As there are increasing numbers of non-native English speakers on the forum, I thought this thread could be useful - somewhere to come if you have any questions about the English language.

We could even amuse ourselves amongst English speakers by debating the North Atlantic language barrier too Or we could just merrily amuse ourselves with general tales of pedantry and language geekage

n.b. no I won't do your homework for you

Wow- thank you so much FB for offering your linguistic skills!!! I already have a question, you can probably answer...

Sometimes, I have no clue, when I have to use an adverb or an attribut. I learned long time ago, that an adverb describes the verb, not an object...for example a "slow" run (attribut), but someone runs "slowly" (adverb).

But why it isn't the same with "a good sound" and "it sounds well" - I have to use "good" here also - and I have no idea why...

oh good grief!

I think I'll have to look in a grammar book and get back to you on that one! I think well/good is a special case, as is so often the case

btw... attribut? Do you mean adjective? (bear in mind I've never *actually* studied linguisics! Most of what I know I picked up from learning other languages or from the textbooks I used to teach my English TEFL students )

generally yes, adjectives modify nouns and adverbs modify verbs.

Lozzie explained it to me before, but still, I have no clue when to use "than" and "then". Can someone please do it again?

Thanks FB to start this topic, as I'd like to learn more about English (and yes, I should get myself a proper English dictionary!)

flechesbleues:

oh good grief!

I think I'll have to look in a grammar book and get back to you on that one! I think well/good is a special case, as is so often the case

btw... attribut? Do you mean adjective? (bear in mind I've never *actually* studied linguisics! Most of what I know I picked up from learning other languages or from the textbooks I used to teach my English TEFL students )

generally yes, adjectives modify nouns and adverbs modify verbs.

yes I know "adjevtives" as well - but attributes are known in English grammar as well - the difference is that attribute is the term when you talk about compound sentences and their function, not about single words.

Flick:

Lozzie explained it to me before, but still, I have no clue when to use "than" and "then". Can someone please do it again? 

Thanks FB to start this topic, as I'd like to learn more about English (and yes, I should get myself a proper English dictionary!)

than is a particle of comparing--bigger than you
then is a particle of time... every now and then... , or "then I asked you about something"...

'than' is 'dan' as in 'beter dan'

'then' is 'wanneer/dan' as in 'als ik ga, dan zie ik hem', so to indicate time or an event.

Does that make sense?

Sorry for the Dutch...

I think "good" can be used as an adjective and adverb.... Some words are not changed. And I think "well" can be the adverb, for example, "She sings well." Yeah, I'm just confusing myself now!

pisces_23:

I think "good" can be used as an adjective and adverb.... Some words are not changed. And I think "well" can be the adverb, for example, "She sings well." Yeah, I'm just confusing myself now!

She sounds 'good' but she sings 'well'? Really?

*Karen*:

pisces_23:

I think "good" can be used as an adjective and adverb.... Some words are not changed. And I think "well" can be the adverb, for example, "She sings well." Yeah, I'm just confusing myself now! 

She sounds 'good' but she sings 'well'? Really?

yep

Did I crack the code???

flechesbleues:

*Karen*:

pisces_23:

I think "good" can be used as an adjective and adverb.... Some words are not changed. And I think "well" can be the adverb, for example, "She sings well." Yeah, I'm just confusing myself now! 

She sounds 'good' but she sings 'well'? Really?

yep

Ok- I will tatoo that inside my hand - because it's probably one of these things you can never understand but only beat in your brain with brute force...

Femke:

'than' is 'dan' as in 'beter dan'

'then' is 'wanneer/dan' as in 'als ik ga, dan zie ik hem', so to indicate time or an event.

Does that make sense?

Sorry for the Dutch...

Oh yes. Thanks

*Karen*:

pisces_23:

I think "good" can be used as an adjective and adverb.... Some words are not changed. And I think "well" can be the adverb, for example, "She sings well." Yeah, I'm just confusing myself now! 

She sounds 'good' but she sings 'well'? Really?

It's actually pretty easy: verbs like touch, feel, taste... (verbs of the senses) don't make adverbs.

Just out of interest, have any of the native english speakers on here actually had any eductaion in english grammar? As a native speaker, lessons in english grammar seem to have by-passed me completely! This is possibly due to the fact that i have forgotten about any formal lesson learnt in primary school, but i am nearly sure the only english grammar learnt in secondary school was during my spanish grammar classes!

katie
x

ok so I've got a question.. When do u use Whom ???

katie:

This is possibly due to the fact that i have forgotten about any formal lesson learnt in primary school, but i am nearly sure the only english grammar learnt in secondary school was during my spanish grammar classes!

that sounds about right - I'm the same. We learned the basics, but I learned more in my French classes (and then my Spanish classes at university) than I ever did in my English language classes - come to think of it, I can't really remember what we did study in English Language at school...

