📚｜english-questions

[mint seal]

That’s my opinion though

[smoky steppe]

Okay, thx a lot!!!

[mint seal]

npp

[vestal flint]

Tips on developing an english accent? I kinda just speak english. But i want to add an accent to it. @mint seal

[flat rune]

I agree.

[mint seal]

It depends what accent you’re going for. English accents have many different varieties.

[mint seal]

Depending on which accent you want to learn, I’d recommend you to watch videos on how to speak with that accent or join voice chats with people that have the accent so you can get influenced.

[vestal flint]

Thanks for the advice 👍

[flat rune]

what age did you lose your virginity at

[fair dune]

If anyone has questions, I suggest plugging them in here: https://thelearningweb.us its a free AI English Tutor that I made today

[fair dune]

15 🤪

[mint seal]

Ooh interesting

[chilly wren]

is "stop being so proud and just apologize" right or should it be "stope being so prideful and just apologize"

proud or prideful?

[flat rune]

stop being so proud

[olive parrot]

I'll go for the word "arrogant"

It's the negative side of proud

[olive parrot]

"Stop being so arrogant and just apologize"

[serene plinth]

prideful has a negative connotation thus, fits better.

and as Teach pointed out, 'arrogant' fits there pretty well

[warm pawn]

Do u put ‘s or just ‘ after names ending with s? For example:
James’s car is expensive.
James’ car is expensive.

Is the ‘ a common mistake or can u use that too

Cuz my teacher corrected my essay saying ‘ only is wrong

[vestal flint]

The correct possessive for a noun (proper or otherwise) ending in “s” is “s’”. So the correct form is “James’ car” as James is a singular proper noun.

so james’ car, not james’s

This is from quora^ other users mention that james’s would still be correct, but unnecessary

https://www.quora.com/Which-is-correct-James-car-or-Jamess-car

[bright pulsar]

As far as I learned in school, both are correct. Not sure why your teacher said it's wrong.

[warm pawn]

SO IT WAS CORRECT ALL ALONG??

Thankssss

[olive parrot]

Well, Grammatically, It is supposed to be James' car. But in spoken English and generally, In informal English, both are correct.

[vestal flint]

This one is the most grammatically correct, although both work

[abstract oar]

someone can explain me which mean the phrase "idiom of the day"? (if I wrote it wrong please correct me)

[vestal flint]

“Can someone explain to me what the phrase”

Idom is a phrase, or an expression. Have you ever heard the expression “kill two birds with one stone” ? Thats an example of an idom

[vestal flint]

do you mean the word idom. Or the idom of the day?

[smoky steppe]

I was looking for you
I've been looking for you

What is the difference between these ones?

[abstract oar]

the idom of the day

[vestal flint]

oh then I apologize. It means that you go out of your way to achieve something. Or make a special effort to achieve something

[olive parrot]

The first sentence is about the past. This means, you were looking for her/him, but now you aren't.
But the second sentence means You have been looking for him/her. Like you started looking for him/her a day ago and you are still looking for him/her.

It's about tenses. Past simple continuous or present perfect continuous.

[abstract oar]

thanks

[vestal flint]

as Nimafar said, the first is something you just did. Whilst “i’ve” is another word for “ I have”. Example “where have you been? I’ve (could also be “have) been looking for you all day!”

[olive parrot]

The first sentence doesn't mean he just did something. It shows progress in the past which ended.

Maybe he was looking for her/him two years ago.

[vestal flint]

yeah my bad.

[olive parrot]

No worries.

[vestal flint]

it means something you have done. Without specifying how long that action took.

[olive parrot]

something you did*

[olive parrot]

Yeah, the duration isn't important as the writer didn't mention it.

[olive parrot]

It is the past simple continuous, it shows progress in the past.

[olive parrot]

So it's better to say: "It means something you did*, without specifying how long it took.

[vestal flint]

yeah. Thats true

[smoky steppe]

So okay "he still looking for her" but If I say "Where have you been, I've been looking for you" as @vestal flint said, does it mean you still looking for or it's finished??

[olive parrot]

Yes, it means you are still looking for her and you haven't given up on finding her.

[smoky steppe]

Like because you asked "Where have you been"? so why he asked this question???

[olive parrot]

Also, "He is* still looking for her"

[olive parrot]

What do you mean?

"Where have you been", we ask this when someone has just arrived.

[smoky steppe]

Yeah, and so it means that you stopted looking for

You are not looking for anymore

[olive parrot]

Because a reason we use present perfect (continuous) is that we can see evidence/result.

[vestal flint]

That means that you are done looking. You are basically saying “ hi! I have been looking for you a long time now.

[smoky steppe]

so why "I've been looking for you" underline that you are still in process

[olive parrot]

For instance, when we say: I have washed my hands, we can still see your hands are wet.

[olive parrot]

When you find her, it is common sense that you stop finding her. But even a second before you saw her, you were finding her.

[olive parrot]

Because even up to the time you said this sentence, you were finding for her. Results/evidence are see-able

When we started doing something in the past, and it comes to present (right now) we use present perfect.

[olive parrot]

If even up to the time you saw her, you were finding for her, you have to use the present perfect.

[olive parrot]

I suggest you watch YouTube videos about tenses.

[smoky steppe]

OOOOOW

Didnt know

Can I ask another one?

I've held my tears back - What does it emphasize? You held it sometimes ago and still holding back? 😄

[olive parrot]

Sure.

"To hold one's tears back/To hold back one's tear" means to stop crying.

[smoky steppe]

Yeap, but why she used "present perfect" in this case, I meant that, sorry for my mistake

[olive parrot]

Because she was crying even the time she said that sentence and you could see the tears on her face

[smoky steppe]

Oh...

[olive parrot]

Don't even mention it. Feel free to ask your questions.

But now, I am going to sleep, so we can proceed tomorrow. Shall we?

[smoky steppe]

So in short, what the difference between "Present Perfect" and "Present Perfect Continous"?

[smoky steppe]

Sure, have a good night!

[olive parrot]

Present Perfect Continuous shows progress. Like playing, living, crying, etc....

"I have been looking for you", these are progressive verbs, they have durations in themselves even if the writer doesn't mention it.

I will explain you better tomorrow.

[olive parrot]

Thanks.

[smoky steppe]

okay, see ya)

[smoky steppe]

Present Continous shows progress also?

[mint seal]

yup

[frosty latch]

Hi, does the word "surrend" exist? Does it mean to surrender? Or it has other meanings?

[abstract oar]

about the C1 Cambridge english test, how do you think is the best way to study for it? (if I wrote it wrong please correct me)

[mint seal]

About the C1 Cambridge English test, what is the best way to study for it?

[mint seal]

it’s not a word

[sacred glen]

which form is correct? "I know him" or "I meet him" in the context of saying that you already have contact with a specific person.

[muted bough]

Good question I guess I know him, but I don’t have sure

I’d use I know him

[frosty latch]

Are you sure? In this picture it's as if it replaces surrender or surround

[chrome dragon]

Hello, I have a question.
Why is it correct to say “my day was the same as usual” instead of “my day was the same as usually”? What are the differences?

[timber nexus]

Hey guy can I send a link about a Google form or is it not allow it?

[sacred glen]

in the first case "usual" is used as an adjective and the second one is used as an "adverb". The first one is correct because adjectives come after a noun and adverbs go after a verb

[olive parrot]

Yes. The word "continuous" shows progress.

[olive parrot]

The second sentence is wrong.
We have to use nouns in "the same as [noun]

[olive parrot]

"I know him" or, "We have already met before"

[olive parrot]

What is it about?

[mint seal]

It’s not a word, if you look it up you can only find the defintion of “surrender.” The word “surrend” is not even on the dictionary

Idk what’s going on with the picture you have

[frosty latch]

Ok thank you

[chrome dragon]

Thank you so much! 🤗

[flat rune]

are "but" and "except" 100% interchangeable words?

for instance, which one is more natural? "this is used by everyone but me" or "this is used by everyone, except me".

[mint seal]

Both work, but if I were to choose I’d go with the second one

Because “but” is usually used when there’s a bad situation that comes along with a good situation

[flat rune]

thank you so much. 🤍 🤍 🤍

[blazing notch]

No heart, but I do wish I had one.

it's from a song, i don't understand why put 'do'. IIRC he could've just said "but i wish i had one"

it is for emphasis or something like this? I do wish I had one sound stronger than I wish I had one

[olive parrot]

When we use "do/does + verb", we're actually emphasising it.
"I do wish" means I really regret it now.

[olive parrot]

Indeed ✅

[trim mica]

hello, having a hard time understanding this statement: People use Phones for their Advantage.

Teacher asked to make an essay about this, we thought it means that we should discuss the advantages of mobile phones, my friend has another interpretation.

I feel stupid 😅what is the statement trying to say?

[olive parrot]

I think "advantage" here means "benefit". So, in that view, it says "people use phones for their benefit" (It means phones benefit people).

So, you should search about "How/Why phones benefit people?"

[blazing notch]

i see,, thanks😀

[olive parrot]

"Why is it useful and beneficial to them?"

[olive parrot]

You're welcome 😀

[trim mica]

hello, can i ask another question? what would be the negative counterpart of that statement? should it be:

1. People dont use mobile phone for their advantage
2. People use social media for their disadvantage

[olive parrot]

The second sentence doesn't make sense, and neither does the first sentence. But grammatically, it's better to use the second sentence.

[blazing notch]

pissed off of something is correct?

i was so pissed off of cheaters that i uninstalled the game.

[trim mica]

thankss

i think it sounds better if it's: I was pissed off AT cheaters

[olive parrot]

Don't hesitate to ask your questions.

[olive parrot]

"Pissed off at" is better

[green wolf]

Pissed off at

[gray wing]

Have you eaten anything?

is it correct?

[olive parrot]

Yes, it is.

[gray wing]

Naila looked everywhere but her rose plant was nowhere to be found. She came to her room and began to pour water in the tub inside the room. Then a voice came from the tub,

can I use pour water or just water the plant or tub?

[flat rune]

Joe and I work for the same company. He joined the company before me. When I started a few years ago, (---------------------) there.

A) He was already working
B) He'd been already working

I know that the B is the correct but i don't even know why. Someone could explain it??

[olive parrot]

When we say water the plants, it means we put water into them and they use it. Like watering plants. They won't hold the water and they will use it, right?

But when we say pour water into the tub, it means we put water into something that the thing will maintain/hold water.

[olive parrot]

Pour water into the tub*

[gray wing]

but that is a tub of rose plant!

[olive parrot]

The sense "I started" is simple past. Jeo was doing the same thing before you. So, you should go one tense back.
What's before the simple past? Past perfect!

[gray wing]

Then should I use wwatering the plant?

