📚｜english-questions

[molten torrent]

Hello, I recently watched several videos in order to purchase an English grammar book, and they suggested the "English grammar in use" series. I recently received my B2 FCE, and I'm wondering if that book is appropriate for my level. I'm looking for a book that's slightly more challenging than a B2, but also one that I can afford and isn't too simple.

Additionally, feel free to suggest a better suggestion if you have one.

thank you

[swift briar]

You remind me of myself

Always beating yourself up and selling yourself short

Bad habit

[late topaz]

no, I am just analyzing myself

[swift briar]

You're overly criticizing yourself

Is how i see it

[late topaz]

I want quick results and am not satisfied with the progress I am making

[mint seal]

I kindly ask you to stop being overly critical because you are indeed making great progress, and even better than me.

[swift briar]

Is your English good and fluent ? Yes

Is it perfect and literature like ? No

Is it overall bad ? NO

[swift briar]

We all want quick results, but we can't fight mother natrue, we only do what we can physically achieve

Never fight mother natrue

[late topaz]

you're right, I have 6 more years before I take IELTS

and that's 2192 days

[swift briar]

Good luck mate,

[late topaz]

thanks

[swift briar]

[late topaz]

gaming question that still haunts me a year later:
play on higher ranks or play at higher ranks?

[odd oriole]

At

[late topaz]

you sure?

[odd oriole]

But depends
If you are talking about playing others

You would say
To play against higher ranks

I'm a high ranking player because I play against higher ranking gamers

How do you want to use it?

[late topaz]

I know how to avoid my issue but I want to use either AT or ON

so you're positive that it is AT?

[odd oriole]

What's the full sentence you want to use

?

[late topaz]

something like that:
"I used to be a silver, but now I play at higher ranks"

but I feel awkward

[odd oriole]

Don't use the preposition.
Phrase it like this..

I used to be silver but now I rank higher

[late topaz]

Thanks. Although, lets say that I REALLY want to use a prepositon. Is the sentence I wrote correct?

[odd oriole]

I don't like how it sounds

I wouldn't use a preposition

[late topaz]

which kind of english is your native?

[odd oriole]

I'm a teacher and Cambridge examiner

English has rules
You can choose to follow or not

[late topaz]

that's not quite what I asked

you see, if you're British, your opinion isn't valid

on a more serious note, thanks for the tips

[odd oriole]

I teach both British and north American colloquialisms
The grammar doesn't change

[late topaz]

1. There are slight differences in terms of word choice
2. My only concern was that you simply "don't like how it sounds"
   You see, I think it's important to know multiple ways of saying or doing something

I want to be smarter

[odd oriole]

The way in which a word is used in a sentence matters
When you first asked
You gave me half a sentence
After getting a clearer picture I explained a more grammatically correct way to phrase it.
Idc what you do with the information 😂😂

[odd oriole]

You want to be smarter or you want to use a preposition that isn't necessary?
Let me explain something

Many native speakers don't use words correctly.
I'm offering a little help, which you asked for. No need to be rude.
Thank you and have a lovely day🙃

[late topaz]

How was I rude?

the mean joke?

I am sorry

[swift briar]

At

[dense oasis]

Do not play, that's to begin with

[late topaz]

I can't not do that

[odd oriole]

First stating "my English" isn't valid...
Assuming that I'm speaking British English, which you didn't specify as something re

Let's start this again...

@late topaz
If you would like a specific country's English to be taught to you, be sure to specify that in the beginning

[finite lantern]

Guys

Calm down

John, you know shes a teacher?

From 60 years

Teaching Eng

[odd oriole]

Almost😂

[finite lantern]

Shush

Yeah

Lets wait for new questions

[swift briar]

I'll ask you

Whenever i need help

[mental terrace]

real one

[near cairn]

Hi guys

if you weren't my best friend, i wouldn't tell you what i really think
if you weren't my best friend, i wouldn't have told you what i really think.

Guys the first sentence is in second conditional
While the second sentence is a mixed conditional
May i know the difference in meaning between the two?

Im confused about the usage of the mixed one

[bright pulsar]

That's the 3rd conditional

[mental terrace]

hold up might have read something wrong

[late topaz]

@mental terracedid you also happen to have a drink like Vivek?

[bright pulsar]

Mixed conditional there is used to express a present hypothetical leading to a past hypothetical

[mental terrace]

my mistake lmao read the fucking shit wrong

[near cairn]

Isn't that the same with second conditional

[bright pulsar]

no

the tenses don't flip in the 2nd

the difference, semantically, is that the first one can be true at any hypothetical present or future time. the second could only have been true in the hypothetical past, were the first statement "if you weren't my best friend" true

it's mainly used to express the relationship here. being best friends is a continuous state.

[near cairn]

This is complicated but i think i got it
Basically in mixed we care about the relationship between the two parts of the sentence more... Like a change which leads to a result... Right?

[bright pulsar]

the relationship is the main reason to used mixed, yes. it's a bit tricky, but we use the mixed here because we're best friends and that's how it's always been, so the only way it would have been different in the past is if we aren't always best friends

there's an implication which would be unsaid in a single conditional

[near cairn]

I see... This is difficult to explain to lower level students

[bright pulsar]

I defintiely agree

[near cairn]

Well thank you

[bright pulsar]

it's a bit more intuitive for natives

[dense oasis]

Yes, honestly mixed conditionals are very tough for me too, even tho I am rather advanced when it comes to reading or writing. They are just easy to mess up, because they connect a huge amount of rules into one thing, and they are not the top used forms, like second conditional and first conditional, sometimes third too, which are used quite often

[bright pulsar]

the usage of the mixed conditional tense there is definitely a bit of a curveball. most other mixed conditionals are easier to understand

"If I had studied more, I would be much more successful later on."

third (present unreal) + second unreal

[late topaz]

all of this just makes my head go round. It's so intuitive if you actually don't know the rules

[dense oasis]

not always that intuitive

[bright pulsar]

yes, this is definitely a wall for some people

it's hard to express as a native

[late topaz]

would you care to give an example?

[dense oasis]

no, am too lazy for that now

[late topaz]

all right

by the way

I found a PDF

and this chart

[bright pulsar]

that is the mixed conditional used here (the top one)

[dense oasis]

you know if i look at it then i can not help but think it is the second conditional, because it uses past simple and future simple

[bright pulsar]

oh yeah you're right

[dense oasis]

Like am soooo sure about that

okay

[bright pulsar]

yeah it's past simple

ill edit it

should be right now

[dense oasis]

yeah now its mixed cuz past perfect and later future simple

[dense oasis]

i recalled it because i also recalled how my nerdy 14 years old ass was studying conditionals four years ago cuz i had an exam coming

it is actually a pretty funny story cuz i crammed a lot, and then the exam was too easy, because it was aimed at A2/B1 and conditionals are kinda hard to place at the scale cuz they can be easy and at the same time tough in different case

[bright pulsar]

yeah I can't even remember learning conditionals lmao

[dense oasis]

natives being native

[bright pulsar]

pretty much

I only formally started learning grammar to write more consistently

[late topaz]

don't you study it in kidergarten and school?

[bright pulsar]

yeah but you forget all that

the terms and composition are pretty much all forgotten

you just remember everything intuitively

[late topaz]

so what resources do you use?

[bright pulsar]

for studying it formally now?

style guides and whatnot

[dense oasis]

and then the natives going like "yee a day ago a dude asking me about money, i tell 'im i ain' t got no money, if i got money id spend on chicks duuuh"

or anything worse than that

[late topaz]

do style guides include grammar rules?

