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English Thread

Name: Anonymous 2013-03-30 18:47

In this thread, we attempt to learn to read, write, and speak English, a language which would be very useful to know. It is widely spoken throughout the world.

Do you speak English? Are you fluent? What resources did you use to learn? Can you give some examples in this thread? Posts some useful links.

Let's help each other out and learn a new language.

Name: Anonymous 2013-11-17 6:18

>>160
We don't have any way of pronouncing it. Some people have made fun of this fact. A few people try to use "the naughts", but that sounds goofy. I'd just say "the two thousands" or "the two thousand tens", personally.

Name: Anonymous 2013-11-17 7:29

>>161
Thought so. Thanks

Name: Anonymous 2013-11-19 7:29

I noticed that sometimes native English speakers ask questions using only intonation without changing word order, e.g. "It‘s not balanced anymore?".

So, is there a rule when you should ask questions in that way and when in the normal way?

Name: Anonymous 2013-11-20 15:02

>Speak English?
Yes

>Fluent?
Yes

>How did you learn?
Television, internet, conversations. Was taught English in school since 4th grade, but the grammar lessons didn't really do much for me until high school.

Name: Anonymous 2013-11-20 19:00

>>163
This is just my feeling on it, but it seems to me that it's only used for confirmation. You wouldn't just ask someone out of the blue "You're going to lunch today?" for example. That sounds like the other person doesn't usually go to lunch, and you found out that today, they ARE going to lunch, and you're confirming this fact.

Name: Anonymous 2013-11-22 3:40

>>163
I noticed that sometimes native English speakers ask questions using only intonation without changing word order, e.g. "It‘s not balanced anymore?".

A lot of languages do that.

And what >>165 said sounds good. Intonation is used generally when your question is in response to a statement or an action someone made or took but there's no rule or anything.

Name: Anonymous 2013-11-27 2:27

Hi there! I was playing today "999" on NDS... scrolling text on and on. And then WTF!
"Junpei turned, and found himself FACE TO MASK WITH A MAN dressed all in black."
Just how come? Is a misprint or something?
I guess it should be like "Junpei turned, and found himself facing a man dressed all in black with a gas mask on."

Name: Anonymous 2013-11-27 6:30

Now I've got it! "Face to mask" is just a pun based of "face to face" expression.

Name: Anonymous 2013-11-27 19:37

>>168
Yes.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-09 6:07

It's me again. About the same game.
The sentence is "Junpei lifted a limp june from the floor, and carried her from the bathroom."
Why did they use indefinite articcle with "limp June". She is the only person with this codename in the game. What's the logic behind the use of this article here?

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-09 18:50

>>170
When referring to a noun that has an adjective sometimes the indefinite article is used for stylistic reasons ("A triumphant Napoleon poses for a portrait", "an unconscious John is carried out of the rubble by rescuers"). It's common when you're trying to describe a particular scene or describe something in general. I couldn't tell you the specific grammar rule that allows it though.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-10 0:25

>>170

>>171
seems correct. I think using indefinite articles can give the writing a very distant or third-person feel. In this context, "the" would sound much more personal and involved than "a."

Most native speakers wouldn't see much a difference in using either. It's almost purely style.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-10 13:53

>>171
>>172
I see. Would it sound ok if "limp June" was without any article at all?

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-10 15:08

>>173
It doesn't sound right with no article. Unless her nickname is "limp June."

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-10 15:32

>>173
You might find that sort of thing in archaic English works but not in modern English.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-10 23:31

>>174
>>175
Got that. And much obliged, anon!

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-12 5:40

"Do you speak english ?"
yes, but I'm trying to improve me in it because I've not a rich vocabulary.

"Are you fluent ?"
No. I hesitate a lot.

"What resources did you use to learn ?"
Studies, movies, series and video games.


Otherwise, I've some problems with the syntax.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-13 0:58

>>177
What was that all about?

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-13 9:54

>>178
Those were the questions in OP.


>>177

Your English is very easy to understand. It sounds a bit odd, though.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-17 0:25

>>157
be concise. your writing is very...esoteric. it seems like youre trying to write very formally, but just over-complicating things.

>>163
english is very relaxed, and rules often have many counter-examples.
it seems to be a yes/no versus interrogative thing.

>>170
i think when verbs (lifted) act on a singular noun (june), you use the article (a).
if junepei was picking flowers, you would say:
junpei picked a flower OR junpei picked flowers
BUT, this just seems to be an indefinite article rule:
junpei picked the flower AND junpei picked the flowers
are both acceptible
definite articles do not seem to be affected.
also, john ate hot dogs and john ate the hot dogs both make perfect sense.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-17 0:25

>>157
be concise. your writing is very...esoteric. it seems like youre trying to write very formally, but just over-complicating things.

