Grammar check

[hamming_burst]

Hi,

I wrote my problem of language English in an old thread. I ask you to help me in learning this language. I'm studying reading, listening and writing now, but Grammar is problem. Can you check a few exercises and answer a few questions on (simple) grammar?

thanks a lot


PS: be patient and strict.

[Luca114]

Gio, I suggest you to practice during the summer. You're still young and you can really get excellent results; just a hint of desire and a lot of passion...

[size=85]The is correct.[/size]

[gio73]

It's very useful, I tried to write under dictation.
Yesterday nigth I had a convesation with a young girl who studies at liceo linguistico, I asked her "what are you doing in this summer?" She answered "I go to the sea with my parents or with my friends"

The ... is it correct?

[Luca114]

For those who want to practice their listening, I found this very interesting video, not difficult to understand. Good watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssuiqtreiBg

[hamming_burst]

"ascheriit":I'd say that it is wrong and you should use "our", though I cannot justify it from a grammatical point of view

you're right, I'm wrong to write

[ascheriit]

I'd say that it is wrong and you should use "our", though I cannot justify it from a grammatical point of view

[hamming_burst]

new exercises with possessive adjective and articles.

"Hands up!" said the masked man, and we all put our hands up.

our: isn't necessary for me, beacause "our hands" is implicit by "we" than it's a personal pronoun.
is wrong my statement?

[ascheriit]

"gio73":@ascheriit: welcome to the forum, why are you here? Do you like Maths?

I was just googling around for maths forums while I found this one
(which implies I like maths!)

[hamming_burst]

"gio73":[quote="hamming_burst"]

He said that he had had a book but that it hat been burnt in the fire in [strike]the[/strike] Mr Smith's house.

I think hat is cappello, maybe did you want to write had or has?
I think had is better.

Lui disse di aver ricevuto un libro, ma disse anche che (esso, il libro) rimase bruciato nell'incendio della casa degli Smith[/quote]
Is "had". I was wrong.

@ascheriit: Thank you, very interesting.

@Luca:

I was travelling around Europe by - train one summer when I was about 18 years old and I arrived in a city (I can't remember the name) just as it was getting dark. I went looking for somewhere to stay such as the youth hostel, but the only one I found was full and they couldn't recommend anywhere else for a cheap accommodation.
As usual, I had a problem with the money: I didn't have enough for a hotel. I wandered round the city looking for a park to sleep in. It was very dark when I came to a pair of the imposing gates leading into what looked like the park.

Thanks

[Luca114]

Be careful Gio, n. 5,8(remember the rule with the "h"),9 are wrong...

[gio73]

@Luca, thanks
check this

I was travelling around Europe by ____ train one summer when I was about 18 years old and I arrived in _a_ city (I can't remember _the_ name) just as it was getting dark. I went looking for somewhere to stay such as _a_ youth hostel, but the only one I found was full and they couldn't recommend anywhere else for _a_ cheap accommodation.
As usual, I had _a_ problem with ____ money: I didn't have enough for _an_ hotel. I wandered round ____ city looking for _a_ park to sleep in. It was very dark when I came to _a_ pair of ____ imposing gates leading into what looked like _a_ park.

L'estate in cui avevo 18 anni viaggiavo per l'Europa in treno e arrivai in una città (non ricordo il nome) proprio all'imbrunire. Io andai a cercare un posto dove passare la notte, tipo un ostello per la gioventù, ma l'unico che trovai era pieno e loro non sapevano consigliarmi un posto altrettanto conveniente. Come al solito, io avevo un problema di soldi: non ne avevo abbastanza per un hotel. Mi domandai se in giro per la città ci fosse un parco dove dormire. Era davvero scuro quando arrivai a una coppia di imponenti cancellate che introducevano a qualcosa che aveva l'aspetto di un parco.

@ascheriit: welcome to the forum, why are you here? Do you like Maths?

[Luca114]

People interested can look at this short essay and try to complete with the words and exercise themselves.

Complete this story by writing a, an, the or - if you think no article is needed. If you find it difficult, let me know, because it is not an easy level, but you can obviously do it.

I was travelling around Europe by ____ train one summer when I was about 18 years old and I arrived in ____ city (I can't remember ____ name) just as it was getting dark. I went looking for somewhere to stay such as ____ youth hostel, but the only one I found was full and they couldn't recommend anywhere else for ____ cheap accommodation.
As usual, I had ____ problem with ____ money: I didn't have enough for ____ hotel. I wandered round ____ city looking for ____ park to sleep in. It was very dark when I came to ____ pair of ____ imposing gates leading into what looked like ____ park.

