The word “some” indicates a quantity of something, but it doesn’t strongly signal any particular quantity or any particular feeling that the actual quantity is important. There is very little difference, with…
Language Notes
The meaning of quantity expressions
If we really think about it, quantity expressions, other than actual numbers and words like “none,” do not specify exact amounts, and some vary widely in the actual amounts they can refer to. The choice of any one of them—“several,” “a lot,” “a bit,” “a few,” “many”– depends on how the speaker feels about the amount being referred to, and whether that amount feels small or large or somewhere in between.
Idiomatic phrases in Wordsmyth dictionaries
Wordsmyth has recently updated its collection of idiomatic phrases. We’ve added both more senses and more example sentences, especially to phrasal verbs. This update will make Wordsmyth an even more helpful and powerful tool for learners and teachers of English.
Did you know that Wordsmyth phrases each have their own entries? This makes searching for a particular phrase very simple. Just type the phrase into the search box! No need to look up and search through the entry for “get” if you’re looking for “get away with” or “get around to.” Still, if you’d like to see other phrases with “get,” they can easily be seen listed in the entry for “get.”
create vs. produce
Both “create” and “produce” have the meaning of making a new thing or bringing a new thing into the world. One might expect the words to be close synonyms, yet, surprisingly, they…
aesthetic vs. ascetic
aesthetic |es the tik|vs. ascetic | ə se tik| These words have similar pronunciations and spellings, but quite different meanings. The word “aesthetic” –with the “th” sound in the middle–has to do with beauty, so if you’re…