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Hello hawa100
In informal situations,normally object forms are used after 'than' and 'as' (e.g. 'She is smarter than him').
Subject forms are more common in formal situations (e.g. sentences 1 and 2). When subject forms are used, a verb often follows them (as in 2).
The subject and object forms of the possessive pronoun 'mine' are identical. Sentence 3 is therefore correct and appropriate in both formal and informal situations.
Sentences 4 and 6 do not make sense because you are comparing a job with a person.
Sentence 5 is not correct because 'as' is not used after a comparison with 'more'. You could say either 'Your job is as difficult as mine' or 'Your job is more difficult than mine', but you cannot mix these two kinds of comparison.
Thank you sir once again for the help.
I am still confused between the two:
In front of people.
And
Before people.
Could you please detail a little bit the both for me with examples ?
You can say both things. As Peter says, 'before' is probably better because it is often used to say that something happens in the presence of people. But you can use both of them and they describe a situation in which a person is talking and there are other people in front of her. It's not clear whether she is talking to those people or if they happen to be in the same general location as her.
For example, perhaps she is a politician explaining her campaign to a news reporter, but there are other people listening. She is not exactly speaking to those people, but they are there and hear her.
I would probably say this another way, depending on what I meant, but it is correct.
Hi sir!
Thank you very much for the quick response. I am sorry. My question was about the physical position.
When it comes to that, when to use in front of and before?
Example:
So which of the following sentence is correct?
Thank you for giving me opportunity to comment on this topic before you.
Or
Thank you for giving me opportunity to comment on this topic in front of you.
Both in front of and before can be used to describe location. However, before carries a sense of 'in the presence of' as well as the physical location, and so fits this context rather better, I would say.
Hi Sir!
I would like to know If it's correct to say in front of people or before people.
Which of the two sentences is correct?
She was giving her opinion before people.
She was giving her opinion in front of people.
The most common preposition here is 'to': 'She was explaining her opinion to people'. 'before' and 'in front of' suggest that it's her physical position that is important instead of her communication with those people.
Hi
Recently, I was reading a one act play in which there were two characters, an old man and a boy of fourteen. The old man says to the boy that young kids come here to steal apples, but he (the boy) is not so young.
What does the old man mean, the kids coming there to steal apples are younger than this boy or older?
I'm afraid it's difficult for me to say, as I haven't read the play. It's not clear to me, for example, whether the old man is including the boy he's speaking to in the category of 'young kids' or not. Some old people will call any child a 'young kid' since they are so much older than the young people.
Hi Sir,
I am learning Cambridge Dictionary for Noun section ,
there are major class of Noun are " Common Noun, Proper Noun, Concrete Noun & Abstract Noun". Sir I gotta know that what About Collective Noun,Count Noun & Uncounted Noun? is they are class of Noun also ?
I would suggest our pages on count nouns and uncount nouns for those two. Collective nouns are words like 'team' or 'family' that refers to a group of people or things.
hi Sir,
In below sentences there are written as Monday through Thursday. I didn't make it sense why the writer says it like that.. I have read this in news paper.
"e-sports is part of the athletics department. Team members have access to athletic trainers and are put through light fitness training. Players attend practice Monday through Thursday, from 4:30 to 9 p.m., with an hour break for dinner."
Hi Sir,
I'm working in a corporate school as a English teacher for grad 5th to 7th. There are grammar books for academic curriculum; at the title of those books are written as English grammar skill book. At my student life I have learn the book in school was English Grammar and composition book. Sir please let me know whats the difference between the "composition book & skill books" ?
The titles of books are determined by publishers and by whatever traditions exist in a particular place, as it's important to meet the expectations of students and parents. In a British context, 'composition' refers only to writing, while 'skills' would describe all four language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Hi
I think 'had' is the correct option. The sentence is in the reported speech, with a past tense reporting verb, 'said'. As such the reported part too should have a past tense verb.
Sir,
A Student belongs to a university distinguish me about IT & Software Engineering like that way; " IT guys does the developing work while the
Software Engineers does the programming job"
I could make sense with it why did she use " while" in this sentence.
In this sentence, 'while' means 'but', which is one of several meanings of this word (if you follow the link, you'll see the definition and examples for this meaning, but if you move up and down the page you will see the others). Please note that in this sentence, the verb should be 'do' instead of 'does', since 'IT guys' and 'software sngineers' are plural subjects.
Sir,
In school time I have read different kinds of noun like,abstract noun,materials noun & other. but I haven't found such kind of noun here.
Please let me know the purpose. thank you.
Our grammar covers what its author (Dave Willis) thought were the most essential points learners need to become proficient speakers. It is not a comprehensive grammar -- a complete grammar of English would be very large and would not really fulfil the purpose of our site.
