0
Alex John Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
Please check out the grammar
I found the following sentence in a website which is about IT. I think this sentence is wrong in a way that there's not any phrase in the form of "be at play". I rule it out because I didn't see such phrase in Longman dictionary (for word, play).
....
"Other factors, such as the amount and speed of RAM, are always at play."
Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_6767000_128-256-bit-graphics-card.html
....
"Other factors, such as the amount and speed of RAM, are always at play."
Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_6767000_128-256-bit-graphics-card.html
Top answer
Alex John t there's not any phrase in the form of "be at play". The writer meant 'in play'. Other factors are always in play = other factors are always operating/involved.
- Alex John t there's not any phrase in the form of "be at play".
- The writer meant 'in play'.
- Other factors are always in play = other factors are always operating/involved.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
8 Answers
0
Alex Johnt there's not any phrase in the form of "be at play".The writer meant 'in play'.
Other factors are always in play = other factors are always operating/involved.
00
I haven't found a dictionary listing for this usage, but it's not uncommon. COCA lists hundreds of matches.
00
I'm pretty sure I would have read this sentence without noticing a problem. At the link below, one of the respondents suggests that this "at play" is formed out of a combination of "in play" and "at work". Perhaps it was originally a confusion or misunderstanding, but it seems to have worked its way into my vocabulary at least.
00
Ok, Thanks. But what about this sentence:
"A GT 440 which has GDDR5 gets beat out by the HD 6750 DDR3"
"A GT 440 which has GDDR5 gets beat out by the HD 6750 DDR3"
00
0
I couldn't find the phrase above in Longman. I checked both "get (verb)" and "beat (noun)" but couldn't find such a phrase.
00
Alex JohnI couldn't find the phrase above in Longman. I checked both "get (verb)" and "beat (noun)" but couldn't find such a phrase.I don't know the phrase "get beat out" either; I would have to just guess or assume the meaning (albeit this is not hard to do from the context). However, I'm fairly sure that "beat" is not a noun but a colloquial or variant past
00
GPY is right. It is a casual form of 'get beaten out'. I have certainly heard it often enough. From COCA, only these:
He figured that as a senior it was his turn—and then to get beat out by a sophomore! # But it was just fate—bad timing.
He failed to finish plays, had no fire in his belly. " He got beaten out, " says Carroll.
He figured that as a senior it was his turn—and then to get beat out by a sophomore! # But it was just fate—bad timing.
He failed to finish plays, had no fire in his belly. " He got beaten out, " says Carroll.
0
Related Questions