# When is "next Saturday"/"last Monday?"



## panjandrum

Today is Thursday 7 July.
People say that we should meet "this Saturday" meaning Saturday 9 July or we should meet "next Saturday" meaning Saturday 16 July.

But the Saturday coming "next" is 9 July 

My questions: 
What is the date of this Saturday? Local answer is 9 July
What is the date of next Saturday? Local answer is 16 Julyl


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## Jana337

Well, people simply think in terms of weeks...

Jana


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## Whodunit

panjandrum said:
			
		

> My questions:
> (1) What is the date of this Saturday? Local answer is 9 July
> (2) What is the date of next Saturday? Local answer is 16 Julyl



(1) I'd say "this Saturday (approching)"
(2) I'd use "the Saturday after next"


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## fenixpollo

panjandrum said:
			
		

> People say that we should meet "this Saturday" meaning Saturday 9 July or we should meet "next Saturday" meaning Saturday 16 July.


If you say "Let's meet this Saturday," it's clear that you mean July 9th. If you say "Let's meet next Saturday," many people will understand you to mean July 16th. Many other people, however, will understand you to mean July 9th, since (as you say) it is the next Saturday on the calendar. Sometimes they will ask you, "Do you mean this Saturday or next Saturday?" or "Do you mean next Saturday, or the Saturday after next?" 

Each person is different, though, so take this as one person's opinion.  



> What is the date of this Saturday? Local answer is 9 July
> What is the date of next Saturday? Local answer is 16 Julyl


 What is this Saturday's date? It's July 9th.
What is next Saturday's date? It's July 16th.

Some AE corrections there.

Saludos.


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## garryknight

We've discussed this one before, in this thread.


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## panjandrum

Ooops....


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## Kelly B

psst... just say you didn't know search was working again... how were you supposed to know?


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## panjandrum

Kelly B said:
			
		

> psst... just say you didn't know search was working again... how were you supposed to know?


Thanks - I'll try that. I mean, how was I supposed to find a thread about this winter when I am confused about next Saturday.

Sorry mod. I did not know that this topic had been raised before.
I did not know that the search facility was working again. 
I am innocent.

I think I got away with it this time. Thanks Kelly B. I could not have done it without your help.


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## garryknight

panjandrum said:
			
		

> how was I supposed to find a thread about this winter when I am confused about next Saturday.


You weren't. 



			
				panjandrum said:
			
		

> Sorry mod. I did not know that this topic had been raised before.


That's why I posted a link to it. For anyone interested to see what had been said previously. 




			
				panjandrum said:
			
		

> I think I got away with it this time. Thanks Kelly B. I could not have done it without your help.


Damn! I just can't make out that small print. I wish I knew what they were whispering about...


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## jess oh seven

it completely depends on the person and their way of thinking - it has little to do with the language!  i have friends who think "next Saturday" is this one coming, and ones who think that it means the one after this one coming! 

but I would say:
this Saturday = the Saturday that's coming first
next Saturday = the second Saturday


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## matar0

In my view “next” is used for a singular temporal unit (a singular noun) otherwise  “coming” or “following” are used
 
What if he doesn't study hard in the next month?
-If he doesn't study hard in the next month, he *cannot** be promoted *
 
(By the way is it correct to put "in" in the above sentences?)
 
 
What if he doesn't study hard in the next coming/following months?
-If he doesn't study hard in the next coming/following months, he *cannot** be promoted. *


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## User1001

matar0 said:


> In my view “next” is used for a singular temporal unit (a singular noun) otherwise  “coming” or “following” are used
> 
> What if he doesn't study hard in the next month?
> -If he doesn't study hard in the next month, he *cannot** be promoted *
> 
> (By the way is it correct to put "in" in the above sentences?)
> 
> 
> What if he doesn't study hard in the next coming/following months?
> -If he doesn't study hard in the next coming/following months, he *cannot** be promoted. *




After this project, the following project will be even more difficult! 
This coming Friday, I'll be hanging out with some babes. 
Next month, I will be in school. 

I don't think there really are any set rules for using those three words. They can just be inverted in certain scenarios. Maybe those three examples I gave you can be applied to your question.

And also, next/coming/following would all work for your first sentence:


What if he doesn't study hard in the next month? 
What if he doesn't study hard in the coming month? 
What if he doesn't study hard in the following month?


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## maxiogee

matar0 said:


> If he doesn't study hard in the next month, he *will not* be promoted
> 
> (By the way is it correct to put "in" in the above sentences?)



I would always be very cautious of being as absolutist as to say "cannot".

As to "in" — although strictly speaking it only means "at some time in" it is used to mean "during" with overtones of "continuation". 
The sentence could stand without it — If he doesn't study hard next month, he will not be promoted.


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## matar0

You all say that there is no difference between these words, but is it correct to say:
What if he doesn't study hard in the next months ?


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## Dalanis

Hello!

The way I understand it from working with Americans and Canadians for 13 years is as follows. They refer to "coming" when they are talking about the current period, for example "We're meeting this coming Friday", means the Friday of this week. When they say "We're meeting the following Friday" they are referring to the Friday of next week, therefore, "We're meeting next Friday" also means, the Friday of next week. 

Hope this helps,


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## User1001

matar0 said:


> You all say that there is no difference between these words, but is it correct to say:
> What if he doesn't study hard in the next months ?



That sounds fine, but you would hear it more commonly said like this: "What if he doesn't study hard in the coming months?"


