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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
The/an opportunity?
Hi. Please help. Which is correct?
Let us assume there is a lady who is an experienced music teacher, meaning that she has many years' experience teaching music. She also happens to be a renown pianist. She is a devout Christian and has been wanting to serve in church as a piano player, but the opportunity hasn't present itself to her. Could he say this about her?
She has been wondering when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church would come.
How about these (changed the tenses in the main clause)?
She wondered when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church would come.
She wonders when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church would (should it be "will"?) come.
Let us assume there is a lady who is an experienced music teacher, meaning that she has many years' experience teaching music. She also happens to be a renown pianist. She is a devout Christian and has been wanting to serve in church as a piano player, but the opportunity hasn't present itself to her. Could he say this about her?
She has been wondering when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church would come.
How about these (changed the tenses in the main clause)?
She wondered when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church would come.
She wonders when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church would (should it be "will"?) come.
Top answer
I really don't need all that preamble, Anon. - - 'Will' if the chance has not come; 'would' if it has. She wondered when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church would come.
- I really don't need all that preamble, Anon.
- - - 'Will' if the chance has not come; 'would' if it has.
- She wondered when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church would come.
- She wonders when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church will come.
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4 Answers
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I really don't need all that preamble, Anon.
She has been wondering when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church will /would come.-- 'Will' if the chance has not come; 'would' if it has.
She wondered when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church would come.
She wonders
She has been wondering when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church will /would come.-- 'Will' if the chance has not come; 'would' if it has.
She wondered when the/an opportunity to serve as a piano player in her church would come.
She wonders
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Thank you very much for the help.
You wrote:
I really don't need all that preamble, Anon.
The reason for the preamble was that I thought some things were needed to be said in order for the teachers in your forums (forum?) to help me effectively and correctly.
Going back to the original post, would you say the sentences I wrote are correct to use either "the" o
You wrote:
I really don't need all that preamble, Anon.
The reason for the preamble was that I thought some things were needed to be said in order for the teachers in your forums (forum?) to help me effectively and correctly.
Going back to the original post, would you say the sentences I wrote are correct to use either "the" o
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As I already showed you in my post, the/an are both fine before 'opportunity'. 'Prescription', however, only takes a – as your parenthetical comment immediately preceding that sentence shows.
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