My friends, today I have decided to tell you about a few sentence patterns as I saw such mistakes made by some upper-intermediate students and it is inadmissible because such sentences are commonly used.
The first pattern is
- It takes (+ indirect object) + time + infinitive
This sentence means a quantity of time usually required for anyone or a particular person to complete a task. We can use the verb in any simple or perfect tense as well as we can use this pattern with some modal auxiliaries. Here are some examples:
It usually takes me about an hour to get to work.
It may take you about 30 min to get there.
It had taken me about 5 min to say a single Russian word before I started practicing the language.
It takes a few seconds to reach the second floor.
The commonly used negative form of this sentence is
- It takes (+ indirect object) + not + time + infinitive
It means that we need less than indicated time to complete the action.
It took me not 5 minutes to go to sleep (I went to sleep after a few minutes).
It takes not 10 minutes to take a quick shower (it may take only 5 min).
We can ask two different questions with this pattern. One of them is “How long..?”, the other is yes/no question:
How long does it usually take you to get to work?
How long may it take me to get to the airport?
Will/May it take (me) long to get there?
The next pattern I’d like to explain is
- It is time (for + indirect object) + infinitive
This expression means that the right time has come for something and we still can do it. Here are a few examples:
It is time for you to go to bed (a child is going to bed).
It is time for us to leave (and we are leaving).
Isn’t it time for you to go to bed? (a child obeys and goes to bed).
We can also use “It is time” with a verb in the simple past form. In this case, it means it is time to do something, but we don’t do it. The pattern of a sentence is
- It is (about/high) time + indirect object + Simple Past
A few examples:
It is time we left (but we are still here).
It is about time you knew how to behave (but you don’t).
It is high time this road was fixed (but it is not).
Well, I wanted to tell you about other patterns, but I think it is enough for today. I will be happy if you practice a little and write your own sentences using these patterns. You will never learn if you don’t practice. Don’t be so lazy!
Comments
It may take me a century to learn English perfectly. (
Thank you, dear Danny, for this great lesson. )
Thanks for understanding, but I can't as I am sitting before my students writing their final test and try to look serious. They still have half an hour to finish it.
Hahaha! I hope you got my humor! Well, we do say, "Would you like to have a cup of coffee?" or "Can I make/propose you a cup of coffee?" if we are at home. But we sip some drink. Every morning I enter EC and start reading your comments sipping my morning coffee. Do you see the difference? That is why "to sip a cup of coffee" sounds really funny.
Hahaha! It is getting more and more interesting! You know I have been collecting such pearls like PANT, DIFFERENT ORIENTATION and others. There is one more in my collection now! Thank you! If you even mean A CUP, I can't sip it as it is solid! Knowing that I am a chemist/physicist you must mean I should change the cup's state of aggregation and transform its material into liquid for me to be able to sip it! Hahaha! Honestly, I can do it but do you think I will survive after sipping such a drink? Well, well! Is it some new way to get rid of me? It is something new as my wife wants to shoot me up, Luci wants to behead me but as a scientist, I prefer your suggestion. You may know that many of us tested our inventions on ourselves! At least, it will be a honorable death! Hahaha!
Hahaha! I am used to explaining mistakes in such a way and I do know students always remember them. It always works better than boring explanations. When my real students want to "invent" some new compound, I always tell them what they are going to invent and it is always funny especially meaning organic. I even show them if it is not dangerous. And I tell you, they remember such lessons after many years.
Sure, I know you meant pants, I just told you what you had said. It is so funny! Just take it easy but remember!
hahaha...it is not a good thing in my culture....Of course I was talking about a husband.
Okay....about the second story..yes I meant pants! Uffff...you are superb in making a mountain out of a molehill!
Bet, here is your corrected text
Yesterday I met one of my school friends in the park near to my residence. She looked stunning in a blue shirt and white pants. But in the very beginning I could not recognize her as she had put on some weight. But when I could, you know what I felt. We talked about many things....and I finally asked her whether she had got married__. She said, ‘No'. I was surprised and could not help asking, ' Why not, it is time you got married?' She seemed a bit annoyed and told me, ' Dear, it is time you knew what you may ask or not, right?'
Ready to answer all your questions.
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next