ultimate, sacked

Question

He is the ultimate member of this forum. [He is the "best" member of this forum]These are the ultimate books I want. You are the ultimate person to whom I want to marry. I was sacked for not being able to communicate properly with the customers.We need examples with commonplace qualities, unusual examples may distract us from understanding the gist of why examples are used.She ran terribly across the road when she saw his mom was walking on the pavement, which was on the other side of/across the road.Please correct my sentences.

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

He is the ultimate member of this forum. [He is the "best" member of this forum] "Ultimate" is used to mean "the best example of" but not simply "the best."

These are the ultimate books I want. No. Use "only."

You are the ultimate person to whom I want to marry. No. You are the person I ultimately want to marry means that eventually, "at the end" (after some period of time). If you mean the only person, then use "only."

I was sacked for not being able to communicate properly with the customers. Okay.

We need examples with commonplace qualities, unusual examples may distract us from understanding the gist of why examples are used. Can you try to restate this?

She ran terribly across the road when she saw his mom was walking on the pavement, which was on the other side of/across the road. What do you mean "ran terribly" - do you mean very quickly? A horse with a lame leg runs terribly.

I think you mean "walking on the sidewalk"? The pavement would BE the road and doesn't make sense to say it's on the other side of the road. And yes, "on the other side of the road."

Why did she need to run when she saw his mother? Have you confused the pronouns again, and do you mean her own mother? If so, then HER mom, not HIS mom, okay?

User_gary · Answer

Thank you Grammar Greek.

We need examples with commonplace qualities, unusual examples may distract us from understanding the gist of why examples are used. Can you try to restate this?

We need examples which is very common, very tough or unusual examples may distract us from understanding the gist of what the example means.

She ran terribly across the road when she saw his mom was walking on the pavement, which was on the other side of/across the road. What do you mean "ran terribly" - do you mean very quickly?

Yes. Is this use incorrect?

I think you mean "walking on the sidewalk"? The pavement would BE the road and doesn't make sense to say it's on the other side of the road. And yes, "on the other side of the road."

Yes. I mean "on the sidewalk" which is a pavement in BE, I think. I know we mostly have a sidewalk on both the sides of the road. So what wrong with "on a sidewalk / pavement which was on the other side of the road"?

Why did she need to run when she saw his mother? Have you confused the pronouns again, and do you mean her own mother? If so, then HER mom, not HIS mom, okay?

Yes, you are correct. Again, it's a typo.

BarbaraPA · Answer

We need examples which is very common, very tough or unusual examples may distract us from understanding the gist of what the example means.

Okay, now I understand. You have a run-on sentence.We need examples that are easy to understand. Difficult or unusual examples may distract us from understanding what the example is trying to illustrate.

She ran terribly across the road when she saw his mom was walking on the pavement, which was on the other side of/across the road. What do you mean "ran terribly" - do you mean very quickly?

Yes. Is this use incorrect?

Yes, using "terribly" in this way is incorrect.

I think you mean "walking on the sidewalk"? The pavement would BE the road and doesn't make sense to say it's on the other side of the road. And yes, "on the other side of the road."

Yes. I mean "on the sidewalk" which is a pavement in BE, I think. I know we mostly have a sidewalk on both the sides of the road. So what wrong with "on a sidewalk / pavement which was on the other side of the road"?

So in British English, the word "sidewalk"is "pavement"? In the US, the entire road surface is considered the pavement. If I am on one side of the road, it doesn't make sense to refer to the pavement as being on the other side of the road because it is the road. I would say "The sidewalk is on the other side of the road from where I'm standing" would make perfect sense to me.

Why did she need to run when she saw his mother? Have you confused the pronouns again, and do you mean her own mother? If so, then HER mom, not HIS mom, okay?

Yes, you are correct. Again, it's a typo.

Okay. So the final sentence is "She ran quickly when she saw her mother on the sidewalk on the other side of the road." I don't know if she ran toward her mother to be with her, or away so her mother would not be able to see her or catch her, but perhaps in context that would make sense.

Nona the brit · Answer

Yep, in British English we use pavement for sidewalk. It doesn't refer to the road itself at all.

Sounds like that AM/Brit difference could lead to some dangerous confusions!

BarbaraPA · Answer

Yes - can you imagine if you said to me "Go wait on the pavement"? I'd think you had a death wish for me!

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