Can I use "gray area" in the sentence below?
"She is terrible at computers. It's gray area for her."
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Thread: Gray area
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16-Jan-2021, 21:14 #1
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Gray area
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16-Jan-2021, 21:53 #2
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Re: Gray area
1. We don't say someone is terrible "at computers". You can be terrible with computers, at computing, at using computers etc, but not "at computers".
Originally Posted by Rachel Adams
2. Even if "grey area" (BrE spelling) were correct, you've omitted the relevant article.Remember - if you don't use correct capitalisation, punctuation and spacing, anything you write will be incorrect.
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17-Jan-2021, 07:06 #3
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Re: Gray area
Is using "bad" and "good" also wrong? "She is bad/good at computers?" Originally Posted by emsr2d2
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17-Jan-2021, 10:11 #4
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Re: Gray area
Yes. You have just replaced 'terrible' with different adjectives.
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17-Jan-2021, 11:48 #5
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Re: Gray area
But isn't it correct with other words? For example, "She is good/bad at tennis"? Originally Posted by Rover_KE
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17-Jan-2021, 12:48 #6
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Re: Gray area
Yes, but "computers" isn't an activity/sport. It's simply a plural noun. We don't "do/play computers".
Remember - if you don't use correct capitalisation, punctuation and spacing, anything you write will be incorrect.
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17-Jan-2021, 16:58 #7
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Re: Gray area
That's not how we use GRAY AREA. Originally Posted by Rachel Adams
Have you looked it up yet?I'm not a teacher. I speak American English. I've tutored writing at the University of Southern Maine and have done a good deal of copy editing and writing, occasionally for publication.
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18-Jan-2021, 21:54 #8
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Re: Gray area
Personally, I don't have a problem with 'good/bad at computers'. It's not unheard of in my area.
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19-Jan-2021, 08:37 #9
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Re: Gray area
That's interesting. Thanks for letting me know. Originally Posted by Skrej
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19-Jan-2021, 17:35 #10
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Re: Gray area
It's fine with me, too. Originally Posted by Skrej
It's gray area that I'd change.I'm not a teacher. I speak American English. I've tutored writing at the University of Southern Maine and have done a good deal of copy editing and writing, occasionally for publication.
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