MyProfe :: View topic

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:00 pm

Hello everybody, Smile

I have just come across an interesting website where you can learn a couple of essential holiday phrases in German.

Would anybody like to give it a try? Visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/german/quickfix/index.shtml

By the way, as you see, there are also some other languages available.

I hope you will like it.

Gabi

Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:44 am

Gabi wrote:

I hope you will like it.

I would say "I hope you like it" (same tense as "when you go", which is not indicative but subjunctive)

Please, a native's help

Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:06 pm

Gabi wrote:

I hope you will like it.

LaiLai is right. I hope you understand the difference. I hope you like the film. I hope you enjoy your meal. I hope you have a nice vacation.

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:56 pm

Thank you very much for your correction, LaiLai and Myprofe.

Myprofe wrote:

I hope you understand the difference.

@ Myprofe: Sorry, I must admit that I do not understand the difference yet. Insecure

Would you please be so kind as to explain it to me?

My two favorite grammar books seem to contradict each other... Should I have used Simple Present Tense because each and every reader knows that the action of liking takes place in the future?

Bye for now.

Gabi

Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:29 am

I would say, I hope you have a nice holiday, trip, meal, day, weekend etc. But to someone who has just got married I would say, I hope you will be very happy together.
I don't know why we use the future in the second example. Here are some links I found this morning. I hope they will be useful.

http://www.english.wesli.com/cgi-bin/webbbs/grammar/index.cgi?read=4522

http://www.lingolex.com/swom/wom-subj.htm

Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:19 am

Thank you very much, Myprofe. Smile

I am going to read the explanations on the Internet attentively.

What do you think about what I found in one of my grammar books (written in German):

We often use will and won't after

I (don't) think
I hope
I expect
I'm certain/sure
I'm afraid

Example: I hope we'll have time to see Soho.

Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:44 pm

The list from your grammar book is very misleading. Oversimplification of grammar is very dangerous. Click on this link:
http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=hope+you+have&word2=hope+you+will+have

Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:41 pm

Thank you very much for your answer, Myprofe. Smile

Yes, the result of the googlefight is obvious...

I guess the operative point of the explanation in my grammar book is that the author, John Stevens, limits his own rule by using "often"...

Myprofe wrote:

The list from your grammar book is very misleading. Oversimplification of grammar is very dangerous.

You are absolutely right, Myprofe. I must admit that the quotation in my previous post comes from a grammar book for (absolute) beginners. When it comes to the correct usage of tenses, I really do get in trouble and I hoped to learn the necessary basics with this book. Sorry

The explanation from my other grammar book - for school, university, and adult lerners - (written in German, too) seems to not really help me either, so I had better surrender:

After "I hope" (with respect to the future), you can use a future tense (will/shall or be going to ) as well as Present Simple Tense, if the respect to the future is obvious from the context:

Examples:

I hope he gets/he'll get used to it eventually.
I hope it doesn't/won't come to that.
I hope they change/they'll change/they're going to change their minds.

Good night.

Gabi

Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 7:50 am

I posted this topic on another site but have yet to receive a conclusive answer.
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=586300&goto=nextnewest

Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:16 pm

Good afternoon, Myprofe,

Thank you very much for all your trouble. Sorry

I was hardly able to keep a straight face when I read about the communication problems between you Americans. Wink

Esperemos un nativo.

Bye for now.

Gabi

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 1:36 pm

Hello everyone, Smile

here is another website for you where you can learn German by watching videos:

Traveling Germany: Basic German Phrases & Tips for Travelers

Have fun with it.

Gabi