AlliumCepa: Thanks, that's a vey usefull extension
Good to see that the most people here have good intensions and....well, let it go

I just started RandomFritz 157.26'264.002673 and it told me that on googlemaps the Russian names are Russian. Has that allways been so?

gogul: On Google Maps names are usually represented in their native language. Check China, for instance
As far as I can remember, it has always been like that...

pauloaguia: No. Osservare bella Russia

À couple of hills from here there is the city called Thun. The word arises from the celtic era and the german word Zaun (fence), and town are related to it.

What sounds better to the ear of a native speaker of the English language?

"in the shade of the tree" or "in the shadow of the tree"

Pedro Martínez: depends on the application.

Bwild: Could you please elaborate on that?

Pedro Martínez: I always greatly prefer to use or hear "in the shade of the tree"....yes, the "shadow of the tree" caused the shade but just doesn't sound like something I've ever heard or used...

awesome: I'm with "awesome" on this. I think of shade as a collection of shadows or as something used to get out of the sun. A shadow caused by a light or the moon is a little different. A shadow to me is primarily about the thing causing it. Also, a shadow is something that isn't normally thought for using as shade. When a shadow is used for shade it is often a temporary or unusual event. As using a tractor-trailer rig's shadow on the freeway to shade your vehicle or when someone happens to block the sun with their shadow giving you some shade.

awesome, Walter Montego: Thank you so much for your inputs. I was unsure about the use of the two words; in Czech there is only one expression for both of them. It's much clearer now.

Pedro Martínez: "they hid in the shadow of the tree"
"they rested in the shade of the tree"

Bwild: I see. Thank you.

Bwild: These are great examples. I suppose the usage is the key to it, eh? I took the hard way to show it! :)

Can anyone tell me what konecne means ? And what language it is ? Thanks.

Bluefin: I googled it and come up with "Final" in Czech.. But that doesn't mean it's correct. LOL

Bluefin: It is Czech or Slovak and if it was written to you in a game as a single word, it probably means "at last." Other meanings are "ultimately" or "eventually."

In an average hotel, a double room with ??? shower costs 80 pounds a night.

Should there be "a" before "shower" in the above sentence?

Pedro Martínez: To me the sentence looks more correct without the"a".

Carl: Thank you.
Can please anyone else comment on this? I would like to have two opinions at least. :)

Pedro Martínez: a, seems to be a little more descriptive...yet I am always amazed at English English. lol

Pedro Martínez: Sure thing, though I am not sure as to what a double room is! When I say something is with something, but not a specific thing, I always use "a". English has the two articles. "the" and "a", definite and indefinite, respectively. Your sentence sounds strange to me to just say, "double room with shower" as compared to "double room with a shower". This has me reflecting on the fact that using the indefinite article in this manner makes it very definite in the fact that it implies just one shower for the double room! :) It seems it might be better to say "double room with one shower" or "a double room with one shower" or even "a double room with shower" implying the accommodation just has one shower even though the room is double sized in other respects.

It's a trip that using the definite article to describe just having one shower doesn't seem right at all to me. I'm going to have to see if there's other instances of this. Perhaps it is a common thing and until your question I had not given it any thought.
"double room with the shower"

Bwild:

England and the United States

Two countries separated by a common language? :)

Here's one I hear a lot and it concerns Czech Republic. The very use of "the" when one says Czech Republic! I usually just say Czech Republic, but it seems I am the only that says that. Everyone else I know always says 'The Czech Republic". Ukraine gets the "The" too. England doesn't. Hardly any other countries in Europe get the "The". The Netherlands is one that does. I wonder how this came about?

Around here we use "the" in ways that people from the East Coast don't, especially when talking about freeways. Interstate 5 is the most common example. It is often called "The 5". Other roads get this same treatment, The 22, The 405, The 55, The Orange Crush, The Four Level. Even bureaucracies get this. The Department of Motor Vehicles is called "The DMV" for short. I have heard a few people just say "DMV", but it's not very common compared to putting the "The" in front. I live in Southern California, so maybe we talk a different version of American English? :)

Pedro Martínez: Is a double room one that has two beds? Or is it something else? I've re-read your sentence with and without the "a". Both ways seem OK to me, almost like it doesn't matter.

