<p>What does it mean if a sentence says "the eminent ambassador was but an indifferent linguist". Is "but" the same thing as "only" in this case? or does it mean the ambassador was all but indifferent?</p>
<p>what does it mean if it says "something has yet to be protected." Does it mean it still has to be protected?</p>
<p>what is the difference b/w in the early 1970s and by the early 1970s?
Ex. In the early 1920's, Louis Armstrong recorded his first solos as a member of King Olivers Creole Jazz Band in such pieces as Chimes Blues and Tears, which he composed with pianist Lil Hardin.
why does it have to be "in" instead of "by"?</p>
<p>I think “the eminent ambassador was but an indifferent linguist” means everything except, but I’m not 100% sure.</p>
<p>If “something has yet to be protected” is still needs to be protected. Like “I have yet to start my chemistry homework” (I still need to start it).</p>
<p>The early 1970s is the early years of that decade (1970 - 1973ish), while by the 1970’s means until the 1970s. I have to finish the essay IN english class when we have a work period vs. I have to finish the essay BY english class because it is due today.</p>
Yes, pretty much. “Hopes that lasted but a moment” are hopes that only lasted a moment. We expect and want something to last longer, but it lasted “only” a moment.</p>
<p>It means “merely,” “just,” or “only.”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Kind of. </p>
<p>“I have yet to do my homework. I am procrastinating.”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>There are different ways of talking about the past.</p>
<p>**Simple past<a href=“e.g.,%20ate,%20drank,%20swam”>/b</a>: something happened in a specific time or instant in the past</p>
<p>I ate at 11:00 = the eating took place at 11</p>
<p>**Past perfect simple <a href=“e.g.,%20had%20eaten,%20had%20drunk,%20had%20swum”>/b</a>: something “had” happened in a longer period of time; it started in the past, and it ended in the past.</p>
<p>I had eaten by 11:00 = the eating took place some time before 11, but no later than 11.
So, if you haven’t eaten since 6:00 and someone asks you when you ate, you might not know the exact time that you ate. However, you remember that at 11:00, you did not feel hungry anymore. So, you had eaten by 11:00. The “by 11:00” is basically a time interval LEADING UP to and ENDING at 11:00.</p>
<p>
“recorded” is in the simple past. </p>
<p>If historians didn’t know the specific decade Armstrong recorded his first solos, but they know that they were released in the 1920s, they may say “By the early 1920s, Louis Armstrong had recorded…” indicating that it is possible that he recorded them in the 1910s and released them in the 1920s.</p>