left
part of speech
adjective, adverb, noun (the left); verb (leave, leaves, left, leaving)
meaning for a pupil
1) Left means still there after some has gone or been used: «Two cakes are left». tree →
2) Left is the past of leave: to go away from a place, or to let something stay where it is. tree →
3) Left is a side: the side where most people wear a watch, the opposite of right. tree →
4) The left in politics means people who want more sharing and change. tree →
5) (euphemism) «He left us» or «she's left this world» can gently mean someone died; «let go» or «left the company» may mean lost a job. tree →
6) (casual) «Left, right and centre» means everywhere; «out of left field» (US) means strange, unexpected. tree →
7) (formal) Exams say «remaining», «the remainder», «residual», «outstanding» or «departed» for left. tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: Turning neither to the right nor the left means keeping strictly to God's commands. The priest used his left hand for the oil in cleansing a leper. Interpretation: The tradition reads going neither right nor left as keeping the path of the law exactly, without adding or subtracting. In the primary lessons: what remains with someone after things are given, eaten or lost: «How many are left» asks for the count after the losses; in reading and maps, left is a direction; phrases: «left over», «have left», «on the left», «turn left», «left behind», «leftovers»; in casual talk «got any left?», «how many he got left then?», «there's none left lol»; in rough talk «who left the bloody gate open?», «you've left me 1 chip, cheers a lot» (sarcasm); in the exam voice «ascertain the number remaining», «the residual quantity», «the outstanding balance»
examples
- And He left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. (Torah GEN.17.22, JPS 1917) tree →
- Why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.' (Torah EXO.2.20, JPS 1917) tree →
- And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand. (Torah LEV.14.26, JPS 1917) tree →
- Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they?' (Prophets ISA.49.21, JPS 1917) tree →
- And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. (Writings RUT.1.3, JPS 1917) tree →
- And the king left ten women, that were concubines, to keep the house. (Prophets 2SA.15.16, JPS 1917) tree →
- How many apples does Tom have left? tree →
- Anna had 10 sweets and ate 4. How many are left? tree →
- Ben left 3 books at school. tree →
- Turn left at the post office. tree →
- The train left at 6 o'clock. tree →
- Write with your left hand. tree →
- We ate the left-over pizza for lunch. tree →
- Look right, then left, then right again before you cross. tree →
- how many he got left then, after giving 4 away? tree →
- Oi, you've left me 1 chip, cheers a lot. tree →
- Ascertain the number of items remaining in the possession of the purchaser after 4 are consumed. tree →
- Grandpa left us last year (he died), and we miss him. tree →
note
«How many are left» asks for the count after the losses: subtract. «remaining», «the remainder», «residual» and «outstanding» in an exam mean left. Trap: «left» can be a side (the left hand) or a verb of going away. Trap: «he left us» may be a gentle way of saying he died. In a remainder problem, what is left over is the remainder.
In the corpora
- So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city.
- And He left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
- And the LORD went His way, as soon as He had left off speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned unto his place.
- When Leah saw that she had left off bearing, she took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob to wife.
- (32-25) And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «left» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.