Hi!!
Do I need to take the word, "now" out in the sentence below?:
Mouschi, Peter Van Daan’s cat, has been missing for several months now.
(Or should I just leave the word, "now" there?)
Please Help!!
Thank You!!
I'd take "now" out of this sentence because it's redundant.
Okay, thank you Ms. Sue!!
"Now" can be left in. It adds emphasis to your (or Peter's) concern and keeping an accurate record of the time. It would be an attention-grabbing way to begin a short story, but in the middle of a story, would be better left out.
drwls, are you a student, or a teacher?
DrWLS is a retired scientist.
He made a good point by pointing out that "now" emphasizes the sentence. So -- take your choice. Dr WLS and I are both "right."
To determine whether you need to remove the word "now" in the sentence, it's important to understand the function of the word in the context.
The word "now" is often used to indicate that an action or state is happening or existing at the present moment. In the given sentence, the word "now" suggests that Mouschi, the cat, has been missing for several months and is still missing at the present time.
If you remove the word "now" from the sentence, it would simply state that Mouschi has been missing for several months, without any indication of whether it is still missing or not.
So, whether you should remove the word "now" depends on whether you want to emphasize the ongoing status of Mouschi's absence. If you prefer to convey that the cat is still missing at the present time, then it is advisable to keep the word "now" in the sentence.