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Is there any difference between the following sentences?

  • The ladder is metal.
  • The ladder is metallic.
  • The ladder is made of metal.

I have read the construction "to be [material]" for the first time today and it sounded odd to me. It does not make sense literally, but I assume that it must be idiomatic.

Jasper
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Alan Evangelista
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  • Related (but not a duplicate) https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/11237/why-is-wine-made-from-grapes-but-tables-are-made-of-wood – ColleenV Sep 24 '19 at 20:27

1 Answers1

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Lets dispose of "Metallic" first. "Metallic" is an adjective meaning something is 'like metal' without requiring it actually be metal. (It is most commmonly used about a surface finish - such as chrome-coloured plastic or car paint colours - or noises or smells).

"made of metal" - metal is a mass noun

"a metal ladder" is using metal as an adjective -

Forms such as "the ladder is metal" is really just a contraction where "made of" is just implied.

Jasper
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Duke Bouvier
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  • Saying 'the ladder is metal' is just incorrect. It would imply the slang meaning of 'metal', if anything. – paddotk Aug 11 '23 at 12:46