Search from various English teachers...
Rémy Beijing
English Grammar 101

Hello everyone

 

In one of my previous threads, where I raised questions on different accents of English, I have also had an interesting discussion with Su.Ki. on the grammar.  Su.Ki helped explain the use of the continuous tense. Please refer to http://www.italki.com/discussion/83400 for details.

 

And the grammar topic seems hotter than the accent. Therefore, I've decided to post a new thread exclusively on the grammar so that each of my threads with have a different feature.

 

Please share with me all your questions and thoughts on the grammar.  Let us learn it together!

 

I am quoting what Su.Ki wrote about the future contiuous tense in that thread as follows:

 

1.Project manager: Sorry to tell you this, but the tiles for the roof aren't going to arrive till next week.

Builder: Ok, right, so in that case, we'll paint the front of the house tomorrow, paint the back on Friday, and we'll leave the roof for next week.


2.Project manager: I've booked the gardening contractors to come and plant some trees in front of the house tomorrow. Is that OK with you?

Builder: Hmm, that's a bit awkward. We'll be painting the front of the house tomorrow.


In #1 he uses the future simple, because he's making a decision about the overall schedule. In #2 he's imagining the scenario the following day and thinking about the activity they'll be engaged in - hence the use of the future continuous. There is no suggestion in the second conversation that they'll finish the job tomorrow.

 

 

Comments · 31

2

'At the movies' is a set phrase originating in the USA and dating from the era when to watch a movie you had to go out to a 'movie theater'.  'The movies' was seen as a place to go or be, hence the preposition 'at'. We would say 'at the movies' in the same way as we'd say 'at the theatre' or 'at the opera'.  Even today, in American English, you would talk about 'going to the movies', which is the equivalent of the British 'going to the cinema'.  'Movies' is still considered as if it were a location. This is different from 'on TV', which is equivalent to 'on the screen' or 'on video' 'on youtube' and so on.

 

By the way, your English Grammar 101 thread is a great idea. I hope that plenty of teachers and learners will take part.

 

1

And as for the prepositions, yes, for specific places you would say

at the movies

at the cinema

at the the theatre

and if you refer to the medium, you say:

on TV

on the radio

on the internet

on DVD

on youtube

on BBC2  and so on.

 

As for your sentence about the monster,  though, 'in' would be the best preposition.  

I saw a terrible monster in a movie last week.

 

The monster was 'in' an scene, and the scene was 'in' the movie. 

 

 

0

thanks, su.ki.!!

0

Take a look at this: http://www.englishpage.com/minitutorials/subjunctive.html

0

Hi Su.Ki. 

thank you so much for your reply. it's clear now!

could you please give me more rules for using the subjunctive mood?

 

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!

Start Learning Today