Search results for 'tag:Definite articles tag:Idioms' matching tags 'Definite articles' and 'Idioms'

Re: Conditional:Auxiliary Commentary Words?

Mister Micawber — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 03:44:18 GMT

.
Thank you. So if the word is specifically referenced to by context, we should use the definite article to indicate specifcity of it like you did with the noun 'power'. Is that right?-- Yes

You wrote this as an introducing part (if that is phrased right) to the examples:
I think they are unaffected, but I think also that the 'would's are incorrect:

I have hard time finding out how to pluralize words like"'would" or 'how are you?"You seemed to have attach an 's' after putting the word "would" in the quotation marks. Is it how it should be done? --Yes. I used single quote marks; double marks are more formally correct.

How about this? I think they are unaffected, but I think also that the "would's" are incorrect-- No

How about these?

I think that the '"do's and don'ts" are inappropriate to the situation.-- Yes. Do's and don'ts is an idiom. (Notice that for clarity we do not use a second apostrophe in "don't's")
I think that the "good morning's" are inappropriate.-- No
I think his "how are you's" are inappropriate. -- No. His "how are you"s are inappropriate. I don't think we need the "?".

Looking for some tips and/or curriculum suggestions

mikesusangray — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:50:11 GMT

Hi all!

I've been giving English conversation lessons to a theology professor for about a year now. He's getting on in the years - a couple years from retirement - and his primary goal has been just to get his spoken English going a little stronger. His mother tongue is French but he's been teaching at a German language university for many years.

I'd like to add some more specific inputs to our lessons but I can't seem to find the right material. His passive skills are excellent - he reads widely and with perfect comprehension in his field - and he can communicate quite understandably. He is a linguistics specialist and can grasp any concept about the language immediately. I brought along Cambridge Advanced Grammar in Use and he could plow through a chapter in five minutes with perfect conceptual comprehension.

However, he also continues to make very simple errors - for example, he has trouble choosing between present simple and continuous or often uses the present tense for past events. Sentence order tends to get wander hither and yon while definite and indefinite articles come and go with the tide. (Prepositions are a problem too, but I won't beat him to hard there - prepositions are difficult in any new language.) In many cases his mistakes are typical of French or German speech patterns.

One other limitation is that he enjoys the weekly lessons (a good hour), but doesn't have much time to study in between.

Right now we spend about 15 minutes reading a chapter from Advanced Grammar in Use and about 45 minutes talking about just about anything under the sun, while I take notes and show him problems under the categories Pronunciation/Articles & Prespositions/Word Order/Other Grammar/Vocabulary/Idioms. However, I don't think the work book is a good choice - particularly since he doesn't do the homework - and it seems like he isn't making very good progress with his typical problem patterns - though he greets them like old friends when I point them out.

Any tips here?

Re: articles giving me a headache again

Mister Micawber — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 02:42:28 GMT

As stated, 'come into view' is the expected idiom. However, it seems to me that #2 is odd primarily because of the indefinite article; 'the ocean came into our view' would work much better.

Re: the same/take note

Cool Breeze — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:27:22 GMT

Here's what I would say:

We are going to stay in/at a nice hotel, just like famous actors.
I wouldn't use the same as here at all. I might say: We stayed at the same hotel as famous actors. You have an indefinite article in the main clause, though.

I am interested in learning foreign languages and so/thus/therefore/consequently I am considering your offer.
I consider your idiom wrong in this sentence.

You had better do something to your hair so I can look at you when we meet.

CB

Re: indefinite article with proper name

Cool Breeze — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:41:24 GMT

Hi Muttley

Unfortunately there are a myriad cases involving proper nouns with adjectival attributes and the indefinite article. You'll just have to learn them piecemeal. As you said in your first post, a/an is often used with a person's name:

We met a sad George yesterday.

The indefinite article is usually not used with place names in similar cases:

We arrived in fascinating Amsterdam yesterday.

To my mind, the use of the articles in general is the most difficult single aspect of English grammar because very often there is absolutely no logic to it and there are thousands, if not tens of thousands of idioms with or without an article. Just be patient and don't lose heart when you realise the absence of logic and order.

CB

Re: in mid-air/in the air

Bokeh — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 10:05:10 GMT

Feebs11 wrote:
Grammatically, "mid-air" is an idiom that does not require an article. What has this to do with hummingbirds and cold air?

Cold air also does not take the definite article which proves that not taking the article has nothing to do with being an idiom. Mid-air, cold air, etc is a description, not a unique, define thing, hence it does not take the definite article.

These Boots Are Made For Walkin

XilefNori — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 09:49:51 GMT

Great song by Nancy Sinatra! Still makes me somewhat confusin...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Included only for reference (no need to read the whole song)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You keep saying you've got something for me.
something you call love, but confess.
You've been a messin' where you shouldn't have been a messin'
and now someone else is gettin' all your best.

These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do
one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.

You keep lying, when you oughta be truthin'
and you keep losin' when you oughta not bet.
You keep samin' when you oughta be a changin'.
Now what's right is right, but you ain't been right yet.

