He is looking ... a present to buy my girlfriend

English as a Second Language English Teacher Explanations (ESL Tests)
1

I’m wondering if something might be missing before ‘my girlfriend’ such as ‘for’ or ‘to’. Isn’t it necessary?

Thank you for your comment in advance.

2

Hi Bob,

You’re right. There is something missing and you have to choose from a,b,c or d. You have to choose ‘for’ from the list to complete the sentence.

Best wishes

Alan

3

Hi Bob,

Sorry I must be half asleep or half awake. I see the point you are making.
If we take the sentence: ‘He is buying his girlfriend a present’, we have two objects ‘girlfriend’ and ‘present’. The first object is INDIRECT and the second is DIRECT. If you write them in that order, it’s not necessary to add a preposition. If you write them is this order (DIRECT first and INDIRECT second), you need a preposition. The sentence then becomes: ‘He is buying a present FOR his girlfriend.’ In the sentence in the test, you have to imagine that the last part would read: ‘looking for a present to buy his girlfriend a present …’ but it’s not necessary to repeat ‘present’. The object ‘girlfriend’ in the test sentence is still an indirect one. I hope this makes sense and my apologies for not understanding your point.

Best wishes

Alan

4

Thank you, Alan. Now I’ve understood that the sentence is fine without any preposition.

5

hi alan,

“I hope this makes sense and my apologies for not understanding your point.”

i have a question to this sentence. how sounds it to you if i would say " take my apologies"??

wishes
judith

6

Hi Judith,

Thanks for your note. The expression: ‘my apologies’ is a shortened version of :‘please ACCEPT my apologies for …’ The verb ‘take’ is not used in this context. The expression is often used when you arrive late at a meeting or some similar type of gathering and the business has already started. As you arrive and sit down you would simply say :‘My apologies for being late.’

Regards

Alan

7

sal? alan,

‘my apologies’ is a shortened version of :'please ACCEPT my apologies for …

ok, i know that i think too much in my mother tongue… !! leider ~~
is it allowed to ask you if you speak german too???

wishes
judith

8

Hi Judith,

You are certainly allowed to ask! I took my degree at Oxford in German and so I do understand the language. It is perfectly natural to think of another language in the framework of your own. The only way round this is to learn foreign words within a context and we hope that the tests help in this direction.

Best wishes

Alan

9

voila, i’m doing my work :wink:
have a nice day
judith

10

Good question. If you look at something, you turn your eyes towards it so that you can see it.
If you are looking for something, you are trying to find it. So, you can only look at something that you have already found. In the sentence you are referring to, the person is still looking for a present, that means he hasn’t found it yet and therefore can’t be looking at it.[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, question-response: Could I see your driver’s license?[YSaerTTEW443543]

11

my teacher Tosten

you are great in your words to explain something
realy. i always search for your reply to read it

12

Hi Tosten…

Great answer–i am looking for such explanation like this…thanks!

13

I don’t know

14

I am quite agree
great answer

15

mr torsten,
when i have to use “in, on, and at” to tell about address, date of birth, etc ??

your student,
shanty

16

If you try writing some sentences using them, then we’ll tell you which are appropriate.

17

dear teacher,

let me make sentences :

  1. i live in new york on orchid avenue at orchid avenue block 1
  2. i was born in indonesia, on jakarta at 30th august 1990

its true ?? please help me my teacher,

your student,
shanty

18

I live in New York on Orchid Avenue at (or in) Orchid Avenue Block 1.
The prepositions are correct, but you need to use Capital letters for the beginning of the sentence and for each place name. You also need to complete the sentence with a full stop.

I was born in Indonesia at (or in) Jakarta on (the) 30th August, 1990.
Don’t use ‘on’ with the name of a village/town/city/country.
Use ‘on’ when speaking about specific days.

19

Dear teacher,

Oke Sir/Madam,
Thank you for answer my questions.
May i ask you more, this is my sentences. I found this when i watched a movie :

  1. Let me in, and open the door i will help u.
  2. I don’t need you, im stand on my way.

Teacher, please help me. Those are “in” and “on” in the sentences are a idiom or right word.

your student,
Shanty

20

1 is correct.
2 doesn’t makes sense. You might have misheard/ misremembered: “I don’t need you. I’m standing on my own.”