Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[learner12]

Hello, teachers!!

I have a question.

If it rain there will be no party.
--->
What do you mean by "party"? Does "a group of people" mean "people" or "a social gathering for pleasure"? Or you cannot tell it with a single sentence with no context?

Thank you in advance.

[asterix]

It means here a social gathering for pleasure. For instance, a party which is planned to be held outside would be cancelled if it rained.

If you just see the word party, you cannot tell which meaning is to be used but when there is context like, if it rains there will be no party, it can only apply to a social gathering, because the other two meanings don't make sense

[Mister Micawber]

.
If it rains there will be no party.

Party here means a social gathering. You must often use your common sense to decide such meanings. How could there not be '(a group of) people'?-- would the rain dissolve them? It is 'a social gathering' that the rain might hinder.
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_________________
"I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences." � Gertrude Stein
...............
Canadian-American who teaches English for a living at Mr Micawber's

[learner12]

Dear asterix,
Dear Mister Micawber,

Thank you very much. I understood what you wrote.

Have a nice day!!