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#2 (permalink) Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:09 am Difference between 'hike' and 'take long walks' |
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Hi Van Khanh
I'd say a long walk might be taken in a town or city. A hike is more likely to be in the countryside or in the mountains, for example. A hike is usually more strenuous than a walk.
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| 2/ It cost me a leg. |
It's impossible to say for sure whether the leg was simply injured or not. But, I'd say it sounds more like the leg was lost.
That also brings to mind the saying "It cost me an arm and a leg." which means "It was extremely expensive."
Amy |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8265 Location: USA
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#3 (permalink) Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:29 am Difference between 'hike' and 'take long walks' |
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Hi Amy,
Thanks for your reply. So, in your opinions, when I say "it cost me a leg", that means "my leg was lost" more than "my leg was hurt", ok?
I have sent you a reply about "more/fewer + countable noun". Please see it and give mee your opinion.Thanks.
V Khanh |
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Van Khanh I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 24 Jul 2006 Posts: 324 Location: Ho Chi Minh-City, Viet Nam
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#4 (permalink) Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:44 am Cost |
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Hi Van Khanh,
Your sentence:
is difficult to interpret out of context. All I can say is that if it means someone has lost their leg as a result for example of an accident, it would sound unusual if that were described in the first person. It would be more usual for it to be described by someone else as in: Falling from the mountain cost him one of his legs/a leg. The person concerned would more than likely say: I lost my leg as a result of the accident. Cost is also used when someone is killed as in: Failing to notice the danger warning cost him his life. Either way cost in the non-financial sense indicates loss.
Alan _________________ English as a Second Language You can read my ESL story Start or begin? |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 9191 Location: UK
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#5 (permalink) Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:13 am Cost |
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Dear sir,
So, when I hear someone tell me : "It cost me a leg". This sentence has two meaning:
1/ His leg was lost. 2/ His leg wasn't lost but his leg was hurt.
The choice of what meaning depends on the context. Thanks very much for your responses.
Van Khanh |
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Van Khanh I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 24 Jul 2006 Posts: 324 Location: Ho Chi Minh-City, Viet Nam
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#6 (permalink) Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:16 am Lost |
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Hi,
No, it means simply he has lost a leg.
Alan _________________ English as a Foreign Language You can read my EFL story Phrasal Verbs/take |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 9191 Location: UK
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#7 (permalink) Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:29 am Lost |
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Hi,
So, if I'd like to say that his leg was simply hurt, not lost for ever, I can't say "It cos him a leg"? That's right?
In that case, when expressing the state that his leg is only hurt, how have I to say?
Thanks. Khanh |
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Van Khanh I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 24 Jul 2006 Posts: 324 Location: Ho Chi Minh-City, Viet Nam
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#8 (permalink) Tue Jul 25, 2006 16:03 pm Difference between 'hike' and 'take long walks' |
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Hi Khanh
For example, if a skiier falls during a skiing competition and severely injures his leg, you might say: "The fall cost him the use of his leg for the rest of the competition."
Your original sentence (It cost me a leg.) sounds like the leg is gone. That was also my point with the idiom I gave you. "It cost me an arm and a leg" means literally that you "lost an arm and a leg". (And that would be a very expensive price to pay for anything.)
Amy |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8265 Location: USA
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#9 (permalink) Tue Jul 25, 2006 16:19 pm Difference between 'hike' and 'take long walks' |
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Hi Amy,
Thanks a lot.
Khanh |
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Van Khanh I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 24 Jul 2006 Posts: 324 Location: Ho Chi Minh-City, Viet Nam
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#10 (permalink) Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:47 am I like -ing / I like being -ing |
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Please, take a look to this sentence:
"I love looking at holidays photos. I like __________ of all the happy times I've had"
I read that "being reminded" is the correct one (but not "reminding" and I do not understand why.. Could you please give me the point ???
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Jon You can meet me at english-test.net
Joined: 18 Aug 2007 Posts: 66
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#11 (permalink) Wed Aug 22, 2007 17:29 pm Difference between 'hike' and 'take long walks' |
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Hi Alumno
'Being reminded' is a passive form of the verb (used as a gerund here).
Compare the following sentences:
The boss likes reminding Joe about all the mistakes he has made. Joe doesn't like being reminded (by the boss) about all the mistakes he has made. . |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8265 Location: USA
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| Usage of some time, sometime | Relative clauses - wrong use of what |