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-There were cats at the fountain. The three cats were talking with each other.-

"Rumor?"Libre asked.
"About Pina."Buttered said.
"Pina?"I asked.
"I hear that she was walking with a strange cat in town yesterday."
"Pina? Is that true? I can't believe it!" Libre said loudly.

Pina is known to everyone around here, she is an idol. And she is our friend.

"Who told you that, Buttered?" I asked.
"My friend told me about it."





Today's points


-The point 1-

The three cats were talking with each other.

"Each other" in the above means "I and you" and "together." It seems to be adverb but it is pronoun. And it is used as the object of the verb.
For example, it is used as the object of "helped" in "We helped each other."
But "talk" does not need the object, so "each other" is not used as it is. "With" is put before it.

(1)
You and she were quarreling yesterday.
Yes.
Did you make up?
Yes. We talked with each other this morning.

"Help" is the transitive verb and "talk" is the intransitive verb. "With" needs after the transitive verbs.



(2)
I bought a PC yesterday and connected to the Internet.
We communicate with each other on the Internet.

"Each other" is similar to "one another." But "each other" is often used.



By the way, "each other" consists of "each" and "other." "Each" means one by one and "other" means "different" and "anything but." These are explained in the following.

"Each" has one by one, thus the speaker put the focus on the one. See the following examples.

(3)
Each student in this classroom has a PC.
All of the students in this classroom have a PC.

The two example has the similar meaning. When these are shown in the figure, the different meanings are seen. See the figure 4-1.

Figure 4-1.




The black circle means one student. So "each" image is left. But "all" image is right because it does not put the focus on the one student.



"Every" is similar to "each" and it also puts the focus on one by one. The above example can be changed with "every." But it means "many" and is used when there are three or more than three.

"Each" and "every" are treated as singular. for example, in "Each student in this classroom has a PC.", student is the singular form and the verb is "has."



Next, we explain "other." "The other" means all of the rest. See the following example.

(4)
There are two sweets. I'll take this one. I'll give the other to you.

There are twenty cherries. I'll take five. I'll give the others to you.

And see the figure 4-2.

Figure 4-2.






-The point 2-

Is that true?

"True" means veritable and correct. We can ask someone whether it is right or not with the interrogative sentence.


I heard the driver's license exam is easy. Is that true, Sherry?
Everyone is able to get one.

There are also "Is it true?" and " Is that right?" "Right" is similar to "true." "That's right." means you are right. It is used to answer.

"Really?" is used like "Is that true?"

I think she likes you.
Really?




-The point 3-

I can't believe it!

"Believe" means we perceive it as true. So "I can't believe it!" is used as the expression of surprise.


Libre's keeper left Libre when he moved out.
I can't believe it.

"No kidding!" is also used like it. And "You're kidding!", "Are you kidding?" are also the same.


Did you hear Roy was going to go to the tennis court?
Yes, I told him the way.
Is that true? I heard he lost his way.
No kidding.

kid means a child. But in the case of the above, it means a joke.




-The point 4-

Who told you that, Buttered?

The above is the interrogative sentence with "who." "That" of the sentence means the previous conversation. This can be used to ask where the rumor came from.

(5)
I hear he told her that he loved her.
Who told you that?

As one of the answers, we use "overhear." It means hearing by accident not on purpose.

(6)
I overheard this rumor.

Moreover, "eavesdrop on" is used when we hear stealthily.

(7)
I eavesdropped on this rumor.

"A little bird told me." means one day someone speaks it and we hear it. This is used when avoid who told us.










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