questions

[Anonymous]

Hello!
Please explain the difference b/n following phrasal verbs
put off, put back, call off
are they interchangable?
Thant you!

 

[Susie Smith]

Hello!
Please explain the difference b/n following phrasal verbs
put off, put back, call off
are they interchangable?
Thant you!

put back = postpone
put off = postpone
call off = cancel

 

[RonBee]

I would say that put back means return something. Example:

• Tommy, put that back where it belongs.

Otherwise, I agree with Susie.

 

[Susie Smith]

I would say that put back means return something. Example:

• Tommy, put that back where it belongs.

Otherwise, I agree with Susie.

Put back has more than one meaning. I agree with you, but in this case it's obvious that the question refers to the meaning I used. Before I was initiated into the mysteries of the "British" language, I also knew only the meaning you know.

 

[Casiopea]

Put back has more than one meaning. I agree with you, but in this case it's obvious that the question refers to the meaning I used. Before I was initiated into the mysteries of the "British" language, I also knew only the meaning you know.

To my North American knowledge it has one general meaning.
I believe it's push back that you may be referring to, as in

Let's push back (i.e. postpone) the day of the meeting.

All the best,

Are there really 'mysteries of the "British" language'? Psst, what's the difference between English and the "British" language?

 

[Susie Smith]

Put back has more than one meaning. I agree with you, but in this case it's obvious that the question refers to the meaning I used. Before I was initiated into the mysteries of the "British" language, I also knew only the meaning you know.

To my North American knowledge it has one general meaning.
I believe it's push back that you may be referring to, as in

Let's push back (i.e. postpone) the day of the meeting.

All the best,

Are there really 'mysteries of the "British" language'? Psst, what's the difference between English and the "British" language?

Not really. None whatsoever. :wink:
George Bernard Shaw said that the United States and Britain were two nations divided by a common language.

In BE:
put back phr v to arrange for an event to start at a later time or date; postpone ( Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)
In AE: same as RonBee said

Why anybody would call a trunk a boot or a hood a bonnet is a mystery to me. :wink:

 

[Tdol]

Why anybody would call a trunk a boot or a hood a bonnet is a mystery to me. :wink:

That's because you don't know any better.:lol:

 

[Susie Smith]

Why anybody would call a trunk a boot or a hood a bonnet is a mystery to me. :wink:

That's because you don't know any better.:lol:

Touché!
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Tdol]

Anytime.;-)

 

[Casiopea]

Why anybody would call a trunk a boot or a hood a bonnet is a mystery to me. :wink:

boot, n., automotive UK, the sense “luggage compartment” evolved from the meaning “outside step for attendants on a coach.”

bonnet, n., automotive, UK, hood.

Hope some of the mysteries have been cleared up.

 

[Susie Smith]

Why anybody would call a trunk a boot or a hood a bonnet is a mystery to me. :wink:

boot, n., automotive UK, the sense “luggage compartment” evolved from the meaning “outside step for attendants on a coach.”

bonnet, n., automotive, UK, hood.

Hope some of the mysteries have been cleared up.

And a pitch is a field (sports field),
a lift is an elevator,
a lorry is a truck,
a public school is a private school, :roll: Is it like a boarding school?
a state school is a public school,
crisps are potato chips,
chips are french fries, and on and on.

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[Casiopea]

And a pitch is a field (sports field),
a lift is an elevator,
a lorry is a truck,
a public school is a private school, :roll: Is it like a boarding school?
a state school is a public school,
crisps are potato chips,
chips are french fries, and on and on.

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

I'm not quite sure what your post is trying to express exactly. Is it that Language is wonderful? If so, I agree. It houses a great deal of history in its corridors, wouldn't you agree?.

 

[Susie Smith]

And a pitch is a field (sports field),
a lift is an elevator,
a lorry is a truck,
a public school is a private school, :roll: Is it like a boarding school?
a state school is a public school,
crisps are potato chips,
chips are french fries, and on and on.

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

I'm not quite sure what your post is trying to express exactly. Is it that Language is wonderful? If so, I agree. It houses a great deal of history in its corridors, wouldn't you agree?.

