131 replies to this topic

[prateek]

Quote

=> I am going to sleep by mum and dad tonight.

If it is a child sleeping in his/her parents' bed, I'd say "I am going to sleep with mum and dad tonight." or "I am going to sleep in my mom and dad's bed."

Quote

If the writer wanted to say spending the night in the house of the parents, I'd say: I am going to sleep at my mum and dad's tonight.

I agree with this.

Quote

"Every day we SWAM in the lake."

This is right IMO.

Quote

=> We were in England with the car.

I'd change it to "In England, we travelled by car."

Quote

=> We were by the river.
=> We were at the river.

Both are correct.

[legotrainfan]

Thanks, prateek, for your last replies!

And the "game" goes on:

The waves at Tenerife are very high.
=> Is the preposition correct? If not, what would you say? The waves at the coast of...?

The waves were very high in the storm.
=> Is the preposition OK or would you say "during the storm"?

I didn't like the meal of yesterday.
=> I'd say: I didn't like the meal yesterday (or maybe also "yesterday's meal"). The "of" sounds too strange.

Thanks in advance!

[legotrainfan]

Hey guys, where are your precious answers?  

[Omicron]

legotrainfan, on 16 November 2011 - 09:57 PM, said:

The waves were very high in the storm.
=> Is the preposition OK or would you say "during the storm"?

The waves were very high during the storm.

Quote

I didn't like the meal of yesterday.
=> I'd say: I didn't like the meal yesterday (or maybe also "yesterday's meal"). The "of" sounds too strange.

I didn't like yesterday's meal.

-Omi

[legotrainfan]

Hello, dear native speakers of English!  

A) Triplets can change the LIVES of their parents completely.
B) Triplets can change the LIFE of their parents completely.

Which one do you find better? I'd go for A because parents are two people. That's why I'd use LIVES. However, when you talk about a married couple (or two people who have a relationship), you can also talk about THEIR LIFE together. If you see it from that point of view, B might be OK too.

[DaddyWhale]

legotrainfan, on 29 February 2012 - 03:26 PM, said:

Hello, dear native speakers of English!  

A) Triplets can change the LIVES of their parents completely.
B) Triplets can change the LIFE of their parents completely.

Which one do you find better? I'd go for A because parents are two people. That's why I'd use LIVES. However, when you talk about a married couple (or two people who have a relationship), you can also talk about THEIR LIFE together. If you see it from that point of view, B might be OK too.

I (native American English) speaker would definitely go with A.

[Mr Man]

legotrainfan, on 29 February 2012 - 03:26 PM, said:

Hello, dear native speakers of English!  

A) Triplets can change the LIVES of their parents completely.
B) Triplets can change the LIFE of their parents completely.

Which one do you find better? I'd go for A because parents are two people. That's why I'd use LIVES. However, when you talk about a married couple (or two people who have a relationship), you can also talk about THEIR LIFE together. If you see it from that point of view, B might be OK too.

A is the best one.

[Flipz]

legotrainfan, on 29 February 2012 - 03:26 PM, said:

Hello, dear native speakers of English!  

A) Triplets can change the LIVES of their parents completely.
B) Triplets can change the LIFE of their parents completely.

Which one do you find better? I'd go for A because parents are two people. That's why I'd use LIVES. However, when you talk about a married couple (or two people who have a relationship), you can also talk about THEIR LIFE together. If you see it from that point of view, B might be OK too.

A is correct, though B could possibly be changed to:
"Triplets can change a couple's life completely."
IMO, this is the more natural way to phrase that thought; "a couple's life" is a more natural phrase than "the lives of their parents".

Actually, now that I think of it, the most natural way to phrase that would be:
"Triplets can completely change a couple's life."
I admit, though, that that particular placement of the adverb may be confusing to teach to non-native English speakers; it doesn't follow the normal "formula" for composing a sentence.  Nonetheless, it is the most natural phrasing.  Isn't Engligh awesome?  

[LEGOman273]

legotrainfan, on 29 February 2012 - 03:26 PM, said:

Hello, dear native speakers of English!  

A) Triplets can change the LIVES of their parents completely.
B) Triplets can change the LIFE of their parents completely.

Which one do you find better? I'd go for A because parents are two people. That's why I'd use LIVES. However, when you talk about a married couple (or two people who have a relationship), you can also talk about THEIR LIFE together. If you see it from that point of view, B might be OK too.

A

[legotrainfan]

Thanks for your really quick answers, guys!

Flipz, on 29 February 2012 - 05:34 PM, said:

Isn't English awesome?  

