A FEW QUESTIONS

Question

HiI have a few questions.What's the difference in meaning between these two sentences:1. I shall be bringing Ben with me when I visit you on Friday, if that's all right.2. I shall bring Ben with me when I visit you on Friday, if that's all right.Does the phrase I'm thinking of going to Vienna mean the same as I'm planning on going...?Oh yes, of course, I was forgetting: Luke's birthday is on Sunday. WHY "I WAS FORGETTING"?  Why not "I forgot"? (by the way: shall I put the question mark before the quotation mark or after it?)OK, now something related to relative pronouns.I know that I can omit the pronouns in this sentence: The man who/that I met last week....However I don't know why I cannot omit the pronouns in this sentence: The man who/that met me....Could you tell me what  the difference in meaning is between these two sentences: (shall I put a question mark at the end of this sentence?)a) My sister who lives in London is a lawyer.b) My sister, who lives in London, is a lawyer.Thanks

Tanit · Accepted Answer

Hi,

So many questions in one post only!!! I'm answering only some of them.

NewguestDoes the phrase I'm thinking of going to Vienna mean the same as I'm planning ~~on going~~ to go ..?

Roughly the same meaning. However, a plan is something more definite than a thought. If I am planning a trip, I might have decided when I want to leave, where I am going to stay etc.

NewguestOh yes, of course, I was forgetting: Luke's birthday is on Sunday. WHY "I WAS FORGETTING"? Why not "I forgot"? (by the way: shall I put the question mark before the quotation mark or after it?)

Because you didn't forget! A past continuous form is sometimes used to indicate that an action in the past was interrupted at a certain point in time. So, think of it as "I was forgetting that Luke's birthday is on Sunday, but luckily I didn't forget" or as "I was forgetting to tell you that Luke's birthday is on Sunday, but it came to my mind when ..."

As for the question mark, it must come after the quotation mark in both your questions (it comes before the second speech mark when the quotation contains a question).

NewguestI know that I can omit the pronouns in this sentence: The man who/that I met last week....

However I don't know why I cannot omit the pronouns in this sentence: The man who/that met me....

In your first example, you can leave out who/that because it's the object of the relative clause. You cannot leave it out in the second one because it's the subject.

NewguestCould you tell me what the difference in meaning is between these two sentences: (shall I put a question mark at the end of this sentence?)

a) My sister who lives in London is a lawyer.

b) My sister, who lives in London, is a lawyer.

In sentence a (defining relative clause) you have more than one sister. The relative clause specifies which sister you are referring to (the one who lives in London, not the one who lives in Cambridge).
In your sentence b (non-defining relative clause), you have only one sister, and you're adding a bit of extra information (i.e. the fact that she lives in London).

Newguest · Answer

Hi.

Yes so many questions. I could ask all of them in separate posts, but what for? I would ask them anyways.

Thanks for answering.

Feebs11 · Answer

Because it takes so long to answer them.<img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/15.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/15.gif' alt='Emotion: geeked'/>

Yoong Liat · Answer

Newguest
Hi.

Yes so many questions. I could ask all of them in separate posts, but what for? I would ask them anyways.

Thanks for answering.

It's better to ask two or, at most, three questions in one post so that the chances of your posts being answered quickly are higher. This is because more members will respond to your separate requests. Do you agree?

A FEW QUESTIONS

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions