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"on" questions

Sirico

Hungary

Hi there!

I have some questions.

1. Sales are up on last year.
2. The book is currently on loan.
I guess these sentences are correct as i saw them in a book.
But they look a bit strange to me. Do you use these expressions in this way?

3. Keep straight on for the beach. Is this correct or can I say ’to the beach’?

4. do you often use the expression „start off with”? It was in the Friday’s lesson.
Could you give me some examples?

Thanks
Bye!!!

09:46 AM Feb 13 2002 |

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john

johnSuper Member!

United States

Hi Sirico!

1. This isn’t the most common way to say this. You should say, “sales are up from last year.”

2. Saying something is “on loan” is correct. It’s a phrase that means something is being borrowed. For example, if a book you want at the library is checked out, it’s “on loan.”

3. This depends on what you’re trying to say. If someone is asking you where the beach is, you might say “keep going straight for the beach.” It implies that you are giving directions. If you are telling someone to go to the beach, you might say, “keep going straight to the beach.” It implies that you are commanding someone to go there.

I wouldn’t use “on” in this sentence because using it implies a continuous motion. “Keep on,” “go on,” “straight on” all imply that you are already doing something and someone is telling you to continue doing it.

4. Yes, we use “start off with” a lot when we are instructing people to do things. For example, if you are telling your dad how to use the VCR, you might say, “start off by pressing the POWER button.”

Hope this helps!

John

11:07 PM Feb 15 2002 |