It is important that you should do ...

hirashin · 6 Feb 2016

Dear native English speakers,
According to my dictionary, British people use the pattern
"It is important that you should do..."

How about this one?
(a) It is important that you should wear the clothes you feel comfortable in.

Does (a) have the same meaning as (b)?
(b) It is important for you to wear the clothes you feel comfortable in.

Hirashin

mdchachi · 6 Feb 2016

I'm not a Brit but I'd say the meaning is the same. They sound correct but neither sound natural to me. In America I think most people would just say "You should..." or drop the "you" part and just say "It's important to wear comfortable clothes."

hirashin · 6 Feb 2016

Thanks, mdchachi.

Lothor · 6 Feb 2016

mdchachi said:
I'm not a Brit but I'd say the meaning is the same. They sound correct but neither sound natural to me. In America I think most people would just say "You should..." or drop the "you" part and just say "It's important to wear comfortable clothes."

I agree, and I am a Brit!

hirashin · 6 Feb 2016

Thanks, Lothor.

BillMad · 8 Feb 2016

Hi slightly off topic but do you mind if I ask you something? I've noticed that you always ask questions pertaining to learning the english language. Are you teaching someone and getting their doubts here? Or just an attempt at self learning?

hirashin · 8 Feb 2016

Herllo, BillMad. I teach English to Japanese middle and high school students. Since I haven't lived in any English-speaking countrieis, I'm not familiar with the actual use of English in native speakers' everyday lives. That's why I ask many questions here. This is a place where there are very kind native English speakers who help me. I'm really grateful.

Hirashin from Kyoto, Japan

BillMad · 9 Feb 2016

hirashin said:
Herllo, BillMad. I teach English to Japanese middle and high school students. Since I haven't lived in any English-speaking countrieis, I'm not familiar with the actual use of English in native speakers' everyday lives. That's why I ask many questions here. This is a place where there are very kind native English speakers who help me. I'm really grateful.

Hirashin from Kyoto, Japan

Thank you for your response hirashin, didnt meant to intrude or anything (I hope I didn't).

I always came across your questions and they always seemed like doubts people had, so I thought I'd ask to see if my hunch was right. Which as it turns out amazingly, totally was!!

As you're a teacher, can I ask one more question? Dont mean any offense, but how would you say an average student fares in your class? Has the influence of western movies/literature caused a small niche of students to have extremely good english skills?

Nice talking to you hirashin, hope to hear from you!

hirashin · 10 Feb 2016

Hello, BillMad.

I teach at a high school and in my own small "juku" school, which is in my small house. I teach English at the high school and math, English, Kanji characters and some other subjects in my juku school.

Have you ever been to Japan? Do you know anything about the situation of English education in Japan?

Basically, in Japan, very few people need to speak English. That's why most students aren't really motivated to learn the language, which is virtually a required subject in Japanese junior and senior high school. It is very hard to teach students who has little will to study it. I don't like teaching at high schools.

In Japan, anyone who desires to speak or write fluent English has to go to a language school or learn it by themselves.

The average fee of my juku school is about one thousand yen per hour.
I think it's reasonable.

In the near future, elementary school students will also have to learn English because the govenment wants Japanese people to be able to speak English. But probably it will bear no fruit.

Hirashin

mdchachi · 10 Feb 2016

hirashin said:
The average fee of my juku school is about one thousand yen per hour.
I think it's reasonable.

For a teacher like you it's a bargain! I think most teachers in Japan probably just teach what the textbook says. And tell their students it's wrong if it doesn't match what the book says.

johnnyG · 11 Feb 2016

@hirashin I prefer the for..to construction. Using that is okay, but it seems less common, possibly used in more formal (?) situations.

BillMad · 12 Feb 2016

hirashin said:
Hello, BillMad.

I teach at a high school and in my own small "juku" school, which is in my small house. I teach English at the high school and math, English, Kanji characters and some other subjects in my juku school.

Have you ever been to Japan? Do you know anything about the situation of English education in Japan?

Basically, in Japan, very few people need to speak English. That's why most students aren't really motivated to learn the language, which is virtually a required subject in Japanese junior and senior high school. It is very hard to teach students who has little will to study it. I don't like teaching at high schools.

In Japan, anyone who desires to speak or write fluent English has to go to a language school or learn it by themselves.

The average fee of my juku school is about one thousand yen per hour.
I think it's reasonable.

In the near future, elementary school students will also have to learn English because the govenment wants Japanese people to be able to speak English. But probably it will bear no fruit.

Hirashin

Hi Hirashin,

Thank you for your reply. No I've never been to Japan, but it was nice gaining some insight from you on this matter. Its nice you have a juku school. You must be passionate about teaching and english as a language!

hirashin · 13 Feb 2016

Thanks for the encouraging comment, mdchachi.

Thanks for the help and useful information, johnnyG.
Is the pattern "it is ... that you should ..." only used in formal situations?

Hirashin

It is important that you should do ...

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