chenyincheng  +  913302 Tue, 22 Sep 09 06:21 PM Hi guys,   If I were in a game in which participants compete to run, do I say "I was in a race." or "I was at the races."?   I saw this dialogue in this EFL text book that I'm using to teach my students. There is an illustration which depicts the characters from the text book were competing to run. And in the dialogue, one of the characters said: We are at the races...... I am the first... He is the second...   I thought we say "in a race" instead of "at the races" in a situation like this, and "at the races" when we're in a place to watch horse races. I doubled checked with my dictionary and it also says "the races" means "an occasion when horse races are held". So what is this all about??   Thanks chenyincheng Joined on Wed, May 20 2009 Taiwan New Member 18 Difference Between, Prepositions, Students

	RayH  +  913367 Tue, 22 Sep 09 07:27 PM Some thoughts about your questions. I guess "the races" is best thought of as a competition involving animals or cars. A race involving people as competitors is normally called a "track meet." Still, given a specific context you might call an event involving people "a race." In general if you are competing you would say "I was in a race," if you are a spectator you would say "I was at a race." I don't think I would ever say of a track meet that I had attended "the races." "the races" can be any racing event not involving people as competitors (horses, dogs, cars, etc.) the context will tell you which. RayH Joined on Sat, Mar 22 2008 Contributing Member 1,555 Native speaker of U. S. English. Not a grammar expert. Context

	nona the brit  +  913606 Tue, 22 Sep 09 10:59 PM I am the first; I am the second - these are also incorrect. They shouldn't have 'the'.   I think you need a different textbook. nona the brit Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004 England Veteran Member 11,713 The name says it all.

	chenyincheng  +  917157 Sat, 26 Sep 09 03:31 AM Thanks for your answers. So the textbook is definitely wrong then? chenyincheng