Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[someday]

I have a tennis racket the string of which was broken. To fix it, I entered a large sports shop nearby and found two employees chatting with each other. I walked to them wondering how to express that. I wanted to ask whether they (the shop) string tennis rackets. Which one is more natural for native speakers to understand what I intend to say?
1. Hello, do (can) you string tennis rackets?
2. Hello, can I string tennis rackets here?
3. or any other suggestions?


They said I could so I needed to ask where or how I could, and some sentences like below came up on my mind. Again, could you suggest any different ideas or point out what does sound odd with these expressions?

1. Where can I string a tennis racket in the store?
2. Where should I go to string a tennis racket?

As always, thanks.

[lotus]

Hi someday,

1. Hello, do (can) you string tennis rackets?
2. Hello, can I string tennis rackets here?
3. or any other suggestions?

Hello, do you string tennis rackets here?

1. Where can I string a tennis racket in the store?
2. Where should I go to string a tennis racket?

Where should/can I go to get my tennis racket stringed?


--lotus

[DCrockett]

Regarding "Where should/can I go to get my tennis racket stringed?"

The thought in this sentence is basically correct, but there is no word "stringed" in proper english. The correct word is "strung" - the past perfect form of the word string.

If you are in the store, and they do string tennis rackets, a better question might be "Who do I speak with (talk to) to have my racket strung?"

"Do you know where I should go to get my tennis racket strung?" could be used if the store you are in does not string rackets.

[someday]

Thanks for the answers, lotus and DCrockett. Here is another question.
As you know, I left my tennis racket to be strung and today is the day it is supposed to be ready to picked up at the store. I know a couple of expressions to use, but I am not so confident which one I have to use.

I know I will be going to the desk of customer service and someone will ask me like 'can I help you?' and I would say

1) I have come to pick up my tennis racket
2) I want to pick up my tennis racket left for stringing.
3) Can I pick up my tennis racket?
4) I need to pick up my tennis racket

Which one is most appropriate or any other sugestions?
Thanks.

[ebb]

........someone will ask me like 'can I help you?' and I would say

1) I have come to pick up my tennis racket
2) I want to pick up my tennis racket left for stringing.
3) Can I pick up my tennis racket?
4) I need to pick up my tennis racket

Which one is most appropriate or any other sugestions?
Thanks.

3 or 4 are good. 2 is pretty close to grammatically correct, if not already, but is awkward sounding. I'd insert "that I'd" before "left" in this one.

1 is also grammatically correct but it may be a bit too formal for a sporting goods store. "I'm here to pick up my racket" would be more casual and colloquial.


Also OK and casual/slangy/colloquial:

I wanted to pick up my racket.
Is my racket ready? I left it the other day to have it re-strung.
_________________
"This is insolence up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill, upon reading a newspaper�s criticism of his having ended a sentence with a preposition.

"You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than with just a kind word." Al Capone.

[lotus]

Hi all,

I want to thank DCrockett for correcting my errors. I misunderstood someday's second question. And DCrokett is correct in stating that "strung" is the proper past tense for string.

Having said that, let me qualify my response by saying that I've played tennis for over twenty years and I have yet to hear or say this phrase:

"I'm going to have my tennis racket strung."

It sounds as if something ominous is going to happen to my tennis racket! I've either heard or have said, "I'm going to get my tennis racket stringed." I know this is the improper word for the tense, but it sounds very natural to me.

If my tennis racket has not been strung yet, I might say:

I'm getting my tennis racket stringed today.
My tennis racket is being stringed.

If my tennis racket has been strung, I might say:

My tennis racket was strung really tight.
I had my tennis racket strung last week.

While it's true that strung is the correct word to use, stringed may be more often said (albeit incorrectly) when the racket has not been strung.

Here are some links with the use of "stringed" by folks who seem to know a lot about tennis or racquet sports.

MIT
http://web.mit.edu/3.082/www/team1_f02/ACES.html

Badminton
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9943

"nattawut"
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=33384

"the_arod"
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=52566

Finding references in the web does not mean the usage is correct or common. My personal experience is that it is common. This might be an example of colloquialism or informal speech.

By the way, I really appreciate the input of contributors such as DCrockett, ebb and others on this forum. They enlighten the students and keep the rest of us on our toes. I find great pleasure in doing this as a hobby. I don't always have the time; but when I do, I find it fascinating that I or any contributor can answer questions from this forum with any semblance of clarity or articulation - it is not an easy task using English to teach English. I've noticed that Learners have had the pleasure of some great contributors in this forum lately.

--lotus

[ebb]

You'll also be interested in the past tense of "hang" in English I think:

"I hung three shirts out to dry on Friday, and they hung on the line all weekend" -- BUT

"Several of the conspirators in the Lincoln assassination did not escape the gallows; they were hanged."

Depending on who or what is the object of the "hanging," either "hung" or "hanged" is correct.

I've played tennis a long time too, and in the US people say "strung" or more likely "re-strung" since it will already have strings on it when it goes in for repairs, unless you've been VERY delinquent in getting it fixed.... God only knows what the Brits say here... two people separated by a common language.
_________________
"This is insolence up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill, upon reading a newspaper�s criticism of his having ended a sentence with a preposition.

"You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than with just a kind word." Al Capone.

[lotus]

You're right ebb,

Re-strung is very common. But - if I just got the racket, and it's the first time it's seeing gut - I'm going to the shop to have it stringed.

You've got some great posts ebb.


--lotus

[ebb]

Thanks -- and you're obviously a much more serious tennis player than I.... I've never bought one that didn't already have the strings in it!! But hey .... when I go to the pool hall, I don't bring my own cue either... the ones in the rack are plenty good enough for someone of my skill level !!
_________________
"This is insolence up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill, upon reading a newspaper�s criticism of his having ended a sentence with a preposition.

"You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than with just a kind word." Al Capone.