Re: In 10 minutes vs On 10 Minutes

the Omrud wrote:
Salvatore Volatile <me@xxxxxxxxxxx> had it:

Sen O'Leathlbhair wrote:
Donna Richoux wrote:

<snip>

The other situation is giving the name or description of a particular
time. In the US, we'd say *on* a particular day, but *at* a particular
hour and minute, and *in" a particular year. I think the Brits drop the
"on" and just say the day (Americans do that as well).

US: I'll see you on Tuesday.
UK: I'll see you Tuesday.

This all relates to idiom, you're not going to find any reason for these
patterns.

Dropping the "on" is optional in the UK. Both versions sound fine to
me. The onless version is informal.

Wait, I thought we'd always been told that it's the 'Mericans who drop the
"on" (when in fact they don't always do so) while the Brits never do.

Omrud?

Not in this case. As Sean says, the register of "I'll see you
Tuesday" is informal but acceptable in UK English. I think it's got
something to do with the verb - I am much less comfortable with "I'll
meet you Tuesday".

I agree. "I'll meet you Tuesday" does not sound natural to me. We
could try a whole range of verbs:

I'll do that on Tuesday - On may be omitted in informal speech.

I'll work on Friday - Ditto.

I'll eat fish on Friday - Sounds a bit odd without the on.

I'll eat out on Friday - Sounds fine without the on.

It doesn't sound at all simple. About the only good news for a learner
is that they all sound OK with on. I would suggest that a learner use
the on forms but be prepared to hear the onless forms.

--
Seán O'Leathlóbhair

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: I really liked this
    ... you're blowing the stereotypical idea of the Brits being all stiff upper lip and all that. ... ;-) These all sound equally as silly, entertaining and fascinating as the Yorkshire pudding boat. ...
    (rec.crafts.textiles.quilting)
  • Re: [OT].........
    ... > The top layer, Edmund and Elizabeth, they sound very English names. ... > Whoever wins, ... If the Brits would have just made a better effort a few hundred years ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: Given name Icek Eysyk and Askenaz, etc.
    ... If language were static we'd all sound the same. ... Australians, Brits, Americans, Jamaicans, Guyanase, Canadians all pronounce the same words with a bit of a twist. ... You might also have noticed "Eye-rak" for Ear-rahk particularly among higher members of American government. ...
    (soc.genealogy.jewish)
  • Re: Barbara Bush Re: ASCII convention
    ... > British English. ... how would that sound to Brits? ... Prev by Date: ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: History of French
    ... >especially when L2 learners typically have a harder time recognizing the ... I not an average L2 learner, ... certainly is a new sound there, in words where it doesn't 'belong'. ...
    (sci.lang)
Loading