📚｜english-questions

[dense oasis]

no, it is not the same

their meanings and usages are different

so, "past perfect continuous" is just present perfect continuous, but in the past

and "past perfect" is just present perfect, but in the past

[boreal ingot]

'I had been playing' does not mean the same thing as 'I had played'. The first suggests the action had started before and was still happening as something else happened or was happening; the second suggests the action started and ended before whatever followed did follow

I had been playing video games for three hours; then, father came home.
This means you started before he came home, and when he did come home three hours had passed and you yet played

I had eaten my lunch when she arrived.
It was already a completed action when she arrived
I had been eating my lunch when she arrived.
You were still eating when she arrived, but you started before she did

[acoustic geyser]

Thanks

Anyway

Does this grammar have a negative tone?

[latent reef]

Yep, as you ar the focusing on the bad thing that would of happened it feels more negative. A more positive way could be, as we were able to save the building future generations will be able to experience its cultural significance

[karmic glen]

Not inherently, it's just near necessary if also applying + have. At that point you're describing a possible but extremely and unthinkably improbable alternative outcome to a past event which you didn't have direct control over. Those descriptions tend to be negative and even if correct might come across as odd.

"If luck were to have blessed us for just an hour more, the entire town would have been even happier" is an inverse example that does work, but it's uncommon. It's generally uncommon and rather poetic, which itself also favors tragedy.

[humble mountain]

How can I be happy

[boreal ingot]

I don't think anyone knows

[dense oasis]

by fulfilling these requirements (from bottom to the top), you'll most likely become happy

[rapid bison]

mmm

1. survive
2. maintain survival
3. survive with others
4. survive with flair
5. survive with style

[dense oasis]

no, there is a reason why there are descriptions

[rapid bison]

❓
did i negate the existence of examples

[acoustic geyser]

Why do everyone always give me different answer when I just ask an only one question?

Is English that compilicated?

Which one should I listen?

[boreal ingot]

It's not English per se that's the issue; this is just how language is. People interpret things differently and look at more complicated sentences in various ways. Sometimes, something will be very apparent to someone, and they'll end up missing a secondary, less obvious meaning; other times, someone will tunnel vision on a hyperspecific interpretation and not consider other more general or simpler options. Other times, natives can be outright wrong (so too often is the case with non-natives). Language doesn't always fit into very neat boxes—much as I hate that—and is always up for interpretation and ever-evolving. In some languages, this is less intense because they have a standardised version dictated by a council or suchlike, so everyone can agree that 'this is the most correct form of this language', but these languages still have dialectal differences in casual speech. English doesn't have one standardised, enforced version; rather, we have a bunch of descriptivist dictionaries and publishers and some prescriptivist influence remaining from the past, and there isn't one 100% agreed-upon form. That is, English lets thrive the variance and discongruity inherent in language.

[boreal ingot]

I'd take the general idea of the two answers or go with whichsoever one happens to align with my intuition

While grammar books and articles indeed can help one on one's language-learning journey greatly, one also ought to take care not to become too bogged down in the details of grammar and neglect to properly engage with the language naturally—thereby not learning through osmosis

[rancid mountain]

how can I improve my english between A1-A2?

[minor osprey]

how to know what level we have in english bc idk what to say when ppl ask me if im A1, A2 etc...

[green wolf]

If you can understand what people write here then you are at least B1

[dense oasis]

you're stromg don't worry wes

[acoustic geyser]

Should I learn English in only one source?

[boreal ingot]

Nope, learn from several sources and compare them. Try to get a general idea, and maybe look for examples of whatever you're learning in actual use, and see how it makes sense

The one area I would suggest that you learn from one source for is punctuation

Since style guides can vary a lot and normally you're expected not to intermix them

[sudden hare]

“is it not clocking to you? I'm standing on my business ”

Is this supposed to be funny?

@nativepeakers

Help me

[hybrid pelican]

Is this valid?

"Where're you from"

[boreal ingot]

Yea that's fine

[hearty herald]

hi everybody! new here hahahah

[sudden hare]

[brazen vale]

My pronunciation is the same between were and where, I have no idea about this word 💀

[green wolf]

Are you talking about that video of Justin Bieber being confronted by paparazzi at the beach?

I don't find it funny, but I think people were making fun of him because he used 'to clock' instead of 'to click'. And because he used 'to stand on business'

He should have used 'to click', because in English 'to click' can (amongst other meanings) mean 'to make sense', and only in the third person.

Finally, it all clicked. (Finally, everything made sense)
What's not clicking? Are you stupid? (What's not making sense? Are you stupid)

'To clock' doesn't make much sense where he said it

[rotund linden]

Is this why we were laughing? I js thought it’s cuz Justin is a white man getting pressed over nothing while trying to appear more black through his dialect

[green wolf]

Probably that too

[sudden hare]

Ohhhhh, i thought they were unusual expressions

[sudden hare]

I seee

[sudden hare]

Same

[sudden hare]

What about "standing on one's business”

Is that an idiom

??

[acoustic geyser]

Do I have to focus on grammar as long as they can understand what I say?

[flat rune]

Nope

[sudden hare]

so what was he trying to say, and why was it apparently weird?

[flat rune]

He was a fool. Trying to tell something with different genz proverbs and made a sentence which makes no sense

[sudden hare]

Ohhhhh

[wicked linden]

Hii

[acoustic geyser]

Which one should I use for rumour?
This painting is supposed to be haunted
This painting is supposedly haunted

[boreal ingot]

In most native accents these would be different. However, in accents that have the fair-fur and wine-whine mergers at the same time, they would sound the same. I believe Scouse accents do, but I haven't been able to find much on the wine-whine merger in Scouse accents sadly. Overall, while some natives may say 'were' and 'where' the same, the majority do not. It may sound unnatural to most. Bear in mind that the natives who do merge them have a whole entourage of other queer (as compared to standard RP) features accompanying the two listed above. In a word, while present in native speakers, pronouncing 'were' and 'where' the same should be avoided unless the particular mergers that would result in such a pronunciation are applied to all instances of the vowels in question in one's accent and other features of accents where such a merger of the two pronunciations is acceptable are too applied

[green wolf]

Say, "supposedly haunted"

"Supposed to be haunted" is 100% different

Actually wait, this requires a bit more of my brain power

Time to unlock it

🔓 please hold the line

[boreal ingot]

Excited

[boreal ingot]

Grammar should be secondary to communication

[green wolf]

If you are using the verb "to suppose", then both are correct and mean the same thing.

To suppose > to be supposed (passive voice)

it was supposed to be haunted = it was believed/it was assumed, etc

BUT

we also have a fixed form "to be supposed to", which has a different pronunciation and is used differently.

We are supposed to do it now. If we don't, we will get in trouble

Supposed to ≈ have to, should.

It's not a perfect synonym, it is more like saying "there is an expectation and we must meet the expectation"

[dense oasis]

to be supposed to and I suppose have different pronunciations of suppose? lol

probably not significant enough cuz then I'd have noticed it by now

[green wolf]

Actually it is significant

But in the "supposed" form

A supposed criminal
He was supposed (assumed) to be a criminal
He was supposed (meant to) to do it

All different

[dense oasis]

oh yes

alright now it kinda makes sense what you mean

[green wolf]

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/supposed

Brighter minds than I have recorded themselves and shared the pronunciations there

[dense oasis]

tbh it's understandable even if somebody pronounced them all the same

the greatest difference seems to be when it's an adjective

or also an adverb cuz it can be "supposedly"

[dense oasis]

thank you for mentioning this

[green wolf]

Now your English is even better

😍 🔥

[dense oasis]

We all keep on learning

[green wolf]

Ehhh maybe, definitely not the adjective and adverb

"Supposed to", I can see that happening

[dense oasis]

yes yes yeah

I supposed vs I was supposed to do that

different but still

[green wolf]

Very different here

English is so bad 😞

[dense oasis]

I think it's kinda hard to come up with such differences in pronunciation in some other languages. Like when it's spelled the same but pronounced so different

at least I can't recall anything like this in polish or german

[boreal ingot]

'supposed' in 'supposed to be' is pronounced as 'suppost'
'I supposed that ...' pronounced as 'suppozd'
'supposed criminal' pronounced as 'suppozid'

Same with 'have'. It's 'haf' in 'have to do' but 'hav' elsewhere

[dense oasis]

it's the funniest when I try to kind of, forget about all rules, and just pronounce them on my own according to what I feel. And then I actually see that I know about these but I don't consciously realize lmfao

[boreal ingot]

Yea same lmao

I aplly them subconsciously

I don't try to forget them though

[dense oasis]

yes lmao

It's the worst because even if I messed them up, then I wouldn't necessarily know it, because their spelling just does not suggest such changes

[boreal ingot]

Hello, when you say 'Brighter minds than I', does that not implicate that you are a 'mind'? Can one be called 'a bright mind'?

She is a bright mind.
Or ought that to be 'she is bright'?
It seems to me that 'Brighter minds than I' would mean 'Brighter minds than I [am]', whilst 'Brighter minds than mine' would be the correct form, unless, again, one can be dubbed 'a bright mind'. Isn't one more than one's mind? Is this perhaps a form of microcosm synecdoche?

[green wolf]

I don't know how to respond to this

[boreal ingot]

Hmm, I'm happy to clarify

[green wolf]

I am scared

[boreal ingot]

Sorry 😭 Is it a stupid quesstion

[green wolf]

No it's a wonderful display of the tism but I cannot match your intellect to respond

brighter minds exist

[boreal ingot]

😭 Wonderful display of the 'tism

Well, I am happy to wait for other people to respond!

Thank you for entertaining my idiocy

[dense oasis]

my cat's mind is definitely brighter than mine

she just eats and sleeps

that's very smart

"i need to face every obstacle and solve the problem" vs "i meow meow and hooman comes to solve it for me"

[unique nacelle]

anyone has got link to ielts practice exams? or cambridge ones?

or mock up tests

[brittle horizon]

Yeah, if you get them share with me too pilujjjj

[rigid pumice]

Hello I would like to ask about this lyrics meaning
what does it mean voice to voice?

(no, I never wanna lose you in the forest of the night
in vanity’s lair
yearning for the angel calling
hear the lonely prayer ringing through the land of rain
across the thin air
they sing voice to voice
the ancient melodies
I’m calling you )

[short spindle]

Hi, I think that "voice to voice" means direct, heartfelt communication or singing between people.

[acoustic geyser]

Yo

What is the difference between should and why don't you for giving advice and suggesting?

Does the second one sound polite and less forceful?

[rigid pumice]

Thank you!!!

[short spindle]

Welcome

[rigid pumice]

but still I didn't understand well. ummm so they sing the ancient melodies heartfelt? or each other?

[soft crystal]

<@&852927620106551396>

i need a help

to teach my friend

[cloud badge]

I'm more of a 'answer questions in the help chat' kinda helper so I'm not sure what i can do for u

[silent igloo]

Can anyone explain me the meaning for clumsy?

and lurk too

[flat rune]

<@&852927620106551396> What's vocabularies that some begginer should know?

[cloud badge]

Clumsy means you are likely to have accidents like dropping things, stumbling, spilling drinks, maybe you have bad balance and fall a lot, things like that.

To lurk is like to sneak but staying still. Sneaking is to searching as lurking is to watching. If someone is just watching from far away, and maybe don't want you to know they're there, then they're lurking. Its close to creeping but creeping has a motive, creeping is lurking until they get the chance to do something sneaky, lurking is just passive.

[silent igloo]

Tysm, appreciate that!

[calm trellis]

Yo

Guys, y'all know a good synonym for "in a way"

[flat rune]

What does mean this phrasal verb : take up?

I need to know what phrasal verbs is more used

[green wolf]

Search it on Wiktionary

[flat rune]

You are take up three spaces --> Example

[green wolf]

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/take_up

Number 2

[prisma anchor]

The meaning of it depends on the context of which it was used in.

• Start doing something new
  "She takes up dancing."
  (She starts dancing.)
• Use space or time
  "The table takes up a lot of room."
  (The table uses a lot of space.)
  "Doing homework takes up a lot of time"
  (It means homework uses a lot of your time.
• Say yes to an offer or challenge
  "He takes up the job offer."
  (He says yes to the job.)
  "She took up the challenge to run a marathon."
  (It means she accepted the challenge to run a marathon.)

There might be something else that I've missed here, but hope this helps a little at least

[boreal ingot]

1. 'Vapid' is truly the mot juste [for] this game.
2. 'Vapid' is truly the mot juste [to describe] this game.
3. 'Vapid' is truly the mot juste [to] this game.
   Which of these fits best?