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## supercyxo

matar0 said:


> You all say that there is no difference between these words, but is it correct to say:
> What if he doesn't study hard in the next months ?



Sounds odd, but it works. It is more appropriate to give some idea of time, such as "What if he doesn't study hard in the next few months?" Also, next, coming and following are synonyms and can be used interchangeably, but  "coming" is used best when relating to this very month, whereas "next" & "following" can be used when relating to this month or any other previously noted month.


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## Snowman75

*"following"* is only used if you have already established a time period in the past or the future _(not the present)_ and you are talking about something that happens relative to that time period.

*"coming"* will always be interpreted as relative to the present if possible. Only when this interpretation is impossible will it be synonymous with *"following"*.

Compare:

(1) *"In 3 months time I'm going to Italy. The following month I'm going to Germany."*
(2) *"In 3 months time I'm going to Italy. The coming month I'm going to Germany."*

In (1) I am going to Germany in 4 months time. In (2) I am going to Germany in 1 month.

But, if we move everything to the past tense:

(3) *"3 months ago I went to Italy. The following month I went to Germany."*
(4) *"3 months ago I went to Italy. The coming month I went to Germany."*

In (4) *"coming"* cannot be interpreted relative to the present because we've used a verb in the past tense. That means it has the same meaning as *"following"* and so (3) and (4) mean the same thing.

*"next"* normally works the same way as *"following"*, however it can also be used in some special ways that make it the same as *"coming"*. For example you can sometimes use it without an article:

(5) *"In 3 months time I'm going to Italy. The next month I'm going to Germany."*
(6) *"In 3 months time I'm going to Italy. Next month I'm going to Germany."*

Here (5) = (1) and (6) = (2). In other words, *"the next month"* = *"the following month"*, but *"next month"* = *"the coming month"*. However there are only a limited number of ways you can use *"next"* to mean *"coming"*, for example you cannot say *"in next month" *or *"next months"* (without the article) .

Another special use of *"next"* is in phrases such as *"the next few months"*, *"the next 5 months"* etc. - in these phrases it normally has the meaning of *"coming"*, but it could have the meaning of *"following"* depending on the context.

*"The next few weeks will be difficult"*

Here *"next"* has the same meaning as *"coming"*.

*"I'm going to Italy in 3 months. For the next 4 weeks I'll get to experience Italian culture first hand"*

Here the *"next"* could mean either *"coming"* or *"following"*, but it will probably be interpreted as *"following"* because that's the only thing that makes sense in the context of the trip to Italy.

And one final example:

*"We started a big project at this time last year. The next few months were difficult."*

Here there is no ambiguity because *"were difficult"* is in the past tense. In this sentence the words *"following"*, *"coming"* and *"next"* really are interchangeable.

Hmm... this is all much more complicated than I realised. There are probably even more rules that I haven't mentioned. I hope all this hasn't been too confusing.


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## Snowman75

Dalanis said:


> Hello!
> 
> The way I understand it from working with Americans and Canadians for 13 years is as follows. They refer to "coming" when they are talking about the current period, for example "We're meeting this coming Friday", means the Friday of this week. When they say "We're meeting the following Friday" they are referring to the Friday of next week, therefore, "We're meeting next Friday" also means, the Friday of next week.
> 
> Hope this helps,


If someone said to me *"we're meeting the following Friday"*, I'd respond with *"following what?"*. *"following"* only makes sense if there is some other time period (besides the present) that has already been established. *"I'm sending an email out next Wednesday and we're meeting the following Friday"*.


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## matar0

I learnt that there is a clear difference in meaning amomg "next, coming and following" , but I also learnt that people in speaking tend to ignore the rules and to use them interchangeably.
Here is the rule I took in:
*Next*:
usually used as a synonym of "following" for a singular-noun time period,  : 
Let's see next month  (= if now it is March, we are  seeing sometime in                                                                                         April)
Let's see next Friday (= whatever day it is today, on Friday of next week)
"In 3 months' time I'm going to Italy. The next(=the following) month I'm going to Germany."

*Although the context anyway steers you in the right direction, it should be incorrect to form sentences like:*
"In 3 months' time I'm going to Italy. The next months I'm staying there to work as a bankclerk."

And:
"In 3 months time I'm going to Italy. Next month I'm going to Germany."

It is clear that in the first sentence we mean "following" and in the second one we mean "coming", but as a rule these are an incorrect usages of "next"   *(*in the first sentence we are using "next" for a plural time unit, while in the second sentence we are using "next" as a synonym of "coming" whereas it is as a rule  always a synonym of "following", and so if we were strict grammarians we should consider the meaning of that "next"="following",  and so we should consider that I'm going to Germany in 4 months' time*)*     and so we should avoid them (please give me a confirmation of that).
The only exception to the rule is the fixed expression "the next few months", in which we have a plural time unit and "next" accompanied by "few" exceptionally means "coming" and not "following".

*Coming:*
Often strenghtened by "this" which is put before "coming", must be interpreted as relative to the present. It can be used both for singular and plural time units  : 
"We're meeting  (this/the)  coming Friday", means the Friday of this week
"In 3 months time I'm going to Italy. The coming month I'm going to Germany." , means I am going to Germany in 1 month's time.
"In 3 months time I'm going to Italy. The coming two months I'm going to Germany." , means I am going to Germany in 2 months' time.


