I need a clarification with a phrase.

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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > I need a clarification with a phrase.

I need a clarification with a phrase.

Sunshinenikki

I need a clarification with a phrase.

Hello everyone,

First, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you who wrote nice comments.

And, thank you so much for sharing your nice contributions too.

Now, I would like to ask a question about how to say someone is drinking water in a glass or with a glass.

It seems that I have heard someone said: I drink my coffee with a cup.

I checked in the dictionary and I read an example: I drink water with a glass.

Today, a nice lady sent me a message to let me know of my mistakes that I should correct them with in.

I am so confused!

Is it a difference between American English and British! English?

Thank you in advance for this clarification.

Nikki

23 Mar 2017

lewisronaldc

Your sentences are dealing with the location of the water, so in a glass is correct.

Here is part of an A to Z preposition dictionary I have used for my esl writing and speaking classes for prepositions including in and with. It gives simple definitions and sample sentences or phrases for using them,

1. Place thought of as an area: in London; in Europe

2. Within a location: in the room; in a building; in a cup / glass

3; large units of time: That happened in March, in 1992

4.By means of: write in pencil, speak in English

Note there are 9 definitions of the preposition in in the dictionary

WITH

1. Accompanying: He came with her; I have my keys with me.

2. Having ; containing: Here is a book with a map of an island.

3. By means of; using: I repaired the shoes with glue; I wrote that with a pencil

4. Manner: I did it with ease; with difficulty

Depending on context of sentence and the verb used prepositional use is sometimes confusing.

For your sentence see #2 in IN

Hope this helps

Ron

;

24 Mar 2017

nadino20

We always use the preposition of place in. I drink tea in a mug. I drink juice in a glass. But never use with in this situation.

24 Mar 2017

nadino20

We always use the preposition of place in. I drink tea in a mug. I drink juice in a glass. But never use with in this situation.

24 Mar 2017

douglas

I would use "from": "I drink my tea from a teacup."

An alternative could also be "out of". "I drink my tequila out of a shot glass."

24 Mar 2017

Sunshinenikki

Ron,

I appreciate your time to explain in details both definitions.

It is helpful to understand better the usage of them.

I guess the translation Japanese/English is wrong in the dictionary...

Thank you very much.

Nikki

24 Mar 2017

Sunshinenikki

Thank you all for the explanation.

Nikki

24 Mar 2017

redcamarocruiser

I agree with Douglas. I wouldn �t say I drink my tea in a glass or with a glass, but from or out of a glass.

If I read I drink my tea in a glass, it makes me think that the drinker is inside the glass himself like I drink tea in the kitchen.

If I read I drink tea with a glass, I think the drinker is drinking with a cup as if he would drink with a friend.

Of course, as a reasonable person, I would not accept the literal meaning that those prepositions suggest, and I would know from context that the speaker means he is drinking FROM the glass. But if a student wrote them, I would suggest using FROM.

edit: Bravo Les! See his post below.

24 Mar 2017

yanogator

I agree with Douglas and Mary.

I �ll add that we would say "I take my tea in a mug (beaker in British English, I think), not a cup".

Bruce

24 Mar 2017

Elle81

Most if not all the suggestions above are correct. You can say: 1. I drink tea in a cup. 2. I drink tea out of a cup. 3. I drink tea from a cup. Generally speaking, the word " with" isn �t used in a situation like this.

24 Mar 2017

Elle81

24 Mar 2017

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