I am starting this discussion for those who want to improve their knowledge of grammar. Dear learners! If you have any questions, I'll be glad to answer to them.
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Dear Kieu! That is a good question. Many people do such mistakes. So, let me explain. Most of adverbs can be placed either before (or inside the predicate, it depends on the tenses) or after the complements. In your examples, the second and the third sentenses are correct. The first ones are incorrect in both examples. Let me show you where to place an adverb in different tenses.
Simple. I easily found her house or I found her house easily.
Progressive. He was still thinking what to do. ("still" can be placed only inside the predicate)
He was impatiently waiting for her or He was waiing for her impatiently
Perfect. I have never been there ("never" is used only inside the predicate)
Perfect Progressive. I have already been living here for 2 years (in American "already" is used like that. In British it is used at the end of the sentense)
As you can see, there are some adverbs that we use only inside the predicate. They are: often, usually, generally, seldom, rarely, sometimes, never, ever, just, already, still and maybe a few others.
There are also some adverbs that can be placed only at the end of the sentense. They are: lately, recently, yet. For example:
I have seen him at the exhibition recently.
Besides, if you use the words much, little, a little as adverbs they can be placed only after the complement(s) or after the predicate if there are no complements in the sentense. For example:
He drinks much. (there is no complement in this sentense)
She speaks English a little.("English" is a complement)
Besides, I want to say that there is no need in comas in your examples.
Hope, I've answered your question. Please, feel free to ask any others.
Kieu said:
Hi Tanya, I have just read all the comments of this useful discussion. Especially, I like the way you explain and teach us is very clearly, so could you please explain for me the postion of adverb (how an action was done) below? Sometimes, I have placed the wrong position for it and was confused where to put it correctly.
For Example:
She sang beautifully the song, last night.
She sang the song beautifully, last night.
She beautifully sang the song, last night.
My father repaired carefully the car for me, last sunday.
My father carefully repaired the car for me, last sunday.
My father repair the car carefully for me, last sunday.
I don't know exactly where to place correctly the adverb.
Dear Volkesmom! You haven't made any mistakes. In the sent. 5 you just ommited "from other countries". However, I have to say that in the sent. 4 we can also say "others" (it means that we don't specify those books and just say that these books are not right for him).
Same about sent. 8. In the sents.7 if you say "the others" it means there are limited number of the chairs (like in the room or in the store where you are buying them at the moment). In the general case it is better to say "others".
Thank you so much for your explanation. I understand it better now than before. I would try to answer these questions but I am still not sure if I answer them correctly. Need more practice to understand more.
An exersise.
1. This реn isn't working. Please give me another one.
2. If you are still feeling thirsty, I'll make another pot of coffee.
3. Two cars in the yard are white, the others are of different colors.
4. He doesn't need these books, he needs the others.
5. There are 7 students from Japan, others are from Iran, and the others are from places.
6. The water in the glass is warm. the other in the jug is icy.
7. This armchair is more comfortable than the others .
8. I need not this but another book.
9. Your composition is good. the other ones are much worse .
10. The soup in my plate isn't tasty. I should add some salt to the other in the pot.
Hi! Let me answer your question. As a matter of fact it is really confusing to use those words. Explanations in your book are right but they may be not quite understandable. Let me explain it somehow differently. First of all,the word we use depends on noun (singular, plural, count, non-count). Besides, it depends on the situation. Let's consider three different cases.
1. count singular nouns.
a)we use another if we mean any other object of the set. It means that we have at least three same objects. For example:
She came from another city (there are many cities and we don't spesify what city she is from)
b) we use the other when we mean spesific object, i.e the last one of the set. For example:
I have two friends. One of them is Nick, the other is Jack.
I have 3 children. One of them is in the 3d grade, another is in the 6th, the other is a student.
2) Cout plural nouns.
a) we use others if we mean some part of the set. For example:
Some people in my country speak Russian, others speak Ukrainian (there are also people who speak other languages. I can't use the others in this sentense)
b) we use the others when we mean the rest of the set. For example:
There are 5 people in the room. Two of them speak Ukrainian, the others(the rest 3 people) speak Russian.
3. non-count nouns.
a) we use other meaning the part of the set (not all the rest). For example:
This water is dirty. I need other (some other but clean)
b) we use the other meaning all the rest. For example:
The water in the glass is warm. The other in the jug is icy.
We can use these words as nouns or adjectives. For example:
I don't need this book. I need another. (noun)
I don't need this book. I need another one. (adjective)
These cars are new. The others are old (noun)
There cas are new. The other ones are old (adjective)
Please, pay attention to the endings in the last two examples.
As to the sentense you wrote the right use of the words is:
another, another, another, the other
I hope I've answered your question. If not, I'll try to do it again. I will place an exersise here. Try to do it and I will check it out. Please, feel free asking other questions.