"Coming"  never acts as synonym of "following". For instance in the sentence:
*"We started a big project at this time last year. The next(=following) months were difficult."
*In this sentence "next", "following" and "coming" *can't* be used interchangeably. "next"="following" can be used interchangeably to mean the months after the beginning of the project. "coming"="the next few" can be used interchangeably to mean the future months with respect to the present. 
*"We started a big project at this time last year. The coming(=the next few) months are difficult."*


*Following:*
*"following"* is only used if you have already established a time period in the past or the future _(not the present)_ and you are talking about something that happens relative to that time period: 

I had a very relaxing holiday, but I would study hard the following month.                            
I had a very relaxing holiday, but I would study hard the following months. 
meaning the months after the holiday.

Finally, is it correct to say:
*I will study hard in the months following the classwork.          ??*


P.S. I wrote this message with reference to my previous thread http://forum.wordreference.com/showpost.php?p=1364840
and espacially to the message of Snowman http://forum.wordreference.com/showpost.php?p=1364840&postcount=7

Thank you Very Much


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## panjandrum

Here are a few selective personal comments.





> Let's meet next Friday (= whatever day it is today, on Friday of next week)


Don't assume that everyone will understand that.
Check out *[...]* the link in post #5.



> "In 3 months time I'm going to Italy. Next month I'm going to Germany."


I see nothing wrong with that? OK so normally I would write these sentences the other way round, but it is perfectly clear as written. I am going to Italy in ... January. I am going to Germany in November.

*Coming *... ?
I would say *coming* is always collocated with *this* - this coming Friday, this coming week etc - and is always used with a singular time period.
It is used sparingly, but specifically to avoid the confusion created by next Friday etc.

*The following* should be related to a future point in time (or to future in the past).
I had a very relaxing holiday, but I would study hard the following month(s). That doesn't work for me.
I will study hard in the months following the classwork. ?? That is OK.
I agreed that I would study hard in the months following the classwork. Also OK.

Finally, I'm not sure why you didn't attach your summary to the existing thread.


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## Snowman75

Hi matar0,

I'm not sure whether your intention was to restate the rules from my previous post, or whether you disagree with some of them. The rules as you've stated them are *not* the same as the ones I outlined in my post. For example:



matar0 said:


> *Although the context anyway steers you in the right direction, it should be incorrect to form sentences like:*
> "In 3 months' time I'm going to Italy. The next months I'm staying there to work as a bankclerk."


 
I never said that this form was incorrect. It does sound a little unusual, but here "next" is synonymous with "following". "following" would sound more natural.



> "In 3 months time I'm going to Italy. Next month I'm going to Germany."


 
I never said that this was wrong either. I said that the plural version ("next months") without the article would be incorrect.

There are other places as well where you appear to have misinterpreted what I said in my previous post - I suggest you go back and look at it more carefully. I've double-checked what I wrote and I still think it is all fairly accurate. I'd be interested to hear any other native opinions.

If there is anything specific in my previous post which is unclear or which you have trouble understanding, please ask.


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## cheshire

(1) If today (October 1) is Monday, which is better for referring to October 3 with, "next Wednesday" or "this Wednesday"?

(2) If today (October 5) is Friday, which is better to refer to October 7 with, "this Sunday" or "next Sunday"?

(3) Which is the start of a week, Sunday or Monday?


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## Lalajuela

My answers are bold- hope it helps

(1) If today (October 1) is Monday, which is better for referring to October 3 with, "next Wednesday" or "*this Wednesday*"?

(2) If today (October 5) is Friday, which is better to refer to October 7 with, "*this Sunday*" or "next Sunday"?

(3) Which is the start of a week, Sunday or Monday? *Sunday (technically, even though Sunday is part of the weekend, it's how the calendar is formed)*


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## hly2004

"this Wednesday" means 'the Wednesday" of "this week"
"next wednesday" means "the wednesday" of "next week"

Just my 2 cents


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## cheshire

Lalajuela, why did you choose "*this *Sunday" in (2)? If a week starts with Sunday, it's in the next row from today. Thus, isn't it "*next* Sunday"?


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## Lalajuela

The reason I chose "this Sunday" in number two is because when you are so close to the coming date (only a few days before), we say "this_____" because it's the closest one.  I would usually say "next__________" when I am still over a week away from that date. 

Example: Today is Wednesday, November 22. *THIS *Friday is November 24, and *NEXT *Friday is December 1. 

I know this is confusing because "next" usually means the one that comes right away. To clarify what I mean in my example, one can add and change some words to make it more specific. 

Example: Today is Wednesday, November 22. *This coming *Friday is November 24, and *the following *Friday is December 1. 

Let me know if you want me to clarify any further


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## cheshire

Lalajuela,  my mentor! If I understood correctly, your explanation is as follows: 

(4) Choice between "this" and "next" has nothing to do with the start of a week. If today is *Wednesday* October 1, "this -day" ranges from *Thursday* October 2 to *Tuesday* October 7. [this Thursday, this Friday,...this Tuesday]. From October 8 on, "next -day." [next Wednesday October 8, next Thursday October 9,...]

Correct me if I'm misinterpreting. Thanks a lot!


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## Lalajuela

You seem to have understood completely. Just so you know, this can be a confusing thing even for native speakers. Often times when this comes up in conversation we will stop each other and say, "Wait, do you mean this Friday coming in a few days, or the one after that?" because the terms can be so vague and confusing. I would say that what I have told you is simply how I have used it and heard it used my whole life. If there are other, more specific rules, I am not aware of them. Let me know if I can be of further help!


