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Page 15


-The outside has already become dark. In the office only a cat sat on the floor.-

I always pass the night here. About me being in the office and the small entrance of the door, lecturers kindly turn a blind eye. There might be some lecturers who don't like a cat staying in the building.
But it is all the same to me.


-There were several books on the desk. Rickey might have borrowed them from the library. And there were several bookshelves in the room.-

Rickey spends a lot of money on books. He is a lecturer. But he is an unlikely scholar.





Today's points


-The point 1-

There might be some lecturers who don't like a cat staying in the building.

"Who" in the above is the relative pronoun. It connects two sentences and adds a explanation to a noun.
At first, this can be divided as follows.

(1)
a. There might be some lecturers.
b. Who don't like a cat staying in the building.

(1a) means we can see one lecturer but we do not know who the lecturer is. Thus, another sentence is said to explain it. It is as follows.

(2)
There might be some lecturers. They don't like a cat staying in the building.

In the above, the second sentence explains some lecturers. If the relative pronoun is used, we can use it as follows.




The noun (some lecturers) is called the antecedent.





There are some cats at the pond.
Which cat does Libre like?
You haven't seen her yet, Roy. He likes the cat who has a green collar.

There are cats around the pond. "He likes the cat" can not choose the one. Thus, "She has a green collar." can be said. But we also said with "who" of the relative pronoun.
"Who" is used to a person, but this Sherry's Diary treats the cat as the person. Usually we use "which" to creatures. This "which" is explained in Page 23.





Look at the pond, Roy.
There are a few cats at the pond.
Yeah, the cat who is drinking water is a friend of Libre's.

In the above, "who is drinking water" is put after the cat to explain the cat. This is seen as another sentence separates the one sentence.






-The point 2-

But it is all the same to me.

"All the same" means everything does not have a feature. So "It is all the same to …" means it does not relate to "…" or we are not interested in "…" And usually "It" is put on the point of the subject.


My collar is blue. How about you, Buttered?
Your collar is good, Roy. My collar is green and white.
Which collar do you like, Sherry?
It's all the same to me. How about you, Libre?
Me, too.


I saw Fiona at the pond. Her collar was green. Do you remember, Sherry?
Yes.
Pina's collar is red. I like both collars. How about you, Sherry?
It's all the same to me. How about you, Libre?
… green.




-The point 3-

Rickey might have borrowed them from the library.

"Borrow" means we can take it with not paying.
(3)
You can borrow three books for a month.

Let's go for a drive.
You don't have a car.
I have borrowed a car.

If we give something with not paying, we can use lend.

(4)
Can you lend me a pencil?
Okay.

Can I borrow money?
How much do you need?
I need one hundred dollars.
Okay. I'll lend it to you.

Moreover, "rent" can be used but it means having to pay. It is used if we use a house long time.
And when we use a car, we can use "hire." It also means having to pay.

"Borrow" means taking it and using it somewhere. When we use something on the spot, "use" is said instead of "borrow."
Can I use your phone?
And about a large thing, "lease" is also used.






-The point 4-

Rickey spends a lot of money on books.

"Spend" means using money or time. Money and time are put after "spend" and "on + a thing" is put. It means using money etc for a thing.

(5)
You bought a car.
Yes. I spent 2,000,000 yen on a new car.

Why don't you go drinking tonight?
I'd love to go. But I can't go tonight.
What do you mean?
I have no money. Actually, I spent a lot of money on a date yesterday.

"Buy" is similar to it. But it means getting something. "Spend" means using money to get something. For example, "a date" in the above is not used with "buy."
Moreover, "cost" is also used as using money.

It costs 20 dollars.




(6)
I'm going to go to Hawaii this winter.
That's great. You can spend the winter holidays in Hawaii?
I'll spend money in shopping.

After "on", something is put. Like Hawaii, other than something, "in" is also used.





Do you know Libre's friend, Sherry?
Yes. I sometimes see him.
I didn't know.
He rarely comes to the pond and the fountain. He spends a lot of time (in) looking for something to eat.

Like "He spends a lot of time in looking for something to eat.", when the ing verbs are used, "in" is often omitted.













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