. Could you please kindly explain them to me?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you in advance.

It seems there is a problem with either the website or my computer. The problem is that I can't submit my reply. This is too bad because first you would think I am impolite. Second if I don't understand you I can't let you know. So if I don't understand your explanation I might post my question as a new thread. Thank heavens New thread works.
Jiang

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by jiang

Dear teachers,

I have three questions to ask:

No.1

The countryside was, in fact, famous for the abundance and variety of its bird life.
The prepositional phrase functions as adverbial of reason. Is that right?

No.2
See to it that everything is ready________ 5 p.m. Tuesday. The fair opens at 9 sharp the next day.
a. before b. by
If I choose 'a' that means 'ealier than 5 p.m.' If I choose 'b' that means any time to 5 p.m., which means 'it can be ready ealier than or at 5 p.m.' Is that right? If it is that means both are correct. The only difference is the meaning.

No.3
I am confused by the use of 'off' and 'from'.
from: used to express the idea of being removed or separated)
The house is two miles from the shore.
off: at a particular distance from something, REMOVED ( capitalized like the question concerning INVESTIGATION I asked last time)
My house is aobut 50 yeards off Main Street.

Then please read the following sentences:

a. They lived in a lane _________ broadway for half a year.
a. off b. from
The key is 'a'.
b. The boy's home is just five minutes' walk _____ his school.
a. from b. off
The key is 'a'.
c. His office is more than 10 miles away_____where he lives.
a. from b. off
The key is 'a'.
I don't understand why those 'bs' are not correct. Could you please kindly explain them to me?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you in advance.

It seems there is a problem with either the website or my computer. The problem is that I can't submit my reply. This is too bad because first you would think I am impolite. Second if I don't understand you I can't let you know. So if I don't understand your explanation I might post my question as a new thread. Thank heavens New thread works.
Jiang

1. Yes, it modifies famous.

2. Yes, both are acceptable, but the "by" form is more common.

3. I agree with the key in all cases. "Off" and "from" can have similar meanings, but their uses are different.

One can't say I live "from Broadway" with out a specified distance. By the same token, the distances mentioned in the other two call for "from". The only exception I know is with coastlines. There, one can be 3 miles off shore or from shore.

[jiang]

&
Dear Mike,
I understand No.1 and No.2 now.
I have problem with No.3.
According to what you said, if I use 'from' I should use specific distance except coastlines. I understand this. But I can't see difference between the two examples from my dictionary:

a. We are about a mile from home.
b. My house is about 50 yeards off Main Street.
As as example 'b' and 'c' in No.3 the two sentences use specific distance. Could you please explain why I can't use 'off' in sentence 'a'?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Jiang

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

1. Yes, it modifies famous.

2. Yes, both are acceptable, but the "by" form is more common.

3. I agree with the key in all cases. "Off" and "from" can have similar meanings, but their uses are different.

One can't say I live "from Broadway" with out a specified distance. By the same token, the distances mentioned in the other two call for "from". The only exception I know is with coastlines. There, one can be 3 miles off shore or from shore.

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by jiang

&
Dear Mike,
I understand No.1 and No.2 now.
I have problem with No.3.
According to what you said, if I use 'from' I should use specific distance except coastlines. I understand this. But I can't see difference between the two examples from my dictionary:

a. We are about a mile from home.
b. My house is about 50 yeards off Main Street.
As as example 'b' and 'c' in No.3 the two sentences use specific distance. Could you please explain why I can't use 'off' in sentence 'a'?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Jiang

I think you have it backwards. We usually use "from" when we have specific distances. So a is common.

We don't usually use "off" with specific distances. I gave you a shoreline as an exception with "off". Your sentence with a road is another exception.

With both shorelines and roads and a specific distance, we can also use "from".

[jiang]

&
Dear Mike,

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

I think you have it backwards.
We usually use "from" when we have specific distances. So a is common.
I think I understand this part.


We don't usually use "off" with specific distances. I gave you a shoreline as an exception with "off". Your sentence with a road is another exception.
I think I understand this part. When it is coastline or road we can use 'off' and 'from'.

With both shorelines and roads and a specific distance, we can also use "from".

In the following sentences
a. The boy's home is just five minutes' walk _____ his school.
a. from b. off

c. His office is more than 10 miles away_____where he lives.
a. from b. off
I can't choose 'off' because there are no words such as coastline or road. Is that right?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Jiang

[Tdol]

Use from for both.

[jiang]

Thank you very much for your reply. Now I see.
And thank you very much for making the website work properly again. It helps so much.

Jiang

Originally Posted by Tdol

Use from for both.

[jiang]

Dear Mike,
I don't mean to offend you. But I came across a sentence in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, which really confused me:
My house is about 50 yards off Main Street.
Here we have a specific distance but 'off' is used. Could you please explain why? Does the meaning here differ from the ones I quoted?
And according to what you explained I know here we can also use 'from'. Is that right?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.

Jiang

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

I think you have it backwards. We usually use "from" when we have specific distances. So a is common.

We don't usually use "off" with specific distances. I gave you a shoreline as an exception with "off". Your sentence with a road is another exception.

With both shorelines and roads and a specific distance, we can also use "from".

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by jiang

Dear Mike,
I don't mean to offend you. But I came across a sentence in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, which really confused me:
My house is about 50 yards off Main Street.
Here we have a specific distance but 'off' is used. Could you please explain why? Does the meaning here differ from the ones I quoted?
And according to what you explained I know here we can also use 'from'. Is that right?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.

Jiang

At the risk of repeating myself, "50 yards off" that street is being used the same way as 50 yards off shore. These are exceptions, probably because a street and a shore line are linear in nature. The meaning is the same. The expression is a bit idiomatic.

50 yards from shore -- OK
50 yards off shore -- OK
50 yeards off Main Street -- OK
50 yards from Main Street -- OK
50 yards off school -- NO
50 yards from school -- OK
50 yards from Cleveland -- OK
50 yards off Cleveland -- NO

[jiang]

Dear Mike,
Thank you very much for your explanation. Now I see.

Jiang

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

At the risk of repeating myself, "50 yards off" that street is being used the same way as 50 yards off shore. These are exceptions, probably because a street and a shore line are linear in nature. The meaning is the same. The expression is a bit idiomatic.

50 yards from shore -- OK
50 yards off shore -- OK
50 yeards off Main Street -- OK
50 yards from Main Street -- OK
50 yards off school -- NO
50 yards from school -- OK
50 yards from Cleveland -- OK
50 yards off Cleveland -- NO