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Which expression is better ?

attonieSuper Member!

United States

1. “leap ahead this gap”

2. “leap ahead of this gap”

Which one sounds better ? and be grammartically right ?

04:09 PM Dec 08 2017 |

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Teacher AmySuper Member!

United States

Hi, 



Nice detail question! 



Number 2 is the correct American English phrase: “leap ahead of this gap.” When we use the adverb “ahead” to talk about motion, and one thing is faster, better, or more forward than another, we actually use the adverb phrase “ahead of” for comparison. The two words work together to create a specific meaning. 



Think about the different meaning of “ahead” and “ahead of” in these two sentences:



1. Real Madrid was ahead of Barcelona at the end of the second quarter. (comparing two teams)



2. Real Madrid was ahead at the end of the second quarter. (not comparing the two teams)



I hope this helps!



Best,



Amy

06:53 PM Dec 08 2017 |

attonieSuper Member!

United States

it sounds like that you treat it as a noun. If I use the word as a verb.


1. “to leap ahead this gap”


2. “to leap ahead of this gap”


then, which one is better and which one is grammatically right?

03:07 AM Dec 09 2017 |

Teacher AmySuper Member!

United States

Hi, 



Interesting observation! However, because both “ahead of” and “ahead” are adverb phrases, they typically modify verbs.



In my previous examples about soccer, “ahead of” and “ahead” help to modify the be-verb (was). In the following examples, these adverb phrases modify the verb “leap.”



1. You can leap ahead of this gap.


– We use “ahead of” to compare locations. Location 1 = where you are now; location 2 = on the other side of the gap.



2. You can leap ahead.


– In this example, there is no comparison of location. The speaker is telling the other person to move forward, and we don’t know if there is a gap. 



In all of these examples, the adverbs modify the verb. Together, the verbs and adverbs help to explain or compare things. 



I hope this helps! 



Best,



Amy

09:04 PM Dec 11 2017 |