# Forum Other Languages English for Russians - Изучаем английский язык Practice your English  'Via'

## Lena.from.Russia

Good day  ::  
Could you please tell me whether this sentence is correct - "I will contact you via e-mail to let you know who will collect the documents." Is 'via' ok to use? Or should I write ''by''?

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## Hanna

Yes, that's fine usage of "via".  
The most traditional way to use "via" is to when you are doing something by means of something else. 
Most traditionally if you are going somewhere. 
For example. If I am travelling by train from Moscow to Murmansk, I could say:  _"I am travelling from Moscow to Murmansk via St Petersburg."_ 
or_ "John sent a secret message to Anne via the internet."_  
Whenever you are not sure, if you have nobody to ask, it's usually best to stick with the simpler word. When I first moved to England I sometimes took a chance and used new words that I was not completely familiar with, and a few times I made some rather embarassing mistakes!

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## Lena.from.Russia

Thanks Hanna!

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## Lena.from.Russia

And yes I try to use simple words when I am not sure. But once I had a situation when I could not use even simple words! It was my fist time I came to London and I was on a bus. There were few people...A girl (aged 11 or so) was sitting in front of me. She saw I had a watch on my wrist and turned back for a few times. I was wondering why she was looknig at me and my watch. Maybe she was shy. But finally she asked me a question to know what the time was. I did understand her question but I didn't know how to answer correctly as I had never said the time in English before! I told some numbers (now I know that was absolutely wrong) but it was so funny when a little girl asked you and you a 'big girl' couldn't answer.

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## Hanna

Haha! Well while I have been in Russian speaking countries I have been asked about the time SO many times. It's really surprising actually. The first five times probably, I simply showed them my watch. But lately I have actually managed to say things like "20 to four" and "quarter past 5" etc.  
I agree that it is funny when you can not communicate with a child. They don't immediately consider the possibility that the other person doesn't speak the language well.  
On the beach, I chatted with a baby that was maybe 2-3 years old and crawled over to where I was sunbathing. It was very cool to be chatting with a little baby in Russian, and her responding to me - of course, she has no concept of somebody being a foreigner. I asked her things like "What's that?" and "where is your mummy?" and she responded and then started singing a song!

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## Doomer

> Haha! Well while I have been in Russian speaking countries I have been asked about the time SO many times. It's really surprising actually.

 You are probably a very attractive person, asking time is partially a social thing  ::

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## zedeeyen

I would use "by" in that sentence. 
"You can contact me by email."  _but_ 
"You can contact me via the email address at the top of this page."

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## kozyablo

Sometimes people ask me about time. It is absolutely normal for Russia. And I may show my watch or tell them time.  ::  
And in one time somebody asked me: What time is it now? I looked at my watch. This person was in shock! = Do you wear a watch? o_O he said.. Now? when ALL PEOPLE have a mobile phone!!! He was surprised!

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