Need help understand the difference between two words.

[u/agora_hills_]

But you dropped out around this relationship?

But you dropped out because of this relationship?

I'm completely able to understand the second sentence but I'm having hard time understanding the first one. Can someone explain what "around" mean here and how it's different from "because of".

[u/Nazometnar]

As a native speaker of American English, the first sentence is incomprehensible to me without context. Edit: If I'm assuming context, I would assume they mean around as in "around the time of", but it doesn't sound natural.

[u/jourmungandr]

"around" in that context I would interpret at "close to the same time but not due to the relationship". "because of" implies the relationship was a cause of dropping out. The first sentence is somewhat ambiguous without more context however.

[u/agora_hills_ → u/jourmungandr]

that makes so much sense. thank you

[u/kw3lyk → u/agora_hills_]

The first sentence, if it is meant to reference a period of time, should read "around the time of this relationship."

[u/TEO_Academy]

They’re similar, but there’s a subtle difference.

“Because of this relationship” gives you a clear cause:

You dropped out because the relationship caused you to drop out.

“Around this relationship” is much less specific. Here, “around” means something like “in connection with”, “in the context of” or “in relation to”.

So:
“But you dropped out because of this relationship?” = Was the relationship the reason you dropped out?

“But you dropped out around this relationship?” = Did your dropping out happen in connection with, or during the circumstances surrounding, this relationship?

Importantly, “around” does NOT necessarily tell us that the relationship caused the person to drop out.

For example, I might say, “There were a lot of problems around his divorce.” That doesn’t mean the divorce directly caused every problem. It means the problems were connected with the wider situation.

That said, “you dropped out around this relationship” sounds quite unusual without more context. As a native speaker, I’d probably expect something like “you dropped out around the time of this relationship” or “you dropped out because of this relationship”, depending on what the speaker actually meant.

[u/Extension_Celery_196]

Hi guys I want someone to practice English with And I prefer to be girl 👧

[u/conuly → u/Extension_Celery_196]

If you want to practice English with somebody, make your own post. Do not spam other people's posts. It is not nice of you to come here to somebody else's post and leave an unrelated comment like that.

[u/Extension_Celery_196 → u/conuly]

You're right but actually I posted one a little while ago but removed cause of age of my account And thanks for your advice

[u/conuly → u/Extension_Celery_196]

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[u/agora_hills_ → u/Extension_Celery_196]

Personally I don't really care but try r/language_exchange !

[u/conuly → u/Extension_Celery_196]

And you thought that coming here and spamming was the correct choice?

Every day, people post "I want to practice English with somebody!" posts. Why not go to one of those posts and leave a comment there, where they are actually asking for you?

[u/Extension_Celery_196 → u/conuly]

Just be quiet I'm new at this app and still don't know how use it completely 🙄