[dense oasis]

just random tenses and random everything

[bright pulsar]

yes, Chicago Manual of Style, APA style guide... they talk about the rules.

it's more technical

[late topaz]

natives be like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka7WRgRvScY

[dense oasis]

that dude is like insane

[bright pulsar]

lmao

it's crazy because evean natives can't understand him for a few days

I watched him a bunch and so now i understand him

but at first it's like a new dialect

[late topaz]

okay, do you understand this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pE6j5sxJcs

[bright pulsar]

um...

no.

that one is too tough

[late topaz]

oh yeah yeah I have heard about it I've seen some of these documentaries

[bright pulsar]

yeah that's all i got out of it

[late topaz]

and I ain't believing none of that

something about government and samples

[dense oasis]

I did not even catch this

[late topaz]

we went full action mode

[dense oasis]

i heard like KDBDIEBDJEKWWJBEDBBF

[bright pulsar]

you haven't been exposed to his speech long enough

xqc watchers can catch everything up till the samples part

from there idk who understands it

[dense oasis]

Yeah i learned about his existence i think... today

[late topaz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8V9Rl9IneA

and this guy is also super fast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeK5ZjtpO-M

[bright pulsar]

i think i'd get a headache from trying to focus hard enough to keep up

[late topaz]

that's what people had to do before audio editing was invented

just talk very fast

[dense oasis]

I kinda understand that xqc guy tho, because if i think about this, then in my native, polish, if i get enough speed and get excited enough, then i really go into eminem mode

[bright pulsar]

lol yeah

polish is quIck

[dense oasis]

yeah this is a pretty quick language lol, doesnt help that it sounds like beetles buzzing and leaves on trees rustling even when it is spoken slowly

@bright pulsar if you heard "alphabet boiiiis" without any context, would you get what this means?

[bright pulsar]

alphabet boys?

[dense oasis]

Yes

[bright pulsar]

um. it sounds like a preschool gang or something

not familiar with it, no

[dense oasis]

it means feds

[bright pulsar]

ah

[dense oasis]

because CIA, FBA, etc, have these acronyms

[dense oasis]

what about "glowies"

[bright pulsar]

yes

[late topaz]

no

[bright pulsar]

that's a 4chan term

[late topaz]

I'm a normie

[bright pulsar]

that's good

u dont wanna go on 4chan

[late topaz]

what is glowies?

[dense oasis]

feds

[late topaz]

oh

[dense oasis]

same as alphabet boys

[late topaz]

can you tell me something?

why is grammar so weird

[bright pulsar]

because grammar tries to explain language eloquently

and people don't like using language in certain ways

[late topaz]

like, second conditional is used to refer to unlikely events in the present or the future, right?

[bright pulsar]

so grammar becomes weird

[late topaz]

I got 2 resources saying that

[bright pulsar]

hypotheticals, not necessarily unlikely

[dense oasis]

and humans say absolute nonsense in an absolutely nonsensical manner irl

[late topaz]

oh, never mind

the Madonna university

[bright pulsar]

prescriptivism vs descriptivism

[late topaz]

this is just blatantly wrong

[dense oasis]

it is correct

[bright pulsar]

looks fine

[late topaz]

really?

[dense oasis]

Yes

thats what it is used for

[late topaz]

so when I say, for example "Would it be okay if I went with you?" it would imply that the case of me going with them is unlikely?

[dense oasis]

thats a different context because now you are making a proposition by using a conditional

so i would perceive it as implying you wanna go and you are now checking what id say, but you are using a conditional to make this less bold and direct

[bright pulsar]

it is hypothetical

[dense oasis]

Maybe it would imply that the case of you going with them is unlikely, at least in your mind and at least as long as you are putting it this way to make it sound unlikely or indirect

[bright pulsar]

it's polite for that reason

I almost never see it as a hypothetical but just a way to make a polite request... but it's a textbook 2nd

you're giving them an easy way to decline by proposing it as unlikely

[late topaz]

okay, and now the cambridge dictionary says this: We use the second conditional to talk about the possible result of an imagined situation in the present or future. We say what the conditions must be for the present or future situation to be different.

ah, never mind

it's just ambiguity I don't like in instructions

I guess you could say "but John, it is possible, though unlikely, those are not mutually exclusive definitions"

[bright pulsar]

"Would you be happy if I left?" - If I left, you would be happy. Hypothetically, you would be happy if I left. This is not an "unlikely" event, but a hypothetical statement. We assume that something is true so long as something else is true. It doesn't have to be unlikely for it to be the 2nd conditional. I may have every intention to leave. The hypothetical is if that you would be happy if I left, but we don't quite know until I left. It's not that leaving is unlikely.

Essentially, hypothetical or very unlikely.

[late topaz]

but the phrasing above does not allow for such meaning

"hypothetical situation THAT <...>"

[bright pulsar]

the cambridge phrasing?

[late topaz]

the Madonna university phrasing

the one that you said "looks fine"

[bright pulsar]

hmm, i did say it looks fine

[late topaz]

yes

[bright pulsar]

yes, that's still pretty much the formal definition, as I understand it

i'm looking for more about this, because it's phrased like a second conditional but certainly not formally one.

[late topaz]

I think at this point it doesn't really matter. However, the time period which the conditional is applicable to is the only thing that does.

[bright pulsar]

I wouldn't say it matters at all, because that's just how we use it

but I do wonder what english stack exchange would say about it. wonder why I can't find anything

[late topaz]

about what, exactly?

[bright pulsar]

second conditional-like statements

[late topaz]

https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/8194/is-would-present-tense-bad-grammar

the first answer is rather comprehensive

[flat rune]

Nah, British ppl seem cool. I dont like americans tho

They dont know geography

[late topaz]

Did people forget what sarcasm is?

It was obvsiously a joke, I even followed it with "on a more serious note"

[flat rune]

I know it was sarcasm 😂

[late topaz]

then what's happening?

[flat rune]

I was just saying is cooler to joke abt americans

[bright pulsar]

we make fun of each other

it's a faux rivalry

[late topaz]

I only make fun of the pesky brits. Americans wouldn't even understand

By the way, @bright pulsar did you find the stackexchange link interesting?

[bright pulsar]

not anything I was looking for, sadly

gave up for now

[late topaz]

but now I know what COCA is

[bright pulsar]

yeah I've seen it afew times

it's probably just not a second conditional at all

dunno, article was interesting tho

[dense oasis]

bloody hell!

[bright pulsar]

hey, don't make fun of that

I like using that, as an american

[dense oasis]

Have you seen my trolley, Charles? I am sure I left my groceries in it, just when we were next to a till, and also, where is my bloody luggage?!

[late topaz]

https://tenor.com/view/xqc-smile-pain-gif-25380532

[dense oasis]

who is this pesky gentleman?!

bloody hell! I know him!

[bright pulsar]

good lad, him

[late topaz]

I don't have much, but I got myself an american flag background on steam

[dense oasis]

Very good. Also, always check every single person you are talking to by asking them to pronounce "Water"

[mental terrace]

rahhhhhh

[late topaz]

I want to hear Ron and @mental terrace say it

actually, no

[mental terrace]

say water?

[dense oasis]

When americans drink bottles of water, they drink bottles of water. When these pesky brits drink bottles of water, they drink bahwahwahtahs

[late topaz]

say Murica

[mental terrace]

you do NOT live in pennsylvania

[bright pulsar]

lmao who would wanna

[mental terrace]

ikr

[late topaz]

https://tenor.com/view/pokemon-jigglypuff-no-nope-not-gif-4707067

Pensyllvania is a nice place I heard

[mental terrace]

living in pennsylvania is like living in upstate new york

[bright pulsar]

i've been there

[dense oasis]

Are guns legal that place?

[mental terrace]

overshadowed by big city yet in pennsylvania the cities are shit

[mental terrace]

they’re legal in all states

[bright pulsar]

or rather, i've been to pennsylvania

[dense oasis]

nice

[bright pulsar]

it's a

commerce port

really

not a special city

[late topaz]

look at this

[dense oasis]

did you buy yourself a gun?

[late topaz]

beauty

this is perfect

[mental terrace]

most people have guns

[late topaz]

if only there was an ocean by the side

[dense oasis]

nice x2

[late topaz]

I wanna live there

[dense oasis]

i wanna too, but europe does not allow guns so easily

[late topaz]

Atloona, Pensyllvania

[mental terrace]

it gets old real soon

trust me on that

[late topaz]

trust me if I could go there I wouldn't mind

[mental terrace]

mmmmm you’d get bored in 1-2 years

[late topaz]

wanna bet?

[mental terrace]

what the fuck is an “atloona”

smh

[late topaz]

Get me a job in the US and we will see

oh,right

I need a visa

[mental terrace]

marry an american

[late topaz]

and the only way to get it is by going to poland

[mental terrace]

free visa

[dense oasis]

lmfao no

thats just masochistic

[bright pulsar]

lOL

[mental terrace]

you want a visa
such is the cost

[late topaz]

You know how people say that you need delayed gratification

[bright pulsar]

"man wants to go to america, refuses visa because he doesn't want to marry one of them. said 'they for the streets'"

[late topaz]

that is the reason why I can't do anything

the closest I will probably ever be to going to the US is 7 years down the road

I'll be 27

[mental terrace]

what is it with you and 7 years

[late topaz]

btw wanna go to #🧠｜serious-chat or #1007933904579203103 ?

