📚｜english-questions

[bright pulsar]

It's still rare, for sure.

[stone dove]

What

[swift briar]

The English dictionary doesn't stop to amuse me

[stone dove]

No it’s the concrete jungles

[bright pulsar]

It's referred to as many things.

Concrete jungle refers to its urbaness in particular.

[stone dove]

Where dreams made of

[swift briar]

Got a good question of you guys

[stone dove]

What is it

[bright pulsar]

Great song.

[stone dove]

Yep

[swift briar]

How common/frequent have you guys stumbled upon the word "ubiquitous"

[stone dove]

jay-z version of the song is the best

[bright pulsar]

Oh, I've seen it.

[stone dove]

I have never seen that word

[swift briar]

Hahaha

[swift briar]

It means common

[stone dove]

maybe heard? but just reading nope

[bright pulsar]

It's not ubiquitous at all, though.

[swift briar]

In simple Words

[stone dove]

Yeah, don’t know it 🥲

[swift briar]

present, appearing, or found everywhere.
"his ubiquitous influence was felt by all the family"

[bright pulsar]

It's a very literate term.

[swift briar]

Yes

[bright pulsar]

Sometimes academic.

[swift briar]

True

[bright pulsar]

Outside of advanced reading or college education? Doubt you'll see it.

[swift briar]

What about ambiguous

[bright pulsar]

Much more common.

[swift briar]

Yeah

[stone dove]

Yeah heard that

[swift briar]

Ambiguous is a very good expressive word

[bright pulsar]

I would say it's almost a top level word. It's one of the first words that comes to mind in context.

[swift briar]

That i use in my writing

[stone dove]

How do you use it?

I would use it when i am describing somebodies qualities

[swift briar]

To describe things that are grey

[stone dove]

that are grey?

I would use when i am describing somebody who is free and

[swift briar]

He gave a very ambiguous answer to my question

(Very unclear answer)

[stone dove]

Don’t know how to explain it actually

[swift briar]

Nether A or B

Neither*

Nether or Neither however you spell it.

Haha

[bright pulsar]

Neither, and we use nor for neither.

[swift briar]

Basically if you asked if i feel great or terrible and i say that I feel red

That's an ambiguous answer

And I should be unambiguous to that question

[bright pulsar]

One of the issues with many students in formal essays is ambiguity. It's generally not advised.

[swift briar]

True

Ambiguity can cause misunderstanding

Resulting in people disputing.

[bright pulsar]

The main issue is that arguments should be made wholly, and ambiguity can make a reader doubt your knowledge or research on the topic. A confident writer makes a confident argument.

English teachers definitely pick up on ambiguity.

[swift briar]

I'm still learning the art of writing and being more expressive

[bright pulsar]

It's a fun one.

Language is much more lenient than it seems.

There's plenty of different ways to express the same thing with a different tone.

[swift briar]

Expressionism is truly fun when mastered

Not having restrictions or blocks, just flowing and floating

[bright pulsar]

I have plenty of blocks. I wish expressionism was that simple.

However, I am the type to proof as I go.

[swift briar]

It's really isn't

Not even for natives

Let alone an ESL nobody like me

[bright pulsar]

Some people just let it all flow and clean up the pieces later.

[swift briar]

[swift briar]

An approach I'm actually trying to convert to

[bright pulsar]

It's not for me. I'm far too caught up on the delivery to confidently move on.

It would be fine, were I to at least write more down before working.

[swift briar]

I've been also learning to speak slower to have time to actually be more engaging

[swift briar]

Having confidence is truly powerful

[bright pulsar]

Americans actually speak quite fast.

It's seen as confident by most and can be captivating in its own way.

[swift briar]

Quality of what you say > quantity

[bright pulsar]

I believe this to be true, and I'm also a slower speaker. It's mainly because I mind what I say and what I think much more before saying it.

It can stall a conversation, though, so many filler words are necessary.

[swift briar]

I'm glad you said that

[swift briar]

https://youtu.be/mlDAO7DgJNk

[bright pulsar]

I think that's a helpful video for people with slower speech, for sure. Filler words aren't the save all.

[swift briar]

✅

You can say hmm only and ONLY if you need time to think firmly about it

[bright pulsar]

I think it's less common in quicker, informal conversation though.

A lot of Americans take pauses as a chance to interject and derail.

It's often infuriating.

[swift briar]

If you wanna appear as a very confident person u must drop the umms hmms and you knows

[bright pulsar]

In formal speech? Absolutely.

[swift briar]

Yes

Formal, businesses and anything in between

Informality is somewhat irrelevant in this conversation due to how flexible you can be.

[bright pulsar]

It depends. I wouldn't make note of it if I didn't have to consider it.

[swift briar]

However i forgot that this is an #📚｜english-questions and I'm sorry for going on a Tangent (Bad habit) if you wanna talk about this more we can move to #🧠｜serious-chat but i barely have any gas left in me so i might just leave it at that.

[bright pulsar]

I think it's fine to leave it at that.

[swift briar]

[bright pulsar]

Longer conversations in here usually aren't a problem as long as nobody is being blocked.

[whole elm]

Hi, are leaf and leave pronounced in the same way?

[mint seal]

Nope!

They’re not pronounced the same way

The pronunciation of ‘leave’ is extended

Leaf:

Leave:

[whole elm]

thanks, for me i can only realize a very very little difference

[mint seal]

Yeah it’s the ‘ee’ sound ain’t it, but in most cases even if you pronounce them the same way, people can understand based on the context of your sentences

So don’t worry about it too much

[whole elm]

thank you good to know lol

[mint spire]

What would "knot up" in phrases like "losing has my emotions all knotted up" mean?

[supple holly]

It means something like your emotions are jumbled, confused, a mess. You can't clearly tell how you feel but you know it makes you uncomfortable

[mint spire]

but why the "up"?

[supple holly]

"Knot up" is a phrasal verb, which is a verb combined with a preposition or an adverb.

"Knot up" is similar in meaning to "tie someone (up) in knots" which you can see in the Idioms section: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/knot_1

[mint spire]

phrasal verbs are often confusing for me

[peak ermine]

Hello guys! Could you give me advice which sentence is right or more usual?
1 - But weren't you supposed to do that last night?
2 - But wasn't it supposed that you must have done that last night?

[sacred perch]

Definitely the first one. It's clearer, grammatically correct and is also in active voice, which is always preferred in English

[mint seal]

The first one. No negotiations. No second thoughts.

[sacred perch]

The second one sounds very awkward, has some grammatical mistakes and is kind of a mixture of both active and passive voice

So I'd definitely go with the first one

[mint seal]

same honestly, i had to read the second sentence 3 times

[dense oasis]

am still reading it and failing to get the message lol

the last sentence ofc

[mint seal]

reading it makes my brain have a seizure

[sacred perch]

Wait... Are you sure?

Cuz that one makes no sense whatsoever

Or at least that's the way I see it

[mint seal]

No they're saying that they're failing to understand the meaning of the second sentence cuz of the way it's written

||As a joke||

That also happened with me

[dense oasis]

yeah

its kind of like

its as if you were to eat some chicken nuggets, but for some reason also drink a carton of milk after them, thats how that sentence felt like lol

that just doesnt work well together and could potentially make you nauseous

[mint seal]

or eating saltine crackers with orange juice and ice cream

[serene plinth]

Speakinh from experience?

