the audiance in the Republican Debate was littered with big oil leverage buyout kings like T. Boon Pickens?
Is it another example of the US Media trying to enter the debate instead of report on one?
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I’ll try to help, but keep in mind, these are just definitions as I understand them. I didn’t refer to a dictionary to come up with these. It might be good for you to consult a dictionary to confirm the finer distinctions between all these words.
That said, let’s start with chatting.
Chatting is two or more people talking, typically about very trivial matters (the weather, what you did over the weekend, etc.) and typically for a short time.
Conversation is where two or more people are talking, but the subject is more substantive and the talking usually takes place over a longer period of time.
Discussion is similar to a conversation, but implies more of a serious subject matter. For example, a married couple might agree to sit down and have a discussion about their finances and budget. A discussion doesn’t necessarily imply that the parties in the talks agree or disagree with one another.
Argument is like a discussion, but the people’s views are opposed or conflicting. The speakers disagree with each other and try to explain and defend their positions on a topic, often heatedly.
Debate is a more formal argument where each person gets a certain amount of time to state his position and an opportunity to rebut (counter) the other person’s position.
Quarrel is like an argument but (to me) implies an interaction that is less dignified than an argument can be. A quarrel makes me think of people yelling at each other or having a fight with words.
Rumour is information you receive through “unofficial” channels, which may or may not be true. For example, you might hear from a co-worker that your company is eliminating the Christmas bonus this year. Since the information didn’t come directly from your HR department at your company, you’d be wise to take the information as possibly false.
Hearsay is like a rumour — unsubstantiated information. Typically, hearsay is a term used in courts to discredit information provided by parties who have no actual proof that the information they are providing is true.
Hope these help!
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