[mental terrace]

you mentioned it before

[late topaz]

https://discord.com/channels/801609515391778826/1138592975698546718

go there forget the game

[mental terrace]

#🧠｜serious-chat

[dense oasis]

Why Poland

[late topaz]

#🧠｜serious-chat

[dreamy marsh]

i want to ask about 'it', 'that' and 'this' in a phrase. i have a big difficult when i have to choose wich one to use in a phrase like "i can do it/that/this". can someone explain me it? that? this? I DONT KNOW

[round scroll]

how often are you playing fo
otball

[dreamy marsh]

?

[tough wolf]

is the idiom "i'll take your word for it" rude? isn't it basically mean "I believe you"?

[mental terrace]

it tells the person that you believe them but you’re skeptical about it

“I don’t know anything about what happened but i’ll just believe what you’re saying for now”

longer version kinda?

[tough wolf]

i see, i used that idiom some time ago, i hope that person didnt see me as rude

[mental terrace]

not rude but doesn’t come across exactly as “I believe you”

[tough wolf]

oh okay, i have to be careful next time i use this lol

[bright pulsar]

it's usually a respectable skepticism.

[frosty charm]

can someone explain to me the difference between "consistent" and "persistent" in simple words?

[mental terrace]

persistent is when you continue against opposition

“Despite being told to leave, he persisted to annoy the shopkeeper.”

[supple holly]

"Consistent" is when something happens continuously without change. This could happen despite there being difficulty or not, while "persistent" means there is always difficulty

"The flow of water here is consistent" (as in it never stops or increases or decreases)

[frosty charm]

oh I see thank you both!!

[thorn owl]

what is the difference between to attach and to affix?

[mortal citrus]

“Attach” is like connecting or uniting something by a bond, link, or tie in order to keep things together, (like attaching a card to a package). “Affix” implies imposing one thing on another usually by gluing, (like affixing a seal onto a document).

[flat rune]

can i post a long story like google docs, but the genre is trigerring and very dark. i want someone to proofread and add comments

[dense oasis]

#📝｜proofreading, but also i would not post it if it contains some very nsfw stuff

[flat rune]

is just dark content, no nsfw

[supple holly]

You can send it to me in DMs. I like reading such things

[dense oasis]

you know what, you can send it to me too, like if it is not a huge book then maybe i would read it too

[marble whale]

What does "downsizing of the military" mean?

Does that mean that the number of people in army was reduced?

[dense oasis]

yes

like shrinking them

[rare glacier]

I'm struggling to comprehend what is happening in the illiad (novel) any tips?

[echo epoch]

What does "got em" means?

[dense oasis]

Usually when there is some competition between two groups of people, like teams, and one wins, then the team who won might say "got em" meaning they won with the losers

like "we/I won with them"

[dusky steppe]

So I'm learning English by English Grammar in use and got confused by this exercise

1. I like your house. How long do you live / have you lived here?
2. You’ll need an umbrella if you go out now. It’s raining / It’s been raining.
   My answers were "do u live" (1), "it's been raining" (2) and they all are wrong and I can't get why

[serene plinth]

In the second sentence, it should be (1) it's raining. The conjunction matches and goes well with the previous sentence especially cuz of (the 'now' in the end)

[dense oasis]

1. How long have you lived here?
   This is the correct answer, because they started living here in the past, and now they still are living here. So, present perfect is the best choice, because in this case it describes an activity which started in the past, and is still continuing.

2. It's raining.
   This one is correct because the speaker wants to speak only about the current moment, that's why it's present continuous, it speaks, in this case, only about the current moment. If you used "It's been raining" then this kinda sounds as if you were lacking something - present perfect continuous like this usually needs something to mark the timespan, like "It has been raining for five hours"

[serene plinth]

For the first sentence both may be used. The second option is more appropriate or better grammatically. However in spoken English, I'd say the first option is more popular!

Ok black cat's more informative than me ....

[dense oasis]

lol should i be a teacher

just joking, am not qualified

[late topaz]

you're right

you're overqualified

[serene plinth]

Ping?

[serene plinth]

#apply just pop in

[dense oasis]

nooo, am not good enough, i just happen to know some things sometimes

[late topaz]

and it just so happens that you know everying every time

[serene plinth]

If you make it sound that way.... Then even I'm not qualified

[late topaz]

I couldn't have imagined a funnier situation

[dense oasis]

Exactly

[dusky steppe]

Thanks guys now I got it

[swift briar]

@late topaz what happened man

[late topaz]

?

[swift briar]

You said something not very nice earlier

[late topaz]

What? When?

[swift briar]

Can i dm you ?

[late topaz]

yes

[flat rune]

have you heard of filter feeder? 🤔

Whale sharks are not predators, though: they are filter feeders that feast on swarms of microscopic plankton.

like a big whale swallowing a lot of water with small fishes in them?

[late topaz]

yes, that's exactly what they do, but not to fishes. Filter feeders rely on plankton, which is not bigger than 1 inch (~2.54 cm). There are many ways to do it as well. A whale shark opens up its mouth and tries to catch as much plankton as possible. After that, it expels water through its gills and plankton gets stuck on the rough mouth surface (as far as I understand). Whales don't have teeth and use baleens - brush-like structures to filter water. They push out the water using their tongue and swallow the plankton.

and this is what a baleen looks like

fascinating!

[dense oasis]

I remember a quote from somewhere, it was something like the evolution happens for two reasons, either to kill, or to f##k

Now, the crazy part, we evolved to do both

[granite topaz]

does "drove" (past "drive") and "rose" (past "rise") really exist?

[swift briar]

Yes

They do indeed exist

[flat rune]

I really dont understand what "awe" means. It has appeared multiple times in books and I have checked the meaning so much times, but I still cant understand exactly what meaning the word conveys

[swift briar]

an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration

That look is basically "awe'

[dusk fossil]

good morning everybody

word formation without changing the form and with the addition "to" does not apply to adjectives? or only noun

[dusk fossil]

does this no apply to all adjectives?

[spring carbon]

probably

[dusk fossil]

[spring carbon]

[azure viper]

good afternoon everybody

[tepid mica]

I have a problem… For example, the word “thoughts”… this word has the letter S at the end, but it’s hard to pronounce it because there is a t before, which is silent, so combining it is kinda hard when pronouncing

any tip for improvement?

[late topaz]

The second T in thoughts is not silent.

https://youglish.com/pronounce/thoughts/english?
https://forvo.com/search/thoughts/

[tepid mica]

True true, but when I pronounce it then it’s hard to pronounce the S too

thx

[late topaz]

Is it difficult for you to pronounce It's ?

this might help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5ci5f5wV24

[hollow night]

Vocabulary question. What do Americans say instead of "cheeky"? I understand "cheeky" is a British word, so what do Americans say to mean the same thing?

[cerulean tusk]

what does it mean in BrE?

[noble wasp]

hey! i'd be glad if someone helped me w these 2 silly structure questions by telling me which is correct

"do you know how i can...?"
"do you know how can i...?"

"can someone help me?"
"can anyone help me?"
"anyone can help me?"

(also i got kinda confused abt when i should use anyone/someone)

[amber junco]

1. Second one is the correct since in questions you swap the subject once
2. Second one is correct cause you are referring to no one specifically
   Third is wrong grammatically

You can also say "someone" are you sure you don't have to find the mistake?

@noble wasp

[alpine pier]

In the 34, why D is not a correct answer?

[amber junco]

Yes, also 35 is "knows" cause you are talking about general things rather than something specific

[boreal pewter]

It's a little hard to explain because it covers a few slightly different ideas, I'd say it's like a small naughty fun attitude. Examples are easier

1. "This police force needs more manpower."
   "You don't mind a bit of manpower do you Doris!"
   "Oi, cheeky bastard"
   (adapted from a scene in Hot Fuzz)
2. "We can't buy it", he said with a cheeky grin, "but we could always steal it"
   (entirely made up)
3. "Can you all hand in your phones please"
   "Well, I can hand it in, but do I want to..."
   "Don't be cheeky, I've had enough of that today."
   (I'm sure I heard things like this several times at school lol)

[boreal pewter]

Here, forgot to make it a reply sorry

[noble wasp]

so in the second question both first and second examples are right?

btw is "are" in the question i've just asked in the right position?

