Line-queue meaning in English
Learn how to use Line-queue correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
(to wait in a) line (US), queue (UK): (to wait in a) line of people
I need to stand in the queue. I have to wait behind these other people before I can pay for my shopping.
to queue up (UK): to stand in line, to wait in line
In American English, to queue up is expressed as to wait in line.
Pronunciation examples
UK: In Britain, a "line" is called a "queue".
US: In America, a "queue" is called a "line".
Examples
- "Jean : The line for the toilet was enormous, so I went to the ladies' toilet, but then a woman was scared and she called the police."
- "All non-EU passport holders please queue up to the left, and all EU passport holders please proceed to the right."
- "It's only waiting in the queue at this point."
- "Jean : Oh, this line is long..."
- "Polly : I don't care if it's in the queue!"
Exercise 1
The man in this dialogue asks Kevin for "spare change".
What is he asking for?
What is he asking for?
The man in this dialogue asks Kevin for "spare change".
What is he asking for?
What is he asking for?
Although "change" can refer to the act of transformation, and the man in this dialogue comments on Kevin's social status, the term "spare change" is unrelated to "political transformation".
Although the man in the dialogue makes several remarks about Kevin's appearance, including his clothing, when he asks Kevin for "spare change", he is asking for money, not clothing.
The man on the subway is not asking for "advice" or "counsel". He is asking for money.
The man on the subway asks Kevin for "spare change", which is money. The adjective "spare" means "extra" or "surplus". The noun "change" has many meanings, but in this context, "change" refers to money in coin form. "Coins" are small pieces of metal which make up dollars or pounds. The question "do you have any spare change?" is a common way to ask for a little bit of money.
Exercise 2
The term row is used in the dialogue to describe where Bruno will be sitting during the show.
In the following sentences, choose the most appropriate term: row(s), line(s), or stripe(s). Each term is used once and once only!
I stood in for three hours, and managed to buy the new Hairy Pitta book on the day it came out!
For ten days in a , I have been eating nothing but salad. I'm very hungry.
The flag of the USA is decorated with stars and .
In the following sentences, choose the most appropriate term: row(s), line(s), or stripe(s). Each term is used once and once only!
I stood in for three hours, and managed to buy the new Hairy Pitta book on the day it came out!
For ten days in a , I have been eating nothing but salad. I'm very hungry.
The flag of the USA is decorated with stars and .
The term row is used in the dialogue to describe where Bruno will be sitting during the show.
In the following sentences, choose the most appropriate term: row(s), line(s), or stripe(s). Each term is used once and once only!
I stood in line 1 for three hours, and managed to buy the new Hairy Pitta book on the day it came out!
For ten days in a row 2, I have been eating nothing but salad. I'm very hungry.
The flag of the USA is decorated with stars and stripes 3.
In the following sentences, choose the most appropriate term: row(s), line(s), or stripe(s). Each term is used once and once only!
I stood in line 1 for three hours, and managed to buy the new Hairy Pitta book on the day it came out!
For ten days in a row 2, I have been eating nothing but salad. I'm very hungry.
The flag of the USA is decorated with stars and stripes 3.
1 line: "Line" is the best choice here. In American English, "line" shares a similar meaning with "queue" in British English: a group of people waiting in an orderly manner. Example: "The line for the bathroom was too long, and I had an accident before it was my turn".
1 row: "Row" is not used to describe a "queue" of people waiting.
1 stripe: "Stripe" is not used to describe a "queue" of people waiting.
2 row: "Row" is the best choice here, as part of the expression "in a row". "In a row" can be used in a literal sense: "This morning, I saw ten penguins standing in a row" (meaning that the penguins were aligned, or standing shoulder to shoulder), or a figurative sense, particularly relating to time: "I've made your dinner for ten days in a row: now it's time for you to make mine" (meaning that the speaker has made dinner ten days consecutively.
2 line: "Ten days in a line" is not an English expression.
2 stripe: "Ten days in a stripe" does not make grammatical sense.