The meanings of 'while' and 'during' are very similar. Both describe the time within an ongoing activity or state. The difference is that each is followed by a different form.
After 'while' we need a clause with a subject and a verb, or else a present participle (-ing form):
Hello
In the direct speech, if the statement is: She said, "Our brother has left", what "our" will be changed into in the indirect reporting? Will it be "their brother..." or "her brother...? Please also explain the reason therefor.
Thanks
If the person reporting is a brother or sister then they can still use 'our'. If the person is not a brother or sister of the person who left then 'their' would be the best choice, since 'our' tells us that there are at least three brothers and sisters in the original group. 'Her' would be grammatically correct and would only tell the listener about the speaker and the brother's relationship, not that there are more of them.
I'm afraid we don't provide answers for tasks from elsewhere. We're happy to explain our own tasks and answer questions about the language as best as we can, but we don't provide help with tests or homework from elsewhere, or exercises someone else has written.
Thanks for reply I just needed help,because I am a non-native speaker of English ...I only teach English as a second language and I think there is no correct answer among the choices.
Sir,
I want to know when we use the word
'Any' with Singular countable noun
and when with plural countable noun.
It's a little confusing for me while
writing.
I don't have any problem. (any with singular countable noun)
Do you have any chocolates ? (any with plural countable noun)
why is that so that both noun 'Problem and Chocolate are countable still one with any is in singular form while other in plural ?
It is unusual to use 'any' with singular count nouns, but it does happen when the noun has a general meaning. There is some debate whether this is actually a case of the singular count noun being used as a synonym of a non-count noun (any problem as a synonym for any trouble, for example, or any idea as a synonym for any notion).
You can find a discussion of the topic on this page.
Hello,
Which case of pronoun should I use after preposition?
For example :
No one but him / he was present in the meeting.
Which pronoun shall I use?
Regards
Sir, The idea is to tell one that things are possible but Everything is not possible or Not everything is possible.
Which one is right 'Everything is not possible or Not everything is possible' ?
If both are right, is there a difference between these two ?
I'm not sure about the metaphysical side of this question, but 'Not everything is possible' is what I would say. There is nothing grammatically incorrect with the other phrase, but it's not one that people use in speaking or writing. It would also have a different meaning -- it would mean something like 'Everything is impossible' (whereas the other one says that some things are possible and some are not).
Hello Sir
Please let me know Whether it is all right to write this sentence without a comma or a
comma is a must before 'but'
e.g. I went to the supermarket to buy vegetables, but I couldn't not buy them.
The second sentence is: I went to the supermarket to to buy vegetables but could not buy them. Is the second sentence correct without a comma.?
Please let me know.
Thank you.
Regards
Lal
This really depends on the particular style that a writer follows, but in general in British English I believe the comma is used less often than in American English. Some say that the general rule is that a comma can precede 'but' when 'but' is connecting two independent clauses, e.g. see this BBC page, but not everyone agrees about this. You can find lots of opinions about this by doing an internet search for 'comma before but'.
Is it correct to omit pronouns and say : Today I woke up at 6.00a.m., ran with my dog for an hour, returned to my house, fed my dog, had breakfast, took a shower and practiced my English?
Yes, it is, especially in informal speaking and writing. This is called ellipsis, which you can read a little more about by following the link if you're interested.
I have a problem with negation .
Do we say : he isn't a fool or he is no fool ?
It's no secret that..or its not a secret that ..?
What's the difference ? When to use each ?
Surely we often use the present simple for habits . but what about the future simple with ( will ) I read it can also be used to describe habits . so what's the diffrrence ?
We use the present simple to describe habitual behaviour, as you say. 'Will' can be used to describe the behaviour which we expect. It is a form of prediction about the present. For example:
He goes to the shop every morning. [habitual behaviour]
He'll go to the shop every morning. [this is what I expect based on what I know]
Hello hawa100
In informal situations,normally object forms are used after 'than' and 'as' (e.g. 'She is smarter than him').
Subject forms are more common in formal situations (e.g. sentences 1 and 2). When subject forms are used, a verb often follows them (as in 2).
The subject and object forms of the possessive pronoun 'mine' are identical. Sentence 3 is therefore correct and appropriate in both formal and informal situations.
Sentences 4 and 6 do not make sense because you are comparing a job with a person.
Sentence 5 is not correct because 'as' is not used after a comparison with 'more'. You could say either 'Your job is as difficult as mine' or 'Your job is more difficult than mine', but you cannot mix these two kinds of comparison.
Hope that clears it up for you.