@amber junco

[amber junco]

In English, you need to swap subject to make a question only once

You are alright
Are you alright?

@noble wasp

[desert sable]

Waittt Americans don’t use cheeky???

That’s such an integral part of my vocabulary

[amber junco]

They use it but is more common in the UK

[alpine pier]

but pay attention to "as if"

[flat rune]

second

[amber junco]

It doesn't matter, cause you are talking about everything

[flat rune]

it's a present statement, therefore you use knows

don't translate it into your native language. English is unique.

[amber junco]

We would still translate like that even in Italian, is about understanding the sentence

[flat rune]

not in some languages

it can confuse you sometimes

[amber junco]

That's odd

[late topaz]

Translation should be avoided at all cost if you want to learn the grammar of your target language.

[amber junco]

"It can be confusing sometimes"

[serene plinth]

1. First one is correct

2. Both someone and anyone work. 3rd one isn't exactly grammatically correct but you might come accross it in spoken English

[flat rune]

In portuguese you would use the past simple

"Se eu soubesse..." If i knew

A Nancy fala como se (as if) ela soubesse tudo.

[flat rune]

you should mention that spoken english isn't correct in formal assessments

[amber junco]

The first one is not correct grammatically, you can swap subject only once in a question

Do you know how I can do it?
Do you know? How can I do it?

[serene plinth]

[serene plinth]

Cuz D is not grammatically correct

[flat rune]

it doesn't really matter

my sentence is correct

[amber junco]

Not really cause "confuse you" sounds like something actively trying to confuse while "being confusing" is a passive thing due the situation, but I'm not here to argue

[serene plinth]

First one?

[amber junco]

The question 1

[serene plinth]

Oh yeah. In question one the second sentence is incorrect

[swift briar]

[late topaz]

By the way, I've been looking up stuff online and found that in the exercise #35 both A and C are correct, though it different situations. It normal writing we use A (knows), but in formal writing the latter (KNEW) is preferred

[serene plinth]

I'd personally say 'knew'

'knows' is said in spoken English

Or native English

[cerulean tusk]

Mo𝕏y... what is that suppose to be?

[serene plinth]

Omggg hiiii, been a while

[swift briar]

Shhhh

https://tenor.com/view/stalking-spying-peaking-peak-hiding-gif-14341063

[cerulean tusk]

howdy!

[serene plinth]

Me gud gud, howdy u?

[cerulean tusk]

actually, howdy is the same as hi

[swift briar]

@cerulean tusk also it has been truly a while, how have you been bud

[cerulean tusk]

but im ok. just been busy with work and stuff

and you?

[swift briar]

And "stuff"
Aka
Better call saul

[cerulean tusk]

haha nah, finished that

[swift briar]

https://tenor.com/view/better-call-saul-bob-odenkirk-saul-goodman-usa-united-states-of-america-gif-5322556

[late topaz]

I don't know, my head hurts again

[cerulean tusk]

fantastic series tho

[late topaz]

because it's supposed to be a past subjunctive mood

obviously they don't and can't know everything

[serene plinth]

[late topaz]

so KNEW in that case should be used

[serene plinth]

It's more appropriate yeah

[late topaz]

yet almost everybody says that both are fine

[serene plinth]

Cuz it's used frequently in spoken English

[swift briar]

@cerulean tusk here's your first question in a while

What's the difference between "on things" and "of things"

[serene plinth]

[amber junco]

Looking up online "knew" is more formal, and since I live in the UK I never heard it 😂

[late topaz]

so, do you think it's different in AmE?

[cerulean tusk]

can i get a side of context to go with that order? 🙂

immediately i think "of things" is suggesting something like the ingredients or composition

[swift briar]

I'm terribly at providing good examples lol

[cerulean tusk]

but not detailed, obvi

[late topaz]

@cerulean tusk Would you choose "knew" over "knows" in the sentence "She talks as if she (knows / knew) everything?"

[cerulean tusk]

on things.... mabye thats talking about the location of something? not really sure just by itself

[swift briar]

I think both are correct tbh

Depending on what he's talking about

[late topaz]

what's even more confusing is this:

I am defeated

look at the reply author:

[cerulean tusk]

did you have different people in that sentence on purpose? she talks he knows/knew?

[late topaz]

the pronouns don't matter

[swift briar]

Tbh yeah sure, knew may sound more natural whatever BUT

knows isn't wront either

Can be applied depending on the idea that the speaker is trying to convey

[late topaz]

btw talker is also legit

[cerulean tusk]

knew, i would prolly change the tense of talk also

[swift briar]

I know, speaker sounds more professional

Lol

[cerulean tusk]

she talked as if she knew everything

[swift briar]

Talker sounds like someone talking a lot

[cerulean tusk]

like you

haha

j/k

she talks as though she knows everything

[late topaz]

and you are from the stars and stripes country?

[cerulean tusk]

not necessarily a completed event

Texas baby!!

[swift briar]

He talk as if he knows what's good

Lmao

[cerulean tusk]

and yes, it is a country

as we see it

haha

[swift briar]

I can be quite a talker, just place the right bait and i won't shut up

[late topaz]

so you concur with the teacher in the picture?

[cerulean tusk]

yep

[late topaz]

Now I just have to ask Mr. Green

[cerulean tusk]

eh

[late topaz]

do I ping him or just leave the message?

[late topaz]

?

[cerulean tusk]

why not just start there?

[serene plinth]

Tbh I haven't got much idea about AmE

I'm a guy who goes around correcting ppl if they use American spellings cuz Idk them

By now I've learnt quite a few American spellings

Need to learn more

[flat rune]

how did the megalodons become extinct?
(an extinct species of shark)

🤔 is the needed here?

[knotty vault]

Can someone who speaks native/fluent English, but also understand German (very good) help me here:
#1006560951098691695 message

[flat rune]

[megalodon]
the embryo would eat other eggs (its siblings) while in the womb, helping it to grow so large.

While it sounds shocking, such "intra-uterine cannibalism" is common in modern sharks.
It means mothers produce relatively few young, but each gets as much nutrition as possible.

🤔 intra-uterine?

[serene plinth]

Inside the uterus

[flat rune]

i got it now!

[serene plinth]

Think of it as abortion

[mental terrace]

you don’t need it but it doesn’t change anything if you do or don’t have a “the”
personally i’d drop the “the” but im not gonna tell u to do that

[mental terrace]

forgot to do reply

[flat rune]

🫡

[serene plinth]

I'd personally keep the 'the' there

[dense oasis]

id also keep it

[flat rune]

do whatever you want, both are fine. nothing wrong here.

no need to be too picky.

people will understand you

[silver iris]

Are they any differencies between Someone/ Somebody and Anyone/ anybody ?

[signal gust]

I'm still trying to understand why English has gendered pronouns

[serene plinth]

English does accept 'they' for fluidity

[signal gust]

Adapting a whole sentence for "they"s plural nature while you're referring to a single person (plural individuals are a think ik and they're excluded from the single person) feels so off

[serene plinth]

'Themself' is singular tho : p

[signal gust]

Differences between some and any or differences between one and body

[silver iris]

between one and body

[serene plinth]

No difference

[dense oasis]

The meaning is the same. However, if you need these in writing, then you should consider sticking to someone and anyone, since they seem a bit more formal to some speakers.

[dense oasis]

I also suspect you most likely meant "are there"

[silver iris]

Thanks a lot @dense oasis @serene plinth

[silver iris]

yeah

[dense oasis]

I am deeply glad you have found my answer suitable for your needs.

[mental terrace]

english is pretty simple when it comes to pronouns and genders so what are u having troulbe with

[hot pelican]

there's only he/him she/her dont believe the other non sense.

[mental terrace]

💀

[late topaz]

you forgot they/them

[dense oasis]

We understand your concerns. Thankfully, I think there is no possibility of you being harmed by whatever might be supposed to harm you. No worries

[cerulean tusk]

what do you mean "fluidity"?

