Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Sina]

Hi, could one give me the german expression or the usual usage of the word "operate"??

For example: ....It operates 340 live-saving stations...


By the way, do you know other expressions such as "due to"or "because of"?


Thank you...

and a happy new year

[LucentShade]

I don't know German, so I can't help there. . . other English words for it could be controls, maintains, administrates, runs, oversees. "Operate," in this usage, refers to exercising control of some system or device. I could say "I drive a car" or "I operate a car" with the same meaning--"operate" would be a bit fancy in this sentence.

By the way, you may need "life-saving stations"; "life" is the noun, "live" is an adjective (though "life" becomes "lives" in the plural).

Other expressions:

"owing to" and "on account of" are the two that I can think of right now.

[asterix]

Arbeitet .
Die Kompanie arbeitet 340 Rettungsstellungen.
Due to = wegen + gen.

Stellara can give you the definitive answer

[Sina]

Yeah, of course. It has to be "life saving stations". I think I just wrote it down the wrong way.

But nevertheless I have got another sentence that strikes me.

He was meant to guide us....

Could you replace "to be meant to" with "shall/should"?

Thanks again

[pugachevV]

He should have guided us has the same meaning, I think.