[lean shell]

hii one question what means "wsp"

[boreal ingot]

'what's up'

[fading needle]

whats the difference between:

what do you want
what do you need

[somber mango]

Want = nice to have

Need = must have
@fading needle

[fading plank]

Exactly 💯

[fading needle]

got it, thanks

[somber mango]

It means wassup and it means another that is what's up

[somber mango]

My pleasure

[boreal ingot]

They asked for words a beginner needs to know, not for bad explanations of words beginners don't need to know

[boreal ingot]

Here is a list of very common English words: https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/154147
These are words a beginner should learn. The explanations given there aren't fully complete, so you'll have to look the words up. Be sure not to overwhelm yourself by trying to learn many at once. Slowly does it

[flat rune]

5000 words for learning each hehehheh

[rapid bison]

meanwhile, me recommending https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/wordlists/oxford3000-5000:

(the Oxford 3000 is carefully selected so that you can describe quite a lot of things :3)

[flat rune]

I wanna master English, as quick as possible. How can I do it?

[flat rune]

I nedd books for learning in English for begginers

Like child and teenager

[flat rune]

Also I plan on making a novella, after learning further English which should take 6-7 months, am I being realistic? 🤔

[noble wasp]

a fluent person said "i miss our uncles which im not gonna say the name". is that grammatically correct?

[unreal citrus]

English movies and english songs are the easiest way to learn it, you could also pick up some english books

[unreal citrus]

That depends on the quality of your novella that you want it to be imo. You could start practicing as you learn

[unreal citrus]

Firstly, "the name" should be "their names" since the object is plural. Secondly, it's correct although ineffective. I'd suggest "I miss our uncles whose names I'm not going to say"

[unreal citrus]

You could search for some bedtime stories or fairytales. They should be interesting enough as well as understandable for beginners

[zealous oriole]

is there any English expert? I know some basic vocabulary for day to day conversation. but when I try to read any English book or newspaper or article I come across many uncommon words. my question is there any statistics about how many words a person needs to learn in a to understand books and newspaper? how many thousands of words?

[boreal ingot]

I can't help you with the statistics part, but I'd like to say that you should bear in mind that to learn such words you ought to read first. You cannot go into a text expecting to know every single word unless it's so far beneath your level that to read it provides no furtherance of your English abilities. Rather, you ought to read, that you may happen upon words unknown to you and thereby learn. Go into reading something slightly above your level and look up and note every word you do not know

[native flare]

@signal shell @boreal ingot Good Morning,

What do you think about the difficulty level of the words I upload. Your input would be appreiciated.

[signal shell]

They're fine 👍

[boreal ingot]

Challenging words intermixed with ones less so, they're pretty good

[native flare]

Thanks

[somber mango]

Hi who needs help?

[vital cobalt]

I think me

[zealous oriole]

thanks 😊

[celest condor]

There's a book called Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe where he explains lots of science topics and stuff using only 1000 common English words

[celest condor]

Scam don't click those

[olive parrot]

I would say: I miss our uncles, whose names I am not going to mention.

[acoustic geyser]

When do I use merely, when it's got the same meaning as just and only?

[boreal ingot]

Yup, though it feels more condescending than 'just' and 'only'

[acoustic geyser]

Is it interchangeable?

[boreal ingot]

pretty much, yeah

Slightly more formal though

[dreamy spear]

A receptionist is a person who visitors to the company first meet.

A receptionist is a person visitors to the company first meet.

Which one is a full relative clause and a reduced relative clause?

[boreal ingot]

First is full, second is reduced

[dreamy spear]

Thank you so much

[boreal ingot]

What's the difference between 'eminence' and 'pre-eminence'?

[noble wasp]

how is "type shit" used? i think ive seen it before but didnt get the usage

i wanna refer to a time i used to talk to someone. are all of these acceptable?

1. "do you remember when i was talking to John?"
2. "do you remember it when i was talking to John?"
3. "do you remember when i used to talk to John?"
4. "do you remember it when i used to talk to John?"

[frail rover]

Yes all acceptable

[static sorrel]

It's slang, usually used when someone agrees with something

[noble wasp]

so saying "it" after remember is optional?

[noble wasp]

can it be used as "this kind of things"? or id need to add "of" ("this type of shit")

[frail rover]

Yes it is optional. But even if you use “it” then it means the same but it just sounds differently to the person you talk to.

[noble wasp]

ok ty

[agile crow]

Eminence: Someone of lofty standing. Preeminence: The most lofty of the lofty. Bishop = eminence, king = preeminence

[drowsy nebula]

yeah, they are all acceptable

[static sorrel]

*"These" for plural, but you wouldn't need to add that and you don't need to add "of" to it either, it would be a stand alone phrase

[boreal ingot]

It's best never to use 'it' if you also have 'when'. Choose between the two, but you can't have both at once present in the sentence

[boreal ingot]

Thaanks

[candid furnace]

Hello

How do I get may money return?

After I well send my money

[frail rover]

Where did you send your money

[waxen wigeon]

Ali promised that he (would - will) phone us as soon as the plane arrives.
What's the correct choice?

[frail rover]

Use “Would” , not “Will”

[waxen wigeon]

Thanks for the emojis, definitely cleared it up more

[flat rune]

Can you come any earlier?
OR
Can you come earlier?
What's the differences?

[latent reef]

not much, however can you come any earlier feels casual (also a bit more like you are begging to move the time) while can you come ealier feels more matter of fact

[frail rover]

✅ 1. “Can you come earlier?”
• 👉 A neutral question.
• You’re asking if the person can come earlier than a previously mentioned or implied time.
• 🗣️ Example:
“The meeting is at 5 PM. Can you come earlier?”

⸻

✅ 2. “Can you come any earlier?”
• 👉 Slightly more urgent or polite/desperate tone.
• Often used when the speaker already knows it’s difficult but is still hoping for a little adjustment.
• It can also express that the time is already early, but the speaker wonders if even a little bit earlier is possible.
• 🗣️ Example:
“You said you’ll arrive by 4 PM — can you come any earlier?”

[latent schooner]

Hi, I'd like to take an IELTS test next year, and to be honest, I don't really know where to start. May some of you advise me on where I should start, where I should study it? And based on your experience, which is the most challenging when taking the IELTS test? Thank you in advance!

[little perch]

Hello! I have some questions about modal verb "must" in questions with "not", I'll be very happy if someone will answer them, thank you!

1. Does the modal verb "Must" with "not" ("Must not" or "Mustn't") always express prohibition, or in some cases can it express absence of obligation or something else? If it can express absence of obligation, then is it closer to "don't have to " or "should not"?

2. I tried to find any information about using the modal verb "Must" in questions with "not" (e.g., "Must I not smoke?"), but I found almost nothing. Do native speakers even use such questions, or are they considered archaic or unnatural? If they are used, do they express only prohibition or can they also express absence of obligation or something else?

3. Do the questions "Must I not smoke?" and "Mustn't I smoke?" have "opposite" meanings? I mean, "Must I not smoke?" - "Am I prohibited from smoking?" (emphasis on not smoking), and "Mustn't I smoke?" - "Is it necessary that I smoke?" (emphasis on smoking)?

[frail rover]

1. Does “must not” always mean prohibition?
   • Yes, “must not” (or “mustn’t”) almost always means prohibition (you’re not allowed).
   Example: “You mustn’t smoke here.” → Smoking is not allowed.
   • It does not mean “you don’t have to.”
   • For absence of obligation, use “don’t have to.”
   Example: “You don’t have to come early.” → It’s optional.

⸻

2. Are questions like “Must I not smoke?” natural?
   • Grammatically correct, but not common in modern English.
   • Sounds formal or old-fashioned.
   • Native speakers usually say:
   • “Am I not allowed to smoke?”
   • “Can’t I smoke here?”
   • “Do I have to avoid smoking?”
   • So yes, “Must I not…?” can be understood, but it’s rarely used in real conversations.

⸻

3. Do “Must I not smoke?” and “Mustn’t I smoke?” have opposite meanings?
   • Technically, yes:
   • “Must I not smoke?” → “Am I prohibited from smoking?” ✅
   • “Mustn’t I smoke?” → “Is it required that I do smoke?” ❌ (Sounds unnatural)
   • But in real life, “Mustn’t I smoke?” is almost never used — it’s confusing and awkward.
   • A better way to express that idea is:
   • “Do I have to smoke?”
   • “Am I supposed to smoke?”

[little perch]

Thank you so much

[wanton steeple]

Someone can tell me what's the difference between "its" and "it's" ?

[molten scaffold]

"its" shows possesion (eg, the dog is eating its food) - "it's" is a contraction of "it is"

[flat rune]

Does anyone knows when we use “I’ve”?

[flat rune]

So when we use “It is”?

[boreal ingot]

besides what Ellie has said, 'it's' can also be a contraction of 'it has'

[static sorrel]

It's used when saying what a person has done "I've been walking today" "I've gone home for the day".

[safe latch]

Huh!?

[acoustic geyser]

Yo

What's different?
She can't steal that.
She mustn't steal that.

Is the second one formal?

[dense oasis]

the first one means either that she is just incapable of stealing that, or that she is not allowed to. and the second one clearly means that it is prohibited therefore not possible

[little perch]

Hey, I would be happy if you answer me, thank you

Is the difference in meaning between "Should I not...?" and "Shouldn't I...?" based on whether they are used in general or special questions?
Would it be correct to say that in the following examples, (1) and (3) have different meanings, while (2) and (4) are basically the same?

1. (General question) "Should I not smoke?" - Is it a bad idea to smoke?
2. (Special question) "What should I not smoke?" - What things are bad to smoke?
3. (General question) "Shouldn't I smoke?" - Is it a good idea to smoke? (implying doubt, possibly expecting confirmation that smoking is bad)
4. (Special question) "What shouldn't I smoke?" - What things are bad to smoke?

[fading needle]

what does gooning and gooner means?

[blazing trench]

Hello
I Will Be Using Quizlet to Learn New Vocabulary and I Have Some Questions
For those who don't know, Quizlet is like a flashcard learning method. It also has learning with spaced repetition feature. Here are my questions:

1. An example sentence is important to learn the word. Quizlet has only two fields, "term" and "definition". Should I put the example sentence in the "term" field, or should I just not put an example sentence? Putting it in the "definition" field will make learning useless.
2. Should I include the part of speech? If yes, should I put it with the "term" field or the "definition" field?
3. Should I put an image, or not?
4. Do you recommend using Quizlet?

[flat rune]

Thank you

[cursive creek]

« Should I not… » is a question where you neutrally ask for the point of view of someone. « Shouldn’t I… » implies that you have been adviced to do it already (so that you already have an oriented answer) but you are wondering if you are doing right.

« Should I not smoke »implies that you don’t have any emotional tendency that would make a negative question to hurt your feelings or beliefs (you never smoked but you ask someone his point of view)

« Shouldn’t I smoke » implies on the contrary that you already started smoking (or consider doing it) and sudden you doubt and ask someone if this path you are on is good or not (so the answer could deceive you)

[little perch]

Thank you very much

[atomic lance]

Hi! I have a question about paragraph structure. Can someone help me?

1. How do I know if my sentence is right?
2. How can I improve my writing and comprehension?

[noble wasp]

why cant it be D? answer is B

[finite lantern]

@slender blade

[slender blade]

Hi Cora. The correct answer is B because the modal auxiliary verb must expresses a strong recommendation or necessity rather than a tentative conclusion. It's not letter D because the sentence clearly urges action, not deduction (conclusion).

You can check this out:
https://continuingstudies.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/330-modals-necessity

[slender blade]

Hi @atomic lance. You can check this out. It's a breakdown of how you can make your sentences perfect. Of course you also need to widen your vocab to make beautiful sentences. You can do it by exposing yourself to the English language -- like watching movies, reading books, and listening to songs or podcasts. have a nice day!
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writing/grammar/sentences

[noble wasp]

if it was "they must be connecting [...]" would it be a deduction?

[slender blade]

yes... "Must be" + -ing verb (connecting) → deduction about a current action...

[noble wasp]

i see. thank you for the help

[slender blade]

yvw cora... have a nice day! 🩷

[atomic lance]

Thanks, Violet! I'll check this with love and kindness. Have a nice day!

[stuck jackal]

guys i have an english question can i dm u the screenshot?

its not allowing me to send it in here

plaese feel free to dm me

[boreal ingot]

This is @stuck jackal's question:

[bleak olive]

i am confused by both the assignment and the question, to be honest, i am not sure the assignment is very "clever"

NOTE: "FROM the top of my head" not "AT the top of my head"

what does your question ("what do i say?") refer to? are you looking for advice addressing the assignment which , if i understand clearly, is to write a couple of paragraphs explaining how two sources are connected to your archive project?

[boreal ingot]

'off', actually, not 'from' or 'at'

[bleak olive]

probably. could be. fair enough.

lol

how about both?

the idiom is "off" , but idioms are just made up sentences; an opinion/idea forms in the brain which is (most often) situated within the skull, therefore ideas come from the head.

i tend to disagree with the use of idioms, proverbs and such, "off" doesn't really make sense, or does it?

idioms don't stand much in the face of logic. (yes, that is idiomatic)

[celest condor]

i think the indication is like a hat. To tip off of my head

[bleak olive]

i am afraid i have to surrender the computer to my yougest son.
will be back in a few hours.

interesting possibility.

still, i stick to my view of idioms. and i would add to that, in the past 50 years i have seen the language evolve in ways that are so odd that my prefering "from" over "off" doesn't seem like much.

