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Angliholic Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
From/in the distance
Apparently, with plenty of space and no other howler monkeys around, there was no need to check on the whereabouts of their competitors. At the sanctuary, keepers now use recorded howler sounds from a distance so that the monkeys feel the need to make the territorial calls as they would do in the wild.
Hi,
For a start, is it the same to say "check the whereabouts ... " instead of "check on the ..." in the above?
Secondly, Is the bolded "from" interchangewith "in?" If not, can you enlighten me? Thanks.
Hi,
For a start, is it the same to say "check the whereabouts ... " instead of "check on the ..." in the above?
Secondly, Is the bolded "from" interchangewith "in?" If not, can you enlighten me? Thanks.
Top answer
If you eliminated the "on" from "check on", the sentence would still be grammatical, but the rhythm and imagery of the sentence is lost. You need the "on" here. If you replaced "from" with "in", the sentence is not grammatical.
- If you eliminated the "on" from "check on", the sentence would still be grammatical, but the rhythm and imagery of the sentence is lost.
- You need the "on" here.
- If you replaced "from" with "in", the sentence is not grammatical.
- Using "in the distance" gives a grammatical sentence, but again, the rhythm and imagery of the sentence is lost.
- "from a distance" is the right phrase to use here.
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3 Answers
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If you eliminated the "on" from "check on", the sentence would still be grammatical, but the rhythm and imagery of the sentence is lost. You need the "on" here.
If you replaced "from" with "in", the sentence is not grammatical. Using "in the distance" gives a grammatical sentence, but again, the rhythm and imagery of the sentence is lost. "from a distance" is the right phrase to use he
If you replaced "from" with "in", the sentence is not grammatical. Using "in the distance" gives a grammatical sentence, but again, the rhythm and imagery of the sentence is lost. "from a distance" is the right phrase to use he
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Thanks, Anony.
But can you be more concrete or specific? I can't sense the lost rhythm and imagery of the sentences.
But can you be more concrete or specific? I can't sense the lost rhythm and imagery of the sentences.
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This is written in "wildlife-park-ranger"-type jargon, which is in keeping with the subject matter. Park rangers are constantly "checking on" (not merely "checking") the animals. And a lot of things are done "from a distance" (not "in the distance"), for example: photography, spotting animals, watching animal behavior, listening for animal calls, etc. - you typically don't want to get too nea
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