Usage of 'at' in context
I'm using an application to improve my English. The app had the word 'fabric' and one of its meanings was:
The walls, floor, and the roof of a building.
The example used to explain the meaning was:
Decay and neglect are slowly eating away at the building's fabric
What I couldn't understand was why did they use the word at in the sentence. Shouldn't the sentence be Decay and neglect are slowly eating away the building's fabric?
syntax
edited 5 hours ago
Lordology
1,454217
asked 5 hours ago
Kartik ChauhanKartik Chauhan
62
New contributor
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
I'm using an application to improve my English. The app had the word 'fabric' and one of its meanings was:
The walls, floor, and the roof of a building.
The example used to explain the meaning was:
Decay and neglect are slowly eating away at the building's fabric
What I couldn't understand was why did they use the word at in the sentence. Shouldn't the sentence be Decay and neglect are slowly eating away the building's fabric?
syntax
edited 5 hours ago
Lordology
1,454217
asked 5 hours ago
Kartik ChauhanKartik Chauhan
62
New contributor
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
Eat in the sense of erode, wear away can be used in various phrases such as eat away, eat up, eat at. mnemonicdictionary.com/word/eat%20at
– Kate Bunting
4 hours ago
Your comment doesn't give any viable explanation. What's wrong with "eating away the building's fabric"?
– Kartik Chauhan
3 hours ago
It isn't wrong. However, eat when used in this sense is more commonly followed by at.
– Kate Bunting
3 hours ago
add a comment |
I'm using an application to improve my English. The app had the word 'fabric' and one of its meanings was:
The walls, floor, and the roof of a building.
The example used to explain the meaning was:
Decay and neglect are slowly eating away at the building's fabric
What I couldn't understand was why did they use the word at in the sentence. Shouldn't the sentence be Decay and neglect are slowly eating away the building's fabric?
syntax
edited 5 hours ago
Lordology
1,454217
asked 5 hours ago
Kartik ChauhanKartik Chauhan
62
New contributor
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I'm using an application to improve my English. The app had the word 'fabric' and one of its meanings was:
The walls, floor, and the roof of a building.
The example used to explain the meaning was:
Decay and neglect are slowly eating away at the building's fabric
What I couldn't understand was why did they use the word at in the sentence. Shouldn't the sentence be Decay and neglect are slowly eating away the building's fabric?
syntax
syntax
edited 5 hours ago
Lordology
1,454217
asked 5 hours ago
Kartik ChauhanKartik Chauhan
62
New contributor
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 5 hours ago
Lordology
1,454217
asked 5 hours ago
Kartik ChauhanKartik Chauhan
62
New contributor
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 5 hours ago
Lordology
1,454217
edited 5 hours ago
Lordology
1,454217
edited 5 hours ago
Lordology
1,454217
1,454217
asked 5 hours ago
Kartik ChauhanKartik Chauhan
62
New contributor
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 5 hours ago
Kartik ChauhanKartik Chauhan
62
asked 5 hours ago
Kartik ChauhanKartik Chauhan
62
62
New contributor
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
Eat in the sense of erode, wear away can be used in various phrases such as eat away, eat up, eat at. mnemonicdictionary.com/word/eat%20at
– Kate Bunting
4 hours ago
Your comment doesn't give any viable explanation. What's wrong with "eating away the building's fabric"?
– Kartik Chauhan
3 hours ago
It isn't wrong. However, eat when used in this sense is more commonly followed by at.
– Kate Bunting
3 hours ago
add a comment |
1
Eat in the sense of erode, wear away can be used in various phrases such as eat away, eat up, eat at. mnemonicdictionary.com/word/eat%20at
– Kate Bunting
4 hours ago
Your comment doesn't give any viable explanation. What's wrong with "eating away the building's fabric"?
– Kartik Chauhan
3 hours ago
It isn't wrong. However, eat when used in this sense is more commonly followed by at.
– Kate Bunting
3 hours ago
1
1
Eat in the sense of erode, wear away can be used in various phrases such as eat away, eat up, eat at. mnemonicdictionary.com/word/eat%20at
– Kate Bunting
4 hours ago
Eat in the sense of erode, wear away can be used in various phrases such as eat away, eat up, eat at. mnemonicdictionary.com/word/eat%20at
– Kate Bunting
4 hours ago
Your comment doesn't give any viable explanation. What's wrong with "eating away the building's fabric"?
– Kartik Chauhan
3 hours ago
Your comment doesn't give any viable explanation. What's wrong with "eating away the building's fabric"?
– Kartik Chauhan
3 hours ago
It isn't wrong. However, eat when used in this sense is more commonly followed by at.
– Kate Bunting
3 hours ago
It isn't wrong. However, eat when used in this sense is more commonly followed by at.
– Kate Bunting
3 hours ago
add a comment |
0
active
oldest
votes
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "97"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f491532%2fusage-of-at-in-context%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
0
active
oldest
votes
0
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Kartik Chauhan is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language & Usage Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f491532%2fusage-of-at-in-context%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
1
Eat in the sense of erode, wear away can be used in various phrases such as eat away, eat up, eat at. mnemonicdictionary.com/word/eat%20at
– Kate Bunting
4 hours ago
Your comment doesn't give any viable explanation. What's wrong with "eating away the building's fabric"?
– Kartik Chauhan
3 hours ago
It isn't wrong. However, eat when used in this sense is more commonly followed by at.
– Kate Bunting
3 hours ago