An exersise.
1. This реn isn't working. Please give me .
2. If you are still feeling thirsty, I'll make pot of coffee.
3. Two cars in the yard are white, are of different colors.
4. He doesn't need these books, he needs .
5. There are 7 students from Japan, are from Iran, and are from places.
6. The water in the glass is warm. in the jug is icy.
7. This armchair is more comfortable than .
8. I need not this but book.
9. Your composition is good. ones are much worse.
10. The soup in my plate isn't tasty. I should add some salt to____in the pot.
volkersmom said:
Hi Tanya... I am amazed that you are willing to help us with our English for free. And I love the way you explain things. It's easy to understand your explanation. I have a problem understanding Forms of Other.In my grammar book it says that:
* Form of other are used as either adjectives or pronouns
* The meaning of another : one more in addition to the one (s) already mentioned.
* The meaning of other / others (without the) : several more in addition to the one (s) already mentioned.
* The meaning of the other (s): all that remain from a given number; the rest of a specific group.
I don't really understand how to use them. I am a bit confused. Would you explained to me more about this?
What kind of form of other do we use in these sentences:
1. Look at your hand. You have five fingers. One is your thumb. .................. is your index finger. ..............one is your middle finger. ................finger is your ring finger. And ................finger (the last of the five) is your little finger.
Would you explain to me when do we use other, others, the other, and the others.
Hi Tanya...
I am amazed that you are willing to help us with our English for free. And I love the way you explain things. It's easy to understand your explanation.
I have a problem understanding Forms of Other.
In my grammar book it says that:
* Form of other are used as either adjectives or pronouns
* The meaning of another : one more in addition to the one (s) already mentioned.
* The meaning of other / others (without the) : several more in addition to the one (s) already mentioned.
* The meaning of the other (s): all that remain from a given number; the rest of a specific group.
I don't really understand how to use them. I am a bit confused. Would you explained to me more about this?
What kind of form of other do we use in these sentences:
1. Look at your hand. You have five fingers. One is your thumb. .................. is your index finger. ..............one is your middle finger. ................finger is your ring finger. And ................finger (the last of the five) is your little finger.
Would you explain to me when do we use other, others, the other, and the others.
Let me explain. First of all "I am seeing...." is American. In British the verb "to see" is not used in Progressive Tenses. Besides, we can use both Simple and Progressive Present Tenses to describe the future action. We should use Simple only in the case when we refer to the timetable (or schedule). There may be classes at school or at the university, TV programms, arrivals and departures of different transport like trains, planes, buses. It should be clear that we refer to the timetable. For example:
The train arrives at 10:30 tomorrow.
The movie begins at 8 p.m.
I have English class tomorow.
When we use Simple Present to describe the future action it means that we don't have any doubts as to the schedule.We are 100% sure in the schedule (not action itself).
When we speak about people, we can't be 100% sure if we even speak about ourselves. So, in this case we use Present Progressive which sounds with 98-99% certainty. For example:
I am leaving tomorrow (I am sure, I have a ticket but I am a human being and something may happen. So, I can't be 100% sure, only 99%).
I hope I answered to your questions. Please, feel free to ask more.
As to that book. I don't know it. There are a great many of different grammar books. But some authors can't make themselves clear. That is why I have written my own Grammar book which is based on about 50 sourses plus language experiments I conducted when I lived and tought in the US.
Mir Jalal said:
THANK YOU for answering my previous queries. hope you will also help me this time.
This time the confusion is regarding Present Progressive Tense.
1. In a book* a example has given for Future action using Present Progressive form
"I am seeing Larry on Saturday". why Present Simple has not used, as it is TIMETABLED (Saturday). like "i see Larry on Saturday"?
2. What exactly 'Single Word' do in tenses? it is confusing me because a website mentioned 'tomorrow' and 'next...' as SINGLE WORD of Present Progressive Tense but the same website has given example e.g "What day is it tomorrow?" and a book* given example "Are you on duty next weekend?" for Present Simple Tense (for future action)
* Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, 2nd Edt
Here is my answer. In any expression we can use any person (the first, second, third, singular or plural) but we have to follow other grammar rules. For example;" He promises never to smoke". As to your second question, the answer is "No". If you mean you did something two years ago you should use Past Simple Tense. In the sequence of tenses we often use Present Tenses but only in the case when those actions are related to the present. For example:"Yesterday I met my schoolmate and she said she has a son". She still has it today and I believe her. If I didn't believe her, I should have used The Subjunctive Mood.
Dear Xuan! Here is the text of your comment and my corrections.
