How to describe this scene

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harriet_yang

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Dear Teachers,

How to describe this scene? Is it ok to say: the lawn is closed off to keep people off it?
 

MikeNewYork

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Matthew Wai

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Can 'sealed off' be used too?
 

Rover_KE

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No. The grassed area is fenced off.

It's obvious that that bit of plastic chain-link is useless for preventing anybody from venturing onto the grass. It's just a token attempt to appeal to the populace to stay off it.
 

Barb_D

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I'd say "fenced off" as well.
 

emsr2d2

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I'd say "roped off".
 

Barb_D

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I was going to say "roped off" but I looked harder and it seems to be a chain. So "chained off" but not "roped off." At least, I think it's a chain.
 

emsr2d2

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I agree but on the same basis, it's not fenced off. That's definitely not a fence.
 

harriet_yang

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thank you all teachers! I'll go with "chained off" then.

Appreciate your help very much!
 

Tdol

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I don't see why it can't be roped off when a chain is used- it sounds fine to me.
 

MikeNewYork

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And I don't see why it can't be "closed off", no matter what the method is.
 

Matthew Wai

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Rover_KE said 'No' just to my 'sealed off' but not to your 'closed off'.

Not a teacher.
 

Rover_KE

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I don't sit in front of this computer 24/7 waiting for something to disagree with.

I'm not fond of 'closed off', either.

See Collins's definition of 'seal off':

seal off:
  • to close so tightly that what is inside cannot escape:
    ]​
    The submarine's hatches sealed off the flooded rooms.to seal the rooms off

    .

  • to block all entrances or exits to or from, as or as if with a police barricade:

That bit of plastic chain is incapable of keeping anybody off the grass who's determined to ignore it. It constitutes a request for people not to cross.

On reflection, 'chained off' is best here.
 
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