[olive parrot]

A tub of rose = rose = plants
So, in this case, we should use "water the tub of rose".

But for "tub" alone, we should use pour water into the tub.

Why? Because it holds water.

But in our daily conversations, it doesn't matter which one we use. But grammatically, that's the structure.

[flat rune]

Oh, tysm

[olive parrot]

😊

[flat rune]

Hi! I've a question...
What's the difference between

1- "speak to you"
2- "talk to you"

?

Both are the same thing?

[olive parrot]

Not exactly.

[olive parrot]

When saying that someone is using their voice to produce words, you usually say that they are speaking.
However, if two or more people are having a conversation, you usually say that they are talking.

[olive parrot]

In our daily conversations, we dont care about their differences. It doesn't matter which one you use. But if you want to be exact in this case, there's the difference.

[flat rune]

I understood, thank u so much

[blazing notch]

i'm confused about words that are made by more than one suffix,
these days i see something ending with 'fulness', now i'm reading a novel and i just saw "boundlessly"

couldn't it be just boundless?

[flat rune]

well "boundless" is an adjective, whereas "boundlessly" is an adverb.

Hi I've other question lol

What's the difference between

1- "as you"
2- "like you"

[olive parrot]

No worries.

[olive parrot]

Boudndlessly is an adverb.

It depends.

[gray wing]

oh thanks

[olive parrot]

No problems.

[olive parrot]

Like is more informal

And for example in this sentence:

1. As your father, I will help you
2. Like your father, I will help you.

In the first sentence, the speaker is the listener's father

[blazing notch]

like the limits of an contry to another?

[olive parrot]

But in the second sentence, the speaker wishes to be the listener's father (means he isnt his father)

[flat rune]

Thank you so much

[olive parrot]

It means "without bounds"

[olive parrot]

Anytime.

[flat rune]

I'd like to add that "as" could be replaced with "in the role of", whereas "like" could be replaced with "similar to", for instance, you could say "he climbs mountains like a spider", here we use "like" to denote that he climbs similar to spiders (figuratively), but you can't use "as" here as it would mean that he is in fact a spider, on the other hand, you could say "as your lawyer, I warn you not to take this settlement", here the word "as" denotes that I'm in fact the lawyer not that I'm similar to a lawyer.

[true light]

I recently came across the word "valise". I wonder if this is a word that most natives know and that at least some use.
Would it be strange/confusing if I refered to a small suitcase as a "valise" when speaking to a native?

[bright pulsar]

No, you can certainly use it if you please, but it's not well known.

[true light]

Good to know. I'll go with "small suitcase" then. Thanks!

[flat rune]

I understood, thank u

[flat rune]

no prob. 🤍

[smoky steppe]

Hello, can we get back to the question about the difference between "present perfect" and "present perfect continuous"?))

[olive parrot]

Continuous shows a progress

I have been playing football since morning.
I have played football this morning.

It shows duration, progress.

[olive parrot]

If you want more explanation, we can do it on a VC.

[smoky steppe]

if you don't mind)

And If I'm not bothering you or disturbing

[olive parrot]

No, it's fine.

[olive parrot]

We can do it now. Shall we?

[smoky steppe]

yeap

[olive parrot]

Send me a message in DMs

[last nexus]

What's the difference in expression with using If I say

it has increased,

it increased ,

it had increased,

it had been increased

?

i was trying to describe a graph when i countered this issue

i couldn't find which one is the correct

[olive parrot]

Can you be more specific about your question? I didn't understand your question.

[last nexus]

I'm confused, what's the difference between these sentences?

[olive parrot]

These are different tenses

[last nexus]

in this graph what should i say
percentage ..................
A.has increased
B.had increased
C.had been increased
D.increased

well i know D is correct but why a,b,c is wrong

[bright pulsar]

In the context of data on your graph, you should ideally use the past perfect tense. The first is incorrect because "has" is in the present perfect tense and implies our increase happened in the past and is present and ongoing (can we truly affirm this?) The second is likely incorrect because it doesn't imply a continuous flow of increasing (is your data discrete or continuous, and do you relate it in that way?) The third is most likely the correct choice since it's in the past perfect and shows that an increase had finished before some point in the past. The last one is past perfect continuous and implies an increase was happening and could be correct in context.

Oh, I should point out that "had been increased" is not the past perfect continuous, but a passive voice variation of the past perfect tense where we are more so implying the increase was done by another party or otherwise. Past perfect continuous would be "had been increasing."

[kindred river]

The difference in expression between the four phrases lies in the tense used and the implications it has for the time frame and the action being described

"It has increased" - This is the present perfect tense and is used to describe an action that began in the past and continues until the present. The emphasis is on the present state of the increase.

"It increased" - This is the simple past tense and is used to describe a finished action in the past. It doesn't provide any information about the duration of the increase or its current state.

"It had increased" - This is the past perfect tense and is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. It implies that the increase happened before something else.

"It had been increased" - This is the past perfect continuous tense and is used to describe an action that was in progress and had been continuing for a period of time before another action in the past. It emphasizes the duration of the increase and the fact that it was in progress.

In conclusion, the tense used in each of these phrases can change the focus and emphasis of the action being described, and it's important to choose the appropriate tense to effectively communicate your meaning

[kindred river]

If the graph shows an increase in the percentage, the most appropriate phrase to describe the increase would be has increased or increased

[bright pulsar]

I made a similar mistake, but I do not believe "had been increased" is past perfect continuous. It's a passive voice variation of the past perfect since we're not actually using the present participle.

[kindred river]

Hmm, could be

[olive parrot]

A

[bright pulsar]

I don't want to drag out discussion, but in the context of data that does not necessarily increase to the present (historical data), I don't believe it's appropriate to use the present perfect.

[olive parrot]

I'd say it is appropriate since we can see the results and it contains present tense. (Started in the past and continued up to right now)

[bright pulsar]

But we cannot affirm that the data has remained true up to the present as that would require continuously present data. We can only affirm that it is true up to a certain point in time (cut-off time of our data) and we should represent it as such in empirical literature.

[olive parrot]

If we were in 2016, we would use present perfect.
But now it is 2023, and we should use past simple since it ended in 2016.
So, yes. I take my word back.
Increased is the answer.

Once I thought it has 2023/2022 too.

[bright pulsar]

I can't argue with that conclusion, and essentially B, C, and D are all possibly correct depending on the context.

[kindred river]

ah dinnae think it worth haudin'a blue aboot it

[bright pulsar]

🥴

[kindred river]

And that's when I knew, the American had been defeated...

[bright pulsar]

I have much to learn, it seems.

[kindred river]

As do we all

[last nexus]

Thank you guys i didn't find a similar question online so it was very helpful

[kindred river]

Well, I can teach you Aussie English as well, if you like!

[bright pulsar]

No problem. I know there's no definitive answer, but hopefully you can figure out what to use in which context.

[bright pulsar]

I'm actually pretty curious about Aussie English. Besides the stereotypes, I really don't know the differences.

[kindred river]

I can teach you a few phrases maybe?

And expressions

[bright pulsar]

Sure, why not?

[kindred river]

G'day: a casual greeting, similar to hello
No worries: used to express that everything is fine or that there's no problem ('tis what we rockin' in straya)
She'll be right: used to express that everything will be okay
Fair dinkum: used to express that something is genuine or true
Chuck a sickie: taking a day off work when you're not actually sick
Have a yarn: having a chat or conversation
Take the mickey: to make fun of someone or tease them in a friendly manner (I personally use this one a lot lol. YA TAKIN' THE MICKEY WIT ME HOMEBOY?!?!)

I can offer American, British, Canadian, Irish and Scottish English as well!

Tho I wot American is yer main so

[bright pulsar]

Okay, yeah, these are great and I'll definitely be stealing some of them. "Take the mickey" especially sounds fun.

I'm sure they'll confuse some people, but that's part of the fun.

[kindred river]

It surely does! That's why I'm using it lol.

[kindred river]

Aye, aye. I use Northern English to confuse people, for instance. It's hella fun and cool.

Northern England I mean

[bright pulsar]

When did you find the time to learn all those dialects?

[kindred river]

I had all the time in the world to learn them. I'm getting old, also. So, age is a factor, too, for sure.

I've spent my entire life improving my English. Being a Native Speaker ain't enough!

Nor is being a teacher

[bright pulsar]

Ah, I see. I've never really been exposed to much of anything past British English, and perhaps some Canadian English from a friend who probably speaks more American than Canadian.

[bright pulsar]

Ain't that the truth. I'm currently dedicating all my time to studying the specific grammar and niches of English so that I'm not just a clueless native.

It's a weird place to be. Totally unsure why I'm doing it considering my studies are elsewhere.

[kindred river]

But one of my fun activities is correcting Native Speakers. It has grown on me over the years! Do give it a whirl, it's hella fun!

[bright pulsar]

I always give them the benefit of the doubt, haha. I do have the "correct me" role though, because even a native can be wrong, and I try to be as correct as possible so it's appropriate if someone does correct me.

Thanks for the phrases, though. I'll probably pick your brain another time once I've cemented some of these into my own.

[kindred river]

Ac'ic ne scylde eow ná, min cild...

[bright pulsar]

This is a tough one. Gonna have to say Welsh.

[kindred river]

Þæta ic wilnian sceal to ðæm mǣgðe ðe ic mæg!

[kindred river]

|| It's Old English ||

|| Our ancestors... We shall... face them... ALL! ||

[bright pulsar]

No way, you speak older dialects? Are you familiar with Shakespearean or early modern (though I guess they're synonymous)?

[kindred river]

All of them

Middle English, Old English, I dominate all of them

[bright pulsar]

You must know a lot of archaic words then. What's your favorite?

[kindred river]

Surcease

And wherefore -- I actually use it in daily life

[bright pulsar]

I use betwixt all the time. It's just a fun word.

[kindred river]

Among?

Or in between

[bright pulsar]

In between.

[kindred river]

I think in the sense of among, too

Depending on the context

[bright pulsar]

I think it could be both, yeah.

Beseech and belabor are also favorites of mine.

For some reason I gravitate to the words that start with "be."

Wherefore seems super versatile though.

Oops, belabor isn't actually archaic. Forget about that one.

[blazing notch]

I didn't understand what this guy said

with feel the band around his head tighten

[mint seal]

context?

[blazing notch]

iirc there's a problem with the power and ventilation system

[mint seal]

i think it's probably a literal sentence but im not sure

[kindred river]

"Feel the band around his head tighten" is a phrase that can be used to describe a sensation of tightness or pressure around the head

[true light]

What's the meaning of "belabor" in the context you're using it? (It has two different meanings according to the cambridge dictionary)

[kindred river]

"Belabor" means to repeat or dwell on a point excessively or beyond the point of diminishing returns

[bright pulsar]

Yes, I usually use it in the context of argument, making a point, etc.