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[lapis seal]

Hello, can you dm the screenshot?

[abstract oasis]

what does larper mean

[autumn elk]

“We are responsible for having already registered clients deposit 500 dollars.” — is this sentence sound from grammatical point of view? Does it convey the intended meaning?

[bleak olive]

i don't actually understan what it means so i would say it doesn't convey any clear meaning.
can you break it down in several sentences and then explain which point you wish people to get?

[autumn elk]

The company wants its employees to convince clients to deposit 500 dollars once they sign up on their website.

[bleak olive]

hmmm... i see.
so your sentence is aimed at employees. for some training manual or something of the sort, is it?

[autumn elk]

Yes, you are right

[bleak olive]

sorry, for the delayed anwers, i am chatting in another chatroom at the same time.

right.
i would put it that way, but the exact wording really depend on the tone you wish your manual/communication to have.:
"our -section/department/office- is tasked with getting registered clients to make a first USD500.00 deposit"

may i ask where in the world you operate from and what the business scope is?

[autumn elk]

No worries, you can answer whenever able.

[autumn elk]

To make sure, assuming that the sentence is flawless from grammatical point of view, how would you interpret the sentence as a native speaker?

[bleak olive]

i d say the way i turned it is fairly neutral

[autumn elk]

I agree.

However, is mine acceptable too?

[bleak olive]

well, as i previously said, it didnt make much sense to me.
this was because responsible is an ambiguous term.

it could be understood as being a fault you have committed and found to be responsible for that fault.

[autumn elk]

Ahh, I realize how “responsible” might have caused ambiguity — the question asked: what are the employees working in this department responsible for?

So I naturally thought of a sentence starting with “We are responsible for”

[bleak olive]

oh yes, you are right. it makes complete sense now that you have put the question in.
the question wasnt there in your first post.
so if the sentence comes as an answer to that question, than i think it is fine.

[autumn elk]

My apologies, you are right.

[bleak olive]

hold on, let me check your sentence again

[autumn elk]

Sure.

[bleak olive]

you could maybe make an inveersion to improve it a little but there is nothing actually wrong witht the grammar of your own sentence.

you could go with "we are responsible for the depositing of USD500.00 by already registered users."

or at least replace "having" with "getting + to", might be a good option.

we are responsible for gettiing already registered users to deposit USD500.00

on this note, i shall retire. i ll be back in about 12 hours but only for a few minutes.

[autumn elk]

Thanks, I am happy to hear this — I agree that there is ample scope for further refinement of the wording

[autumn elk]

Sure

[bleak olive]

alright. take care.
talk to you tomorrow maybe.

[autumn elk]

Sure. Take care!

[rapid bison]

LARP is live-action roleplaying (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_action_role-playing_game).
therefore, a LARPer is someone who roleplays live.

[robust bone]

I have a question

is "discord" a common word in english?

I just realized that it's an actual word, not just the app, it means "disagreement"

[bleak olive]

i wouldnt say it is common, but it is a word most people know.

[celest condor]

I see it more in writing or poetry not day to day. It's a good word when talking about chaos.

[slender blade]

LARPer can also be used as an insult. It implies someone is pretending to be something they’re not.

[slender blade]

The word, discord is B2 (Upper Intermediate) level word commonly used in academic debates, news, politics, and literature, but less in casual speech. Synonyms -- "conflict," "argument," "tension"

[trail ridge]

It's a bit of an archaic word in terms of everyday speech. It's used almost exclusively in formal contexts

[quartz moth]

Are MyGrammarLab books good?

[bleak olive]

i am not sure this is archaic, i doubt it ever was much used and it hasn't really been replaced by any word with precisely equivalent meaning.

[trail ridge]

It's a very old word - it was surely used in everyday speech hundreds of years ago. It just sounds too formal now to be used outside of formal contexts

[bleak olive]

i find that debatable, albeit probably not much of a debate in terms of advancing the plight of the world.

[trail ridge]

well, in old and middle English, the word "disagreement" didn't really exist. So yeah, they would've used words such "discord" more casually when describing disagreements or conflicts

[bleak olive]

discord and disagreement arent the same.

[trail ridge]

Yes, obviously. But they're synonymous

[boreal ingot]

Seems to have been around in Late Middle English. 'Discord' didn't exist before Early Middle English either, though

First written record of it was in 1495, so it must have been used in speech before then

[robust bone]

I find it odd that "discord" was the chosen name for this app. Does it imply that people here are disagreeing about things ?

[dense oasis]

it's a word worth knowing

not necessarily very common but it's good to know such things. I think it is. And if you ever plan to read more complex things like long books or poetry or research papers in English then words like this are used so much

[dense oasis]

I think it could, yes

it could mean this

like it's a chaos of people who argue together and so on

kinda relevant isn't it

[static sorrel]

discord - Wiktionary, the free dictionary https://share.google/5rZfew4DDRWp5lTQ0

[little perch]

I wrote a few sentences with the modal verb "Must" to illustrate personal obligation. Are they correct? As I understand it, negative questions with the modal verb "Must" sound archaic/unnatural in modern English and usually express prohibition rather than personal obligation, but I still wrote them to get the whole picture.

[Affirmative Sentence + Simple Active Infinitive] I must finish my food faster than my sister! I can't lose to her!
[Affirmative Sentence + Continuous Active Infinitive] You must be concentrating harder to beat this boss or I will stop watching your playthrough
[Affirmative Sentence + Simple Passive Infinitive] This game must be finished today or I will not consider myself a gamer
[Affirmative Question + Simple Active Infinitive] Must I get all the achievements in this game or people don't care about them?
[Affirmative Question + Continuous Active Infinitive] Must I be constantly using taunt emotes trying to beat this boss or it won't give me more views?
[Affirmative Question + Simple Passive Infinitive] Must this game be beaten without taking any damage or I am not that hardcore gamer?
[Negative Question + Simple Active Infinitive] Must I not get all the achievements in this game or people care about them? /// Mustn't I get all the achievements in this game because people care about them?
[Negative Question + Continuous Active Infinitive] Must I not be constantly using taunt emotes during my stream or people like them? /// Mustn't I be constantly using taunt emotes during my stream because people like them?
[Negative Question + Simple Passive Infinitive] Must this game not be beaten with taking any damage or I am not that hardcore gamer? /// Mustn't this game be beaten without taking any damage or I am not that hardcore gamer?

Thank you in advance!

[agile crow]

I think average speakers are less likely to use must this way nowadays than they did in the past, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it archaic/unnatural.

[boreal ingot]

We left him spinning bloody plates upon his broken blade.
What does this mean exactly?

[agile crow]

It seems like gibberish

[viscid raven]

Me when i try to write poetry

[tawdry bloom]

Hello

I am from Myanmar

MY STUDY PLAN IS ON THE BACK BURNER, BECAUSE OF MY ILLNESS

[bleak olive]

i think some context would help give it some sort of meaning.
without context, it just sort of saying "the guy was not worth bothering with, we just left"

sorry, that was meant for Miss Scella,

[rapid bison]

scella's infamous for sending standalone sentences that only make sense when they're not standalone

(joke)

[bleak olive]

lol

i took the bait....

[rapid bison]

lol

[little perch]

Can we use the modal verb "Must" to express a need to do something (not obligation or recommendation), as an analogue of the modal verb "Need to"? If so, will these sentences be correct and express a need to do something?

[viscid raven]

I would say you can, but it will often have a greater sense of urgency

[bleak olive]

blimey, i ll shut up next time....

right, having read the first paragraph (which is all we needed, please take note of that for next time), i think the meaning is rather clear.
so i dont understand what it is you dont understand....

[covert blade]

I wanna ask how I can get better at English?

[bleak olive]

read read read

build sentences in your head, as in 'talk to yourself" kind of thing.

"wanna" isnt a word, it is a "mis-pronunciation" of "want to", which is in itself bad english (or more accurately, "american english", but thats more or less the same)

I wanna ask how I can get better at English?
1- interrogation mark not needed as this is not a question
2- “i would like to” not "i wanna" nor " want to". only God and the King are allowed to use the word "want"
3- "how i can get better at english" isnt really wrong but i would just go with something like "how to improve my english"
4- the whole sentence : "does anyone have any advice on how to improve my english, please?"

[viscid raven]

How is it not a question?

[bleak olive]

he wrote : I wanna ask how I can get better at English?
" i want to ....", this is not a qestion.
then, there is "how" but this "how" means "a way to".

and this is actually interesting because he cearly knew as he did not invert "i" and "can" as would normally be the case in a question.

[viscid raven]

Oh true, i was just focusing on the "how can i get better at english?" Part

Oh i just accidentally rephrased it lmao

[bleak olive]

no, he wrote "how I CAN..."

lol,

[viscid raven]

Yeah i realized

[bleak olive]

cool

[viscid raven]

Also, agree, read a lot

[bleak olive]

yes. and i would advise extended periods of silence.
let the brain digest the grammar and vocabulary of what you read for a few months.
an extended period of silence also allows to lose erroneous reflexes and as you "ingest" quality grammar and vocabulary (very important, so it means read old books rather than modern trash) when you will restart oral production, you will build new and hopefully correct linguistic reflexes.

[boreal ingot]

uhh, what's spinning bloody plates on a broken blade?

[bleak olive]

right.
can you copy/paste the first paragraph here?

if i have to explain it, i d rather everyone could see it easily.

[boreal ingot]

The last man standing in our sinister charade
Beneath the crumbling arches of our counterfeit arcade
He nobly knelt before us, he sang our savior's chorus
We left him spinning bloody plates upon his broken blade

[bleak olive]

right.

"The last man standing"
this introduces the scene of a battle/war/fight

"Beneath the crumbling arches"
this pictures a scene of devestation

"He nobly knelt before us"
uncertain, but i would say "he" is a vanquished enemy

"he sang our savior's chorus"
knowing himself vanquished, he is prepared to die and kneel in front of the men who defeated him and his own and sing a prayer to ask God to accept him in his Kingdom.

"We left him "
the "winners" (althoug, if you read the rest of the song, you understand that they dont really see themselves as having won/vanquished) decide to spare the life of this valiant fighter and they leave him to his own devices

"spinning bloody plates"
here the interpretation is more subjective but i would say "spinning" was chosen as a metaphore for the endless spinnin of the earth which here represents the inoxerable passing of time.
"bloody" re-inforces the image of the scene of combat
"plates" , probably because those are some of the few implements you would find in a church which all of us can relate to and in which blood is an unusual and therefore shocking sight

"his broken blade"
shows the man is defeated, diminished and not a threat to anyone anymore

[cunning inlet]

The earth spins endlessly thereby renforcing the scene of the combat which somehow invokes the idea of plates in a church (of all places) and then the man is defeated?

That's your analysis?

[bleak olive]

not quite, that is a bit twisted.

[bleak olive]

hold on, let me read that back.
did my text get scramblesd?

[boreal ingot]

Idk, the analysis was making sense until the last line. I 100% appreciate that effort was put in, I just don't really know if it's really the correct interpretation

I can't think of a way to interpret 'spinning plates on a broken blade', but this feels like a bit of a stretch

[bleak olive]

what is it you dont like about the last line?

well, it is poetry, so interpretation is dangerous.
i never liked interpreting other people's poetry, i just dn't think it should be done

BUT, i do appreciate people wish to learn english and so i did give it a fair interpretation.

[covert blade]

Oh thank you

[bleak olive]

the "broken blade" is pretty clear though

[boreal ingot]

By last line I just meant 'spinning bloody plates upon his broken blade'. He was left spinning the bloody plates, so that would mean he has a hand in whatever this is a metaphor for. He has no hand in the passage of time and the spinning of earth, so they couldn't mean that he's making time progress and earth spin when they say 'spinning plates'. While the fact the blade is broken enforces the battle themes of the part, it feels like it wasn't adressed that the plates are spinning on it. That seems important. No real reason to say it if it's just a metaphor for time. The part where 'plates' mean we're in a church is a bit of a stretch. Many places have plates, afterall. It would match with the 'sang our savior's chorus', but you can pray even outside a church

[bleak olive]

if you can find another interpretation for "spinning" and "plates", be my guest, but i doubt you ll find anything that fits the context

you are missing the setting given in the first three lines:
"arches", "arcade"

there is consistency even in poetry

[boreal ingot]

Thank you for engaging with me in this. I have a hard time interpreting poetry often. Your idea, while not adressing all the points (mainly why he's spinning them if they're the earth and time [things not spun by humans] and why they would be spinning on a blade), does certainly give me a potential way of looking at it, which is better than what I came in with, that being nought

[boreal ingot]

yeah, that would enforce the church theme. You're right about that

[bleak olive]

i am not sure the "why" is very important but i thik it is rather obvious; he is alone, he has nothing to do.
AND it occuredd to me that it could be derogatory but i don't like the idea so sis not mention it.
but the "sinister" in the first line would tend to show that the winners arent pleased with the state of things , with having had to engage in combat and kill other, so they see it as sinister, "ridiculous", like a circus

circus... spinning plates on sticks....

it is demeaning to the vanquished man.

