Dictionaries TOEIC TOEFL GMAT SAT GRE MCAT PCAT ASVAB Interviews

Tests Grammar Articles Stories Shop Services Lesson Plans Community

Home Top 100 Start your FREE email English course now! Audio Lessons

Username
Password
Remember me?

Search FAQ Memberlist Profile Private messages Register Log in

Some descriptions from 'Cross-country Snow'

1533 English Language Exercises

Printable, photocopiable, clearly structured
Designed for teachers and individual learners
For use in a classroom, at home, on your PC

ESL Forums | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms

seen off, diffuse, not susceptible | What is a 459?

Message

Author

Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:29 am Some descriptions from 'Cross-country Snow'

Hi,

Could you please help me with the following passages?

Quote:

Inside it was quite dark. A big porcelain stove shone in the corner of the room. There was a low ceiling. Smooth benches back of dark, wine-stained tables were along each side of the rooms. Two Swiss sat over their pipes and two decies of cloudy new wine next to the stove.

1. Does 'There was a low ceiling' suggest 'the ceiling of the room was low' or 'there was another low ceiling in the room'?

2. How should I understand the 'over' in the second underlined sentence?

Quote:

Nick stood up. He buckled his wind jacket tight. He leaned over George and picked up the two ski poles from against the wall.

3. Again the 'over'. I would guess it is not likely to really mean 'over George'. If so, is this usage usual?

Quote:

They took down their skis from where they leaned against the wall of the inn. Nick put on his gloves. George was already started up the road, his skis on his shoulder. Now they would have the run home together.

4. Is there any difference between 'was started up the road' and 'started up the road'? If there is not is the usage usual?

Thank you!

Haihao

Haihao
I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 1380
Location: Japan

Mon Aug 06, 2007 12:13 pm Some descriptions from 'Cross-country Snow'

Haihao wrote:

1. Does 'There was a low ceiling' suggest 'the ceiling of the room was low' or 'there was another low ceiling in the room'?

It means the ceiling of the room was low.

Haihao wrote:

2. How should I understand the 'over' in the second underlined sentence?

They were sitting a bit hunched and smoking their pipes. Their pipes appeared to be their main occupation at the time.

Haihao wrote:

3. Again the 'over'. I would guess it is not likely to really mean 'over George'. If so, is this usage usual?

I think over means over here. Or a cross between over and toward, but more over. Maybe someone will disagree with me.

Haihao wrote:

4. Is there any difference between 'was started up the road' and 'started up the road'? If there is not is the usage usual?

The author is using his name as somehow equivalent to his journey. Normally we would say that he "had started up the road", but here they're saying his trip was started, in the same sense that we'd say tea is started (its preparation has been started) or a project is started (its work has been started). There's nothing really unusual about this usage. Mom says: "Dinner is already started, so don't go anywhere!"

Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 4337
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA

English grammar exercises — improve your English knowledge and vocabulary skills

Can you find all the prepositions in this story?

This newsletter tells you all about English! Subscribe to free email English course

Are you a native speaker of English? Then you should read this!

Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:35 am Some descriptions from 'Cross-country Snow'

Thank you, Jamie, for your detailed interpretations again.

Haihao
I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 1380
Location: Japan

Display posts from previous:

seen off, diffuse, not susceptible | What is a 459?

	ESL Forums \| English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms	All times are GMT + 2 Hours
Page 1 of 1

Latest topics on ESL EFL Forums
suspect construction? • Whats the difference between tenant and landlord? • verse from The Faerie Queen • Pronouncing "it's still" • a long way, through • taken to/taken up • Expression: "With reference to the appended email please be..." • meaning of "case production" • Words like 'Pell-mell', 'Topsy-turvy' etc • Expression: " His office is always cluttered." • Expression: "What would I say to all those people who I have been speaking . • Expression : " She spoke so much ill of me." • Expression: 'Many a students is/ are interested in...' • What does "get the hold of some" mean in • omissions in comparisons • forbid "to do smthg" v.s. forbid "from doing smthg" • to have -p.p. • the phrase 'down to earth' • Some descriptions from 'Cross-country Snow'

Discover English-test.net
Master program (MBA) in Switzerland • Hear or listen: Would you like to listen to some good news? • Anybody heard about the "Bystander Effect"? • CPE exams, NYC June 2008 anyone? • GMAT verbal preparation: Vocabulary Games: English Noun • GMAT preparation test: Free online word games: Noun Game • Meaning of recluse, edifice, ideology, shoal, diligence • Pimsleur Brazilian Portuguese Quick and Simple: Pimsleur Brazilian Portuguese Language Program • 50 preposition: Do you mind? • Meaning of shirt, away, slip, understand, voice: English Slang Idioms (226)

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Subscribe to FREE email English course written by Alan Townend

First name

E-mail