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ALTER and ADJUST | ||
Tags: Meaning of words | English | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Advice Center |  | |
| babeltower Newbie Vietnam Joined 4024 days ago 3 posts - 4 votes Studies: English | Message 1 of 13 13 May 2013 at 6:19pm | IP Logged | ||
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I am a new member so I am not sure if my question is suitable for this forum.
I don't know the difference between ALTER and ADJUST. They both show changes but it might be different in meanings and some aspects. Please help me! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| mikonai Diglot Senior Member United States weirdnamewriting.bloRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4740 days ago 178 posts - 281 votes  Speaks: English*, Italian Studies: Swahili, German | Message 2 of 13 13 May 2013 at 9:05pm | IP Logged | ||
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"Adjust", used by itself, implies a smaller change than "alter" does. Of course, you can
change that by using adjectives: "alter it slightly" means you didn't change much, or "it was quite an adjustment" implies that there was a big change to get used to. To use a sewing/tailoring metaphor, "adjust" has the feel of tweaking the hem of a dress, while "alter" is a more drastic change that affects the style or fit a lot. If you adjust something it may not even be noticeable, but to alter something will probably be more visible. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| iguanamon Pentaglot Senior Member Virgin Islands Speaks: Ladino Joined 5073 days ago 2237 posts - 6731 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Creole (French) | Message 3 of 13 13 May 2013 at 10:22pm | IP Logged | ||
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Welcome to the forum, babeltower! The answer mikonai gave you is correct. A common use of "alter" involves clothing. If your shirtsleeves are too long to fit properly, you might take them to a seamstress or tailor to have them "altered". They will be made shorter in order to fit you well. This is a significant change.
"Adjust" can be illustrated by a man wearing a tie that is slightly askew, a little "adjustment" will make the tie straight and more attractive. No major changes are needed for this, only a slight straightening in order to adjust it. Edited by iguanamon on 13 May 2013 at 10:29pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Cabaire Senior Member Germany Joined 5410 days ago 725 posts - 1352 votes | Message 4 of 13 13 May 2013 at 10:57pm | IP Logged | ||
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I am no native speaker, but I would have thought that "alter" means "to change, so that it is different", but "to adjust" is "to change, so that it is fitting".
E.g. Give your eyes time to adjust (Then you will see better. They have been adapting). The situation has altered (For the better or worse, who knows. It is different now). 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6408 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 5 of 13 14 May 2013 at 12:50am | IP Logged | ||
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Afaiu the scale is as follows:
change - alter - adjust :) I'd rather say the situation has changed, if it's more or less completely different. altered would (IMO) require some additional words like "to some extent" or "somewhat". 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| babeltower Newbie Vietnam Joined 4024 days ago 3 posts - 4 votes Studies: English | Message 6 of 13 14 May 2013 at 6:16am | IP Logged | ||
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The idea of using the topic of clothing is very useful to me. I can see the difference.
Here is my example: 1. It's 7:58, Henry suddenly adjusted his coat, checked some points of speaking and got into the room. 2. I took my shirt back to the shop to have it altered. Are they clear? 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| tarvos Super Polyglot Winner TAC 2012 Senior Member China likeapolyglot.wordpr Joined 4518 days ago 5310 posts - 9399 votes Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish | Message 7 of 13 14 May 2013 at 7:55am | IP Logged | ||
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I would not use altered in this context. Adjusted is better.
1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6408 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 8 of 13 14 May 2013 at 8:16am | IP Logged | ||
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Hehe, can't help picturing a rich guy taking his clothes to the shop etc and being told he just needs to iron them so that they could sit properly :D
given the natives' responses above, it seems like you're wrong about altered. it's just a bit less common than change or adjust. I remember being specifically taught when you should use alter rather than change.
Edited by Serpent on 14 May 2013 at 8:23am 1 person has voted this message useful |
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