Across

Question

Hello...“across” is not so easy to fully understand.So, I am looking up the dictionary.Both a. and b. understanding is possible?And in #1, b. understanding is not allowed is only because there can’t be a library that crosses the road?1. The library is just across the road.a. The library is at the opposite of the road.2. There is a rope across the street.a. There is a rope at the opposite of the streetb. There is a rope which is crossing the street.3. There is a road across the mountain.a. There is a road at the opposite of the mountain.b. There is a road which is crossing the mountain.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

1. The library is just across the road. OK
a. The library is at the opposite of the road. No

2. There is a rope across the street. OK, but an odd thing to say. It says the rope is just lying there on the other side of the street, though it might mean what you want it to mean in the right context. We can't get by because there's a rope across the street.
a. There is a rope at the opposite of the street No.
b. There is a rope which is crossing the street. No.
In this group I think you're saying that the street is roped off.

3. There is a road across the mountain. OK. Also, and probably better: over the mountain.
a. There is a road at the opposite of the mountain. No.
b. There is a road which is crossing the mountain. No.

You can just about forget about "opposite" unless, in more formal speech, you use it directly as a preposition to show the relative position of two things, like buildings:
The library is opposite the bank. (not "at the opposite") = ... is across from the bank.
The concert hall is opposite the post office. = ... is across from the post office.

And you don't want the continuous present of "cross" when the subject is not animate.
The road is crossing the mountain conjures up images of a road actually getting up from its usual position and moving from one side of the mountain to the other.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

pructus“across” is not so easy to fully understand.

No, it isn't. The two main uses are to show motion and to show position.

Motion: We walked across the road. ~ We crossed the road.
Daniel ran across the room. / The baby crawled across the lawn.

Position: We saw a few people across the road. ~ We saw a few people who were located on the other side of the road.
Karen heard children playing across the lake. / I live here, and Bill lives across the street.

"across from" also shows position.

Lucy sat across from Jane. / The restrooms are across from the main desk. / The post office is across from the supermarket.

In these expressions the reference point (after across) is implied, thus: Lucy sat across (the table) from Jane. / The restrooms are across (the hotel lobby) from the main desk. / The post office is across (the street) from the supermarket.

We saw a few people across the road. We were across from them. They were across from us. We were across the road from them. They were across the road from us.

Another usage shows crosswise orientation (perpendicular or nearly so with respect to something else).

He lay across the bed. ~ He was stretched out on the bed, but not in the usual position with his head at one end and his feet at the other.
There is a bridge across the river. ~ The bridge led from one side of the river to the other, more or less perpendicular to the river. (This doesn't mean that the whole bridge is on the other side of the river. This is orientation, not position.)
The editor drew a line across the photos that she didn't want.

CJ

Pructus · Answer

I see... I see...
Thanks so much, CJ!!

The explanation about continuous present of "cross" when the subject is not animate is so valuable to me.
I didn't know that...

And, as this is not so easy to understand, even after your explanations, and my expression "opposite" increased the confusion, I rewrote.

a. means “to be located across from” and b. means “in a crossing manner” as in “They walked across the bridge”.

1. The library is just across the road.
? Only a. meaning is possible.

2. There is a rope across the street.
? Only a. meaning is possible.
If it is intended to be b. meaning, it should be “The street is roped off” or “There is a rope crossing the street”.

3. There is a road across the mountain.
? Only a. meaning is possible and “over” is better than “across”.
Here, how can we say to say b. meaning?
There is a road that crosses the mountain?

And, if the verb “be” is used, as in “is across the N”, it is always understood to mean a. meaning?

So, “X is across the Y” means “X is located across from Y”, not “X crosses Y”?

Pructus · Answer

CalifJimNo, it isn't. The two main uses are to show motion and to show position.

The difficult part about "across" is how to decide which one is motion and which one is "position.
When "across from" is used, it is easy to know that this is position.
But when "from" is not used, it doesn't seem to be that easy to non-natives...
And dictionaries and books don't say much about this....