[ascheriit]

"gio73":[quote="hamming_burst"]

He switched on the torch, read the meter and wrote the reading down on the back an envelope

What is the correct translation?
Accese la torcia, lesse il contatore e scrisse la lettura orizzontale sul retro di una busta

I wouldn't write orizzontale
[/quote]

write down is a phrasal verb (like can't help or look forward), in italian should be "appuntare", so I would translate the sentence as "Accese la torcia, lesse il contatore e appunto' la lettura* sul retro di una busta"

*this is a literal translation, "quanto letto" is much better than "la lettura"

[gio73]

"hamming_burst":

He switched on the torch, read the meter and wrote the reading down on the back an envelope

What is the correct translation?
Accese la torcia, lesse il contatore e scrisse la lettura orizzontale sul retro di una busta

I wouldn't write orizzontale

"hamming_burst":

He said that he had had a book but that it hat been burnt in the fire in [strike]the[/strike] Mr Smith's house.

I think hat is cappello, maybe did you want to write had or has?
I think had is better.

Lui disse di aver ricevuto un libro, ma disse anche che (esso, il libro) rimase bruciato nell'incendio della casa degli Smith

@Luca you can write some sentences and we will fill the gaps with the articles. If the articles needn't we will write nothing.

[hamming_burst]

"gio73":But there are several cases of obsolute power: North Corea, Iran... now; in last century: U.R.S.S., fascism in Italy and other contries in Europe and South America..; more time ago... how many examples does it need?

I haven't read that phrase in semantic way, but syntactically.

"Luca":even if you are confused because of some nuances, remember that you are speaking about general topics, general powers, not specif ones

you're right...

"Luca":If you want I can post some sentences in which you can clearly identify the right solution, just let me know.

ok, I'll write you if it needed/necessary. (it's correct?: te lo scriverò se necessario/sarà necessario )

He switched on the torch, read the meter and wrote the reading down on the back an envelope

What is the correct translation?
Accese la torcia, lesse il contatore e scrisse la lettura orizzontale sul retro di una busta

He said that he had had a book but that it hat been burnt in the fire in [strike]the[/strike] Mr Smith's house.

Mr Smith's house = house of Mr Smith -> noun of noun.
My grammar report "the noun of noun" then "the" should be corrected in this case...because is a specific house (in your previous example: the power of Napoleone)

[Luca114]

"hamming_burst":the old and the young: are optional "the", confirm this?

"gio73":I think "the" is necessary

Me too, I think it's optional. Indeed, I would have omitted the article. Gio, what you say is right, but despite this I have more frequently heard people not using the article in this case. To be more precise, it depends if you refer to one person or in general.
I meant you wanted to write old and young people, otherwise it seems like "il vecchio e il giovane"; if it was like this I would agree with Gio73.

"gio73":o my opinion is humblest (or most humble?)

In which sense is "humble"? Do you know the meaning? Anyway if you want to use the superlative you should put the article before!

"hamming_burst":absoulte power is a particular type of power then "the" is correct for me (the + adjective + noun), but it isn't. why?

In this sentence, "power" has the same role of "absolute power", and even if you are confused because of some nuances, remember that you are speaking about general topics, general powers, not specif ones, like "the power of the Second World War" or "the power of Hitler" (even if it's better to use the saxon genitive).

If you want I can post some sentences in which you can clearly identify the right solution, just let me know.
In any case the rules you've studied are suitable at 90%.

[gio73]

"hamming_burst":

There'll always be a conflict between the old and the young.

the old and the young: are optional "the", confirm this??

I think "the" is necessary, because the adjectives become nouns, but I'm learning like you, so my opinion is humblest (or most humble?) in all cases poorest is right.

"hamming_burst":

_ power tends to corrupt and [strike]the[/strike] absolute power corrupts absolutely.

absoulte power is a particular type of power then "the" is correct for me (the + adjective + noun), but it isn't. why?

But there are several cases of obsolute power: North Corea, Iran... now; in last century: U.R.S.S., fascism in Italy and other contries in Europe and South America..; more time ago... how many examples does it need?

[hamming_burst]

other easy exercises:

But _ interference with _ nature often brings _ disaster _ tree-felling sometimes _ fertile land into a dustbowl.

it's correct this phrase?

There'll always be a conflict between the old and the young.

the old and the young: are optional "the", confirm this?

_ power tends to corrupt and [strike]the[/strike] absolute power corrupts absolutely.

absoulte power is a particular type of power then "the" is correct for me (the + adjective + noun), but it isn't. why?

[gio73]

Hi zero

sta zitto is "be quiet!", like Marco said some posts ago.

[Zero87]

Thanks to gio73 because I made a read error ("quite" instead of "quiet": I read "be quiet").

[hamming_burst]

It's clear. Tanks Luca (and giò!).

Tomorrow another exercises