eslHQ Home
User Name Password
Lost Password? | Join eslHQ.com, it's FREE!
View today's posts
Search Extras Help   

Reply
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Unread Nov 23rd, 2010, 03:54 am
Oden's Avatar
A Lifesaver for Cold Days
 
Join Date: Nov 16th, 2010
Location: Japan
Posts: 61
Oden has disabled reputation
Default Last spring was a joyful time...

Hi Sue,

last - Definition from Longman English Dictionary Online
Quote:
Did you see the game on TV last night?


Paralyzed bride-to-be determined to be self-reliant, get married - CNN
Quote:
Last spring was a joyful time for Friedman and Chapman, a middle school science teacher. The pair, both from Virginia Beach, Virginia, were to wed June 27.


last night is an adverbial phrase but Last spring is a noun phrase, isn't it?

Last edited by Oden : Nov 23rd, 2010 at 06:17 am.
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Unread Nov 23rd, 2010, 05:56 am
Sue
 
Join Date: Oct 8th, 2006
Location: Milan
Posts: 1,406
susan53 is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Last spring was a joyful time...

You're mixing up word class and sentence function here. Both these phrases are noun phrases consisting of a pre-modifying adjective (last) and noun (night/spring).

But their function in the two sentences differs. In
Did you see the game on TV last night?
last night has an adverbial function ie it modifies the information in the clause by limiting it to a certain time. It's therefore a time adverbial.

But in
Last spring was a joyous time
last spring functions as the subject of the sentence

I have to say there are other complications which I'm not going to go into because I don't fully understand the logic behind them. But basically :
- think of nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs etc as word classes
- think of subject, object, adverbial etc as sentence functions.
__________________
An ELT Notebook
The DELTA Course
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Unread Nov 23rd, 2010, 06:22 am
Oden's Avatar
A Lifesaver for Cold Days
 
Join Date: Nov 16th, 2010
Location: Japan
Posts: 61
Oden has disabled reputation
Default Re: Last spring was a joyful time...

Thank you, Sue.

It is now the fall of 2010 and the most recent is the spring of 2010, so is Last spring the spring of 2010?
Is Last spring grammatically correct? Would it be okay to say "The last spring" instead?
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Unread Nov 23rd, 2010, 08:07 am
Sue
 
Join Date: Oct 8th, 2006
Location: Milan
Posts: 1,406
susan53 is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Last spring was a joyful time...

Last spring is correct. Without the article "last" and "next" refer to the last/next whatever from the present moment. You only use the article if the reference point is not the present moment. So :

I'm going to Moscow next spring. (The reference point is the present moment, November 2010. So "next spring" = March or April 2011)


I went to New York in the autumn of 1980 and to California the next spring. (ie in 1981. The reference point is not the present moment but 1980)
__________________
An ELT Notebook
The DELTA Course
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Unread Nov 24th, 2010, 05:19 am
Oden's Avatar
A Lifesaver for Cold Days
 
Join Date: Nov 16th, 2010
Location: Japan
Posts: 61
Oden has disabled reputation
Default Re: Last spring was a joyful time...

Thank you, Sue.

Quote:
Last spring was a joyful time...
Last spring is the spring of 2010, isn't it?

What do you say to refer to the spring of 2009?
"The spring of last year was..."?
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Unread Nov 24th, 2010, 06:19 am
Sue
 
Join Date: Oct 8th, 2006
Location: Milan
Posts: 1,406
susan53 is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Last spring was a joyful time...

Yes and yes
Or just Last year, spring was...
__________________
An ELT Notebook
The DELTA Course
Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Unread Nov 24th, 2010, 07:29 am
Oden's Avatar
A Lifesaver for Cold Days
 
Join Date: Nov 16th, 2010
Location: Japan
Posts: 61
Oden has disabled reputation
Default Re: Last spring was a joyful time...

Thank you, Sue.
Last year, spring was... didn't occur to me. I prefer it.

Reply With Quote
  #8 (permalink)  
Unread Nov 24th, 2010, 09:48 am
Sue
 
Join Date: Oct 8th, 2006
Location: Milan
Posts: 1,406
susan53 is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Last spring was a joyful time...

That one's a sweetie
__________________
An ELT Notebook
The DELTA Course
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

Similar Threads Replies
High Paying Urgent Teaching Jobs in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, GwangJu, Jeju-do 0
Decent JOB OFFERS FROM Busan, GwangJu, GimHae, ChangWon,ULSAN, Pohang, Daegu,Korea 0
ASAP full time positions in all areas of S.Korea 0

Find the Best TEFL, TESL, TESOL & CELTA Certification Courses - User Submitted Ratings & Reviews for Online, Distance & Abroad TEFL Courses. Over 3,500 reviews of 100+ TEFL schools!

Teach English in Thailand - Onsite and Combined TEFL certification courses in Phuket, Thailand.


Free ESL Flashcards


Similar Threads Replies
High Paying Urgent Teaching Jobs in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, GwangJu, Jeju-do 0
Decent JOB OFFERS FROM Busan, GwangJu, GimHae, ChangWon,ULSAN, Pohang, Daegu,Korea 0
ASAP full time positions in all areas of S.Korea 0


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:14 am.

All materials from this website are for classroom-use only. Digital redistribution of materials, in part or in whole, is strictly forbidden!

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2