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#2 (permalink) Thu Oct 07, 2004 10:46 am To be about to and to be on the point of |
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Hi Terminator,
Both expressions - 'to be about to' and 'to be on the point of' describe a fixed or decided event - not necessarily with the idea of personal intention as the following expamples show:
'The negotiations are on the point of collapsing' 'The negotiations are about to collapse.'
'She is about to give up on her article.' 'She is on the point of giving up on her article.'
TOEIC listening, question-response: You wouldn't happen to have change for a dollar, would you? |
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Torsten Learning Coach

Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 14491 Location: EU
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#3 (permalink) Thu Oct 07, 2004 11:01 am To be about to and to be on the point of |
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Hi Torsten! Are these expressions interchangable? |
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Terminator You can meet me at english-test.net

Joined: 26 Jan 2004 Posts: 96
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#4 (permalink) Thu Oct 07, 2004 11:23 am 'I'm about to' is a bit more popular |
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Hi again,
Yes, both constructions mean almost exactly the same thing with 'to be about to' being a bit more popular.
TOEIC listening, question-response: Will that be cash, check, or charge? |
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Torsten Learning Coach

Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 14491 Location: EU
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#5 (permalink) Fri Aug 06, 2010 9:33 am I am about to and I am on the point of |
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| could you please explain me about the word" in term of "? |
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Van Noeurn New Member
Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 3
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#6 (permalink) Fri Aug 06, 2010 9:40 am I am about to and I am on the point of |
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http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/term_1 in terms of something if you explain or describe something in terms of a particular fact or event, you are explaining or describing it only in relation to that fact or event |
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Tofu I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 28 May 2010 Posts: 1412 Location: Swept away by the Mar, 11 tsunami
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