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Mr. Tom Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
Use of substitute
Hi
The use of substitute confuses me in the yellow sentence. Doesn't substitute mean "to use"?
[He substituted cake for biscuits = He used cake not biscuits.]
Could you please help me understand its use in the following sentence?
Her verbosity is always a source of irritation: she never uses a single word when she can substitute a long clause or phrase in its place.
(...when she can use a long clause or phrase in its place. )
Thanks,
Tom
The use of substitute confuses me in the yellow sentence. Doesn't substitute mean "to use"?
[He substituted cake for biscuits = He used cake not biscuits.]
Could you please help me understand its use in the following sentence?
Her verbosity is always a source of irritation: she never uses a single word when she can substitute a long clause or phrase in its place.
(...when she can use a long clause or phrase in its place. )
Thanks,
Tom
Top answer
"Substitute" means replace. Still confused?
- "Substitute" means replace.
- Still confused?
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3 Answers
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Thanks, deadrat.
...but aren't replace and use (substitute) roughly opposite in meaning?
Please see:
The old design was substituted for the building. (the old design was used)
The old design was replaced. (...the old design was not used)
She substituted cake for biscuits. (Sh
...but aren't replace and use (substitute) roughly opposite in meaning?
Please see:
The old design was substituted for the building. (the old design was used)
The old design was replaced. (...the old design was not used)
She substituted cake for biscuits. (Sh
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I think there are two patterns for substitute:
X SUB A [prep] B
A sub [prep] B
where prep is one of {"for", "by", "with"} and SUB is the active voice of a tense of "substitute" and sub is either an active or a passive voiced tense of "substitute."
1. If prep="for" then A is used and B is not.
2. If prep="by" or prep="with" then B is used and A is not.
L
X SUB A [prep] B
A sub [prep] B
where prep is one of {"for", "by", "with"} and SUB is the active voice of a tense of "substitute" and sub is either an active or a passive voiced tense of "substitute."
1. If prep="for" then A is used and B is not.
2. If prep="by" or prep="with" then B is used and A is not.
L
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