Oh, I'm so sorry, Cas, if I've given you a wrong impression! The bad side of electronic communication is that we cannot see each other. If you could see my face now, you'd know that I love the differences! That's what makes Language (and people) so interesting. Yes, I agree that it is wonderful and that there's a lot to be learned, not just about grammar, but also about what's behind it. This is one of the reasons that I was delighted to stumble over this forum.

But, seriously now, could you tell me whether a public school can be either a day school or a boarding school?

I really do appreciate your comments.

 

[Tdol]

Public schools tend to call themselves 'independent schools' nowadays, to seem less elitist. Some are day, some boarding and other mix both. Boarding school is less common than it used to be. ;-)

 

[Casiopea]

...,could you tell me whether a public school can be either a day school or a boarding school?

In addition to tdol's reply, anybody can attend a public school. That meaning is expressed by the adjective 'public' (i.e. for the public sector). Public schools are run by and funded by the town, city, province, or state, through taxes. Private schools, on the only hand, are run by and funded by the private sector--parents, previous students, etc., who provide the funding for non-public schools.

All the best,

 

[Susie Smith]

...,could you tell me whether a public school can be either a day school or a boarding school?

In addition to tdol's reply, anybody can attend a public school. That meaning is expressed by the adjective 'public' (i.e. for the public sector). Public schools are run by and funded by the town, city, province, or state, through taxes. Private schools, on the only hand, are run by and funded by the private sector--parents, previous students, etc., who provide the funding for non-public schools.

All the best,

Now I am confused. :? :?: Are we talking about the same thing? In the US I attended public schools which are free and can be attended by anybody, but I was told that the term "public school" has a different meaning in BE. I got the impression that it was the same as the American private schools and that the BE term for what I would consider a public school is "state school". Has this changed?

public school/ n [C] a private British school, paid for by the parents, where children usually live as well as study (I'm quoting Longman Dictionary) (This is why I asked the question about boarding school/day school.)

:?:

 

[Casiopea]

...,could you tell me whether a public school can be either a day school or a boarding school?

In addition to tdol's reply, anybody can attend a public school. That meaning is expressed by the adjective 'public' (i.e. for the public sector). Public schools are run by and funded by the town, city, province, or state, through taxes. Private schools, on the only hand, are run by and funded by the private sector--parents, previous students, etc., who provide the funding for non-public schools.

All the best,

Now I am confused. :? :?: Are we talking about the same thing? In the US I attended public schools which are free and can be attended by anybody, but I was told that the term "public school" has a different meaning in BE. I got the impression that it was the same as the American private schools and that the BE term for what I would consider a public school is "state school". Has this changed?

public school/ n [C] a private British school, paid for by the parents, where children usually live as well as study (I'm quoting Longman Dictionary) (This is why I asked the question about boarding school/day school.)

:?:

I'm not British either.

 

[Tdol]

...,could you tell me whether a public school can be either a day school or a boarding school?

In addition to tdol's reply, anybody can attend a public school. That meaning is expressed by the adjective 'public' (i.e. for the public sector). Public schools are run by and funded by the town, city, province, or state, through taxes. Private schools, on the only hand, are run by and funded by the private sector--parents, previous students, etc., who provide the funding for non-public schools.

All the best,

Now I am confused. :? :?: Are we talking about the same thing? In the US I attended public schools which are free and can be attended by anybody, but I was told that the term "public school" has a different meaning in BE. I got the impression that it was the same as the American private schools and that the BE term for what I would consider a public school is "state school". Has this changed?

public school/ n [C] a private British school, paid for by the parents, where children usually live as well as study (I'm quoting Longman Dictionary) (This is why I asked the question about boarding school/day school.)

:?:

In Britain public schools are private. The reason for this is that they were public in the sense that they weren't training for ther church. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

I would say that put back means return something. Example:

• Tommy, put that back where it belongs.

Otherwise, I agree with Susie.

Put back has more than one meaning. I agree with you, but in this case it's obvious that the question refers to the meaning I used. Before I was initiated into the mysteries of the "British" language, I also knew only the meaning you know.

Another AE/BE difference.

 

[twostep]

The British and the Americans - successfully divided by the same language. How about us innocent bystanders?