I think I am used to hearing a room with two beds just called a "double". The word "room" is what is strange to me in your sentence. A single has one bed, a double has two, and then there's the possibility of having a rollaway brought in for more sleeping space. More than one room is often called a "suite", whether or not there's any more beds in it.

Walter Montego: I think that in the US, a double room is a room with two double beds, while in the UK it is a room with one double bed.

The reason why I was asking: I was told that the omission of “a” in such sentences is "one of those strange and commonly accepted uses of articles." Now that I've read your responses, it doesn't seem that it really is such a commonly accepted use. :) Thank you all.

Walter Montego: do you live in United States, or the United States?

Bwild: The United States.

That's the original name, though the "The" and the "United" are not capitalized with number of states listed.

http://archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_zoom_2.html

It was "the thirteen united States of America"

Hi. Is there any difference between a movie's being set in China and it's taking place in China?

King Reza: I would certainly write “the movie is set in China,” but as far as the meaning is concerned, I think there is no difference at all.

Pedro Martínez: tell that to Hollywood
"set" would be where a movie is actually filmed. "taking place" would be where the movies story line occurred.

Pedro Martínez: Thanks for the reply. I've seen both sentences in a book and from the context, I'd say there's difference in meaning as the book is teaching verbs used when people talk about movies. But I can't figure out what it is.

Here's what the book says ( there are two ads for two movies) :

1) It's a tragedy that takes place in Delhi, so it's in Hindi, but it's subtitled.

2) It's a new action movie that is set in ancient China. Michelle Yeoh is in it.

I'd appreciate a few more comments.

Bwild: I guess the difference is obvious now, except, I think it must be the reverse. Otherwise the sentence in my book "It's a new action movie that is set in ancient China. Michelle Yeoh is in it." would be meaningless as there's no ancient China today to film the movie there.

King Reza: Like so much else in English, it can be used different ways. My personal opinion is that both are the same, in your original post. If someone said the movie takes place in NYC but the set is in LA, it would be saying that the story itself is set(verb)in NYC, but the movie set(noun) is in LA.

rod03801: Thanks. So basically they're more or less the same thing.

set is where a movie is filmed..."quiet on the SET"

so I guess set has many meanings

Is there any difference between a movie's being set in China and it's taking place in China?


If it had said the 'movie set' is in china
then it would have a different meaning..

but being set in means the same as taking place in china

The story is set in or taking place in China

Rose:" being" is the difference imo

King Reza: "It's a new action movie that is set in ancient China. Michelle Yeoh is in it."
"is set" in this instance ....
"being set" was your 1st example. "Hi. Is there any difference between a movie's being set in China and it's taking place in China?"

Bwild: being comes form is, doesn't it. I just used it in a different sentence and naturally I used being instead of is. I couldn't say " Is there any difference between a movie's IS set in China and it's taking place in China."

Anyway, now, is there any difference between these two sentences?


The movie takes place in China.

The movie is set in China.

Bwild: I reread my sentences and I got how I had written them poorly.

I should have written: Is there a difference between a movie's being set in China and ITS ( not it's) taking place there.

King Reza: This doesn't make any sense to me. Your original question did though.

Pedro Martínez: since it doesnt make any sense, might I add my two cents?

Bwild: Sure. You're definitely more qualified than I am, after all.

Pedro Martínez: lol

Pedro Martínez: How about this: Is there any difference between when a movie is SET IN China and when it TAKES PLACE there?

Bwild: Of course. Sorry if I've caused any trouble :D

King Reza: That sounds good to me and the answer is: No, there is not. :)

King Reza:
As far as your original example says, "set in" is used as based in "the history and culture" and takes place suggests it is currently ongoing.
take place is often used as "happen" or "occur" and the its usage is limited to intransitive verb phrases. That means someone cannot "take place" anything. While someone can "make it happen".
SET IN is used as transitive phrase so someone can "set in" anything. As movie itself cannot take transitive verb form passive form can be used here.

fukuhara: I've heard opposite usage.

I've read of a movie as being set in modern day China and conversely as taking place during the time when Genghis Khan was making trouble.