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 #32 (permalink) Fri May 23, 2008 16:16 pm with or without "the"? |
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| Molly wrote: |
| in future (US USUALLY in the future) MAINLY UK |
"Mainly UK" means that it's used by only a minority of native English speakers. That makes it a sort of local slang. |
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Jamie (K)
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| #33 (permalink) Fri May 23, 2008 16:58 pm with or without "the"? |
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| Jamie (K) wrote: |
| Molly wrote: |
| in future (US USUALLY in the future) MAINLY UK |
"Mainly UK" means that it's used by only a minority of native English speakers. That makes it a sort of local slang. |
LOL! Well, one can't blame you for trying, Jamie.
I wonder how this "MAINLY UK" compares with '"Don't do it again in future," is a grammatically incorrect, Chinglish-sounding sentence. It absolutely must be, "Don't do it again in the future." There's no question about it." in the minds of most ESL students and teachers and in the minds of most lexicographers. Why don't you ask 'em?
And, would you say MAINLY UK only means "mainly used in the UK" or can it also mean "mainly used in, or stemming from, the UK". There're a lot of UK folks living around the world, Jamie. Lots of ESL and ex-ESL students have also studied in the UK or have been taught by expat-UK teachers. Hard to tell how large the spread of "in future" is really.
So, do you still think it is grammatically incorrect? |
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Molly
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Molly
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| #35 (permalink) Fri May 23, 2008 17:40 pm with or without "the"? |
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Hic, too much argument now. I'm getting dumb.
Let's get back to our original matter:
1/ If "in future" is all right in formal British English, then the sentence "Experts believe that IN NEAR FUTURE the problems that prevent us from exploiting fully the food, minerals, and energy sources of the sea will be largely solved" is also correct, isn't it?
2/ If I could speak Spanish, I would spend the next year studying in Mexico
=> I hope somebody could give me some more clarification on this. I still think "spend next year" is more ok here. I've made a search in the BNC but found only a few results for both syntax. And I don't think "next year" without "the" can't be considered a noun (as Haihao said). Please have a look at these:
Next year will be the year of the buffalo.
Besides, I do agree with Molly about her explanation for the use of "the" here:
(From Molly:
I wouldn't advise "the" there if the meaning is "the year after this one".
If, speaking in December 2008 for example, it means "if I could speak Spanish well by next December (Dec. 2009), I would spend the next year (2010) studying in Mexico", the the article is OK)
May I know your idea, please?
Many thanks
Nessie
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 Nessie
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| #36 (permalink) Fri May 23, 2008 20:30 pm with or without "the"? |
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| nessie wrote: |
Hic, too much argument now. I'm getting dumb.
Let's get back to our original matter:
1/ If "in future" is all right in formal British English, then the sentence "Experts believe that IN NEAR FUTURE the problems that prevent us from exploiting fully the food, minerals, and energy sources of the sea will be largely solved" is also correct, isn't it? |
No, Nessie!
You should use 'in the near future'. I don't think there is any difference between AmE and BE in this case.
.
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Yankee
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| #37 (permalink) Fri May 23, 2008 23:05 pm with or without "the"? |
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| Quote: |
| 1/ If "in future" is all right in formal British English, then the sentence "Experts believe that IN NEAR FUTURE the problems that prevent us from exploiting fully the food, minerals, and energy sources of the sea will be largely solved" is also correct, isn't it? |
Do you think that "Experts believe that FROM NEAR NOW ON the problems that prevent us from exploiting fully the food, minerals, and energy sources of the sea will be largely solved" is the same as your IN NEAR FUTURE? "In future" is a fixed-form (meaning "from now on"). It cannot be split.
"In the near future" again expresses a time separated from the present. That is not the same as "in future" (from NOW on), which expresses a time connected to the present and moving forward.
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| => I hope somebody could give me some more clarification on this. I still think "spend next year" is more ok here |
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Yes, it is. See my post above.
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| Besides, I do agree with Molly about her explanation for the use of "the" here: |
Ah, you saw it. O.K. |
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Molly
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| #38 (permalink) Thu May 07, 2009 18:57 pm in the future vs. in future (with or without the) |
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Up until this discussion I was not aware of the difference between 'in future' and 'in the future'. Lately, I have been listening to Paul McKenna who is British but created an audio course for the US market and he constantly says 'in future'. I wonder how his American audience reacts to this. Will they think he speaks English as a second language?
TOEIC listening, question-response: You still have my business card, don't you? |
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Torsten
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| #39 (permalink) Thu May 07, 2009 20:19 pm in the future vs. in future (with or without the) |
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I wasn't aware of the difference either, Torsten. My guess is that what Americans think of Paul McKenna saying "in future" will depend on the individual. Many of them might not notice it. A few might notice it and think, "Oh, that must be how the British say it!" and maybe even imitate it, upon which their fellow Americans will assume they don't know grammar, or maybe have picked up a bad habit from their Polish grandparents. Others might notice it and think, "Well, motivational speakers usually don't have good English skills," and ignore it. They'd react to it the same way they do to a Robert Kiyosaki book that's full of typos.
I had never heard of Paul McKenna before reading your post. |
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Jamie (K)
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| #40 (permalink) Thu May 07, 2009 20:25 pm in the future vs. in future (with or without the) |
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Hi Jamie, as Alanis Morrisette says or rather sings, 'you live you learn' ;-).
TOEIC listening, talks: Announcing the closure of a newspaper |
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Torsten
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| usage of 'Has' in this sentence | Indirect Speech - 'there was' |