[cerulean tusk]

"the" usually helps to point out something specific. like "you should ask a teacher" (any teacher) vs "you should ask the teacher" (probably your teacher)

since the sentence is more general in nature, speaking of all megalodons, "the" is not really necessary. as others pointed out, in this case, it doesn't really change the meaning of the sentence with or without it. in my opinion, whatever rolls off the tongue. English is complicated, try not to over complicate it. 🙂

[noble wasp]

hey! i got some questions abt prepositions and i'd be glad if smn helped me

1. i saw a north american saying "i'm beginner on french"
   i got confused abt which preposition would be correct cuz i think ive already heard phrases like "i'm beginner at" or "i'm beginner in". ALSO, is the article "a" necessary before "beginner"? cuz he didn't use it

also are the sentences below correct regarding the prepositions?

2. "my level in english"

3. "i'm B2 on english"

[cerulean tusk]

yes, im a beginner in French

#2 is ok
#3 would be better said im a B2 in English

[flat rune]

Can anyone tell me what's the difference between "has" and "have"?

[amber junco]

Has is third person refering to (he/she/it)

Have is first person (I/you/we/they)

[swift briar]

I hate learning languages, I'm hard stuck at english

[stoic island]

Guys i wanna know how to pronounce "want you " (t-y) in American accent

[cerulean tusk]

I wan chu

[serene plinth]

gender fluidity

'They' is used when gender is unknown/unspecified gender

[signal gust]

Well, gender is a complex concept on its own, I have been attacked multiple times with singular "they" (seeing "they" in a singular context causes me to have a seizure). Also well binary gender theory is already flawed on its own

Predicting pronouns also sucks

[brave wind]

these are examples used in a sentence: She has a pink hat. I have a pink hat.

[mental terrace]

attacked ?

"they" is common for if you dont know the gender

most natives say "they" when they dont know the gender

[signal gust]

I'm trans and they misgender me on purpose with "they" when I clearly state that I want to be referred to as "she/her"

That's also how they attack on transgender people

By intentionally referring as "they/them"

[mental terrace]

i'm trans

[signal gust]

oh

[mental terrace]

nobody's attacking you

it's the standard

[signal gust]

They have purposefully done that

[mental terrace]

if its on purpouse then fair enough but in most cases its out of respect bc we dont know your pronouns

would you rather be called a he by mistake ?

[signal gust]

And I have some traumatic memories about it

[mental terrace]

its a middle ground thats not meant to offend anyone

[signal gust]

ik but

[signal gust]

In the hands of humans anything can become offensive and harmful

Even three fucking pronouns

They intentionally did this to me

[mental terrace]

i'm really sorry
they is standard when people don't know your gender identity, a middle ground
if ppl r intentionally calling u they even tho u tell them not to then fair enough they arent cool
but trust me they isnt meant to be offensive

[signal gust]

when used intentionally to offend an enby or trans, it is meant to be offensive.

[mental terrace]

yeah i said that

[signal gust]

i saw that but it gets really ambiguous between the main idea of the paragraph

[mental terrace]

it's just
"they" is meant out of respect
if they continue to use "they" even when you tell em not to then thats not cool

[signal gust]

Ty

:3

[mental terrace]

np!

[swift briar]

@mental terrace i like your participation in this channel, keep it up

[mental terrace]

thanks !

[hollow night]

Grammar Question. Which one of the following sentences is grammatically correct?

1. I don't care if he IS undefeated in the past.

2. I don't care if he WAS undefeated in the past.

[zinc bluff]

is this for native speakers or learners srry

[hollow night]

for anyone who's able to answer?

[dense oasis]

second, because you clearly want to talk about the past, and in english tenses change exactly for this reason

"in the past" makes me want to use past simple, and "was" is past simple

[hollow night]

thanks for the answer! 🙂

[tepid mica]

No that one is not. Another example is: “Can’t I?” Here i would like to say “i” but if i force the “T” too much then i can’t, and if i don’t force it then it sounds like “Can”. Thanks anyways

[flat rune]

@coral seal i think theres a typo in #🌅｜idiom-of-the-week ?

[cerulean tusk]

sounds like "can tie"

[stone dove]

1 but i would write:

i don’t care if he’s undefeated

[long cove]

Hey guys Abhishek(Begineer) from India,i am here to improve my communiction skills.Any suggestions how i would start?

[stone dove]

What do you mean by communication skills? Spelling, grammar, etc

[long cove]

i cannot speak fluently

[stone dove]

You just gotta keep studying and talking to natives and fluent english speakers

That’s the key to it

[long cove]

ok

i have been communicating with my friends in english

[stone dove]

Nice keep going

[dense oasis]

are you sure?

"in the past" phrase seemed important to them

[stone dove]

Yeah would depend on the context though

Actually yeah i would do that, doesnt matter about context

[dense oasis]

i mentioned i would go with "i dont care if he was undeafeted in the past", because in the past made me emphasize it

[stone dove]

I would still do
i don’t care if he’s undefeated

[dense oasis]

like for example a year ago right

okay

[stone dove]

I’ve heard that a lot more than what you said

[dense oasis]

yes absolutely, i agree, this shorter version is way more natural

[teal raven]

would u mind Giving me some easy trick for conveting word into verb noun adjective and adverb

[serene plinth]

Could u kindly elaborate a bit?

[teal raven]

identify identification classify classification( if verb or adj end with fy or fic ,I just need to add cation at end to become noun?)
enjoy enjoyable enjoyment
protect protection
inspire inspiration
(clever clverness
Kind kindness,if words are adj ,I just need to add ness at the end for noun?)

Some verb are also added by ive and able as adj
Prevent preventable preventive,notice noticable appreciate appreciative
Do y'all study every words or have easiest method to memorize? Thanks in advance

[serene plinth]

Tbh different words follow different patterns

You could learn up the patterns but they won't help in the long run

For example-
Brave - bravery
Coward- cowardice
Important - importance

[teal raven]

thanks i'll learn suffixes nd presuffixes

[serene plinth]

If you go for that, then it's best for you to segregate the entire thing based on the trend(suffix/prefix) they follow, and learn the rest(which don't fall into any mold) just like that

[elfin cairn]

What is the difference between pupil and student ?

[mental terrace]

pupil is more fancy but they're p much the same

[elfin cairn]

oh thank u

[serene plinth]

student is a pretty broad category, pupils are the students of a school

[trail slate]

What’s a dollar movie??

[mental terrace]

(if i'm thinking of the same thing you are) its when a movie is rerun after the first run for cheaper

[cerulean tusk]

just a bonus, the word (and hyphen words in general) are more and more of a thing of the past.
Intrauterine
🙂

[swift briar]

Frfr

[cerulean tusk]

this usually happens before the movie is released on streaming platforms or DVD/Bluray
(and a demonstration, in my opinion, of just how overpriced other movie theatres are)

[echo epoch]

What is "Toast" in slang?

[finite lantern]

?define toast

[hazy herald]

Word: toast

Definition 1 (noun): a drink in honor of or to the health of a person or event
Definition 2 (verb): propose a toast to
Definition 3 (noun): a person in desperate straits; someone doomed

Other definitions can be found here

Definition requested by vivek

[finite lantern]

@echo epoch

[flat rune]

The percentage use of this word (waverer) is?

Is it widely utilized?

[vagrant copper]

is this sentence grammatically correct?

"So the quality of the print was not good, I changed the typewriter ribbon."

second sentence:
"You should have finished the work yesterday, yet is not close to being finished today."

[native forge]

"Dang" or "darn" What do you guys prefer?

[swift briar]

Dang it

Darn sounds kinda silly

As in goofy

[native forge]

"You should have finished the work yesterday, yet it is not close to being finished" Adding "today" isn't necessary and you can also throw in an "even" before "close" for dramatic effect.
"You should have finished the work yesterday, yet it is not even close to being finished"

[native forge]

I guess you could see it like that, thanks.

[swift briar]

It boils down to your personal view on the word, i just think "darn it" sounds more childish than dang it

Like more family friendly

[zinc bluff]

darn is in the southern us and is considerfed old fashioned, while dang is universal

[flat rune]

to be honest I say "damn" more often

[mental terrace]

"damn" is the most realistic and is used by literally everyone
"dang" is seen a little funnier if pronounced funnily but still normal
"darn" will have people probably laughing at you unless you're in the south

yep

[flat rune]

ecstatic,

1. Overwhelming happiness
2. Involving an experience of ‘mystic self-transcendence’: an ecstatic vision

🤔what does the 2nd definition mean?

