Welcome to Gaia! ::

no problem ^_^ heart

Meh.
I've got a horrible problem with prepositions.
Especially "at". I really don't like "at".
Any tips, anyone? sweatdrop

I hate my English teacher at the moment. Its like the idiot doesnt believe in natural talent. I can speak English fluent, but he keeps telling me to explain why I make the sentences the way I do! I hate it! I dont know why I do it, I just freaking do! [/rant]

Okay, I'll try to explain, but in all honesty I'm not really certain if I'm a good teacher or not, so sorry if this is of no help.

"At" is for if you're talking about someone, or I suppose something, else who isn't in the room. For instance, if you're talking to your mother and she's asking where your sister is you could respond with

"She's AT the store" or "She's AT school." With items it would work the same, so where's your book?

"It's AT home."


It's for a general location of something that isn't near where you are having the conversation. So, if you know where it is exactly you can say instead, "My book is in my room," or "My book is on my desk." But, at is nice for general locations.

You could also use at (though this is a more complicated use) if the thing is near you. Say you're a spy and your boss wants to know where the top secret files are. "They're always at my side." Sorry for the weird scenario but it fit.

There are other uses as well, but those are the most basic ones, so I hope that helps, at least a little. If not, you can always look on Dictionary.com they give a really good description of all the ways, if not a bit dull and technical. Or you can ask me any time you like. Whichever would help more.

Thank you. I got pretty good at helping people with English, even people born here have trouble with the language. So I figured though English is my first language I could help out here, and I love it so it works. Glad the description works, I hoped it would, though it's really easier to do when you can talk to the person *shrug*

and YES Hitchhikers is amazing. You're the first to notice the quote BTW so cookies for you. It was one of my favorite parts, and the part when he learns to fly proved too long.

Its great there's some out there burning for their own language.

My boyfriend wants to learn my native language (He's from england, I'm from Denmark), but he has no talent with languages what so ever. And I suck at explaining sweatdrop


*Snatches the cookie ninja *
Hitchhikers is awesome! Go... whats his name again? Oh well...
I like the dance they do in the first book when Ford and the earthling has been picked up by the Golden... whatever, and meet the two-headed guy. I love that. Its even better in the movie. You get a proper look at how it really looks. My brain had a har time trying to make that scene...


@Maya: It do suck, but I only have the class once or twice a week, so I survive.

There's always multiple ways to write the same thing.

I would've said:

another mistake in translation.