(To be) Up in the air
When we literally think about something up in the air, we
have the idea that something’s floating or flying in the sky, perhaps
an airplane or a balloon. But really if someone tells you that things are up in the air it means that these things are uncertain or unsure; definite plans have not been made yet.
“Jen have you set a date for the wedding yet?”
“Not exactly, things are still up in the air and
we’re not sure if our families can make it on the day we wanted.
Hopefully we’ll know soon and we’ll let you know as soon as possible.”
7. Gerunds can often be modified with possessive forms such as his, her, its, your, their, our, John's, Mary's, the machine's, and so on. This makes it clearer who or what is performing the action.
Examples:
- I enjoyed their singing. They were singing.
- She understood his saying no to the offer. He said no.
- Sam resented Debbie's coming late to the dinner. Debbie came late to the dinner.
- We discussed the machine's being broken. The machine is broken.
8. Some verbs are followed by a noun plus an infinitive. In some situations, the noun is required. In other situations, the noun is optional. List of Verbs Followed by a Noun + an Infinitive
Examples:
- The police ordered the man to stop. noun is required
- She asked to leave. noun is optional
- She asked him to leave. noun is optional