[celest condor]

Oo oo this is just my interpretation but I think I understand. The paragraph theme is sinister circus. Spinning plates on top of sticks (called plate spinning) is a common circus act. To add a sinister element they're spinning bloody plates on swords. It sounds a little cheesy but I like it.

[bleak olive]

which i personallly dislike. that's why i did not mention it in my interpretation above but i did visualize it when reading the passage

[boreal ingot]

omg, the circus idea makes sense!

[celest condor]

Ah, it's the fallen sinister circus

[boreal ingot]

They left him a clown, basically, humiliated

[bleak olive]

yes, but i dont like that

i findit disrespectful

[celest condor]

It's interesting I can't tell if "He" is himself or a stranger

[bleak olive]

i think "he" is all of us.

if you read the whole song, you have the feeling it is the end of the world, mankind defeated itself

[celest condor]

Ah it's our perspective not his.

[boreal ingot]

Would a circus explain the 'arches' would be my last question, I guess

I don't know if they normally have those

[bleak olive]

it could , it is ambiguous.

but the kneeling and the "saviour" bit dont fit then

[boreal ingot]

You may kneel when begging for mercy from a king or great person

[celest condor]

Idk it makes sense, he's kneeling and singing a hymn or along that line

[boreal ingot]

But yeah, the 'saviour' bit doesn't

[celest condor]

It sounds like he's referring to a specific saviour

[boreal ingot]

People sing hymns at circuses? (bear with me, I've never been to one)

[bleak olive]

a circus tent doesnt have arches in its structure,

[celest condor]

Haunted circuses are a common theme in movies and haunted houses. I think this is just the existential dread version of that

[bleak olive]

metaphorically, i guess you could say so. but know. there are no hymns in circuses

[celest condor]

Clown is also a metaphor I've seen used a lot

[boreal ingot]

Hmm, do they mean 'arcade' in the modern sense or the architecture sense

I suppose in either case, you'd have arches overhead

[celest condor]

There are modern video game arcades, but there were old school fair games to win prizes. I think there's another word for them I'm forgetting.

but those were also called arcades

[boreal ingot]

an arcade' is just a bunch of arches connecting a colonnade in architecture

if that gives any context

each of those lonngg strips is an arcade

[bleak olive]

hard to tell, again ambiguous. i think it is meant to be ambiguous too.
ambiguity in poetry allows to broaden appeal

[celest condor]

Thats also very reasonable for arcade

[boreal ingot]

That makes sense

[bleak olive]

i hope i havent disappointed you too much.

[celest condor]

He posted that it's a medieval market where he hired circus performers, minstrels, and thieves

[boreal ingot]

okay last last question 'counterfeit' here means they're doing something illegal and using the 'arcade' as a front, I assume? Does this not suggest an arcade in the modern game arcade sense (where the counterfeit arcade is the front and some bad stuff is happening behind that)

[bleak olive]

i dont think so

[boreal ingot]

lyrics again

cuz they were really far up

in case anyone wanted a second look like I did

[celest condor]

counterfeit could mean fake, hard to tell which kind of fake. With the mood of it all I would guess it's describing how the people's experience was fake since everything fell in the end.

[bleak olive]

first, bear in mind tht this is poetry and then not even quite poetry, it is a song so it is like the "relaxed" version of poetry

what i mean by that is that songwriters dont always chose words because this is precisely the meaning they seek to pass

they often chose words because they fit and "incidentally" the meaning is "alright"

[celest condor]

The tone or feeling is helpful. It's a very pretty song

[bleak olive]

but the way i see it, "counterfeit" would mean he/they dont beleive in the validity of what the church/building was built for

[boreal ingot]

Ahh, that makes sense as well! I was inclined to that interpretation cuz later in the song they describe tricking a lady into painting portraits of them, then 'slitting her throat while she waited for the paint to dry'. They seemed like some sort of gang that walked over everyone, so I thought they might as well have an arcade as a cover-up. I seem to be imagining something much more modern than you are. But your explanation would make this make sense in an older context as welll!

[boreal ingot]

Of course!

[bleak olive]

no, i dont think so.

[boreal ingot]

Thank you @celest condor and @bleak olive for your help and for putting up with my questions. I went into this very confused and now I have a much clearer picture

[bleak olive]

pleasure.
i was bored and this is much more interesting than the "serious chat" or any of the others

[acoustic geyser]

Yo

When do I use an adjective of attitude with -ing and -ed at the end of the adjective?

She's interesting
She's interested

This grammar is so confusing

[bleak olive]

it's gone midnight here.

i ll answer that tomorrow if noone else has before then

good night all!

[boreal ingot]

Byebyee

[little perch]

Thank you! Do you think these sentences are correct and DO express a need to do something?

[Affirmative Sentence + Simple Active Infinitive] I am a little bit thirsty. I must drink my favourite sweet tea
[Affirmative Sentence + Continuous Active Infinitive] This book looks very interesting. I must be reading it while I am here
[Affirmative Sentence + Simple Passive Infinitive] The solution must be stirred continuously because we want to look at a reaction
[Affirmative Question + Simple Active Infinitive] I am a little bit thirsty. Must I drink my favourite sweet tea?
[Affirmative Question + Continuous Active Infinitive] This book looks very interesting. Must I be reading it while I am here?
[Affirmative Question + Simple Passive Infinitive] Must the solution be stirred continuously or we don't want to look at a reaction?
[Negative Question + Simple Active Infinitive] Must we not buy groceries? The fridge is not empty, but it is full of junk /// Mustn't we buy groceries? The fridge is almost empty
[Negative Question + Continuous Active Infinitive] Must you not be wearing that fancy suite right now? Or you want to get more attention /// Mustn't you be wearing that fancy suite right now? Or you want to get less attention
[Negative Question + Simple Passive Infinitive] Must the solution not be stirred continuously or we want to look at a reaction? /// Mustn't the solution be stirred continuously or we don't want to look at a reaction?

[acoustic geyser]

Dude I need some help

[celest condor]

Interesting is when you think she's interesting or you're interested. Interested is when she is interested in you.

[acoustic geyser]

How do I know if an adjective's got a -ing form?

Like interesting?

[celest condor]

It works the same for both people. If I'm interesting that's a quality I have. If she's interesting that's a quality she has. Interest is subjective so this can get weird if you read too much into it

i think the proper rule is -ed causes a feeling and -ing is a quality of the noun/subject. Bored is a feeling, boring is a quality of a thing.

[acoustic geyser]

Happing?

[rapid bison]

that's interesting...
...ly circular.

[celest condor]

I realized how bad it was after I sent it... Apologies..

[mental zealot]

Hii

[boreal ingot]

There is a basic general rule to this. The past participle used adjectivally acts passively. The present participle used adjectivally acts actively.

In less complicated words, given a transitive verb (a verb that can take an object), its -ed/-en/V3 form (past participle) will mean whoever or whatever is being described by it has had it happen to them and is in the state after that fact. On the other hand, its -ing/V4 form (present participle) will mean whoever or whatever is being described by it is doing it.

Note: -ing works even for intransitive verbs, since it just describes the do-er, the subject, not the done-to, the object, which doesn't exist with them.

Here are some examples:
Eat - This is a transitive verb; it takes an object. This means its past participle will describe to whom or what it was done, like so:

The eaten food was in the process of digestion.
The food was the object of 'eat'. You can see how it goes to the passive voice here. If you can represent it as the subject of a passive sentence, then it should be possible to use with a past participle: 'Someone ate the food' -> The food was eaten'. 'Eaten food' is 'food that was eaten'.

Now, for active participles, -ing forms, it's the same thing, but with the subject.

The eating girl glanced up.
'Eating girl' is 'girl who is/was eating'. This means she was eating at whatever point she was described as the 'eating girl' at that very moment (this contrasts with the 'eaten food' in that there it's implied that the action finished before the statement is being made). So the subject of the verb is what's modified by an active participle.

Quick-fire examples:
Transitive:

1. To shed -> The boy shed tears -> The tears were shed -> The shed tears.
2. To shed -> The boy sheds [x] -> The shedding boy (a bit ambiguous as to what he sheds).

1. To worry -> A thing worried the man -> The man was worried -> The worried man.
2. To worry -> A thing worries [x] -> The worrying thing.

Before we get into intransitive verb examples, I'd like to explain that some of these are so commonly used that we don't think of them as participles daily. They're basically 100% adjectives. 'Worried' and 'worrying' are examples. 'Interesting' and 'interested' are too. 'Shed' and 'shedding' were made on the spot, but they follow grammar. Be careful with the uncommon ones, though, some verbs just kinda sound wrong to native ears when used like this.

Intransitive:

1. To smile -> The girl smiles -> The smiling girl.
2. To whine -> The cat whines -> The whining cat.

Now, for 'to interest', what do you think happens? It falls under the transitive category:

1. To interest -> The girl interests the cat -> The cat is interested -> The interested cat. (Cat is interested.)
2. To interest -> The girl interests the cat -> The interesting girl. (Girl interests.)

These two, again, have sort of become adjectives proper, given how common they are.

[mental zealot]

M new here so can someone help me with this app

[boreal ingot]

I think you might find my explanation insightfull /gen

[acoustic geyser]

There are too many words, I understand it though.
Thanks

[boreal ingot]

I never was the succinct sort, haha; prolixity, while a flaw in the eyes of most, is rife throughout my writing I'm glad that my point was, regardless, communicated

[acoustic geyser]

So basically, it's like passive and active voice but works like a noun?

[boreal ingot]

It works like an adjective

[acoustic geyser]

Huh

[boreal ingot]

'interested girl'
'interested' modifies the noun 'girl'

So, 'interested' is acting like an adjective

[hazy herald]

Huge shoutout to @boreal ingot for being such a helpful and positive presence on the server! You’ve been super consistent in jumping in to answer questions, guide people around, and keep things friendly and supportive. It’s clear you care about the community, and we really appreciate the time and effort you put in. Thanks for being awesome and making the server a better place for everyone!

[boreal ingot]

-ed/-en (V3) (past participle): passive voice adjective (from verb):

the eaten (adjective) things = the things that were eaten (passive)
-ing (V4) (present participle) = active voice adjective (from verb):
the eating girl = the girl who is/was eating (active, continuous)

past participle = transitive verbs only
present participle = transitive and intransitive verbs

This is as compact as I can get it, but it loses the helpful examples

If you don't understand what I mean by 'V3' and 'V4', these are the numbers for verb forms in English: V1 is the bare infinitive, V2 is the simple past, V3 is the past participle, V4 is the present participle/gerund/gerundial noun, V5 is the 3rd-person singular simple present conjugation

(found picture online)

V2 and V3 are often different from one another

[bleak olive]

interesting way to explain the thing.
if he/she needs an alternative explanation, feel free to ask.

[bleak olive]

may i just say , this is the first time ever i hear/see verb forms expressed thisway, "V#". is this really useful/helpful?

[boreal ingot]

I don't know if the curricula of natives teach them this way, but many non-natives learn them as V1, V2, and V3. I hear V4 less often, but I've seen it around.

Besides, I've used both these terms and the more proper ones in my explanations ('present participle', 'past participle'), so there shouldn't be any real issue

[bleak olive]

sure, i did notice your use of proper denominations.

do you mind my asking where you are from?

[gleaming perch]

Hello,
I am learning some vocabulary and I stumble on the verb "to play [sth] down", meaning "to minimise".
On wordreference, when I search "play down", it is said "informal". Even so, I wonder if I can use it in exam paper or if I should use it only orally ?

btw how can I change my English level ? I put intermediate but arguably I'm not.

[bleak olive]

yes, i wouldnt actually call it informal. but you need to be careful with context, "play down" and "minimize" arent exactly the same

"play down" is "minimize the importance of something"

not just "minimize"

dictionaries and many teachers have a dangerous habit of simplifying and keeping elements out for the sake of shortening thins.

if two words really meant the same , then one of them would not exist or wuld fall out of use

[gleaming perch]

Thank you. Could you recommend me a dictionnary / website more precise than wordreference ?

[bleak olive]

i used to ask my students to buy a good size oxford dictionnary and stay away from thesauruses and "bilingual" dictionnaries.

then compare definitions to understand the subtleties.

[fierce moth]

Hi everyone, this is my first time asking here, so please excuse me if I make any mistakes.
I’m a bit confused about the difference between “know of” and “know about”.
Could someone please explain when to use “know of” and when to use “know about”
Thanks a lot in advance for your help! 🙏

[bleak olive]

hi, it's fairly simple,
"know OF" is being aware of the existence of something or somebody
"know about" is having information regarding something or somebody

is it clear like this?