I then learned a bit more after uni when I took a TEFL course and then taught English for a while - although I learned as I was going along, and as I mostly taught pre-intermediate classes, the complicated stuff is liable to still baffle me

millan:

ok so I've got a question.. When do u use Whom ???

the easiest answer is not very often!

This is one that even native speakers often don't use correctly! And most uses of whom are very formal, so it's becoming rarer.

However, a rule of thumb that I have learned is that you use 'whom' in sentences where you would use him/her and who where you would use he/she.

I'll try to remember to look up some examples in one of my books when I get home, rather than try to make up some crappy ones on the spot

oh, but there is a bit on wikipedia about it, with some examples

ok thanks just wondering something.


can I say "Who are you going to the cinema with?" here ??

millan:

QUOTE

With whom are you going to the cinema?

can I say "Who are you going to the cinema with?" here ??

Yes.
However, some would say that you shouldn't end sentences with a preposition... but it's fine in speech and most informal circumstances

flechesbleues:

millan:

QUOTE

With whom are you going to the cinema?

can I say "Who are you going to the cinema with?" here ??

Yes.
However, some would say that you shouldn't end sentences with a preposition... but it's fine in speech and most informal circumstances

ahh ok.. but I think that the english/americans use that all the time lol

ooooohh... grammar... not my type of thing really...



lemme think of a good question........
I'll be back..

it doesn't have to be grammar...

(I'm not that great at it either - knowing the whys and the wherefores that is! )

Tinchen:

*Karen*:

pisces_23:

I think "good" can be used as an adjective and adverb.... Some words are not changed. And I think "well" can be the adverb, for example, "She sings well." Yeah, I'm just confusing myself now! 

She sounds 'good' but she sings 'well'? Really?

It's actually pretty easy: verbs like touch, feel, taste... (verbs of the senses) don't make adverbs.

Are you sure? Doesn't it depend from the involved objects again?
"I feel good" means probably something different than "I feel YOU well"...Or am I wrong again?

I think it must have something to do with a kind od non-grammatical passive or active... you can't really influence how you sound or feel - but if you try to 'feel' someone else, it's an activity again and needs an adverb. Could it be that?

Adjectives:
She sings beautifully. beautifully ---> singing
She sings well. well ---> singing
She sings terribly. terribly ---> singing
He holds her firmly. firmly ---> holding
She holds him tightly. tightly ---> holding

Use this by saying about doing something (singing, holding)

___________________________________________________________

She is a good singer. good ---> singer

Use this when you're saying something about something (not a verb)

___________________________________________________________


I hope you can understand it. It's hard to explain the grammar of english in english . Don't worry, even people with english as first language have problems w/ it. Watch this. A question by Weekend Millionaires for 300 dollars

millan:

ok so I've got a question.. When do u use Whom ???

My sister explained this to me once (and I actually explained it to you too).

She said 'whom' is used after preposition (in, on, at, with, from). But she also explained that the preposition isn't necessarily right after 'whom' and it can be some other place too. She isn't native speaker, but she speaks like perfect English and she has studied it 10 years now.

Poroneiti:

millan:

ok so I've got a question.. When do u use Whom ???

My sister explained this to me once (and I actually explained it to you too).

She said 'whom' is used after preposition (in, on, at, with, from). But she also explained that the preposition isn't necessarily right after 'whom' and it can be some other place too. She isn't native speaker, but she speaks like perfect English and she has studied it 10 years now.

yeah I remember that but I'd forgot it lol! and I think I deleted the post but thanks again!!

I had to write an assignment (about 24 pages) in English and there are a few mistakes I made and I really don't know, how to correct it. Could somebody help me please?
I have to replace the cursive part of the sentence.

1. Afterwards I will attend to the troubles in Northern Ireland. (would 'dedicate myself to' sound ok here?)

2. to be allocated in a house (at?)

3. All the things the boy knows now increases the gap between him and his mother. (no idea what to say here)

4. The boy's family is Catholic, which implicates many disadvantages in a country that is run by Protestants. (involves, brings about?)

5. This was a huge psychological strain for the narrator's parents. (don't know what else I could say here)

6. Both got stuck in difficult situations in cause of decisions they made. (because of?)

7. It makes it even more likely to connect weird incident with ghosts. (have no idea how to correct this)

8. People tend to explain inexplivable phenomena with physics. (extrasensory ?)

9. to be of the common opinion

10. They have live in a current fear of being arrested by the police. (meaning: they are affraid of being arrested all the time)

11. It is astonishing how many things the boy is able to remember from very early age on. (meaning: since he was very young)

12. children in this age

13. his comment to the fight (about?)

