again, a set of nagging questions...

[forum_mail]

Hello there!

1. Is there any dofference between "I have a few questions to ask" and "I've got a few questions to ask" ?

2. Why is future perfect tense used in the following sentence? Just think, this time next month I will have been working here for 10 years. I would rather say "will be working" since there's a specific time given... like in this one "I hope I will be sitting on a sun-drenched beach in Italy this time tomorrow

3. Is "although" used here correctly? Joe's parents wanted him to be a doctor, although he wanted to learn to write plays The key says "but" instead of "although"

4. Can I use "despite" instead of "in spite of" in this sentence? "In spite of drinking six cups of black coffee I just couldn't stay awake Why/why not?

5. Is this sentence correct, or maybe there's something wrong with it... ? "Paul was in the hospital. I would say that "the" is unnecessary but I don't know why...

6. Why "are working harder" instead of simply saying "work harder" in The new imaging technique shows the parts of the brain which are working harder...

7. Shouldn't there be a comma after "listen" in Others were asked only to listen without doing anything. ?

thanks, take care!

[aous02]

1) I think both are the same.
2) We use the future perfect to show that something would be completed by a certain time in future.
Eg: By next june, i'll have finished my exam revision.
3) Although is used correctly
4) absolutely you can use "despite".
5) "the" is used when you expect the reader to identify the noun because it has been previously mentioned or because it's clear in the context where it occured.
7) there should be no comma between the verb and a prepostion.
I went, to school

[MrPedantic]

Hello FM,

1. Is there any dofference between "I have a few questions to ask" and "I've got a few questions to ask" ?

— In BrE, "I've got" sounds slightly more emphatic and forceful than "I have".

2. Why is future perfect tense used in the following sentence? Just think, this time next month I will have been working here for 10 years. I would rather say "will be working" since there's a specific time given... like in this one "I hope I will be sitting on a sun-drenched beach in Italy this time tomorrow

— In a month's time, the speaker will think "I have been working here for 10 years": it's a present perfect.

But that point is in the future. So we want to express "the present perfect in the future".

So you say "will have".

3. Is "although" used here correctly? Joe's parents wanted him to be a doctor, although he wanted to learn to write plays The key says "but" instead of "although".

— Yes, "although" is fine. "But" presents a contrast; "although" presents a concession.

4. Can I use "despite" instead of "in spite of" in this sentence? "In spite of drinking six cups of black coffee I just couldn't stay awake Why/why not?

— Sounds ok to me. The whole phrase "drinking six cups of black coffee" is the object of "in spite of"/"despite".

5. Is this sentence correct, or maybe there's something wrong with it... ? "Paul was in the hospital. I would say that "the" is unnecessary but I don't know why...

— In BrE, "the" is fine, if "the hospital" relates to a particular hospital. "In hospital" is also fine, if it relates to the state of being in hospital.

6. Why "are working harder" instead of simply saying "work harder" in The new imaging technique shows the parts of the brain which are working harder...

— The present progressive suggests "the parts of the brain which are working harder (while the technique is being applied)". The simple present suggests "the parts of the brain which work harder (in general)". So the present progressive puts more focus on the action as it happens.

7. Shouldn't there be a comma after "listen" in Others were asked only to listen without doing anything. ?

— It would change the meaning slightly: with the comma, they were invited to "listen"; without the comma, they were invited to "listen without doing anything".

All the best,

MrP

[aous02]

Thank you MRpedantic
I liked the 6th and the 7th.....they are precise
T
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A
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S, INDEED.