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[WZ]

What's the difference between:
in summer / in the summer
next Monday / the next Monday
stay home / stay at home

What do these mean:
season out of time
hear the dogs howling out of key

Which one is correct:
- How long did he spend in NY?
- How much time did he spend in NY?

Can we say:
"Ours is the best team in the school"
"You don't have to do this if you don't want (to)"?

Thank you very much.

[Pete]

>What's the difference between:
>in summer / in the summer -- I think they mean the same.
>next Monday / the next Monday
Use "next Monday" to talk about a Monday relative to the present, the time you are speaking:
- I'm going to a lecture next Monday.
Use "the next Monday" to refer to a Monday relative to another time that has been mentioned:
- I'm going to travel to Florida on November 30. I'll start home the next Monday.
>stay home / stay at home -- These generally mean the same.

>What do these mean:
>season out of time
-- I'm not certain - I think it refers to something happening when it isn't expected to happen.
>hear the dogs howling out of key
-- Again, I'm not certain. I think it simply is a way to say that something is very wrong.

>Which one is correct:
>- How long did he spend in NY?
>- How much time did he spend in NY?
-- Both are fine. "How long" would probably be more common.

>Can we say:
>"Ours is the best team in the school" -- Fine
>"You don't have to do this if you don't want (to)"? -- Fine. I think it sounds better with "to" appended.