[mint seal]

no, but i saw an old friend do it before

[sacred perch]

People, stop making the guy feel so bad 😂

[dense oasis]

i meant the sentence not the person, i bet they are a great guy

[dusk fossil]

"box rais "
how to write a sentence using these words in the passive voice

[mortal citrus]

do you mean “raised”instead of “rais”

[dusk fossil]

in the present tense, people picked up the box. and I tell my friend. that the box was lifted

[dusk fossil]

I am not a native English speaker. I need to learn how to make a passive voice from an active one

[vagrant copper]

what the difference between these two sentences:

"i adore candy factories, and I want to own one someday."

"i adore candy factories and I want to own one someday."

if we analyze that, do that two differ each other?

[mortal citrus]

Example

Active voice: “The boy picked up the box” —> The subject (the boy) performs the action on the object (the box)

Now to to turn it into the passive voice look at how this sentence is constructed from the active voice

Passive voice: “The box was picked up by the boy” —> The subject (the box) is now receiving the action and “was picked up” is the passive voice. Forming the passive voice uses a form of the verb “be” (be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been) followed by the past participle of the main verb.

[vagrant copper]

my assumption is "raise" instead of "rais".

the present verb is RAISE
the past is RAISED.
the continuous is RAISING.

this verb is a regular verb.

[mortal citrus]

Do lots of practice examples to master this

[dusk fossil]

I asked a question. please answer the question

[dusk fossil]

I asked a question. please answer the question

[mortal citrus]

erm..

[mint seal]

To me, there isn’t a difference aside from the comma

[mortal citrus]

Same idea, the missing comma can mean a different tone (higher intonation) or speed of the sentence. it doesn’t take away the meaning

[vagrant copper]

one example is
"the box is being raised by the excavator"

[mint seal]

they answered it on the second part of their response

[runic edge]

When do I put "the" in the correct place when writing a sentence?

[dusk fossil]

No. I see better. they increase sentences to simplify themselves.

[dusk fossil]

no excavator. I didn't say a word about it

[mint seal]

It depends what sentence you’re writing but it’s usually placed at the beginning of a sentence

[vagrant copper]

"The" is kind of article in a sentence

[mint seal]

and if you’re talking about a noun, but there are other uses

[mint seal]

You’re misunderstanding the situation a little bit

[dusk fossil]

you misunderstand because I'm asking a question here

[mint seal]

I get your question but both people had answered it correctly.

if you didn’t understand, ask them in more detail

[dusk fossil]

not

@mint seal I'm asking a question. which means it depends on me whether they understood me and correctly. otherwise you are egocentric

[swift briar]

I'm confused

What are you saying ?

[finite lantern]

aye

Let me look at the questions

[mint seal]

i’m also confused

[vagrant copper]

use the when you have already mentioned something in previous sentence. otherwise, the reader will be confused. For example:

"Casablanca is a luxurious neighborhood in this country. the village there mostly costs more than 1 million dollars."

and you can use the, if your reader has already understood the topic you discuss.

"The Earth we live on is the only planet human can live."

[dusk fossil]

@supple holly why are you ticking. the chat does not understand that you need to make a passive voice out of two words, instead they make long sentences, they just make it easier for themselves to decide

[mortal citrus]

?..

[mint seal]

You can’t make a ‘passive voice’ sentence with just two words

It doesn’t work that way

[supple holly]

Either your question wasn't clear enough in the first place or you're just choosing to not understand. I think the two answers above were clear

[mint seal]

The long sentences they provided has passive voice

[vagrant copper]

THE RULE TO MAKE PASSIVE SENTENCE AS WELL AS PASSIVE VOICE:

be form + past participle

be form members = is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been

@dusk fossil

[dusk fossil]

exmaple:
The child was struck by the car.

[vagrant copper]

@dusk fossil

[mint seal]

They example they gave is literally the exact same as this

[vagrant copper]

now you can make it yourself

[dusk fossil]

not

[dusk fossil]

not

[mint seal]

How is it not the same?

[vagrant copper]

if this channel does not make you understand, search it on any browser yourself

then come back here to recheck

[dusk fossil]

because you add nouns, and so on .
but you need the meaning of those words, similarly that conjunctions, prepositions, auxiliary verbs, pronouns are acceptable
"box rais "

[dusk fossil]

in order to say something, you must first understand, you cannot understand that you need to correctly compose a phrase in the passive voice from those words, instead you insert these words into your sentences

@vagrant copper there is one task. grammatically say it in the passive voice

[late topaz]

Passive voice could only be applied if someone or something performs an action on the subject.

"he was taken to the hospital"
"The fence is being painted"

[dusk fossil]

not always . I already checked it

[late topaz]

Please give me an example

[vagrant copper]

my mistake that the browser Google or Mozilla i use to search for that thing comes to an incorrect answer.

if the noun you mean is like "by people" or somebody, better not to mention it on your sentence, so it would be like:

active sentence: "The people help her to finish her work."
passive: "She was helped to finish her work."

@dusk fossil

[dusk fossil]

"The fence is being painted"
here is an example, it does not indicate who paints

[late topaz]

are you talking about something like "I will be finished by 5 o'clock tomorrow" ?

[vagrant copper]

no need to mention by whom she was helped

[late topaz]

what?

it is being implied that someone is painting the fence

fence cannot paint itself

[dusk fossil]

@late topaz you said that the proposals should be indicated. I said that it is not obligatory to indicate who performs the action on the object

[vagrant copper]

it is hot here d*amn

[dusk fossil]

I am not asking for examples. I asked how to make that phrase correctly in the passive voice

[vagrant copper]

scroll up above, many people have already helped and given you explanation

[dusk fossil]

not

[vagrant copper]

better to search on the internet

if this channel is less helpfull for you

[dusk fossil]

do not equate your worthlessness with others.

[late topaz]

I never said that you should explicitly state who is performing an action but you are correct.

[mint seal]

Regardless if there’s a noun or not, it’s still passive voice

[late topaz]

I only meant that you can't use the passive voice if the subject is the one doing something

[mint seal]

Please be nice to others.

[supple holly]

[dusk fossil]

I know. but the sentences change, it’s hard for me to explain it, but I shouldn’t, because you are a native English speaker, you should know how washed away it changes when something else is added. in other cases, it’s not a question, I asked a specific question, it’s already more clear to me, why do I need this

[dusk fossil]

no need to clarify what is passive and active voice. I know. I ask how to correctly compose that phrase grammatically in the passive voice

[dusk fossil]

I did not call the chat here useless, but there was one person here, such

[serene plinth]

The subject is merely absent in the sentence. It is UNDERSTOOD that someone is doing the job.

For example: The thief was caught.
It is understood that that the thief was caught by the police or other designated officials.

For your example: The fence is being painted.
It is understood that the job is being done by a professional/servant.

This can be done only when we know the subject is very obvious and it would still make sense if it's not mentioned in the sentence

[dusk fossil]

ok you are trolling me. I condemn it.

[mint seal]

I know you were talking about that person, thats why i said it wasn’t nice.

[late topaz]

Here is everything you need

[dusk fossil]

I asked the simplest question. how to make it passive voice - "box rais "

[late topaz]

you mean RAISE?

[serene plinth]

And we said a simple thing that** it's not a sentence** so we can't make it passive

[late topaz]

The box was raised
The box is being raised
The box will be raised
etc

[dusk fossil]

it's not good to tell me where to go

[serene plinth]

I just wanted to clarify where we don't mention the subject in passive voice. There's no wrong in learning extra information than to what you came here for, right?

[dusk fossil]

Well then, take a look at this term as a suggestion

I'm just surprised that native speakers can't connect two words in the passive voice

[serene plinth]

@dusk fossil here's your answer....

[serene plinth]

cuz those two words don't make a sentence

your question was wrong to begin with so, it led to a big confusion

[late topaz]

! the word RAIS does not exist !