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## gaer

cheshire said:


> (1) If today (October 1) is Monday, which is better for referring to October 3 with, "next Wednesday" or "this Wednesday"?
> 
> (2) If today (October 5) is Friday, which is better to refer to October 7 with, "this Sunday" or "next Sunday"?
> 
> (3) Which is the start of a week, Sunday or Monday?


There are problems here, and the use of "this" and "next" often lead to misunderstandings.

If it is Thursday and I say "this Monday", most people will assume that I am talking about four days later. Few would think I meant three days earlier.

But I think there are less ambigious solutions. I would suggest:

This coming Monday (meaning the next possible Monday). 

If it is Thursday and I want to indicate a week later, I would say "A week from this coming Monday".

Even then I might get a question: "Which Monday do you mean?"

At that point you say, "Monday the ___". You give the date to remove all confusion. 

The whole "this/next" topic is complicated, in my opinion. If there is any doubt, it's always best to assume ambiguity and specify a date!

Gaer


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## volver

Hello,


Today is Monday 6th August.

Today, my colleague said that I need to book a flight next Wednesday.

Would it be this coming Wednesday or the following Wednesday?

Could you please enlighten me?


Thank you

VOLVER


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## Trisia

Oh boy. Here's a really interesting thread about it.

My personal suggestion... ask him!

(Oh, and next time, run a search in the forum *before *posting a question )


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## volver

Thank you Trisia.


I have checked the treads but I still don't get it.


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## panjandrum

To summarise the other thread: you can't be certain which Wednesday he means.
This is too important for you to act on the basis of the mixed advice you will get here.
You need to ask your colleague.
<...>


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## AVim

For the sentence: They're going to be married next May.

Because it's August now, I can see it refers to the May in the next year; But let's assume it's April now, what does the 'next May' refer to? The May in this year, or the May in next year?


Thanks in advance!


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## SwissPete

To me, it would mean May of this year (if we are in April).

But there seems to be some controversy, so wait for more comments.


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## Forero

"Next May" usually means May of next year.  May of the same year is "this May".  In April, May of this year is also "next month".

"The next May" may be a different thing, depending on context.


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## Wobby

I think I would probably say that next May referred to the May of the following year, regardless of whether you were before or after May. I guess it would be a logical contradiction in that the next May would theoretically be the one in the same year if the speaker were in the months of the same year before May, but I guess a justification is that I wouldn't use the definite article... EDIT: As *Forero* just mentioned! 

But there has to be some way of making the distinction: for me, I would say "this May" or "this coming May", or simply "in May" (with context suggesting I am referring to the May of this year) if I were in the months prior to May to refer to the May of the same year. I would say "next May" to signify the May of next year. But with people using different conventions, I still find sometimes I have to clarify the speaker's intention. The same would apply with weekdays.


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## JamesM

I do not think there is clear agreement among native speakers about the meaning of "next X", whether dealing with a day of the week (next Saturday) or a particular month (next May).  

I think many speakers avoid the ambiguity by expressing it in some other way.  Others simply argue that their interpretation of "next" is correct and any confusion is the result of ignorance on the part of the other person.


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## marget

I would tend to think that it would mean May of the following year. If someone were to say to me right now, in the month of August: "I'm getting married next September",  I would understand it to mean next year.  But just to clarify, I might ask "this September or next"?


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## sdgraham

JamesM has it nailed down quite well.

To me, "next" September starts this coming Monday.

I cannot see how some people can consider it anything else. 

I don't think they would consider "the girl next door" as living two houses down the street.


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## Mr.X Senior

Next (adj) according to SOED is "Immediately succeeding or preceding in order, precedence, importance, etc." 

Therefore, next May , in the time of April, is the May of the same year.

If you confused, think "next bus stop".


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## SwissPete

> If you confused, think "next bus stop".


 
or "Next!" at the barbershop.


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## Nikola

JamesM said:


> I do not think there is clear agreement among native speakers about the meaning of "next X", whether dealing with a day of the week (next Saturday) or a particular month (next May).
> 
> I think many speakers avoid the ambiguity by expressing it in some other way.  Others simply argue that their interpretation of "next" is correct and any confusion is the result of ignorance on the part of the other person.


I agree with this I have heard next to be both this May and the following May.So I think in popular usage it can be misinterpreted.


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## Forero

If it is April and we stress the word _next_ in "next May", I don't expect anyone in my part of the world to interpret it as May of the same year.


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## JamesM

You mean like this, Forero?  



sdgraham said:


> To me, "next" September starts this coming Monday.
> 
> I cannot see how some people can consider it anything else.
> .


 
I'm afraid this thread is just proving my point.  There are adamant proponents of both interpretations, and even those camps are divided when it comes to different contexts.


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## Forero

I think the difference is regional, and it does depend on context.  I meant to be reporting for my region (Mid-South) and this context (with month name, no _the_, future not past).


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## Elwintee

Forero said:


> I think the difference is regional, and it does depend on context.  I meant to be reporting for my region (Mid-South) and this context (with month name, no _the_, future not past).



As a speaker of BE, living in London, I would say it's far more usual to say 'this May' for May this year and 'next May' for May next year.  This seems logical, as we are already 'in' this year (with its months to come), so the year immediately following is 'next year'.  When referring to previous months in this year, incidentally, I would just say the month: "I went to Portugal in April".  If my holiday happened a year ago, I would say "I went to Portugal last April".


