ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Register

maverick88 — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 00:14:52 GMT

Thank you very much, Nona.

Re: Register

nona the brit — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 00:12:53 GMT

Ah yes in this case it is ok. Sorry.

It is is 'used to 'ing' that means accustomed to.

Re: Register

maverick88 — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 23:51:57 GMT

What about 'is used to store'?
The closet is used [by people] to store clothes [in].
Is it OK?
This time it looks like passive, doesn't it?

Re: Register

nona the brit — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 23:43:05 GMT

No

'be + used + to' means to be accustomed to something. This would mean that the object had feelings about storing clothes.

Re: Register

maverick88 — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 23:39:50 GMT

Well, thanks and another Q:
Would you say about an inanimate object "...is used to storing clothes"?

Re: Register

nona the brit — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 23:36:04 GMT

Well...
I'd say

1. The closet (well I wouldn't because that is American but I'll use my imagination) was used to store clothes.

2.The closet was used to store clothes in.

3.The closet was used for storing clothes.

With my preference being for number 3.

Re: Register

maverick88 — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 23:30:36 GMT

Hi Nona,
As I understood from some replies, a register is a certain level of English. The higher the register is the more (grammatically) proper or acceptable the sentence is.
So I just asked which sentence would be better to use.

Re: Register

nona the brit — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 23:17:39 GMT

Hi Maverick,

I don't understand what you mean by 'higher register' and from the lack of responses I guess no one else does either. Can you explain again what you want?

Register

maverick88 — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 17:14:51 GMT

Could you please tell me which sentence of the following is of a higher register?
1. The closet was used to store clothes.
2. The closet was used for storing slothes.
Thanks