[true light]

Thank you! The reason I asked is because it appears that there is another, more old-fashioned, meaning of the word as well, namely "to hit someone or something hard and repeatedly"

[true light]

Thanks!

[bright pulsar]

They're both considered old fashioned since it's an archaic word.

I wouldn't use it outside of creative works or in conversation.

[kindred river]

Yes, you're correct. The word pummel can also mean to strike or hit someone or something repeatedly. This sense of the word has been in use for millennia and is still commonly used today!

[true light]

Yeah, pummel is definitely a useful word to know

[kindred river]

Become an English Helper. You're doing great!

[kindred river]

It is done with great force, usually... So, that would be the difference here.

So, it is not just hitting, but with great force.

[bright pulsar]

I've no clue what the qualifications for English helper are. I'm just here occasionally.

[kindred river]

I do not know about the qualifications either. I was offered the Teacher role first, but I did not have the time for it, so I became an English Helper instead!

[true light]

You've at least helped me a lot today, for which I'm very thankful, @bright pulsar. Keep up the good work! (if you want to, ofc)

[bright pulsar]

I've been offered the role of teacher as well, but I've nowhere near the expected qualifications to do so. I usually end up doing my research before even correcting anyone since I don't actually have an appropriate formal knowledge of linguistics. It's strangely difficult to find English resources for natives since most resources are aimed at an unfamiliar audience, to the point where I'm thinking of buying one of those big style guides that offer an exhaustive list of rules for writers, but they're a bit expensive.

[keen marsh]

I gotta say, I woke up all the city laughing when I saw your picture after reading your all serious message haha

[misty terrace]

When it comes to the teacher role we don’t expect people to be professional teachers. Some are but it’s a volunteer role. Some of our teachers just have a conversation class where they facilitate discussion in a controlled environment

[flat rune]

A teacher is always willing to learn.as long as you are providing accurate information and the willingness to teach ,I think you should take it up .

[flat rune]

I agree with @ Líadan 🦊 (English Teacher), your English is above average, that's not the typical native English speaker level, you're in a whole 'nother level.

[bright pulsar]

😅 I do appreciate all the comments, but I am still a student.

[pulsar palm]

Love begins when the feelings are gone

[split gust]

tell me what word to add ing to the end of the word

[vestal flint]

You add ing if it's something you are do'ing. Sleep'ing, runn'ing, play'ing

[flat rune]

I'm clearly not native lol, but i always listen the people pronunciate the "tt" sound as if it were a "r" sound, like "butter", or "better" I always listen they speak the "tt" like a "r", with the tong in the...roof of the mouth (I don't know if this phrase is correct...but that's it )

[flat rune]

Can someone say if this is right?

[flat rune]

I understood

the sound is very close to the "d" sound, it's called the flap t, look it up.

that's not the case with all words with double T in the middle though, e.g., button, is pronounced differently than butter or better etc...

[quartz remnant]

this is the precise moment how my gran greeted me because of the fact that i haven’t visited her for quite some time

is this grammatically correct

[split gust]

What do you mean

[quartz remnant]

or is this better. this is the exact moment when my gran greeted me cuz i hadn’t visited her for a long time

[boreal pewter]

It might be like the "r" in your language, but English r isn't like that (except some dialects)

A native won't read "burrer" like they say "butter"

So it's not really right to say it's like "r"

A good resource for looking up sounds is Youglish. You can type in words or phrases and it'll show you youtube videos with natives saying them, also with the option to filter by dialect group
https://youglish.com/pronounce/better/english/us?

Forvo is nice too but won't have as many clips

For the flapped t in "better", you need to flick your tongue up so it hits the hard ridge behind your teeth. Depending on how a speaker makes the following r sound, their tongue may flick past the ridge completely instead of going back down after

[flat rune]

it's not different opinions, the "r" in the american accent doesn't sound like the "tt" in "butter", it's more like the "d" sound, kinda like "buder" but not exactly pronounced that way, I'm just trying to convey the closest sound to it, however, the "tt" might be pronounced differently depending on the word itself, as I mentioned earlier, the "tt" in "button" or "cotton" etc... sound way different than "butter" or "better, so it's not different opinions, the question has many aspects to cover that's why.

[flat rune]

by the way, when I say "american accent" I'm referring to the standard/general american accent.

yeah, got it, sorry then. 👍

[flat rune]

I got it

[proper wing]

Frankly speaking, pronunciations are purely dialectal so, these are bound to arise differing opinions.

You could either use a tap t or a distinct t or a glottal one. All are accepted. Your job is to find out the correct way in the accent you have adopted or are learning

[blazing notch]

hi guys, which of these is the correct one?

today, i'll eat lasagna as lunch.
today, i'll be eating lasagna as lunch.
today, i'm gonna eat lasagna as lunch.
today, i'm eating lasagna as lunch.
today, i'm gonna be eating lasagna as lunch.

it refers as today, but not now, later

for a regular informal conversation

among friends.. something like that

google translates 4 of them as the same in portuguese

[flat rune]

Today I'm gonna eat lasagna for lunch

[true light]

What's the meaning of "drop a vow"?

Does it (1) mean to solemnly promise something, or (2) to take back an earlier solemn promise you have made?

[blazing notch]

besides the preposition the others are good as well?

[flat rune]

What's the context?

[true light]

"According to Bennett, during his mediation efforts Zelenskiy agreed to give up the idea that Ukraine would join Nato, and Putin dropped a vow to seek Ukraine’s disarmament in order to end the war."

[olive parrot]

Howdy!
"today, i'll eat lasagna as lunch."
"today, i'm gonna eat lasagna as lunch."
These two above are correct.

Also, "today, i'll be eating lasagna as lunch." can be true as well but it's better not to use it. It's not very common in spoken English.

As you mentioned "informal" or "with friends", you can use the first two sentences.

[blazing notch]

thanks man!

i'm using the sentence just for example, to learn an universal rule

to say about the future

[proper wing]

a universal

[blazing notch]

why? u is a vowel

[proper wing]

is 'as dinner' used that way?

I'd usually use 'for dinner' in that context

[proper wing]

Because the word doesn't begin with a vowel sound

universal starts with a 'y' sound

why do you say 'an hour' instead of 'a hour'

[blazing notch]

i see

so it`s about the sound

and the H is silence

[proper wing]

yes

[olive parrot]

Grammatically, it is "to dinner"

[proper wing]

ic ty

[olive parrot]

For example) I will come home to dinner. (NOT I will come home for dinner)

[olive parrot]

In spoken English, we may hear "for dinner" which is acceptable. But Grammatically, "to dinner" is correct.

[olive parrot]

Anytime.

[proper wing]

I do use 'to dinner' but depending on the context usually

I'm going there to dinner... but.. I'm having pasties for dinner

[simple rover]

Well I'd say "I'm gonna eat" but as lunch isn't really spoken where I am.

Mostly has to do with the meaning of as tbh

Usually it is I'm gonna be eating lasagna for lunch

[proper wing]

At my place, we'd use I'll have/I'll be having/going to have(more informal) lasagna for lunch

I don't think I'd use 'eat' in this context

Guess I'm weird

[olive parrot]

Both are correct.

"Have" is more formal than "eat".

A little more formal*

But we usually use "have dinner"

Eat dinner can be a bit weird.

[proper wing]

really? But that's what most around me would use even in the most informal contexts.

[olive parrot]

Maybe because "I will eat dinner" isn't very common in English.

Plus, we're talking about the majority of English speakers, not a specific region/area.

[proper wing]

Yes

[olive parrot]

But don't take it too seriously about verbs. If you see some verbs are the same but with very few differences, don't bother yourself thinking about the best option. In our daily conversations, we honestly don't care about "Have dinner" or "eat dinner", even though "have dinner" is more common.

But in your writings and especially in your formal writings, pay attention to those few differences.

[proper wing]

true

Thank you Teach

[rain vale]

Hi! Can anyone share to me a website to practice my English academic writings?

[olive parrot]

No worries, Mathew.

[olive parrot]

Howdy!
https://test-english.com/writing/b2/

[rain vale]

Thnk man

[unkempt cargo]

hello

everyone

[flat rampart]

Hey!

can anyone help me study for an oral exam? we're describing a picture and having a short debate, so if anyone wants to help me i'd enjoy it.

[olive parrot]

Sure, I will be free on Tuesday. I can help you with that.

[true light]

Bumping this question

[bright pulsar]

2. When you drop something, you are essentially abandoning it, so it should usually just mean abandoning a promise that was made. However, I can understand how in some contexts, it can be 1. "Drop" has a denotation of "releasing" (particularly: exposing something to others) in a few different contexts, but I wouldn't say they're commonly used with this context. I would always assume 2.

[true light]

This was pretty much exactly what my intuition told me (unfortunately my intuition isn't always thrustworthy). Thanks a bunch!

[smoky steppe]

Follow by (smth) - why is [by] here?

[bright pulsar]

In this context we're typically using it as "with," "according to," or "alongside," like in "follow by grace" or "follow by example."

Another interpretation is just the more literal meaning, where "by" is our preposition introducing what should be followed in proximity to, like in "follow by the others."

[smoky steppe]

thx a lot!

[smoky steppe]

If I say "I follow by you"???

[bright pulsar]

"by" is quite a versatile prepositions in English, but I would chalk this one up to guidance/according. It could mean ether "I follow alongside you" (proximity) or "I follow according to you" (in guidance of/according to).

[smoky steppe]

hm... need to sleep on it, thx!

[shy shell]

Does anyone know the difference (if any) between the two suffixes "-phagous" and "-vorous"? Would I be correct to say that "zooplanktophagous" means the same thing as "zooplanktivorous"?

[smoky steppe]

Guys, what is the difference between Nevertheless and Despite/in spite of

[shy shell]

They mean the same thing, but they have a slight difference in how they are worded. Here's an example:

I want to go to the park, but it's raining. Nevertheless, I'll go anyway.
I want to go to the park, but it's raining. Despite the rainy conditions, I'll go anyway.

[smoky steppe]

Hm. okay, thx!

[shy shell]

When using despite, you have to follow up with what's in spite basically. When using nevertheless, it kind of already does that for you and you don't need to specify.

[smoky steppe]

Okay, that's clear, thx!

[shy shell]

Of course

[vestal flint]

What do you need help with

[shy shell]

I asked this a bit ago hoping someone would know the answer to this. It's a bit of an advanced question that's got me confused a little.

It seems like they are synonyms but I can't be 100% sure.

[vestal flint]

The suffix "-phagous" means "feeding on phagocytes", while the suffix "-vorous" means "avid in consuming or indulging in". So "zooplanktophagous" would mean "feeding on zoosperms", while "zooplanktivorous" would mean "feeding on zoosperms and other invertebrates".

