Sentences for "word meanings"

[Van Khanh]

Hi Amy and Alan (and everybody),

According to your request, I give you the couples of sentences with the words in "Word meaning". Please read and tell me if these words are interchangeable (in each couple of sentences)?
If the meaning is different, please explain. (read also the reply I have sent you in "more/fewer + countable noun" part, in "It cost a leg" part and please give me back your opinion).

1.
It was the first time they had ever met.
It was for the first time they had ever met.

2.
I like the north bank of the river.
I like the northern bank of the river.
I like the northerly bank of the river.

3.
A north wind blows from the north.
A northern wind blows from the north.
A northerly wind blows from the north.

4.
I like the the northern slopes of the mountains.
I like the the north slopes of the mountains.
I like the the northerly slopes of the mountains.

5.
It's your fault.
It's your mistake.

6.
We often underestimate our potentialities.
We often underestimate our potentialitial.

7.
She has great potential as an artist.
She has a great potentiality as an artist.

8.
The European marketplace offers excellent potential for increasing sales.
The European marketplace offers excellent potential for increasing sales.

9.
It's protective clothing.
They're protective clothes.
It's protective garment.

10.
I'll just put on some clean clothes.
I'll just put on some clean clothing.
I'll just put on some clean garment.

11.
It's a strange garment.
It's strange clothing.
It's strange clothes.

12.
The conference is going to be a lot of extra work.
The conference is going to be a lot of additional work.

13.
The anniversary of the ending of the Pacific War.
The anniversary of the end of the Pacific War.

14.
The basic principles of law.
The base principles of law.

15.
He acted from base motives.
He acted from basic motives.

16.
She has an enormous capacity for hard work.
She has an enormous capability for hard work.
She has an enormous ability for hard work.

17.
Animals in the zoo have lost the capability to catch food for themselves.
Animals in the zoo have lost the capacity to catch food for themselves.
Animals in the zoo have lost the ability to catch food for themselves.

18.
It's horrible weather.
It's terrible weather.

Thanks
Khanh

[Yankee]

Hi Khanh

Here are some of my thoughts about some of your sentences. Maybe someone else will have more input.

Your north, northern, northerly sentences are probably OK, although I didn't feel terribly comfortable with "northerly banks". You should be careful with "potentiality" because it may be viewed as being simply jargonistic.

1.
It was the first time they had ever met.
It was for the first time they had ever met. for is wrong

5.
It's your fault. My interpretation: You caused the problem/You are the reason something went wrong
It's your mistake. My interpretation: You did something incorrectly

6.
We often underestimate our potentialities.
We often underestimate our potential.

7.
She has great potential as an artist. I would prefer this sentence
She has a great potentiality as an artist.

8.
The European marketplace offers excellent potential for increasing sales.
The European marketplace offers excellent potentiallity for increasing sales. Sounds jargonistic.

9.
It's protective clothing.
They're protective clothes.
It's protective garment. It's a protective garment. -OR- They're protective garments. A "garment" is always explicitly a single piece of clothing.

10.
I'll just put on some clean clothes.
I'll just put on some clean clothing.
I'll just put on some clean garment. You could say I'll just put on a clean garment. but the word "garment" sounds too formal for the sentence.

11.
It's a strange garment. Refers to one single piece of clothing, not all of what someone might be wearing.
It's strange clothing.
It's strange clothes. They're strange clothes.

12.
The conference is going to be a lot of extra work.
The conference is going to be a lot of additional work.

13.
The anniversary of the ending of the Pacific War. I wouldn't
The anniversary of the end of the Pacific War.

14.
The basic principles of law.
The base principles of law. NO. Using "base" as an adjective usually has a more phsyical sense or the meaning changes completely (see next example)

15.
He acted from base motives. Meaning of base = mean or unethical
He acted from basic motives. Meaning of basic = simple or elementary

16.
She has an enormous capacity for hard work.
She has an enormous capability for hard work. I don't particularly like the usage with "hard work"
She has an enormous ability for hard work. I don't particularly like the usage with "hard work".

17.
Animals in the zoo have lost the capability to catch food for themselves.
Animals in the zoo have lost the capacity to catch food for themselves.
Animals in the zoo have lost the ability to catch food for themselves.

18.
It's horrible weather.
It's terrible weather.

Amy
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Van Khanh]

Hi Amy,

So, for the numbers that you wrote nothing (13,17, 18..), that means these sentences have the same meaning. Right?

I would like to have your opinions about the remainder of my questions, especially I would like to have your explanations for each couple of sentences for my questions about:

1/ Article, adj,inversion...
2/ Synonym sentences and theirs meanings (part 1 and 2).
3/ Likely, probably, maybe...
4/ Abbreviation of Mister...

Many many thanks for you. (Please share me your opinions for each couple of sentences).

VKhanh