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Stenka25 Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary
The last vacant seat but one
I met a passage below in the website addressed below.
http://archive.org/stream/englishstudies01amstuoft/englishstudies01amstuoft_djvu.txt
One old gentleman in particular, on whose foot I had the misfortune to tread as I made my way to the last vacant seat but one, seemed quite glad of the opportunity I offered him of giving vent to his feelings.
The underlined ‘the last vacant seat but one’ logically seems to try to say ‘second vacant seat to last.’ I am not sure why but to me this expression is awkward.
Two question comes up to me.
1. Does the expression make any sense and is it used in everyday conversation and no problem?
2. If not, why is that kind of expression - absurd, awkward, not making any sense – in circulation?
(I know the 2nd question is also awkward but I can't come up with any other way of questioning as an English learner as a second language.)
Thanks in advance.
http://archive.org/stream/englishstudies01amstuoft/englishstudies01amstuoft_djvu.txt
One old gentleman in particular, on whose foot I had the misfortune to tread as I made my way to the last vacant seat but one, seemed quite glad of the opportunity I offered him of giving vent to his feelings.
The underlined ‘the last vacant seat but one’ logically seems to try to say ‘second vacant seat to last.’ I am not sure why but to me this expression is awkward.
Two question comes up to me.
1. Does the expression make any sense and is it used in everyday conversation and no problem?
2. If not, why is that kind of expression - absurd, awkward, not making any sense – in circulation?
(I know the 2nd question is also awkward but I can't come up with any other way of questioning as an English learner as a second language.)
Thanks in advance.
Top answer
Consider this example. Assume there are 5 seats and 3 are occupied. Tom walks in and sits down.
- Consider this example.
- Assume there are 5 seats and 3 are occupied.
- Tom walks in and sits down.
- Then Mary walks in and sits down.
- The seat that Tom sat on was the last vacant seat but one .
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2 Answers
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Consider this example.
Assume there are 5 seats and 3 are occupied.
Tom walks in and sits down.
Then Mary walks in and sits down.
The seat that Tom sat on was the last vaca
Assume there are 5 seats and 3 are occupied.
Tom walks in and sits down.
Then Mary walks in and sits down.
The seat that Tom sat on was the last vaca
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Stenka251. Does the expression make any sense and is it used in everyday conversation and no problem?Yes. you won't run across this expression every day, but it is not uncommon either. I'd guess that it is more common in writing than in speaking.
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