[Grammar] how to express 'every year, at this time'?

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Heidi

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Dear teachers,
If I want to express the idea 'every year, at this time', how should I say? "at this time of year"? "at this time of the year"? or "at this time of the years"?
For example, 'at this time of year(?), we'd like to make New Year's resolutions'.

Thank you!
 

sarat_106

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Dear teachers,
If I want to express the idea 'every year, at this time', how should I say? "at this time of year"? "at this time of the year"? or "at this time of the years"?
For example, 'at this time of year(?), we'd like to make New Year's resolutions'.

Thank you!
Use ‘the’ before year. You say: the best film of the year, the man of the year. this time of the year. the resolition at this time of the year.
 

Heidi

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Use ‘the’ before year. You say: the best film of the year, the man of the year. this time of the year. the resolition at this time of the year.
Dear sarat,
Is it possible that 'this time of the year' means 'this time of this year', not every year?
 

Raymott

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Dear sarat,
Is it possible that 'this time of the year' means 'this time of this year', not every year?
Generally not.
Your sentence: 'At this time of year, we'd like to make New Year's resolutions' is not really a good sentence because "we'd like to" obviously refers only to this (or next) year, while the expression "at this time of [the] year" generally means every year.

I'm always excited at this time of year.
We generally make resolutions at this time of year.
 

Heidi

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Generally not.
Your sentence: 'At this time of year, we'd like to make New Year's resolutions' is not really a good sentence because "we'd like to" obviously refers only to this (or next) year, while the expression "at this time of [the] year" generally means every year.

I'm always excited at this time of year.
We generally make resolutions at this time of year.
Dear Raymott,
Thanks for your reply.
1. Does 'we'd like to' mean 'we want to'?
2. Would you please explain why "because "we'd like to" obviously refers only to this (or next) year", and give me some more examples? Thanks!
3. Similarly, 'the best film of the year' means 'the best film for many years'?
 

Raymott

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Dear Raymott,
Thanks for your reply.
1. Does 'we'd like to' mean 'we want to'?
It means "We would like to ..." Yes, it means something similar to "We want to ..."

2. Would you please explain why "because "we'd like to" obviously refers only to this (or next) year", and give me some more examples? Thanks!
"We'd like to ..." can't refer to the past, so it must refer to this year, or some year in the future. You can't say "We'd like to make resolutions last year" or "We want to make resolutions last year".


3. Similarly, 'the best film of the year' means 'the best film for many years'?
No, that expression means this year.
You were asking about "this time of [the] year", which is different.
R.
 

Heidi

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the expression "at this time of [the] year" generally means every year
Dear Raymott,
So,'this time of [the] year' means 'this time of this year and years in the future'? But not 'this time of years in the past'?

Hope I didn't bother you too much!:lol:
 

Heidi

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Dear Raymott,
So,'this time of [the] year' means 'this time of this year and years in the future'? But not 'this time of years in the past'?

Hope I didn't bother you too much!:lol:
Dear raymott,
I think my question wasn't very good. Lst me try in another way, does 'We would make New Year's resolutions at this time of year' mean ' it's our habit in the past that we generally made New Year's resolutions at this of year'?
 

Raymott

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Dear Raymott,
So,'this time of [the] year' means 'this time of this year and years in the future'?
No.
But not 'this time of years in the past'?
No, "this time of the year" refers to all years.
That is the phrase you were asking about.

I said you can't use the term "We would like to ..." to refer to the past. This has nothing to do with the phrase "this time of year".
R.
 

Raymott

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Dear raymott,
I think my question wasn't very good. Lst me try in another way, does 'We would make New Year's resolutions at this time of year' mean ' it's our habit in the past that we generally made New Year's resolutions at this of year'?
Yes, but bear in mind that you have now asked three different questions, and the answers are all different.
Your original example was:
1. "We'd like to make resolutions ..." This one reads:
2. "We would make resolutions ..."

1. refers to the present and future.
2. refers to the past.

Neither of these terms has any bearing on the use of "this time of [the] year".
 

Heidi

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Yes, but bear in mind that you have now asked three different questions, and the answers are all different.
Your original example was:
1. "We'd like to make resolutions ..." This one reads:
2. "We would make resolutions ..."

1. refers to the present and future.
2. refers to the past.

Neither of these terms has any bearing on the use of "this time of [the] year".
Dear Raymott,
Sorry I wasn't able to express my questions clearly (because of my poor English). Please allow me to ask one more question. (if 'this time of year' refers to the New Year's holidays)
Which one of the following two sentences makes sense?
1. We like to talk about our New Year's resolutions at this time of year.
2. We'd like to talk about our New Year's resolutions at this time of year.

Thanks!
 

Raymott

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Dear Raymott,
Sorry I wasn't able to express my questions clearly (because of my poor English). Please allow me to ask one more question.
Sure, ask as many as you like!

(if 'this time of year' refers to the New Year's holidays)
Which one of the following two sentences makes sense?
1. We like to talk about our New Year's resolutions at this time of year.
This one does. "We like to ..." is simple present tense, used here to mean an unvarying fact that applies to all years.

2. We'd like to talk about our New Year's resolutions at this time of year.
This one doesn't really. It could be grammatical, but no one would say it. The reason is this: it combines an expression that refers only to the present/future ("We would like to ...") with one that applies to all years, including habitually, the past ("at this time of the year").

Thanks!
R.
 

joham

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It seems that 'at this time of year' is much more common:

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms:
At this time of year barrels of apples go begging.

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Idioms:
We always do a land-office business at this time of year.
It’s like fighting snakes to get anything done at this time of year.
We are usually pushed for money at this time of year.
The scarcity of fresh vegetables at this time of year puts broccoli at a premium.
You are supposed to set your clock forward at this time of year.

At this time of the year, fresh vegetables go into short supply.
 

BobK

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Going back to this one :
...
[Heidi] 2. We'd like to talk about our New Year's resolutions at this time of year.
[Raymott] This one doesn't really. It could be grammatical, but no one would say it. The reason is this: it combines an expression that refers only to the present/future ("We would like to ...") with one that applies to all years, including habitually, the past ("at this time of the year")....

I agree that it doesn't make sense. But I think it might occur in careless speech. The speaker starts off by saying 'we'd like to', and then the thought gets derailed, explaining the wish by referring to a time of year. It ends up as a conflated way of saying
1 We would like to....
2 This is an appropriate wish because:
...2a People have similar wishes every year at this time

b
 
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