until late

[Jiayun]

Simon told me "I have a lot of work to do recently"

Can I respond as follows?

1. Do you need to stay up late for your work?
2. Do you need to work until late at night?
3. When do you usually leave your office these days?

Any natural way of conveying the above messages?

Thanks!

JY

 

[Rover_KE]

Before we consider your responses, let's find out what Simon meant.

First you should ask him if he meant 'I have had a lot of work to do recently' or 'I have a lot of work to do at the moment', as the present tense does not belong with recently.


Rover

 

[abaka]

1 is OK. Better: Have you had to stay up late for your work?

2 is OK but just a bit stiff. "Do you need to work late?" is better.

3 is fine.

But all of these assume you know him quite well. If not, "I'm sorry to hear that" may be the best reply.

 

[Jiayun]

He meant he has had a lot of work to do recently.

Before we consider your responses, let's find out what Simon meant.

First you should ask him if he meant 'I have had a lot of work to do recently' or 'I have a lot of work to do at the moment', as the present tense does not belong with recently.


Rover

 

[Jiayun]

Can I say "Do you need to work late these days?"?

1 is OK. Better: Have you had to stay up late for your work?

2 is OK but just a bit stiff. "Do you need to work late?" is better.

3 is fine.

But all of these assume you know him quite well. If not, "I'm sorry to hear that" may be the best reply.

 

[Rover_KE]

He meant he has had a lot of work to do recently.

In that case:

1. Have you had to stay up late for your work?

2. Did you have to work until late at night?

3. When do you usually leave your office these days? The question is fine but it has no direct bearing on Simon's statement.

Rover

 

[Jiayun]

Can I say "Did you have to work late these days?"?

In that case:

1. Have you had to stay up late for your work?

2. Did you have to work until late at night?

3. When do you usually leave your office these days? The question is fine but it has no direct bearing on Simon's statement.

Rover

 

[Rover_KE]

Can I say "Did you have to work late these days?" [STRIKE]? [/STRIKE] A single question mark suffices.

No — for the same reason that 'I have a lot of work to do recently' is wrong: it mixes up present and past.

'Did you have' is past and 'these days' is present.

Rover

 

[emsr2d2]

Having a lot of work to do doesn't necessarily mean that he has to stay late at work anyway. Perhaps he goes into work earlier in the mornings. Perhaps he works through his lunch break. Perhaps he just works even harder than usual during his normal working hours.

- I have had a lot of work to do recently.
- Oh really? How have you dealt with that?

 

[Jiayun]

So I should say "do you have to work late these days?"

No — for the same reason that 'I have a lot of work to do recently' is wrong: it mixes up present and past.

'Did you have' is past and 'these days' is present.

Rover

 

[Rover_KE]

So I should say "Do you have to work late these days?"

Yes! You can say that (but if you're writing it use a capital letter).

Rover