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Sesquipedalian101 Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Five Minutes
Could someone help tell me which of the following sentences is idiomatic and grammatical?
1. You need but five minutes a day to complete reading the notes in a week.
2. Just five minutes a day that is required to go through the entire set of notes in a week.
3. If you spend only five minutes a day, you would finish reading the notes in a week.
1. You need but five minutes a day to complete reading the notes in a week.
2. Just five minutes a day that is required to go through the entire set of notes in a week.
3. If you spend only five minutes a day, you would finish reading the notes in a week.
Top answer
Hi Selvakumar, They're all pretty good. Number 3 is the best, and is completely correct and natural. In number 2, you don't need the word "that".
- Hi Selvakumar, They're all pretty good.
- Number 3 is the best, and is completely correct and natural.
- In number 2, you don't need the word "that".
- ".
- Number 1 is OK.
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3 Answers
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Hi Selvakumar,
They're all pretty good. Number 3 is the best, and is completely correct and natural.
In number 2, you don't need the word "that". It's better to say "Just 5 minutes a day is required...".
Number 1 is OK. Native speakers would probably say "finish" rather than "complete", and they would probbaly say "only 5 minutes" instead of "but 5 minutes". But you
They're all pretty good. Number 3 is the best, and is completely correct and natural.
In number 2, you don't need the word "that". It's better to say "Just 5 minutes a day is required...".
Number 1 is OK. Native speakers would probably say "finish" rather than "complete", and they would probbaly say "only 5 minutes" instead of "but 5 minutes". But you
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Thank you very much, Clodpole!
You had said that "...Native speakers would probably say "finish" rather than "complete", and they would probbaly say "only 5 minutes" instead of "but 5 minutes."
Is it because "complete reading" and "but 5 minutes" are unidiomatic?
Th
You had said that "...Native speakers would probably say "finish" rather than "complete", and they would probbaly say "only 5 minutes" instead of "but 5 minutes."
Is it because "complete reading" and "but 5 minutes" are unidiomatic?
Th
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Hi.
"But 5 minutes" is a bit old-fashioned, and is less common in normal conversation than "Only 5 minutes". But it's still correct and OK to say it.
Saying "complete a book" would sound a little bit odd, so in this case I would recommend you use "finish". It's not grammatically incorrect to say "complete", though.
Hope this helps,
Clodpole.
"But 5 minutes" is a bit old-fashioned, and is less common in normal conversation than "Only 5 minutes". But it's still correct and OK to say it.
Saying "complete a book" would sound a little bit odd, so in this case I would recommend you use "finish". It's not grammatically incorrect to say "complete", though.
Hope this helps,
Clodpole.
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