Your text:
Thank you for your comment and your help,Tanya.I have an English exam next month.Actually,I feel very disappoint because I have failed last time.But I don't think passing the exam is the reason of learning English.The language is a way to know the other countries' culture.So I hope I can having a good command of a foreign language.I am lenrning some new words lately.But I found that it is hard to remember the words and all the meaning of them.I can't use the phrase well,either.Please help me.Beside,please give me a hand to correct my mistake about this comment ,as the grammar,misprint...Finally,I am so happy to have a friend，a teacher like you!o(∩_∩)o...Thank you ,Tanya.
Here are my corrections:
"disappointed"
"failed". You should use Simple Past Tense if there is a word "last" in the sentense.
"reason for".
I would say:"cultures of other countries".
"can having" is wrong. Besides, " can" is not right in this sentense. You should have written: "I have to (ought to, should) have... ".
"words" is right but it is better to say "vocabulary" if you mean the words you learn.
"find" or " have found". The first option is better if you mean regular process. Besides in this case we usually say:" I find it difficult to...".
"their uses".
I don't really know what you mean by "the phrase". It may be phrasal verbs. In this case the correct sentense is:"I can't (or "don't know how to") use phrasal verbs correctly. On the other hand, you might have ment meanings of some words. In this case you should have written:"I don't know how to use some words correctly" or something like that.
"give me a hand to correct" is wrong. If you are not sure how to use some idiom try to do without it. You could have said:"I would appreciate your correcting my mistakesin...".
"as to grammar". There are two idioms "as to" and "as for". The one we use depends on situation. Besides we don't use any article before the name of sciense.
"misprint" means " an error in printing". I believe, you ment "spelling".
Hope, I have corrected and explained all your mistakes in that comment. You can ask me any questions here. Also, if you need some books, audio or other material, I will gladly send them to you.
Dear Xuan! Here is the text of your comment and my corrections.
Your text:
Thank you for your comment and your help,Tanya.I have an English exam next month.Actually,I feel very disappoint because I have failed last time.But I don't think passing the exam is the reason of learning English.The language is a way to know the other countries' culture.So I hope I can having a good command of a foreign language.I am lenrning some new words lately.But I found that it is hard to remember the words and all the meaning of them.I can't use the phrase well,either.Please help me.Beside,please give me a hand to correct my mistake about this comment ,as the grammar,misprint...Finally,I am so happy to have a friend，a teacher like you!o(∩_∩)o...Thank you ,Tanya.
Replies
Simple. I easily found her house or I found her house easily.
Progressive. He was still thinking what to do. ("still" can be placed only inside the predicate)
He was impatiently waiting for her or He was waiing for her impatiently
Perfect. I have never been there ("never" is used only inside the predicate)
Perfect Progressive. I have already been living here for 2 years (in American "already" is used like that. In British it is used at the end of the sentense)
As you can see, there are some adverbs that we use only inside the predicate. They are:
often, usually, generally, seldom, rarely, sometimes, never, ever, just, already, still and maybe a few others.
There are also some adverbs that can be placed only at the end of the sentense. They are:
lately, recently, yet. For example:
I have seen him at the exhibition recently.
Besides, if you use the words much, little, a little as adverbs they can be placed only after the complement(s) or after the predicate if there are no complements in the sentense. For example:
He drinks much. (there is no complement in this sentense)
She speaks English a little.("English" is a complement)
Besides, I want to say that there is no need in comas in your examples.
Hope, I've answered your question. Please, feel free to ask any others.
Kieu said:
Same about sent. 8. In the sents.7 if you say "the others" it means there are limited number of the chairs (like in the room or in the store where you are buying them at the moment). In the general case it is better to say "others".
Thank you so much for your explanation. I understand it better now than before. I would try to answer these questions but I am still not sure if I answer them correctly. Need more practice to understand more.
An exersise.
1. This реn isn't working. Please give me another one.
2. If you are still feeling thirsty, I'll make another pot of coffee.
3. Two cars in the yard are white, the others are of different colors.
4. He doesn't need these books, he needs the others.
5. There are 7 students from Japan, others are from Iran, and the others are from places.
6. The water in the glass is warm. the other in the jug is icy.
7. This armchair is more comfortable than the others .
8. I need not this but another book.
9. Your composition is good. the other ones are much worse .
10. The soup in my plate isn't tasty. I should add some salt to the other in the pot.
1. count singular nouns.
a)we use another if we mean any other object of the set. It means that we have at least three same objects. For example:
She came from another city (there are many cities and we don't spesify what city she is from)
b) we use the other when we mean spesific object, i.e the last one of the set. For example:
I have two friends. One of them is Nick, the other is Jack.
I have 3 children. One of them is in the 3d grade, another is in the 6th, the other is a student.
2) Cout plural nouns.
a) we use others if we mean some part of the set. For example:
Some people in my country speak Russian, others speak Ukrainian (there are also people who speak other languages. I can't use the others in this sentense)
b) we use the others when we mean the rest of the set. For example:
There are 5 people in the room. Two of them speak Ukrainian, the others(the rest 3 people) speak Russian.
