Hi expert teachers,
I translated a short paragraph from my language into English. Please check it and correct my mistakes.
Some people do not like (watching) TV in our country. They think it is the enemy of our time. Watching TV wastes student’s time. People become lazy and indolent, and they sit around (sit encircling TV) TV every time, leaving their work, but if you notice, what is the fault of TV in this? TV should be watched when we are free or when there’s an important programme running. Like other scientific inventions, it has also advantages and disadvantages.
1: There is no mention of “watching”, can it still make sense without “watching”?
2: What is the fault of TV in this (regard). Can “in this” make sense without “regard”?
3: Can I use “on” in place of “running”?
Many thanks.
Some people do not like (watching) TV in our country. They think it is the enemy of our time. Watching TV wastes students’ time. People become lazy and indolent, and they sit around watching TV all the time, leaving their work. But if you think about it, how can TV be blamed for this? TV should be watched when we are free or when there’s an important programme on. Like other scientific inventions, it has advantages and disadvantages.
If I use ‘television’, do I have to use ‘a’ before it?
Is the use of ‘every time’ incorrect?
Can ‘fault’ be used or is it just incorrect English?
do not like watching television
do not like watching the television.
You have to use ‘the’ or a zero article.
‘Every time’ is incorrect which is why I changed it.
‘Fault’ has the correct meaning, but the sentence which included it (what is the fault of TV in this) was incorrect.
You might say:
how is TV at fault for this?
but ‘to blame’ is more natural.
Thank you very much, BN.
Does ‘every time’ need another sentence, ‘he starts watching TV every time he enters the house’?
That would be better.
It doesn’t work in the original because there is no indication of what ‘every time’ relates to.
I get that wrong every time I try it.
Every time you call him, I wonder what will happen.
You get into trouble every time you go to that place.
In the original, you could say 'they sit around watching TV all the time.
This would not be taken literally but would be an indication that they did so habitually and frequently.