[vestal flint]

@shy shell does it make sense?

[shy shell]

Kind of. I'm not sure where you're coming from saying -phagous means feeding on phagocytes, though. It doesn't say that anywhere on the internet

[bright pulsar]

They're actually synonymous, but genuinely so.

There is one key distinction: -phagous is Greek. -vorous is Latin.

You should really only append them to a word that derives from the same language.

[flat rune]

Hi. I need some help for a text I written in english. I would be gratefull if someone could correct my mystakes and improve a bit my little essay, because I am not a native speaker and it is pretty important. A direct messagge would help

[shy orbit]

How do you deal with books that have too many words in it you don't know?

Do you write down the words and translate them to learn them? Do you use a translator?

I want to read a book about fitness / calisthenics but it contains a lot of words that I don't know (colloquial language ?!)

[vestal flint]

Lmao I just used chat gbt. I don't even understand your question:)

[vestal flint]

Send me I'll look. I'm not native tho

[bright pulsar]

For reference, you can see exercised in reality by some doublets. omnivorous = pantophagous

[shy shell]

Makes sense, thanks for the answer.

[bright pulsar]

A book about fitness / calisthenics probably contains more jargon than colloquial language, but this can be equally as unreadable to a non-native or layman. Work off context clues if you can, otherwise you can write them down and look them up, even as you go if you fancy.

Some language is extraneous and isn't necessary to fully understand the contents, so it's not like you need to understand everything.

[shy orbit]

Thank you for the fast reply 🙂

[bright pulsar]

No problem, and if you find that the text has far too many words you're unfamiliar with, the book is either overly verbose, or simply past your level of knowledge, in which case it's best to find an easier text.

[blazing notch]

i'm watching once upon a time in hollywood and they often use 'dig someone' what's the meaning of this?

charlie's gonna dig you.

[shy shell]

To dig someone usually means to be interested in, understand, or like someone. This idiom can also be used in a romantic context. For example "she digs him," which means she is attracted to him.

[mint seal]

This is an expression I’ve never heard yet I thought of it in a literal way

[shy shell]

Yeah I, too, at first took it literally, but then I remembered the meaning of it. At first I was thinking about it meaning to dig someone a grave or something like that 😂

[mint seal]

I thought about literally digging into a body and ya know, bloody stuff

[shy shell]

😅

[mint seal]

Then i thought it meant digging up personal info or something

[blazing notch]

IC thanks

[blazing notch]

american thing

it's a hollywood movie

[mint seal]

I don’t know anything LMAO

[marble whale]

hi guys could anyone please explain this sentence:
This vast space, with its dark forest of columns, is accessed by a wide, slow spiral staircase, a reveal sequence with a visceral punch.

what does "visceral punch" mean?

[boreal pewter]

As you go down the spiral staircase, this vast space is revealed to you, and the feeling the reveal causes you is like a shock you feel in your gut

Imagine looking over the edge of a cliff and suddenly realising the drop is much larger than you thought, it's that sort of feeling

visceral = relating to the guts

[marble whale]

I get it now thank you

[timber nexus]

Kindly, would you be so generous as to assist me with my homework by providing answers to this survey at https://forms.gle/7Jv4oKrJMkwYRtc26?

[glacial kelp]

Hello everyone, I got a grammar issue that confused me a lot, can someone help me out!

I am confusing which word is correct which or that when you insert into the middle of 2 sentences

[tough raft]

can i use the idiom "turn a blind eye" = "ignore" in a sentence?

like can you turn a blind eye, just for once?

[glacial kelp]

try to make your expression simple to understand.

[mint seal]

Yes

[bright pulsar]

"That" and "Which" can both be used as relative pronouns to introduce a relative clause. The main difference is that "which" introduces non-essential information and "that" introduces essential information. They're often used interchangeably despite this, though.

Use "which" when the information can be removed without changing meaning.

[mint seal]

As much as we would love to help you, we do not do the work for you. Please attempt the questions and send it here for us to correct you

[glacial kelp]

Ty, According to your answers and rules, the sentence below should be word which or that ? they have some overlap meanings.🤔
According to an informal British survey, more than three-quarters of music educators who decide which or that young people are to receive instruction believe that children cannot do well, unless they have special innate gifts (Davis 1994)

[mint seal]

The answer should be that

[glacial kelp]

I know the answer that as same as you, and people don't care about that word in the real world. but correct answer is Which that is what i am confused.

[mint seal]

Which also fits to be fair but I’m too stupid to explain

Or to even think

[glacial kelp]

I have no any clue.

[mint seal]

I think by me just reading the sentence 10x, “which” sounds better

[glacial kelp]

sounds correct is part of grammar feature in making sentences.

[mint seal]

Yeah and also i think your example is giving my head quite the spin

LMAO

[glacial kelp]

lmao!!!!

@mint seal Ty

[mint seal]

You should be thanking Ron, not me 😭

[bright pulsar]

The answer is which. We're using "which" as simply a pronoun, not to introduce a clause.

[glacial kelp]

@bright pulsar ty Doctor Horse as also

[bright pulsar]

Okay, I'm wrong again. It is a relative pronoun, but it's serving as a subordinating conjunction for a subordinating clause. It can't be a relative clause because it's not modifying any noun, but it's absolutely functioning as the object of "decide."

We can break it down like this:

"three-quarters of music educators" - subject
"who decide which young people are to receive instruction" - relative clause
"which young people are to receive instruction" - subordinate clause serving as object of "decide" in our relative clause

[olive parrot]

Which = That = Who
Both are the same but if we have a comma (,) in our sentence, we must not use "that"

Means we have to use "which"/"who" instead.

[bright pulsar]

It's a fairly complex sentence, but the reason as for why we're using "which" instead of "that" as our subordinating conjunction is entirely dependent on its use as a pronoun rather than its role as a relative pronoun. I'll have to look more into it for the exact reason.

[shy shell]

There is a slight difference between *that * and who: *who * refers to animate things while *that * refers to inanimate things.

[mint seal]

That’s something I didn’t know

[glacial kelp]

"who decide which young people are to receive instruction" - relative clause
using which in this sentence is more precisely, rather than that , I can read from those 2 words which points to young people more specific than that

[bright pulsar]

I absolutely agree that "which" is the more correct subordinating conjunction, but not even I know why.

[mint seal]

Honestly my opinion is that it sounds better but it’s correct for a more precise reason

Which I do not have the brain capacity for

[shy shell]

"who" would be more correct since it's referring to people.

[bright pulsar]

At which part?

[shy shell]

Or, wait - what even is the question lol? I'm lost.

[bright pulsar]

"who" is correct for the relative clause.

No, not quite. I'm simply trying to figure out why we use "which" over "that" as our subordinate conjunction. We did decide which one to use, though. Perhaps it's the better subordinating conjunction since "which" denotes a choice.

[shy shell]

Ah, what's the sentence/question?

[bright pulsar]

The original question is just this: #📚｜english-questions message

We're not actually using which/that to introduce a relative clause, though, so the reason is a bit less clear.

[shy shell]

Wouldn't "that" be correct in this context? It sounds far more correct to me.

[bright pulsar]

No, because then it would not denote selection, in my opinion. "that" might be correct if it's used to introduce a relative clause (it would probably be essential information), but because it's not, "which" correctly indicates that only certain children will receive instruction. "that" seems more affirming, like "young people are to receive instruction," which isn't what it's meaning at all.

[vestal flint]

Natives. Please explain the difference between «who» and «whom»

i know when to use whom, like when writing a letter. But im sure there is more to it

[mint seal]

who is used as a subject who performs the action. Whom is used as an object, receiving the action

[olive parrot]

So true ✅

[hollow bramble]

Is there anything as adverbial present participle

[smoky steppe]

Guys, what about the difference between " im used to do smth" and "i got used to do smth"???

[blazing notch]

hi i have a question about seems as though/seems like/seems to be/looks like/sounds like/appears to be/ as though/as if

when should i use each one of them

[mint seal]

Neither of your sentences are correct, so I assume you mean “I used to do something” and “I got used to doing something?”

[olive parrot]

I used to do something, it means you usually did that thing in the past by your own.

I got used to do something, it means you were forced to do something in the past, usually.

Also we can say "I am used to it" to show that a specific action/thing is normal for us.

[hollow bramble]

Noone?

[blazing notch]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mahmMmnSx4&list=PLOZUTLsJbEAjW-Z9Bou0fPvPs8zdF79pJ is this playlist for american or british phonetics?

the subtitles are English (UK)

so i think..

[boreal pewter]

Yea

A more immediate giveaway is the guy's accent lol

Even if you aren't great at telling accents apart, his is non-rhotic (listen and look at how he says & transcribes "word") and he has the trap-bath split (e.g. "laughter" and "cat" he says with very different vowels)

So it can't be AmE

[blazing notch]

i don`t know a thing of listening or speaking to guess from where he is by listening him

and thank yo

[dry pond]

I just found out I can't say the word "usual", I can pronounce visual with no problem. but just sounds weird. is the "sual" in usual and visual the same or sound different to you guys?

[boreal pewter]

Fair enough, but notice that he doesn't pronounce r in "word", "where", "here", "air", etc. He can't be speaking something like General American because of that

[boreal pewter]

They're the same for me, down to that fact that both words can be 2 or 3 syllables

[flat rune]

By the year 2005, her parents had divorced unfortunately.

Why is it in Past perfect? Couldn't i write it with Past simple?

[hearty dock]

how can I say better? without or with no?

[flat rune]

depends on the context

[hearty dock]

and how I can choose right variant?

[flat rune]

there’s no rule for it that i know of. you can post the sentence you’re struggling with here and we can help you.

[hearty dock]

oh, okay

[olive parrot]

Depends on the next/previous sentence. If something else happened after their divorce, we have to use "Past Perfect". But if you are just saying this sentence. You can either use "Simple Past" or "Past Perfect"

But since we have "By", it is better to use "Past Perfect"

[smoky steppe]

Yes

[flat rune]

Oh, thank you. It helped me a lot

[smoky steppe]

I go crazy because of you
I go crazy about you
I go crazy over you
I go crazy for you

What is the difference between these ones, guys? All of them mean the same? There is no any difference, or tucked away things?

[bright pulsar]

I wouldn't say there's any legitimate difference. There are super minor connotations that each preposition may imply, but they aren't too apparent alone and I couldn't assume much difference between any of those.

[smoky steppe]

Hm, okay, I though maybe one of them can mean some negative side or smth like this

[bright pulsar]

Well, you could say that "because" is a bit more negative. It implies the same as the rest, but perhaps more as an issue.

