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Angliholic Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

when people will go back home

0The Chinese New year is a traditional holiday when 01b00people will go back02b00 home and get together with their01b00 families02b00.02br
02br
01b00... people go back ... family.02b02br
02br
00Hi,02br
02br
00Do both of the above sound right and mean about the same to you? Thanks.0-
  

Top answer

0 Hi,02br 00i don't like "when people will go back", I don't like the future there. I'd say "when people go back", generally speaking. I'm not a native speaker, so you'd better wait for someone else, but I am interested in the choice between "family" and "families".

  • 0 Hi,02br 00i don't like "when people will go back", I don't like the future there.
  • I'd say "when people go back", generally speaking.
  • I'm not a native speaker, so you'd better wait for someone else, but I am interested in the choice between "family" and "families".
  • Those kinds of problems have always bothered me, and no one seems to be able to explain what to do in such cases.
  • Anyway, from what I learned, I'd expect most native speakers to choose the plural "families", and consider the singular a little odd.
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4 Answers
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0 Hi,02br
00i don't like "when people will go back", I don't like the future there. I'd say "when people go back", generally speaking. I'm not a native speaker, so you'd better wait for someone else, but I am interested in the choice between "family" and "families". Those kinds of problems have always bothered me, and no one seems to be able to explain what to do in such cases. Anywa
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0I don't think it bothers you as much as you are saying it does. You know the answer.Actually, we share the same problem and I'm quite certain the plural is the correct choice. I realize this is a rather bold statement 05000 ... fingers crossed010id4
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0I don't like the future "will" either because you're describing something that is habitual, and I would use the plural "families."02br
02br
00I think that makes it unanimous.0-
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0 Just an added note about the usage of 'will':02br
02br
00The word 'will' can be used to stress an inevitable sort of reaction or tendency. I think the reference is often to a sort of 'natural' tendency or to what is expected. For example, the expression "01i00Boys will be boys02i00" basically means that boys inevitably act a certain way or do certain

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