I know how "awesome" it can be. Make one little mistake and you change a sentence's meaning completely. The following two sentences are nothing to which you have to reply. I know the difference. And no, it's not a mistake I myself made once. It just shows how careful you have to be with grammar. It's for your entertainment.

A. Your dog looks like my brother.
B. Your dog looks like my brother's.
=> If you forget the apostrophe and the S, your brother will always hate you for not being good at grammar.  

Edited by legotrainfan, 29 February 2012 - 06:15 PM.

[legotrainfan]

Can you say:

The party was finished at half past three.

Or is the only correct way of saying it:

The party finished at half past three.

The second version is correct. I know that for sure. I'm wondering about "was finished".

[Mr Man]

legotrainfan, on 03 March 2012 - 03:21 PM, said:

Can you say:

The party was finished at half past three.

Or is the only correct way of saying it:

The party finished at half past three.

The second version is correct. I know that for sure. I'm wondering about "was finished".

Change the at in the first one to by, an it'll make more sense.

[legotrainfan]

Thanks, Mr Man!

By the way, I signed up at a language forum to post such matters there, but I find the people here and the way they reply much nicer.


What do you say to the definite article in this sentence:

Every day I clean my teeth with the toothbrush.

The definite article strikes me as odd, but it might be OK. I'm not sure. I'd say:

=> ....with a toothbrush.
=> ....with my toothbrush.
=> ....with the toothbrush I bought one month ago.

Just tell me if the original version is OK or if you would use one of my three versions. Thanks in advance!

[Mr Man]

legotrainfan, on 04 March 2012 - 12:00 PM, said:

Thanks, Mr Man!

By the way, I signed up at a language forum to post such matters there, but I find the people here and the way they reply much nicer.


What do you say to the definite article in this sentence:

Every day I clean my teeth with the toothbrush.

The definite article strikes me as odd, but it might be OK. I'm not sure. I'd say:

=> ....with a toothbrush.
=> ....with my toothbrush.
=> ....with the toothbrush I bought one month ago.

Just tell me if the original version is OK or if you would use one of my three versions. Thanks in advance!

The original is okay, however it sounds a bit stilted, I would use the second alternative (My Toothbrush) .

[Hrw-Amen]

Gosh, I do a lot of this for my friends from abroad correcting English all the time.

'Every day I clean my teeth with the toothbrush.'  I guess that could be correct but we would not actually say it like that.

I would say 'Everyday I clean my teeth with my toothbrush.' Or even, 'I clean my teeth with a toothbrush everyday.'

[Arigomi]

"Every day I brush my teeth with a toothbrush."

Brush is the preferred verb when talking about a toothbrush. Be careful with using teeth and cleaning together. Teeth cleaning is a term that refers to a dentist removing the plaque buildup from your teeth.

Edited by Arigomi, 06 March 2012 - 07:30 AM.

[Rufus]

legotrainfan, on 04 March 2012 - 12:00 PM, said:

What do you say to the definite article in this sentence:

Every day I clean my teeth with the toothbrush.

The definite article strikes me as odd, but it might be OK. I'm not sure. I'd say:

=> ....with a toothbrush.
=> ....with my toothbrush.
=> ....with the toothbrush I bought one month ago.

Just tell me if the original version is OK or if you would use one of my three versions. Thanks in advance!

I agree, using 'the toothbrush', whilst not grammatically incorrect, is odd, and suggests there is something important about the toothbrush (such as, 'I clean my teeth with the Toothbrush of Doom!').

Actually, I wouldn't mention the toothbrush at all.  What else would you clean your teeth with?    Unless, that is, you're drawing attention to using a toothbrush to clean your teeth as a contrast to some other individual who doesn't have that luxury.  But I digress.

Arigomi, on 06 March 2012 - 07:29 AM, said:

"Every day I brush my teeth with a toothbrush."

Brush is the preferred verb when talking about a toothbrush. Be careful with using teeth and cleaning together. Teeth cleaning is a term that refers to a dentist removing the plaque buildup from your teeth.

I disagree.  I clean my teeth every day, and just about everyone I know (in the UK, at least) would happily use that same phrase.

[Hrw-Amen]

Rufus, on 06 March 2012 - 08:52 PM, said:

I agree, using 'the toothbrush', whilst not grammatically incorrect, is odd, and suggests there is something important about the toothbrush (such as, 'I clean my teeth with the Toothbrush of Doom!').

