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government of this country needs to raise taxes (and 'taxes' is the object of the
verb); another way I can say that is that I think that taxes need to rise. We are
always talking about the need to raise standards (and 'standards' is the object of the
verb) - another way of saying it is that standards need to rise.
Hope this helps!
Relative / relation relationship
Denis Baizeau from France writes:
I do not feel comfortable when I have to use the words relation and relationship.
Could you please help me to clarify the main usages and differences of these two
closely related words. Many thanks in advance.
Relationships
A relationship is a close friendship between two people, especially one involving
romantic feelings:
" They had been together for two years and Mike wanted to carry on, but Jenny
felt that their relationship wasn't really going anywhere.
Relationship can be used in two other ways. It can describe two things and the
way in which they are connected:
" Doctors now believe that there may be some relationship / connection
between autism and the MMR vaccine.
It can also describe close ties between people or groups of people and the way they
feel and behave towards each other:
" The Smiths placed great emphasis on close family relationships and
always went on holiday together.
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" The relationship between the leaders of the two countries has never been
closer.
Relations
Relation also describes the link between people, groups or countries and the way
they behave towards each other. In this sense there is very little difference between
relations and relationship. For instance, we could also say:
" Relations between (the leaders of) the two countries have never been
closer.
Most of the differences are context specific in this sense. For example, we talk about
diplomatic relations and race relations, not diplomatic relationships or race
relationships:
" Diplomatic relations between the two countries were broken off over this
incident and their ambassadors were sent home.
" The need to improve race relations in Inner London boroughs is of
paramount importance.
Your relations are also members of your family:
" I invited all my friends and relations to my twenty-first birthday party.
" Mark Totterdale and Simon Totterdale (no relation) are both head teachers
in Bristol.
Your blood relations are the people who are related to you by birth, not through
marriage. If you say that they are your own flesh and blood, you are emphasizing
that they are members of your own family:
" He's my own flesh and blood. I can't leave him to fend for himself when he
needs my help.
Relatives (noun) - relative (adj)
Note that we also use the term relative to describe members of your family:
" She couldn't get any of her relatives / relations to look after the children,
so had to employ a childminder.
" The chimpanzee is native to equatorial Africa and is believed to be the
closest living relative to man.
The adjective relative and the adverb relatively are used when you are
comparing the quality or size of something in relation to something else:
" Both cactuses were relatively small and I wanted one that was larger to fit
into the pot.
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" Fitness is a relative concept. You must always ask the question: fit to do
what?
" They were discussing the relative / comparative merits of Liverpool and
Leeds as places to live when I entered the room.
" He was able to smuggle the animals out of the country with relative /
comparative ease.
Related (adj)
When two or more things are related, there is some kind of connection between
them. When people are related, they are members of the same family:
" He was arrested for theft-related offences.
" In the social sciences anthropology and ethnography are closely related
disciplines.
" I had all the equipment needed for gymnastics and related activities.
" Aren't you two related? ~ No, we're not. ~ Oh, I thought Henry was your
cousin.
Rise, arise and raise
Would you please be so kind as to explain the difference between the following
verbs: rise and arise? Thank you so much.
Rise - rose - risen
Generally, if something rises it moves upwards. If you rise, this is a rather formal
way of saying that you get of out bed, get up or stand up:
" I needed to catch the 7.30, so I had risen early.
" He rose to greet me when I entered his office.
When the sun and the moon rise, they appear in the sky. If the water in a river
rises, it becomes higher. If the wind rises, it blows more strongly:
" I hope to be out in the desert on my horse as the sun rises behind the
Pyramids.
" The water in the river had risen to a dangerous level and everyone had to
be evacuated from the village.
" The wind rose later in the night and kept me awake as it howled through
the trees.
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If an amount rises, it increases. If you get an increase in your wages or
salary, this is also known as a rise. (In American English, it's known as a
raise.) If you rise to a higher position in your organisation, you become
more successful or powerful:
" Inflation rose by 0.5 percent last year, the lowest increase since 1992.
" Industrial use of oil rose by over 200 % in the 1970s whilst industrial use
of coal fell by the same proportion.
" I got a rise of over £4000 when I was promoted to a position of greater
responsibility.
" At the age of 32, she has risen to the top of her profession.
Arise - arose - arisen
Arise is mainly used in a more abstract way. If a situation or problem or something
arises, it comes into being and people become aware of it:
" I don't think the question of compensation will arise, but if it does, just give
a vague reply.
" I shall certainly go to Scotland next year, if the opportunity arises.
" A problem has arisen with the TV that I bought last week. I can't get
teletext.
We can also use arise to mean to get up, get out of bed or stand up, but it is
even more formal than rise in this sense. Note that when a knighthood is bestowed
in Britain, the monarch touches the recipient's shoulders with a sword and then says,
e.g.
" Arise, Sir William!
meaning that he, William, may now (a)rise from his kneeling position as a knight of
the realm.
Raise - raised - raised
If you raise something, you move it to a higher position. If you raise your
voice, you speak more loudly. If you raise the standard of something, you
improve it:
" If you are in agreement with what Mr Jenkins has put to you, would you
please raise your hand.
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" The flag on the roof of the palace is raised whenever the queen is in
residence.
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