[dusk fossil]

is it possible to make it clear that several people raised, that is, to make it in the plural

[late topaz]

Only using the context.

[serene plinth]

then you'd need to add 'by several people' at the end of the sentence

[late topaz]

Russian is a different language with their own rules, you can't do the same things in English as you can in Russian. I sense this plays a significant role in your struggles

[late topaz]

THIS

[dusk fossil]

in order for the sentence to exist, you need to write it correctly, which is what I demanded. I didn't create confusion.

[mortal citrus]

…

[serene plinth]

Let's just say we were not on the same page

[mint seal]

Agreed.

[dusk fossil]

do not touch the Russian language. it is out of the question in this context. I asked you a simple question about how to make it into a passive voice

[serene plinth]

Noeliza let me get a few things straight

Your 'simple question' was very vague and wrong which led to this confusion.

[dusk fossil]

context? from a verb, but if a noun is mentioned, the object that does acts on the object, then in this case it can be in the plural. did I understand correctly?

[mint seal]

They did exactly what you asked. Everyone here had wrote their sentences correctly and precisely. The examples you gave followed the same or similar structure to what the others had wrote

[serene plinth]

You can't expect us to magically read your mind

[dusk fossil]

@serene plinth two words. make it a passive voice. you don't even need to think about what to do -_-

[serene plinth]

Cuz those 2 words are not a sentence and if it's not a sentence you can't make it passive

[dusk fossil]

No. only one person did it perfectly " JOHN"

[serene plinth]

stop being so stubborn and try to understand where it went wrong

[mint seal]

Not just John, everyone

[dusk fossil]

in order to have a sentence, you need to write it competently, and this is similar

[mint seal]

We’re trying to help you understand why your statement was wrong

[serene plinth]

was yours competent enough then?

[dusk fossil]

I just see better. I asked a question. I don't like your selfishness. please do not write to me

[serene plinth]

We are mere English speakers and human beings, we don't work magic here

We can't read your mind via telekinesis

[sacred perch]

People chill out for a second here

[serene plinth]

If you want to get a proper answer from this channel from now on, first check whether your question is apprehensible

[sacred perch]

I don't even get the question

[dusk fossil]

miracles are not needed. there are two words to make this a passive voice, and one person understood how to do it. and other people write their invented sentences where it is easier for them to understand. I don't need simplicity

[serene plinth]

Just don't... stop right there

[sacred perch]

Would somebody care to explain?

[serene plinth]

Ok then let me reword everything. 'Box rais' does not have a passive form. FULL STOP

Guys I would like to request all of you not to drag this any further.

[mint seal]

I’m not being selfish. You’re not co-operating with us at the moment, which makes everything else harder. Even one of our most trusted English teacher is trying to help you right now

[mint seal]

aight then

[late topaz]

Please stop the quarrel

[sacred perch]

Oh I see, that is the question

[sacred perch]

The thing is, to make the passive voice of a sentence you need a subject, verb and an object

Seeing as your sentence only has two of those, it'd be impossible to make the passive voice of the given sentence

[serene plinth]

Mujtaba we've already gone over all this

[sacred perch]

As it does not meet the required condition to make a passive voice

[serene plinth]

They simply refuse to accept any of our explanations

I wouldn't be surprised if they come up and ask how this answers their original question

[sacred perch]

Maybe one other person who insists on the same explanation might be enough to change their mind

You never know tho

[dusk fossil]

I didn't call it the passive voice. I asked how to do it, this does not mean that you can’t do what you need to create a passive voice. "JOHN" did it and for this I thank him very much.
A man tied two words into a sentence, and here you are making sentences with some kind of locomotives

[sacred perch]

Wait... I've got a question of my own seeing this whole discussion

What's the passive voice of "write a letter"?

[dusk fossil]

I didn't say you can't do verbs "to be"
because it is necessary for it to be right. and before that, people just made up their long sentences

[supple holly]

"Letter is written"

[sacred perch]

But the original statement was an imperative sentence. Your answer is a statement

So wouldn't that be wrong?

[supple holly]

Oh, you mean that's the whole sentence

Then it'd probably be "have a letter written"

[serene plinth]

nope

[strange compass]

the last thing I want is for people to be eating food they dont enjoy.

[sacred perch]

Where'd that come out of 😂

[strange compass]

This sentence means that I want the 'people' eating the food they dont like?

[dusk fossil]

@sacred perch a person has come and does not know how to correctly make a specific sentence in the passive voice correctly. and other people write their own compositions.
that's why I'm still surprised at how people teach here

[strange compass]

It was a question hehe

[supple holly]

"The last thing I want" means you don't want it to happen

[late topaz]

It really sounds like something that occurs often as a result of a habit or an instruction (or a set of). "The recommendation letter is written, then sent to the college admission board where it is decided whether the applicant is worthy of an interview"

[strange compass]

Oh

Wait

[sacred perch]

We all make mistakes and we're all learning here, so it's quite OK

[strange compass]

Then

It means like this: Last thing I want = I dont want people to eat their dislike food?

[supple holly]

Ehh what? I didn't have any question

[supple holly]

Yes

[late topaz]

But I do. It sounds peculiar to me

[strange compass]

It means " I want people to eat the whatever food they like, I want them to enjoy themsleves"?

[supple holly]

I thought the original question was just putting the phrase "write a letter" to passive, so that's why I said that

[supple holly]

Yes

Kinda

[strange compass]

Thanks!!!!!

[serene plinth]

You're wrong....

[supple holly]

I was. But I corrected myself

[sacred perch]

But the statement doesn't contain a subject, so how'd you make it?

[serene plinth]

and where have you corrected it? I'm sorry but I can't find it

[supple holly]

@serene plinth

[supple holly]

Wait I think I am mistaken somewhere

[serene plinth]

that's wrong as well in accordance to standard grammar rules

[supple holly]

Why? Instead of only saying why it's wrong, shouldn't you also explain it?

[serene plinth]

ahh mb

It should be- Let a letter be written.

I'm sorry

[sacred perch]

In any case, my question still remains the same

[supple holly]

Why is "Have a letter written" wrong then

There is the sentence structure for "have/get + something + V3"

[serene plinth]

umm sorry, but which question?

[sacred perch]

How'd you make it, considering the fact that it doesn't have an object?

[sacred perch]

@serene plinth this question

[supple holly]

You mean it doesn't have a subject? The hidden subject is "you", as in the listener

The object is "a letter"

[serene plinth]

Imperative sentences are a special case. They follow a fixed pattern.

I think you've definitely read/heard this famous conversion:

Active: Open the door.
Passive: Let the door be opened.

[sacred perch]

No, it's missing an object because I'm the subject being spoken to and asked to do the verb. However it lacks an object to whom a letter is to be written to

[supple holly]

But because the subject was hidden in the active voice, it'll be hidden in the passive voice as well, since the sentence is also an imperative

I think the only way to turn this sentence into a passive is just changing the verb/the way it's written. The actual subject (you) doesn't change, or else it wouldn't be an imperative anymore

[supple holly]

Are you sure you've never heard something like "have my car fixed", the structure I was using earlier?

[supple holly]

Huh? You are saying "write a letter" to someone else right?

So the subject should be them, not yourself

[serene plinth]

But are you sure it's the passive form of the very sentence in active voice you're thinking right now?

[sacred perch]

But in that case won't you be asking the person you're speaking to, to have the car fixed by someone else?

[sacred perch]

Whereas, in the imperative form it should be "fix my car"

[sacred perch]

Well, I was taking it as someone was saying it to me, but you could also take it that way

[supple holly]

If it isn't then why would "let a letter be written" be? The verb you're using is "let", the verb I'm using is "have"

"Be written" or "written", neither are passive verbs. They're just forms of verb to make the sentence sound like a passive

[serene plinth]

Did I just not say that imperative sentences are a special case and they follow a rule?