[smoky steppe]

Okay, so the rest, have no legitimate difference in-between

[vestal flint]

@bright pulsar do you have any questions

[flat rune]

but doesn't "I go crazy because of you" imply anger or irritation which would be different than "I go crazy about you" for example because it implies extreme love or interest?

[bright pulsar]

Yeah, I addressed that just below. There's definitely a negative connotation in that one.

[flat rune]

oh yeah, just noticed.

[flat rune]

I'm not familiar with this sentence though (I go crazy because of you), wouldn't it be more appropriate if it was "you drive me crazy"?

[bright pulsar]

Yeah, we don't usually say "I go crazy because of you." "You drive me crazy" is definitely the usual phrase.

[flat rune]

aha, thank you very much. 🤍 🤍 🤍

[remote cradle]

What is that word when someone is saying something which is just the opposite to make fun out of it?

[bright pulsar]

Satire? Sarcasm?

[cursive pollen]

Yes, sarcasm

Also, what is the word for something that was decided in advance?

[bright pulsar]

Predetermined?

[cursive pollen]

Thanks

[marble whale]

is it "a white privilege" or "the white privilege"?

which is correct?

[boreal pewter]

Privilege is uncountable so you can't have "a white privilege"

Whether you want "the white privilege" or just "white privilege" follows normal rules about "the"

is it some specific privilege, maybe of a specific group or relating to a specific thing, or is it privilege in general

[marble whale]

privilege is uncountable in English? that's weird

[bright pulsar]

It is countable. "A privilege we give to new students is access to free lunch."

I would say "a" is definitely still incorrect.

[boreal pewter]

Fair enough it can be but in "white privilege" it's uncountable

[bright pulsar]

It's more a compound noun.

And in this case, uncountable.

[marble whale]

it must be:
the privilege we give to new students is access to free lunch

right?

[bright pulsar]

This would be the case if it were uncountable, but "privilege" alone is countable. You can give students multiple privileges, and in our case it's simply a single privilege offered of many.

[boreal pewter]

countable if it's referring to specific abilities someone's given, can still be uncountable even on its own if it's the overall state of having certain advantages

[marble whale]

a very tricky word

[bright pulsar]

Yes, it is both uncountable and countable. Use the appropriate article based on context.

There's a few of these words in English, so be careful with some nouns.

[boreal pewter]

Yea a lot of usually uncountable words can be countable to mean a specific instance or a specific type of the uncountable version

You see it a lot with foods and materials

"these two flours make very different breads"

[analog kindle]

is this sentence right?

Fast food are foods that are served efficiently

[mint seal]

i’d put the plural for “fast food” but otherwise it sounds aight

[olive parrot]

Food is uncountable. But, fast food can be countable.

So, we can say:
"Fast foods are (a type of) food that/which are served efficiently."

[olive parrot]

But, "food" is uncountable in general.

But it can be countable in reference to various types of foods or a collection of foods

Since Fast food is a type of food. We can say Fast foods as well.

[olive parrot]

It is better not to "foods" alone.

But if in our daily conversations, we say "foods" as "Fast foods", it is fine and correct.

Like coffee. We may say "Two coffees, please.

Here, we mean "two cups of coffee", but we just say two coffees since it's spoken English in our daily conversations.

[analog kindle]

ok noted

how abt :

Food that requires a lot of process in the making is not fast food.

[smoky steppe]

Guys what is the difference between "she has always..." and "she always..."

[olive parrot]

"Foods that require a lot of process in the making are not fast foods."

At the beginning, we said "foods", because we are mentioning to a specific type of food in the following.

That sounds the best, I guess.

[olive parrot]

She has always + Verb(P.P) => Present Perfect
She always + Verb => Can be either present tense or past tense

[ripe topaz]

what's the difference between choice and decision?

can anyone help?

[olive parrot]

A decision is defined as a conclusion or resolution reached after consideration and choice is an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities

In other words, Choice is for more than two options ( 2 or higher), but decision can be even for one option.

You decide whether to take that decision or not.

[odd frost]

HELLO

[olive parrot]

Hello, Leo.

[odd frost]

How are you today?

[olive parrot]

Great! Thanks a lot.

[lavish turret]

Hello i have a question that it true read book that help my grammar better ?

[tender brook]

Raymond Murphy

[lavish turret]

?

[tender brook]

You can use English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy. This book will help you learn English better

[olive parrot]

So true.
The best self-study Grammar book, Grammar in Use.

[lavish turret]

oh i thought was person name but thank you share it

[tender brook]

You're welcome)

[lavish turret]

It is free?

[tender brook]

You should Google it, I have a paper version, but you can find e-book on some resources.

[candid gyro]

what is prompt of the day?

[shrewd musk]

hi
if i want to learn english
you advise me save words or sentence

[mint seal]

what do you mean by this

[kind plaza]

what is past simple tense?

[olive parrot]

The form of a verb used to describe an action that happened before the present time and is no longer happening.

In other words, actions which happened in the past and finished in the past too.

[kind plaza]

What is Past Coutinuos tense ???

[smoky steppe]

I got used to doing smth vs I am used to doing smth - Is there the difference between these two, it sounds like all of them relate to the present

I got used to smoking (started in the past) and I'm still smoking currently?
I am used to smoking (in the present) means the same as "I got used..."?

[robust mountain]

an ongoing action occurred in the past . subject + was/ were + verb + ing
like this : i was talking to my friend

[modest juniper]

You can count on me FOR household chores, shopping and other daily activities.

Could you tell me if it is correct to use the preposition "For" in this sentence?

[robust mountain]

"I got used to smoking" means that the habit of smoking started in the past and continues in the present. "I am used to smoking" means that the speaker is currently in the habit of smoking. Both sentences express the present state of being accustomed to smoking

[smoky steppe]

Got it, thx mate!

So all of them refer to "now"

[robust mountain]

yes

[robust mountain]

you're welcome

[smoky steppe]

[kind plaza]

Thanks you so much!

[remote knoll]

[hollow night]

I would like to know if the following sentence is grammatically correct.

Sentence: Well, he’s so rich that everyone else must look like a pauper to him.

Context: A rich dude calls another dude a "pauper" at a party, so rich dude's friend tries to explain away his bad manners.

[olive parrot]

Well, he’s so rich that everyone else looks like a pauper to him.

[olive parrot]

This sentence is better. 👆 👆

[blazing notch]

when should i use make instead of do?

[short surge]

make should be used when you are trying to express a process of putting something together, whereas do is used when expressing an action of some sort

For example:

"I do the dishes" implies that you are acting upon the dishes, i.e cleaning the dishes

"I make the dishes" implies that you are crafting/putting together components to create a dish, but not acting upon the dish itself

This is my first time explaining such a conundrum, so apologies if it doesn't make much sense

[candid gyro]

which one is correct?
You're not on/at my level.

[mint seal]

Both work, but on is preferable

In my opinion

[short surge]

Ye both should work fine

[candid gyro]

what about this,

His English is at/on a beginner level.

[oblique shoal]

"at" fits better I'd say, but again both can be used

[true light]

Should you use the word "heavyset" only to desribe someone rather short (that ofc is also heavily built)?

[short surge]

I have never heard of that term, but maybe @oblique shoal can be of help

[oblique shoal]

heavyset could apply to any height, whereas stocky could be used for someone who's both heavily built and short

[true light]

Thank you! Do you usually use heavyset to describe someone with (1) a lot of muscles, (2) a lot of fat, or (3) both a lot of muscles and fat?

[oblique shoal]

I think 1 and 3 work better, because heavyset implies musculature or strength, but it can apply to 2

[true light]

Btw, vocabulary.com defines "heavyset" as "having a SHORT and solid form or stature"

And then casually proceeds to give the example sentence "he was TALL and heavyset" 😄

https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/heavyset#:~:text=Definitions of heavyset,%2C thick%2C thickset little%2C short

[short surge]

I checked the Mirriam Webster, and it just says muscular so idk what the authors at voculary.com were smoking

[true light]

Whatever it was, I want it

[true light]

Thanks a bunch!

[candid gyro]

a certain number of my students enrolls to/in college.

which one?

[mint seal]

in

[ocean gust]

I'm not entirely sure about what this means.

(For context, Mastodon is a social network touted as an alternative to Twitter.)

My guess is that she is saying this:
"People on Mastodon like to express their annoyance whenever Twitter goes down and hundreds of Twitter users flock there. Yes, this Twitter-exodus keeps happening, but you should be grateful that Mastodon is getting more activity in the first place."

[flat rune]

what does forebear mean?

[scenic dune]

an ancestor

[flat rune]

thx

[flat rune]

is it used often?

[scenic dune]

Ancestor and forebear mean exactly the same thing - a member of your family from a long time ago (a long time before your birth). Ancestor is from Latin roots, forebear is Germanic.Neither are common in everyday speech, but ancestor is the more natural one to use. Forebear is more poetic.

[blazing notch]

thankss man

so make is like to create something

and i had to search what is a conumdrum xdd

[ornate aspen]

what's the difference between "capture" and "take"

[blazing notch]

i have another question, when working as an intensifier, what's the difference between 'too' and 'so' ? Like: Calm down, you're so upset. // Calm down, you're too upset.

[bright pulsar]

They mean the same, but "so" is usually used positively whereas "too" is typically used negatively.
"You're so pretty." - Simply a compliment.
"You're too pretty." - Can still be a compliment, but the use of "too" might imply that their prettiness is a negative. Essentially: an amount beyond what is acceptable

And whilst they both boil down to the same thing (a lot, very), it almost always just comes down to context. In most cases, it doesn't make a difference, but in your case, it's better to use "too" to express that someone is past a reasonable threshold.

[blazing notch]

i see

thx

"you're very ...' is weird it isn't?

[bright pulsar]

I don't think there's anything wrong with "very." Natives often use "so" playfully, sarcastically, or in a friendly context (but natives also use it to express irritation). "Very" is quite neutral and is certainly better than "so" in your context.

It can weird though because it doesn't really express any tone and pretty plainly describes an amount.

[tired geyser]

"crawl back" is an idiom in English:
to admit that you were wrong and ask someone to forgive you or ask them for something that you were offered and refused in the past

For example: "Don't come crawling back to me when she throws you out!"

Taylor refused to participate in Mastodon, and posted on Twitter instead. But then, Twitter goes down, and now Taylor comes crawling back to Mastodon.

[ocean gust]

Is my guess more-or-less right?

[tired geyser]

No, not really. Taylor is saying that she typically uses Twitter. Other people on Mastodon are gloating about how Mastodon is better than Twitter. Taylor feels embarrassed about previously using Twitter. Taylor admits that other people on Mastodon are correct that Mastodon is better than Twitter.

[ocean gust]

Oh, now I get it! Huge thanks 👍

[hexed sierra]

"everybody thinks we're being hounded from our ancestor's land"
what does "hounded" mean

is it like being kicked out in a bad way or something?

