S simon1234 Member Joined Jun 8, 2010 Member Type Student or Learner Native Language Vietnamese Home Country Vietnam Current Location Vietnam Nov 5, 2010 #1 Hi there, Is it correct to say: John talked with Mary on the phone Mary: What are you doing now? John: I am going to swim with Peter now. tks simon
Hi there, Is it correct to say: John talked with Mary on the phone Mary: What are you doing now? John: I am going to swim with Peter now. tks simon
5jj Moderator Staff member Joined Oct 14, 2010 Member Type English Teacher Native Language British English Home Country Czech Republic Current Location Czech Republic Nov 5, 2010 #2 simon1234 said: Hi there, Is it correct to say: John talked with Mary on the phone Mary: What are you doing now? John: I am going to swim with Peter now. tks simon Click to expand... Yes, although I would say 'talked to Mary' - mere personal preference. John is not answering Mary's question exactly, but in telling her what he is on the point of doing, he is delivering an effective response. If we get in to the area of implicatures, your telephone dialogue can be interpreted as: Mary: Are you free now? John: No. Another personal preference; I would probably answer the question in one of these ways: I am just going to go swimming .. I am about to go swimming .. I am just off swimming .. When speaking of the leisure activity, it is more usual to go swimming thanto swim. Note that I wrote more usual, not more correct.
simon1234 said: Hi there, Is it correct to say: John talked with Mary on the phone Mary: What are you doing now? John: I am going to swim with Peter now. tks simon Click to expand... Yes, although I would say 'talked to Mary' - mere personal preference. John is not answering Mary's question exactly, but in telling her what he is on the point of doing, he is delivering an effective response. If we get in to the area of implicatures, your telephone dialogue can be interpreted as: Mary: Are you free now? John: No. Another personal preference; I would probably answer the question in one of these ways: I am just going to go swimming .. I am about to go swimming .. I am just off swimming .. When speaking of the leisure activity, it is more usual to go swimming thanto swim. Note that I wrote more usual, not more correct.