strange

«strange» in Mova's school dictionary: unusual or surprising in a way that is hard to explain: a… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

adjective (strange, stranger, strangest); adverb strangely; noun stranger (a person you don't know)

meaning for a pupil

1) Strange means unusual or surprising in a way that is hard to explain: a strange noise. tree →

2) Strange means unfamiliar, not known to you: a strange place. tree →

3) Feeling strange means feeling a bit unwell or not normal. tree →

sense in the lessons

In stories «strange» builds mystery and suspense: a strange light, a strange smell, a strange visitor. In safety lessons, a strange smell (smoke, gas) or a strange feeling about a person is a warning sign; tell an adult. In science, a strange result is a reason to check again. Phrases: strange to say, feel strange, a strange place, strangely quiet.

examples

• I heard a strange noise in the night. tree →
• It's strange that the dog isn't barking. tree →
• Everything felt strange on my first day at the new school. tree →
• If you smell something strange like gas, tell an adult straight away. tree →
• A strange man was standing by the gate. tree →
• That's strange; I left my book right here! tree →
• The house was strangely quiet. tree →
• I feel a bit strange; I think I'm getting sick. tree →
• And then a strange thing happened. tree →

note

Comparison: stranger, strangest. Trap: «stranger» is also a noun meaning a person you don't know («Don't talk to strangers»), not only «more strange». «Strange» and «weird» are close; «odd» and «unusual» are softer.

In the corpora

• Asking what will happen first makes it less strange.
• A man who comes home at strange hours may be a hospital porter on night shifts.
• Strange hours often mean a shift worker, like a nurse, porter or baker, keeping everyone safe and fed.
• Every big invention, such as the telephone, seemed strange or scary at first and later became normal.
• Strangest of all, a baby octopus never meets its parents, so everything clever it does, it works out on its own.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «strange» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.