These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do
one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.

You keep playin' where you shouldn't be a playin
and you keep thinkin' that youÂ´ll never get burnt.
Ha!
I just found me a brand new box of matches yeah
and what he knows you ain't HAD time to learn.

These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do
one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Actually I understand the whole song.

You've been a messin - Have been doing something
oughta be truthin - You should say truth
keep samin - being the same
shouldn't be a playin - should not play
oughta be a changin - you should change
oughta not bet - you shouldn't bet on something

What is confusing about it is that these are not idioms which are more or less rational.

(by the way, I think I expressed my self clear, but maybe not formally right. I would be greateful if
someone writes the right version of this sentence)

It's more like to be some kind of slang or something. E.g. "keep samin" this is defenitely not an idiom. Ok not defenitely, but according to dictionary.com (http://www.reference.com/search?q=keep%20samin&r=d&db=web).

You've been a messin (What indefinite article 'a' is doing here?)
oughta be truthin - (What 'in' is about?)
keep samin - (What is that, I mean how do we get it?)
shouldn't be a playin - (What indefinite article 'a' is doing here?)
oughta be a changin - (What indefinite article 'a' is doing here?)
oughta not bet - (I guess "oughta" means ought to?)

The main question is: How I'm supposed to figure out what such phrases mean?
(to my own surprise I coped with those above)

P.S. Hope you've got enough patience to read my post and still willing to help me! ;-)
Thank you in advance!

Re: What's the difference between A and B?

Anonymous — Fri, 04 May 2007 12:34:34 GMT

Lady Maude Duff wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

What's the difference between A and B?

A: The students became aware of importance of working hard.

B: The students became aware of the importance of working hard.

I think they are much the same, so tell me about the nuances of them.
Of course, grammatical explanation is more welcome.

I see very much, but I wonder how I can understand the following 2 samples I found after searching by Google. Please explain why in sentence C, "an importance" is used, and why in sentence D, "importance" is used.

C: In the era of declining forests, global climate changes, continuing expansion of industrialization with our increased population, an importance of green properties such as biodegradability and favorable CO2 balance grows with the ...

D: The rise in importance of fair trade coffee has clearly come about as a result of the perceived environmental and social impact of coffee as a global commodity.

I think it's possible to use "an importance of ---" when we state that something new is important.
Am I right?

Hello Anonymous,

B is the correct sentence. It is necessary to place the definite article before importance.

What did the students become aware of? The importance of working hard.

Sometimes, in idioms for example, the article is omitted. e.g. "Chance would be a fine thing."

Hope this helps.

LMD

Re: What's the difference between A and B? I see very much, but ---

Anonymous — Fri, 04 May 2007 12:26:33 GMT

Lady Maude Duff wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

What's the difference between A and B?

A: The students became aware of importance of working hard.

B: The students became aware of the importance of working hard.

I think they are much the same, so tell me about the nuances of them.
Of course, grammatical explanation is more welcome.

Hello Anonymous,

B is the correct sentence. It is necessary to place the definite article before importance.

What did the students become aware of? The importance of working hard.

Sometimes, in idioms for example, the article is omitted. e.g. "Chance would be a fine thing."

Hope this helps.

LMD

---I see very much, but I wonder how I can understand the following 2 samples I found after searching by Google. Please explain why in sentence C, "an importance" is used, and why in sentence D, "importance" is used.

C: In the era of declining forests, global climate changes, continuing expansion of industrialization with our increased population, an importance of green properties such as biodegradability and favorable CO2 balance grows with the ...

D: The rise in importance of fair trade coffee has clearly come about as a result of the perceived environmental and social impact of coffee as a global commodity.

I think it's possible to use "an importance of ---" when we state that something new is important.
Am I right?

Re: What's the difference between A and B? I see very much, but ------

Anonymous — Fri, 04 May 2007 12:23:26 GMT

Lady Maude Duff wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

What's the difference between A and B?

A: The students became aware of importance of working hard.

B: The students became aware of the importance of working hard.

I think they are much the same, so tell me about the nuances of them.
Of course, grammatical explanation is more welcome.

Hello Anonymous,

B is the correct sentence. It is necessary to place the definite article before importance.

What did the students become aware of? The importance of working hard.

Sometimes, in idioms for example, the article is omitted. e.g. "Chance would be a fine thing."

Hope this helps.

LMDI see very much, but

-----I see very much, but I wonder how I can understand the following 2 samples I found after searching by Google. Please explain why in sentence C, "an importance" is used, and why in sentence D, "importance" is used.

C: In the era of declining forests, global climate changes, continuing expansion of industrialization with our increased population, an importance of green properties such as biodegradability and favorable CO2 balance grows with the ...

D: The rise in importance of fair trade coffee has clearly come about as a result of the perceived environmental and social impact of coffee as a global commodity.

I think it's possible to use "an importance of ---" when we state that something new is important.
Am I right?