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Omar Ahmed Posted 5 years ago
Grammar

A puzzling question

My teacher told me that 'line' can be used instead of both 'queue' and 'row'. Is this true?

  

Top answer

Yes, but only in the right contexts. Americans don't use "queue" for that. You can have a headache for three days in a row but not three days in a line.

  • Yes, but only in the right contexts.
  • Americans don't use "queue" for that.
  • You can have a headache for three days in a row but not three days in a line.
  • You can have a line of ants walking across your kitchen counter, but you can't have a row of them doing that.
  • I could go on and on.
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3 Answers
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Yes, but only in the right contexts. Americans don't use "queue" for that. You can have a headache for three days in a row but not three days in a line. You can have a line of ants walking across your kitchen counter, but you can't have a row of them doing that. I could go on and on. You just have to learn each case as it comes. I suppose that most words are like that.

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row refers to organization, ie several people or things in a straight line.

eg The desks in the classroom are arranged in rows.


In a context of eg shopping, line and queue are both possible, but row is not.

queue is a feature of British English. US English favours line.

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There are both noun and verb forms.


British English:

Queues at the theatres' box offices are non-existent these days. Everyone is staying home.
You have to go to the clinic early to queue up for the vaccine.

American English:

Lines at the theaters' box offices are non-existent these days. Everyone is staying home.
You have to go

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