Choosing words

Question

Hi,are the words express and profess possible in the following sentence?He professed/expressed high admiration for the job.and "sustain","bear" and "hold" in the following sentence, please?The bridge couldn't sustain/bear/hold the weight of the truck and collapsed.and is this last sentence correct, please?Dams prevent/hinder water from flowing further. In a nutshell, it retains water.Thank you in advance!

Avangi · Accepted Answer

are the words express and profess possible in the following sentence?
He professed/expressed high admiration for the job. They're both possible, but the meanings are different. "Admiration" is a strange choice to describe one's feelings about a job.

and "sustain","bear" and "hold" in the following sentence, please?
The bridge couldn't sustain/bear/hold the weight of the truck and collapsed. They all work here,
in my opinion.

and is this last sentence correct, please?
Dams prevent/hinder water from flowing further. In a nutshell, it retains water. The antecedent of "it" is plural (dams), so you need to say "they retain water."
The meanings of "prevent" and "hinder" are different in this case, but both can be used.

CalifJim · Answer

~~are~~ Are the words express and profess possible in the following sentence?
He professed/expressed high admiration for the job.
Yes, but be aware that "professed" is a really "high-class" word!
(I assume you mean something like "for a job well done" at the end.)

and "sustain","bear" and "hold" in the following sentence, please?
The bridge couldn't sustain/bear/hold the weight of the truck and collapsed.
Yes. All OK, but the most usual word in this situation is "support".
"hold" is my least favorite, if you're interested in my opinion.

and is this last sentence correct, please?
Dams prevent/hinder water from flowing further. In a nutshell, it retains water.
Yes. "prevent" is more definitive. No water will get through the dam.
"hinder" (the opposite of "help") is more approximate. The dam will "try to prevent" the water from getting through. And don't forget the simpler ways of saying the same thing:

Dams stop water from flowing. They store water.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

CalifJimDams stop water from flowing. They store water.

Not by a dam site.
Well, I guess in the sense that traffic signals stop traffic.

Sorry, I couldn't resist that! - A.

I think of them more in terms of regulating than in terms of stopping.
Granted, some are used in connection with reservoirs.
A cofferdam is used to stop water from flowing.
In hydroelectric power applications, they increase the head.
(Of course "hinder" is not normally used in connection with dams. I should have said that.
It sounds like a nuisance, all negative. "Impede" would be less offensive but no more accurate.)

Good catch on "high admiration for the job," by the way. Right on!

CalifJim · Answer

AvangiGranted, some are used in connection with reservoirs.

Most of them around here are reservoir dams, and the county decides when to let the water flow out on the basis of the city's needs. I realize that not all dams are designed for the same purpose. I am guilty of thinking too locally on this one!

CJ

Avangi · Answer

The San Luis Dam in the Pacheco Pass is a beauty!

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