Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
By the way vs. anyway
A. I'm cleaning my room this morning. By the way, what are you doing tonight?
B. I'm cleaning my room this morning. Anyway, what are you doing tonight?
C. I live next door. By the way, what's your name?
D. I live next door. Anyway, what's your name?
E. I threw your shoes away. By the way, you won't be needing it anymore.
F. I threw your shoes away. Anyway, you won't be needing it anymore.
1. Which of the sentences in each pair above is more natural than the other?
2. What is the difference in meaning between "by the way" and "anyway"?
3. If my examples above are not good enough to show the difference, kindly give better examples.
4. If they both mean the same, can they be used interchangeably?
B. I'm cleaning my room this morning. Anyway, what are you doing tonight?
C. I live next door. By the way, what's your name?
D. I live next door. Anyway, what's your name?
E. I threw your shoes away. By the way, you won't be needing it anymore.
F. I threw your shoes away. Anyway, you won't be needing it anymore.
1. Which of the sentences in each pair above is more natural than the other?
2. What is the difference in meaning between "by the way" and "anyway"?
3. If my examples above are not good enough to show the difference, kindly give better examples.
4. If they both mean the same, can they be used interchangeably?
Top answer
Both "bye the way" and "anyway" are used to introduce different topics into a conversation. This is what is happening in your first 2 examples and either can be used. "Anyway" is also used to emphasize what is being said.
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Both "bye the way" and "anyway" are used to introduce different topics into a conversation. This is what is happening in your first 2 examples and either can be used.
"Anyway" is also used to emphasize what is being said. I this is what you need in your last example. As you are not introducing a new subject use "anyway" rather than "by the way".
Your sentence sounds a little un
"Anyway" is also used to emphasize what is being said. I this is what you need in your last example. As you are not introducing a new subject use "anyway" rather than "by the way".
Your sentence sounds a little un
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Thanks so much for your helpful response and for your correction of my last example. It is now clear to me.
Just a follow up question, I originally used "anymore", but it was corrected to "any more", what is the difference? Please give examples.
Just a follow up question, I originally used "anymore", but it was corrected to "any more", what is the difference? Please give examples.
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Anymore - is American English for the British English "any more" - there is no difference. I just automatically write it the British way and could equally have put "anymore".
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I see there's no difference, only one is American English and the other is British English. Thank you for that clarification.
I just have a question in another thread about the difference in meaning about 'queue' and 'queue up'. It could have been overlooked. I was wondering if you could comment on this.
I just have a question in another thread about the difference in meaning about 'queue' and 'queue up'. It could have been overlooked. I was wondering if you could comment on this.
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