Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[www0935]

The following is a paragraph from an article, which I think is something wrong. Would you please help me with this?

Retailers typically give pasteurized milk an expiration date of four to six days. Ahead of that, however, was up to six days of processing and shipping, so total shelf life after pasteurization is probably up to two weeks.

Is there anything wrong with the sentence, "[color=red]Ahead of that, however, was up to six days of processing and shipping[/color], "? I couldn't find its subject!

[rice07]

Hi

1.Try taking Ahead of as a preposition and regarding that as a pronoun referring to Retailers typically give pasteurized milk an expiration date of four to six days.

2.So Ahead of that (=Ahead of retailers typically give pasteurized milk an expiration date of four to six days) is a prepositional phrase doing the function of a noun served as the subject of the sentence in this case.

3. " however ", an adverbial modifier, can be dropped, and the sentence still makes sence in this case.

=>.... Ahead of that(subject) was up to six days of processing and shipping, so ...

4. Another example for your reference:

main structure: It was frustrating that ...

It was frustrating that I wasn't able to comprehend what the BBC radio said yet.

=> It was frustrating that I wasn't able to comprehend what the BBC radio said yet while I was listening to it.

=>During my difficult time for English learning, it was frustrating that I wasn't able to comprehend what the BBC radio said yet while I was listening to it.

=> During my difficult time for English learning, it was frustrating, even when I had been spending at least 4 hours a day consecutively learning English for one and a half years, that I wasn't able to comprehend what the BBC radio said yet while I was listening to it.

=> During my difficult time for English learning, it was frustrating, even when I had been spending at least 4 hours a day consecutively learning English for one and a half years, that, to my shame, I wasn't able to comprehend what the BBC radio said while I was listening to it.

5. Whereas, I suppose if you are familiar with what is / are the main structure(s), and what is / are the modifier(s), you can much easilier understand what the complicated sentence(s) mean(s).

6. Here sorry to put in my two cents' worth. If wrong, please correct me. Many thanks!

Hope it helps.

[www0935]

By the way, can I change this sentence into "up to six days of processing and shipping was, however, ahead of that"? In this way, the subject of this sentence is "up to six days of processing and shipping." Is it grammatically correct? Does it make sense? Thanks a lot for your help.

[rice07]

[lotus]

Hi Rice07,

Another way to say it might be:

Retailers typically store pasteurized milk for 4-6 days. However; prior to that, it can take up to six days for shipping and handling. So, the total shelf-life for pasteurized milk is approximately two weeks.


--lotus
_________________
War does not make one great --Yoda

[rice07]

Hi Teacher Lotus

To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected instruction? I couldn't help noticing that you're so knowledgeable about English. I do admire what you've done for the learners here.

These days I've been feeling a bit low. In fact, I, sometimes, deem English is difficult, because the more I learn, the more I fear. Fear what? Fear endless English learning process. Fear self ignorance of English. Fear that sort of feeling, like a notion of observing a mountain, that when you, at a distance, look at a moutain, you know its shape in general, but you don't know it in detail; that when you get close to it, you know more of its details, but you seem to lose the impression of a moutain that it should be. I don't know if I make the meaning I'm trying to borrow from understood or not. If not, it presents there's still a long way for me to go. However, with the teachers in this forum devoting themselves to helping the learners here with their questions of English, I should opt for the upbeat attitude towards my English. Chin up and don't lose momemtum.

BTW,always enjoy recieving instruction from you. Much obliged!

Sincerely

rice07

[Lorikeet]

Dear Rice07,

I'm sorry if you have been feeling low. Learning a language is really a lifetime effort--I'm still learning things about English, and it's my native language! I tell my students that when you learn another language, you sometimes have the feeling of improving very rapidly, and then there is often a period in which you think you are not making much progress. The hard part is continuing during that period. I tell them to look back at where they were a year, two years, or five years before, and compare their knowledge then to their knowledge now. It's often hard to see progress in small increments. (It's sort of like watching your kids grow up. You don't notice much from day to day, except for big growth spurts, but if you compare from year to year, you know there's been growth.)

[rice07]

Hi Lorikeet

That's a very positive response. Thanks!

Variety is the spice of life, so everything has its season. No matter what you have- ups or downs, all in due time. I also learn " more haste, less speed ", and " no pain, no gain ". Well, in fact, things are never as bad as they seem. It's always darkest before dawn.

Thanks for your encouragement and reassurance. We see eye to eye on that figurative exemplar you raised " learning a language is a life-time effort, like the child-raising process ". To be frank with you, I'm in my forties and am a father of two(so I've experienced it[child-raising] at first hand). My AVATAR, the image representing ' rice07 ' in this forum, shows my wife and my two kids in a car. I'll learn how to roll with the punches. Cheer up! Tommorrow is another day!

Good day!

Sincerely

rice07

[Lorikeet]

Hmm currently I don't see an avatar.

[rice07]

Hi Lorikeet

Hmm, I quess there must be a bad link between ... . Perhaps you could try this web site http://www.wretch.cc/album/album.php?id=han9199&book=2, if you were interested in that. Notice: Prepare yourself for my scary-looking!

[Lorikeet]

Well, for whatever reason, it's there now! (Oh, and you aren't scary at all! It looks like you have a very nice family.)