acid rain

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   Rain that has become acidic because of pollution in the air, and that can damage plants, lakes and buildings.

   Grammar: Uncountable, so it has no plural and takes a singular verb: acid rain causes damage.

   Patterns

   • acid rain causes something
   • acid rain falls on something
   • be damaged by acid rain

   Acid rain has killed many of the fish in these lakes.

   Factories and cars release the gases that lead to acid rain.

   The old stone statues have been worn away by acid rain.

2. 2noununcountabletechnical

   The fall of this acidic rain, considered as an environmental problem.

   Grammar: Used like a subject of study or a problem: scientists study acid rain.

   Patterns

   • the problem of acid rain
   • reduce acid rain
   • acid rain research

   The government promised to cut the pollution that causes acid rain.

   Scientists have measured acid rain in this region for twenty years.

Common combinations

acid rain causes damage

Acid rain causes damage to forests and soil.

the effects of acid rain

The effects of acid rain can be seen in the dying trees.

reduce acid rain

New laws have helped reduce acid rain across the country.

acid rain falls

Acid rain falls far from the factories that produce the pollution.

Synonyms and how they differ

acid precipitation

A more technical term for the same thing, often used in scientific writing.

Word family

acidic adjective

Having the chemical properties of an acid.

acidity noun

The quality of being acidic.

Commonly confused: acid rain or acid?

Practice

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