Do these sentences have similar meaning? I am trying to consider their synonymity.

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learning54

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Hi teachers,
Do these sentences have similar meaning? I am trying to consider their synonymity.
The fields can be areas of land for keeping animals.
The fields can be areas of land for preserving animals.

Thanks in advance.
 

FreeToyInside

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'Keeping animals' means raising animals, as in "on my farm, we keep goats, chickens and cattle."

'Preserving animals' would be something more like maintaining their existence, preventing from extinction or endangerment, as in "this area of land has been set aside for preserving different wildlife."


(not a teacher, just a language lover)
 
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learning54

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'Keeping animals' means for raising animals, like in "on my farm, we keep goats, chicken and cattle."

'Preserving animals' would be something more like maintaining their existence, preventing from extinction or endangerment, as in "This area of land has been set aside for preserving different wildlife."

(not a teacher, just a language lover)

Hi,
Thank you for your reply. As you have probably guessed, I just want to explain what 'the fields' are and I have given this explanations to the students:
a) The fields can be cultivated areas of land.
b) The fields can be areas of land for keeping animals.
Will it be better to say:
b) The fields can be areas of land for pasturing animals.

Then a student asked me a synonym for 'keeping', and I said, 'preserving'. Is it a suitable one?

 
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SoothingDave

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Then a student asked me a synonym for 'keeping', and I said, 'preserving'. Is it a suitable one?

Not unless it's some rare or endangered species.

If you have the animals for agricultural purposes you could say you were "raising" animals.
 

FreeToyInside

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In your examples, and when talking about animals, this is the main difference I hear between 'keep' and 'preserve':

(dictionary.com)

keep, verb (used with object)
...
3. to hold in a given place; store: You can keep your things in here.
...
27. to take care of; tend: to keep a vegetable garden.
28. to raise (livestock): These farmers keep goats and cattle.

preserve, verb (used with object)
...
7. to maintain and reserve (game, fish, etc.) for continued survival or for private use, as in hunting or fishing.


(not a teacher, just a language lover)
 

FreeToyInside

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Not unless it's some rare or endangered species.

If you have the animals for agricultural purposes you could say you were "raising" animals.

Agreed. However in your example, learning54, 'these fields can be areas of land for keeping animals' doesn't really imply they're endangered and you need to keep them around for future generations. It sounds like that's a place where you hold or retain your animals, or where you raise them.


(not a teacher, just a language lover)
 
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