[sacred perch]

Honestly, that does sound as though you're telling someone to have it done by someone else

[supple holly]

And the rule says that it cannot be "have a letter written"?

[supple holly]

Just depends on the context. If they're saying it to you, it could also mean you should get it done

[sacred perch]

I probably wouldn't have taken it in that sense because it sounds more like you're like you're incapable of doing so, so get someone else to do it for you

Kinda the statement you'd use incase you were in a car accident with someone and you tell them to have the car fixed cuz it's their fault and not yours

[supple holly]

Well that seems like the best option here, because "let a letter be written" doesn't sound much different from what I suggested. Let a letter be written by whom? Additionally, the verb "let" itself means you don't have any effect on the object itself

[serene plinth]

the rule says:

[supple holly]

That is just the screenshot of the sentence structure

[serene plinth]

Then do you expect a clause be written there instead? Like Newton's Laws of Motion?

[sacred perch]

OK so technically speaking, I'm the one being asked to write the letter. So where in this structure does it indicate that I'm being asked to do the order?

[supple holly]

I might be misunderstanding you. You want to change "fix my car", an imperative sentence, into a passive sentence right

[supple holly]

Well you said it's the rule. Shouldn't it at least say "the only way to write a passive imperative sentence is to use the following structure"?

[serene plinth]

Let a letter be written by you. (does that clarify things?)

[sacred perch]

Yeah, though I took "write a letter" as an example. But yeah, that is what I'm trying to achieve here

[sacred perch]

Pretty much

[supple holly]

If the passive is unclear, that is why people use the active. You can try to change the sentence into a passive or active, but there is a reason they exist separately

[serene plinth]

Ok, then let's go by this. It is the accepted way of converting an order into passive.

[supple holly]

And what does it say about mine

[serene plinth]

Idk tbh

[supple holly]

Then I'm not sure why you were so against it

[serene plinth]

Touche ig

However if you give an exam on that, don't write your example. The teacher is most likely to mark it down.

[supple holly]

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/have-something-done

[supple holly]

It's what I've learned and used all my life without any correction. So I don't think it's that much of a taboo

Correction from other people, of course

Interesting discussion though. I have to go now but would like to continue if possible

[serene plinth]

ic

[sacred perch]

Converting an imperative sentence into passive voice involves making changes to the sentence structure to emphasize the action being done to the subject. Here's how you can convert the imperative sentence "Write a letter" into passive voice:Original Imperative Sentence: "Write a letter."Passive Voice Version: "Let a letter be written."In the passive voice version, the focus is on the action of writing the letter rather than on the person performing the action. The structure of the passive voice sentence includes the auxiliary verb "let" followed by the main verb in its past participle form ("written"), and the subject of the original imperative sentence ("a letter") becomes the new subject of the passive voice sentence.

This is what chatgpt said when I asked it the same question

[serene plinth]

I'd still like to say that 'Have something done' is a special passive construction

[supple holly]

Well I guess it's valid. But I wouldn't rely on ChatGPT too much. Just my opinion

[serene plinth]

it isn't the passive voice of Write a letter

[sacred perch]

Yeah, ik

[serene plinth]

I don't use chatgpt

[sacred perch]

Oh yeah, and it also said that the emphasis of the sentence is on the verb in this case and not the person being asked to do so

Couldn't add that part because of the word limit

[serene plinth]

I mean... in 'write a letter', you have a verb and an object

so I don't see why it was a confusion on your part.

It's quite obvious that it's '(You) write the letter'.

[sacred perch]

So I would be the subject and the object

[serene plinth]

However questions are meant to be raised and answered

So I appreciate you

[sacred perch]

Which was confusing me

[serene plinth]

object is 'a letter'

[sacred perch]

OK, that clarifies it greatly

But making the passive voice was a challenge in itself

[serene plinth]

If you had asked about 'A letter is to be written', I wouldn't have been able to answer maybe

[serene plinth]

That's when you memorise some things : p

[sacred perch]

Thanks

[serene plinth]

Ok, John's here

maybe they'll explain better

[late topaz]

explain what?

I just wanted to brag a little about the PDF I found on passive voice

I am pretty sure it covers it whole

[serene plinth]

My English book has it all as well

I wish I could send a few pictures but I'm too lazy to do that

@late topaz wanna vc?

[mint seal]

such a mood

[sacred perch]

I know I'm asking a stupid unnecessary question, but what would be the passive voice of "go do something" like "go do the dishes"?

[late topaz]

I wouldn't mind

[mint seal]

man i think i need a better understand of active and passive too

specifically passive

after reading all of that

[serene plinth]

Tbh

Passive is never used in such cases

And if used then it'd be once in a blue moon

So I wouldn't worry much about it

[late topaz]

what cases?

[serene plinth]

'Go do the dishes'.

[sacred perch]

Unless you're sitting in school learning active and passive voice like I am

[serene plinth]

[mint seal]

Then again I’ll never get the oppurtunity to learn the names of the grammar rules cuz i dont have time and its pointless

[serene plinth]

You'll not get such sentences. It has two verbs making it almost impossible to follow the standard rule

[serene plinth]

It is indeed. I know them as I'm a non-native English speaker

[late topaz]

Go do the dishes would be active voice imperative

[sacred perch]

OK that's kinda understandable, but our school has a peculiar liking to make English unnecessarily difficult, so you never know

[late topaz]

But imperative passive voice would be something like: let the dishes be done

[serene plinth]

Yeah it would

[sacred perch]

And the passive voice seems be like "Go, let the dishes be done" which sounds very wrong

[mint seal]

Yeah, non-natives understand grammar better

[serene plinth]

Or it simply doesn't have a passive form

[sacred perch]

But where'd the "go" go?

[late topaz]

the go is gone

[serene plinth]

Go is an intransitive verb. It will never have a passive form

[late topaz]

Anyway, I actually don't see anything wrong with the sentence "Go, let the dishes be done" apart from the "done" part.

I'd say "Go, let the dishes be washed"

but that has a different meaning

from "Go and do the dishes"

[serene plinth]

Yeah lol

[sacred perch]

That sounds like you're telling the person to go away and let the dishes be done without them

[late topaz]

yes

Go, make the dishes done

[serene plinth]

I think this is the only thing we have in hand to explain our incompetence

[late topaz]

is closer

[serene plinth]

Love it haha

[late topaz]

What about that voice chat you wanted by the way?

[serene plinth]

Nay I'm just bored so looking for ppl to talk

[late topaz]

well, I brought my mic

[sacred perch]

So if we were to replace the "do" with "wash" the sentence would become "go, make the dishes washed"

Sounds kinda magical 😂

[serene plinth]

Oooo good

@sacred perch wanna vc as well?

[sacred perch]

OK, I'll take it

[sacred perch]

I would've loved to, but I gtg

Sadly

[late topaz]

but the most popular way of saying something grammatically similar would be "Go make your parents proud"

[serene plinth]

When you don't see a way, you shove the blame on others

[serene plinth]

Is that passive tho?

[late topaz]

The most important lesson I learned is that a sentence can contain more than one voice

[sacred perch]

I don't think it'd have an active voice in that case

[late topaz]

separate clauses can be different voices

[sacred perch]

But that's impossible... You can't have passive voice but not active voice, can you?

[serene plinth]

Oo just saw this .. no you can't... Or atleast that's what Ik

[supple holly]

Have the dishes done

I stand by my answer

[serene plinth]

Where's 'go'?

