Language rules can seem arbitrary, and in our own language we sometimes don't recognize a rule.
Native speakers follow language rules they don't even know they know.
This article was insightful about rules in English.
It reminds me of a time when a Chinese friend was helping one of his nieces prepare for an English test. He didn't know how to answer one of the questions, so he asked me what the difference was between being 'in front of' or being 'in the front of.' There is a nuance, at least it seemed to me.
He is in front of the store means he is standing outside the store, in front. (The bus will pick him up in front of the store.)
He is in the front of the store means he is inside the store but in the front. (The manager is in the front of the store.)
Karin
Originally posted 2007-05-20 16:31:50.
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