The word "piece"

[Bassim]

I have tried to use "piece" in my sentences. Would you please correct my mistakes?

1. The cleaning woman dropped accidentally the vase and it broke to pieces.
2. After John lost his job, his life went to pieces.
3. Maria tore her lover's letter into pieces and threw it into the fire.

 

[YAMATO2201]

3. Maria tore her lover's letter into pieces and threw it into the fire.

Is the following sentence correct?

Maria tore her lover's letter into pieces and threw them into the fire.

 

[Lynxear]

BASSIM:

The only change I would make would be to sentence one... I would use "into" instead of "in".

1. The cleaning woman dropped accidentally the vase and it broke into pieces.

Your use of "pieces" is correct in sentence two. It means that John is suffering emotionally. He cannot think straight and make decisions properly.

Your third sentence is good. The "it" in the sentence refers to the letter as a whole not the pieces. (all the pieces together make a whole letter)

Yamato2201:

Your version of the sentence is fine as well. However, "them" is referring to the pieces of the letter.

 

[Rover_KE]

I'd say 'accidentally dropped'.

 

[kilroy65]

I agree with Rover_KE. We don't put an adverb of manner between the verb and its direct object.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd use "threw it onto the fire" if it landed directly onto the flames.

 

[probus]

BASSIM:

The only change I would make would be to sentence one... I would use "into" instead of "in".

1. The cleaning woman dropped accidentally the vase and it broke into pieces.

Your use of "pieces" is correct in sentence two. It means that John is suffering emotionally. He cannot think straight and make decisions properly.

Your third sentence is good. The "it" in the sentence refers to the letter as a whole not the pieces. (all the pieces together make a whole letter)

Yamato2201:

Your version of the sentence is fine as well. However, "them" is referring to the pieces of the letter.

There is an issue here about the credibility and quality of our teachers.

Things are "dropped accidentally" in the passive voice. But did any native speaker of English ever say: {any personal pronoun} dropped accidentally {anyting}"?

I don't think so.