Hahaha

That was what the entire convo was about

[supple holly]

The emphasis of the sentence was never on "go", so it is unnecessary

[serene plinth]

Interesting

[supple holly]

I guess I'll settle for imperative sentences not having a definite way to convert into passive voice, at least without changing or losing its original meaning

[late topaz]

It certainly makes it more ambiguous
(You) paint the fence! <- Imperative active. (You) get the fence painted! <- imperative passive

so you need to get the fence painted, but it's not explicitly states that YOU have to do it

[modern wing]

Hi, I need a help 😄 I came across an idiom "in apple-pie order". I understand what that means, but I don't know how to use it. Is the correct sentence "My bullet journal is in apple-pie order." or "I am very good in putting things in apple-pie order." ?

[solid copper]

@supple holly sir / mam

What is the difference between
The car has been being washed
The car has been washed

[swift briar]

"Has been being" is not wrong, but it's soo old and feels awkward to say

[solid copper]

Okay

[dense oasis]

yeah like as the person above responded, plus here maybe a native would be needed to judge this properly, but the continuous aspect of "the car has been being washed" (thats present perfect continuous with passive voice), makes me understand that as "we do not know if it actually was washed, we know it was just being washed"

cuz continuous tenses do not say the thing was ended

while the example you gave at the bottom is present perfect with passive voice, so definitely the car was actually washed and now its gotta be clean

[late topaz]

I am not a native speaker, but I can testify that a native would prefer past continuous "The car was being washed"

[dense oasis]

yess

[swift briar]

Your English is very amazing

Might as well be a native

No 1 will second guess that

[mint spire]

What does "round up" mean in "they are rounding up a wheelchair for you"?

[late topaz]

they are bringing a wheelchair for you

[flat rune]

"Should" sex workers contract an infection,
they tend to "put it down" to "bad luck," says Chiwawa.
"Most of them prioritise making money over the risk."

🤔 should===if?
🤔 put it down to=== blame it on?

[swift briar]

...

[late topaz]

Yes, that is correct

[echo epoch]

What does a holy foul means?

[late topaz]

Could you please provide some context?

[swift briar]

John the next english helper

[late topaz]

well, I really would like to be, but:
A) I need to build my vocabulary
B) I need to know grammar
C) I am building experience answering questions, because I am searching them online. I do it even if I am sure about something.

but it's all hectic for now

[mint spire]

Does this apply for all object or only objects with wheels?

[marble whale]

Is there a difference between
He is asleep
He is sleeping?

[echo epoch]

not foul , it’s “holy fool”.

[late topaz]

well, the phrase "round up" means to 1. arrest 2. gather people, animals or things in one place

which also could be interpreted as bring, if the object is singular

"round up a car for me"

[late topaz]

short version: holy fool is someone who behaves in an eccentric manner (mad or stupid), yet marked by inner sanctity. Holy fools are people who are highly spiritual and posess gifts of insight and prophecy. They have profound understanding of life and despite their unusual conduct are quite respected in the society.
Here are some sources I used:

[late topaz]

No difference.

asleep is an adjective and sleeping is a present participle ( adjective that was formed from a verb)

[echo epoch]

Is there a example?

[late topaz]

"The great Russian cultural tradition is the matrix of Tarkovsky's mind. In my opinion, Russian notion and Holy fool culture are the two most obvious character of Tarkovsky's movie view."

"Who Is the Holy Fool?
An example of the Holy Fool is in “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Anderson. The king believes that he has a magic outfit that can only be seen by intelligent people. When he walks down the street, no one is willing to admit that the king is naked, for fear that they’ll be called stupid. Only a small child yells out over the crowd, “The king isn’t wearing anything!” The child is a Holy Fool."

By the way, I just came to the realization that the word "fool" is sometimes used with another word or set of words that signify a particular activity to mean "person devoted to something".
for example:
the movie Forrest Gump: "that boy sure is a runnin' fool"

so, the boy is devoted to running

by using that logic we come to the conclusion that the Holy Fool is someone devoted to faith

[flat rune]

It's too ambiguous to be viable in an actual conversation.

[celest onyx]

hi

[swift briar]

@late topaz congrats on being fluent

[late topaz]

thanks,but I am afraid I cannot rest. I need to prove to myself that I am worthy of the title

[swift briar]

Bro

You english is light years ahead of many people here

[late topaz]

I know a lot of words, if you were ask me to define them, I'd be stumped

[swift briar]

https://tenor.com/view/perfect-nice-great-excellent-the-boys-gif-15593741

[swift briar]

Its fairy fine

[swift briar]

@late topaz congrats on becoming an English helper ❤️

This is perfect

[mint seal]

Yeah thank you for being a great person JOHN!

[mental terrace]

just to ask, how do you be one

i help some family friends speak english so I just wanted to see how well I could translate it with other people

[swift briar]

By having a frequent record of being helpful kind and active

[mental terrace]

kk, thanks

[swift briar]

@mental terrace i can see that you're new to server, welcome

And enjoy your stay

[mental terrace]

thanks again lol!

[flat rune]

If i'm active enough...i can be one too?

[mint seal]

anyone can be an english helper

[swift briar]

Ofc

[mint seal]

as long as they're active and helpful

👍

[swift briar]

The more you contribute to the server the more perks you'll earn

Boosting, helping others, having quality conversations in vc, behaving etc

They'll reward you for being a good member

Of the community

[flat rune]

Say I don't feel like joining vcs, do i still have a chance at being a helper?

[mint seal]

yes!

there are many oppurtunities, not just vc

[flat rune]

okk ty <3

[swift briar]

@flat rune i can see that you're new to the server

Welcome

[flat rune]

tyvm

[swift briar]

[supple holly]

That's what happened to me

[elder terrace]

Hi, I've got a question on which form of 'be' should be used in "Only you 'be' [something]". Example: is it "Only you 'is' left" or "Only you 'are' left"?

[flat rune]

is

it refer to single subject

cmiiw

[mint seal]

Kinda tricky but my gut says ‘are.’

But i dont have a reasonable explanation

the only thing i can say is that, as a native speaker putting ‘is’ sounds weird

[bitter galleon]

i help some family friends speak english so I just wanted to see how well I could translate it with other people

[late topaz]

That is incorrect, the word you is always used with the linking verb are, regardless of the meaning. This might be tricky in some cases like the sentence I just wrote

because I am not actually treating it like a pronoun

and a simple name of something instead

so it will always be:
You are left

[mint seal]

@late topaz teach me ur ways

[elder terrace]

Yeah the whole question is to know what "Only you" is.

I don't know why it sounds like I could use 'is' instead of 'are'...

[mint seal]

trust me, it sounds weirder with ‘is’

but ofc John provides a valid reason

[late topaz]

Only in some cases of informal speech people use IS with you, but I don't see it at all often

[elder terrace]

ok thank guys.

[mint seal]

I is you, you is me

i do this all the time lmao

[elder terrace]

If I were sure of myself I wouldn't have asked anyway ( 🙂 )

[late topaz]

I found it! We form present simple as " subject + verb (-s in 3rd person) + object"

[elder terrace]

(that was just for the pun)

[elder terrace]

Oh yeah, I know about that xD. In my example I just found it weird that I my 'ear' seemed to be ok with 'Is' in that case. That's why I was confused and thought it may be an exception like the sentence I wrote just above.

Thanks anyway! Appreciate the help.

[supple holly]

In English, the pronoun "you" always goes with plural verbs, so "are" is the correct answer

Oh it was already answered by others

[atomic terrace]

Hi everyone! I want to improve my speaking skills. Does anyone know how I can find a partner to practice with every day?

