Printable View
Could you help me with understanding the following phrase:
"Variant that specifies the arguments to use when displaying the document" ???
Can I paraphase that phrase like this: "It's a variant by means of which you can specify the arguments which are used when the document is displayed"??? :?
Thanks in advance for any help!!
:puzzled: i think you got the point, i can't think of any other meaning...
why can't people speak properly?! :wink:
Is this a technical phrase? I could probably phrase it better in English with a little background information.
This looks computernerdie, but I will give it a try:Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuvak
When you display a document, it uses a set of arguments to display.
These arguments are specified by a certain variant.
I don't know what variant means in this context, but the argument could be like:
Display [Document A] [-in green]
where [-in green] would be the argument.
looks like the word should be "variable".
"variant" means "alternative" or "alternate".
A variable and an argument can be practically synonymous in some cases, anyway. I suspect this may be one such instance.
Thanks for help!!!
Could you also check some sentences:
1.He laughted and raised his hands up as a sign of giving in
2.It is necessary that you should take a part in discussing of this question
3.There are many advantages and disadvantages of having a car
4.The disadvantage of his driving a car was that he don't have a driving licence
5. The children were running about at the bank of the river
6. Do you know who I run into at the library?
7. He ran into debt because he had bought a house.
Thanks in advance
My attempt:
I'm not sure about number 4 though. It could be changed around more to something like:Quote:
1. He laughed and raised his hands as a sign of giving in
2. It is necessary that you take part in discussing this question
3. There are many advantages and disadvantages of having a car
4. The disadvantage of his when driving a car was that he doesn't/does not have a driving licence
5. The children were running about at the bank of the river
6. Do you know who I run(ran?) into at the library?
7. He ran into debt because he had bought a house.
'When driving a car, the disadvantage of his was that he doesn't/does not have a driving licence'.
If there is only 1 disadvantage then the above is fine but if there are many:
'When driving a car, a disadvantage of his was that he doesn't/does not have a driving licence'.
For number 6, you say: 'do you know who I run into at the library?' when you run into them regularly.
Maybe it's better to say: 'do you know who I usually run into at the library?'.
And you say: 'do you know who I ran into at the library?' if it only happened once at a previous time.
IMHO, I think this sounds better:Quote:
Originally Posted by волк
2. It is necessary that you take part in the discussion of this question
4: His disadvantage in driving a car is that he doesn't have a license [driving license implied].
5. The children were running about on/near(?) the bank of the river
6. Do you know who I ran into at the library?
It's supposed to be in the past tense.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuvak
1. He laughed and raised his hands as a sign of giving up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuvak
2. It is necessary that you take part in the dicussion of this question.
3. good
4. His disadvantage of driving a car was that he didn't have a driving license.
5. good, you can also say "by the bank of the river"
6. Do you know who I ran into at the library?
7. He got into debt because he bought a house.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwatts59
You know, with all the different suggestions people make, is it not hard for non-native speakers to decide which are gramatically correct?
Does this look more like a collective answer of correct attempts:
(What about: 'He had gotten into debt because he had bought a house'? )Quote:
1. He laughed and raised his hands as a sign of giving up.
2. It is necessary that you take part in the dicussion of this question.
3. There are many advantages and disadvantages of having a car.
4. His disadvantage of driving a car was that he didn't have a driving license.
5. The children were running about on/by the bank of the river.
6. Do you know who I ran into at the library?
7. He got into debt because he bought a house.
Thanks you, guys!
:D
So, you think that the variant "The disadvantage of his driving a car was that he didn't have a driver's licence" sounds grammatically correct?Quote:
Originally Posted by basurero
I suppose that it implies the same meaning as "When driving a car, the disadvantage of his was that he didn't have a driving licence", doesn't it? :?
"the disadvantage of his" is grammatically correct, but it sounds strange.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuvak
"his disadvantage" sounds better
When driving a car, his disadvantage was that he didn't have a driving license.
or
His disadvantage when driving a car was that he didn't have a driving license.
Really? I think "the disadvantage" sounds better...Quote:
"the disadvantage of his" is grammatically correct, but it sounds strange.
"his disadvantage" sounds better
Yeh I think it sounds ok.Quote:
So, you think that the variant "The disadvantage of his driving a car was that he didn't have a driver's licence" sounds grammatically correct?
