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jasonlulu_2000
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 879
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 Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 12:53 am Post subject: about |
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What made the ring even more special was that it was about the only thing that wasn�t being �replaced�. We�d been burnt out in fires that swept through our area earlier that year and had lost everything, but not my ring. My ring was new.
What does "about" mean in this case? Is it kind of equal to "almost"?
Why does the writer use "wasn't being replaced" rather than just "wasn't replaced"?
Thanks for your help!
Jason |
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IanT
Joined: 13 Sep 2012
Posts: 340
Location: Spain
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| Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 4:22 am Post subject: |
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1. Yes. It is hard to find a 100% exact synonym for "about" in this sense, but "almost" is the nearest, I think. You could maybe use "more or less" too.
2. The continuous tense is used here to show that the replacing process was still going on and hadn't finished at the time in question.
Hope helps,
Ian
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