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What’s up? or Difficulties with English (32)

Is it more correct to say a ‘high building’ or a ‘tall building’? Do ‘open’ and ‘opened’ mean the same? Is there any difference between ‘discussion’ and ‘debate’? You’re not sure? Well, read on.

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high/tall/low/short

We use high to talk about a measurement from the bottom to the top of something.

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. It is 8848 metres high.

We also use high to describe the distance of something from the ground.

How high was the plane when the pilot had a heart attack?

The opposite of high is low.

The dog jumped over the low wall easily.

The sun was low in the sky.

We use tall mostly for people, trees, buildings with many floors, and some other things which are higher than they are wide (e.g. chimneys, pylons, towers, etc.)

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My father is 190 cms tall.

Can you see that tall tree?

In measurements, however, we prefer high for things.

That tree is about 35 metres high.

The opposite of tall is either short or low, depending on the collocation.

We met a short woman in the lift.

There are a few low trees in our backyard.

Now you should be able to explain the difference between these two sentences:

Look, Mum, I'm taller than you.

Look, Mum, I'm higher than you.
Did you get it? In the first situation, the child expresses that he has outgrown his mother. In the second one, the child is located in a higher position, say, standing on a chair.

open/opened/closed/shut

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We normally use open as an adjective.

Are the shops open on Sundays in your village?

Opened is used as the past participle of the verb 'open' for expressing the action of opening.

The safe was opened with some kind of explosive.

Compare these two sentences:

When we got home, we found that all the windows were open. (= not closed, that's how we found them)

When we got home, we found that all the windows had been opened. (= somebody had opened them, possibly a burglar)

The opposite of open is closed or shut. They are often interchangeable.

Are all the doors and windows closed/shut?

We prefer closed to talk about shops, offices, roads, airports, etc.

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The road to Ipswich is closed because of a lorry accident.

Shut is usually used for containers (boxes, suitcases, etc.).

The suitcase was shut and there was no key.

We prefer using shut when the action of closing something is accompanied by noise, especially in fixed phrases like banged shut, slammed shut, snapped shut, etc.

The door banged shut behind him.

However, only closed is used in front of a noun.

The meeting was held behind closed doors. (= in private)

He's a closed book to me. (= I know nothing about him.)

personally/in person/face-to-face/physically/privately/in private

personally = by a particular person, not by somebody else acting for them

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All the e-mails will be answered personally.

Do you know Peter Howard personally? (= Have you ever met him?)

in person = if you do something in person, you go somewhere and do it yourself (= not by letter, e-mail, telephone, etc.)

All candidates are required to apply for the job in person.

face-to-face = within each other's presence (= not by letter, e-mail, telephone, etc.)

I met the President face-to-face last month.

One of my students once said, 'I prefer talking eyes to eyes.' This is how we sometimes say it in our languages. It is not a common English expression, however.

physically = in a way that is connected with a person's body rather than their mind

I was physically prevented from entering the room but I managed to record their conversation.

privately = involving a particular person or a limited group of people, not publicly

Can I speak to you privately?

in private = with nobody else present, not in public

Is there somewhere we can discuss this in private?

discussion/debate/conversation/consultation/talk/chat

John Wheeler once wrote, 'At the end of each article, you will find questions for discussion and debate.' Is there any difference between the two words printed in bold?

discussion = a detailed conversation about something that is considered to be important

The plans for reform have been under discussion for over a year.

debate = a discussion expressing opposing views on a certain issue

The minister opened a debate about tax.

conversation = a talk, usually a private and/or informal one involving a small group of people or only two

I had a long conversation with your sister the other day.

consultation = a formal discussion between groups of people before an important decision is made about something

There have been extensive consultations between the two countries.

talk = a conversation or discussion, usually about something important for the people involved

I had a talk with my boss about my career prospects.

chat = a friendly informal conversation

I often chat with my ex-classmates on the Internet.

Well, I suppose that's it for this issue. Take any chances you get to practise your English. Remember - it's better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.

Daniel Miklošovič

Daniel Miklošovič

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Učiteľ angličtiny. Záľuby: beh, turistika, cyklistika, šach, hudba. Zoznam autorových rubrík:  BehAngličtinaŠkolstvoVieraPolitikaPostrehy

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