So, there seem to be three meanings of "across"
"motion", "position" and the meaning as in "He lay across the bed".

I am thinking about "stative verbs + across" might be "position".

CalifJim · Answer

pructusa. means “to be located across from” and b. means “in a crossing manner”

OK. a. is location; b. is motion. Let's add c. orientation. See my latest post.

pructus1. The library is just across the road.? Only a. meaning is possible.

Correct.

pructus2. There is a rope across the street.? Only a. meaning is possible.

a. is possible (location) and also c. (orientation), but a. comes to mind first if there is no context.

pructusIf it is intended to be b. meaning, it should be “The street is roped off” or “~~There is a rope crossing the street”~~.

No. It can't be b. (motion) because the rope can't walk or run. That's why you can't have a rope crossing the street, which I have struck out above. You're dealing with c. when you use "There is a rope across the street" to mean "The street is roped off". The rope is oriented perpendicular to the street to block entry.

pructus3. There is a road across the mountain.? Only a. meaning is possible and “over” is better than “across”.

Actually, this is meaning c. (orientation) The road stretches from one side of the mountain to the other. Meaning a. (location) is possible, but it means that the whole road from beginning to end is on the other side of the mountain.

pructusHere, how can we say to say b. meaning?

You can't say the b. meaning because roads cannot get up and move.

pructusAnd, if the verb “be” is used, as in “is across the N”, it is always understood to mean a. meaning?

As far as I know, yes. I can't think of another meaning for that.

pructusSo, “X is across the Y” means “X is located across from Y”, not “X crosses Y”?

See my latest post above for more on "is across the Y" and "is across from the Y".

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

pructusThe difficult part about "across" is how to decide which one is motion and which one is "position.

The case of motion has a verb of motion. go, run, walk, drive, ... across something.

pructusthere seem to be three meanings of "across""motion", "position" and the meaning as in "He lay across the bed".

"motion", "position", and "orientation"

pructusI am thinking about "stative verbs + across" might be "position".

Anything but motion, so "position" or "orientation".
_________

The giant snake was moving across the path. (motion: It was moving from one side to the other side of the path.)
The giant snake was hiding in some bushes across the path. (location: All of the snake was on one side of the path. It was on the opposite side of the path from me/us.)
The giant snake was lying across the path. (orientation: its head on one side of the path, its tail on the other side of the path)

CJ

Pructus · Answer

Wow!!
This is a major discovery no one has ever taught until now, no books, no dictionaries....
Books and dictionaries may have explained this but not so systematically as your explanations: motion, position, orientation. These three concepts itself gives a new light...
I haven't fully understood this right now, but I think I will be able to, if I invest some time.

Thanks so so much, CJ!!

Pructus · Answer

How about "look across something"?

Our room looked across the road to the Church.

In this case, as “to the Church” is attached I can see “across” means position, on the other side of.

But,

He looked across the lake.

In this case, it becomes vague...

And a dictionary says like this:
fully informed about; dealing with: we are across this problem.

Does this mean, “We are fully informed about this problem”?
Or “We are dealing with this problem”?

But still, it’s difficult to understand.

Pructus · Answer

This part is really not that simple...

A. I heard children playing across the street.

Does this mean motion, "children playing, crossing the street" or position, "children playing on the other side of the street"?
Or, maybe be both interpetation is possible?

The same structure seems to be...

B. I heard him running across the street.

According to what I have learned until now, this will be interpreted to mean, motion, "him crossing the street"...

A and B are in the same structure and meaning?

CalifJim · Answer

pructusHe looked across the lake.

He looked at a position across the lake from him.

pructusAnd a dictionary says like this: fully informed about; dealing with: we are across this problem.Does this mean, “We are fully informed about this problem”?Or “We are dealing with this problem”?

I'm not familiar with this expression.

CJ

Across

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