[Vocabulary] Visit the Expo/ Attend the Expo

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jiaruchan

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A Shanghai English media outlet reported that about 140,000 people attended the Shanghai Expo today.

Here it evidently means they visited it.

Can 'attend' be used in this case to simply mean 'visit'?
The reason I bring this up is: my understanding of attending an expo is to set up a booth something rather than be a guest or visitor. Am I correct?

Thank you.
 

emsr2d2

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A Shanghai English media outlet reported that about 140,000 people attended the Shanghai Expo today.

Here it evidently means they visited it.

Can 'attend' be used in this case to simply mean 'visit'?
The reason I bring this up is: my understanding of attending an expo is to set up a booth something rather than be a guest or visitor. Am I correct?

Thank you.

"Attend" can simply mean to visit/go/be present at.

I attended school in London = I went to school in London/I was a student at a school in London.

Tom Cruise attended the premiere of his latest film = he went to the premiere, whether as a special guest or simply to watch it.

My boss attended 6 meetings yesterday = he went to/took part in 6 meetings.

My friend attended the opening of a new art gallery = s/he was a guest at the opening.
 

tedtmc

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An Expo(exposition) is an exhibition on a big scale. Visitors go around viewing the exhibits, like you do in an art gallery, just that the exhibits at the Expo are much bigger. You say you visit an art gallery. You don't say you 'attend' an art gallery, do you?

P.S.
OK, it depends on how you look at it. You attend an event. So if the Expo is considered an event, you can say you attended it. If it is considered an exhibition, you say you visited it.
 
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jiaruchan

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An Expo(exposition) is an exhibition on a big scale. Visitors go around viewing the exhibits, like you do in an art gallery, just that the exhibits at the Expo are much bigger. You say you visit an art gallery. You don't say you 'attend' an art gallery, do you?

I tend to agree with you on this point.

I hear 'attend a concert or meeting'.

The point is whether native speakers do say 'attend an expo' to mean 'visit an expo'. It is doubtless we can say a vendor attends an expo, but here 'attend ' does not mean 'visit', for it probably means the vendor sets up a booth and tries to sell something by being part of the expo.
 
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