Beside & Besides

[tokage]

Hello.

Beside & Besides Question, Q10.
Choose the correct answer.

They have nothing ____ their dreams of success.

beside
besides​

According to the answer, correct is beside.
I dodn't understand why "besides" is incorrect.

Thanks.

 

[stuartnz]

I am not a teacher, but if it's of any consolation you, I agree with you that "besides" should be allowed in that construction. So does the Oxford English Dictionary
beside, adv. and prep.

2. In addition, over and above; = BESIDES 2 (by which this is now usually expressed).
b. As an additional consideration; moreover; = BESIDES A. 2b (by which now usually expressed).

3. Otherwise, else; =
BESIDES 3 (by which this is now usually expressed).


As the above shows, the definitive dictionary of the English language says that the idea being conveyed in the sentence you quote is now usually expressed by the word "besides". In short, I and the OED say you're right and the person marking the question is incorrect.

 

[vil]

Hi tokage,

I agree with both yours and stuartnz’ statement. I am neither a teacher nor a NES, but I know the following directions:

Some critics argue that beside and besides should be kept distinct when they are used as prepositions. According to that argument, beside is used only to mean “at the side of,” as in There was no one in the seat beside me. For the meanings “in addition to” and “except for” besides should be used: Besides replacing the back stairs, she fixed the broken banister. No one besides Smitty would say a thing like that. But this distinction is often ignored, even by widely respected writers. While it is true that besides can never mean “at the side of,” beside regularly appears in print in place of besides. Using beside in this way can be ambiguous, however; the sentence There was no one beside him at the table could mean that he had the table to himself or that the seats next to him were not occupied.

"Besides" (in addition to) putting the glass in the sink, she placed the book "beside" (at the side of) the bed.

Regards.

V.

 

[stuartnz]

Hi tokage,

I agree with both yours and stuartnz’ statement. I am neither a teacher nor a NES, but I know the following directions:

Some critics argue that beside and besides should be kept distinct when they are used as prepositions. According to that argument, beside is used only to mean “at the side of,” as in There was no one in the seat beside me. For the meanings “in addition to” and “except for” besides should be used: Besides replacing the back stairs, she fixed the broken banister. No one besides Smitty would say a thing like that. But this distinction is often ignored, even by widely respected writers. While it is true that besides can never mean “at the side of,” beside regularly appears in print in place of besides. Using beside in this way can be ambiguous, however; the sentence There was no one beside him at the table could mean that he had the table to himself or that the seats next to him were not occupied.

"Besides" (in addition to) putting the glass in the sink, she placed the book "beside" (at the side of) the bed.

Regards.

V.

Thanks, vil. I forgot to add that. My experience agrees with our comment here. Tokage, I would support this statement. In ordinary usage "beside" is most commonly used now only as a preposition of location, meaning "next to", "at the side of". Its use in the sense of "in addition to", "moreover", etc. is now uncommon. That meaning is now most often expressed by using the word "besides". On the table beside my bed, I have nothing besides my glass of water.

 

[tokage]

Thank you both stuartnz and vil.

beside = next to, at the side of
besides = in addition to(uncomon now) , except for

They have nothing besides their dreams of success.
is correct!!:-D

I really appreciate both of your help.
Again thank you a lot.

tokage

 

[Tdol]

Human error- it has been changed. Thanks for letting us know.