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Ask for help > Me again
Me again
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Belusa
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Me again
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Ja my existential doubts crop up because I�m correcting some HW and when I�m in a tight spot, I call out for help:)
One st wrote:
"He was not at all close to me" (meaning they were not close friends, is it ok expressed that way?)
and then he goes on recalling those school days:
"a very happy and past time"
Does it sound English like? Thanks again,I won�t bother for the rest of the day ja ja |
19 Jan 2009
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sarahgriffin
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"He was not at all close to me"
this is fine, he can also say "He was not close to me at all"
"a very happy and past time"
no. "It was a very happy time" is fine, a better way to say it may be "They were very happy times" The fact that the sentence is in the past tense, already lets the reader know this happened in the past, without the need to add �past� into the sentence.
If anyone has any other/better suggestions, please feel free to correct me
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19 Jan 2009
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libertybelle
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He was not at all close to me - is fine,
but usually we write I was not close to him, but it�s still ok.
The next I�m not sure about - I wouldn�t write it that way, I�d write:
a very happy time of days gone by.
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19 Jan 2009
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Zora
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You could also say, "In the past, it was a very happy time."
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19 Jan 2009
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HARIM
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For the first stce,it�s ok
For the second stce,I�d substitute it with "the very happy old days (times)" |
19 Jan 2009
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HARIM
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For the first stce,it�s ok
For the second stce,I�d substitute it with "the very happy old days (times)" |
19 Jan 2009
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BRAHIM S
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Dear all,
If only our students knew how hard they make things for us, having to correct their long essays is often both a pleasure and exhausting......
By the way, do you correct everything, I mean do you suggest improvements yourself or do you just underline what is incorrect....
I personally alternate both techniques, I write down suggestions / corrections when the issue is complex, and leave it to the students to correct it when it�s a minor problem �spelling, final �s� etc)
I have tried also to ask them to correct everything and give it (the essay) back to me for a second correction, bu this process takes much time and energy , I do it only once or twice a year
What do you think??? |
19 Jan 2009
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muger
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Dear friend,
Surely it is correct if he says� he was not at all close to me.� However, this is spoken use of it. If he wrote,� We didn�t have a close relationship.� The meaning would be better. He also talks about the past time,so he could say� we had fun together or we used to have happy days. �� |
19 Jan 2009
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freddie
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Sorry I dont agree with you Muge. He was not at all close to me is correct and has the very clear meaning in written or spoken English of an extreme lack of closeness.
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19 Jan 2009
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malouk
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The first sentence is OK although I would prefer " we were not at all close" or as Libertybelle says "I was not close to him".
AS to the second sentence I think "happy times of the past", "very happy times of days gone by" or even "those good old days (of long ago) " would be preferable.
Hope this helps. |
19 Jan 2009
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alien boy
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Now for my 2 cents... (if anyone�s still reading this)
"He was not at all close to me" is perfectly acceptable. It is British English rather than American & is a way of emphasising that "he" did not have a close relationship with the writer. This could mean they were acquaintances, had no knowledge of each other or even that they were sworn enemies or adversaries. A lot would be dependent upon the context the statement was made in.
"A very happy and past time". This is a little more difficult. In some ways it is completely correct. It emphasises the fact that the happiness occurred at an earlier time but that it has not continued into the present or even the recent past. This is a legitimate past perfect usage as it relates to time. It is not, however, the best way to phrase it in standard English. It may, however, be very effective stylistically depending upon the rest of the written work. The following sentences would be preferable for most native speakers.
"A very happy time, long since passed"
"A very happy time of long ago"
"A very happy time of days gone by"
Cheers,
ab
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20 Jan 2009
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