Welcome to
ESL Printables, the website where English Language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans,  activities, etc.
Our collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. If you want to download you have to send your own contributions.

 


 

 

 

ESL Forum:

Techniques and methods in Language Teaching

Games, activities and teaching ideas

Grammar and Linguistics

Teaching material

Concerning worksheets

Concerning powerpoints

Concerning online exercises

Make suggestions, report errors

Ask for help

Message board

 

ESL forum > Message board > Need for help    

Need for help



Kadrie
Russian Federation

Need for help
 
We study the differences  in meanings of  both, all, each and their places in the sentences.
I am ashamed to ask you but i don �t know what is the better way to express the following:
 
Ann �s parents are both doctors. or Both Ann �s parents are doctors.
 
Chemistry and physics are both sciences. or Both chemistry and physics are sciences.
 
 

11 Feb 2009      





Zora
Canada

I �d have to say both sound correct to me... pick which ever one you feel more comfortable with.

11 Feb 2009     



kiky
Argentina

Usually, we say � Ann �s parents are both doctors. � Because we need to have a reference before the �both �, that way we know the reference of �both �.

11 Feb 2009     



moscwa
Russian Federation

Hello, Ekaterina.

The second sentences are correct. Word order in the first sentences is characteristic of the Russian language.
You could consult the following editions: "Grammarway" by Jenny Dooley - Virginia Evans ( Express Publishing)
                                       or " English Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy ( Cambridge University Press)
But it seems that this is true in academic sense, that is when you need to fulfil some exercise strictly obeying the rules. Although you can often meet deviations from the rules in oral speech.

11 Feb 2009     



alien boy
Japan

In spoken English both versions of the statements are commonly used.

According to Swan �s �Practical English Usage � (3rd ed) they would both be correct.

" Both means �each of two �.
Both my parents were born in Scotland.
We do not normally use both when the meaning is not �each �."

"Before a noun with a determiner (e.g. the, my, these), both and both of are both possible.
She �s eaten both (of) the chops. Both (of) these oranges are bad.
He lost both (of) his parents when he was a child.

We often drop the or a possessive after both; of is not used in this case.
She �s eaten both chops. (NOT ... both of chops)
He lost both parents when he was a child."

Cheers

11 Feb 2009     



Kadrie
Russian Federation

Thank you for your replies!


11 Feb 2009