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jaytee
Joined: 28 Sep 2004
Posts: 16
Location: China
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 Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 10:23 am Post subject: In the future? |
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I was reading an ESL exercise book the other day, the scenario was set in a doctor�s office and he said "In the future, you should try to eat healthier food".
Can anybody clarify for me, would it be better to say "In future", rather then "In THE future".
To me "In future" sounds more appropriate as it seems to suggest �as of next time�. �In the future� suggests at some undisclosed point in the future.
Any clarification would be appreciated. |
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vre
Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Posts: 371
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 11:31 am Post subject: |
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I agree with you on this.
In future is usually used for from now on situations, usually to improve a particular situation.
In the future is usually used to talk about a plan or intention, usually quite far away (relatively). |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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| I have to disagree with both of you. The word "the" is necessary. If you say "In future days" or something like that, where the word future is an adjective, you don't need "the". Otherwise, since you are referring to a specific time (the past, the present, the future), you need "the". |
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Cardinal Synn
Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 586
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Indeed, but "In future" is a common phrase which, rightly or wrongly, conveys perfectly to any English speaker, the meaning of the doctor's sentence. |
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vre
Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Posts: 371
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Excellent avatar cardinal! Any more where that came from? |
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Deconstructor
Joined: 30 Dec 2003
Posts: 775
Location: Montreal
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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| You guys are splitting hair. It doesn't matter. It's lanaguage evolution. Look at the French language: it's dominated with useless aritcles. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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It should be 'splitting hairs' Decon, just to split hairs with you... 
One use of 'the' that confuses me is when speaking of people of a particular country. I notice that the US press will often write "The Canadians or The Mexicans" as in The Canadians are a peaceful people or The Mexicans are engaged in negotiation on a trade treaty. I've always used the same sentence without the article, as in Canadians are a peaceful people or Mexicans (or maybe The Mexican government) are engaged...etc.
Thoughts on this? |
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dyak
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 630
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Guy wrote: |
| One use of 'the' that confuses me is when speaking of people of a particular country. |
I've noticed that if i talk about English people and want to distance myself from them i'll say, 'the English are obsessed with queues'. |
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Deconstructor
Joined: 30 Dec 2003
Posts: 775
Location: Montreal
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Guy Courchesne wrote: |
| It should be 'splitting hairs' Decon, just to split hairs with you... |
I know about the S. I was just trying to help language evolve. Yeah, that's it, yeah.
I mean a word like HAIR is singular always. Why would it suddely become plural in this case? God! it's amazing English ever became international given the level of its difficulty.
Last edited by Deconstructor on Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:54 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Cardinal Synn
Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 586
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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| vre wrote: |
| Excellent avatar cardinal! Any more where that came from? |
Thanks Vre. I nicked it from the beeb. |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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None. |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I mean a word like HAIR is singular always |
Nope, can be singular or uncountable
Waiter, there's a hair in my soup!
Waiter, there's some hair in my soup!
not forgetting the plural
Waiter there are some hairs in my soup! |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| "In future" is a common phrase |
Not in North American English.
| Quote: |
| rightly or wrongly, conveys perfectly to any English speaker, the meaning of the doctor's sentence. |
conveying the meaning is one thing. Being grammatically correct is another.[/quote] |
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Deconstructor
Joined: 30 Dec 2003
Posts: 775
Location: Montreal
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| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2005 3:02 am Post subject: |
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| Stephen Jones wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I mean a word like HAIR is singular always |
Nope, can be singular or uncountable
Waiter, there's a hair in my soup!
Waiter, there's some hair in my soup!
not forgetting the plural
Waiter there are some hairs in my soup! |
You are making a distinction between the singular and the uncountable. The latter is often a question of category as apposed to a singular object. Structurally, they are the same. You forced singularity of HAIR by using an article and the adjective "some" to imply (ironically) again singularity. In other words, you used plurality to imply singularity. HAIR is already singular, but cannot be seen as a single object. You should've said, "There is a strand of hair..." and "There is hair...".
You are a materialist, my friend, as you try so hard to objectify things.
As far as your last sentence is concerned, I've never heard of "...there are some hairs in my soup". HAIR could never be plural. Besides, what kind of restaurants are you dining at?!  |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 339
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| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2005 4:57 am Post subject: |
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Hair can never be plural??????????
Oh, next time I go to the barber, I'll have to ask for a "hairs" cut then.  |
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