[Grammar] Yesterday or today morning

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Madness1

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There is this sentence: "I didn't see Steve yesterday or today morning."
Context: A friend of mine asks me if I have seen Steve lately. My friend didn't see him yesterday at all, and also haven't seen him today in the morning. My friend asks me if I have seen him at all lately. He/she asks me that at noon or in the afternoon, whichever. I want to say that I didn't see him either yesterday for the whole day or today in the morning, just like my friend.
In order to convey that, is it okay to respond with "I didn't see Steve yesterday or today morning"? Is there any problem with grammar here? Any ambiguities at all?
I don't think there is anything wrong with the sentence but I would like to see what you think about it.
 

emsr2d2

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[STRIKE]There[/STRIKE] Here is [STRIKE]this[/STRIKE] a sentence: "I didn't see Steve yesterday or [STRIKE]today[/STRIKE] this morning."

Context: A friend of mine asks me if I have seen Steve lately. My friend didn't see him at all yesterday, [STRIKE]at all, and also haven't seen him today in the[/STRIKE] or this morning. My friend asks me if I have seen him at all lately. He/she asks me [STRIKE]that[/STRIKE] this at noon or in the afternoon, whichever. I want to say that I didn't see him [STRIKE]either[/STRIKE] all day yesterday [STRIKE]for the whole day or today in the[/STRIKE] or this morning, just like my friend.

In order to convey that, is it okay to respond with "I didn't see Steve yesterday or [STRIKE]today[/STRIKE] this morning"? Is there any problem with grammar here? Are there any ambiguities at all?
I don't think there is anything wrong with the sentence but I would like to see what you think about it.

You need to learn to use "this morning" when talking about the morning of the day on which you are speaking. We don't use "today morning" at all.
 

Madness1

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You need to learn to use "this morning" when talking about the morning of the day on which you are speaking. We don't use "today morning" at all.
I know it's "this morning", but it is strange to me that you wouldn't use "today morning" at all. I am fairly certain that I have heard people say "today/yesterday/tomorrow/Friday morning" before, and as such I was convinced that you can say both "today/this morning". Are you saying that we can't actually say it? Or is it just considered incorrect or informal?

Also, the reason my original sentence is not "I didn't see Steve yesterday or this morning" is because it is ambiguous: I think it could be misunderstood that I am only talking about yesterday morning when I really mean all day yesterday and this morning (or today morning).

And what about these: "I didn't see Steve all day yesterday or this morning", or "I didn't see Steve at all yesterday or this morning".
 

probus

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The only place you might hear "today morning" is the Indian subcontinent.
 

Madness1

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The only place you might hear "today morning" is the Indian subcontinent.
Trust me when I say that people in the UK say such things as well.
 

GoesStation

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Trust me when I say that people in the UK say such things as well.
There are a lot of people from the Indian subcontinent in the UK. Native speakers of international English never say "today morning".
 

jutfrank

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Trust me when I say that people in the UK say such things as well.

No, they certainly don't. It may be that you've heard non-native speakers say it, but not native speakers. Don't use today morning—it's completety wrong..

Also, the reason my original sentence is not "I didn't see Steve yesterday or this morning" is because it is ambiguous: I think it could be misunderstood that I am only talking about yesterday morning when I really mean all day yesterday and this morning (or today morning).

Don't worry about this. It is vanishingly unlikely that you would be misunderstood by anyone.
 

emsr2d2

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Regardless of what you might have heard, the following are not used in the variants of English that we teach on this forum:

Today morning
Today afternoon
Today evening
Today night
Yesterday night

To refer to the day on which you are speaking, we use "this".

We use "last night" to refer to the night (or evening) of yesterday. We don't say "last evening/afternoon/morning".

You can use a day of the week with any time of day:
Friday morning
Friday afternoon
Friday evening
Friday night
 

probus

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Last evening is occasionally heard in Canada too.
 

GoesStation

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Last evening is occasionally heard in Canada too.
I think some Americans use it, too. It doesn't sound particularly odd to me, anyway.
 

jutfrank

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I believe 'last evening' is used in some parts of the UK.

Really? I don't mean to dispute this but I can say that I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that. Do you know which parts?
 

emsr2d2

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Of course, "last evening" can be used if "last" means "ultimate".

It's our last evening here.
What did you do on the last evening of your holiday?

If referring to the evening before a day that's already more than a day ago at the time of speaking, we use "the previous evening".