I suppose that it implies the same meaning as "When driving a car, the disadvantage of his was that he didn't have a driving licence", doesn't it? Confused
To me it is like saying "the car of Bob's" versus "Bob's car".
Me too.Quote:
Originally Posted by basurero
None of it makes any sense, really, as I can't see that lacking a drivers licence is "a disadvantage of his driving a car". It's just illegal.
Thanks, I seem to clear up the matter.
But while reading my exercise book I came upon an exercise which quite embarrased me. They ask me to find the odd word in the chain of the verbs. I couldn't do it, and to say the truth I haven't any idea what to be a sign of oddity in each case... Here is the chains and my guesses (in parentheses). Would you check and correct my surmises. I also would appreciate it if you explained me the basis which you was guided by.
1. deny, practise, afford, suggest (afford ?)
2. offer, mention, risk, mind (mind ?)
3. put off, prove, learn, aim (?)
4. expect, happen, give up, tend (tend)
5. enjoy, endure, imagine, appear (?)
6. can't help, adore, refuse, carry on (?)
7. fancy, avoid, agree, postpone (?)
8. be busy, neglect, threaten, plan (be busy)
I wouldn't be embarassed. I have no idea from a quick read. It's more of a logic thing than a language thing.
Though cookies... this is at least what I think on two of them...Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuvak
1. denyQuote:
Originally Posted by Chuvak
2. risk
3. put off
4. give up
5. endure
6. adore
7. fancy
8. threaten
These are my guesses. I cannot explain why I chose them.
You haven't understood the sentence properly.Quote:
Originally Posted by kwatts59
Here is a common phrase:
"You resent my being here"
"My being here" in this sentence is like "his driving a car" in Chuvak's, that is:
This sentence says "the disadvantage of his driving"
The disadvantage belongs to the driving of him. Not to him himself.
Yeah, exactly. Those are the type of questions that come up in MENSA tests anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by Seventh-Monkey
I'll have a go at explaining what I got after some thought.
1. deny, practise, afford, suggest
The rest are positive, you suggest something, practice it and afford it, when you deny it, you don't put the effort into it (sorry it's hard to explain that one).
2. offer, mention, risk, mind
You offer to do something, mention it and mind it
3. put off, prove, learn, aim
Again, the rest are positive towards doing something: Proving a difficult case, learning a difficult language, aiming to achieve a goal.
4. expect, happen, give up, tend
Something happens, something is expected to happen, something tends to happen.
5. enjoy, endure, imagine, appear
I can't really explain this one...
6. can't help, adore, refuse, carry on
The rest are choices,
Example: A project: Can't help with it, refuse to do it or carry on with it. Adore doesn't have anything to do with the fact it can/is wanted to be done or not.
7. fancy, avoid, agree, postpone
The rest are statuses of something.
For example: A meeting- You can avoid it, agree on things in it/agree to go to it, or it can be postponed to a later date.
8. be busy, neglect, threaten, plan
Again this is like a status.
Example: A project: It can be neglected, busy with or at a planning stage.
Feel free to dissagree with this.
They might be wrong but it should hopefully help with using a stragegy of grouping with examples so the odd one out can be found more easily.
I see what you are saying. The disadvantage belongs to "his driving". So you can say:Quote:
Originally Posted by TATY
"His driving disadvantage was that he did not have a driver's license."
The sentence still sounds strange.
I think Chuvak wanted to say
"The disadvantage of him driving was that he did not have a driver's license."
Now that I think about it, "appear" is probably the correct answer.Quote:
Originally Posted by волк
"I enjoy", "I endure", "I imagine" are emotions but "I appear" is an action.
Thank you all, especially Волку for minute explanations for each item. :lol:
Honestly, I couldn't have finished such a test...
[quote=kwatts59]I see what you are saying. The disadvantage belongs to "his driving". So you can say:Quote:
Originally Posted by TATY
"His driving disadvantage was that he did not have a driver's license."
The sentence still sounds strange.
I think Chuvak wanted to say
"The disadvantage of him driving was that he did not have a driver's license."[/quote:2mmvpi07]
Maybe
"When it came to driving, his disadvantage was that he didn't have a license."
I don't think "driving" should be repeated, as it is bad style. It is obvious they are talking a driving license and not a fishing license.