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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
War and a war
Let me ask a question about the following sentence from a novel.
A different breed. He tried to think of them as friends, but it never quite worked. In his twenty years of
naval service submarines had always been the enemy. In war they would be useful enemies, but in a war it was
widely recognized that there was no such thing as a friendly submarine.(Tom Clancy)
context: He is given to taking submarines as rivals always. They act on different rules, he thinks.
They aren't friends, if his mind tells that he needs to cooperate with them at a war.
"useful enemies" means that they're rival to him all the time, but useful. "no such thing as a friendly submarine" means that submarines, altough fighting for the same country as his,
behave on quite different rules, which he doesn't like. The word of enemy here reflects his personal feeling, so shouldn't be taken as what the words means literally.
question: war and a war. I couldn't get a clear difference between war and a war.
I appreciate your help in advance.
A different breed. He tried to think of them as friends, but it never quite worked. In his twenty years of
naval service submarines had always been the enemy. In war they would be useful enemies, but in a war it was
widely recognized that there was no such thing as a friendly submarine.(Tom Clancy)
context: He is given to taking submarines as rivals always. They act on different rules, he thinks.
They aren't friends, if his mind tells that he needs to cooperate with them at a war.
"useful enemies" means that they're rival to him all the time, but useful. "no such thing as a friendly submarine" means that submarines, altough fighting for the same country as his,
behave on quite different rules, which he doesn't like. The word of enemy here reflects his personal feeling, so shouldn't be taken as what the words means literally.
question: war and a war. I couldn't get a clear difference between war and a war.
I appreciate your help in advance.
Top answer
[nq:1]Let me ask a question about the following sentence from a novel. A different breed. He tried to think of ...
- [nq:1]Let me ask a question about the following sentence from a novel.
- A different breed.
- He tried to think of ...
- a war.
- I couldn't get a clear difference between war and a war.
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23 Answers
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[nq:1]Let me ask a question about the following sentence from a novel. A different breed. He tried to think of ... a war. I couldn't get a clear difference between war and a war. I appreciate your help in advance.[/nq]
He is not making them different. If you add "a" to the first usage you would not change his meaning, but it just wouldn't sound right. Also, you can take out the "a" in the seco
He is not making them different. If you add "a" to the first usage you would not change his meaning, but it just wouldn't sound right. Also, you can take out the "a" in the seco
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In war they would be
[nq:2]useful enemies, but in a war it was widely recognized that there was no such thing as a friendlysubmarine.(Tom Clancy)[/nq]
[nq:1]He is not making them different. If you add "a" to the first usage you would not change his meaning, ... can take out the "a" in the second usage and not change his meaning. It's not a particularly well-written sentence.[/nq]
In th
[nq:2]useful enemies, but in a war it was widely recognized that there was no such thing as a friendlysubmarine.(Tom Clancy)[/nq]
[nq:1]He is not making them different. If you add "a" to the first usage you would not change his meaning, ... can take out the "a" in the second usage and not change his meaning. It's not a particularly well-written sentence.[/nq]
In th
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(to Mr Tony Cooper)
[nq:1]But also it's quite interesting for a native like you, Tony, to see no difference between them.[/nq]
You figured out that Coop's a native? What gave him away?
[nq:1]But also it's quite interesting for a native like you, Tony, to see no difference between them.[/nq]
You figured out that Coop's a native? What gave him away?
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[nq:1]In war they would be submarine.(Tom[/nq]
Tony's right. You are right to suspect that there is often a difference in meaning between "in war" (a general state) and "in a war" (a particular conflict). But it is also possible to use them interchangeably, with no intended change in meaning. We can tell this because of the rest of the sentence Clancy is not talking about the contrast b
Tony's right. You are right to suspect that there is often a difference in meaning between "in war" (a general state) and "in a war" (a particular conflict). But it is also possible to use them interchangeably, with no intended change in meaning. We can tell this because of the rest of the sentence Clancy is not talking about the contrast b
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[nq:1]In war they would be submarine.(Tom[/nq]
[nq:2]He is not making them different. If you add "a" ... not change his meaning. It's not a particularly well-written sentence.[/nq]
[nq:1]In this way of writing, it's natural to assume that difference between war and a war is something meaningful for ... I can say. But also it's quite interesting for a native like you, Tony, to see no differ
[nq:2]He is not making them different. If you add "a" ... not change his meaning. It's not a particularly well-written sentence.[/nq]
[nq:1]In this way of writing, it's natural to assume that difference between war and a war is something meaningful for ... I can say. But also it's quite interesting for a native like you, Tony, to see no differ
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[nq:1]In war they would be submarine.(Tom[/nq]
I gave you the "quick and dirty" answer: there is no difference. Donna has provided you with a more expansive explanation.
Tom Clancy came out with his first book and made the best seller list with it. That's a rare trick for an author. It was a great book, and one that I literally couldn't put down until I'd finished it.
Success
I gave you the "quick and dirty" answer: there is no difference. Donna has provided you with a more expansive explanation.
Tom Clancy came out with his first book and made the best seller list with it. That's a rare trick for an author. It was a great book, and one that I literally couldn't put down until I'd finished it.
Success
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[nq:1]It would have been better for you to have said "...for a native speaker of English...". The connotation of ... the same. There is nothing offensive about calling me a "native". It's just not the best way to describe me.[/nq]
Is it because you want to be thought of as an "Us" rather than as a "Them"?
Is it because you want to be thought of as an "Us" rather than as a "Them"?
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[nq:1]In war they would be submarine.(Tom[/nq]
[nq:2]He is not making them different. If you add "a" ... not change his meaning. It's not a particularly well-written sentence.[/nq]
[nq:1]In this way of writing, it's natural to assume that difference between war and a war is something meaningful for the author.[/nq]
Absolutely right.
[nq:1]Otherwise, such a sentence wouldn't have co
[nq:2]He is not making them different. If you add "a" ... not change his meaning. It's not a particularly well-written sentence.[/nq]
[nq:1]In this way of writing, it's natural to assume that difference between war and a war is something meaningful for the author.[/nq]
Absolutely right.
[nq:1]Otherwise, such a sentence wouldn't have co
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[nq:1]This quote from a Clancy novel came up in a thread with the same title back in 1998, originated by Musashi, also Japanese. Assuming masa is not Musashi, I invite the OP to refer to that thread.[/nq]
I remember that now, that's me (lol).
and I'm surprised to learn that my comprehension of english hasn't improved since then,
as I'm asking the same passage which I came across as not
I remember that now, that's me (lol).
and I'm surprised to learn that my comprehension of english hasn't improved since then,
as I'm asking the same passage which I came across as not
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[nq:1]In war they would be[/nq]
[nq:2]He is not making them different. If you add "a" ... not change his meaning. It's not a particularly well-written sentence.[/nq]
[nq:1]In this way of writing, it's natural to assume that difference between war and a war is something meaningful for the author. Otherwise, such a sentence wouldn't have come out.[/nq]
We're talking about Tom Clancy. He'
[nq:2]He is not making them different. If you add "a" ... not change his meaning. It's not a particularly well-written sentence.[/nq]
[nq:1]In this way of writing, it's natural to assume that difference between war and a war is something meaningful for the author. Otherwise, such a sentence wouldn't have come out.[/nq]
We're talking about Tom Clancy. He'
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