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Mr. Tom Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

In tandem

Hi

Do you find the use of "in tandem" natural here?

(teacher to students)

I want all of you to go out the class in tandem.

Thanks,

Tom
  

Top answer

Hi Tom No, I would not expect "in tandem" to be used that way. What do you want to say exactly? In pairs?

— Yankee

  • Hi Tom No, I would not expect "in tandem" to be used that way.
  • What do you want to say exactly?
  • In pairs?
  • In line?
  • All together?
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4 Answers
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Hi Tom

No, I would not expect "in tandem" to be used that way.
What do you want to say exactly? In pairs? In line? All together?

Oh, and by the way, you have a typo in your sentence. The omission of the word "of" made me think that entire class was to be outed -- which could be understood as meaning that the entire class is secretly gay, but that fact is now going to be ann
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Thanks, Amy.

I want to say "in line" or "one behind another". Doesn't "in tandem" mean the same? Please explain.

I learned to drop "of" in sentences like this after this thread.



Could you please shed some more light on this?

Tom
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two by two

This is much more naturala than in tandem in this case.

He fell out of the tree = he fell from the tree

Look out the window ('of' gets in the way here)

They went out the classroom (of is necessary).

I'm not sure there is "rule" involved here or if it just one of those things we do. Someone else may be able to co
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Hi Tom

Just a couple of quick thoughts.

The word "of" seems to be optional when you are referring to a door or or window.

You'll also hear things such as "There is a paper is sticking out (of) the bottom/top/side/front/back of the box" ("of" is optional), but NOT "There is a paper sticking out the box" (i.e. in this case you must use "of").
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