Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[angel-dolphin]

here's a sentence
"Although North Americans prefer a relatively wide space fortalking,
they communicate a great deal with their hands."

i guess "a great deal"="a lot"
is it correct?

i thought "a great deal" in the sentence is about "with their hands,"
but as i have read a translation, it seems like "a great deal" is about
"communicate."

the sentence means which they communicate a lot with their hands, or
they use their hands a lot to communicate?
sound like both of them are almost the same, though.

and how would you know what "a great deal" about?

[Brian Boyd]

There IS a possible confusion there, Angel-Dolphin. The sentence can be read two ways:

They communicate a great deal with their hands.

This can mean, they use their hands a lot when they are communicating. While they talk, they make all kinds of gestures with their hands, to help get their message across.

But ... 'a great deal' can also mean 'a bargain'. (I got this bicycle half price! Really? What a great deal!)

So you could read it that way. The man is trying to explain that he is selling something which is a bargain. He uses body language to show it.

So he communicates a GREAT DEAL (a bargain) with his hands.

I say you COULD read it that way - but more than likely the first example is correct ... the way you said it yourself. It means that North Americans use their hands to communicate a lot of things.

Hope I haven't confused you more!

Brian
_________________
'
Comics for students ...

http://www.grammarmancomic.com

.

[angel-dolphin]

okay. i understand.
i never thought that it could mean a bargain.
thank you for your help!!

[advoca]

[bud]

Yeah, I agree that we communicate a lot with our hands, but I don't agree that we need much space between ourselves and the person we're talking to... (but could you please back up a step or two? )

[angel-dolphin]

"North Americans find this(standing quite close together) uncomfortable and often step back: they tend to feel most comfortable at about fifty centimeters apart. In most Asian countries, there is even more space between two people in conversation. This greater space, they feel, is necessary to show dignity or respect."

[bud]

Oh, I see... Yes, I agree that we tend to stand 20 inches or so apart. I guess it's subjective whether or not that is a lot of space.