Forum anglais: Questions sur l'anglais
Tout ce qui a un rapport avec l'apprentissage de l'anglais: grammaire, orthographe, aides aux devoirs, phrases etc.
dates back to
Message de speedtiti posté le 16-04-2007 à 18:15:35 (S | E | F | I)
Hello !
I'm keen on using "date back to" when I want to set something in time but here's my question : we can say "it dates back to the eighties" or "it dates back to 2005", but can we say :
- it dates back to a long period of time : "ça remonte à il y a longtemps" ?
and/or
- it dates back to 2 years ago : "ça remonte à il y a 2 ans" ?
Thanks !
Message de speedtiti posté le 16-04-2007 à 18:15:35 (S | E | F | I)
Hello !
I'm keen on using "date back to" when I want to set something in time but here's my question : we can say "it dates back to the eighties" or "it dates back to 2005", but can we say :
- it dates back to a long period of time : "ça remonte à il y a longtemps" ?
and/or
- it dates back to 2 years ago : "ça remonte à il y a 2 ans" ?
Thanks !
Réponse: dates back to de aimen7, postée le 16-04-2007 à 21:04:53 (S | E)
Hello
Je dirais "It goes back a long ime" pour "ça remonte à il y a longtemps", quoique je préfère "ça remonte à longtemps".
et "It dates back two years" pour "ça remonte à il y a 2 ans"
Il y aura sûrement d'autres idées.
Réponse: dates back to de mp27, postée le 16-04-2007 à 22:37:22 (S | E)
Hello speedtiti!
Your question:
Can we say:
1- it dates back to a long period of time
2- it dates back to 2 years ago ?
1 - Remove the word "to"
You get: it dates back a long period of time
better: it dates back a long time (period of: not necessary)2 - It's correct
One could also say: it takes back two years. (same meaning)Remember:
A) - it dates back to + a SPECIFIC TIME or DATE
Antiquity
the Middle Ages
the early XVIIth century
1936
the 1960s
my childhood
my time at university
her accident (= the day of her accident)
the spring of 2002
April 15, 2005
yesterday
B) - 1/it dates back + DURATION of TIME
(more than) 2 million years
(as far back as) 2,000 years
3 centuries
a (very) long time --> comme dans ton exemple
45 years
(about) 3 months
Possible:
B) - 2/it dates back + to + [DURATION of TIME]+ ago
B1, simpler and neater than B2, but both are correct
Réponse: dates back to de speedtiti, postée le 17-04-2007 à 10:55:22 (S | E)
Thank you both ! That is exactly the information I sought !!!
Many, many thanks !
