Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[sabrinak]

Hello,

I need your help desperately:

A: Have you run out of paper?
B: Yes, we have some in the cabinet.


Do you teachers think the above short dialog is okay?

Does the phrase "run out of" mean "there are still some left"?


Thanks a million.

[CP]

No. When you run out of something, you have used it all up and there is no more. So the answer (B) should be, "No, we have some in the cabinet" or "Yes, we are all out."
_________________
You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb