Question About "in (your/the) school days"

hirashin

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• 7 Sep 2020

• #1

Dear native English speakers,
which one sounds natural?
(a) Were you and Mike good friends in high school days?
(b) Were you and Mike good friends in the high school days?
(c) Were you and Mike good friends in your high school days?
(d) Were you and Mike good friends back in high school?
(e) Were you and Mike good friends back in the high school?
(f) Were you and Mike good friends back in your high school?

Hirashin

 

Lothor

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• 8 Sep 2020

• #2

I think (a), (d) and (f) sound most natural.

 

hirashin

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• #3

Thanks for the help, Lothor.

 

mdchachi

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• 10 Sep 2020

• #4

I think (c), (d), (f)

 

Lothor

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Hirashin - I've just looked at mdchachi's answer and I agree with him, I must have had other things on my mind when I said (a).

 

hirashin

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• #6

Thanks, mdchachi and Lothor. Then Lothor's answer is also (c), (d), (f), right?
(c) Were you and Mike good friends in your high school days?
(d) Were you and Mike good friends back in high school?
(f) Were you and Mike good friends back in your high school?

How about this? Does it sound off?
(g) Were you and Mike good friends in high school?

 

mdchachi

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• #7

Yes (g) is good too.

 

hirashin

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• #8

Thanks, mdchachi.

 

T

tomoni

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• 16 Sep 2020

• #9

Nadachi is the man, I agree.

BUT

I would add to my mind the most natural (meaning the phrase that I would use- haha) ]



(1) Were you and Mike good friends in high school?

because I think you are referring to your "high school days" and whether (or not) you went to the same high school is not important.

Hirashin,

it seems that you are very interested in how different wording changes meaning or how grammar affects meaning. This is actually systemic grammar and I think you would find M.A.K. Halliday very interesting (functional grammar)

cheers