Should the following sentences be rephrased?

Question

Again, I saw the following sentences in an ESL book patterned after the Callan Method. The author is not a native speaker. I need the opinions of both British and American English speakers on the wording of the following sentences:

1. He left home for his work at 8 AM. (Shouldn't I just lose "his")

2. Could you tell me how to go to the airport? (What could be a possible answer to this?...Can the same answer be used for the question Could you tell me how to GET to the airport?)

3. What do you like to do at night? (shouldn't I use in the evening/s instead of at night?)

4. I still have to find out my flight schedule. (can we use find out this way?)

I have eight more questions but I'll just ask in fours.

Thanks

Mr Wordy · Accepted Answer

1. He left home for his work at 8 AM. (Shouldn't I just lose "his") -- "his" is not actually wrong, but it's more usual to omit it. In fact, often one would just say "He left for work at 8 AM".

2. Could you tell me how to go to the airport? (What could be a possible answer to this?...Can the same answer be used for the question Could you tell me how to GET to the airport?) -- "go" is not natural here. "get" is fine.

3. What do you like to do at night? (shouldn't I use in the evening/s instead of at night?) -- If you are talking about the period between, say, 6 pm and midnight, which seems likely, then it's clearer to say "in the evening(s)".

4. I still have to find out my flight schedule. (can we use find out this way?) -- I find this acceptable in conversational English.

Lagataw · Answer

Mr Wordy. What do you like to do at night? (shouldn't I use in the evening/s instead of at night?) -- If you are talking about the period between, say, 6 pm and midnight, which seems likely, then it's clearer to say "in the evening(s)".

I gather that at night would cover the period between sundown to sunup.

And "at night" then is just as fine?

Thanks for the answers Mr Wordy.

Mr Wordy · Answer

lagatawI gather that at night would cover the period between sundown to sunup.

In certain contexts perhaps, but in everyday English it often excludes the earlier part of the hours of darkness. In my culture, "What do you like to do in the evenings" unambiguously refers to the time between a typical person returning home from work, say at 6 or 7 pm, until they go to bed, say at 11 pm or 12 pm. "What do you like to do at night?" tends to imply that the person addressed has less typical sleeping patterns and stays up into the small hours.

Should the following sentences be rephrased?

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