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Tinanam0102 Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Withdraw / back off / take back

Hi teachers,

Can you please check the usage in each sentence, and see if it is correct?

1. I have already promised them I'll go to dinner at their place. I can't tell them I'm not going now. (coming?)

2. I have already promised them I'll go to dinner at their place. I can't take that back now.

3. I have already promised them I'll go to dinner at their place. I can't withdraw now.

4. I have already promised them I'll go to dinner at their place. I can't back off now.

5. I have already promised them I'll go to dinner at their place. I can't get out of it now.

Thank you.

Tinanam
  

Top answer

1 going 2, 3, and 4 aren't natural. 5 correct Withdraw is more for stopping an activity you are alread involved in. ] Back off is to remove oneself from a situation, possibly because of a threat.

  • 1 going 2, 3, and 4 aren't natural.
  • 5 correct Withdraw is more for stopping an activity you are alread involved in.
  • ] Back off is to remove oneself from a situation, possibly because of a threat.
  • ] These are not hard and fast usages.
  • They're just what come to my mind as possible explanations.
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2 Answers
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1 going

2, 3, and 4 aren't natural.

5 correct

Withdraw is more for stopping an activity you are alread involved in. [He withdrew his candidacy for president.]

Back off is to remove oneself from a situation, possibly because of a threat. [The thug backed off when he heard the police sirens.]

These are not hard and fast usages. They're jus
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Hi Philip,

Thank you for answering my question. I have one question regarding "can't get out of it".

I have already promised to go to dinner at their house. I can't get out of it.

Does this elude that "I don't really want to go, but in that situation in which I have promised someone then I have to go"? If you could not go, you wouldn't go at all? Simply you couldn't

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