اضغط وشوف:سؤال وجواب:كنوز انجليزية

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سؤال وجواب

I checked the dictionary and found that the word "fast" is a noun and a verb but can I use it as an adjective? For example: He stopped drinking. He is fast OR is fasting OR fasts. ??
Sender
Maha
Position
Student

Fast can be a noun, a verb, an adjective, and an adverb, but their meanings are not the same.
The adjective fast means moving, happening, or done quickly. The adverb means in a quick manner. (Both the adjective and adverb have other meanings also. See LDOCE.)

You are asking about the verb fast when it means to not eat or drink (or to eat and drink less than usual) for a period of time. This is usually done for religious reasons but can be done for other reasons (for example, before some kinds of blood tests you have to fast for 8 hours or more).

The noun is fast: a period of time in which you do not eat or drink (or you eat or drink less than usual).

The word you want is not the adjective, but the present continuous of the verb fast:

He is fasting today. (verb)
He fasts every Thursday. (verb)
He breaks his fast with dates. (noun)

By the way, these sentences are not very natural: He stopped drinking. He is fasting. If he is fasting, why was he drinking? (He couldn't stop unless he was drinking.) It would make more sense to say He's not drinking (today). He's fasting.

ed 19/12/10