To
 
Most of the substitutions that you suggest do not produce idiomatic English
and would not be recognized as correct by native speakers. Here I'm going
to assume that someone has thrown a bed off the balcony into the courtyard
below. You can indeed say "The bed crashed into the courtyard," but "The
bed struck on the courtyard" seems doubtful. It's not incorrect, but I
can't imagine anyone saying it. You could say "The bed smashed on the
courtyard" but not "The bed knocked at the courtyard." A person can knock
at a door but nothing can knock at a courtyard, as best I can imagine. You
can say "The bed smashed to pieces when it hit the courtyard" but not "The
bed destroyed to pieces." Nor can you say that the bed "damaged to pieces"
or "struck to pieces." Maybe you could say that it "cracked to pieces."
 
I don't understand your last comment: "I expect to right answers."
 
Bill McCleary
 
>Ateg'ers:
>
>          The three words "crash", "smash" and "strike" make me confused.
>In a sentence like this "The bed crashed into the courtyard" , here
>"crashed" can be replaced with "struck". I think it also can be replaced
>with "smashed on", and also can be replace with "knocked at". Is it right?
>Another sentence-"It was smashed to piece", here "smashed" can be replaced
>with "destroyed". But I think it can also be replaced with "damaged" or
>"struck" or "cracked". Is it right?
>
>          I expect to right answers. Thanks!
>
>Sincerely
>
>                                               Dawei Ren
>                                      [log in to unmask]
 
 
William J. McCleary
Associate Prof. of English
Coordinator of Secondary English        3247 Bronson Hill Road
SUNY at Cortland                        Livonia, NY 14487
607-753-2076                            716-346-6859
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