... often feel like they are spinning their wheels/treading water ...

I

Idk2222

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Joined
May 23, 2024
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Student or Learner
Native Language
Hungarian
Home Country
Hungary
Current Location
Germany
Are "spin your wheels" and "tread water" synonymous? If not what's the difference?

Based definitions in dictionaries, they seem. synonymous.

Language learners often feel like they are spinning their wheels/treading water because the progress toward a high level of fluency is very gradual.
 
Yes and no. They both imply lack of movement, but the reasons are very different. When you spin your wheels you're so keen to move (metaphorically, in some sort of wheeled vehicle) that the wheels spin and get no grip on the road. If you tread water (again metaphorically) you just keep afloat and make no progress.. So context - as always - makes one appropriate and the other not.

In your example they both work - although the first says more about the effort the learner's making, which seems to me more fitting..
 
Idk2222 said:
Based ON definitions in dictionaries, they seem. synonymous.

Language learners often feel like they are spinning their wheels/treading water because the progress toward a high level of fluency is very gradual.
Click to expand...
 
Idk2222 said:
Based on the definitions in dictionaries, they seem no full stop here synonymous.
Click to expand...
Take more care with your posts. I'm sure that if you'd taken ten seconds to look at your post before submitting it, you'd have noticed the full stop and that "Based definitions" isn't correct.
To avoid basic errors, follow this method:
1. Write your post.
2. Read your post, paying attention to capitalisation, punctuation and grammar, and correct any errors.
3. Read your post again!
4. Submit your post.

Also note that I have already changed two of your thread titles this morning. Your actual question (in this case, "Are "spin your wheels ...?") should appear only in the main body of your post. If possible, your title should be a complete sentence. If the sentence is too long, the title should be the relevant part of the sentence you're asking us to look at.
 
emsr2d2 said:
To avoid basic errors, follow this method:
1. Write your post.
2. Read your post, paying attention to capitalisation, punctuation and grammar, and correct any errors.
3. Read your post again!
4. Submit your post.
Click to expand...

I'd add

5. Read your post again whilst you still have time to correct any errors.
 
emsr2d2 said:
Take more care with your posts. I'm sure that if you'd taken ten seconds to look at your post before submitting it, you'd have noticed the full stop and that "Based definitions" isn't correct.
To avoid basic errors, follow this method:
1. Write your post.
2. Read your post, paying attention to capitalisation, punctuation and grammar, and correct any errors.
3. Read your post again!
4. Submit your post.

Also note that I have already changed two of your thread titles this morning. Your actual question (in this case, "Are "spin your wheels ...?") should appear only in the main body of your post. If possible, your title should be a complete sentence. If the sentence is too long, the title should be the relevant part of the sentence you're asking us to look at.
Click to expand...
My title was a complete sentence.
 
BobK said:
Yes and no. They both imply lack of movement, but the reasons are very different. When you spin your wheels you're so keen to move (metaphorically, in some sort of wheeled vehicle) that the wheels spin and get no grip on the road. If you tread water (again metaphorically) you just keep afloat and make no progress.. So context - as always - makes one appropriate and the other not.

In your example they both work - although the first says more about the effort the learner's making, which seems to me more fitting..
Click to expand...
So they aren't interchangeable then?
 
Perhaps not entirely. However, the difference is so slight-- if there is any-- that I would simply use the one I prefer.
 
Idk2222 said:
My title was a complete sentence.
Click to expand...
It was but it was the wrong sentence. Your original title was "Are "spin your wheels" and "tread water" synonymous?" That's your question and, as I said, it should appear only in the main body of the post, not the title. The title should be the example sentence you want us to look at.

When you come back from your temporary ban, take the time to read all our responses to your posts very carefully.
 
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