Comments on: A Letter from a Close Friend: Just Another Method

By: Swara Bhaskara

Swara Bhaskara — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 05:27:57 +0000

Hi Paul,

How are you doing?

Because I was (and still am) not sure about this, I had to use the word “kayaknya”, meaning “probably”, here. Could you give us some enlightenment please?

By: Swara Bhaskara

Swara Bhaskara — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 03:38:09 +0000

Spotting the mistake by your own self indicates that you're getting better and better. Congratulation. Yes, it should be:

I made a mistake.

Plus,

What I meant was like what you wrote.

By: Swara Bhaskara

Swara Bhaskara — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 03:31:58 +0000

Kayaknya yang Paul maksudkan konteksnya gini. Beliau telah merencanakan akan pergi ke Bali dan akan bertemu dengan kami-kami. Sejak plan tersebut dibuat sampai beliau akan bertemu dengan kami waktunya sangat lama. It’s been so long to see all of you.
Tapi kalau konteksnya adalah sejak beliau berpisah dengan kami sampai beliau nulis kalimat tersebut, beliau akan bilang gini: It’s been so long NOT SEEING all of you.

By: Pal

Pal — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 03:22:00 +0000

make mistake should be made mistake, I realized it after clicking submit

By: Pal

Pal — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 03:17:52 +0000

oh.. I make mistake, what I mean is like what you write NOT before TO SEE, is that correct too?

By: Swara Bhaskara

Swara Bhaskara — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 02:28:01 +0000

Yang ditanyakan apakah

“It’s been NOT so long to see all of you” ???

Atau, NOT semestinya sebelum TO SEE,

“It’s been so long NOT to see all of you” ???

By: Pal

Pal — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 03:49:14 +0000

I am still confused with this sentence “It’s been so long to see all of you”. Why didn’t he put “not” before so long so the meaning become negative?

By: Swara Bhaskara

Swara Bhaskara — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:42:23 +0000

Thanks Paul for providing us explanations of how to combine simple present tense and present perfect tense into one understandable and acceptable sentence.

By: pknyoman

pknyoman — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:51:46 +0000

Made,

Your suggestions are better for both sentences in question. It is better to use Simple Past – “We moved to a new house about 4 years ago”.

Also, for the other sentence, I took a shortcut and really tried to combine two full thoughts into one. Your correction that would be most correct for saying what I said in one sentence is – “I have been working at Bethania….”. What I probably should have said is – “I now work at Bethania Personal Care Home. I have been working there for about a year and a half.”

The reason I probably should have made two statements is that I was trying to emphasize two distinct points – 1) I NOW have a new position with a new employer; and 2) Indicating the length of time I have been there. Hope this makes sense.

Paul