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## liliput

I agree that, in BE at least, it's far more usual to hear "this May" or "in May" if we're talking about the current year. This avoids any misinterpretation of _next_. If we're talking about September 2008, _next_ is redundant - "in September" is clear enough. If I wanted to talk about September 2009 now, in August 2008, I would probably say "next September", or to be clearer; "not this September but the next one". If someone said to me "next September" I would assume it to mean September 2009 but would probably seek to confirm it, just in case; "September next year?".


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## panjandrum

As you can see from the previous discussions on this topic, this terminology is confusing - so be careful.


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## bobinba

Lately I have heard several people say something like "it happened *last April*" when they were referring to April of *this year. *I always thought that if you were talking about something in the past and said "*last April*" then you were referring to April in the *previous year*; if you just say "April" (w/o the "last") when talking about past events then the current year is implied.


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## Brioche

In my dialect, last April is _April 2008_, next April is _April 2009_.

The _April before last_ is April 2007.

Prior to and during April 2008, _last April _was April 2007.


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## FabiArgentina

Have you ever heard the expressions "last Wendesday" or "last week"? They refer to the recently past Wendesday or week. Well, it is the same case with "last April". 
Hope that help you!
Fabiana


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## Grumpy Old Man

Brioche said:


> In my dialect, last April is _April 2008_, next April is _April 2008_.


Australian English is very peculiar!  What do you say if you want to refer to April 2009?


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## Rover_KE

This causes endless confusion, even in close families like ours, where we've been communicating with each other for decades and think we understand one another perfectly.

If it's Monday, I'll say 'We'll pay that bill on Wednesday (this week)' or 'a week on Wednesday (next week)'.  My wife might say 'Let's go out for dinner next Saturday(meaning later this week)'.  I still have to make her clarify which Saturday she means.

To avoid misunderstandings, it's always better to specify which day or month you're referring to, especially when talking to strangers.

To return to the original question, to me 'last April' was the one in 2008 and 'next April' (or 'this coming April') will be in 2009.

Rover


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## FromPA

I agree with Rover.  The meaning of "next" and "last" can vary by speaker.  It's better to be very specific to avoid ambiguity.


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## Starfrown

To me, "last April" would refer to April of 2007; I would use "this past April" for April 2008.  Similarly, if it were now January 2009, I would refer to February 2009 as "this (upcoming) February" and February 2010 as "next February."  My usage is the same for days of the week.

I wonder whether there is regional variation on this.


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## MonkeyHawk

For me, "last April" was April, 2008.

"A year ago last April" was April, 2007.

April, 2009 is "next April."  

In practice, during May 2008 it would be "last month."  Since April is pretty recent to life in May, "last April" might be thought to be April 2007, but by June 2008 or so, "last April" is pretty much established as April, 2008.


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## Toadie

Grumpy Old Man said:


> Australian English is very peculiar!  What do you say if you want to refer to April 2009?


I think it was a typo, and he meant to say April 2009 for "next April".



Starfrown said:


> To me, "last April" would refer to April of 2007; I would use "this past April" for April 2008.  Similarly, if it were now January 2009, I would refer to February 2009 as "this (upcoming) February" and February 2010 as "next February."  My usage is the same for days of the week.
> 
> I wonder whether there is regional variation on this.


That's quite odd to me!  I would assume "last" and "this past" April referred to the same thing.  As far as days of the week go, I would actually have to agree with you.  With today being Sunday the 28th, for me, "this Monday" would be Monday the 29th, and "next Monday" would be Monday the 5th.


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## chicoinglés

So would I, even though I speak a different variety of English to you


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## Thomas Tompion

Here is quite a long and interesting thread on this quite common topic.

It's particularly tricky because even those people who take next Tuesday to be 6th January, rather than 30th December (which they call this Tuesday, I suppose) (today is Sunday 28th December), do not see next week as starting on Monday 12 January. By next Tuesday they don't even mean Tuesday in next week, because if we were on a Saturday they would say next Tuesday to mean the second Tuesday coming, i.e. the Tuesday in the week after next.

For these reasons and for others concerning consistency of language I always call the next Tuesday to come, next Tuesday, and the last Tuesday past, last Tuesday. If I ever say This Tuesday, I try to correct the ambiguity, by saying something like this Tuesday coming, or this last Tuesday.

As others have warned, we have no widespread convention about this.


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## Starfrown

Toadie said:


> I think it was a typo, and he meant to say April 2009 for "next April".


 
And quite an amusing typo at that.



Toadie said:


> That's quite odd to me! I would assume "last" and "this past" April referred to the same thing. As far as days of the week go, I would actually have to agree with you. With today being Sunday the 28th, for me, "this Monday" would be Monday the 29th, and "next Monday" would be Monday the 5th.


 
I once discussed this with my brother and cousin, and I found that they followed the same guidelines.  I wish there were more posters from the South to weigh in on this.


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## Phil-Olly

But ...getting back to the original question, I'm fascinated by how relative the terms 'this' and 'next' are, when applied to say, this _week_, or this _weekend._

For example (where I come from) ..
1.  On Monday: 'What did you get up to *this* weekend?'  means the one just gone.
2.  Also on Monday: 'What are you doing *next* weekend?' means _in 5 days' time_.
3.  But on Wednesday: 'What are you doing *this* weekend?' refers to the same weekend as in 2 - except it's now only 3 days away.
4.  And (still on Wednesday) 'What did you get up to *last* weekend?' refers to the same weekend as in 1.