>>163
english is very relaxed, and rules often have many counter-examples.
it seems to be a yes/no versus interrogative thing.

>>170
i think when verbs (lifted) act on a singular noun (june), you use the article (a).
if junepei was picking flowers, you would say:
junpei picked a flower OR junpei picked flowers
BUT, this just seems to be an indefinite article rule:
junpei picked the flower AND junpei picked the flowers
are both acceptible
definite articles do not seem to be affected.
also, john ate hot dogs and john ate the hot dogs both make perfect sense.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-17 2:28

How are, for example, '0-9' and 'a-f' pronounced?
'0 through 9' and 'a through f'?

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-17 4:15

>>182
Or "a to f", "0 to 9". "through" works fine, though.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-17 4:17

>>181
The issue he had was not with using "the" on a plural or the position of a verb, it was with using "the" with a proper noun (June). It's a specific use and a rather uncommon one at that. You wouldn't say, for example "The Junpei picked the flower", that is nonsensical. But I think >>171 explained it fairly well.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-17 14:48

>>184
I think what is throwing >>170 off is that both using a and not using a are acceptable.

I think the author uses a to specify that June being limp is just a temporary condition, lifting limp June would imply that she is generally limp or her name is "limp June"

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-18 1:47

170 here ^_^'
I just haven't seen indefinite article used with personal names very often so it seemed a bit odd to me once it caught my attention. I had already known that the use of an adjective permits an indefinite article with uncountable nouns (It's stifling in here because of A terrible humidity). But for some strange reason I kept thinking articles to be incompatible with personal names, even those pereceded by adjectives.
I clearly understand the kind of description that >>171 provided examples for; never thought of it before though. However, I think it's >>185's reasoning that matches that pacticular use of indefinite article in the game.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-18 13:21

>>185
"The" would work just as well there, though. Someone else pointed out how using "a" can dehumanize a person and make them seem distant, which I guess adds to whatever emotion the scene is trying to portray.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-19 0:49

"Something or you have (?) disabled javascript"

What verb should I use in sentence like that, 'have' or 'has'?

Also what article did I have to use before 'sentence' in the previous question and before 'previous' in this question?

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-19 3:10

>>187
Both a and the could be used, but they portray different ideas.

>>188
>Something or you have (?) disabled javascript
This is the second person plural in the present perfect tense, use have. has is used to describe third person singular, he/she/it has disabled javascript.
What is confusing here, is that "something" is an it, i.e.: something has disabled javascript, this urges you to say has. but, to the computer, "something or you" is second person plural, and in this case you use have.

>Also what article did I have to use before 'sentence' in the previous question and before 'previous' in this question?
You would use an indefinite article (the) before "sentence," definite article (a or an) before "previous."

A refers to a general thing, like "a sentence like that," while the refers to a specific thing, like "the previous sentence."

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-19 7:20

>>189
Is "you or something" second person plural?

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-19 7:26

>>189
>an indefinite article (the)
But 'the' is definite

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-19 9:20

>>190
Yes, it is more than one "yous"

>>191
Yes, sorry I contradict myself. Use definite articles to refer to something specific, indefinite to refer to something general.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-20 5:26

What's the difference between 'I am doing something' and 'I am to do something'? Is the second one mean a future action?

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-20 13:31

>>193
I am doing something = I am in the process of doing something right now.
I am to do something = There is something that I must do. It may or may not be in progress right now. It's not a phrase I hear very often though, generally it's "I have to/I'm supposed to do something". "I am to do something" is something an inferior says in regards to a superior's orders from my experience.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-21 21:34

http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/16/investing/penny-stock-trader-millionaire/index.html

The story is about guy named Tim Sykes
"
Grittani scoured the internet and eventually came upon Syke's story. He spent a few months learning about Syke's theories and eventually started trading.
"

Why is it Syke's and not Sykes' in this case?
Wouldn't Syke's usage make the guy's name Tim Syke?

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-21 23:38

>>195
Yes, you're correct. The apostrophe rules for words that already end in "s" are somewhat complex, and it's just a mistake.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-21 23:46

>>196
Could you elaborate on those rules? I would not be sure what method to use with words ending with "s", especially names.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-22 3:37

>>195
That's a typo. It should be Sykes'.

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-22 14:34

>>196
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/621/01/

Name: Anonymous 2013-12-22 16:20

I was born in America :D
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