Sara is away on business vacation this week; ...

[Odessa Dawn]

1.This week, Sara is away on business; so Saleh (serves/cooks) dinner for himself.
2. Sara is away on business vacation this week; so Saleh (serves/cooks) dinner for himself.
3. Sara is on business vacation this week; so Saleh (serves/cooks) dinner for himself.
4. Sara is away on business vacation this week; so Saleh (serves/cooks) dinner for himself.
5. Sara is away on business vacation now; so Saleh (serves/cooks) dinner for himself.

Which sentence is more natural, please?

 

[MikeNewYork]

I would chose number 1. I don't really understand "business vacation".

 

[Odessa Dawn]

You would delete the word vacation, please?

Editing: Would you delete the word vacation, please?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Yes, I would. It is a bit of an oxymoron.

 

[probus]

"Business vacation" is probably impossible. You are at business when you are working and on vacation when you are not. But there are some people who are so intense about work that they might contemplate the idea of a business vacation.

You could delete either business and vacation and have a universally comprehensible sentence.

 

[riquecohen]

I would replace the semicolon with a comma in all the sentences.

 

[Barb_D]

I am curious though. Have you ever traveled for work? If so, were you not working more hours than when you're in the office? How could you possibly think it was a "vacation"?

 

[probus]

Hello Barb_D: I am not sure who your question is intended for, but a significant part of my youth was spent in quasi-recreational travel. I really wanted to see the world but could not afford to travel as a tourist, so I arranged jobs for myself in other countries. I tried unsuccessfully for Hong Kong and Brazil, but succeeded with the UK (three years) and India (one year). It's what plenty of English teachers are doing today.

 

[Barb_D]

It was directed at the OP, who used the phrase in the first place.
It's clear from the context that she is away temporarily since the other person is cooking their own dinner with the assumption that she usually does it for them. Not a situation where she has a long-term "job" or recreational travel.

 

[Odessa Dawn]

Hello Barb;

No, I haven’t yet. I thought that instead of enjoying relaxation and other types of vacation such as time family and enjoying nature, she does some business during her vacation. Hence, I did insert the word business.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I t sounds as if vacation was the primary activity. One could say that she did some business while on vacation.

 

[Barb_D]

In any case, say that she is away on vacation or that she is away on business. Not both.