colloquial effect??

[asad hussain]

Are the following sentences grammatically correct, and is there another way of expressing the same things which gives a much more colloquial effect?

1. My mother is done with kitchen errands.
2. How can you switch on the light, when there is a power failure?
3. I have learnt how to start a car.

[JSmiley]

1. My mother is done with kitchen errands.

::'.done with the kitchen errands.' Otherwise it is likely that mother will never ever do kitchen errands again. As well, I would usually use 'chores' instead of 'errands.' : My mother is done with the kitchen chores.
::for a more colloquial feel: "Mom's done in the kitchen."

2. How can you switch on the light, when there is a power failure?

::You don't want a comma in this sentence; it breaks the flow.
::colloquial: "How do you turn on the lights when the power's down?"

3. I have learnt how to start a car.

::Grammatically this is okay. Any variations would depend heavily on the context in which it was said.

[asad hussain]

Thanks a lot, Jsmiley!!!!