[fierce moth]

Yes, that makes sense — thank you so much for explaining! 😊

[bleak olive]

welcome.
as complement , it's probably useful to add that "know of" isnt used much because it needs a rather peculiar set of cicumstaances

like, someone calls your number and asks for "john", and you would reply, "sorry, i dont know of any john here...."

[flat rune]

Hello everyone, what do you learn here? I'm from Brazil.

I don't know how to speak English but I'm going to learn, even if it means fighting.

[bleak olive]

oi, cara tudo bom?

welcome onboard.

[bleak olive]

fair. and good enough.
it helps me put things in perspective regading methodology and approach

[boreal ingot]

Normally, if you aren't willing to pay for an OED subscription, comparing the results from several free dictionaries should help you arrive at a good general understanding

[bleak olive]

i was actually thinking of a proper paper one.

much better. online definitions tend to be much shorter than in a good size dictionnary

[boreal ingot]

That's fair. I can't speak on the matter, given that I've never owned a paper copy of it

[opaque quartz]

Anyone here

[naive dune]

tai lu smua yang ada disini

[boreal ingot]

When they say 'overrepresentation', do they mean that these traits are represented excessively? What does this mean exactly in the context of this sentence? Is it that 'children, adolescents, and adults with gender dysphoria' are more likely to seem autistic even when they're not in actuality?

There is a high amount of autistic people who experience what the text is saying, so I'm guessing they're just saying many of the people who have gender dysphoria are autistic, but I'm curious how the word 'overrepresentation' is being used

This is an English question. I'd like for world-views not to be brought into it

[spice coral]

It means that people with gender dysphoria are more likely to have autism spectrum traits compared to people in the general population.

but people can also show some of these traits without being autistic, so it doesn’t necessarily mean they have autism.

[dense oasis]

tell me how you manage to have so much energy that you research so many words and things

[boreal ingot]

Got it, got it

My many thanks to you 💜

[boreal ingot]

I really do not have that much energy

I am always bored and often tired lol

I'm just curious about a lot of things

---

They eat in silence, thankfully a comfortable one, but still silence. The food is good and the milk helps curve the feeling of his tongue lighting on fire.
This is a misuse of the word 'curve', yes? I should think they meant 'curb'. Am I incorrect? Is there a meaning of 'curve' as a verb that would sanction this sentence?

[spice coral]

You’re right

[boreal ingot]

Many thanks once more :)

[bleak olive]

i think you know the meaning of "overrepresentation" so your question question was over which meaning of "overrepresentation" applies here.

first, it doesn't seem to me as if the text had been written by a native speaker.
so it is possible the word is not entirely suited to what the author wanted to express.
and then it brings the real question of who the observation of traits comes from. the answer to that question would help determine whether "overrepresentation" is meant as indeed "higher occurence" or "overcharacterisation" by families and/or the individuals concerned.

[boreal ingot]

I think a non-native misusing the term is out of the question given this is from the DSM-V

[bleak olive]

most likely a misuse yes. we learn in school that "nouns can be used as verbs", which is an over-simplification (over-simplification is an unfortunate by-product of the liberalisation of the education system) so people increasingly any sort of nouns as verbs even when there is already an existing verb.

[bleak olive]

well, not everyone in native countries is a "full native"

if you see what i mean.

alternatively, a poorly educated person (regards to language that is). which is about 75% of the population of the U.K. and 95% in the U.S.

i know how bad that sounds

[boreal ingot]

Do you mean that 'curve' used as a verb is inccorect in all contexts (though extant)?
Would you, therefore, take issue with this sentence?

The line curves upwards at its end.

[bleak olive]

but trust me, i am shocked many times a day by misuse of language on the BBC, LBC, Sky news, and others

[boreal ingot]

Could you cite a source please? Or is this an estimation from personal experience?

[bleak olive]

no, "curve" and "curb" are two different verbs

[boreal ingot]

So the issue in that sentence isn't a noun getting used as a verb? It's the misapplication of a verb resultant from confounding it with another?
I thought your view to be that the former is the case given that you said this:

so people increasingly any sort of nouns as verbs even when there is already an existing verb.

[bleak olive]

yes, it si from personal experience. but if you need examples. i can give you two or three just from the last 5 minutes of broadcast listening i have had the misfortune to engage in.

[boreal ingot]

I trust most natives do not abide by prescriptivist rules, absolutely

[bleak olive]

right.
but it likely comes from the idea that nouns can be used as verbs and "curb" being less common and therefore less "known" than "curve" the authour thought of the tongue "curling" (another close one) and somehow wnet with "curve".

[bleak olive]

you are being very indulgent with that wording.

"not to abide by" would tend to imply "knowledge of" and "disregard for"

the truth is plain lack of education because people underestimate the value of good communication

[boreal ingot]

Ah, of course

[bleak olive]

and are too busy trying to compete and achieve

let me two examples of things i heard this morning in under 5 minutes of broadcast (BBC world first and then i was so appaled i tuned in to LBC, just for my ears to get assaulted again with a minute or two)

[boreal ingot]

Respectfully, sir, I don't see any relevant connection there. Do you not feel that it is more likely to confuse 'curb' and 'curve', whose phonemes are identical save for the last and whose last phonemes are produced at like positions in the mouth, than it is that such a roundabout confusion occurred? The likelihood of that is even higher, seeing as 'curb' is rather less common than 'curve'.

I feel that Benji already answered my question

[bleak olive]

actually, i cant quite remember what that editor said. sorry. but she used "hear from" instead of "hear OF" when referring to the dead and missing. i mean, some people do hear from the dead, but i am not sure that was what she was talking about.

then in the sports update report on LBC a journalist said "iga szwiantek is looking to UPGRADE her current haul of five grand-slam titles to six"

you cannot "upgrade" a haul, you increase a haul.

[bleak olive]

this interpretation is possible but not in "literature"

in speech, i would say yes, in writing less likely.

[acoustic geyser]

Hello

Are the past simple and present simple the same when we use them to tell a story from a movie and a book?

[bleak olive]

the present simple if often used in storytelling to make it more vivid.
it could also be that some authors choose it to make it grammatically more accessible to an audience.

children in the U.K. , despite being native speakers, don't always know the past forms and some authors like to feel close to thair audience.

[vivid venture]

Hello.
Could you guys tell me how to use "whom" in English?

[bleak olive]

hmmm... tough one.
i would say primarily as an object. but i am not sure this is helpful.

like after prepositions

after whom with whom to whom etc...

[vivid venture]

How can I know which word I should use? Such as "He is the man who works in London" and "He is the man whom works in London" What's different?

[bleak olive]

right.
i am not sure this a question that can comprehensively answered because there might be other contexts in which i would use "whom" but they dont come to mind because those are rare/unusual instances

but here clearly it's "the man WHO works in london" because there is a verb, "who" is a subject as opposed to "object" which i referred to in the first post.

i wouldnt swear to it, but it seems to me that "WHOM" cannot be a subject.
i am trying to form sentences in my head and i cant come up with anything where "whom" would fit as subject.

but the english language is full of oddities and exceptions and it could be that one exists here. i cant think of one though.

let me give a few examples to contrast WHO and WHOM

"john, who came to the party with emma....."
"john, with whom emma came to the party....

“john, who was the recipient of my letter...”
"john to whom my letter was adressed..."

"john, who arrived at the party after emma...."
"john, whom emma arrived before...." or "emma, after whom john arrived..."

in each case you can see i use "who" before a verb and "whom" either directly after a preposition or equally as an object before the subject.

[vivid venture]

Ok, I get it now. Thank you. I appreciate that.

[bleak olive]

no worries.

[bleak olive]

V and VS are not words, they are abbreviated forms of VERSUS meant for use in script only.
just heard "someone" on the radio actually say "... chelsea v P.S.G. ....." , that gets to me

[brave harness]

don't - nobody says "whom" in real-life English. It makes you sound pretentious.

[bleak olive]

true, it's not used much anymore.

[boreal ingot]

As was said, 'who' is the subject and 'whom' is the object. All the examples given used prepositions, though. You can use 'whom' as the object of a verb too

That day, I met the man whom I would hate for the rest of my life.
There 'whom' is the object of 'hate'

You should never use 'whom' in place of 'who'

However, informally, 'who' often replaces 'whom'

A neat trick is to try to replace it with 'he' or 'him' and do a bit of rearranging:

I hate him
I hate whom
whom I hate

You'd not use

I hate he
So you don't use
who I hate

Of course, this isn't followed informally, but that's the idea

I'd like to note that using 'whom' with a fronted preposition is not uncommon, even informally, but using it with a verb is quite less common

So you may hear phrases like these:

1. The man with whom I conversed
2. The idiot to whom I was related
3. The clown at whom many laughed
4. The man for whom my soul yearned
5. The doctor in whom I trusted

More than the phrases where 'whom' is the object of a verb, like these:

1. The people whom I saw
2. The athlete whom I admired
3. The lady whom you courted
4. The unfortunate king whom the peasants murdered
5. The boy whom the disease afflicted

I'd like to note that there is a formality discrepancy between using 'whom' and having your prepositions at the end of your sentence. While, nowadays, ending a sentence with a preposition isn't so discouraged as it once was (the rules of grammarians of yore, based on Latin, met their inexorable end), their effect lies in the yet alive perception of fronted prepositions as more formal. Thus, using 'whom', which too has come to be viewed in a formal light, necessitates that you not end your sentence with a preposition, lest you cause incongruity of formality within it. That is, refrain from such phrases:

1. The man whom I conversed with
2. The idiot whom I was related to
3. The clown whom many laughed at
4. The man whom my soul yearned for
5. The doctor whom I trusted in

[bleak olive]

Miss Scella, may i just point out one thing that many teachers overlook?
you need to contrast things to make it clearer

[boreal ingot]

I believe this sentence acts as the contrasting one, though I can add more examples of the verb sentences

[boreal ingot]

Added

[bleak olive]

question: what does "return back" mean?
i keep hearing americans (mainly U.S.) use that phrase but it dont get it.

in british english "return" means "go back" so does "return back" mean "stay put" or "go back back" or maybe "go back superfast"?

[latent reef]

It is just words being redundant, it still means go return or back

[buoyant thicket]

It means go back to where you were

Just US shenanigans

[bleak olive]

so you mean we ve got to learn american?

[buoyant thicket]

Don't, please. Just stick with British English for now

[bleak olive]

lol, sound advice!

[buoyant thicket]

Ofcourse

[viscid sphinx]

whats difference between then and than

[dense oasis]

then = in this case/after something
than = more than something

"if you like him, then tell him" / "I ate my breakfast and then I left my house" / "I like cats more than dogs"

[boreal ingot]

They were the same in þe Ald Englysche, but now they mean different things, and it's best not to commit the error of using one in place of the other

Than: used for comparison, when something is better, taller more annoying, it's better, taller, more annoying than something else

Then: used for chronology. When something happens after something else, you can phrase that as '[x] then [y]': 'We played; then, we ate'

[dense oasis]

you skipped this "in this case" kind of meaning

[dense oasis]

like this one

[boreal ingot]

Black kittyy cooking

[dense oasis]

I like it when you touch my meow meow

[subtle hornet]

Hi

[keen onyx]

Welcome buddy

[velvet fog]

Bro what ?!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bleak olive]

i see a question mark,
is this an english question?

[velvet fog]

Yes

[bleak olive]

that's got to be one of the most challenging ones i have been asked to date...

[velvet fog]

I am questioning what in the world had to happened so this man thinks it is appropriate to say to Stella “I like it when you touch my meowmeow “

?

[bleak olive]

indeed, i was more than a little surprised myself when saw the comment.

[velvet fog]

I agree

[velvet fog]

@boreal ingot ☠️☠️☠️☠️explain this interaction pls

[boreal ingot]

Black kitty is a curious individual

[velvet fog]

Lmao

😭😭😭

Have u touched his meow meow ?

@boreal ingot

[boreal ingot]

No, sadly

[velvet fog]

😭😭😭😭😭😭sadly ?

[boreal ingot]

[velvet fog]

JDJSJDHSHDH

[past sky]

[velvet fog]

Wait is the smart fella

[boreal ingot]

yeaass

[velvet fog]

Thanks for helping me :)))

[past sky]

no im the fart smella

[velvet fog]

Hope she answers ngl

[past sky]

youre welcome :3

[velvet fog]

Oh no 😭😭😭😭😭

[past sky]

HEHEHEHE

[velvet fog]

Horse girl ?

That’s what ur bio says

[past sky]

yes

its the uma musume thingy

i personally am not into it but some of my friends are

[bleak olive]

i am eager to learn! please go on

not...

[dense oasis]

scella just likes touching my meow meow

i think it's great

[velvet fog]

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭what

[dense oasis]

"had to happen" is sufficient btw

"had to happened" is definitely not correct, you never put past verbs after to

just like "she admitted to did that" is not correct, "she admitted to done that" is not, "she admitted to having done that" is

[bleak olive]

is a word....

therefore it belongs to vocabulary?