[mental terrace]

"mystic self transcendence" is like

it goes into philosophy i think but it has something to do with someone realizing who they are and meanings and stuff like that

[flat rune]

Is it like your sipirit floating out of your body?

[mental terrace]

no

transcendence is just like, realizing a greater purpose or thing

[flat rune]

Thank you bad idea

[dusk fossil]

is the auxiliary verb "do" used in the future tense?

[serene plinth]

Nope

[dusk fossil]

why is so ?

the verb "do" is often used in the future. but I need to understand about the auxiliary

[flat rune]

Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from the others.
Death
health
disease
spread

[dusk fossil]

I know. I'm talking about the future. please read the question carefully

" is the auxiliary verb "do" used in the future tense?"

In short, I'll figure it out myself. Thank you for your time

I understand now, thanks

[dusk fossil]

@bleak tundra want to continue. it turns out in sentences when we designate time with the use of "will" then it is a modal verb of an auxiliary verb ?

[dusk fossil]

@bleak tundra means right. Understood. Thank you. and then in our country there is frequent misinformation about English.

[lost cipher]

He will eats or he will eat
with "s" or without ?

thank you

[dusk fossil]

@bleak tundra
1.our training material is presented in an erroneous version sometimes
2. I'm thinked . modals can't always be auxiliary, right?

If they ask me if I will eat. and I will say in response "i will" is this permissible?

here it turns out not as an auxiliary

Well, finally, at least some kind of proposal I managed to draw up correctly))))

[serene plinth]

Do is used as an auxiliary verb in present tense

Do can only be used in future tense as the main verb of the sentence. E.g.- will/shall do

[hollow night]

Grammar Question. Can someone tell me if the following sentence is grammatically correct?

Sentence: We're in a church and it's daytime. I don't think those ghosts will be showing themselves.

[dusk fossil]

stop. I didn't understand. so is it a modal verb? I am asking about whether it is possible for a modal verb to not be an auxiliary

[serene plinth]

Yes, it is

[dusk fossil]

fine, thants👍

[serene plinth]

Only in informal contexts.
We often use short sentences like 'I can' or 'I will'.

However grammatically it really isn't possible as modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verbs. One main reason why they're called 'modal auxiliary verbs'.

[dusk fossil]

@serene plinth a current person who gave an example of when a modal verb may not be an auxiliary

[serene plinth]

Hmm?

[dusk fossil]

@serene plinth

[dusk fossil]

this

[lost cipher]

What is the different between pulled and pulled up it's pretty much the same

[serene plinth]

In 'She can swim', can is an auxiliary verb

I'm sorry but Zacky is wrong

[serene plinth]

You could think there's a difference in the visual picturisation of the two.

Pull could be a mere tug(may not be virtually displacing it)
But pull up will displace the object

[dusk fossil]

@serene plinth auxiliary verbs change the meaning of another. and then the phrase, then the word does not change, but only describes the verb.
so i think you are wrong

[serene plinth]

Auxiliary verbs don't change the meaning of another. They help in verb conjugation. Modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verbs which also express modality while helping the main verb express tense, voice and other aspects. @bleak tundra @dusk fossil

Think of it in a very simple way

Modal verbs are a KIND of auxiliary verbs

[dusk fossil]

when the word changes, the meaning changes, when the meaning changes it does not mean completely.

wiki -
English auxiliary verbs are a small set of English verbs, which include the English modal verbs and a few others.[1] Although definitions vary, as generally conceived an auxiliary lacks inherent semantic meaning but instead modifies the meaning of another verb it accompanies. In English, verb forms are often classed as auxiliary on the basis of certain grammatical properties, particularly as regards their syntax. They also participate in subject–auxiliary inversion and negation by the simple addition of not after them.

@serene plinth I wrote. because I don't translate well. i just want to know the truth

@serene plinth I'm reading the syntax section. so maybe you are right. i will have to read again. Thank you 👍

@serene plinth I hope you are not offended that I argued. I just had the intention to ask. but bad i did it

[flat rune]

Can anyone help me if anyone have like source of Grammer

Like academy Grammer or something videos or courses

[vagrant copper]

thank you for giving feedback @native forge. otherwise, i am still confused whether the sentence is true or not as it is, without editing nor adding the two sentences.

[serene plinth]

Nay doubts are always appreciated as long as you understand

[dusk fossil]

thanks

[serene plinth]

Replace 'so' with 'since'

[serene plinth]

This sentence doesn't ring well

If I were you, I'd reword it a bit....

[marble whale]

Do you need "the" before Kremlin bot?

You are a Kremlin bot.
Or
You are the Kremlin bot.

[lunar token]

if there's only one Kremlin bot that everyone knows about, then you're the Kremlin bot

if people don't know which Kremlin bot you're talking about (just any bot/a previously unknown one) then you're a Kremlin bot

It's the same as if you said "she's a French spy" versus "she's the French spy"

@marble whale

[haughty nova]

I don't know why, but after a piece of dialogue in writing, it feels okay to me to write

X said, playful.
But I know that "playful" should be an adverb ("playfully") yet writing it in its adjective form doesn't sound wrong. But it is, right?

or can it also be read as an adjective to the noun X?

[flat rune]

can you explain the concept of Self-transcendence in simple words? 🤔

[hollow night]

Grammar Question. Can I end a sentence with "it is"?

For example:

Man A: It's 10 thousand dollars.

Man B: Isn't it supposed to be only 5?

Man A: That's the rate yesterday. Today, it's gonna cost you 10.

Man B: Fine, 10 thousand dollars it is!

Is the highlighted sentence grammatically correct?

[haughty nova]

It's spoken English, grammar doesn't always apply because some things are just socially understood/acceptable. This is a pretty common way to say that. But I'm not entirely sure if it's actually grammatically correct or not, sorry

[hollow night]

Thank you all for the feedback! 🙂

[haughty nova]

I hope someone can help me with this, I've sat with similar phrasing before thinking it sounds fine while afaik it shouldn't be

[keen rose]

Hello^^ do you say

1 : i put my bag in the back of the car

2 : i put my bag in the trunk

Can we say both ? Which one is the most used ? Thx

[dense oasis]

I could go even further than you do and say "I put my bag into the trunk"

This is a fine expression, because the trunk of the car has to be opened in order to have something shoved into itself

[keen rose]

so "back" is not said?

[dense oasis]

well, if you mean the trunk specifically, then people would use the trunk word

it is more specific

[keen rose]

Thx^^

[cerulean tusk]

i like "in"

because its quicker and no meaning is lost

[crisp zodiac]

What's mean "moist" and when I can use this word

[amber junco]

is something that is not wet but damp example: your forehead while sweating.

I'm assuming you heard this word because is kind of a meme

[crisp zodiac]

I heard about this word in a topic that talks about foods and tastes

[amber junco]

Oh I guess you can define "moist" a cake with butter, where you don't really feel dry crumbles while eating

[crisp zodiac]

Exactly

[dense oasis]

I think that word is also something pretty common. Like, for example skin care products may offer something which "ensures moisture" or something, so the producers are trying to imply the product can keep the skin moist, if i understand this correctly

Or at leasy prevents it from being dried and parched

[amber junco]

moisture is a common word but describe things with "moist" has becoming a trend lately

[dense oasis]

*at least

[stiff glade]

hellooo, i wanna ask something. what does "Pioneering" mean?

[hazy herald]

:x: That word could not be found in the dictionary.

[mental terrace]

?define pioneer

[hazy herald]

Word: pioneer

Definition 1 (verb): take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of
Definition 2 (verb): open up an area or prepare a way
Definition 3 (noun): someone who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art

Other definitions can be found here

Definition requested by nakanoyu

[cerulean tusk]

moist can also be used to describe the feeling outside

"its a little moist outside" or "its a little moist this morning/afternoon/evening"
but i think, generally, its used when talking about cakes or cookies as was mentioned earlier

[swift briar]

@cerulean tusk Youre drunk

[cerulean tusk]

blame it on the a a a a a a a alcohol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfjtpp90lu8

i switched rooms and then looked for this in the #1140816252986732654... when it wasnt there, i thought it got deleted

[flat rune]

Is it okay to create your own hyphen in words? For example; narcotic-scheduled.

Or is it better to not compound the word to make your point across

[hazy herald]

:x: That word could not be found in the dictionary.

[serene plinth]

Yes, as long as it makes sense

[flat rune]

Thanks!

[dusk fossil]

what is the difference between "do" and "made" ?

