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Is there any difference between the following sentences?

  • The ladder is metal.
  • The ladder is metallic.
  • The ladder is made of metal.

I have read the construction "to be [material]" for the first time today and it sounded odd to me. It does not make sense literally, but I assume that it must be idiomatic.

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Lets dispose of "Metallic" first. "Metallic" is an adjective meaning something is 'like metal' without requiring it actually be metal. (It is most commmonly used about a surface finish - such as chrome-coloured plastic or car paint colours - or noises or smells).

"made of metal" - metal is a mass noun

"a metal ladder" is using metal as an adjective -

Forms such as "the ladder is metal" is really just a contraction where "made of" is just implied.

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  • Saying 'the ladder is metal' is just incorrect. It would imply the slang meaning of 'metal', if anything.
    – paddotk
    Commented Aug 11, 2023 at 12:46

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