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jasonlulu_2000
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 879
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 Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:58 am Post subject: online |
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I want to meet the online/net friends face to face.
Is it OK in either case?
I wonder whether/if you like coffee or tea.
Is it OK in either case?
Thanks |
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dragn
Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 8:56 am Post subject: |
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| I want to meet the online/net friends face to face. |
Either online friends or net friends is OK. My only concern is the fact that using the here sounds very weird.
| Quote: |
| I wonder whether/if you like coffee or tea. |
Both are OK.
Greg |
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jasonlulu_2000
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 879
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:02 pm Post subject: thank you |
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Thank you!
But if the sentence " I want to meet the online/net friends face to face." sounds weird, how can I express the same idea? |
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dragn
Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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| But if the sentence " I want to meet the online/net friends face to face." sounds weird, how can I express the same idea? |
Whose online friends? What online friends?
If you mean "my online friends," say my:
"I want to meet my online friends face to face."
If you mean some unspecified online friends in general, just say "online friends" (no the):
"I want to meet online friends face to face."
You could also say this if you mean my online friends. My can be assumed.
As soon as you say "the online friends," a native speaker thinks, "What online friends? Hmm, what specific group of online friends is he talking about? That's odd...he hasn't previously mentioned any online friends. What certain online friends is he talking about?"
It's like if you say to someone:
"I'll meet you at the restaurant."
Well, I have to assume the speaker has already made it known what specific restaurant he's talking about. He has already mentioned it to distinguish it from all the other restaurants in town. He is referring to one definite restaurant. That's why the is called a definite article.
That's why your sentence sounds weird out of context.
Greg |
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jasonlulu_2000
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 879
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 3:07 am Post subject: thanks |
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| Thank you indeed for your detail. |
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