Question

'We could barely walk on that slippery surface.' This sentence means:

• A. We could not walk as the surface was slippery.
• B. We could not walk as we were wearing slippers.
• C. We could easily walk, though the surface was slippery.
• D. We could easily walk though our feet were bare.

Answer 1

Answer:

A. We could not walk as the surface was slippery.

To explain the sentence "We could barely walk on that slippery surface" in an English subject context, you could break it down as follows:

1. Meaning of "barely": The word "barely" means "only just" or "almost not." It indicates that the action was very difficult to perform, and there was a struggle or limitation.

2. Interpretation of the sentence: The sentence expresses that walking was very challenging because of the slippery surface. The word "barely" emphasizes that walking was almost impossible, but they managed to do it with great difficulty. So, it doesn't mean they couldn't walk at all, but rather that walking was hard and almost not possible due to the surface.

3. Context of "slippery surface": The "slippery surface" refers to the ground being smooth or wet, making it difficult to maintain balance and move easily. It implies that the condition of the surface was the cause of the difficulty in walking.

4. Grammar Explanation:

   • "We could": This is a modal verb (could) that indicates the ability to do something.

   • "Barely walk": The adverb "barely" modifies the verb "walk," meaning they could walk, but only with great difficulty.

   • "On that slippery surface": This prepositional phrase shows the location where the walking difficulty occurred.

In summary, the sentence means that the slippery surface made walking very difficult, and the word "barely" emphasizes how challenging it was to walk at all.