[west wing]

[brave wind]

'do' means you are physically doing something, and make means you are creating soemthing

[mortal citrus]

Use “do” for actions, obligations, and repetitive tasks. Use “made” (simple past comes from “make”) for creating or producing something, and for actions you choose to do.

“I do the dishes” —> “Do” represents an action

“I made a cake” —> “Made” refers to having produced or created something

[dusk fossil]

I don't understand why "do" is not a creation

[sacred perch]

Do is for actions, while make is for things

[dusk fossil]

I begin to understand. Thank you very much.

[sacred perch]

As in, you do actions, but you make things

[dusk fossil]

I met exceptions

[sacred perch]

For example?

[dusk fossil]

@sacred perch i`m no native

[sacred perch]

Well neither am I

[dusk fossil]

it's a pity

[sacred perch]

But what I meant was could you provide an example of the exception you met?

[dusk fossil]

No. I remember feelings, the brain filters unnecessary information. especially last year

(I remember moments, not details)

[sacred perch]

So you mean to say that you remember facing some exceptions but you can't exactly produce an example

[dusk fossil]

@sacred perch I hope you understood me correctly that I'm talking about what, that the verb "do" is used with things

[sacred perch]

Oh, I see, the question was rather vague... No offence

[dusk fossil]

@sacred perch from what I say. nothing will change for grammar

[sacred perch]

But wait, do you mean nouns when you say "things" or verbs?

Cuz I don't think I've ever heard do being used with nouns before

[dusk fossil]

@sacred perch
example:
She does her job well
I do my homework every day

it seems to me that two uses are appropriate in this sentence, depending on the context that I want to convey

@sacred perch "You're making her cry" I also have a hard time understanding why it's used here

[sacred perch]

Make in this case would show that you're forcing someone to do something like for example "I make him do the dishes"

Mind me, in some cases, do is used along with make as it has been in the example I just used

But since you don't do cry and you cry, that's why the do isn't in the example you used

[dusk fossil]

@sacred perch "I don't force myself to do the dishes", what there no so?

[sacred perch]

I did not get the question

[dusk fossil]

"I don't force myself to do the dishes" what here no so ?"made"

why not here

why is it not needed here?

[sacred perch]

Because you've already used force in place of make which implies the same thing

Which is why make is not necessary anymore

Because force is doing the job make would've done in its place

[dusk fossil]

im understood, it synonym

@sacred perch now we have studied the meaning, does this mean that this word has more than one meaning ?

[sacred perch]

You could say that... "I force him to do something" and "I make him do something" hold the same meaning but just with two different words used

[dusk fossil]

I already understood, thanks

[sacred perch]

Yes, it could have different meanings depending on how and where it is used in a sentence and possibly also the context it is being used in

[dusk fossil]

fine, thank very much

[sacred perch]

You're welcome

[flat rune]

Would ppl somtimes say they are going to resign to mean they are going to QUIT their job? 🤔

I usually see it used to describe politicians.

[amber junco]

Yes, resign is more formal

[sacred perch]

Resign is very commonly used for that purpose as it is more formal and professional

And since jobs are mostly in a formal and professional environment, the word resign is mostly used instead of quit

[silver iris]

Why is this sentence wrong ?
"The New York mayor's salary"

[mental terrace]

it’s not

[mint seal]

It’s not incorrect, although it does sound funny on its own but it’s not incorrect

[silver iris]

Is that why it's better to say "The Mayor of New York's salary" ?

[mental terrace]

either or

id rather use the first

less wordy

[mint seal]

I’d prefer to use the first one because this sentence sounds wordy and weird, as if there’s another interpretation

But I’m sure there’s a better way to word it

Is there context here?

Or like, did this sentence come from a paragraph of some sort?

[silver iris]

No, it's from an exercise in an English textbook

[mint seal]

Interesting

[dusk fossil]

"make a leap" this idiom? Right?

[mint seal]

yes

It can be used as an idiom

[dusk fossil]

fine,I am beginning to understand the flexibility of English
thanks

[mint seal]

no worries :))

[dusk fossil]

all fine 👌
the more I study English. the more I see similarities with my native language

[dense oasis]

The sentence they provided, the second one, sounds absolutely different than their first one to me. I mean, the meaning is the opposite, is how I feel.
"The Mayor of New York's salary" sounds like "the mayor who is responsible for the salaries in new york"
while
"The New York mayor's salary" sounds like "the salary of the mayor who is administrating the new york"

[mint seal]

Tbh I’m getting the same vibe. Originally I thought I was wrong about the different interpretation of the second sentence, hence why I did not state so

or rather I ‘suggested’ or ‘wondered’

but I agree on your statement

[dense oasis]

@mint seal
like i would go with either what they said here, or with a substitute, for example "The salary of the mayor of New York" or "salary the mayor in NYC gets" to make things shorter

[mint seal]

The second sentence needs to be independent, considering they got it from the textbook(and because the context is unclear)but the first sentence seems better, just the repetition of ‘of’ makes it sound wordy. Hmm..

[dense oasis]

Yes, the second sentence I provided is absolutely independent lol, otherwise it'd be very weird

[mint seal]

Oh my bad, I read it in a different tone

that’s why I thought that way 😓

[dense oasis]

Nah fine. And actually maybe something like "The news informed me about the salary the mayer in NYC gets." would also be correct i guess

*mayor

[silver iris]

I had to translate the sentence into English. Their translation therefore gave the second sentence which is supposed to mean " the salary of the mayor who is administrating New York "

[mint seal]

Is there a difference with ‘of NYC’ and ‘in NYC?’ Sorry for asking too much, I’m just curious

[dense oasis]

You are the native here

Not me, lol

[mint seal]

Correct but the other examples are much more simplier unless if you want to go flowery/formal

[mint seal]

I’m asking because I get different interpretations

between both

[dense oasis]

i used both of these prepositions to mean the same thing

[mental terrace]

to me, I assume both mean “the salary of the mayor of nyc”

[dense oasis]

hm okay you assume so, but, if you really look at the second one, are you sure? like if you pretended as if the first sentence did not exist

[mental terrace]

yes

[dense oasis]

hm okay

[mental terrace]

both make me think of “the salary of the mayor of nyc”

no idea how i could get “the responsibilities of salaries managed by the mayor of nyc (or whatever it was)” from it

[dense oasis]

interesting lol

[mint seal]

Because ‘in’ could refer to any mayor but ‘of’ establishes the mayor’s designated country, in my perspective. I don’t mean that ‘in’ is incorrect but I’m just wondering if it could mean something different

🤔

[dense oasis]

Possibly, but at this point i just assume that if am, for instance, polish, then i can not be a mayor of an american first tier city

But idk

[mint seal]

I’m overlooking it haha, but at the end both are right regardless unless if the context is clear about something specific

[mental terrace]

it’s more natural to say “of”

[dense oasis]

you were american, right?

[mental terrace]

just sounds correct over “in” but technically both are fine

[mental terrace]

i am, yeah

[dense oasis]

i mean you are but, okay anyway lol

[mint seal]

English is truly confusing and astonishing-

[dense oasis]

if natives say things like this then who am I to speak this language at this point lmfaooo

[mental terrace]

the language doesn’t make sense to anyone

[mint seal]

I mean in general it is. I think for any language, it’s hard to master all its qualities. Not just grammar and all but reading and being able to have a convincing interpretation of some sort of text or what not

[mint seal]

it really doesn’t

[mental terrace]

i cant find any way that English makes sense except for not giving genders to fridges or whatever

[dense oasis]

Yes. But am just a cat. I meow and scratch and cuddle. Human languages are very difficult for ordinary animals like me. Meow

[mint seal]

The part I hate about English is its spelling and phonetics

I know French is harder but pls, English

[mental terrace]

yea

[mint seal]

Nah you’re fine

[mint seal]

Though, cough, slough, through, thought. What the hell

[mental terrace]

you know you got a fucked up language if there are compilations to try and spell the word correct

lol

competitions*

[dense oasis]

Haha i remember I asked you to correct me about them before. Since that time I think I still may sometimes mess up my coughs, sloughs, ploughs, thoroughs, throughs, thoughts, thoughs, hiccoughs, and other ones

[mint seal]

Haha ye

[mint seal]

I remember. There was also a video about this and it was funny. I’ll see if I can find it

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MAL9VD6Lz9Y&pp=ygUST3VnaCBzb3VuZCBlbmdsaXNo

[humble talon]

Guys should I put should here after they?