[late topaz]

Hello, there are people available in voice channels every day, you should try talking to them. I am sure you could make a few friends and practice with them later

I have a question to the native speakers.
Thingamajig or thingamabob? Which one do you prefer?

[runic edge]

tysm

[flat rune]

I say thingymajig/bob
I like them both but I think i use thingymabob more

you?

[mint seal]

The second one

[mental terrace]

i use thingamajig usually but bc it’s kinda long most people just say “thingy”

[late topaz]

thank you all for useful feedback

[flat rune]

Can someone help me understand what a word means in context?

"It took me a little more reading of the smaller print for me to realize that it was a patent - and not issued to Tobias Hawthorne. This patent was held by Xander" this is from a book btw

What does "patent" mean here?

I searched for the meaning but it doesnt make sense with this text

[pearl widget]

like licensed i think

im not sure

[late topaz]

a patent is usually a document that officially recognizes patent holder's rights to some intellectual property, e.g an invention, a specific way of doing something, recipe, etc

As far as I know it is the only definion of the word, but I might be uninformed about other definitions and usages

was that helpful?

[flat rune]

Yes, I have seen that meaning but before in the text it says that it is in a plaque

Unfortunately I cant send a print of the book here

The full context is like 2 epub pages

[late topaz]

then it is probably a copy of the document used as a decorative piece

plaque is a thin piece of metal with something inscribed on it

[flat rune]

Okk

I still dont understand, I think I will just ignore it. Thanks tho

[late topaz]

what exactly is unclear?

[flat rune]

You explained it well, I just dont understand it

A plaque usually shows an award right?

So how is a patent in a plaque?

[late topaz]

it could be anything

anything memorable

[swift briar]

[late topaz]

sorry for the bad quality

im using my phone

im on a walk

[flat rune]

Thankss. Enjoy your walk

[late topaz]

is everything more clear now?

[flat rune]

Its still not but Im just dumb so I think I wont understand no matter how many times someone explains.

I wanted to send prints of the whole context but I cant in the group

[late topaz]

you can send them to me in DMs

[flat rune]

Thank you, really

[mental terrace]

it’s like an achievement

[late topaz]

Don't call yourself that, I am sure you're not dumb. It could be challenging at times to understand what the author had in mind while writing it. Perhaps, you've spent a bit too much time thinking about it.Take a break and come back when you feel your mind is fresh

[mental terrace]

to show that “this was my creation!”

if someone were to make a cool invention, they would show that it is theirs by making their patent (The thing that proves that the invention is there) into a plaque (an award or achievement
a bit like a university degree

[flat rune]

I understand it now, thanks

[flat rune]

Thank you

[mental terrace]

np!

[flat rune]

I think I get it now, its like if someone participated in a competition and they receive a "this person participated in said competition" paper. And they put it on their wall for ppl to see

That paper basically shows that that statement is true

[mental terrace]

it can mean that yeah

[near cairn]

Hi guys

I wish i wasn't going to london next week
I wish she was tidier

Isn't it wrong to use was and wasn't here ?

Should be
I wish she were tidier right?

[dense oasis]

technically both should be "were", but speakers these days would go with both forms

[near cairn]

I see... So if we are talking about casual speaking then we can use both

[dense oasis]

yes

[fickle pendant]

I wish the n word never existed

[near cairn]

Thank you

[thick rivet]

Hi guys, how to lose the nasal sound?

[glacial cairn]

ı dont know

[odd oriole]

Speak from your diaphragm rather than your nose.

[thick rivet]

But how I can do it?

[odd oriole]

It takes practice.

Let me post something that might help

https://youtu.be/r_gErA6KHag

Try following this tutorial

[thick rivet]

Thanks 😄

[dense oasis]

first time that word was useful for me, i thought ill never see "diaphragm" second time in my life lol

[bright pulsar]

i just used it today

it's also a fairly common term in singing

improper positioning and form regarding the diaphragm is typically the folly of any vocalist

sing lying in down? horrible diaphragm movement. instant difference when standing up and letting the diaphragm do as it pleases

but i digress

[dense oasis]

its also like you speak more confidently when you have your back straight and you are not hunched

i guess at least for me

[bright pulsar]

bad posture puts internal pressure on the thoracic cavity, so that checks out

[swift briar]

@bright pulsar @odd oriole you guys have been a tremendous help in this channel ❤️

Thanks as always for helping everyone

And your continous support is drastically appreciated

[dense oasis]

drastically lol

[mortal citrus]

ur drastic🥺

[swift briar]

U too fenti

[swift briar]

Don't laugh at my expression

[swift briar]

That's very ambiguous of you to say

🥺

[serene plinth]

#🧠｜serious-chat

[flat rune]

bruh

[tough wolf]

guys, im always confused about this, how do you pronounce a noun then with 's, for example boss' or james', do you say it just boss and james, or bosses and jameses?

[bright pulsar]

yes, that's exactly how you pronounce them

[tough wolf]

uh... which one?

[bright pulsar]

both

you append the es on them both

[tough wolf]

so to make it clear, a sentence like "my boss' watch" , you say it like "my bosses watch"
i know its confusing in written form, i hope you understand what i am asking

[bright pulsar]

I understand, and that's exactly right

"my bosses pen, jameses car."

may be more helpful to see it as a z sound

[tough wolf]

okay thank you so much for your answer! that problem has been bugging me for so long

[swift briar]

@bright pulsar i want your opinion

Chris' and chris's

Which one do you prefer using ?

[bright pulsar]

uh. i mean it really is preference because both are fine

Chris' or Chris's

[swift briar]

That's why i asked about yours

[bright pulsar]

I use the apostrophe s

it's more internationally accepted

[swift briar]

Where you from ?

[bright pulsar]

america

the states

[swift briar]

I see, thanks ❤️

[tough wolf]

oh so both chris' and chris's are correct? i remember reading online chris' is the correct one

[bright pulsar]

The apostrophe without an s is the less accepted form. MLA and AP both recognize "Chris's" but not "Chris'". The Chicago Manual of Style does allow for "Chris'", but the usage of "Chris'" is less conventional in British English.

but you can use both

[mental terrace]

pretty sure you can also use Chris’

[bright pulsar]

really it doesn't matter in anything informal

[bright pulsar]

yeah, I didn't say you couldn't

I'm just pointing out which is more common

the only time it really matters if when you have a style guide you're supposed to adhere to

[mental terrace]

oh the apostrophe blended into the quotation

lol

[bright pulsar]

inferior discord font

[mental terrace]

fr this is doodoo

[odd oriole]

It's a pleasure 😊

[serene plinth]

This is usually fine only for proper nouns

[marble whale]

Can you say in English 'haevily advertise'?

They advertise a paid subscription heavily in their app.

[serene plinth]

Heavily?

Yeah you can say that

I personally would prefer placing heavily before advertise(a stylistic choice)

[bright pulsar]

it's somewhat stylistic

[marble whale]

Alright, thank you.

[bright pulsar]

there's a genuine reason to most the time

[serene plinth]

[bright pulsar]

sometimes the sentence can be more difficult to read if the adverb is placed too far from the verb it modifies

"In the overgrown garden, he found, beneath a twisted and gnarled tree, the ancient book surprisingly."

Complex sentences become awkward or difficult to read if an adverb is too far from the verb it modifies, and there's usually a problem with ambiguity if other phrases are added

[marble whale]

So, which is better:
To utterly destroy the earth
Or
To destroy the earth utterly?

