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 Fri May 23, 2008 17:16 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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| Fri May 23, 2008 17:58 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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| Fri May 23, 2008 18:40 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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| Fri May 23, 2008 21:30 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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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English |
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Yankee
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| Sat May 24, 2008 0:05 am 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.
| Quote: | | => 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.
| Quote: | | 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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| Sun May 25, 2008 15:45 pm with or without "the"? |
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| Quote: | | Nigerian English is irrelevant, by the way, because, like Arabic speakers, many Nigerians have problems with appropriate article usage (especially the indefinite article, but also the definite article) when they speak or write in English. (You're not really from Nigeria anyway, so you wouldn't exactly be the one to be talking about Nigerian English.) |
In my country 'Articles' are considered to be the most difficult Grammar topic.
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Inga
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| Mean vs think | Be-to infinitive (why used here) |
... something we never have again, I know... I guess I really really know..