[magic jay]

Hey
I have a question about using different tenses with each other in one sentence. When can't I use the mixture of tenses ?

[boreal ingot]

veracious

[boreal ingot]

There isn't really much restrection, outside the perfect tenses.
You can use past and future simple:

I played the game and will play the update when it's out.
Past and present:
I played the game every day and yet play it every day
Past simple and past cont:
I saw a man walk up to the building while I was running past it.
and so on. So long as it's logical, the combination should work.

Stuff you can't say would include:

I ate my dinner and then had felt satiated.
Since 'had felt' would mean you felt something in the past relative to the past, and that contradicts with the 'then'

I will eat and then I will have felt satiated
same issue

[magic jay]

Thanks
So I can speak easier now

[acoustic geyser]

Hello

[acoustic geyser]

Does why should I mean the same as why would I?

[bleak olive]

i am not sure "when" is the right question.
it all depends on what you wish to say and as Miss Scella wrote, there aren't many restrictions but each tense means something very specific and you just need to make sure you understand what they mean exactly and how additional information in a sentence may influence the meaning.
let's start

PRESENT SMPLE = habit
i swim = swimming is an activity i partake more or less regularly
i don't swim = swimming is not something i do regularly (but it doesnt give any information as to the speakers abilty)
do you swim? = is swimming something you do with any sort of regularity
note that "habit" does not imply precise regularity. it's can frequent and irregular or regular but infrequent

PRESENT CONTINUOUS = now or near future (i leave out the "always" exception)
i am sitting = right now i am in a sitting position
i am seeing john tonight = i have made a plan with john, we have agreed apon the details of our meeting why/where/time
i am not sitting = i am not in a sitting position right now
i am not sitting tonight = i have decided / made a plan not to sit tonight
are you sitting? = enquiry as to your current body position
are you seeing john tonight? = enquiry as to whether you have made plans to meet john tonight

.
PAST SIMPLE = stated and finished before now, time often included in the sentence or implied
usually used to relate anecdotal events .
NOTE: if an event is not just anecdotal (i.e. it led to other things or informstion), we may relate the exact same thing in the present perfect tense and leave out the time because the time is not what matters.
often used in conjunction with other past tenses
i met john yesterday = telling someone something that heppened at a particular point in the past
i didn't see john in school yesterday = telling someone that didnt happen at a specified time in the past
did you see john yesterday? = enquiring about an event at a particular time in the past.

.
PAST CONTINUOUS = action started before and finished just when or after a particular time in the past
usually used in conjunction with the past simple or a time (can be implied)
NOTE : contrarily to what many teacher say it in not mean a "long" action in the past.
it can relate to a very short action in the past
the phone was ringing when i arrived home = the phone started to ring before i reached the door
and stopped ringing just when or after i reached the door of my home.
it was not raining when i left home = there was no rain when i left home (it doesn't inform as to whether it rained any time
before or after leaving home)
was it raining when you left home? = asking if there was rain at the moment you got out of the house
meaning "did the rain start before and finished after you got out?"

[bleak olive]

.
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE = expresses the idea that there is a connection with the present or future
either the action/event is connected to another action/event in the present/future
or the implied timeline in not finished
note: this one is contentious, some people think it is a present tense because it includes have/has/doesnt have/dont have/do/does, but it invariably relates to events that either happened in the past or at least started in the past.
i have lived in paris = it happened in the past and so i have knowledge/experience of paris
i have eaten three apples so far to-day = i ate three apples before now but today is not finished and i may eat more.
i have already done my homework = started and finished before, so i am now free to do other things
i haven't seen john today = "seeing john" did not happen before now, but today not finished , it may happen later
i have not been to australia = "trip to australia" never happened in my past but timeline (my life) not finished
have you done your homework? = enquiry as to whether homework is done BECAUSE we have some other activity in mind
NOTE = if no future/present activity in mind, then it would be a purely informative question
in the past simple tense "did you do your homework?"
have you ever visited oxford? = asking whether a visit to oxford happened in your past but timeline (life) not finished.
also, this type of question would most often lead to further inquiry about the object

.
i am going to take a break here.

[vivid venture]

Hello, I have a question. I saw something on social media. It writes, " Superman is such a W, he took Martian to his home for Christmas. So, the question is, what does " W " stand for? Thank you.

[bleak olive]

as often is the case, we would need context to be sure.
but it likely is something we shouldnt write here.
at any rate it is likely derogatory.

wuss? wa___r?

[vivid venture]

Thank you for your answer.

[dense oasis]

W means "a winner"

and L means "a loser"

it's not like real language, it's just slang

I don't think everyone knows these two

[dense oasis]

the implication is that somebody just does something impressive or wins something, or deserves respect for something, and then they are a W

[bleak olive]

not very helpful, i think the guy really meant the question, you neednt pollute here.
i dont think it's the right channel for that

[acoustic geyser]

Yo

Does why should I mean the same as why would I?

[boreal ingot]

Here: #📚｜english-questions message

'Why would I' is more emphatic

But essentially they mean the same thing

[boreal ingot]

'W' used to stand for 'win'

We got the W
Nowadays, it has broadened in meaning to be used as an adjective meaning 'good, amazing, great, cool, wonderful, or VALID'
This is such a W move
That's a W pfp
Now, from there, it expanded to also mean 'something or someone who is valid, great, wonderful'. I believe it's only used attributively:
That man is a real W
Superman is such a W

If you want, the first sense can be replaced with 'win', the second with 'winning', the third with 'winner'

[bleak olive]

are you serious?
you guys need to stop misleading people.

i dont think this is helpful at all.

[boreal ingot]

I don't care what you think, sir. You're out of touch with modern slang.

[bleak olive]

at least i dont try to mislead people. look at the grammar and you ll see your interpretation doesnt fit.

[boreal ingot]

I've found where it was said. They're hugging Superman, who's holding gifts. This is doubtless not an insult, and couldn't be owt but the sense of 'W' of which Black Kitty and I spoke

[bleak olive]

do you think the emojis support your theory in that picture?

[boreal ingot]

The first emoji is the visage of someone emotionally impacted. They find the action sweet and that first emoji is to represent that they're sort of 'awww'ing at it. The second, while uncertain, could be a usage of the slang 'the GOAT'. This is slightly dated, but in informal online communities, calling someone the GOAT meant they're 'the Greatest of All Time'. That's likely what was meant by it.

This is highly informal language

[bleak olive]

my window isnt loading messages.

or is it?

[magic jay]

Oh man
That was a great explanation

[little perch]

Can we use the modal verb "Must" to express a need to do something (not obligation or recommendation), as an analogue of the modal verb "Need to"?

[boreal ingot]

Yes, it's not out of the question, but it feels very urgent, more so than 'need to'

So 'I need to go to the bathroom' sounds like you really wanna go, 'I must go to the bathroom' sounds like you will pee your pants if you don't go now

[little perch]

Okay thanks
Will these sentences I made be correct and express a need to do something?

[Affirmative Sentence + Simple Active Infinitive] I am a little bit thirsty. I must drink my favourite sweet tea
[Affirmative Sentence + Continuous Active Infinitive] This book looks very interesting. I must be reading it while I am here
[Affirmative Sentence + Simple Passive Infinitive] The solution must be stirred continuously because we want to look at a reaction
[Affirmative Question + Simple Active Infinitive] I am a little bit thirsty. Must I drink my favourite sweet tea?
[Affirmative Question + Continuous Active Infinitive] This book looks very interesting. Must I be reading it while I am here?
[Affirmative Question + Simple Passive Infinitive] Must the solution be stirred continuously or we don't want to look at a reaction?
[Negative Question + Simple Active Infinitive] Must we not buy groceries? The fridge is not empty, but it is full of junk /// Mustn't we buy groceries? The fridge is almost empty
[Negative Question + Continuous Active Infinitive] Must you not be wearing that fancy suite right now? Or you want to get more attention /// Mustn't you be wearing that fancy suite right now? Or you want to get less attention
[Negative Question + Simple Passive Infinitive] Must the solution not be stirred continuously or we want to look at a reaction? /// Mustn't the solution be stirred continuously or we don't want to look at a reaction?

[boreal ingot]

I've quoted a bigger chunk than I think need be quoted, that any potentially wanted context be present. I will add that what this text calls 'Middle English' aligns mostly with what we, in modern linguistics, would call 'Late Middle English' (~1350–~1500), and the 'two hundred years before that period' are what we now call 'Early Middle English' (~1150–~1350).

My questions are these:

1. What does 'brought to bear upon it' mean?
2. By what or whom was it (the 'influence', I presume) 'brought'?
3. What does it mean for it to 'bear upon it'?
4. Upon what did it bear?

It is with the Middle English period that English literature in the limited but strictly proper sense of the word may be said to begin. The production of writings of a character so high as to be recognized everywhere as an authoritative standard of expression could not fail to have an immediate effect upon the future of the language. It was the one great result of the influence now brought to bear upon it, that, from the end of the fourteenth century, our tongue has pursued an orderly development. It suffers changes, and, indeed, constant changes, both in grammar and in vocabulary: if it did not, it would no longer be a living speech. But these changes take place within certain well-defined limits; they require the consent of vast numbers, sometimes of generations; they are spread over great spaces of time. The conservative and restraining influence of literature over language necessarily grows more powerful with every successive century, because literature itself is read and studied by constantly increasing numbers. The changes that have taken place during the five hundred years that have gone by since the beginning of the Middle English period bear not the slightest comparison, in either extent or importance, with those that took place during the two hundred years before that period.

[solemn zephyr]

Hi, My name is Chrystian,I'm learning English, I have basically of English, Please Tips.

[bleak olive]

read read read. thats the number one tool in your learning arsenal.
if you understand most of what you read, do not use a dictionary to look for every word you dont understand.
your brain will slowly make sense of words you dont know.

the second thing is to avoid "translation". if really you feel the need to find out the mean of a word, then use an english-english dictionary.

keep in mind that learning is a natural abilty of the human brain.
you ingest food and your stomach gives you energy and nutrients, you neednt force your stomach to work.
you ingest information and your brain gives you knowledges and skills. it works by itself too.

last, avoid english spoken or written by people from the U.S., they are not really english native speakers, they are american speakers of english and their language is not as developed (except for some small groups -mainly- in the east of the country).

[bleak olive]

.
alright, let's continue:
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS = action started before now and is not finished at the time of speaking OR
action is interrupted at the moment of speaking (may or may not re-start later)
MIND, it can also be used to talk about habits of which the action proper is not
on-going at the time of speaking
often used with "since" or "for"
NOTE: some teachers say it describes a long action, this is not necessarily true.
i have been living in china since 2010 = i started living in china 15 years ago, and i still live here now
john has been trying to open the door for five minutes = john started trying to open the door 5 minutes ago and still is.
i have been playing tennis for years = i started practising tennis some years ago and i still practise (present simple) now,
BUT not continuously for years of course and i may or may not be playing right now
i haven't been living in china for 10 years = the negative usually means part of the complement or the main verb is wrong
we use emphasis to help point out the inaccuracy
in this example the inaccuracy may be "live", "china" or "10 years" or two of those
How long have you been studying english? = in the interrogative there is usually some knowledge of an action or the

. speaker assumes a state of things.
in this example, either the speaker knows or assumes the person is currently
studying english and the speaker wishes to know the length of time of this.
have you been drinking? = in a question without a WH, the action referred to is usully not in "obvious" progress but the
speaker has some clue about an action having taken place and asks for confirmation.
in this example the person being questioned probably looks drunk or smells of alcohol but the
speaker is not sure so they ask.
so the present perfect simple here basically emphasizes the connection between an action
and a current state.

[celest condor]

I'll try to break this down let me know if it doesn't make sense. "bear" is to carry a weight or a responsibility. "bring/brought to bear" is an older way of saying applying some kind of weight or pressure to achieve a goal. This is an interesting use because the 'pressure' or 'influence' was the languages effectiveness itself (this could also be the recognition of it's values from people who read it). Languages develop without a singular goal, they evolve basically on their own. When a language reaches a point where it's use is found valuable, that value will be used to guide the future of the language. Here they're saying that the found effectiveness of 'English literature' as a tool for expression and communication guided it to develop those traits further. English is a self-regulating communication tool, so I think the point is that it's wide use and the fact that there's much more written communication happening over time, that pressures the language to develop these traits faster.

You could say it was brought to bear upon it it's own success as a language, both written and spoken.

[bleak olive]

chaucer was a writer/philosopher, i dont think it belongs to vocabulary

lol, the earth is flat.

[celest condor]

It makes me curious what the development of English looked like before what they're referring to, it's implied it was more chaotic and disorderly

[bleak olive]

what sort of question is this?!?!?

[bleak olive]

it was because there was less "exchange" and communities developped languages in different dirctions

[boreal ingot]

Thank you both, @celest condor @wispy scarab 💜

[boreal ingot]

The book did describe it. It was much more chaotic, yes

no standard language and French people adopting the language and intigrating their words into it as they stopped having power and being nobility

[bleak olive]

there is nothing to read. he just gave a list of four items

[celest condor]

Big W

[fading needle]

what is the difference between:

Talking to her
Speaking to her

[celest condor]

They're the same, talking and speaking are synonym's. Speaking is more formal.

you would talk to her on the phone but speak at a meeting.

