[Vocabulary] Utility

wang.cupid · Apr 8, 2011

There is a house for rent, which $includes utilities, free high speed Internet access, etc.

What does utility mean? Does it mean water, electricity, etc.? Thank you very much.

By the way, what is the difference between for rent and on rent?

freezeframe · Apr 8, 2011

Utilities can include water, heat, and electricity. Sometimes only 2/3 are included. If it says "all utilities included", it probably means all 3.

Included means they're covered by your rent, you don't have to pay extra.

Houses can only be for rent, never on rent.

Where did you see "on rent"? It doesn't mean anything to me on its own.

wang.cupid · Apr 8, 2011

freezeframe said:
Utilities can include water, heat, and electricity. Sometimes only 2/3 are included. If it says "all utilities included", it probably means all 3.

Included means they're covered by your rent, you don't have to pay extra.

Houses can only be for rent, never on rent.

Where did you see "on rent"? It doesn't mean anything to me on its own.

Thank you. Sorry for this, it should be for sale and on sale. I just got myself wrong.

freezeframe · Apr 8, 2011

wang.cupid said:
Thank you. Sorry for this, it should be for sale and on sale. I just got myself wrong.

For sale means you can buy it; it's being sold.

On sale can mean the same as for sale or it can mean that the price has been discounted; this depends on context.

BobK · Apr 8, 2011

:up: Context and national variant. If someone in the UK said 'I saw them on sale and bought them', I'd assume they meant one of these two BrE equivalents:

I saw them for sale... [that is, they were available to buy - with no implication of a discounted price]
I saw them in a sale... [discounted; the speaker, if normally a speaker of Br Eng, has been watching too much TV ;-)]

b

[Vocabulary] Utility

wang.cupid

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