[chilly wren]

whats the difference between "im hangover" and "im hungover" or is one of them wrong

[ocean gust]

I think only "I'm hung over" is correct.

Hangover is a noun.

[tired geyser]

The verb 'hound' means "to persistently harass". So, if you keep harassing someone, they might move somewhere else

[uncut totem]

Hello. Could you explain please?
What is difference between these sentences?
Do you want to have a chat with me?
Do you want to speak with me?
Do you want to have a conversation with me?
Am I right to thinking that do not have a difference?

[hollow night]

Grammar Question. Can someone tell me which sentence is grammatically correct? A or B.

**A) When did I say I will help you deal with this mess?

B) When did I say I would help you deal with this mess?**

[scenic dune]

B - if this is a test, if you speak it's fine to say A

[hollow night]

Thanks! 🙂

[scenic dune]

Do you want to have a chat with me? (I use it to people I barely know)
Do you want to speak with me? (same= to talk)
Do you want to have a conversation with me? (too formal I'd say)

[uncut totem]

Thank you.

[south ember]

Hello guys! I am currently reading "THE GODFATHER" book and I have a question about the construction "If she ever did come home"
The whole context: He was having drunken fantasies of murdering his wife when she got home. If she ever did come home.
For example, why don't they say "If she ever came home"?
What is the point of this structure?

[balmy carbon]

@south ember Heyo, using “do, did” before the main verb is like putting emphasis to the verb after it. For example, if someone asks if you are agree with something or not, you can respond with “Yeah, I “do” agree” which is just a one way of emphasizing that you strongly agree. In the given context “If she ever did come home” just means that “Even if she came home” it is just an emphasis and nothing more. Hope it helps🙌🏻

[south ember]

Thank you so much!

[undone nebula]

they all mean the same thing. ''can i talk to you?''

''did'' is past tence and ''do'' is present tence.

[undone nebula]

yes. they don't have a difference. they mean the same thing.

[uncut totem]

thanks:)

[undone nebula]

no problem mate.

[scenic dune]

there's always a slight difference

[undone nebula]

one's more formal than the other.

[twin yew]

Hello 🙂 This is probably a dumb question, but I'm wondering if it's grammatically correct not to put the subject in the sentences like these mentioned below? Or is it just informal/shorter way to describe things?

I mean something like these:

1. Woke up to this view in my face.
2. Going to start sharing a few things I'll be selling.
3. Will ship anywhere if you pay shipping.

I see a sentences like these in Instagram stories all the time so I think they are ok, but where can I read about how (and when) to use them correctly?

[meager tide]

at the first i would say i wake up with an dream in my mind

at the second one i'll would be selling somthing at mine

[olive parrot]

Howdy!
We usually use sentences without subjects when we are going to do something. In both future and present.
But for past tenses, we normally don't omit the subject.

[meager tide]

at the third if someone pay, i would be on a ship and travel to somethere?

[ashen gull]

hi everyone

ı learn englısh may you advise me

[ocean gust]

What kind of advice do you need?

[ashen gull]

for speak englısh

[twin yew]

@meager tide I think I know the meaning of these sentences but I was curious about how their authors used them.

The first one was on the short video with a dog on the bed (it was Instagram stories). The other two sentences was also on the Instagram Stories and this person was selling her stuff.

So if sentence without subject is use in past tense it's incorrect? Sometimes I see them too for example:

Went somewhere blah blah blah
or
Did great job (when it's about a dog or other person etc. we can guess because there is a picture or video)

[olive parrot]

It isn't incorrect.

We just normally don't use it.

[meager tide]

i doesn`t use instagram, it is an waste of time cause i spend my time at to many chats on discord😉

[olive parrot]

It isn't common.

[olive parrot]

You can use these as well.

Can we have a word? (Formal)
Could you spare me a minute please? (Very formal)
Let's have a chit-chat, shall we? (Informal)

[boreal pewter]

It's informal, yes, you shouldn't do this in e.g. an essay or an exam. In conversation it happens extremely often though, so it's good to know roughly how it works.
If a sentence begins with a pronoun and then a form of to be or auxiliary have, you can drop the pronoun. It's also possible to drop only the verb. If the verb can be contracted onto the pronoun*, you can drop both. Whatever the case, you can only do it if it is clear from context or common sense what it is that you've dropped.
"Looks pretty windy out there" - dropped "it"
"Been ill for a while now" - dropped "I've" is the default assumption, but if someone asked you "Have you seen Mike?" and you responded with this, context changes it to dropped "he's"
"Went to church yesterday" - dropped "I" is the default assumption, but like above, context can change that
"Dad still in the shed?" - dropped "is"
"Exercising a lot this last month" - dropped "I've been", this is pushing it I think

---

Additionally, auxiliary do in questions:
"She work hard last week?" - dropped "did"
"come here often?" - dropped "do you"

---

* I think this is the rule here but I'm fully prepared for it to turn out to be more complicated

---

Sorry this took me so long to write, I'm trying to think about the rules for this as I go... not really considered it in much detail before

Also the extent someone will do this to, and what the rules exactly are, is definitely not going to be universal. So "is it grammatical" is not a yes/no question unless you make it more specific. In standard written English? The answer there is no

[twin yew]

Thank you so much for that answer . That's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure.

[smoky steppe]

Guys, what does imply "I'm finished with you"? Why "to be"?
If I just say "I finished with you"?

[mint seal]

your question isn’t clear, can you elaborate

[smoky steppe]

What does mean "I'm finished with you" and why I need to use "am = to be" here what is the point of it? what does it imply and refer to 🙂

hope it's clear

[bright pulsar]

"Finished" is an adjective in your sentence and not a verb.

We're describing the state of our subject "I" as "finished with you."

[smoky steppe]

Hm...

[bright pulsar]

"I finished with you" would have a different meaning.

It's in the past tense.

"am" is in the present.

[smoky steppe]

What about "I've finished with you" vs "I'm finished with you"?

[bright pulsar]

"have finished" is present perfect and states that "I" finished with you in the past and continued to do so to the present.

[smoky steppe]

Hm...

[bright pulsar]

It doesn't imply being done with someone really at all.

[smoky steppe]

Hm... okie

[slate drum]

Hello everyone

[mint seal]

Yaho

[slate drum]

Hello

Where do you from

This is great

[ocean gust]

https://youtu.be/l_rKPQSo5Lk

What did he say around 5:20? I didn't catch it

(Also yes the thumbnail is clickbait xD)

[midnight depot]

"that's not true" is equal to "no cap"? or no cap is other thing

[candid gyro]

i want to ask about English grammar,
What's the difference between Copulas or Copulative verbs and Linking Verbs?

or are they the same thing

[candid gyro]

no cap means no lie, it's not a lie
cap means it's a lie

[bright pulsar]

They're the same.

Copula, copular verb, copulative verb, linking verb-- all synonymous.

[candid gyro]

in Wikipedia, it says "Linking verbs include copulas such as the English verb be and its various forms"

as if they're different?

why they use "include" not like "copula is a term for linking verbs.

[bright pulsar]

Which section are you reading? Wiktionary has them listed as synonyms.

[candid gyro]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linking_verb

in the second paragraph

[bright pulsar]

It's not clear because the page for copula also includes this section:

Sometimes, the term copula is taken to include not only a language's equivalent(s) to the verb be but also other verbs or forms that serve to link a subject to a predicative expression (while adding semantic content of their own). For example, English verbs like become, get, feel, look, taste, smell, and seem can have this function, as in the following sentences (the predicative expression, the complement of the verb, is in italics):

[candid gyro]

but do you still think they're the same thing?

[bright pulsar]

Yes. Both are describing how linking verbs are used.

[candid gyro]

ok, thank you.

[ocean gust]

Cap means lies or lying
So "no cap" would mean "that's not a lie"

[boreal pewter]

"Ok, this is gonna be fun. Him trying to use planes to convince me to become a flat-earther, when I'm wolfy/wolfie 30 10."
I'm assuming wolfie3010 is a username?

[grand mist]

What's the best way to learn English grammar?

Will it be effective to read R. Murphy's books 'English grammar in use'? Or should I use another resources?

I started to learn Eng, I think, 5 years ago, by just reading texts and translating them. Now I watch tv shows/just videos form YT, but I didn't really learn grammar.
I just have some grammar basics from texts/videos i've consumed.

[timber folio]

Honestly, just read books. Writers have editors to proofread and catch mistakes for them, albeit one or two may slip through. But reading books will indirectly teach you how to structure your sentences and different words/techniques used in writing.

There are many websites online with free books to read.

[candid gyro]

is this correct?

In previous studies, this method has been showed to be effective to improve students’ speaking skills.

[sinful crag]

help im kinda confused. Is it "I wish i was here" or "I wish I were here"?

[candid gyro]

were is gramatically correct

but i heard native speakers use 'was'

because it's subjunctive

u suppose to use "were"

[sinful crag]

Ah i see

thanks a lot! Clears up my confusion

[hollow onyx]

What's the difference between in, on, at?

I always say"in"

[flat rune]

it depends on the context entirely

[twilit vale]

this might not be a complete explanation but you use "at" for places, for example "i'm at the airport", "i'm at the stadium"...
use in when you are "inside" something, for example "he is in the building", "you are in my house"
on for me not being a native looks like the hardest but imagine, "the computer in on the table", its similar to "in" but obviously its not inside the table, its on top of it... also "scrolling on social media" "i'm on my phone" "i'm on my way"... i hope this helps a little bit

[sonic kayak]

Should Colorado change their spelling to Colourado?

[bright pulsar]

That's the British spelling, not American.

[chrome dragon]

Hello, just curious to know what your interpretation of this is?

Forth from thy blackheart,
Thine deeds in ages past,
Shine of darkness taking part.
Rebirth being token for a tribute vast,
Angel from below, change my dreams:
Riches & worths’ esteem.

[bright pulsar]

To me, it seems like someone who has done wrong is willing to pay a great price for a prosperous rebirth.

"Forth from thy blackheart, thine deeds in ages past, shine of darkness taking part." - The deeds are clearly alluded as malicious, and they come to bite him after ages past.
"Rebirth being token for a tribute vast," - In exchange for the token of rebirth, a great tribute.
"Angel from below, change my dreams:" - An angel from below likely implies a "fallen angel"-- a demon (deal with the devil?)
"Riches & worths' esteem." - The someone desires riches and recognition in their "birth" anew-- literally or figuratively.

This is my unknowledgeable interpretation.

[silk dome]

Yoooooo man, wanna practice writing test ?

[smoky steppe]

Guys what the difference between "rack" and "torment"?
Like: "rack with guilt", "torment with guilt"

[olive parrot]

That would be British then.