However, as Jess says, it does seem to vary quite a lot from person to person.


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## Toadie

Starfrown said:


> And quite an amusing typo at that.
> 
> 
> 
> I once discussed this with my brother and cousin, and I found that they followed the same guidelines.  I wish there were more posters from the South to weigh in on this.


By the way, I really am from the south (rural North Carolina and Alabama), though I happen to live in Maryland at the moment, if that at all changes anything.


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## 8769

Suppose it is Tuesday today and somebody says “next Saturday,” when do you think it means, #1 or #2?
1. Saturday this week
2. Saturday next week

I thought #1, but I’m not sure.


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## xqby

I would assume #2, but probably request clarification. It depends on how you interpret it; I think either way is valid.

Edit: Ah, we've done this one before.


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## Corky Ringspot

I agree with xqby; it should mean x2, but people often check by saying "Do you mean this Saturday coming, or..." Crazy. Without clarification, I wouldn't rely on it to mean Saturday x2.


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## Bevj

I would take it to mean #2, and if I meant #1, I would say 'this coming Saturday'.
But as Corky says, I would probably add something more for clarification.


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## a little edgy

I'm happy to see that this vexing problem occurs on both sides of the Atlantic. Like the other respondents, I think the meaning of "next Saturday" is "a week from this [coming] Saturday," but people confuse the two all the time. If I were invited today (Tuesday, November 24) to an event for "next Saturday," I would assume that the invitation was for Saturday, December 5 but would certainly double-check because my host might have meant Saturday, November 28. 

I suppose that "next Saturday" arose as an abbreviation of "the *next Saturday* after this coming one." It's a confusing expression.


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## Juve2000

This is my rule:

You are only allowed to use the word `NEXT`if you are currently living in the period you are referring to, otherwise using `NEXT` only creates confusion.

For example:

Say `I am going to Italy next summer`only if it is summer right now.
Say `I am going skiing next December` only if it is December now.
Say `I am taking next Wednesday off` if it is Wednesday.


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## JustKate

Juve2000, welcome to the forum. But...

That may be your rule, but it's definitely not a universal rule.


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## Egmont

JustKate said:


> ... That may be your rule, but it's definitely not a universal rule.


I agree with you, as I usually do - but it's not a bad one. I may remember it. However, can we modify it a bit to allow "next" in the period just prior to that one? For example, it's now August 2013. If I say "I am going to Italy next September," isn't it fairly clear that I mean 2014? If I meant September 2013, I'd say "next month." (Come to think of it, that use of "next" also violates Juve's rule but is completely unambiguous.)


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## JustKate

Egmont said:


> I agree with you, as I usually do - but it's not a bad one. I may remember it. However, can we modify it a bit to allow "next" in the period just prior to that one? For example, it's now August 2013. If I say "I am going to Italy next September," isn't it fairly clear that I mean 2014? If I meant September 2013, I'd say "next month." (Come to think of it, that use of "next" also violates Juve's rule but is completely unambiguous.)



How ambiguous or unambiguous _next_ is depends *so* much on context. That's the case with many things, of course, but with _next_ it matters even a bit more than usual. For example, when it's contrasted with _this_, its meaning is usually very clear:
_"This summer has been so dry. I hope the drought doesn't continue through next summer."_ (Unambiguous, I think)
Q: _"Do you leave this Wednesday?"_ A: _"No, next Wednesday. I had to change my plans."_ (Unambiguous, I think)

But when there's nothing to compare _next_ to, it can be a bit iffy. I agree that "I am going to Italy next September" would almost certainly mean 2014 if that sentence is said in August 2013, but if I heard it in January 2013, I would have assumed the meaning was "September 2013." I might have been wrong about that, but that is what I would have assumed.

When you're talking about days of the week, it's just as iffy. I know people who say "next Wednesday" and mean "the Wednesday after this coming Wednesday," but I have also repeatedly seen these same people have to explain themselves ("No, I don't mean this coming Wednesday - I mean Wednesday of next week") to the many people who don't interpret _next_ in the same way.


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## Thomas Tompion

I continue to hold that there's no established convention about this.  People use the expression differently.  I quite often find myself asking for clarification when people use the expression.

People do say 'next Wednesday' on days other than Wednesday, and I agree that it causes confusion.  So much confusion that even if they say it on a Wednesday, it's not always clear what they mean.


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## Natsuna

Let's say that today is Friday, July 20th. Do you say "last Monday" or "on Monday this week" instead of "on July 16th"? If you went to Nagoya on July 16th, does it mean that you went there last Monday?


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## Copyright

Last Monday, for me.


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## natkretep

Moderator note:
I've merged Natsuna's question with a mega thread. Some of the posts above should be relevant.

I don't think there is agreement. I might say 'this Monday', or just 'on Monday'. 'Last Monday' could mean the Monday last week for me.


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## JustKate

I know it's not used consistently, and in fact, I'm pretty sure *I* am not consistent. I think, under the circumstances you describe, Natsuma, if I said "last Monday," I would mean July 16 and if someone said it to me, I'd guess that person meant the same thing. But because I am so inconsistent, and because I know other people are too, I probably wouldn't say that. I'd probably say something like "this past Monday" to make it clear which Monday I meant. And if someone said "last Monday," I'd guess he meant the 16th but I'd probably ask him to clarify.

We say this sort of thing a lot - it's very common - but it probably shouldn't be common because it is so easy to misunderstand. Nonetheless, we keep having conversations a lot like this:
A: Were you here last Monday?
B: Last Monday? You mean this week or last week?
A: This week - July 16.
B: Oh, right. No, I wasn't. I took a vacation day.

