Sentences Jan 25

Question

Hi,Are the following sentences natural to a native ear?1. And when that would happen, he would just storm out of the office, yelling out a barrage of profanity.2. I am a smart guy who works passionately and have a strong ambition to grow in my career. 3. I was not sure of the frequency of the subway in afternoon.Thanks,MG.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

1. And when that would happen, he would just storm out of the office, yelling out a barrage of profanity.
2. I am a smart guy who works passionately and has a strong ambition to grow in my career.-- 'Smart guy' is out of register.

3. I was not sure of the frequency of the trains in the afternoon.

Musicgold · Answer

Thanks MM.

Mister Micawber.2. I am a smart guy who works passionately and has a strong ambition to grow in my career.-- 'Smart guy' is out of register.

What does 'out of register' mean, out of fashion?

Mister Micawber3. I was not sure of the frequency of the trains in the afternoon.

Articles !

. I thought you don't need to use articles for a time of day.

I read that here a few days back (almost at the end of the web page). Which one is correct?

Mister Micawber · Answer

1-- 'Register' (as I use it) refers to formality. 'Smart guy' is far too casual to appear in a job interview or resume.

2--That is a reputable website, but their explanation is too brief and generalized. This is what it says:

with time of day: We traveled mostly by night.We'll be there around midnight.

The two examples are correct, but only 'midnight' is a time of day (like '9 o'clock'). The other is an idiomatic formation depending on preposition and period of the day. These are all right:

at night, by night, in the night, during the night; by day, in the daytime, during the day; in the evening, during the evening, by evening; by morning, in the morning, during the morning.

But in afternoon, in morning, in evening, in night are wrong.

Sentences Jan 25

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