[chrome dragon]

Thank you so much for your feedback! It helped me understand it better. (:

[shy shell]

I have never heard of that. I wouldn't spell Colorado like that even if I was British. Just because the letter combination "color" is in "Colorado" doesn't mean the spelling of it should change to match the British alternative of "color" as color doesn't have anything to do with Colorado.

[timber folio]

^

[finite lantern]

@flat rune use right channels

[marble whale]

is 8 000 australian dollars a good sum to gift?

[barren turtle]

the Alpterts plan/plans to visit canada?

[barren turtle]

is or are 🤔

[mint seal]

BRO THATS A LOT OF MONEY

[flat rune]

^^

[olive parrot]

Is*

[barren turtle]

why

oh dollars is plural?

[olive parrot]

8000 dollars sounds plural, but in fact, it's singular. Dollars/Euros/Pounds etc... They are all singular.
Why? Because we are just talking about an amount of money altogether, we don't mean every single Dollar/Euro/Pound etc...

[barren turtle]

so always take dollars as singular?

[olive parrot]

When we're talking about an amount of money, yes.

Also, it goes to all currencies, not just Dollar.

[barren turtle]

what about hours

[olive parrot]

But when we're talking about each paper of money, we will use plural verbs.
Ex) There are two dollars on the table.

[olive parrot]

Ex) Three hours is a lot for an English class.

[barren turtle]

so always singular too?

[olive parrot]

Yep!

[barren turtle]

thanks

[olive parrot]

Anytime.

[boreal pewter]

These phrases are not singular

They refer to multiple of something and use the plural -s

Instead, what's happening is that verbs often agree with whether the subject is conceptually plural, rather than grammatically plural

This happens with more or less any noun

"Three people is not enough for this job."

Because you're talking about three people as a single amount

The reverse can also happen

[barren turtle]

i will just take it as a rule singular

cuz actually in my book

usually its singular

and i get sooooooo confused when trying to figure if its a singular quantity or not

do u have a way to discern @boreal pewter

[boreal pewter]

It's based on what the sentence actually means

[barren turtle]

i know but its really hard for me 😦

[boreal pewter]

You're talking about [three hours] as 1 length of time, and saying that length of time is a lot

[barren turtle]

The Olympics Games has/have been held every 4 years?

[boreal pewter]

You're not saying that each of these 3 hours alone, is a lot

[barren turtle]

this is confusing too

[boreal pewter]

You can consider the Olympic Games in 2 possible ways

1. An event

2. A bunch of games put together

If you think of it as (1.), then it makes sense to use a singular verb form

[barren turtle]

and how can i know which one it is

[boreal pewter]

No that misses my point

Both of those ways are possible

[barren turtle]

the problem this is exactly how its written in my book

and the book says only 1 answer

[boreal pewter]

Typically you see a plural verb with the Olympic Games because of the pressure from "Games"

[barren turtle]

i considered it as an oraganization

[olive parrot]

Listen up, buddy @barren turtle
If you consider them generally, you should use them in a singular way.
But, if you want to be more specific in it, you should use them in a plural way.

Olympic Games as an event is something in generall

But, Olympic Games such as Volleyball, Football etc... are considered "In particular" in your sentence.

[barren turtle]

kk thanks

so its have?

[boreal pewter]

Typically yes

[olive parrot]

Depends on your consideration toward it.

[olive parrot]

You're welcome

[near notch]

Hello
I have a question
I was checking a definition for a word on the dictionary website of Cambridge University and I saw the idiom "bags I"
I saw an example sentence there but it didn't help me catch it well so can anyone use it in a sentence as that idiom?

[twin yew]

Hello everyone 😁
Which sentence is correct and why? It's about Future Perfect and Future Perfect Continous tenses.

1. Next week we won't have seen each other for a year.
2. Next week we won't have been seeing each other for a year.

These are examples from my grammar book which says the first sentence is correct but I'm not entirely sure why.

[prime ore]

Hi, my name is Jack.
The first sentence is correct, I would just add a comma after "week". The second sentence is not “wrong” but it’s not “right” if we want to speak proper English. The reason why sentence number 2 is wrong is because it’s more complex. In English, we always try to use the most accurate words, and make it simple but grammatically correct.

I hope this helped you, if it did, you might want to join my next upcoming class. Thank you! Have a nice day.

[twin yew]

Thank you for the explanation. That exercise has a clue which says Future Perfect is good when you spot the amount of something (like "4 times") and Future Perfect Continous is good when you spot period of time (like "for 2 days"). There is 10 sentences to be completed and I did well, but that one was a little confusing.

[gilded ridge]

may i ask in this sentence "I'll do it when the humor takes me." ,what does "the humor takes me" mean?

[shy shell]

What is the context? I can't say for sure without context, but the best answer I can give is that it probably means the person will do the thing when they feel like doing it.

[gilded ridge]

sorry, no more specific context, i watched it from a video. may i ask the origin of the expression pattern "the humor takes". Because i cannot understand it. why the humor takes me means I like doing something.

[kindred river]

It means that the person will do it when they feel inspired or smth, or when they're in a good mood

[grand mist]

hey guys, how do you pronounce with what's the last sound?
I'm not sure but I think sometimes I hear wɪð, sometimes it's wɪθ

[kindred river]

It's close to an F than a T.

Watch some videos about that sound and keep practicing.

[grand mist]

when you say 'F', you mean 'θ'?

as in thief

[shy shell]

The pronounce the TH sound, touch the tip of your tongue to the bottom of your top teeth and blow air through (breathe out basically)

[kindred river]

Yepppp

Wɪð, that is

[grand mist]

okay, so you're talkin about voiced th

[kindred river]

It's IPA

international phonetic alphabet

I'd rather go with a nice video instead but you might choose to just use IPA as well

[grand mist]

okay so the last sound of with changes depends on the next sound in a sentence. I checked US pronunciation on youglish.

it's like who are you talking with? vs im gonna hang out with this guy

[prime ore]

How do you highlight a sentence?

[grand mist]

`word`` but without last character

[shy shell]

Surround your text in the ` symbol

[grand mist]

you explained it perfect lol

[shy shell]

- lol

hah

[prime ore]

Man City is going to win the Champions League

Alright thank you mate!

The both of you.

[shy shell]

- nice

[kindred river]

PRECISELY! They're never the same. There is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with saying *wit* in some situations for it can be quite difficult for one to pronounce it through *ð* - especially if you're speaking fast.

Thank you! also, sometimes Tank you! -- when you're out of breath or just speaking fast.

[grand mist]

yeah noticed ð in fast speech too

[shy shell]

True, and saying "wit" is also a slang/colloquial alternative for "with."

[kindred river]

With that? -- practice with this. 2 ð's, extremely difficult to nail it.

[grand mist]

i hear a lot of 'with ya' = 'which ya' in rap

[kindred river]

Yup, Scots always say it that way. Even in their written English, it's wit.

[grand mist]

wit' ya*

[prime ore]

Like wit it I think

[kindred river]

You can try: wiðat

[shy shell]

Blacks also

[kindred river]

As if they're just one word. Stick together.

[kindred river]

Damn those homies speak defo diff my G

This was Black + Aussie English. Extremely dangerous. Beware.

[grand mist]

do british have some sort of flap t?
when US dude says water it's gonna be kinda waDer.
do british convert water to smth like woAaah?

[shy shell]

Yeah, British people do not pronounce the letter T as much, and so often times, it will sound like there's some sort of gap in their words.

[kindred river]

https://open.spotify.com/track/7lQ8MOhq6IN2w8EYcFNSUk

Wiðout me
His this later on sounds like dis

Because the WITHOUT ME part is slow, while the THIS part is rather fast.

Still ð but not strong at all, as he is rapping...

[shy shell]

They also usually don't pronounce the "-er" or "-or" at the end of words, so it often sounds like an "ah" or "uh" sound.

[boreal pewter]

As always it depends on the accent, not all British people speak the same way. The t in water is almost never dropped though, there will at least be a glottal stop remaining

[boreal pewter]

We do pronounce it, that "ah" or "uh" sound is how we pronounce it

(for non-rhotic speakers)

[shy shell]

Yeah, that's what I was saying, it's just pronounced differently.

[grand mist]

ok I get it now. I can pronounce th as I want )

[kindred river]

https://open.spotify.com/track/6CKoWCWAqEVWVjpeoJXyNH

You can hear the mighty British touch in these words, everyone.

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this (very well nailed THIS, to be honest) art
But that's (also strong) not the shape of my (sounds like: MA) heart

[kindred river]

Depends on the situtation.

Not always. Otherwise, it'd be a huge mistake.

Remember!

Three = 3
Tree = 🌲

Thought = think
Taught = teach

Just one TH sound and everything changes.

[shy shell]

And...

Four = 4
Thor = 🦸

[kindred river]

But that has nothing do with the TH sound.

Ah shit it has now lol.

[grand mist]

I was a little bit confused about right pronunciation of with, because here (I'll give you a link) she says with (unvoiced) but I thought VOICED th would fit better.

https://youtu.be/0V7HANV4yhc?t=23

[kindred river]

Maybe what you're trying to say here is:

Thorn: thorn of a rose
Torn: tear

Torn apart --> tear apart. That is...

[kindred river]

Not always when you sing.

[grand mist]

shes not singing there at that moment)

[kindred river]

What is she doing lol

[shy shell]

I was talking about the number four vs. the superhero Thor

[grand mist]

the link with a timing. she's just talking on the phone

[kindred river]

No it's all perfect

We're too loud forthesilence (this part is fast, so it doesn't have to be a strong THE)

So, it is as if it is linked...

There's something we call linking in English... This is similar to that.

[grand mist]

then she says but I need you to do it with me

[kindred river]

It's actually a pretty big deal in British English.

[kindred river]

The TH sounds she made are all perfect. Completely natural and fluent.

You can make them sound stronger, but then it would be way all too AMERICAN.

And then you say she's talking on the phone, so it's a casual chat.

[kindred river]

But THOR without the TH is not FOR

[boreal pewter]

It's not always dependent on surrounding sounds, plenty of people say /wɪθ/ in all contexts, and plenty of people say /wɪð/ in all contexts (I'm in the 2nd group). Yet other people do have a /θ~ð/ voicing assimilation.
Geography matters as well, for example it's much more common in the UK to say /wɪð/ in all contexts, than it is in the US.

[kindred river]

Thorn
Torn

Make more sense here.

[grand mist]

nice answer, thanks

[kindred river]

In Ireland, for instance, English pronounciation changes every 5 minutes. So....

[grand mist]

is this a joke?

[kindred river]

No. I've been to Ireland myself.

[boreal pewter]

For, god of funda

[kindred river]

For
Four

Is like:

Sea
See

It has nothing to do with the absence of a TH sound.

