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Sina
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Posts: 117
Location: Germany
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 Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 3:53 am Post subject: @ teachers...or at anyone who's good at speaking english... |
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Hi everybody! Well, some questions...
I've frequently read " X was to be..."...I got that it is a kind of future tense but I am wondering about the use of the be in the past tense...After all, the plot is still coming, isn't it?
My second question refers to the after all..I read it quite often but every time the meaning is somehow different or at least not quite clear...Can you help me?
Third problem: Since September 2004...Can I write it that way? Or something like that: Since September in 2004...but this version sounds pretty strange... 
I hope you can help..Thanks!!!   |
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cgage
Joined: 19 Jun 2004
Posts: 66
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 5:51 am Post subject: |
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"X was to be" Perhaps a grammar expert can help more with this. The meaning is that something in the past was supposed to occur.
"After all" means taking everything into account.
September 2004 or September of 2004 are both ok. |
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Sina
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Posts: 117
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 1:01 pm Post subject: |
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| cgage wrote: |
After all" means taking everything into account. |
...but your description is somehow superficial. Can you give me an example when you use it? I haven't got it yet...Sorry....By the way, is it used very often in the American language? |
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cgage
Joined: 19 Jun 2004
Posts: 66
Location: USA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 4:13 am Post subject: |
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Examples:
The soccer team won the city championship, then it won the national champianship. Next it lost the world championship. The coach says to the team, "After all, we won the others" The term is often used as a type of apology.
You could say it means looking at all the events together.
Another example:
Napoleon is being sent to the prison island of Sainte Helene. he says' "after all, I did get to be emperor for ten years".
It is used commonly in American English and probably British English.
After all, I've only been to England once so I cant be sure about the Brits. |
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