[acoustic geyser]

When do I use do you ever and have you ever?

[bleak olive]

"do you ever" asks whether something sometimes happens in one's CURRENT daily life
"have you ever" asks whether somethig happened at any time in one's PAST.

[acoustic geyser]

What about do you and do you ever?

[bleak olive]

"do you" is the regular present simple, which enquires as to the existence of some form of regularity/frequency of an action
"do you ever" enquires merely as to the "existence" of this activity in one's life

if i say "do you swim?" , i am asking whether swimming is something you do sometimes and it implies either frequency or regularity
if i ask "do you ever swim?", i am only asking if swimming happens in your life but my question doesnt imply regularity or frequency

is it clear?

[acoustic geyser]

Yeah

[rapid bison]

ah, yes
"would you describe yourself as a swimmer?" and "throughout your whole life, is it correct that you did swimming at least once?"

[merry knot]

Aloha guys, help me plz, who can explain all da tenses in English? I no get um, I just start learn and I like talk an' spell right. Right now I use da translator.

[velvet fog]

What does edge means ?

[boreal ingot]

The meaning probably depends on the context, but the normal sense is basically 'a line that makes up part of the borders of a shape'

[velvet fog]

Ohhhh so like a boarder line

Make sense :)))

[boreal ingot]

Might just have to look up 'edge' and look at images

[velvet fog]

I wonder why so many people use it

Uk …. Lowkey … wait doesn’t make zense

So why do people say things like

I wanna edge on this so bad 😭😭😭

[boreal ingot]

There is a slang meaning

[velvet fog]

What does a borarde line has to do ?

[boreal ingot]

Very different, though

[velvet fog]

Oh hate slangs

[velvet fog]

What for sit means ?

Does it mean

[boreal ingot]

'To edge' is to masturbate to the very brink of climax, then stop before the climax, and then to get to the brink again, and stop, and do that repeatedly

That's the slang meaning

[velvet fog]

Oh

[boreal ingot]

Yup

[velvet fog]

Eh?!

No I can’t

What. Weirdos

😭😭😭😭

[boreal ingot]

That's the meaning, idk what to tell you

[velvet fog]

Yea… de

Dw

I’ll try to … idk

[boreal ingot]

I hope that answered your question

[velvet fog]

Em

Forget it

[boreal ingot]

Lol, alright

It's a pretty common usage online

[velvet fog]

Thanks

Wait I have some hw I want j to check :))

Can I dm it to you

[boreal ingot]

I was about to eep

I'm sorry

[velvet fog]

Eep= sleep :)))

[boreal ingot]

Yuh

[velvet fog]

Heheh I am beyond smarter

[vague gust]

huh

[velvet fog]

Getting

[vague gust]

eep?

[velvet fog]

Well eep well :)))) thanks for the meaning

[vague gust]

is that slang or synonyms of sleep

[boreal ingot]

Thanks! And ye, np, good luck with your hw :3

[boreal ingot]

Jus a cutesy way to say sleep

It's informal

[velvet fog]

Wait so … is it like a texting slang.?? ( the one su o Lu use I. Text )

For example Sybau

[boreal ingot]

Iss the same slang group as ':3' and 'uwu' users, if that helps you get its vibe

[velvet fog]

It Ts

[vague gust]

ow sleep well then..

[vague gust]

🥀🥀🥀

[velvet fog]

Eep well

[vague gust]

dang nowadays knowing English was so hard like why people like that 🙏🤣

[bleak olive]

in finance or business "to edge" means to take a risk.

[dense oasis]

yes it's amazing

[flat rune]

OHH

[vivid venture]

Hello, I have seen Superman (2025) trailer. There's a part of the trailer where Lex Luthor says about Superman, "He's not a man, He's an it." So, the question is, what is "it" in that sentence referring to? Thank you.

[celest condor]

An object, or not human. He's an alien, but they call him super-man

[vivid venture]

Thank you, Sylens.🙏

[fading needle]

gotchu, Thanku

I have one more question. What is the difference between:

nowadays and these days?

[celest condor]

These are also very similar. Nowadays is usually a longer period of time, months or years. Can be longer like the era we're in. These days is the last few days or weeks. It's not a strict rule, so if it's hard to tell either should work.

Both talk about how things are different now, and that means different needs.

[bleak olive]

Here-below, a transcript of the final of the last debate competition organized by the Flat-Earth Debate Society of Britain

Note that the debate took place under controlled atmosphere so as to avoid cheating, the judging panel consisted exclusively of carefully selected, fully impartial members of the Flat Earth Society of Britain.
Strict rules applied to both finalists who were blindfolded before being shot and thrown to lions as soon as the debate was over to avoid controversial post-debate comments.
For political reasons unknown to science, the two finalists will only be referred to as @jagged forum (distinguished member of the Flat Earth Society of Britain, professor emeritus in dightenania)
and My Dog.
First speaker was designated by a coin toss but due to the need for impartiality, gravity took a break and the coin floated freely in the air so My Dog won the toss.

My Dog: I can bark.
@Jinbcr1: I disagree.
My Dog: hmmm… you win.

@jagged forum’s debating skills will be rewarded with an official certificate delivered by the Flat Earth Debate Society
(time and place to be informed upon when science allows

[vague gust]

hey man what the difference about fool and foul or is same idk please help (for context that it used to a person or something like that)

[solemn zephyr]

Hi, Someone here??

[bleak olive]

hi , yes

[solemn zephyr]

After 1 hour, bruh

[bleak olive]

sure

[solemn zephyr]

You is someone.... ADM in The server???

My english is so bad.

[bleak olive]

two legs, two arms, a head firmly screwed on a trunk....
i think i am human, yes.

[solemn zephyr]

Wait no no no, we are aliens.

[solemn zephyr]

Are you from America?? Or other country

[bleak olive]

america isnt a country.
no, i am not from the american continent, i speak english in case you havent noticed.

i gather you meant U.S.A., they dont speak english, not sure what they speak actually...

[solemn zephyr]

You are know, others language

In moment, I am know english.

[flat rune]

You are so sanctimonious and patronising

[bleak olive]

easy slander dear.

very imaginative . about adressing their actual language skills?

[flat rune]

You correct a beginner on a non issue and then get arsey because of it. Is that the language issue? Or is it your poor grasp of the English language that pushes you to try to sound smart using big words?

[bleak olive]

what non-issue are you on about?
poor grasp of the english language? i am willing to hear you try and explain the past perfect continuous. please go on.

[flat rune]

Did you correct that? Did you correct that tense issues or the poor language level? No you didn’t, you became officious about probably one of the only things that was right. People say America when talking about the us, it is well understood but you decided to bully a beginner because you think you’re better

[bleak olive]

the term "america" was first used at a time when there were no countries as such yet on the american continent.

[flat rune]

So 😂

[bleak olive]

it is understood but technically wrong and it is an appropriation of a term that rightfully belongs to all the inhabitants of the continent

[flat rune]

That’s not really related to reality that comment 😂

[bleak olive]

your lack of education is very clear, it is sad.

but please, oblige us with your great grasp of the english language
past perfect continuous?

surely, it isnt beyond you...

i am expecting a refusal

so dont be too ashamed, you were not expected to have the knowledge necessary

[flat rune]

What are you actually talking about 😂 in the English speaking world america and Americans are seen as the us and its citizens. That is fact. Whether it is appropriated is another matter and an irrelevant one. You are being officious and patronising. And I would imagine if I look at your previous posts I would see the same level of standoffish bullying that I have seen demonstrated here

[flat rune]

Go on then, I would imagine it’s better than yours

However you have turned this channel into a pissing contest, you are an embarrassment to this community

[bleak olive]

please, i asked first, dont turn around just because you have seen my previous explanations and you therefore know you cannot do it.

[bleak olive]

no, you did, you are the one who came with criticism when i merely pointed to a linguistic inaccuracy.

[flat rune]

I actually don’t know what you are talking about. You ask me to present my great grasp of the tenses, I ask you to test me and then you change the subject.

[flat rune]

It isn’t a linguistic inaccuracy is it? There is nothing language based about the the word America. That is a semantic issue that you have no sway over

[bleak olive]

what?
w are still waiting.
i didnt change topic, you are just dodging

[flat rune]

What am I dodging omfg 😂 how can I dodge something you have not told me about?

[bleak olive]

you just said i should test you.
i am asking you to explain something and you are still not doing it.

that is called dodging

[flat rune]

Asking me to explain what?!?!? OMFG you make no sense

[bleak olive]

read what you wrote here

[flat rune]

Do you expect me to know everything that ever happens in your life

[bleak olive]

you are hilarious.
and rude

[flat rune]

There is no issues in that paragraph

[bleak olive]

i asked you to explain the past perfect continuous.

if you even know what that it.

[flat rune]

Not rude, you challenge me I ask what on and you don’t tell me

[bleak olive]

you wrote ”I actually don’t know what you are talking about. You ask me to present my great grasp of the tenses, I ask you to test me and then you change the subject."
did you or did you not?

[flat rune]

An action that was ongoing up to a specific point in the past. No doubt despite that being what it is, you will claim it’s not. That is because you are at best an idiot and at worse a troll

[bleak olive]

i already asked three times

stop ignoring it.

[bleak olive]

i see you took the time to check, thats why you were delaying.
that is the common expanation that most students dont get. welldone

[flat rune]

Person thinks breaking news

You’re such a troll

[bleak olive]

well, you have played it clever, i do admit.
not that anyone is blind to the trick.

[flat rune]

Seriously what are you talking about 😂 this is poor rage bait

[bleak olive]

yours can very much be said the same of.

[flat rune]

Sure

[remote lodge]

Hi everybody

[bleak olive]

hi.

[fading needle]

ah thanks again

[fallow ice]

Hello everyone

[bleak olive]

hi

[boreal ingot]

1. 'Fool' means 'someone who is stupid and easily tricked'.
2. 'Foul' is an adjective that means 'very disgusting'.
3. 'Fowl' means either 'bird' or specifically a 'bird kept for its flesh and eggs'; it can also refer to birds collectively.
4. 'Foal' means 'baby/young horse'. It can also be used as a verb that means 'to give birth', but only for horses/mares.

1–3 are pretty common

[solemn zephyr]

I'm dificulted in pronunciention of "are". Someone help me?

[boreal ingot]

Thank you for putting that idiot in his place. He's been going about giving bad answers, arguing about flat earth-ism, and acting snootily highbrow, especially as regards American English's standing

[boreal ingot]

Is it the 'r' sound with which you struggle? There are myriad tutorials online detailing its production

It's quite difficult to teach one how to pronounce a word through text

[bleak olive]

the idiot can actually explain the sound "R" rather than tell someone to go look onlie.

cheap

[bleak olive]

curve your tongue to make it touch the roof of your mouth/palate as far to the back of your mouth as you can

[bleak olive]

then you will need to create a muscular reflex through frequent and regular training

[bleak olive]

make a list of short words starting with an R, read the list slowly, three times a day for three minutes and keep at it for three weeks.
you will then have a new muscular reflex .
the same can be applied to all sounds you may have a difficulty with

[solemn zephyr]

The difficulty I have in pronouncing is the word "are" accompanied by something, like "where are you from" which I'm having a lot of difficulty with.

[bleak olive]

either you make a very open "AH" sound or you train the R sound and start with "AH" + go towards the R sound position

which takes traing

[bleak olive]

the "AH" or "are" sound itself is tongue flat with tip touching the root of you lower incisive teeth

[bleak olive]

is that alright now?

[serene plinth]

@bleak olive @boreal ingot This is not the place for personal attacks. Please be mindful of your conduct in the server.

[bleak olive]

thank you captain, i think you need to have a chat with her.
i have reported her already.
you may have noticed that she started the thing

[serene plinth]

I read the entire thing and honestly it's very stupid

[serene plinth]

The term ‘America’ can be used to refer to the United States of America. To correct them for that is ok in one sense but since it's an accepted usage of the word, to use the word is fine

I forgot to send the text I had typed out

[boreal ingot]

[limber cosmos]

😆

[silk pawn]

Hello

[jolly karma]

Hi

[flat rune]

?def divine

[hazy herald]

Word: divine

Definition 1 (adjective): emanating from God
Definition 2 (adjective): appropriate to or befitting a god
Definition 3 (adjective): being of such surpassing excellence as to suggest inspiration by the gods

Other definitions can be found here

Definition requested by ilovegrlss

[bleak olive]

your careful wording "can be used" is telling, it does imply it is not an official term, merely colloquial at best.

[bleak olive]

i am sure telling users to look for how to pronounce "R" on youtube or google when they ask HERE for help on how to pronounce "are" does not follow the same standards in terms of stupidity, or does it?
i mean after all, @boreal ingot is all knowing as we all know since she has NEVER? posted questions here, so she could surely have ACTUALLY answered the question.

double standards, me thinks...

