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Yoong Liat Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
at the speed of light
Some children write: 'They ran at the speed of light.'
Firstly, I would like to confirm whether the phrase 'the speed of light' is appropriate. To me, it is not suitable because nobody can run as fast as light.
Secondly, would it be grammatically wrong if I remove the inverted commas from the sentence?
Firstly, I would like to confirm whether the phrase 'the speed of light' is appropriate. To me, it is not suitable because nobody can run as fast as light.
Secondly, would it be grammatically wrong if I remove the inverted commas from the sentence?
Top answer
Hi Yoong Liat No, nobody can really run at the speed of light, can they? But I personally don't have any problem with expressing the idea of running at extremely high speed that way. There is a well-known expression that creates a similar picture: like greased lightning .
- Hi Yoong Liat No, nobody can really run at the speed of light, can they?
- But I personally don't have any problem with expressing the idea of running at extremely high speed that way.
- There is a well-known expression that creates a similar picture: like greased lightning .
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36 Answers
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Hi Yoong Liat
No, nobody can really run at the speed of light, can they? But I personally don't have any problem with expressing the idea of running at extremely high speed that way. There is a well-known expression that creates a similar picture: like greased lightning.
No, nobody can really run at the speed of light, can they? But I personally don't have any problem with expressing the idea of running at extremely high speed that way. There is a well-known expression that creates a similar picture: like greased lightning.
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YankeeHi Yoong Liat
No, nobody can really run at the speed of light, can they? But I personally don't have any problem with expressing the idea of running at extremely high speed that way. There is a well-known expression that creates a similar picture: like greased lightning.
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Hi Yoong Liat
1. I think it would be OK to say it that way because nobody would think the sentence is meant literally.
2. The way I might describe like greased lightning is: at a speed that is even faster than the speed of light.
1. I think it would be OK to say it that way because nobody would think the sentence is meant literally.
2. The way I might describe like greased lightning is: at a speed that is even faster than the speed of light.
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Of course you can say 'they ran at the speed of light'. It's a metaphor.
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Thanks, Yankee and Nona.
Now I know it is all right to say "We ran at the speed of light."
Now I know it is all right to say "We ran at the speed of light."
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It's hyperbole. Great exaggeration that no one takes literally.
I would use the quote marks, but I would not use a colon - Some children write, "They ran at the speed of light." Perhaps this is an American thing, but we don't use the colon before quotes.
I would use the quote marks, but I would not use a colon - Some children write, "They ran at the speed of light." Perhaps this is an American thing, but we don't use the colon before quotes.
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We Chinese always use colons before quotes in our language. So we have to restrain this tendency while writing English.
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I don't know what the BrE way to do it is, or other English-speaking countries. I don't want to tell people to use commas if the Americans are the only ones who do.
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Hi Barbara
Like you, I'm still in "comma mode" with quotations. I'm not quite sure what the British "rule" for colons is, but I have seen the colon being used with direct quotes in British news articles, for example. I also seem to remember reading somewhere that the colon is used when it's a quotation that consists of one or more paragraphs. I don't recall reading anything spec
Like you, I'm still in "comma mode" with quotations. I'm not quite sure what the British "rule" for colons is, but I have seen the colon being used with direct quotes in British news articles, for example. I also seem to remember reading somewhere that the colon is used when it's a quotation that consists of one or more paragraphs. I don't recall reading anything spec
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