[Vocabulary] allowed off

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What means this sentence?

The hijacker with a knife and a hand grenade forced the pilot of the 737 to fly to Madrid, where six elderly passengers were allowed off.

What "were allowed off" means?
 

Rover_KE

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They were permitted to leave the plane.
 

Raymott

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Tdol

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You're going to have to learn the correct use of 'do' + main verb sometime.

What means xxx? is so common that I think it may eventually become accepted- the influence of learners on the language.
 

5jj

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What means xxx? is so common that I think it may eventually become accepted- the influence of learners on the language.
What means "Over my dead body"? ;-)
 

Raymott

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What means xxx? is so common that I think it may eventually become accepted- the influence of learners on the language.
Unfortunately, "What means X?" has a different meaning from "What does X mean?". But you are right, many things may eventually be accepted. In the meantime, I think teaching proper English is the best way to go. My replies here assume that that's what most learners want.
 

Tdol

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Unfortunately, "What means X?" has a different meaning from "What does X mean?". But you are right, many things may eventually be accepted. In the meantime, I think teaching proper English is the best way to go. My replies here assume that that's what most learners want.

Agreed- I was just offering an aside.
 
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