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learner12



Joined: 18 Nov 2006
Posts: 730

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:22 am    Post subject: are to Reply with quote

Hello, teachers!!

The thought of all the things he has to learn sometimes fills a student with despair. The mere sight of the thousands of strange words in an English dictionary sometimes paralyses the mind. Yet if we are to be students, we must patiently start to learn one thing and then another, step by step.
----->
I am not sure about the sentence "if we are to be students," what do you mean?

(1) if we want to be students,...
-->we are not students right now.

(2) if we are students,...
-->we are students right now.

I cannot decide which one is better. "we must patiently start ..." is written, so we are not students right now???

Thank you in advance.
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CP



Joined: 12 Jun 2006
Posts: 2875
Location: California

PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It means,

If we are really going to be students / consider ourselves students,
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb
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learner12



Joined: 18 Nov 2006
Posts: 730

PostPosted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 6:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear CP:

Thank you so much for your time.

Take care and have a nice weekend.
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