happening
The dictionary defines the noun happening as "something that happens; an event"; many students use it frequntly in their writing, but actually, this word is rarely used. In most cases, sentences with happening sound very awkward, and so if you want to write in natural sounding English, it would be better to avoid this noun.
Strange:
- I asked my mother about how she first met my father, but she didn't want to talk about this happening.
More natural:
- I asked my mother about how she first met my father, but she didn't want to talk about it.
mention
According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the meaning of mentionis "to speak about something briefly, giving little detail or using few words". Usually, we use mention to indicate that a writer says something about a topic which is not the main topic or the main point. It is just a minor point (and that why it is only spoken about briefly, without much detail.) Many times, students use the word mention in a sentence that is grammatically correct but wrong in terms of the meaning.
Strange: - The author mentioned that the parent-child relationship is becoming a relationship like that of friends.
This sentence is grammatically correct, but it is was wrong in the context because the parent-child relationship is a fairly important point in the book. The author gives many details about it, including some quotations from Japanese teenagers about their relationships with their parents.
Better: - The author said that the parent-child relationship is becoming a relationship like that of friends.
Better: - The author described how the parent-child relationship is becoming a relationship like that of friends.
much
Much is often used in negative sentences (sentences which contain not or a verb or adverb with a negative meaning, such as rarely), but it is not usually used in positive sentences. Phrases such as a lot of or a great deal of are usually used instead.
- Strange:
- I always have much free time.
- Good:
- I always have a lot of free time.
- He doesn't have much free time.
- I rarely have much free time.
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