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Pructus Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Walk down across

Hello.....

a. He walked across the street.
b. He walked down across the street.

1. Can we say that a. means that he finished walking across the street and that b. means he didn’t finish walking across the street?

2. And we can say that “He was walking across the bridge” means that he didn’t finish walking across the bridge?
  

Top answer

pructus 1. Can we say that a. means that he finished walking across the street and that b.

  • pructus 1.
  • Can we say that a.
  • means that he finished walking across the street and that b.
  • means he didn’t finish walking across the street?
  • Yes for A but no for B.
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18 Answers
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pructus1. Can we say that a. means that he finished walking across the street and that b. means he didn’t finish walking across the street?
Yes for A but no for B. I don't even understand B; it seems contradictory. You can walk down the street or you can walk across the street, but you cannot do both at once.
pructus2. And we can say
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Thanks so much, Mister Micawber!!

By the way....

How about "went to the window looked down across the street"?
He looked down on the other side of the street?

Google shows some results of "down across" and COCA, too.
Below is an excerpt from COCA and Googling.

You boys didn't hear any noises by chance did you, when you come up from the pond? No sir. Bac
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Here are some more results that I found....

I feel like there are two kinds of "down across"...
Maybe A group and B group are different?
"across" in B means "at the opposite place of"?

This part is so confusing....

*********

A..
1. She was craning her neck and looking down across the Mall.
2. He walked over to the window, looked down across the w
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In A, 'down' has the meaning of 'at a lower height' in some sense.
'In B, 'across' has the the meaning of 'over the range of' in some sense.
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pructus2. And we can say that “He was walking across the bridge” means that he didn’t finish walking across the bridge?
No. He may or may not have made it to the other side.
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I see... I see....
Thanks so much, Mister Micawber!!
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I see.... I see....
Thanks so much, fivejedjon!!
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After some thought....

If "He walked down across the street." is awkward, should we understand this sentence to mean
"He walked down at a place located on the opposite side of the the street."?

In that case, is it natural to natives' ears?

Or....

"He crossed the bridge" actually seems to mean "He walked along the bridge" because bridges are usually narrow an
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pructusIf "He walked down across the street." is awkward, should we understand this sentence to mean"He walked down at a place located on the opposite side of the the street."?
I'm afraid that I don't understand what you mean by that last sentence.
pructus"He crossed the bridge" actually seems to mean "He walked along the bridge"
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Oh, I see.... I see....
Now, it's clear pretty much...
Thanks so much, Mister Micawber!!

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