paper or some other

Question

Hi,If you have a class and you are giving out blank sheets of paper for the students to write on, you would say this."I am passing out some sheets of paper" and would not say, "I am passing out some paper" because "paper" normally referrs to things that have some kind of writing. Right?  Then, if you are passing some thick blank sheets of paper for the students to draw or construct some paper materials, how would you tell them?"I am giving out some thick blank art sheets for you to use" ???

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

I'm passing out some paper. I'm passing out paper.
I'm passing out some construction paper. I'm passing out construction paper.

CJ

J Lewis · Answer

Is "passing out" AmE? I'd have said "handing out".

Milky · Answer

The action described by your sentence above is what is called "performative", which means that the saying of the action is the doing of it. Examples, "I promise you", "I'm warning you". So, verbs like "passing/handing/sending (round, out)" are OK in such situations. I feel there is no need to describe the paper itself, as students can see it as it is coming round.

Use expressions such as:

I'm passing round sheets of paper on which you can write...

I'm passing round sheets of paper which you can use to construct your...

Or, don't describe passing round action, as it's obvious:

As you pass the sheets around, you could say "You can these sheets (of paper) use to construct your/write your ... (on)..." or "You can this use paper construct your..., etc."

Marius Hancu · Answer

J LewisIs "passing out" AmE? I'd have said "handing out".

Good point.

Both in Spears, American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs, and on the net, I find only this meaning:

phrasal verb
pass out

To suffer temporary lack of consciousness: http://education.yahoo.com/reference/thesaurus/entry/black%20out;_ylt=AmSw6DGxxaH1DsMoWr8vHPNwCssF, http://education.yahoo.com/reference/thesaurus/entry/faint;_ylt=AjWaxm9nVuibL3rAk1dmujVwCssF, http://education.yahoo.com/reference/thesaurus/entry/keel%20over;_ylt=Ak4E6W42Ch6jaMYwPhRApglwCssF, http://education.yahoo.com/reference/thesaurus/entry/swoon;_ylt=AjbnqTsciDTRi3W2UeMWlA5wCssF. See awareness

Milky · Answer

Marius HancuGood point.

Both in Spears, American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs, and on the net, I find only this meaning:

phrasal verb
pass out

To suffer temporary lack of consciousness: , , , . See awareness

You need wider reference. AE is not the only form of English, Marcus.

pass out sth or pass sth out

to give something to each person in a group of people
Could you pass those books out?

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=pass.out*2+0&dict=P

And, in BE and AusE:

(British & Australian) to successfully finish a training course at a police or military college
He was posted to Northern Ireland a month after he passed out.

passing-out British & Australian
adjective
The end of their six-month training course was marked by a passing-out parade.

Marius Hancu · Answer

Milky
Marius HancuGood point.

Both in Spears, American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs, and on the net, I find only this meaning:

phrasal verb
pass out

To suffer temporary lack of consciousness: , , , . See awareness

You need wider reference. AE is not the only form of English, Marcus.

And I thought J. Lewis had it covered for BrE.

It's Marius.

And I thought J. Lewis had it covered for BrE.

But Cambridge is right. Did't look into it.

BarbaraPA · Answer

Beause a question was asked specifically about American usage, I can confirm that we say either "handing out" or "passing out" materials.

If I give a stack to the first person, who takes one and passes along the rest, I'd use "passing out." "Handing out" has a sense of my giving the material directly to you - although you could also say "passing out" for that use too.

I can also say that the use of passing out meaning graduated from is not one that I've heard.

Milky · Answer

Sorry, Marius, of course. Had a baby in one arm when I was typing.

CalifJim · Answer

Lots of activity since I've visited this thread.

Let me confirm that in AmE either pass out or hand out are possible in the subject context of this thread.
_______

Secondly, a clarification on a point made earlier in the thread. Neither pass out nor hand out is a performative verb. A performative both describes and IS the performance of the action described by the verb. These are always first person pronouncements. The word hereby may or may not be present.

I promise describes and IS a promise. By virtue of saying I promise, I've performed an act of promising..
I authorize describes and IS an authorization. By saying I authorize, I've performed an act of authorization.

I do not perform an act of handing out paper by saying that I'm doing so. Saying I'm handing out paper is not performing the act of handing out paper.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Hi,

Would you say which is more common or appropriate when a teacher wants to pass out some blank (without the writing) papers to have his/her students write somethings or construct some paper materials?

I am passing out some sheets of paper for you to __________.

I am passing out some paper for you to ___________.

I am passing out paper for you to ____________.

Are they all fine? The word "paper" seems to be uncountable.

paper or some other

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