I have two doubts about English grammar...

[FromBrazil]

Good evening!
My first name is Everaldo,
I am a Brazilian school teacher, 35 years old, and I have been never abroad.
As you know, we speak Portuguese language in Brazil.
However, my two doubts are about English grammar, of course.
Could you please clear me such doubts below ?

First doubt: When I say or write, I WORK DOWNTOWN, why don't I put any preposition before downtown ? I.e., why must not I use on or on the or in or in the, or at, before downtown, like this: I work ON downtown ???

My second one: When must I use the word or preposition UPON ? In what situations ?

Thank you very much if you can help me!!!
Thanks alot for your atention!!!
Everaldo
Brazil
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[engee30]

First doubt: When I say or write, I WORK DOWNTOWN, why don't I put any preposition before downtown ? I.e., why must not I use on or on the or in or in the, or at, before downtown, like this: I work ON downtown ???
Because downtown is an adverb.

My second one: When must I use the word or preposition UPON ? In what situations ?
Whenever it is needed, especially with prepositional phrases like depend on, alternatively depend upon.

[Barb_D]

I'm sorry, but I use downtown as an adjective - our store in the downtown district is performing better than the ones in the suburbs.

And I use it as a noun: We're going downtown.

There are just some places that don't take the preposition: I'm going home, I work downtown, I'm going upstate.

EDIT: Come to think of it, "upstate" there is an adverb. So I will have to think of another place that doesn't take the preposition besides "home" and "downtown."

[beaverbeaver]

it's one of those things again in english.....

I keep bumping into these relative things about grammar and words, what if you're in a test and you have that downtown question ? will the teacher sees it as adj or adverb ?




Beavercanal Land English Community

[engee30]

will the teacher sees it as adj or adverb ?

It's an adjective, an adverb, and even a noun, but in the initial sentence, I work downtown, it's the adverb.

(on the phone)
I can't see you now, Mike. I'm downtown working. (adverb)
If you thought it a noun there, it would actually say that you are something like or called a downtown, which couldn't be true!

I work in the heart of downtown. (noun)

I used to work in a downtown tourist information centre. (adjective)