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Ivan Demchenko
Question about articles
Sometimes I find strange sentences. For instance, like that (sorry for that dummy dialog)
1M: I want to prepare dinner. Have you washed the dishes yet?
2D: I washed the dishes yesterday, but I haven't had the time yet to do it today.
3M: Have you already done your homework?
4D: No, I have just come home from school.
5M: You came home from school two hours ago!
6D: Well, but my friend Lucy called when I arrived and I have just finished the phone call.
7M: Didn't you see Lucy at school in the morning?
8D: Yes, but we didn't have time to talk then.
So why in 2D we have "...had the time..." and in 8D just "have time"?
Why in 5D "...come home from school..." but not "...come home from the school..."?
I've got that dialog from here http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-preper/exercises
Jun 11, 2013 6:20 AM
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Answers · 1
This is how I would rewrite the sentences to clarify the meaning:
"I haven't had the time (that would be needed to do that)..."
"We didn't have (any) time to talk then."
"Come home from school" means you returned from studying at school. "Come home from the school" means you simply left the building and came home. The missing article implies the action at the place, same as "go to school", "go to church" and "be in hospital".
June 11, 2013
