Blog

• 11 March 2010

  FOR vs SINCE

  Hi Mike,

  My mother always says:

  We have been in this house since many years.

  I think this is incorrect grammar but she's my mother and I don't want to offend her by telling her.

  Tommy Doubt

   

  Mike says:

  Your mother is indeed wrong, Tommy.

  When you say SINCE you must put a definite point of time (1994, 17th March, etc.) or a definite time period in the past (eg. last Christmas, the year before last, etc.) 

   

  Use FOR to express a complete period of time (for 3 weeks, a month, 2 days, etc.) 

  Tell her she must say:

  We have been in this house FOR many years

  or

  We have been in this house SINCE 1987 (for example)

  If you love your mother, Tommy, you must tell her the correct form and the sooner the better!!! 

  see details

  

  sent by Dermot McGrath at 23:17h 0 comment

  tags: for,since

• 09 March 2010

  BE THINKING OF vs THINK OF

  If you ARE THINKING OF doING something, an idea about a possible future action is forming in your mind, for ex.

   

  I AM THINKING OF goING to Italy for my holidays next year.

   

  Maybe you will go, maybe you won't, but for the moment the idea is forming in your head.

   

  THINK OF is normally used in a question meaning "what is your opinion of?"

   

  What do you THINK OF the new government?

  What do you think of my new jacket?  

   

  see details

  

  sent by Dermot McGrath at 23:15h 0 comment

  tags: be thinking of,think of

• 08 March 2010

  I PAID THE BEER

  Don't say:

  I paid the beer. It's incorrect.

  You pay FOR an object/item/article or FOR a service in general.

  But when you refer to the person to whom you give the money you mustn't put FOR.

  Look: I paid the waiter FOR the beers

     

  see details

  

  sent by Dermot McGrath at 23:23h 2 comments

  tags: pay,pay for

• 07 March 2010

  A PUB

  is an abbreviation of the expression PUBLIC HOUSE.

  A PUBLIC HOUSE is a premises (an establishment, a place) into which anybody can enter and consume alcohol.

  Of course they have to pay, it's a business. The most famous pub in the world is Murphys' Pub in Salou, Spain.

  So a public house is a .... a PUB!!

  Seeya,

  Tom 

   

   

  see details

  

  sent by Dermot McGrath at 23:07h 0 comment

  tags: pub,public house

• 26 February 2010

  ENROL

  Don't say:

  I matriculated at a language school

   

  Say:

  I ENROLED at a language school

   

  To matriculate means the same as to enrol but nobody uses it except the Pope and maybe a few cardinales

   

  Seeya soon

  Tom

  see details

  

  sent by Tom Red at 18:56h 0 comment

  tags: enrol