Page 406 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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opportunity and possibility
We often say that somebody has the opportunity to do I ofdoing something. I have the opportunity to go to Denmark next year. (= I can go ...)
Possibility is not often used in this structure. It is more normal to say that there is a possibility ofsomething happening.
There's a possibility ofmy going to Denmark next year. (= I may go ...) (NOT I Mile the I'fJSSihilily £6 gtJ £6 Denmark . ..)
opposite (adjective): position
We put the adjective opposite before a noun when we are talking about one of a pair of things that naturally face or contrast with each other.
I think the picture would look better on the opposite waU. She went off in the opposite direction.
I've got exactly the opposite opinion to yours.
His brother was fighting on the opposite side.
We put opposite after the noun when it means 'facing the speaker or listener' or 'facing a person or place that has already been mentioned'.
I noticed that the man opposite was staring at me (NOT •.• the 61'I'6Site malt I:.tJtI$ staring at me.)
You can see the cinema programmes on the notice opposite. The man she was looking for was in the shop directly opposite.
For opposite and ill from of, see 402. For opposite and conrrary. see 144.
opposite, facing and in front of 'across a road/room etc from': opposite/facing
We do not use in front of to mean 'across a road/river/room etc from'. This idea is usually expressed with opposite or facing. (ArnE also across from.)
There's a garage opposite my house. (NOT . . . in/uJnt Dfmy h6ltse.) Shestoodattheothersideofthetablefacingme.(NaT •.• in/fflntDfme.) The man sitting across from me was smoking a pipe. (ArnE)
in front of and opposite
Compare:
There's a bus stop in front ofthe school.
(The bus stop is on the same side of the road as the school.)
There's a bus stop opposite the schooL
(The bus stop is on the other side of the road from the school.) In front ofis often the opposite of behind.
The woman in front ofme in the post-office queue had a complicated problem. 1 always find myself behind people like that.
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