[supple holly]

Personally, I prefer "to utterly destroy the earth"

But I feel like the other version carries more weight/sounds more impactful

[bright pulsar]

the sentence is short so you can use either without really impacting readability. it's stylistic there, but I personally prefer the first. the latter could work fine in a different structure as well, like kim said, for more weight/dramatic delivery

[dense oasis]

Kim, we have enough evidence. You wanted to utterly destroy the earth all the time. You are going with us.

~ your FBI agents

[supple holly]

https://tenor.com/view/ryan-gosling-literally-me-drive-gif-25718768

[dense oasis]

You're gonna smile like this, but while being held in custody. No parole possible. The sentence will not be suspended.
Sincerely, FBI

[mortal citrus]

ruthless

[serene plinth]

You can't interfere, it's a canon event

[flat rune]

Megalodon: the superpredator that ate its siblings in the womb

🤔 they would eat their siblings while they are still in their mother's belly before they are born?

((megalodon is an extinct species of shark, half the size of a whale) )

[supple holly]

Yes. That's a typical shark's behavior, not just a megalodon's, if I remember right

[late topaz]

nature is savage

[dull holly]

like mate stop procrastinating
What it means

[supple holly]

Nature is metal

[late topaz]

r/

[late topaz]

it means stop spending time on entertainment, rather than achieving your goals

do some work

we all need to 😭

[dull holly]

Ty

[dense oasis]

😭

[fading stag]

can you use fragrant in a sentence like "You are so fragrant"?

[flat rune]

I dont think so. I dont know exactly how to explain but I dont think so

Im not an expert so lets just wait for the fluent and native ppl to say something

[mental terrace]

not really, it sounds really unnatural

if you wanna say that someone smells nice just say “You smell good” because fragrant is a more specific word ive seen used more for objects that smell good rather than people that smell good

[kindred inlet]

If you mean to say that someone has a pleasant smell, you can say "You smell good".

And if you want to use the word 'fragrant' in a sentence, you can say "I love the smell of your fragrant hair".

[mental terrace]

btw you can use the word “really” rather than “so” in most cases like this, it’s what most people would rather hear

[silver iris]

Hi ! how should i use " ain't" ?

[mental terrace]

“is not” informally

“That ain’t good”

[kindred inlet]

'ain't' is a contraction word of (am not, are not, is not) it is basically a negative. You can say "I ain't coming to the party"

[dense oasis]

"Ain't" is a replacement for "isn't", "aren't", "am not", "have not", "has not".
You can replace these statements with one you mentioned, for example:

Isn't she coming to babysit your sister today? -> Ain't she coming to babysit your sister today?
We are not going to listen to you. -> We ain't gonna listen to you.
I am not into people like you. -> I ain't into people like you.
He hasn't got any money. -> He ain't got no money.

It sounds very short and not very proper to some people, for example to me it kinda reminds me of slang used by afro-americans in movies, or in rap, so it is not really a clear and nice way of speaking.

but despite all that, people use it

[mental terrace]

it’s used in AAVE and southern US dialect

[dense oasis]

ah yeah

[silver iris]

ok, thanks y'all

[lost cipher]

why aren't you guys talking ? is this right

[swift briar]

Yes

[lost cipher]

what about this
why you guys aren't talking?

[swift briar]

✅

A very common phrase in this server lol

[lost cipher]

aren't needs to be before you so the sentence becomes a question (could you explain this please)

[swift briar]

I would just say why aren't you talking guys

It's the most natural way of saying it

[mental terrace]

this isn’t

“why you guys aren’t” isn’t right

[lost cipher]

yes that's right thank you man

[swift briar]

It is correct, just depending on the context

[mental terrace]

it isn’t correct in any context

it’s literally just wrong

[swift briar]

Why ?

[lost cipher]

it's wrong

[mental terrace]

“Why moxy is not talking?”

[lost cipher]

aren't always before you

[mental terrace]

“Why he isn’t talking”

[mental terrace]

ok this is sometimes correct but the first one isn’t

you’re missing an “are” or “is” before “you guys”

[mental terrace]

there is only one single scenario where it can be correct but it’s a really far stretch so

[swift briar]

That's what I'm meaning

Hence why i said

[swift briar]

.

And

[swift briar]

.

[mental terrace]

a single situation that’s not very common isn’t right to say that it can be correct based on context without saying the only context it can be used in

[lost cipher]

why did you react with true to my wrong message

[mental terrace]

“The group lost reception”
“(Is that) why you guys aren’t talking?”

it’s only correct in like that scenario

but even then that’s wayy too niche to say it’s correct

[lost cipher]

exactly thank you for the explanation

[mental terrace]

np

[swift briar]

[dense oasis]

its wrong

[swift briar]

[dense oasis]

same as "thats what I mean", you dont use present continuous here

[dense oasis]

this is also incorrect, you do not use "why" after hence

[late topaz]

but you could say "Hence this is why I said so"

[dense oasis]

but this is not what was said

[mental terrace]

you do

what he said is correct

[swift briar]

[late topaz]

@mental terrace https://brians.wsu.edu/2016/05/19/hence-why/

well, I don't know much about anything

[dense oasis]

You are also wrong

https://www.quora.com/Is-hence-why-grammatically-correct#:~:text=No%2C 'hence why' is,a question or an explanation.

[late topaz]

but it seems to me that a professor from Washington State University would be right

Shakespeare and the Bible keep alive one meaning of the old word “hence”: “away from here” (“get thee hence”). There’s no need to add “from” to the word, though you often see “from hence” in pretentious writing, and it’s not likely to bother many readers.

But another sense of the word “hence” (“therefore”) causes more trouble because writers often add “why” to it: “I got tired of mowing the lawn, hence why I bought the goat.” “Hence” and “why” serve the same function in a sentence like this; use just one or the other, not both: “hence I bought the goat” or “that’s why I bought the goat.”```

[mental terrace]

ive used “hence, why” more times than I can count

[dense oasis]

Then you were wrong and you are wrong

[late topaz]

On the other hand, https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/79673/hence-and-hence-why

[mental terrace]

and it can also be interpreted as
“Therefore (it’s) why you’re wrong”

[late topaz]

The phrase "hence why" has a long record of usage in literary works

After reading the various replies my mind is still inconclusive, however, the above answer: "incorrect, but nobody cares" seems to fit best.

I have always thought of 'hence' to be a word used in written communications in order to be succinct and formal, so when I hear people using the term 'hence why' in casual spoken conversation it really irritates me for some reason. It is probably due to the fact that the people saying 'hence why' are usually not very well educated people trying to sound important or clever.

Lately, I have even heard journalists and politicians saying 'hence why'. It appears they are using it as a synonymn for 'so' or 'therefore'. I quote this recent example from a political journalist:

"...both parties are free to set their own policies and priorities, hence why this story has been running in the past few days."```

[swift briar]

I'm just personally too used to saying hence why, idc if it's right or wrong, as long as people understand what im conveying

[late topaz]

"...both parties are free to set their own policies and priorities, therefore this story has been running in the past few days."

Although, adding 'why' to 'therefore' does not make sense:

"...both parties are free to set their own policies and priorities, therefore why this story has been running in the past few days."

Alas dear fellows, it is quite infuriating, hence now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy.```

[mental terrace]

it’s quite similar to this actually

natives know what you’re saying so it’s gradually just going to become the normal and then correct phrase

[late topaz]

languages are flexible

[mental terrace]

yea

hence why it’s correct

[dense oasis]

natives also know what am saying when i say "that are a apple", but it does not become the norm

[late topaz]

[mental terrace]

but many people are not saying that

[late topaz]

look, what is a norm, but something found in abundance?