Actually, I wouldn't mention the toothbrush at all.  What else would you clean your teeth with?    Unless, that is, you're drawing attention to using a toothbrush to clean your teeth as a contrast to some other individual who doesn't have that luxury.  But I digress.


I disagree.  I clean my teeth every day, and just about everyone I know (in the UK, at least) would happily use that same phrase.

I have to agree here. To say you brush your teeth with a toothbrush is a bit like saying you to walk whilst walking. On a personal note I would probably not mention the toothbrush as yes, it is kind of obvious that is what you are using. But then again, I am also from the UK also.

As a side issue looking at the overall picture, I was wondering where most of your students target audience are going to be? My wife is from Indonesia and she often tells me that being English I speak in a very formal manner and that I do not speak proper English like they do in America. Whilst I find that really annoying, it may have some impact on what you are teaching your students if they are looking to converse with English speakers in other parts off the world.

[legotrainfan]

Hrw-Amen, on 06 March 2012 - 09:17 PM, said:

I have to agree here. To say you brush your teeth with a toothbrush is a bit like saying you to walk whilst walking. On a personal note I would probably not mention the toothbrush as yes, it is kind of obvious that is what you are using. But then again, I am also from the UK also.

As a side issue looking at the overall picture, I was wondering where most of your students target audience are going to be? My wife is from Indonesia and she often tells me that being English I speak in a very formal manner and that I do not speak proper English like they do in America. Whilst I find that really annoying, it may have some impact on what you are teaching your students if they are looking to converse with English speakers in other parts off the world.

The example sentence with the toothbrush was written by a 12- or 13-year-old girl. My students speak German as their mother tongue. The questions I post here and your answers should help me avoid overcorrection. The correction system I apply requires great precision. I mean it does not matter when I don't spot an error. Lucky students!    But it is bad when you overcorrect and take away a point for something that would be correct.

Sometimes they are asked to write sentences with certain words. So I find out if they can really use those words. Well, some people come up with sentences such as "I clean my teeth with my toothbrush". Of course, when there is no context and only a single sentence, you have to accept it. Unfortunately, they tend to come up with such sentences instead of writing something else like: Yesterday I went into a shop and forgot to buy a new toothbrush. They'd be competent enough to write that, but in testing situations they are nervous, of course.  

In my lessons, they are obliged to use all grammar rules correctly, even though they will later realise that oral English is much more forgiving when it comes to making mistakes. But it's like that in any language. I sometimes hear native speakers of German use grammar incorrectly. And when I speak French, I know I make mistakes, but as long as I am understood and don't have to write, I don't care.  

[legotrainfan]

My whole class said it was a good movie.

Can you say "my whole class said" or should it be "all my classmates said"/"in my class everyone said"?


They said it was the best movie of all time they had seen.

The second half of the sentence sounds a bit weird. I'd say:
=> They said it was the best movie of all time.
=> OR: They said it was the best movie they had ever seen.

[Rufus]

legotrainfan, on 12 March 2012 - 02:40 PM, said:

My whole class said it was a good movie.

Can you say "my whole class said" or should it be "all my classmates said"/"in my class everyone said"?

That sentence is fine as it is.

legotrainfan, on 12 March 2012 - 02:40 PM, said:

They said it was the best movie of all time they had seen.

The second half of the sentence sounds a bit weird. I'd say:
=> They said it was the best movie of all time.
=> OR: They said it was the best movie they had ever seen.

I agree.  Either of your suggestions is better.

[Mr Man]

legotrainfan, on 12 March 2012 - 02:40 PM, said:

My whole class said it was a good movie.

It sounds fine as it is, it makes sense. As for your second query, both of them make sense and would work equally well.


Oh I would say Film not Movie .

[rriggs]

legotrainfan, on 12 March 2012 - 02:40 PM, said:

My whole class said it was a good movie.

While there is nothing wrong with the above, I think that either of the following sounds more natural:

My class said it was a good movie.
OR
The whole class said it was a good movie.

Also, I would say film rather than movie because I speak English and not American...  

legotrainfan, on 03 March 2012 - 03:21 PM, said:

Can you say:

The party was finished at half past three.

Or is the only correct way of saying it:

The party finished at half past three.

The second version is correct. I know that for sure. I'm wondering about "was finished".

Either version is correct - but it depends on the tense of the question:

If the question was "What time was the party finished?" then the first answer is better.

If the question was "What time did the party finish?" then the second answer is better.

Cheers

Rog

Edited by rriggs, 13 March 2012 - 10:49 AM.

[legotrainfan]

Thank you!

[88high]

I know proper English inside and out, being an American. : D