We have that kind of conversation *all* the time. At least I do.


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## Forero

Natsuna said:


> Let's say that today is Friday, July 20th. Do you say "last Monday" or "on Monday this week" instead of "on July 16th"? If you went to Nagoya on July 16th, does it mean that you went there last Monday?


Not for me. In this context I might call July 16 "this past Monday" but certainly not "last Monday".

"Last Monday" does not necessarily refer to the last Monday before today. It means the last Monday before "this Monday".

Now, "this ...day" might mean either "this next/coming ...day" or "this past ...day", but looking at this coming Monday, July 23, from my Friday point of view, I assign it to "next week", after the all-important weekend break, which means I would not call it "this Monday" but "next Monday".

This means that "this Monday" must be July 16th, and "last Monday" would have to be July 9th. It is also clear, if I say I went to Nagoya this Monday, that "this Monday" is in the part of this week that has already past.

On the other hand, sometimes I get "ahead of myself" thinking about next week as if it were already here. On Friday I try not to say "tomorrow" when I mean "Monday", but sometimes I slip. However, imagining next week is already here does not imply imagining that this week is already "last week". Calling July 16 "last Monday" on July 20 is something I would just not do.


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## skymoon

Interest to read all from different countries. Seem nobody right but nobody wrong. For me English such poor, why not to add the date (Example 25 Mar) also even you are saying "this" or "next "?


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## Copyright

skymoon said:


> Interest to read all from different countries. Seem nobody right but nobody wrong. For me English such poor, why not to add the date (Example 25 Mar) also even you are saying "this" or "next "?


Probably because some of us would have to get out our calendars to figure out what the date is. And even if you know the date, using it with someone who doesn't know the date doesn't help.


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## mooty

Can we say "Next next Wednesday" ? 

This coming Wednesday I would be very busy, and next Wednesday I will have to go to Egypt. Next next Wednesday would be fine with me.


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## Thomas Tompion

mooty said:


> Can we say "Next next Wednesday" ?[...]


No.

*The Wednesday in a fortnight* is the standard idiom for that, but, given that *next Wednesday* can mean different things to different people, further clarification is usually wise.


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## ewie

Thomas Tompion said:


> *The Wednesday in a fortnight* is the standard idiom for that


I wouldn't *dream* of saying that*, Mr T.  For me it would be _two weeks on Wednesday_ or _the Wednesday after next_.

I agree with everyone else who's said that English, unfortunately, has no standard way of doing this, and it's best just to specify dates/years whenever possible

*I can't imagine it's standard in AmE either, given that they don't use _fortnight_


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## You little ripper!

_I'll see you (next) Wednesday (23rd November).
I'll see you Wednesday week. (30th November).
I'll see you Wednesday fortnight (7th December). _


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## Rover_KE

ewie said:


> I wouldn't *dream* of saying that*, Mr T.  For me it would be _two weeks on Wednesday_ or _the Wednesday after next. _


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## natkretep

Oh? I'm not unhappy with 'the Wednesday in a fortnight' (or 'a fortnight on Wednesday', or 'two Wednesdays from now'), but the other suggestions are good too.


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## RM1(SS)

You little ripper! said:


> _I'll see you (next) Wednesday (23rd November).
> I'll see you Wednesday week. (30th November).
> I'll see you Wednesday fortnight (7th December). _


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## Thomas Tompion

ewie said:


> I wouldn't *dream* of saying that*, Mr T.  For me it would be _two weeks on Wednesday_ or _the Wednesday after next_.
> 
> I agree with everyone else who's said that English, unfortunately, has no standard way of doing this, and it's best just to specify dates/years whenever possible
> 
> *I can't imagine it's standard in AmE either, given that they don't use _fortnight_


No wonder you miss all those engagements, Mr E.

It's Thursday today, 17 Nov.  Two weeks on Wednesday is Wed, 7th Dec; The Wednesday after next is 30th November.

You need to abide by the conventions we don't have.

I've been haunted by the title of this thread, and going around saying to myself "When is next Saturday last Monday?"  

Which reminds me that when I read a bit of Thomas Browne's Religio Medici to my pupils, they were amused by the section where he considers why we should regard apparent freaks of nature as ugly - the passage starts: “I cannot tell by what logic we call a toad, a bear, or an elephant ugly."  The dozy halfpennyworths went around for weeks asking each other things like "Why do we call a toad a bear?"


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## jmichaelm

In AE we don't use "fortnight". I'd guess a lot of AE speakers have never heard the word. Others may have heard it but are not that sure of what it means.


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## zaffy

So now it is the autumn and the winter is coming. I'm planning to go skiing in the mountains. So what do I say?

I'm going to Italy to ski next winter.
I'm going to Italy to ski this winter.

Having read this thread, I have an impression that the US speakers will say 'next winter' and the BrE speakers 'this winter' like we do in Polish.


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## heypresto

You're right to say BE speakers would say " . . . *this* winter", but we would be more likely to say '_I'm going skiing in Italy_ this winter'.


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## Cenzontle

> US speakers will say 'next winter'



The winter of '18-'19 is almost upon us—that's *this* winter.


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## zaffy

Cenzontle said:


> The winter of '18-'19 is almost upon us—that's *this* winter.



I've heard a few Americans saying 'next Friday' for this coming Friday and isn't it even sooner than the winter? So if you said that earlier like two or three months ago, you would say 'next winter'?