3. non-count nouns.
a) we use other meaning the part of the set (not all the rest). For example:
This water is dirty. I need other (some other but clean)
b) we use the other meaning all the rest. For example:
The water in the glass is warm. The other in the jug is icy.
We can use these words as nouns or adjectives. For example:
I don't need this book. I need another. (noun)
I don't need this book. I need another one. (adjective)
These cars are new. The others are old (noun)
There cas are new. The other ones are old (adjective)
Please, pay attention to the endings in the last two examples.
As to the sentense you wrote the right use of the words is:
another, another, another, the other
I hope I've answered your question. If not, I'll try to do it again. I will place an exersise here. Try to do it and I will check it out. Please, feel free asking other questions.
An exersise.
1. This реn isn't working. Please give me .
2. If you are still feeling thirsty, I'll make pot of coffee.
3. Two cars in the yard are white, are of different colors.
4. He doesn't need these books, he needs .
5. There are 7 students from Japan, are from Iran, and are from places.
6. The water in the glass is warm. in the jug is icy.
7. This armchair is more comfortable than .
8. I need not this but book.
9. Your composition is good. ones are much worse.
10. The soup in my plate isn't tasty. I should add some salt to____in the pot.
volkersmom said:
So much grammar!!!
I am amazed that you are willing to help us with our English for free. And I love the way you explain things. It's easy to understand your explanation.
I have a problem understanding Forms of Other.
In my grammar book it says that:
* Form of other are used as either adjectives or pronouns
* The meaning of another : one more in addition to the one (s) already mentioned.
* The meaning of other / others (without the) : several more in addition to the one (s) already mentioned.
* The meaning of the other (s): all that remain from a given number; the rest of a specific group.
I don't really understand how to use them. I am a bit confused. Would you explained to me more about this?
What kind of form of other do we use in these sentences:
1. Look at your hand. You have five fingers. One is your thumb. .................. is your index finger. ..............one is your middle finger. ................finger is your ring finger. And ................finger (the last of the five) is your little finger.
Would you explain to me when do we use other, others, the other, and the others.
Thank you so much for your help.
The train arrives at 10:30 tomorrow.
The movie begins at 8 p.m.
I have English class tomorow.
When we use Simple Present to describe the future action it means that we don't have any doubts as to the schedule.We are 100% sure in the schedule (not action itself).
When we speak about people, we can't be 100% sure if we even speak about ourselves. So, in this case we use Present Progressive which sounds with 98-99% certainty. For example:
I am leaving tomorrow (I am sure, I have a ticket but I am a human being and something may happen. So, I can't be 100% sure, only 99%).
I hope I answered to your questions. Please, feel free to ask more.
As to that book. I don't know it. There are a great many of different grammar books. But some authors can't make themselves clear. That is why I have written my own Grammar book which is based on about 50 sourses plus language experiments I conducted when I lived and tought in the US.
Mir Jalal said:
Here are my corrections:
"disappointed"
"failed". You should use Simple Past Tense if there is a word "last" in the sentense.
"reason for".
I would say:"cultures of other countries".
"can having" is wrong. Besides, " can" is not right in this sentense. You should have written: "I have to (ought to, should) have... ".
"words" is right but it is better to say "vocabulary" if you mean the words you learn.
"find" or " have found". The first option is better if you mean regular process. Besides in this case we usually say:" I find it difficult to...".
"their uses".
I don't really know what you mean by "the phrase". It may be phrasal verbs. In this case the correct sentense is:"I can't (or "don't know how to") use phrasal verbs correctly. On the other hand, you might have ment meanings of some words. In this case you should have written:"I don't know how to use some words correctly" or something like that.
"give me a hand to correct" is wrong. If you are not sure how to use some idiom try to do without it. You could have said:"I would appreciate your correcting my mistakes in...".
"as to grammar". There are two idioms "as to" and "as for". The one we use depends on situation. Besides we don't use any article before the name of sciense.
"misprint" means " an error in printing". I believe, you ment "spelling".
Hope, I have corrected and explained all your mistakes in that comment. You can ask me any questions here. Also, if you need some books, audio or other material, I will gladly send them to you.
Your text:
Thank you for your comment and your help,Tanya.I have an English exam next month.Actually,I feel very disappoint because I have failed last time.But I don't think passing the exam is the reason of learning English.The language is a way to know the other countries' culture.So I hope I can having a good command of a foreign language.I am lenrning some new words lately.But I found that it is hard to remember the words and all the meaning of them.I can't use the phrase well,either.Please help me.Beside,please give me a hand to correct my mistake about this comment ,as the grammar,misprint...Finally,I am so happy to have a friend，a teacher like you!o(∩_∩)o...Thank you ,Tanya.
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