encircle, give out and end

[jiang]

Dear Naamplao,

Thank you very much for your explanation. Now I see.

Jiang

hmmm....Sorry Jiang, there are many instances where a sentence doesn't "sound right" to a native English speaker's ear but we cannot explain why. This is one of those times.

[jiang]

Dear amigos4,

Thank you very much for your help. The problem is this is a multiple choice. I must choose the best answer.

Jiang

Jiang,

The solution to your question is easy... don't use the expressions 'give out' or 'give off'. There are better words you can use to describe what is happening. After all, why use two words to express a simple thought when one word will do the job?

For example, "The stagnant water emitted bubbles of marsh gas."
"He yelled when he discovered gold."
"The machine made a grinding noise that bothered me.

Cheers,
Amigos4

[amigos4]

Dear amigos4,

Thank you very much for your help. The problem is this is a multiple choice. I must choose the best answer.

Jiang

Jiang, thank you for clarifying the situation.

I understand the challenge presented by the multiple choice activity.

The use of 'give off' versus 'give out' is, indeed, confusing. Once you complete your multiple choice activity you may want to file these expressions in your "Not Frequently Used" folder.

Good luck with the assignment!

Cheers,
Amigos4

[Naamplao]

Dear amigos4,

Thank you very much for your help. The problem is this is a multiple choice. I must choose the best answer.

Jiang

Ahhhh.....I hate questions like that. It is very subjective. What is the best answer for one person might not be for another.

When answering such questions this might be a way to figure out the one they want.

For "give off" substitute the word "emit"

If the sentence stills sounds good then "give off" should be the correct answer...if it doesn't then use "give out".

[amigos4]

Ahhhh.....I hate questions like that. It is very subjective. What is the best answer for one person might not be for another.

When answering such questions this might be a way to figure out the one they want.

For "give off" substitute the word "emit"

If the sentence stills sounds good then "give off" should be the correct answer...if it doesn't then use "give out".

If the sentence stills sounds good then "give off" should be the correct answer...if it doesn't then use "give out"... if, after that, the sentence still doesn't sound good you could always 'give up'!

Cheers,
Amigos4

[jiang]

Jiang, thank you for clarifying the situation.

I understand the challenge presented by the multiple choice activity.

The use of 'give off' versus 'give out' is, indeed, confusing. Once you complete your multiple choice activity you may want to file these expressions in your "Not Frequently Used" folder.

Good luck with the assignment!

Cheers,
Amigos4

[jiang]

&

Ahhhh.....I hate questions like that. It is very subjective. What is the best answer for one person might not be for another.

When answering such questions this might be a way to figure out the one they want.

For "give off" substitute the word "emit"

If the sentence stills sounds good then "give off" should be the correct answer...if it doesn't then use "give out".

[albertino]

My two cents:

Encircle and Surround
Encircle: The island was encircled by a dusty road(from all sides, horizontally).
Surround:The field was surrounded by trees.(from all sides, vertically)

give out :to send out light, sound, heat etc
The oil lamp gave out a pleasant yellowish light.
The musical triangle gives out a clear, beautiful note when struck.
The stun gun, when applied to the body, gives out a sharp electric shock.
Substances such as ammonia give out heat when they dissolve.(Quoted from Collins Cobuild)

give off :to send out heat, smells, gas etc as a result of a natural or chemical process
The plant gives off a delicate smell of lemons.
Gas heaters should only be used in well-ventilated rooms as they give off carbon monoxide.

(Above definitions and examples are quoted from Longman Dict. and its Language Activator)

According to the above examples, sometimes they can be interchangeable, but sometimes they cannot. In our daily usage, we mostly use "give off" for gas, steam while "give out" for light and sound.
(Not a teacher.)

[albertino]

Ah, what about "end and finish"?
Jiang, there is a subtle difference in them.
I think you can better grasp with thier difference if they are translated into Chinese. So, here we go.
End=完結、結束, you can say a situation, process, or activity(a state) ends.
The meeting ends/finishes at 10 p.m.
World War II ended in 1945.

Finish=除了完結、完成外、finish還有"喝完、飲完"(an action)的意思(但"end"卻沒有)。
So, we can say:
結束;完成
When does he finish his college course?
I haven't finished reading the book yet.

喝完、飲完
The boys finished eating.
They have finished drinking the wine.

Is it clearer, my friend?

(Not a teacher.)

[jiang]

Dear albertino,

Thank you very much for your help. Now I see.

Best wishes,

Jiang

My two cents:

Encircle and Surround
Encircle: The island was encircled by a dusty road(from all sides, horizontally).
Surround:The field was surrounded by trees.(from all sides, vertically)

give out :to send out light, sound, heat etc
The oil lamp gave out a pleasant yellowish light.
The musical triangle gives out a clear, beautiful note when struck.
The stun gun, when applied to the body, gives out a sharp electric shock.
Substances such as ammonia give out heat when they dissolve.(Quoted from Collins Cobuild)

give off :to send out heat, smells, gas etc as a result of a natural or chemical process
The plant gives off a delicate smell of lemons.
Gas heaters should only be used in well-ventilated rooms as they give off carbon monoxide.

(Above definitions and examples are quoted from Longman Dict. and its Language Activator)

According to the above examples, sometimes they can be interchangeable, but sometimes they cannot. In our daily usage, we mostly use "give off" for gas, steam while "give out" for light and sound.
(Not a teacher.)