3 stripes: We say that the flag of the USA is decorated with "stars and stripes". "Stripes" is the name given to horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines when they appear on fabric, animals or material. Example: "Tigers are covered in beautiful black stripes".
3 lines: It is unnatural to refer to the pattern appearing on flags, fabric, material, or animals, as "lines".
3 rows: It is unnatural to refer to the pattern appearing on flags, fabric, material, or animals, as "rows".
Exercise 3
"The line for the toilet was enormous."
Find a common synonym for the term in bold above. We've given you the first letter.
The for the toilet was enormous.
Find a common synonym for the term in bold above. We've given you the first letter.
The for the toilet was enormous.
"The line for the toilet was enormous."
Find a common synonym for the term in bold above. We've given you the first letter.
The [not done] queue for the toilet was enormous.
Find a common synonym for the term in bold above. We've given you the first letter.
The [not done] queue for the toilet was enormous.
queue: A group of people waiting for something, and standing one behind the other, is called "a line" in US English, or "a queue" in UK English. To describe what the people are doing, we say "they are standing in line" (US) and "they are waiting in the queue" or "they are queuing up" (UK). Note that "queue" is pronounced just like "cue", or the letter Q in the alphabet ("kyoo"). Example: I don't have time to queue up at the post office!
Exercise 4
The term row is used in the dialogue to describe where Bruno will be sitting during the show.
In the following sentences, choose the most appropriate term: row(s), line(s), or stripe(s). Each term is used once and once only!
I stood in for three hours, and managed to buy the new Hairy Pitta book on the day it came out!
For ten days in a , I have been eating nothing but salad. I'm very hungry.
The flag of the USA is decorated with stars and .
In the following sentences, choose the most appropriate term: row(s), line(s), or stripe(s). Each term is used once and once only!
I stood in for three hours, and managed to buy the new Hairy Pitta book on the day it came out!
For ten days in a , I have been eating nothing but salad. I'm very hungry.
The flag of the USA is decorated with stars and .
The term row is used in the dialogue to describe where Bruno will be sitting during the show.
In the following sentences, choose the most appropriate term: row(s), line(s), or stripe(s). Each term is used once and once only!
I stood in line 1 for three hours, and managed to buy the new Hairy Pitta book on the day it came out!
For ten days in a row 2, I have been eating nothing but salad. I'm very hungry.
The flag of the USA is decorated with stars and stripes 3.
In the following sentences, choose the most appropriate term: row(s), line(s), or stripe(s). Each term is used once and once only!
I stood in line 1 for three hours, and managed to buy the new Hairy Pitta book on the day it came out!
For ten days in a row 2, I have been eating nothing but salad. I'm very hungry.
The flag of the USA is decorated with stars and stripes 3.
1 line: "Line" is the best choice here. In American English, "line" shares a similar meaning with "queue" in British English: a group of people waiting in an orderly manner. Example: "The line for the bathroom was too long, and I had an accident before it was my turn".
1 row: "Row" is not used to describe a "queue" of people waiting.
1 stripe: "Stripe" is not used to describe a "queue" of people waiting.
2 row: "Row" is the best choice here, as part of the expression "in a row". "In a row" can be used in a literal sense: "This morning, I saw ten penguins standing in a row" (meaning that the penguins were aligned, or standing shoulder to shoulder), or a figurative sense, particularly relating to time: "I've made your dinner for ten days in a row: now it's time for you to make mine" (meaning that the speaker has made dinner ten days consecutively.
2 line: "Ten days in a line" is not an English expression.
2 stripe: "Ten days in a stripe" does not make grammatical sense.
3 stripes: We say that the flag of the USA is decorated with "stars and stripes". "Stripes" is the name given to horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines when they appear on fabric, animals or material. Example: "Tigers are covered in beautiful black stripes".
3 lines: It is unnatural to refer to the pattern appearing on flags, fabric, material, or animals, as "lines".
3 rows: It is unnatural to refer to the pattern appearing on flags, fabric, material, or animals, as "rows".
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