But I must lead my kin
Lest, they (should??) go astray```

[mint seal]

What’s the context here?

[humble talon]

This is lyrics from a undertale Asgore song - https://youtu.be/gcipipADLnw

It's just that my English teacher and I are both undertale fans and argued about this moment of the lyrics.

[mental terrace]

if it’s not certain that they should go away then the “should” should be there

but if not ykyk

[sly pier]

“Lest they go astray” is fine.

“Lest they should go astray” also seems fine, but a bit more wordy.

The sentence makes sense by itself, so “should” seems unnecessary, but I don’t think it would be wrong if you did include “should”.

[sly pier]

Damn this is actually a pretty good song

[humble talon]

Seems legit. Thank you!

[humble talon]

Yep :))

[stone dove]

Hi

[stone dove]

What does that even mean

old english ? lol

[sly pier]

The word “lest”?

You can replace it with “for fear that”

“But I must lead my kin, for fear that they go astray”

“I must lead my kin, otherwise I worry that they will go astray”.

[sly pier]

I still see it being used, especially in poetry/lyrics, I wouldn’t really count it as old english but formal maybe?

[mental terrace]

or as “or else”

[dense oasis]

A question, actually about the aforementioned word. Is this understandable for an average native speaker? Like if I include "lest" in some formal sentence

or is it uncommon to the point when it is not

[haughty nova]

Depends on their age I think lol

Or if they read any classic literature in English

[dense oasis]

I would be more than glad to use it during some certifications lol, id just make sure i use things properly and not make a fool out of myself by an accident

[sly pier]

I agree with the person above, it depends on the person.

I think this word is understandable for most native speakers as long as it’s provided in a sentence. Well-read natives will probably immediately know what it means without context.

The usage of it is uncommon because it’s pretty much restricted to literary works, especially more classic english literature and poetry.

I wouldn’t use it in a formal document, or anywhere outside of a creative writing environment (for me personally).

[dense oasis]

okay makes perfect sense, i guess it is just like very rare words in my native too, sure some exist, but if someone has never read a book, then they may find it difficult to get my point

thanks Alexei and MadeOutOfCake

[balmy dome]

Hello, I'd like to ask a question related to the spelling of American English. Do you use a hyphen for the noun forms of phrasal verbs? E.g., break-up or breakup, warm-up or warmup and so on.

[bright pulsar]

Either is fine usually. Sometimes the hyphenated version is more common, and sometimes the combined version is. It really just depends on the word.

Might have to refer to a dictionary for which is more accepted on a case by case basis

[dusk fossil]

"You did not have much money "
in this sentence, is he"have" a verb copula?

[vagrant karma]

Does anybody need English help randomly?

[dusk fossil]

"You did not have much money "
"have" here verb copula ?

[dusk fossil]

1.me need to eat.
2.i have to eat
someone explain the difference

[serene plinth]

First sentence is grammatically incorrect

[dusk fossil]

I need an explanation of course

[solid copper]

I want to level up my communication along with written English from b1 to C2 level , Is there any way ?

[serene plinth]

The sentence should be 'I need to eat'.
'me' is a pronoun that works as the object in any sentence. E.g.- He gave me something to eat.
In the aforementioned sentence, 'me' is the object to the verb 'gave'

[serene plinth]

Take small steps. Since you're b1, you're like an advanced speaker, I presume?

[dusk fossil]

so why can't it?

[serene plinth]

Achieving c1 is a feat in itself! Fluent English speakers(non-native) are B2-C1. C2 is achievable but it requires hard work, persistence and consistency.

[serene plinth]

'me' can never be the subject of a sentence. It's true sometimes speakers make it so but that's not correct English

It's done in spoken English often... But it needn't be correct

[solid copper]

I'm not advance speaker sir 🙂

[dusk fossil]

@serene plinth I understand everything, thank very much

[serene plinth]

B1-B2 is more or less advanced level. Maybe you're on the threshold to B1. Fear not, just keep practising

Since English is a language, you need to have an overall development.

That includes brushing up on all 4 soft skills; speaking, listening, reading and writing

Now, depending on your need you may prioritise one over the other

[solid copper]

Thank you sir

[dusk fossil]

@serene plinth Do you know a site where they will talk about the auxiliary verb "have"?

(but as a semantic one I know, but as an auxiliary I don’t)

@serene plinth "have" - He, as an auxiliary, only indicates the time?

[marble whale]

Can someone explain the term whataboutism in plain English?

[lost cipher]

He doesn't deserve pearls

is that right

[sly pier]

Yes, it’s correct.

[lost cipher]

Why didn't we say the pearls

[dusk fossil]

my car is washed every month - It's right ?

[sly pier]

Whataboutism is a tactic in debate where someone changes the subject of the debate to avoid criticism.

Not trying to get political but an example would be:

Person A: “It was wrong of Russia to invade Ukraine”.

Person B: “But what about all the bad things the USA have done?”

It’s basically when someone does something wrong (or is accused of it), but instead of admitting it, they say: “but what about when…”

[sly pier]

Seems good to me.

[crisp zodiac]

Guys is "zero in on" a phrasal world or not if it is where can i use it

[magic scroll]

Hello pals

[sly pier]

You can say both.
“He doesn’t deserve pearls”
“He doesn’t deserve the pearls”

The difference is:
The first one could be referring to any pearls, just pearls in general.
The second one means that the sentence is referring to a specific group of pearls.

“I don’t want a cat”
“I don’t want the cat”

You understand the differences in those two right?

[serene plinth]

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

This much is enough

[serene plinth]

I'm sorry but I don't understand

[sly pier]

I’m pretty sure it’s a phrasal verb.

It just means to focus all your attention on, or to locate with very good accuracy.

“We need to zero in on the customer service aspect of our company”
“We need to focus our attention on the customer service aspect of our company”

“We zeroed in on the location of the plane”
“We found the precise location of the plane”

[crisp zodiac]

Thank you dude very much

[flat rune]

CALL IN
if im at home right now,
and i just called my office to check if everything is fine

did i just CALL IN the office? 🤔

[sly pier]

I would say “call in to the office”

You called in to the office, yes.

[flat rune]

👍

and the president called in THE TROOPS?

a dozen INTERVIEWEES called in to the job?

[sly pier]

Yes, both correct.

[silver iris]

Why in this sentence we use "of" and not the genitive 's ?
" The decision of the jury will be announced tomorrow "

[dense oasis]

This is because of the words' order. You can also try to mix them a bit in a different way, if you like using the genitive. For example:

"The jury's decision will be announced tomorrow." is also a correct sentence, it means the same as the one you provided above

Like, to express that "something belongs to someone" in english, people usually use one of these constructions:

1. The cat of John.
2. The John's cat.

both mean the same, the second is often the most used one, because it is shorter to say

[dense oasis]

Same as if you read my comment, you may notice my first sentence:

"This is because of the words' order."
this can also be said like this:
"This is because of the order of the words."

both are fine

[silver iris]

Thanks a lot Cat, I think my textbook is too strict on grammar

[dense oasis]

maybe, as always to everyone, i'd tell you to listen to english more everyday, and not limit yourself to textbooks only

[silver iris]

Of course, i wanted to be sure so i asked here

[dense oasis]

makes perfect sense

[sacred perch]

What does wordy mean?

[mint seal]

Too many words that can often create uneasiness for reading or inconsistency of the flow

[dense oasis]

So, for example, like my comments, at least these longer ones lol

[mint seal]

Nah you're fine

lemme reword my sentence to make it clearer-

[dense oasis]

Maybe not really because here am trying to keep the english correct, but in other channels or outside of servers it gets veeeery messy haha

[mint seal]

i meant something like "Today, she went to the bar and met a new friend" in exchange for something like "She met a new friend at the bar she went to today"

but ur examples r fine, now thinking about it

its 6:30am and im braining well

[dense oasis]

Oh yeah, the order is kinda reversed here, and I see this pattern often when americans are trying to convey something very quickly, and it eventually turns out to be a very deep mess of random, unordered thoughts, or a story with reversed events

[sacred perch]

But the way you used it in the sentence, it seemed like it meant the exact opposite

[mint seal]

Yeah I realised that, sorry for the confusion

[dense oasis]

Very well, for me it is 10:30 PM