Linguist Forum
Specializations => Morphosyntax => Topic started by: Natalia on September 16, 2015, 10:51:40 AM
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I wonder if I can say, for example, 1) I go to school on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday... instead of 2) I go to school on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays..?
I've seen these two versions in some English books and wonder which of them is more accurate to say.
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Doesn't matter.
"On Monday" might mean "this [or some specific] Monday" or in general.
"On Mondays" is always general.
"We go to class on Monday(s)."
"We are leaving for our trip on Monday."
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Thank you.
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However, I would like to know which of the two forms you would be more likely to use when talking about a repetitive process?
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If I'm emphasizing that it's general, I'd probably use the -s form. But either is fine.
I think if I used the singular, it would be to imply that most weeks are like this week: "On Monday, I'll go to class [and also in future weeks on Mondays]". But we often talk like that, because we're interested in the present.
I can't think of any circumstances where I couldn't use the singular form if I wanted to.
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OK thank you for your opinion. I'll ask you one more question about this topic if you don't mind.
if I, for example, say: I play football on Mondays, the question to this sentence would be What days do you play football?
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"What days" suggests it may be more than one. It would be more natural to ask "What day" if it is only Monday(s), even if it happens every week.
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OK, I'll remember that.