a slumber party

[pamir]

From Sleepless in Seattle:

JONAH

"Jed is having a slumber party New Year's Eve and he invited me."

1. What kind of party is that?
2. Why "on" is omitted in front of New Year's Eve?

Thanks very much!

 

[RonBee]

A slumber party is a get together also known as a sleepover. Kids get together and they play games or whatever and they stay the night.

The "on" is not needed.

A: What are you doing Friday?
B: I have a date Friday.

A: Some of us are getting together New Year's Eve. Want to come?
B: I can't make it then. What are you doing New Year's Day?

8)

 

[pamir]

Thanks Ronbee for many of your replies!

I remember "on" should always be used in such cases.
Is it also correct to say "I have a date on Friday"?

I wonder if it is a new trend to have "on" ommitted here or English
has been being spoken like this all along.

Pls also correct what I wrote here. Many thanks!

 

[al125106]

I tend to agree with Pamir that omitting the conjunction "on" as explained by RonBee sound strange. But that was the reality in the usage of English. Take a look at the sentence below which was excerpted from The New York Times. There was no conjunction in front of Tuesday.

"President Bush made a direct appeal Tuesday to new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to clamp down on terror attacks against Israel while also reassuring Abbas that the United States still intends to help create a Palestinian state in 2005."

 

[valtango]

From Sleepless in Seattle:

JONAH

"Jed is having a slumber party New Year's Eve and he invited me."

1. What kind of party is that?
2. Why "on" is omitted in front of New Year's Eve?

Thanks very much!

I think both are ok, to use "on" or to omit it, I thnk it comes down to personal choce of what you feel is right.

 

[RonBee]

Thanks Ronbee for many of your replies!

I remember "on" should always be used in such cases.
Is it also correct to say "I have a date on Friday"?

I wonder if it is a new trend to have "on" ommitted here or English
has been being spoken like this all along.

Pls also correct what I wrote here. Many thanks!

It is not incorrect to say "I have a date on Friday", but it is uncommon in informal usage. That form is still common in formal writing and speech. I think it has been that way for quite some time.

(It seems that ESL learners are often taught the formal styles in preference to the informal styles although the informal styles tend to be used much more extensively.)

8)

 

[RonBee]

Corrections and suggestions.

Pls also correct what I wrote here. Many thanks!

Okay.

Thanks Ronbee for many of your replies!

That seems to say that some of them weren't so good (probably true). :wink:

Better: "Thanks Ronbee for your many replies!"

BTW, you're quite welcome. (I do hope that the quality of the postings is on a level with the quantity of the postings.)

8)

 

[pamir]

Hi, Ronbee

Your explanation about the usage of on is trully convincing!
Thanks for your correction of my sentence. Actually immediately after
I posted it I felt that sentence sounds strange, it is not what I meant.
What I really meant is thanks Ronbee for the many replies of yours.
Most of the time when I use English, I tend to use Chinese way of thinking
and Chinese way of expressing myself.

 

[Lib]

I would never say: I have a date Friday .... the ON is most definitely missing. But then, I speak what they call British English. Is this an American English Only board?

 

[RonBee]

You're doing okay.

8)

 

[RonBee]

I would never say: I have a date Friday .... the ON is most definitely missing. But then, I speak what they call British English. Is this an American English Only board?

Not at all. Red5 and TDOL are British and they are the forum hosts. They do let us Americans play here too.

8)

 

[Tdol]

I would never say: I have a date Friday .... the ON is most definitely missing. But then, I speak what they call British English. Is this an American English Only board?

Mind you, the 'I'm leaving Friday' construction is appearing in BE, too, although I'd always say 'on Friday'. :lol: