Question from non-native speaker that stumped

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pjrydo

#504390 Wed, 23 Apr 08 04:05 PM

My friend is Chinese and is learning English. In conversation she asked me which of these were correct:

'In three hours, I don't know what I should do'

'In three hours, I don't know what should I do'

She was asking me what she should do with herself for three hours while she waits for someone, so I think staright away she should substitute 'in' for 'for'.

Neither of them sound correct to me and embarrasingly I couldn't tell her which (if any) was correct. Could someone please check over them and;

a) tell me if either or indeed both are correct or not, and;

b) explain to me why they are correct/incorrect.

I have a feeling that the latter of the two would constitue informal, lazy grammar use in everyday speech but am not too sure?!?

pjrydo

Joined on Mon, Apr 21 2008

New Member (13)

Conversations, Grammar, Learning English

Aperisic

#504411 Wed, 23 Apr 08 04:42 PM

'In three hours, I don't know what should I do' incorrect grammar, unless there is a special reason within the style but it does not apply here

'In three hours, I don't know what I should do'
is correct but the meaning is

"After three hours pass, I don't know what I should do."

It sounds very strange to place "in (or for) three hours" at the beginning. It sounds better at the end of the sentence.

I don't know what I should do for three hours.

Should is not the best choice. Three hours is long time. The speaker cannot decide about his action or if there is an appropriate action at all. Should is used better if you have several options but you can't make a choice, or if you know you probably have an obligation but cannot recognize it at the moment.

I don't know what I'm going to do for three hours.
I don't know what I'm going to do for the next three hours.

is probably the most precise.

Aperisic

Joined on Fri, Jul 21 2006

Full Member (409)

Grammar

Yankee

#504416 Wed, 23 Apr 08 04:57 PM

Hi pjyrdo

Here are my comments:

1. The word order is not the most natural. The time aspect is more typical at the end: "I don't know what I should do for three hours."

2. 'In three hours' is frequently used to refer to a point in time that is three hours from now. (e.g. I'll see you in three hours.) Your friend should use 'for' instead of 'in' because 'for' is typically used to talk about duration of time. Using 'in' will easily lead to misinterpretation. (e.g. "I don't know what I should do three hours from now.")

3. "I don't know what I should do" is correct. That is an indirect question. However, indirect questions generally do not use interrogative word order. The word order should be the same as in an affirmative sentence. Your friend should be able to find this in any grammar book.

Yankee

Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006

Connecticut, USA

Senior Member (4,008)

Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

Affirmative sentences, Direct questions, Grammar, Indirect questions, Word order

Philip

#504417 Wed, 23 Apr 08 04:58 PM

I have a feeling that the intent of the question is: I don't know what I should do between now and three hours from now, during the next three hours.

Philip

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

USA Pacific Northwest (Seattle)

Veteran Member (5,576)

If one will scoff at the study of language, how, save in terms of language, will one scoff? - Mario Pei

Goodman

#504435 Wed, 23 Apr 08 05:59 PM

<<>> She was asking me what she should do with herself for three hours while she waits for someone. Scenario: she drove an hour to the airport to pick up someone and due to a snow storm, the arrival flight was hung up for 3 hours. She didn't want to drive home, only to come back a couple of hours later. Based on this context, the answer was already in the sentence, "with".
I don't know what I should do with the next 3 hours while waiting ...just my 2 cents.