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 #2 (permalink) Mon Aug 09, 2010 20:58 pm allusion vs. illusion |
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Although both words sound and look quite similar they are very different in meaning.
Allusion: a hint or intimation
Illusion: a false impression of reality; misconception
TOEIC listening, photographs: Boats on the beach |
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Torsten
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| #3 (permalink) Fri Dec 16, 2011 15:46 pm allusion vs. illusion |
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why not: 'such a thing' instead of 'such thing'?
what is the difference between them?
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 Saneta
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| #4 (permalink) Sun Dec 18, 2011 15:24 pm allusion vs. illusion |
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Hi Saneta,
You would have to use 'such' either in the singular as in: 'such a thing' or with no article in the plural 'such things'.
Alan
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Alan
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| #5 (permalink) Mon Dec 19, 2011 1:45 am allusion vs. illusion |
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| Saneta wrote: | why not: 'such a thing' instead of 'such thing'?
what is the difference between them?
Thank You |
Hi Saneta,
Actually, the difference is that the word 'no' immediately precedes 'such' in the test sentence.
You cannot say 'There is no such a thing as a perfect world'.
I suppose you might say the word 'no' acts as a sort of negative determiner and basically means 'not a'. Thus, the word 'a' is not needed. You can say this:
- There is no such thing as a perfect world.
The phrase 'no such thing' is a very commonly used collocation.
For a sentence in which the verb is negated (i.e. used with 'not'), it would also be common to use 'any', and in this case, the word 'any' would also precede 'such'.
- There isn't any such thing as a perfect world.
When asking a question about whether something exists, you could use either of these, for example:
- Is there such a thing?
- Is there any such thing?
* Note that 'a' is used after 'such', but 'any' is used before 'such' in the sentences above.
If you want to use an affirmative sentence/clause, then 'such a' can be used this way, for example:
- I have indeed seen such a thing before, but not very often.
Finally, if you use the adverb of frequency 'never', you would use either 'such a thing' or 'such things' like this:
- I have never seen such a thing. (a thing like that)
- I have never seen such things. (things like that)
Hope that helps.
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