He decided to visit a friend who lived very near (to) where he was at that moment. near or near to (NOT near from): ‘The post office is near (to) the bank.’ ‘If we moved to Dallas, we would be nearer to my parents.’ 2
I went near to the girl and told her my name.
I went up to the girl and told her my name. See Note at TO 2 3
I sometimes meet friends in a near restaurant.
I sometimes meet friends in a nearby restaurant. I ran to the telephone box which was near to call an ambulance.
I ran to the telephone box nearby to call an ambulance. To say that something is only a short distance from a place, use nearby: ‘I stopped at one of the nearby cottages and asked the way.’ ‘It’s very convenient having a supermarket nearby.’ nearby Their house is nearby the new airport.
Their house is near the new airport. Nearby is used as an adjective or adverb: ‘We flew from a nearby airport.’ ‘There is an airport nearby.’ When you need a preposition, use near: ‘The hotel is near the sea.’ nearly In the countryside there is nearly no pollution.
In the countryside there is hardly any pollution. Instead of saying nearly no/nobody/never etc, use hardly any/anybody/ever etc: ‘Hardly any of my friends are married.’ ‘Hardly anybody objected to the idea.’ necessity It was then that I felt the necessity to improve my English.
It was then that I felt the need to improve my English. If something is a necessity , you must have it or do it, or it must happen: ‘If you saw the terrible conditions in which these people are living, you would appreciate the necessity to step up foreign aid.’ ‘For anyone who runs a large business, a computer is an absolute necessity.’
