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Big action vs. big sale

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WRONG: I bought lots of clothes in a big action in H&M.
RIGHT: I bought lots of clothes in a big sale in H&M.

Action is a confusing word in English. It is the thing the director shouts when the filming of a scene starts, or it is a movement, such as waving a hand, or writing. Those are both actions.

We also discussed previously that we use ‘event’ in the case of an organised gathering of people, not action. But the above example shows another incorrect use.

Regarding shopping, we do not use ‘action’ to talk about some mass discount of goods. We use the word ‘sale’. In the sale, there are reductions on products and we can pick up a ‘bargain’ – something that is much cheaper than normal.

Confused? Here are the terms together:

On Black Friday, there are massive sales. Last year, I got lots of bargains. I bought a TV for just 500kc!

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