[mental terrace]

many people are saying “hence why”

[swift briar]

English questions

English arguments

[dense oasis]

i havent met them, but i guess you must be correct

[mental terrace]

it would be correct is most English speakers were to use that yes

if*

like “gotta”

or “ain’t”

[late topaz]

ain't no one's gonna say that

[mental terrace]

languages change, so this is an example of that

[mental terrace]

technically tho

anyway I gotta go

bye

[dense oasis]

sleep well

[swift briar]

Did you assume his activity ?

[late topaz]

it's 5pm in greece and 10 am in the eastern US

[swift briar]

[late topaz]

sleep?

unless they're in Australia

[dense oasis]

yes, maybe they just wanna take a nap?

and we dont even know that

[swift briar]

You said "sleep" well

[late topaz]

a good afternoon nap after arguing about something unimportant

[swift briar]

Honestly unnecessary arguments > politics economy

[dense oasis]

And you literally have a cursed nickname lol

[swift briar]

Black cat is quite argumentative at times lol

[swift briar]

Upgrade your phone

[dense oasis]

I just like to mess with you

[late topaz]

my word list has grown another 130 words in the past 2 days

[dense oasis]

mine has grown +2800 in the last year

[late topaz]

I feel a bit overwhelmed

[late topaz]

word list

the words that you either don't know or cannot define well

[dense oasis]

i also meant word list, most of them i know by now tho lol

[late topaz]

I am bad at practicing what I preach

[dense oasis]

You should try to be a priest maybe

[late topaz]

what's drawl?

[dense oasis]

And then you would preach sermons

@swift briar what is drawl?

help us

[swift briar]

Closest word to drawl that i know is drool

[late topaz]

what's the difference between brooch and broach?

exalt \ exult ?

I don't know

😦

[dense oasis]

Yeah, Moxy help us all

[sly pier]

Even as a native I’ve never heard of “exult” 💀 (not denying that it exists)

[late topaz]

oh, yes, another word

rejoice

I kind of know what it is

but can't define

[dense oasis]

Oh this one ive seen, am not saying i remember it tho lmfaoo

[late topaz]

I have a list with lines*

some of them are a bit obscure

[dense oasis]

Hey but you know what John

[late topaz]

check this out

[dense oasis]

It actually makes sense, think about this, exultation

[late topaz]

what's the difference between hunching and slouching?

[dense oasis]

i would send you mine but that'd be .apkg plus i dont even wanna try cuz thats too large of a file lol

they are the opposites maybe

[mental terrace]

I haven’t heard hunching before

it sounds familiar but

[dense oasis]

How have you not

What about "hunched forward"

[late topaz]

but you must

[mental terrace]

yeah I’ve heard that

[late topaz]

have heard of the phrase "I have a hunch"

[mental terrace]

OH

ok I just remember

[dense oasis]

natives are wild sometimes

[mental terrace]

yeah one of the em words with 2 meanings

having a hunch is completely different then hunching forwards

a hunch is like “I got a feeling” kinda

[late topaz]

either way, I only have 7 years to hone my english skills to perfection

[mint seal]

thank you

[mental terrace]

if I think like “yo that alley is suspicious” then it’d be a hunch to not go there

[mint seal]

you're already perfect what do you mean...

[dense oasis]

John make me perfect

[late topaz]

I use very simple diction

primitive words

and that's why I feel inadequate

[mental terrace]

hunched (forwards) is where you’re leaning forwards, like crawling through a tight space

slouch is like sitting down with shit posture

[late topaz]

https://tenor.com/view/chris-pratt-smile-tired-fbi-slouch-gif-14052053

[dense oasis]

A bad idea, what would you say about:

tilt forwards, lean forwards, slant forwards

are these correct

[mental terrace]

lean forwards is off but rest are ok

bye again

[dense oasis]

Yeah i guess it should maybe be like "lean towards" or something

[dense oasis]

Your naps are very short. But I hope you can get better at them. Good luck

[late topaz]

they're power naps

10-30 minutes

[mint seal]

English hurts my brain

[dense oasis]

no, last one took them like... a minute or two, i wish i was able to nap that quickly

[late topaz]

I think there's a condition that allows you to fall asleep instantly

[mint seal]

I wish I had that

it's 1am here

in Australia

[dense oasis]

Yes, but I do not like the idea of being smashed with a floor board right into my temple, or nape, or head, or forehead, or whenever possible, and then napping for few hours if it goes correctly, but napping for few eternities if it goes wrong

[late topaz]

huh?

last time I checked it was 10 minutes to 11 pm

in Australia

[mint seal]

huh

nah bro

its 1am

in NSW

[dense oasis]

but they ride kangaroos to bend the time

[mint seal]

timezones in australia be like:

[mint seal]

i live in the east

so im an hour ahead of WA

[dense oasis]

Kiu can I have a question, chances are it will not be too intelligent

[mint seal]

Wait I'm confused, have?

What sort?

[dense oasis]

John you kinda felt my spirit in that deleted message. But my question was actually supposed to be if they have ever ridden a kangaroo.

Have you, Kiu?

[mint seal]

It's impposible, so no

Unfortunately

[dense oasis]

Wait really

But why dont they let you ride them

[mint seal]

Neither have I seen anyone do that?

oh

[late topaz]

liar

[mint seal]

hmm, interesting

Well, there goes my belief

But yeah, I haven't ridden one

[dense oasis]

See, Kiu? Skill issue.

You gotta learn

[mint seal]

I know more about my Chinese culture than Aussie...tbf

[dense oasis]

are you chinese too?

[dense oasis]

like i sound weird here cuz am not myself, but my implication was that "are you both"

[mint seal]

yeah

[mint seal]

mhm

i dont understand how mixed races work cuz they confuse me a lot but technically my nationality is Australian but my ethnicity is Chinese

[late topaz]

me?

vm

n

nvm

[dense oasis]

thats even another way of interpreting me

lmfao

[mint seal]

LMAO

[late topaz]

rule #1 don't use ambiguous language

do not equivocate

[dense oasis]

Yeah, but we can not help the fact that english became lingua franca just cuz its natives killed the most people, lol

[late topaz]

I don't know what it means

[dense oasis]

lingua franca means universal language

like latin before english

[late topaz]

have you ever seen "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" from 1976?

[dense oasis]

What languages do you speak then

Except for kangaroo english

[mint seal]

Cantonese, a little bit of Mandarin and Japanese

and Music

[late topaz]

you speak music?

is that a metaphor that your english is like music to people's ears?

[dense oasis]

I want to speak so many east asian languages too. But my skills are limited to japanese that was once N3, and now is a random mess of legacy thoughts with a bit of absolutely incorrect pitch accent

[mint seal]

Nah I'm talking literally

[dense oasis]

God give me time

[mint seal]

It's fine, take your time and you'll be really good at those languages again

[late topaz]

you have all the time in the world

[dense oasis]

Thank you, John. I have always been convinced that you were the God.

[dense oasis]

well first id need to make my english usable, now its weird

now its like a radioactive waste from all the nuclear reactions inside of nuclear power plants

[late topaz]

your english is sublime

[slow pumice]

What does the word "sods" mean?

nasty person?

[marble whale]

The statement requires proofing.

[late topaz]

https://tenor.com/view/proof-buff-typing-gif-20421703

[late topaz]

okay, this is british slang, so took me a bit:

[slow pumice]

So that is an annoyed person.

[late topaz]

no, you were correct to assume it meant "a nasty person"

[slow pumice]

I learn british english

[late topaz]

the image above says "a man that you are annoyed with"

[slow pumice]

Yeah, I see

thanks

[marble whale]

Is it your habit to annoy people?

[late topaz]

What?

Okay

[dense oasis]

No, but if it is yours,then do not mess with me. I can defend myself with my boiii, the bear!