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## SwissPete

zaffy said:


> So now it is the autumn and the winter is coming. I'm planning to go skiing in the mountains. So what do I say?
> 
> I'm going to Italy to ski next winter.
> I'm going to Italy to ski this winter.


I would say "... this coming winter".


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## Cenzontle

In my experience, "next winter" can be said unambiguously in winter or spring,
but in summer or fall it would be confusing.
"Next Friday" does give it some distance, but not enough to "jump over" *this *Friday to the following Friday.


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## sdgraham

Given the ambiguity of "next" in time references, I never use it. Ever.

And for those who do, I get tired of asking "what do you mean by "next?"


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## AnythingGoes

When said in October 2018, "this winter" means "the winter of 2018-2019". I would assume "next winter" to mean "the winter of 2019-2020" but I'd ask for confirmation if I really needed to know.

Today's Thursday, October 18th. In American English, if someone says "this weekend", they mean Friday and Saturday, October 20th and 21st. If they say "next weekend" they mean October 27th and 28th.


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## zaffy

Interestingly enough, in Polish we say 'this' for 'the next or the last .....(something).
Eg,  I saw him this Monday (meaning two days ago if it is Wednesday today) or I'm going to see him this Friday (in two day's time). I believe this is not possible in English?


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## suzi br

zaffy said:


> Interestingly enough, in Polish we say 'this' for 'the next or the last .....(something).
> Eg,  I saw him this Monday (meaning two days ago if it is Wednesday today) or I'm going to see him this Friday (in two day's time). I believe this is not possible in English?



I just read the whole of this thread. There’s a post (somewhere) in here which tells you we can/do slide about that way in a week. So you’re mistaken. It IS possible. 

You also detect “patterns” where none exist, apparently unable to accept the point (made by many native speakers on both sides of the Atlantic) that we do not have universally agreed patterns about how to use this/next. Hence we often have to seek additional information to clarify what someone means.


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## kentix

You could say "this Monday" to mean two days ago but it would be more likely in my opinion to say "on Monday".

If it was later than Wednesday, say Friday, I might say "this past Monday".

"I saw him this past Monday."


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## PaulQ

panjandrum said:


> Today is Thursday 7 July.
> People say that we should meet "this Saturday" meaning Saturday 9 July or we should meet "next Saturday" meaning Saturday 16 July.
> 
> But the Saturday coming "next" is 9 July
> 
> My questions:
> What is the date of this Saturday? Local answer is 9 July
> What is the date of next Saturday? Local answer is 16 Julyl


"This" _tends_ to be used to indicate the nearest object - it tends to mean the Saturday of the week in which the phrase is spoken or the immediate past Saturday. The tense will tell you which way to look.

Next will always be ambiguous: there will always have been a previous Saturday, but it would be possible to ignore that and speak from the present, as it were.

If 16th is intended, then "Next Saturday - not this one - I will be busy."


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## AnythingGoes

zaffy said:


> Interestingly enough, in Polish we say 'this' for 'the next or the last .....(something).
> Eg,  I saw him this Monday (meaning two days ago if it is Wednesday today) or I'm going to see him this Friday (in two day's time). I believe this is not possible in English?


We do exactly the same thing in American English. If today were Wednesday October 17th, "this Monday" would be the 15th and "this Friday" would be the 19th.

"This [day name]" means the nearest day of that name in the current week.


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## Uncle Jack

PaulQ said:


> "This" _tends_ to be used to indicate the nearest object - it tends to mean the Saturday of the week in which the phrase is spoken or the immediate past Saturday. The tense will tell you which way to look."


I realise this entire thread is a minefield (I particularly liked to post which said never to use "next", ever, because of the ambiguity), but I was sure that in Britain we only ever used "this" for some date in the future. Oh well, I live and learn.

"I saw him on Wednesday" (today is Friday). There is no need for "this" at all, and "this Wednesday" is next week to me.


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## PaulQ

A: "When did you last see him?
B: "Er... it must have been last week... Wednesday, I think..."
A: "Ah... I saw him this Wednesday" (today is Friday).


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## Forero

Cenzontle said:


> In my experience, "next winter" can be said unambiguously in winter or spring,
> but in summer or fall it would be confusing.
> "Next Friday" does give it some distance, but not enough to "jump over" *this *Friday to the following Friday.


If it is Thursday, October 18, then I might say "this Friday" for October 19, but I would be more likely to say "tomorrow".

And "this winter" is definitely the winter of 2018-2019.

One problem is that, where I live, the first day of each week is Sunday, but the first workday of each week is Monday. Still, the weekend is always Saturday and Sunday.

So just when "this week" is depends on whether we are talking about the work week (Monday through Friday) and the following weekend (Saturday and Sunday), or about the calendar week (Sunday through Saturday). "This Sunday" is thus more ambiguous than "this Wednesday".


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## hwit

Where I live it is always 'this' for this week and next to mean 'of next week'. It is the same for seasons; this winter will be the winter of 2018-2019 starting this December (December of this year). I remember one of my professors at University telling a story of how she missed a final because the teacher said it was "next Thursday" and meant the Thursday of this week, but I have never run into anyone who uses that system myself...

Also it is the same with 'last'. Last Thursday always means the Thursday of last week for me but Sunday might be a little ambiguous... I get the feeling I have heard people say 'last Sunday' to mean 'this past Sunday' when it is late in the week.


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