Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[jasonlulu_2000]

Monday: Here I am, in the middle of nowhere．This camping trip idea is not getting off to a very good start．It's raining and the tent leaks．The hiking seemed to take forever, and I still can't understand how it could all have been up hill! How did I ever let my brother talk me into this? When we get home�if we ever get home�he's going to have to do something great to get back on my good side．Maybe he should sponsor a shopping spree at the mall!

what does the underlined sentences mean?


Thanks

[redset]

The hiking was all uphill, and the author can't understand how that could be true. They understand how it could partly have been uphill (some parts being uphill), but not how it could all have been uphill (every part was uphill).

It's similar to saying "I still can't understand how it could have been all uphill", but there's a subtle difference:

"I can't understand how it could all have been uphill" (The hiking route has different parts, I would have expected some of them to have been level or downhill!)

"I can't understand how it could have been all uphill" (Talking about the route as a whole, I would have expected it to vary and not just be uphill all the time!)


The difference is between talking about several things or several parts (and if they all share a quality), and talking about one thing or everything as a whole (and whether that quality varies). It's a subtle difference!



As for your second sentence, to be on someone's good side means they're happy with you and treating you well, or at least not treating you badly. If you're on someone's bad side it means you've annoyed them, upset them, or generally done something that's making them negative towards you. The sentence is saying the author's brother will have to do something very nice or impressive to make the author happy again. If you fix a problem like this you get back on their good side (also sometimes get back in their good books).

[jasonlulu_2000]

That's a brilliant answer.

Thanks