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From New Zealand 2007年7月,ニュージーランドへ移住してきました。ニュージーランドでの日常生活についてつづります。

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[PR]上記の広告は3ヶ月以上新規記事投稿のないブログに表示されています。新しい記事を書く事で広告が消えます。

ネイティブチェック45

黒がわたしの文章(質問)、紫がネイティブの回答部分。

This is from a book by a British man (a book for Japanese learners.)

The present continuous tense is used as follows. ...
For a temporary situation.
I'm working as a waitress for a few months.
>>> Is this possible grammatically? Should be "I've been working ...." if we use "for ...".
 
Of course, "I've been working for a few months" is correct, but it refers to a point in the past leading up to the present.
"I'm working for a few months refers to a point in the past (or can also be from right now) leading into a determined amount of time into the future.

Have been working:
3 MONTHS AGO ............ NOW

Am working:
ONE MONTH AGO ......... NOW ......... TWO MONTHS INTO THE FUTURE

It's for this reason that a university student will say, "I'm studying Science" instead of "I study Science" - he considers his studies to be a temporary stepping stone towards a career in his chosen field. (Of course, a university course extends for a determined amount of time.)


PR

ネイティブチェック44

質疑応答パターンで3本連続アップします。
黒字がわたしの文章(質問)、紫がネイティブの回答部分です。

We learn that basically “I think that + not” should be “I don't think that ...”, but sometimes I'm not sure.
 
When we're expressing a particular feeling we say, "I think ... not".
When we're just giving the facts we say, "I don't think."


A. Many people don't have breakfast. I think that's not good. [Emphatic]
B. Many people don't have breakfast. I don't think that's good. [Factual]
For me A is more comfortable. Which would you choose in this sentence?
 
 
A. I think I can't come to your party. [Regretful]
B. I don't think I can come to your party. [Factual]

A. You're going out dressed like that? I think not! [Imperious]
B. You're going out dressed like that? I don't think so. [Factual]

ネイティブチェック43(ダイアローグ)

書き言葉 VS 話し言葉

関係代名詞を使った会話より。

A: What are you doing?
B: I'm looking for a watch which my father gave me.

A: What are you doing?
B: I'm looking for a watch which that my father gave me.

「会話」では,関係代名詞目的格はよく省略しますが(原則,会話では単語数は自然と少なくなり,my father gave to meではなくmy father gave meであるのもその理由の一つ),ここでは関係代名詞を使うことを前提とします。
上記青字の修正について,口語ではwhichよりもthatが好まれるのですが,この文の場合,別の理由もあったようです。さて,何でしょう?


ネイティブコメント
[“watch which” is a bit hard to say.]

ダイアローグを執筆するとき,スピーキングの文章などを執筆するときは,一度,自分の英文を声に出して読んでみたらよいと思います。
特に,リスニングは実際にネイティブが文字を読んで録音することを忘れずに。
英検などのスピーキング原稿は,発話の「リズム」を気にして書くと,結構楽しいものです。
また,ちょうど昨日のブログ記事ではないですが,この手の修正はネイティブならではですよね。

追伸:
このBの文ですが,ちょうど似た文が今年の静岡県入試大問3に英作文として出ました。
県の模範解答は(略)となっていますが,O社全国高校入試問題正解の解答例をご覧あれ。

ネイティブチェック40(続き)

butとandの件。

読書が好きな女の子が,図書館のボランティアで絵本を書き始めたというストーリーの流れ。

I like reading books, but I found it was interesting to write a book, too.
I like reading books, but I thought it was interesting to write a book, too.

ネイティブコメント: 
‘But’ denotes a contrast.
If it is a bit surprising that the person likes writing books as well as reading them, we’d use ‘but’: “Not only do I like reading books, but I also like writing them.”
If it is not particularly surprising, we use ‘and’:
“I like reading books and I also like writing books” = “I like reading and writing books.”
If the sentence reads, “I found” we naturally understand that it was a pleasant surprise.
Accordingly, ‘but’ is correct.
If the sentence reads “I thought,” we are not obliged to use ‘but’.

Thank you!

追伸:このシリーズのネイティブコメントはご本人に許可を得て載せております。
転載・複写厳禁でお願い申し上げます。

ネイティブチェック42

sometimes / sometime / some time

The English language does not contain the word ‘sometime’ (although it can of course be used in poetry, where anything is allowed: “Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines …” Shakespeare).
Mae West declared, “Come up and see me some time” meaning come up and see her one day or at some juncture in the future and, as you point out, implies one occasion (although it does not preclude subsequent occasions).
Clear