Last Wednesday, I got my hair cut. The previous evening, my friend had told me I looked like I'd been dragged through a hedge backwards so I knew it was time!
 

jutfrank

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I understood that Piscean and probus and GoesStation were all talking about last evening specifically to mean 'last night'. As in 'the evening of yesterday'. No?
 

GoesStation

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I understood that Piscean and probus and GoesStation were all talking about last evening specifically to mean 'last night'. As in 'the evening of yesterday'. No?
Correct.
 

emsr2d2

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I understood that Piscean and probus and GoesStation were all talking about last evening specifically to mean 'last night'. As in 'the evening of yesterday'. No?

I realised that. I just wanted to make sure the OP understood that the words "last" and "evening" can be used together, just in a different context from the one discussed in this thread. I thought my original response might make it sound as if "last evening" could never appear in a sentence.
 

Charlie Bernstein

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I know it's "this morning", but it is strange to me that you wouldn't use "today morning" at all. . . .

It shouldn't be strange. English is as idiomatic as most languages. There are ways we say things and ways we don't.

I have never heard "today morning" until this thread. Never.


And what about these?: "I didn't see Steve all day yesterday or this morning", or "I didn't see Steve at all yesterday or this morning".

Those are good.
Now you know!
 

Madness1

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Thanks for your responses. I could have sworn it was on British TV that I've heard a native English speaker uttering "today morning", but oh well. Maybe a regional thing?
As a matter of fact, a lot of people in the UK use idioms from across the pond or other parts of the world. I think it has something to do with the Internet and TV. The point is, I have heard people who I believe are native speakers use phrases which I had been told are not used in the UK. This is where problems like the one in the first post come from: I hear native speakers say all sorts of things, I start saying them myself, and then eventually someone else corrects me because what I have said is apparently not standard or British :oops:

Regardless of what you might have heard, the following are not used in the variants of English that we teach on this forum:

Today morning
Today afternoon
Today evening
Today night
Yesterday night

To refer to the day on which you are speaking, we use "this".

We use "last night" to refer to the night (or evening) of yesterday. We don't say "last evening/afternoon/morning".

You can use a day of the week with any time of day:
Friday morning
Friday afternoon
Friday evening
Friday night

Most of the things you have explained to me here - "last night" rather than "last/yesterday evening", "tonight" rather than "today evening/night", etc - I already know. "Last night" is the previous evening, or yesterday in the evening. "Tonight" is this evening, or today in the evening. All that I know.

I also know that "last morning/afternoon/evening" is possible in certain contexts, for instance: "on the last evening of my trip", "on the last afternoon of the year", "the last morning of her life", and so on.

Don't worry about this. It is vanishingly unlikely that you would be misunderstood by anyone.

In speech - probably not. In writing - more likely. I have been taught that it is good style to avoid ambiguities such as these just for clarity, but if you say to not worry about this :) I will just take your word for it.
 

Charlie Bernstein

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Thanks for your responses. I could have sworn it was on British TV that I've heard a native English speaker uttering "today morning",

Maybe it was Tuesday morning.


but oh well. Maybe a regional thing?

I've never heard it.


As a matter of fact, a lot of people in the UK use idioms from across the pond or other parts of the world.

Of course. I don't think today morning is one of them.


I think it has something to do with the Internet and TV. The point is, I have heard people who I believe are native speakers use phrases which I had been told are not used in the UK. This is where problems like the one in the first post come from: I hear native speakers say all sorts of things, I start saying them myself, and then eventually someone else corrects me because what I have said is apparently not standard or British.

Live and learn!


Most of the things you have explained to me here - "last night" rather than "last/yesterday evening", "tonight" rather than "today evening/night", etc - I already know. "Last night" is the previous evening, or yesterday in the evening.

Yesterday evening is more natural than yesterday in the evening. But last night is most likely.

"Tonight" is this evening, or today in the evening.

Today in the evening is wrong. Day isn't evening. Use tonight or this evening.


All that I know.

I also know that "last morning/afternoon/evening" is possible in certain contexts, for instance: "on the last evening of my trip", "on the last afternoon of the year", "the last morning of her life", and so on.

In speech - probably not. In writing - more likely. I have been taught that it is good style to avoid ambiguities such as these just for clarity, but if you say to not worry about this :) I will just take your word for it.
Stick with it. You're doing fine!
 
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