AboutRosemary Lenc Expertise I am a retired Middle School teacher. I am an expert in grammar (structure of the English
language) and writing. I have been a volunteer with AOL Ask A Teacher and have
submitted many articles and special collections (one on diagramming sentences and one
with worksheets and answers so students can check their own practice on grammar skills)
to their knowledge database. I still am with them but would like other work where I can
help students with their English study. I have time to help you with this, if you want me. I
can help with grade school, middle school and high school grammar & writing and can
also look up information on literature (reading) for students and help them with it.
Please let me know if I can be of help in these areas. Thank you.
Rosemary Lenc
Experience
Past/Present clients Have helped many, many students in grade school language arts, middle school and high
school grammar and writing in both the chat rooms (live help that AOL use to have) and
message board answers plus the many students i have taught as a teacher.
Question What is the difference between typical and average, as in he is an average man vs.he is typical man
Answer Dear Jan,
Many times when we use these two words, they seem like synonyms. But I think that there is a slight difference in meaning, just like many synonyms seem to have that slight difference. For example, if I said: He is a big man. I may mean he is very tall or that he is overweight. But if I used the synonym: He is a huge man. "Huge" gives the meaning of really overweight of really tall. So the words average and typical may at first seem like synonyms but they do have a difference in meaning.
"Average man" means that the person is like every other man.
"Typical man" gives the same impression but I think it applies more to an attribute or characteristic that that man has.
Check the meanings below that I took from the dictionary online. It may help you see the difference.
Typical:
4.
characteristic or distinctive: He has the mannerisms typical of his class
Exhibiting the qualities, traits, or characteristics that identify a kind, class, group, or category: a typical suburban community.
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Average
7.
typical; common; ordinary: The average secretary couldn't handle such a workload. His grades were nothing special, only average.
15.
on the or an average, usually; typically: She can read 50 pages an hour, on the average.
Being intermediate between extremes, as on a scale: a player of average ability.
Synonyms: These adjectives indicate a middle position on a scale of evaluation. Average and medium apply to what is midway between extremes and imply both sufficiency and lack of distinction: a novel of average merit; an orange of medium size.
Mediocre stresses the undistinguished aspect of what is average: "The caliber of the students . . . has gone from mediocre to above average" (Judy Pasternak).
What is fair is passable but substantially below excellent: in fair health.
Middling refers to a ranking between average and mediocre: gave a middling performance.
Indifferent suggests neutrality: "His home, alas, was but an indifferent attic" (Edward Everett Hale).
Something tolerable is merely acceptable: prepared a tolerable meal.
I hope this is helpful to you.
Thanks for using AllExperts.
Mrs. Lenc
