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#2 (permalink) Thu May 22, 2008 3:47 am Inversion (who is the man standing at the door.) |
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Hi Sitifan
Option (B) is grammatically correct, and (B) is also the option that sounds natural to me. . _________________ "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8316 Location: USA
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#3 (permalink) Thu May 22, 2008 9:36 am Inversion (who is the man standing at the door.) |
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"I don't know" suggests a question to be answered, there.
It works in similar way to:
Could you tell me who the man standing at the door is? It's a mystery who the man standing at the door is. May I ask who the man standing at the door is?
etc. |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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#4 (permalink) Thu May 22, 2008 9:54 am Inversion (who is the man standing at the door.) |
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| Sorry for the digression but I have lost my memory about the difference in locality between 'at the door' and 'by the door'. Could you please shed some light on it? |
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Haihao I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 2471 Location: Japan
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#5 (permalink) Thu May 22, 2008 10:41 am Inversion (who is the man standing at the door.) |
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Hi Haihao
If you say 'at the door', I picture someone standing in front of it, probably facing it, perhaps knocking or ringing a doorbell to be let in. If you say 'by the door', I picture something next to or in the vicinity of the door. For example, you might keep your umbrella or a pair of boots by the door. . _________________ "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8316 Location: USA
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#6 (permalink) Thu May 22, 2008 12:06 pm Inversion (who is the man standing at the door.) |
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| Quote: |
| If you say 'by the door', I picture something next to or in the vicinity of the door. For example, you might keep your umbrella or a pair of boots by the door. |
How about with "Stand by the wall, you bad boy!"? |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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#7 (permalink) Thu May 22, 2008 12:59 pm Inversion (who is the man standing at the door.) |
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| Molly wrote: |
| How about with "Stand by the wall, you bad boy!"? |
<sigh>
Haihao asked quite specifically about 'at/by the door'. I suspect he will understand my response. If he doesn't, I'm sure he will ask for further input about his specific question. . _________________ "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8316 Location: USA
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#8 (permalink) Thu May 22, 2008 13:10 pm Inversion (who is the man standing at the door.) |
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| Actually, in my country bad boys are made to stand in the corner. :) |
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Lost_Soul I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 1861 Location: South Park, Colorado, USA
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#9 (permalink) Thu May 22, 2008 13:23 pm Inversion (who is the man standing at the door.) |
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Hi Alex
'Stand in the corner' does sound more likely, doesn't it. . _________________ "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8316 Location: USA
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#10 (permalink) Thu May 22, 2008 14:16 pm Inversion (who is the man standing at the door.) |
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| lost_soul wrote: |
| Actually, in my country bad boys are made to stand in the corner. :) |
Even if about to be shot? :wink: |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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#11 (permalink) Thu May 22, 2008 14:21 pm Inversion (who is the man standing at the door.) |
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Which one of these would "the man standing at the door" belong to?
| Quote: |
general location: I’ll see you at the movies
point: at the intersection of A and B
target: throw at Zeke |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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#12 (permalink) Fri May 23, 2008 0:42 am Inversion (who is the man standing at the door.) |
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Hi Amy,
Thank you so very much again and I'd like to add that your pictures both answered my questions and cleared my doubts away completely.
Haihao |
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Haihao I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 2471 Location: Japan
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