[Grammar] Preposition ‘over’ usage

[northpath]

There’s a sentence:
We had met a year ago, when I went over to Paris to see an exhibition.
Does it mean that I stayed in Paris a short time just to visit an exhibition?

 

[jutfrank]

No, it has nothing to do with the duration of the visit.

We can't be sure of the meaning of over without asking the speaker, but we could reasonably guess that his/her reason to use the preposition may have been based on his/her conception of the relative positions of Paris and his/her point of departure.

One imaginable possibility is that the speaker was from the US, and the journey from, say, Boston to Paris involved travelling over the Atlantic.

 

[Rover_KE]

bartdebsky, please read this extract from the Posting Guidelines:

You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly in your post. Please note, all posts are moderated by our in-house language experts, so make sure your suggestions, help, and advice provide the kind of information an international language teacher would offer. If not, and your posts do not contribute to the topic in a positive way, they will be subject to deletion.

 

[northpath]

Another example with the preposition ‘over’:
Susan went over to the window and closed the curtains.
Does it mean that she crossed the room? Why not:
Susan came up to the window and closed the curtains.

 

[Rover_KE]

Susan went over to the window and closed the curtains.

Does it mean that she crossed the room? Yes.

Why not:

Susan came up to the window and closed the curtains.

It's not colloquial.

 

[jutfrank]

Another example with the preposition ‘over’:
Susan went over to the window and closed the curtains.
Does it mean that she crossed the room?

Yes.

Why not:
Susan came up to the window and closed the curtains.

Do you mean went up? (came up would be used if the writer was at the window himself.) It could be, but that would create a different image.

 

[andrewg927]

Not a teacher

I agree with Jutfrank. "Over" does not indicate duration.

 

[northpath]

OK, here the situation: the teacher is sitting at the blackboard and says:
“Joe, please come up to the blackboard and write the formula.”
Joe comes over to the blackboard and writes the formula.
Sorry, comes is a misprint, I meant:
Joe goes over to the blackboard and writes the formula.

Right?

 

[jutfrank]

OK, here the situation: the teacher is sitting at the blackboard and says:
“Joe, please come up to the blackboard and write the formula.”
Joe comes over to the blackboard and writes the formula.
Right?

Joe goes up to the blackboard.

 

[northpath]

OK, what about the past tense:
The teacher asked Joe to come up to the blackboard and write the formula.
Joe, went over to the blackboard and wrote the formula.

 

[jutfrank]

Joe went up to the blackboard and wrote the formula.

I don't see why you are changing the particle!