Forum: English Questions 
Jan 15th, 2016, 10:30 am
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Replies: 19
Views: 2,448  Re: can't or won't?
Probably because of what we discussed before - the ambigulty of the word broken : does it mean just not working or broken into pieces. And this case it isn't the toilet itself which is "broken" but...
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Forum: English Questions
Jan 7th, 2016, 07:34 am
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Replies: 19
Views: 2,448 Re: can't or won't?
"break down" is only used with machines. A toilet isn't a machine - so no. And The toilet is broken is less likely. But the others are fine.
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Forum: English Questions
Jan 4th, 2016, 06:21 am
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Replies: 19
Views: 2,448 Re: can't or won't?
Any simple tool or instrument which isn't working properly or at all can be described as "broken". For example :
- Don't take any notice of that thermometer - it's broken.
- I didn't make a cake...
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Forum: English Questions
Dec 31st, 2015, 05:10 am
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Replies: 19
Views: 2,448 Re: can't or won't?
It just means "not working". And the other two would be fine.
Happy New Year to you too :)
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Forum: English Questions
Dec 29th, 2015, 03:45 am
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Replies: 19
Views: 2,448 Re: can't or won't?
Hmm.... depends. You might say it if it was a very hi-tech version, but for most ordinary "mechanical" versions My watch is broken would be more likely. As I said above, break down tends to be used...
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Forum: English Questions
Nov 17th, 2015, 07:22 am
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Replies: 19
Views: 2,448 Re: can't or won't?
"out of order" = completely dead /isn't working at all
"isn't working" could be It isn't working at all or It isn't working well/properly as in my example above : My hairdryer isn't working...
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Forum: English Questions
Nov 11th, 2015, 12:12 pm
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Replies: 19
Views: 2,448 Re: can't or won't?
First of all the grammar. It should be : The phone has broken down
To break down can only be used as an active verb - not passive. here, you're describing a past event with a present result - so you...
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Forum: English Questions
Nov 2nd, 2015, 06:40 am
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Replies: 19
Views: 2,448 Re: can't or won't?
1. Generally temporary - it suggests that you're waiting for it to be repaired rather than that you need to replace it completely.
2. Either not at all or just not working well. Eg : My hairdryer...
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Forum: English Questions
Oct 19th, 2015, 10:15 am
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Replies: 19
Views: 2,448 Re: can't or won't?
In most contexts they'd be interchangeable. However, "out of order" means not working at all, whereas "There's something wrong with..." could also mean that there was a problem but the phone was...
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Forum: English Questions
Oct 12th, 2015, 06:38 am
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Replies: 19
Views: 2,448 Re: can't or won't?
In that context, neither. You're discussing a here and now fact which, in the context, can either be seen as a perment problem or a temporary one, depending on the speaker's perception of the event....
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