last weekend

Question

Hello,The event during THE last weekend's fair was spectacular.The event during last weekend's fair was spectacular.I think there should be THE becuase weekend is a countable noun. BUt I saw a dictionary using the second version.Can you help?Thanks.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

These are natural:

The event during last weekend's fair was spectacular.
The event last weekend during the fair was spectacular.

The possessive is a type of determiner.
Give the dog a bone.
Give Johnny's dog a bone.

Englishnewbie · Answer

Hi Tahnks for your reply.

BUt my question was not about possessive but using "THE" in front of "last weekeend"...

Can you help?

Mister Micawber · Answer

AS's point is that we don't use 2 determiners together. Determiners consist of articles, demonstrative adjectives, and possessive adjectives, and you can only have one kind before a noun:

A/The weekend alone was bliss.
This/That weekend alone was bliss.
My/Sara's weekend alone was bliss.

Englishnewbie · Answer

What I mean is

My brother and me went camping last weekend.(*Ifound this in the dictionary)

My brother and me went camping THE last weekend. (*I think we need to use THE).

IS there a reason why the dictionary does not use THE in front of "last weekened"?

Thanks

AlpheccaStars · Answer

This is a different situation.

"Last weekend" is an adverb of time, like yesterday, tomorrow, last week, next month, etc. We do not put determiners in front of adverbs.

X Let's go the tomorrow.
OK: Let's go tomorrow

Mister Micawber · Answer

I hope that you found 'my brother and I'. If not, you should discard that dictionary.

'Last' and 'next' do not take the definite article for the most recent weekend because the form with the definite article is only used for references to weekends before last weekend in past narratives.

Today is 4/29. I saw him last weekend (4/22).
I visited him in January. I saw him the last weekend (1/29).

Englishnewbie · Answer

Ah, I see.

So if I use

We went there THE last week. It may mean the last week of a several-week-long program (not "last week").

Thanks.

Canadian45 · Answer

englishnewbieHello,
The event during THE last weekend's fair was spectacular.
The event during last weekend's fair was spectacular.
I think there should be THE becuase weekend is a countable noun. BUt I saw a dictionary using the second version.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that just because a noun is countable it always takes "the" in front of it!
You have to pay attention to the meaning you want to express. And when you have an adjective like "last" coming before the noun, you have to be especially careful about expressing the right meaning.

'last weekend' refers to the most recent weekend that has already passed. So"last weekend" always refers to the past.

But if you are talking about doing something, such as going camping, three weekends in a row, you have a different situation. You have the first weekend, the second weekend, and the last weekend. And those weekends can be in the future or the past.

Englishnewbie · Answer

I saw that exact phrase in marriam webster dictionary online.
If I cannot trust that dictionary, waht I can trust

Thank you both!!

Mister Micawber · Answer

My brother and me went camping last weekend.(*Ifound this in the dictionary). I saw that exact phrase in marriam webster dictionary online.-- Could you give me a link, englishnewbie? When I look up 'weekend' on the M-W online, I do not see that sentence.

last weekend

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