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Hans51 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Whether 'always' and 'all the time' are synonyms or not
I am trying to find out the meaning difference between 'always' and 'all the time' and I found some definitions like below in different dictionaries.
'always'
If you always do something,
you do it whenever a particular situation occurs.
If you always did something, you did it whenever a particular situation occurred.
Always lock your garage.
'all the time'
during the whole of a particular period of time
She leaves the lights on all the time.
I was wondering just because there is the same word 'particular' in each definition of always and all the time, can we say the two expressions are interchangeable for the same meaning? I think that the adjective modifies different words, situation and period respectively so we cannot say the two expressions are interchangeable for the same meaning with the definitions, right?
And I was surprised that there are many different thoughts about whether always and all the time are synonyms or not and even some dictionaries give different explanations, so I need your thoughts.
What do you think? Thank you so much in advance as usual.
'always'
If you always do something,
you do it whenever a particular situation occurs.
If you always did something, you did it whenever a particular situation occurred.
Always lock your garage.
'all the time'
during the whole of a particular period of time
She leaves the lights on all the time.
I was wondering just because there is the same word 'particular' in each definition of always and all the time, can we say the two expressions are interchangeable for the same meaning? I think that the adjective modifies different words, situation and period respectively so we cannot say the two expressions are interchangeable for the same meaning with the definitions, right?
And I was surprised that there are many different thoughts about whether always and all the time are synonyms or not and even some dictionaries give different explanations, so I need your thoughts.
What do you think? Thank you so much in advance as usual.
Top answer
Hans51 What do you think? I don't see any real difference in the meanings, though no doubt there are collocations in which one is preferred or possible.
- Hans51 What do you think?
- I don't see any real difference in the meanings, though no doubt there are collocations in which one is preferred or possible.
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1 Answers
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Hans51What do you think?I don't see any real difference in the meanings, though no doubt there are collocations in which one is preferred or possible.
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