14. The story was very impressive for the narrator. (no idea how to say this)

15. He tries to reconstruct his family's history by piecing together from his memories and conversations he remembers. (just leave out the 'from'?)


I would be very thankful if somebody, whose native language is English could help me. I'm sorry, I know it's a lot, but it is very important to make no mistakes in this assignment.

*sally*:

12. children in this age

I'm not native speaker, but I'd say at this age. I'm not 100% sure, but if I remember correctly teacher told us to use at when it comes to ages.

Poroneiti:

*sally*:

12. children in this age

I'm not native speaker, but I'd say at this age. I'm not 100% sure, but if I remember correctly teacher told us to use at when it comes to ages.

Thank you very much!

xxx

*sally*:

11. It is astonishing how many things the boy is able to remember from very early age on. (meaning: since he was very young)

from an early age

Val:

*sally*:

11. It is astonishing how many things the boy is able to remember from very early age on. (meaning: since he was very young)

from an early age

Thanks a lot for you help!

xxx

What are those sentences supposed to mean in German? We don't get some of them. Send me a pm and you'll get the answers by tonight, promise.

*sally*:

6. Both got stuck in difficult situations in cause of decisions they made. (because of?)

13. his comment to the fight (about?)

15. He tries to reconstruct his family's history by piecing together from his memories and conversations he remembers. (just leave out the 'from'?)

^^^welcome

if you used what you said in the brackets, then it'd be correct

Val:

*sally*:

6. Both got stuck in difficult situations in cause of decisions they made. (because of?)

13. his comment to the fight (about?)

15. He tries to reconstruct his family's history by piecing together from his memories and conversations he remembers. (just leave out the 'from'?)

^^^welcome

if you used what you said in the brackets, then it'd be correct

Thank you very much!

@ Tinchen thanks a lot, I'll send you a pm!

4. The boy's family is Catholic, which implicates many disadvatages in a country that is run by Protestants. (involves, brings about?)

I'd use brings about. And it's disadvantages.

5. This was a huge psychigal strain for the narrator's parents. (don't know what else I could say here)

Do you mean "physical" or "psychological"

10. They have live in a current fear of being arrested by the police. (meaning: they are affraid of being arrested all the time)

They live in constant fear of being arrested

jazzo:

4. The boy's family is Catholic, which implicates many disadvatages in a country that is run by Protestants. (involves, brings about?)

I'd use brings about. And it's disadvantages.

5. This was a huge psychigal strain for the narrator's parents. (don't know what else I could say here)

Do you mean "physical" or "psychological"

10. They have live in a current fear of being arrested by the police. (meaning: they are affraid of being arrested all the time)

They live in constant fear of being arrested

I mean psychological.


Thank you very much for your help.

xxx

Can you tell me all positions in a soccer!!game.....I already know striker, but how are all the others called ????

atroi:

Can you tell me all positions in a soccer!!game.....I already know striker, but how are all the others called ????

I have no idea, but Wikipedia knows all

a defender and forward are others ... i'm useless at positions

i need some french help ... (from IAT as it happens)
'il pleut' means 'it's raining' right? does 'c'est pleut' mean the same?

Val:

'il pleut' means 'it's raining' right? does 'c'est pleut' mean the same?

yes
and no
how come?

how come?

what's the actual definition of 'c'est' anyway? (FB are you french?)

Doesn't one mean 'its raining' & the other means 'it has rained'?

Val:

how come?

what's the actual definition of 'c'est' anyway? (FB are you french?)

no I'm not, I'm English.

maybe we should go here to talk about this

Funtin':

Doesn't one mean 'its raining' & the other means 'it has rained'? 

Il a plu. ("it has rained")

French language lab thread

(to avoid confusion)

you can say either "learnt" and "learned" right?

can one of you clever english people put them in sentences for me please

From Ask Oxford Dictionaries

jazzo:

From Ask Oxford Dictionaries

QUOTE

What is the difference between 'learnt' and 'learned'?

These are alternative forms of the past tense and past participle of the verb learn. Learnt is more common in British English, and learned in American English. There are a number of verbs of this type (burn, dream, kneel, lean, leap, spell, spill, spoil etc.). They are all irregular verbs, and this is a part of their irregularity.

cheers for that Jazzo

learnt it is then

it's very difficult because we get input from both dialects, and i think i'm going to stick to the british.

*clears throat*

Ok, today's lesson will be on the difference between a prize and a price.

A priZe is something you win (e.g. in a raffle)

A priCe is the amount you pay for something (e.g. in a shop)

They aren't homophones. Prize ends with a voiced 'z' sound, price ends with an unvoiced 's' sound (although of course pronunciation doesn't really matter on the forum ).

Sorry, I see it all the time around the forum and it bugs me I couldn't hold it in any longer