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Persian Learner Posted 9 years ago
Vocabulary

For all we know

Hi.

People have wondered about the location of Cleopatra's tomb since the Romans entered the city of Alexandria in 30 BC. She barricaded herself behind the doors of her mausoleum surrounded by gold, silver, pearls, and other treasures. It may have been in the mausoleum where she killed herself at the age of 39, so she could escape the humiliation of defeat and captivity. Yet for all we know about Cleopatra's life, no one really knows how she died or even where her grave might be.

What word/phrase could replace the underlined part without the least change in meaning?

I have 'as far as' in mind.


  

Top answer

"as far as" won't work there. "For all we know, Cleopatra might be buried in Timbuktu" -- implies that our knowledge is poor, so any guess might be true "As far as we know, Cleopatra is buried in Timbuktu" -- means that to the best of our knowledge, even though that knowledge may be incomplete or imperfect, that is where she is buried. "for all we know about Cleopatra's life, no one really knows how she died" -- different meaning of "for all we know"; it implies that that we know quite a lot about Cleopatra's life, but even so , we don't know how she died.

— GPY

  • "as far as" won't work there.
  • "For all we know, Cleopatra might be buried in Timbuktu" -- implies that our knowledge is poor, so any guess might be true "As far as we know, Cleopatra is buried in Timbuktu" -- means that to the best of our knowledge, even though that knowledge may be incomplete or imperfect, that is where she is buried.
  • "for all we know about Cleopatra's life, no one really knows how she died" -- different meaning of "for all we know"; it implies that that we know quite a lot about Cleopatra's life, but even so , we don't know how she died.
  • So a replacement for "for all" that means about the same might be "despite the amount".
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2 Answers
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"as far as" won't work there.

"For all we know, Cleopatra might be buried in Timbuktu" -- implies that our knowledge is poor, so any guess might be true

"As far as we know, Cleopatra is buried in Timbuktu" -- means that to the best of our knowledge, even though that knowledge may be incomplete or imperfect, that is where she is buried.

"for all we know about Cleopatra's life,

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for all we know is a fixed phrase. It means we know nothing that shows something is impossible.

eg our new neighbour seems nice, but for all we know he could be a crazy murderer.

I don't find the phrase is correctly used in your text.

eg Yet despite all we know about Cleopatra's life, no one really knows how she died or even where her grave might

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