AboutAnne Benington Expertise I can answer questions about English grammar, style, usage. I can also help a writer assess the development of an essay, its unity, concrete support of topics, introductions and conclusions. In addition, I can discuss "writing the research paper" in all aspects of its development. Finally, I can assist in development of creative writing assignments. I will not totally proofread and correct a paper, but I will point out areas of concern and ways a writer can discover weaknesses and how to correct them.
Experience 20 years teaching high school English including 10 years teaching AP English literature; four years teaching college composition
Education/Credentials BS St. Mary of the Woods College, Indiana
MA University of Notre Dame, Indiana
Post graduate work: University of Michigan, University of Pittsburg
Awards and Honors Crystal Apple Outstanding Teacher of the Year award--1995--Awarded yearly to four teachers in all schools, public, private and parochial, in the Middletown, Edgewood, Madison school dictricts, Ohio. Archdiocese of Cincinnati Innovative Teaching Award 1996. Teacher of the Year Award, Fenwick High School, Middletown, OH, 2002,
Can I use the phrase "at the time" OR "at that time" (I guess they mean the same) to refer to the future?
For example:If I won't be able to do it at that time, then I will try something different.
Also,is it OK to say: I always expect them (homeworks) being done on time.
Do I have to use : to be done on time? Is "being" incorrect?
Last:
a) So, which similar term could I use in the context of my sentence?
b) So, which similar term I could use in the context of my sentence?
Should it be: could I OR I could???
Thanks
ANSWER: Hello Luke,
You should say, "At the time, I was so busy with work that I could not enjoy the theater." This usually means over a longer period of time.
"If I won't be able to do it at that time, I will try something different." This means a specific period of time.
We would say, "I always expect homework to be done on time." Or, with a pronoun, we would say, "I always expect it to do done on time." We do not use the word "homeworks".
"A" is correct: "So, which similar term could I use in the context of my sentence?" The phrase is "could I".
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: HI
There is no "homeworks". You do not use this word in the plural form??? I was always sure that it is correct to say "You always have to do your homeworks!"
I thought that the last sentence was an indirect question and that's why it should be "I could". I thought that "So" at the beginning turns it into an indirect question?
Thanks
Answer Hi Luke,
No, in American English we never say "homeworks". "Homework" is a collective noun that covers all the assignments one must do in relation to a class.
For the last sentence, we always invert the pronoun and verb in a question. We would never say, "So, which similar term I could use in the context....". Using "so" does not change the rule.
