in turn vs by turns

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towcats1

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Which one is better 'Speak in turn' or 'Speak by turns'?
I've come across the definition 'You can use by turns to indicate that someone has two particular emotions or qualities, one after the other.'
Does it mean the collocation 'by turns' refers to emotions only?
 

Raymott

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Does it mean the collocation 'by turns' refers to emotions only?
Of course not.
"You can use X to indicate Y." There is nothing in this sentence to say that you can't use X to indicate something else, or that you can't indicate Y by using something else." Generalising, "You can do X" doesn't mean, "You can only do X" or "You have to do X".
 
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