Best wishes
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello hawa100
You can say both things. As Peter says, 'before' is probably better because it is often used to say that something happens in the presence of people. But you can use both of them and they describe a situation in which a person is talking and there are other people in front of her. It's not clear whether she is talking to those people or if they happen to be in the same general location as her.
For example, perhaps she is a politician explaining her campaign to a news reporter, but there are other people listening. She is not exactly speaking to those people, but they are there and hear her.
I would probably say this another way, depending on what I meant, but it is correct.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello hawa100,
Both in front of and before can be used to describe location. However, before carries a sense of 'in the presence of' as well as the physical location, and so fits this context rather better, I would say.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello hawa100
The most common preposition here is 'to': 'She was explaining her opinion to people'. 'before' and 'in front of' suggest that it's her physical position that is important instead of her communication with those people.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Adya's
I'm afraid it's difficult for me to say, as I haven't read the play. It's not clear to me, for example, whether the old man is including the boy he's speaking to in the category of 'young kids' or not. Some old people will call any child a 'young kid' since they are so much older than the young people.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Imran 26,
I would suggest our pages on count nouns and uncount nouns for those two. Collective nouns are words like 'team' or 'family' that refers to a group of people or things.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Imran 26,
'Monday through Thursday' means Monday and all the days between it and Thursday, i.e. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Imran 26,
The titles of books are determined by publishers and by whatever traditions exist in a particular place, as it's important to meet the expectations of students and parents. In a British context, 'composition' refers only to writing, while 'skills' would describe all four language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Imran,
In this sentence, 'while' means 'but', which is one of several meanings of this word (if you follow the link, you'll see the definition and examples for this meaning, but if you move up and down the page you will see the others). Please note that in this sentence, the verb should be 'do' instead of 'does', since 'IT guys' and 'software sngineers' are plural subjects.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Imran,
Our grammar covers what its author (Dave Willis) thought were the most essential points learners need to become proficient speakers. It is not a comprehensive grammar -- a complete grammar of English would be very large and would not really fulfil the purpose of our site.
The Wikipedia and Cambridge Dictionary websites are good places to begin checking some topics such as the ones you mention. For example, the Wikipedia Noun page has a section on abstract and concrete nouns and the Cambridge Dictionary page on Nouns also explains this to some degree.
If you have any specific questions about a particular point, please let us know.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Imran26,
The meanings of 'while' and 'during' are very similar. Both describe the time within an ongoing activity or state. The difference is that each is followed by a different form.
After 'while' we need a clause with a subject and a verb, or else a present participle (-ing form):
After 'during' we need a noun:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Adya's,
If the person reporting is a brother or sister then they can still use 'our'. If the person is not a brother or sister of the person who left then 'their' would be the best choice, since 'our' tells us that there are at least three brothers and sisters in the original group. 'Her' would be grammatically correct and would only tell the listener about the speaker and the brother's relationship, not that there are more of them.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello magdy,
I'm afraid we don't provide answers for tasks from elsewhere. We're happy to explain our own tasks and answer questions about the language as best as we can, but we don't provide help with tests or homework from elsewhere, or exercises someone else has written.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Imran 26,
There is no correct order for this. I suggest you choose whichever seems most useful or interesting to you.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Imran,
Usually native speakers say 'two plus two equals four' or 'two and two make four'.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello SonuKumar,
It is unusual to use 'any' with singular count nouns, but it does happen when the noun has a general meaning. There is some debate whether this is actually a case of the singular count noun being used as a synonym of a non-count noun (any problem as a synonym for any trouble, for example, or any idea as a synonym for any notion).
You can find a discussion of the topic on this page.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello amol,
We use an object pronoun after a preposition, so the correct phrase would be 'no-one but him...'
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi SonuKumar,
I'm not sure about the metaphysical side of this question, but 'Not everything is possible' is what I would say. There is nothing grammatically incorrect with the other phrase, but it's not one that people use in speaking or writing. It would also have a different meaning -- it would mean something like 'Everything is impossible' (whereas the other one says that some things are possible and some are not).
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Lal,
This really depends on the particular style that a writer follows, but in general in British English I believe the comma is used less often than in American English. Some say that the general rule is that a comma can precede 'but' when 'but' is connecting two independent clauses, e.g. see this BBC page, but not everyone agrees about this. You can find lots of opinions about this by doing an internet search for 'comma before but'.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi David,
Yes, it is, especially in informal speaking and writing. This is called ellipsis, which you can read a little more about by following the link if you're interested.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello uchiha itache,
Both forms are correct. The only difference is that the form with 'no' is rather stronger in a rhetorical sense, I would say.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello uchiha itache,
We use the present simple to describe habitual behaviour, as you say. 'Will' can be used to describe the behaviour which we expect. It is a form of prediction about the present. For example:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team