Page 257 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford
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Let is used in British English, like rent (out), to talk about selling the use of rooms, houses etc.
We let the upstairs room to a student.
holiday and holidays
In British English, the plural holidays is often used for the 'long holiday' ofthe year. In other cases we normally use the singular holiday. Compare:
Where are you going for your summer holiday(s)? We get five days' Christmas holiday this year. Next Monday is a public holiday.
The singular is used in the British expression on holiday (note the preposition). I met Marianne on holiday in Norway. (NOT ••• 6n/in h6Eitlays ...)
Americans more often use the word vacation. (In British English, vacation is mainly used for the periods when universities are not teaching.) Holiday is most often used in American English for a day of publicly observed celebration (such as Thanksgiving) when people do not have to work.
flat, a 1V). For shorter periods (e.g. paying for a car, a boat, evening dress) rent and hire can both be used.
How much does it cost to rent a two-room flat? J need to hire/rent a car for the weekend.
Hire (Ollt) and rent (out) can also mean 'sell the use of something'. There's a shop in High Street that hires/rents (out) evening dress.
In American English, rent is the normal word for both longer and shorter arrangements; hire, in American English, normally means 'employ'.
2 let
249 home
1 articles and prepositions
No article is used in the expression at home (meaning 'in one's own place'). Is anybody at home? (NOT ••. at #Ie h6me?)
At is often dropped, especially in American English. Is anybody home?
Home (without to) can be used as an adverb referring to direction. I think I'll go home. (NOT ••• ftJ h6me.)
There is no special preposition in English to express the idea of being at somebody's home (like French chez, German bei, Danish/SwedishlNorwegian has etc). One way of saying this is to use at with a possessive.
We had a great evening at Philip's.
Ring up and see ifJacqueline is at the Smiths', could you? Possessive pronouns cannot be used in this way, though.
Come round to my place for a drink. (NOT ••• ftJ mine . ..)
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