[Gansan]

The usage is always "alive to" or "aware of". But one is alive to a particular situation or danger, not to another person or country. This is the usage I have always come across, and am not able to quote any grammer or source for it.

[Klub Class]

Can some one tell me whether this sentence is right or wrong?

"Thanks for given an opportunity to serve you."

Regards
Amith

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by esteemer

I've got my English 1 exam tomorrow...

Best of luck for your exam .

PS : i thought such questions would be in the 'English 2' exam, right?

[vasoo]

Originally Posted by Klub Class

Can some one tell me whether this sentence is right or wrong?

"Thanks for given an opportunity to serve you."

Regards
Amith

"Thanks for giving an opportunity to serve you"

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Klub Class

Can some one tell me whether this sentence is right or wrong?

"Thanks for given an opportunity to serve you."

Regards
Amith

Wrong. It should be "Thanks for being given an oppurtunity to serve you".

[vineetmanghani]

Originally Posted by Gansan

Wrong. It should be "Thanks for being given an oppurtunity to serve you".

Nope.

Thanks for giving an opportunity to serve you.

You're thanking someone for doing or being something. When you say "Thanks for being....", it should be something like "Thanks for being so nice" or "Thanks for being kind enough to give an opportunity to serve you".

The person is not being given the opportunity, you are. So it can also be "I am thankful for being given an opportunity to serve you".

Hope I made it clear, and did not end up confusing anyone!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Nicely explained! You made the logic of the language clear. Explaining this way, by showing how things work, is much easier to understand than getting into technical parts of speech and the like.

I'd add a word, and also make it a little bit formal. Thanks is good for speech, but Thank you would be better in writing.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you

Also

Thank you for having given me the opportunity to serve you

[mallumowgli]

You can say thanks for something but when you are actually thanking formally and in a sentence, it is better to use thank you.

I given you a pen and you can say 'Thanks', but preferably not 'Thanks for giving this pen'. It is rather 'Thank you for giving this pen'

Am I right or am I just nitpicking?

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

You can say thanks for something but when you are actually thanking formally and in a sentence, it is better to use thank you.

I given you a pen and you can say 'Thanks', but preferably not 'Thanks for giving this pen'. It is rather 'Thank you for giving this pen'

Am I right or am I just nitpicking?

'Nitpicking' .

I too belong to the old school of thought as you, but owing to constant invasion of Yankee English in the IT world, have metamorphosed into using this lingua franca in day-to-day emails.

[Klub Class]

Thank you Vasoo, Gansan, Vineet & Thad Sir for your quick reply.

Originally Posted by vineetmanghani

You're thanking someone for doing or being something. When you say "Thanks for being....

Hope I made it clear, and did not end up confusing anyone!

Yes, you cleared my doubt very well.

Don't worry, you didn't end up confusing me

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I'd add a word, and also make it a little bit formal. Thanks is good for speech, but Thank you would be better in writing.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you

Also

Thank you for having given me the opportunity to serve you

Thank you Thad Sir for teaching me the difference between 'thanks' and 'thank you'.

As a matter of fact, I came across that sentence in the floor mat provided by the Marina Motors, Calicut. And yes, it confused me a lot!!

Attaching the picture for your reference!



Regards
Amith

[Thad E Ginathom]

Nice to see the source. Thanks for that! Looks like they put their foot in it!

Informally, thanks is fine! Thanks for the tea, but thank you for the job offer.

[noopster]

You can't give an opportunity just like that, can you? You have to give an opportunity TO someone. So "Thanks for giving an opportunity to serve you" sounds wrong. It should be "Thanks for giving us/me an opportunity to serve you".

Not on a point of grammar but isn't thanking someone for giving you an opportunity to serve them rather insincere-sounding? In fact it sounds like someone's being needlessly sarcastic. "Thanks for your patronage" is much easier on the eyes!

[vnabhi]

I like that, @noopster---"Thanks for your patronage" seems to be the most apt verbiage.

[sukiwa]

Saw this line in advt. for Fiat after sales & services.

'Because a dent in your car shouldn't put a dent in your finances.'

I feel it should have been 'dent ON your car' rather than 'dent IN your car'.

[Thad E Ginathom]

No, it is correct.

We would say a scratch on, a mark on, but a dent in.

I don't know why: maybe because the dent goes inwards?

We would also say a crack in the glass.