[boreal pewter]

?? I didn't say anything about that

It's a joke

[grand mist]

I heard that accents in uk can be so different that ppl from different regions don't understand each other. is this true? sounds unrealistic

[kindred river]

That's what he said lol

I'm just explaining things here...

[boreal pewter]

It's a th-fronting joke

thunder -> funda

[kindred river]

I sense... British English.

[grand mist]

for me it sounds more like african)

[kindred river]

Black English also, 'mon.

[shy shell]

No, but it's an example of how you should be careful when pronouncing the F and TH sound. Something little as pronouncing the F in the number 4 as a TH can make it sound as if you're now talking about a fictional comic book character.

[kindred river]

Ah, yes. I agree with you on that one. It's never a clear F sound. More like a mixture of TH and F sounds.

[grand mist]

what do u think, can you defeat procrastination in long term forever? not just for one day

[kindred river]

I cannot. IT.... PROCRASTINATION.... IT CONSUMES ME!

[grand mist]

that sucks

[grand mist]

is it easy to understand articles like a/an/the? I put em somewhere but sometimes I just don't know what to use

ok so difference between a and an is easy

[kindred river]

Except for a few exceptions: the rule is quite simple.

An hour
A Ukrainian

(These are some of the exceptions)

Use "a" before a word that begins with a consonant sound, and use "an" before a word that begins with a vowel sound.

[grand mist]

yeah i get it

but when to use the and a

for example
at the end of the day why THE END

[kindred river]

And "the" is a definite article and is used to refer to a specific item

You remember the book you gave me? I read it. It was pretty cool!

[shy shell]

Use a if you're talking about any object (e.g. a baseball, a television)
Use an in the same scenario as a except an is used when the object you're talking about starts with a vowel (e.g. an apple, an opening)
Use the when you're talking about one specific object rather than just any

[boreal pewter]

That can happen yea, if you're talking to someone with a strong accent you're not accustomed to. I live in Glasgow and you occasionally overhear conversations where some poor English guy has to keep going "sorry?" to the local he's talking to lol
People are pretty good at coping with accents simply because they have to be, and not everyone's accent is a stereotype of their region, so for the most part there's not much confusion :)

[grand mist]

i couldnt believe that guys that speak the same language cant understand each other

[kindred river]

It's actually a common idiomatic expression that roughly means ultimately - at the end of the day

[shy shell]

If you say "I want an apple," you're saying you're fine with having any apple.
If you say "I want the apple," you're saying you want one specific apple. If there is more than one apple, then you should also specify which one you want.

[boreal pewter]

🤷 better get believing then, because it doesn't just happen in the UK and it doesn't just happen in English lol

[kindred river]

Another example:

A) I want that car!
B) Which car?
A) The red one.

THE red car.

[grand mist]

So I say I want the apple. Bla bla. We're starting to talk about this particular apple.
Should I later refer to it like the apple is red or an apple is red or just apple is red

[kindred river]

The red one*

[shy shell]

You would still refer to it as the.

[kindred river]

the apple is red or an apple is red or just apple is red -- neither of them sound natural

Just use ONE as an answer.

A) Which apple?
B) The red one

[shy shell]

Another note is that the pronunciation of the changes.
It is pronounced as "thee" when the object you're talking about starts with a vowel, e.g. apple, opening, etc.
It is also pronounced as "thee" when you are adding emphasis.
It is pronounced as "thuh" when the object starts with any other letter, e.g. dog, cat, house, etc.

[grand mist]

okay but at the same time as far as I know if I say:

this apple's perfect

and then i say IT is red, it's correct.
or should i say this one's red ?

[shy shell]

To say "this apple's perfect; it's red" is correct and makes more sense than the second option.

[grand mist]

but what about

ok, sorry guys, for wasting your time, i'd better watch a couple of videos on YT

would be more productive )

[shy shell]

When you talk about a particular apple, you always refer to it as the, yes. But when you continue to talk about the apple, you can refer to it as it and you do not have to specify any more - until you are talking about something else or change the topic.

[grand mist]

I think I understand. Maybe not for 100% but I get it) thx

[kindred river]

Do you want me to explain it again?

This rule is very important.

[grand mist]

no, dont waste your time. i'll watch some videos on yt)

[kindred river]

It is like the core of English.

[shy shell]

When I say "until you change the topic," this is what I mean.
If you say "the apple is perfect, and so is the car. It's red" this does not make any sense because you must specify what is red. Is the apple red, or is the car red? We don't know because you then changed the topic and started talking about a car. Now you must specify what you are talking about again. So, "the apple is perfect, and so is the car. The apple is red, and the car is fast" or something along those lines.

[grand mist]

I started to learn Eng by reading and just translating words, then i was watching videos+tv shows. i didnt learn grammar at all. I don't think it's worth to explain smth to me cuz I just don't know the basics. I'd better pick up some grammar book)

[kindred river]

That is what I am here for. I do it for a living, but it's your call in the end!

[grand mist]

do you know Raymond Murphy's books on grammar? are they good? english grammar in use or smth like that

[kindred river]

Let me check.

Hmm

Yeah, they're okay.

[grand mist]

how'd you check them?) some imdb kind of stuff but for books?)

[kindred river]

I have +1000 books in my library.

[bright pulsar]

Do you perhaps have any recommendations on comprehensive grammar books for natives? I'm looking at The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, but yeesh, that price.

[kindred river]

If you're not willing to pay that price -- you might as well consider using online sources.

Every good grammar book I have for Native Speakers is hellishly expensive.

[bright pulsar]

That's a shame... I might have to splurge then, because a lot of online sources I've come across aren't very comprehensive or empirical.

[kindred river]

Then again, you have me here.

[bright pulsar]

Yeah, but I'd end up just bothering you over relatively basic topics that I'm looking for a very thorough answer on. These books seem to have dozens of pages for even the simplest topics.

I might just sail the seas-- who knows.

[kindred river]

I am here to help.

[grand mist]

since i've got you here (i mean a person who's glad to answer questions).

how to improve listening skills?

it's easy to understand podcasts (like Joe Rogan Experience) because on these podcasts they talk clearly (a host speaks good. but guest? it depends of course),
but when I watch movies/tv shows it's much harder to understand what they're saying. it's like they're mumbling.

first, I thought i should watch a moment from tv show, if I don't understand it -> rewind, didnt get it again -> rewind again. But sometimes I just can't make sense of these sounds that a guy is making, then I have to turn subtitles on. does it improve my listening? or what's the better way to do it?

[kindred river]

I'm having my second dinner ATM. Can I get back to you in a bit?

[grand mist]

no problem

[bright pulsar]

People in shows may be talking in different accents or with inflection that makes their words harder to understand for a non-native.

[grand mist]

i dont even know the correct phrase in english.

have a nice meal?)

[kindred river]

Enjoy or have. Thank you.

[bright pulsar]

I would say listening with subtitles is extremely helpful (if you don't understand) though. When I was taking Spanish, understanding some phrases was incredibly difficult (native Spanish speakers are quite fast), but once I knew objectively what they were saying, it was as if the sounds became much more obvious.

You absolutely need to hear it and then put words to what they're saying if you want to be able to catch on to it again, and subtitles are probably the only way to do so outside of any external instruction.

[grand mist]

about watching with subs...
I do it all the time. because I can understand text.
but it seems that I'm just reading and not actually listening...

[bright pulsar]

Yes, you should avoid using them when you can. Get used to hearing the language and struggling to pick up on what they're saying. Sometimes brute force works and you'll get that spark which greatly improves your comprehension, but other times it's basically impossible. That's when you turn subtitles on.

[grand mist]

it's hard for me to turn subs off because it's uncomfortable )))))))
for example I didnt catch a phrase and it's like im starting to think that I lost some KEY PART of a message, and then I turns subs on, rewind, and then just continue to watch the whole things with subs on))

I think the reason I suck on listening, because I dont actually train listening))

[kindred river]

Okay I'm back

[grand mist]

I reread your can i get bac to you in a bit? and I thought damn i gotta learn to talk to ppl like that. it's nice. i'd myself say 'brb' xD

[bright pulsar]

lol it ok

[kindred river]

lol it okay

[bright pulsar]

Even natives shorten things to "brb" in casual conversation.

[kindred river]

Yeah, that's what I'd rock, too, but I'm getting old.

Okay. Now, what was the question?

[grand mist]

best way to improve listening skills

[grand mist]

why did you both write 'it okay' and not 'it's okay'?

[bright pulsar]

Just an inside joke. Genuine English speakers don't talk so formally and grammatically correct in casual conversations. They omit a lot.

[grand mist]

lol nice pictures comparing non-native to a native

[kindred river]

The second guy, Native Speaker, does not feel the need to prove himself.

The first one is just uttering big words and thinks he's cool and an advanced English speaker. But it just tires my eyes...

[grand mist]

yeah, but as a native you can write good when you need to

[kindred river]

Write well*

[grand mist]

thanks, native on steroids

[kindred river]

For me it's a bit different as I am also an English teacher.

[sweet perch]

What is the difference between To bloat and To swell.

[kindred river]

Okay, apply everything Ron just said. In addition to that, I strongly suggest that you PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE a lot. This is not something I can provide specific advice on, it's something only you can do. With time and effort, you'll definitely see an improvement in your listening skills. I also recommend imitating Native speakers, as they should be your primary teachers in your English journey always! As an English teacher, I'm telling you that anyone other than Native speakers can only teach you the very basics or what they have learned from Native speakers, but their skills only ample up to a certain degree. Hence, it's very important to seek the opinions and feedback of Native speakers whenever you need reliable answers. So, if you want to become a proficient English speaker, it's important that you know that you have to listen to different accents and dialects of English. Your English seems quite decent and is easy to read and understand. Keep up the good work and don't worry about anything else! Take your sweet time of it and proceed at your own pace. If you have to, learn slowly but DO learn it well. Knowledge is the key to learning a new language, and the best source of that knowledge is Native speakers of the language you're learning. So, listen to what every Native speaker has to say, regardless of who they might be. And don't forget to practice every single day. As I always tell my students; use it or lose it!

[grand mist]

btw about native speakers. it's time code (9:26)

https://youtu.be/Eb6yFhkzpmI?t=566

[grand mist]

native american (i think) googles word 'experience' xd

or mb it's just a joke and i didnt get it

[kindred river]

Hmm, these words both mean something similar. But are used in different contexts!

To bloat - refers to an excessive increase in size

To swell - refers to a gradual increase in size

All in all, to bloat is usually used to describe a RAPID increase in size, whereas to swell is used to describe a GRADUAL increase in size.

In other words, to bloat is a fast increase in size, and to swell is a slower increase in size.

[sweet perch]

Then "Bloat" is a quicker swell?

[kindred river]

EXPERIANCE

[grand mist]

)