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Seagull Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The adverb "once"
Regarding the following two sentences:
(A) I used to go to work by bicycle, but now I go by train.
(B) I once went to work by bicycle, but now I go by train.
Can we say that these two sentences are exactly the same in meaning? I know that (A) says that the speaker was in the habit of riding a bike to work in the past. But what about (B)? I kind of feel that (B) says that the speaker has an experience of riding a bike to work, maybe just one time. What is your take on it?
(A) I used to go to work by bicycle, but now I go by train.
(B) I once went to work by bicycle, but now I go by train.
Can we say that these two sentences are exactly the same in meaning? I know that (A) says that the speaker was in the habit of riding a bike to work in the past. But what about (B)? I kind of feel that (B) says that the speaker has an experience of riding a bike to work, maybe just one time. What is your take on it?
Top answer
seagull I kind of feel that (B) says that the speaker has an experience of riding a bike to work, maybe just one time. What is your take on it? Right.
- seagull I kind of feel that (B) says that the speaker has an experience of riding a bike to work, maybe just one time.
- What is your take on it?
- Right.
- The meaning isn't the same, probably because going to work is an action.
- Rob once drove to Santa Barbara.
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6 Answers
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seagullI kind of feel that (B) says that the speaker has an experience of riding a bike to work, maybe just one time. What is your take on it?Right. The meaning isn't the same, probably because going to work is an action.
Rob once drove to Santa Barbara. ? Rob used to drive to Santa Barbara.
An equivalence might be established with a
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I understand.
Thank you so much, CalifJim, for your answer and pertinent examples.
Thank you so much, CalifJim, for your answer and pertinent examples.
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You're welcome.
Note, however, that because of the second clause "but now I go by train" in that specific example, the "once" acts more or less the same as "used to". This does not happen in the general case. You have to have more words in or around the clause with "once" to make it clear which meaning of "once" you are using.
CJ
Note, however, that because of the second clause "but now I go by train" in that specific example, the "once" acts more or less the same as "used to". This does not happen in the general case. You have to have more words in or around the clause with "once" to make it clear which meaning of "once" you are using.
CJ
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Note also that 'I went to work on my bike once' can also mean that there was only one occasion on which I cycled to work.
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