[boreal ingot]

Your explanation of how to pronounce it proved that it's very difficult to explain how to make a sound through text (and demonstrated your lack of knowledge) as '[curving] your tongue to make it touch the roof of your mouth/palate as far to the back of your mouth as you can' certainly wouldn't result in an R sound; rather, it would be a voiced retroflex plosive. The R sound can be realised in a variety of ways, depending on the dialect, but the sound you described isn't any of them. My point still stands that it's much too difficult to explain 1. to a beginner and 2. through text how to articulate a phoneme. If I were to do it, I'd have to explain that it varies by dialect, list the dialects and the pronunciations, explain each of the terms I'd use (approximant, voiced, voiceless, alveolar, retroflex, velarised), knowing well a beginner would not be able to understand what I had to say. They would be left 1. nonplussed and 2. yet unable to pronounce /r/. Having an audiovisual guide would be much more helpful to someone at that level

[boreal ingot]

'Methinks' is one word.

[bleak olive]

i think this response clearly shows you haven't even tried or wish to pretend it wouldnt result in the said sound.
you are becoming clearly pathetic with your ridiculous supposed deconstruction of a very good explanation that has never failed to help anyone pronounce the sound "R"
lol, the argument of dialect can be equally applied to any video or other online answer. this is a non-argument.
poor locical processing and plain lies.

[dusk verge]

Wow

Never thought I’d see a proverbial dick measuring contest in English questions between a man apparently in his 40s and a younger individual

Never a busy day

[bleak olive]

i am afraid she keeps going at it despite her poor english and even poorer logic skills and i do believe in educating people.
like all such people, she will in some years, when she has the necessary experience, look back on it and understand how wrong she was.

[boreal ingot]

As I said, what you explained, if followed to a t, would result in a voiced retroflex plosive (or a voiceless one). That is not an R sound.

That arguemnt can be applied to any online video too, yes, but you can choose which video to use based on the teacher's dialect, unlike how here you'd have to explain all of them. Besides, as I said, it would be for nought, as this is a beginner, not someone well-versed in phonological terms. An audiovisual guide far more benefits them than a text one.

[bleak olive]

remember that one?

The last man standing in our sinister charade
Beneath the crumbling arches of our counterfeit arcade
He nobly knelt before us, he sang our savior's chorus
We left him spinning bloody plates upon his broken blade

i mean, it is not complicated and all knowing @boreal ingot did need help

[dusk verge]

[boreal ingot]

I am not all knowing; I am quite inept at poetic or lyrical analysis/interpretation. This is besides the point

[bleak olive]

simply not true and you know it, i do always overstate with "as far back as" because by experience i know students otherwise put the tip of their tongue in the middle of the palate.

[boreal ingot]

'touch the roof of your mouth/palate'
This would result in a plosive, not an approximant (which R is). That's as far from an approximant as sounds can get

[dusk verge]

[bleak olive]

well, clearly you have so far been trying to tell everyone here, very publicly that you know everything better than a native speaker of english who has taken the ime to learn 5 other languages and whose consequent learning experience confers knowledge and insight you can only dream of.

[bleak olive]

simply not true. i am not quite sure why you insist with something that is not accurate and can be proven to work simply by "doing" it.

try, curl your tongue, touch the back of you palate, you will make an R sound

[boreal ingot]

I never claimed I know more than you. The answers you've given me and others have thus far been quite bad, and I commented on that publically. The public nature of my comments is due to your *condescension.

Your knowing 5 laangauges in no way means you can properly teach your native language, and a native speaker is not an apt teacher

[bleak olive]

sounds have a shape, you just need to explain the shape. i know this is probably something that had never occured to you, but this is a simple truth and it works with any student.

publically?

my...

[boreal ingot]

Your tongue doesn't 'touch' the roof/palate in the production of /r/. It merely approaches it

[bleak olive]

condisention?

whatever that means?

do you need mistakes pointed out?

i can go on because they are frequent

[dusk verge]

[bleak olive]

just here in three lines you have publically and condisention?

[boreal ingot]

Sounds have more qualities than a place of articulation

[bleak olive]

tongue placement , shape of lips and jaw aperture are all it is about

with the addition of the nasal factor for M and N

know how to spell condisention yet?

[boreal ingot]

Your not using the proper terms for these things goes to show your lack of the requisite knowhow to explain the production of a sound. The pointlessness of this conversation is apparent to me now. Your focus on the spelling rather than on the content is in itself a sign of your goal being to troll/rage-bait. I'm not continuing this folly

[bleak olive]

?????? are you serious?!?!?!
what? you want to tell beginner, intermediate or even advanced students how to pronounce sounds using terms that are down to 35000 in the list of most commonly used words in english?!?!?
be my guest

that has to be one of the most ridiculous things i have heard in my life, you should apply to the flat earth society!

[bleak olive]

and your using this silly language is sign that YOUR goal is merely slander

very basic mtter of .... oh what is it? that super complicated word that is going to make you happy..... ou , yes, i know , etymology

you love them words, dont you.
i wanna talk english like you, mexing bad shpeling and big woords...

[bleak olive]

please, try and say the words "REST", "ROAD" and "RIGHT"
with your tongue NOT touching your palate at the back of your mouth, it will come out "West", "Woad" and "Wight

[boreal ingot]

Hello, is it likely that' score' here means exactly twenty (as at times it does), or is this an exaggeration (as 'dozen' sometimes is used)?

[serene plinth]

Cambridge Dictionary lists it as a definition of the word. Words evolve over time as it is used and the term ‘America’ does mean the USA anw

[serene plinth]

Not really, suggesting a good source to learn the pronunciation is an accepted response in this channel if that enables adequate audio visual learning.
In english question help channel of other servers like English, you'd find users share links of youglish or another source.

[bleak olive]

your bias is worrying.
do address the real question, you can always pick a reductive definition of the noun america. i have a picture of my own too.
1- the young ladyused the word "idiot" and did not even try to explain a sound.
2- i explained both "R" which she mistakenly addressed and "are" which was the object of the original question.
3- she then proceded to slander. now you tell me, do you think the terms "plosive" and "approximant" would help a student?
does she have any reason to bring age in the matter?
and is she in anyway correct in saying my description of the sound would result in a /t/ or /d/ sound which plosives are.
or that /r/ is an approximant (tongue close to lips)?

[serene plinth]

1. She has received a warning for the personal attacks, I saw you do it too so you both received one.
2. Your picture of the word America doesn't define how the rest of the world defines it. So, when you corrected the user for using the word ‘America’, someone else pointed out that it's ok to use America to mean the United States as it is an accepted definition included in both Cambridge and Collin's dictionary.
3. Lastly but most importantly, it is completely okay to cite a good resource from which one can learn from.

The server team does appreciate your time here in this channel and the assistance you're providing to others.

[bleak olive]

collins and cambridge both say "short form of..."

[serene plinth]

I suggest both @boreal ingot and you not to pursue this any further here cuz this is not the channel to argue. If you wish to talk you may go to some other chat.
And again, no personal attacks @boreal ingot (their political stances and other beliefs doesn't concern this channel

[serene plinth]

Yes because words are shortened for convenience. The USA is called America quite conveniently in many parts of the world

[dusk verge]

[bleak olive]

i never started. please do not apportion to me when i have had the patience to ignore 5 or 6 previous attacks without retort

[bleak olive]

so you now agree that this is not the actual official name , that took a while. i am sorry to say.

[serene plinth]

Ok and?

So what if it's not an official name?

[leaden ether]

guys anyone wanna join a chill minecraft server msg me

[serene plinth]

One of the definitions of the word ‘America’ is the USA anw

Cambridge Dictionary clearly lists it

[boreal ingot]

I've said several times that I'd like not to keep the argument going

[serene plinth]

Just because it's not the ‘official’ name doesn't mean it can't be used to refer to that country.

[bleak olive]

this is a very reductive definition and you know it.
this is simplified as much as possible for the sake of internet users.

[serene plinth]

Not just internet users, this translates to real life too

Usually when someone uses the word ‘America’ they mean the US anw

[bleak olive]

and is technically inaccurate

[bleak olive]

"usually" doesnt mean accurate.

[serene plinth]

Not today cuz it has been accepted as a proper definition of the word

[boreal ingot]

I'm not sure that technicality would be relevant to a beginner who used the word in its informal sense properly

I think no one disagrees 'America' is the continent

But it has come to refer to the country as well

[serene plinth]

A language is not stagnant, new uses of a certain word always pop up every other day. If the definition gains popularity, somewhere down the line it will get added as an official definition

A language is constantly evolving

[bleak olive]

i think a beginner will understand much better than they would "plosive" or "approximant", wouldnt you say?

[boreal ingot]

You are trying to start an arguement about something I've said I'd like not to argue about at least twice (likely thrice)

This comment of yours is not related to the point of my messages

[serene plinth]

Anw

[silk sleet]

like i said, confusion will follow you,

[serene plinth]

Let's take this discussion out of here as this is not the right place

[bleak olive]

i am not. @captain carried it on, and then you jumped in. i was not addressing you till you addressed me.

again turning the tables around?!?!

[bleak olive]

fair enough

[boreal ingot]

I'll bump my question and add the meaning of which I spoke ^

[serene plinth]

@boreal ingot #🧠｜serious-chat

Ez

[boreal ingot]

Captin, I have no desire to keep on arguing with him, be it here or elsewhere

[bleak olive]

we use scores to mean "many" , even my grandparents did (born 1920)

[dusk verge]

Mum and dad stopped fighting

[cloud onyx]

We cannot proceed with the replacement until it is proved that there is a fault. Is this ok

[celest condor]

It has multiple meanings. A score is 20 years, but you could also use it like the before example where it just means many/around 20. The example with fish doesn't make sense to me, it could be saying around 20 small fish but the emphasis is that it was unsuccessful

[celest condor]

It makes sense, a couple little things I would consider. You could say "until we prove that there is a fault". This shows that it is "we" who are responsible for finding a fault. Prove would be present tense, proved is past tense. When talking about something in the future that hasn't happened yet, present tense sounds better. The 'goal' to find the fault is a future present more than a future past

[boreal ingot]

they ended up catching one score of fish, so 20

[boreal ingot]

But I'm not sure if here it means '20' or 'many' or 'many but around 20' ^

[soft grotto]

hii miss scella

[boreal ingot]

Who are you?

[soft grotto]

i am zabir

[boreal ingot]

Who?

[soft grotto]

nevermind if i bother u sorry

[soft grotto]

i am new

[boreal ingot]

I see

Welcome, then, I suppose

[soft grotto]

thanks btw we have mutual servers

[boreal ingot]

Anyways, this is not a chatting channel

[boreal ingot]

I'll bump my question for those who know ^

[soft grotto]

oh sorry my bad

i am new tho thats why

[gloomy terrace]

?def frankly

[hazy herald]

Word: frankly

Definition (adverb): (used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that

Definition requested by 4veroes

[gloomy terrace]

?def sincerely

[hazy herald]

Word: sincerely

Definition 1 (adverb): written formula for ending a letter
Definition 2 (adverb): with sincerity; without pretense

Definition requested by 4veroes

[gloomy terrace]

whats the diff use for frankly and honestly and sincerely..

?def unfeignedly

[hazy herald]

Word: unfeignedly

Definition (adverb): with sincerity; without pretense

Definition requested by 4veroes

[gloomy terrace]

?def candidly

[hazy herald]

Word: candidly

Definition (adverb): (used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that

Definition requested by 4veroes

[gloomy terrace]

?def pretense

[hazy herald]

Word: pretense

Definition 1 (noun): an artful or simulated semblance
Definition 2 (noun): pretending with intention to deceive
Definition 3 (noun): a false or unsupportable quality

Other definitions can be found here

Definition requested by 4veroes

[celest condor]

Frankly comes from "to be frank" which means to be direct even if it sounds blunt. To "cut to the chase"
Honestly is telling the truth, especially in situations where it will be hard.
Sincerely is telling a personal truth.

[bleak olive]

i thhink there are certain undertones that are worth (understatement here...) exploring.
but i wouldnt know obviously.

[celest condor]

Probably, ill let the person who asked the question clarify if needed.

Just in case I'll give examples.
"frankly I don't think the president has done a good job" (I know it may cause argument, but I'll just be blunt)
"honestly I don't think J and K are good romantic partners for each other" (politeness would be to support them, but honesty would be to be open about my feelings)
"I sincerely think that K isn't helping you become a better person" (I'm being honest because I care sincerely)

[vague gust]

okay but ive saw someone talk to her friend "foulllll" is that mean she was stupid or what? (i had no i dea) sorry for weird question ;cus i wanna make sure what i know 🙏

[celest condor]

"her language was foul" (profanity/dirty language)
"she's foul" (disgusting/dirty)
In slang disgusting or gross can be an insult to someone's personality