The Improve Your English Thread v3

[RemusLupinFan]

Opening Post So the idea for this thread is for Non-English speakers to get corrections and advice on their English and we English speakers to do our best to help them. So if anyone has any questions or just wants to run something by us, go ahead.

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Last few posts from previous thread::    

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Originally Posted by Mundungus Fletc In Britain a common form for first name is "given name" Originally Posted by Wab 27 words is the ideal length for a sentence. One sentence a par is the most easily readable and typographically attractive over a range of column widths (although anyone who lays text across more than two columns -- and double should only in extreme cirumstances with ragged right justification -- should be shot). Originally Posted by Tiberius 27 words? Bah. Bah, I say! Sentences should vary in their length. They should not all be the same. If they are it gets very boring. And it can get repetitive. Just like this. This is boring. On the other hand, sentences should not go on and on and on without a break, because then it gets very hard to read and the person who is reading it may get bored or lose track of where the sentence is going and stop reading, which means that your sentence won't get its point across at all, and even adding in punctuation to break up the flow a bit won't help. Ideally, sentences should be varied in length. Use short sentences and long sentences, mixing them in together to get a good variety. it helps to break up the flow. This helps the reader to follow what you are writing, making your text easier to read, and giving it more impact. This can be used to your advantage if you know how the basis behind these rules work. In my Moody Mysteries (link in my sig), I've used a single long run-on sentence to create the impression of a lot of things all happening at once.

Please continue.

[Tiberius]

Yay! Shiny new thread of grammatical goodness!

*posts so he can find it again*

And to be on topic....

IT'S (with the apostrophe) is always short for "IT IS". For any other use, even the posessive, you should use ITS.

[ominous]

I am going to study English with a TV drama "Desperate Wives"
Is "Desperate Wives" good for studying English?
The English in this TV series can be regarded so-called "standard English" if there are anything like "standard English"?
By the way, what do you call a TV series like "Desperate Wives", "Lost" or something like that?
Can I call them as a TV drama?

[Masterfroggy]

Originally Posted by ominous

I am going to study English with a TV drama "Desperate Wives"
Is "Desperate Wives" good for studying English?
The English in this TV series can be regarded so-called "standard English" if there are anything like "standard English"?
By the way, what do you call a TV series like "Desperate Wives", "Lost" or something like that?
Can I call them as a TV drama?

Not really, it is an American programme and not that well written.

[Rastaban43]

Originally Posted by ominous

Can I call them as a TV drama?

Yes, it'd be a drama or something like that.

I think any English language programme would be good for learning English. Desparate House Wives happens to be one of the few programmes on the tellie that is amusing to watch, so I say go for it! You'd learn a lot less with a programme that had complicated English. Usually news presenters will have good grammar (since they're reading from a pre-written teleprompter.)

Originally Posted by Masterfroggy

Not really, it is an American programme and not that well written.

I beg your pardon? We Britons don't have a monopoly on cleverly written TV programmes.

[Masterfroggy]

Originally Posted by Rastaban43

I beg your pardon

That's all right

Originally Posted by Rastaban43

We Britons don't have a monopoly on cleverly written TV programmes.

Where do I say we did?

Desperate House Wives is not well written because it is not well written, it has nothing to do with it not being well written because it is an American programme

The questions asked were “Is "Desperate Wives" good for studying English?” and “The English in this TV series can be regarded so-called "standard English" if there are anything like "standard English"?”

And I answered; No it’s not good for studying English it’s an American programme. The language used is not “Standard English” the language used is/or might be called Midwestern American or Central North American or Hollywood American. However Standard English it is not.

[Rastaban43]

Hmm, I see what you were saying. But Americans speak English, whether or not they do it exactly the same as we do. There are really only minor spelling, punctuation and vocabulary differences, but most of the grammar is the same. I suppose if one only wanted to learn the way the English speak English, they'd be both limiting themselves because we aren't the only ones who speak it correctly and complicating matters due to the number of different dialects (in a very loose sense of the word) in and around our lovely little isle. In the end, any programme, English or American, would be a great learning aid for anyone studying from another language. Cartoons are actually really good because they tend to use simpler words than adult programmes like Desparate Houswives.

[Mundungus Fletc]

It's my understanding that for historical reasons the version of English taught in Korea is American English so learning from US TV programmes would be fine

[ominous]

In English, is there such an idiom "go to the house" meaning "killing someone"?
One of my colleague student said that she saw this in her dictionary.
I can't quite believe there is a such an idiom like this.

[Tiberius]

I've never heard it....

[arithmancer]

Originally Posted by Tiberius

I've never heard it....

Neither have I.

[GenevieveS]

Originally Posted by Rastaban43

Usually news presenters will have good grammar (since they're reading from a pre-written teleprompter.)

And sports announcers will have awful grammar. When I was in 7th grade, my English teacher taught us some basic grammar rule (I think it was about using the objective case for objects of a preposition -- like "That's for her", rather than "That's for she."), and told us we all now knew more than any given ABC Sports announcer.....

[Rastaban43]

Originally Posted by GenevieveS

And sports announcers will have awful grammar. When I was in 7th grade, my English teacher taught us some basic grammar rule (I think it was about using the objective case for objects of a preposition -- like "That's for her", rather than "That's for she."), and told us we all now knew more than any given ABC Sports announcer.....

I don't think that's so common anymore. It's becoming really in vogue to speak with correct grammar, and sports readers aren't any exception, what with the rise in metrosexuality, it's OK for men to like sports and be fashionable at the same time.

But I'll listen more closely the next time Liverpool's playing. Wasn't really paying attention today as I was swearing too loudly to really think about grammar.

[mugglebeki]

Originally Posted by RemusLupinFan

Opening PostSo the idea for this thread is for Non-English speakers to get corrections and advice on their English and we English speakers to do our best to help them.

I've been meaning to comment on this opening post. I am fully bilingual, but English is my second language (Spanish being my first). As I've read through the Forums, I've noticed so many grammatical errors and misspelled words in some posts that it is really difficult to understand what the poster is trying to say. I know that some typographical errors can go unnoticed, but not all are typos. Most of the posters here are English speakers, but I've noticed that the majority of the Non-English speakers (people from France, Spain, Germany, South America) have less spelling errors. So maybe the opening post should be addressed to all posters, as a help to "Improve Your English". I have used this thread to help me with a word I was not sure of, and you've very kindly provided the correct word, so in that respect I think this is a very helpful thread. Thank you for "listening".

[Rastaban43]

Originally Posted by mugglebeki

... I've noticed that the majority of the Non-English speakers (people from France, Spain, Germany, South America) have less spelling errors ...

Nit-picking ...

You should say 'fewer spelling errors'. Because 'errors' is quantitative, you should use 'fewer' to describe it. 'Less' is reserved for words that are unquantifiable like 'milk' or 'sugar'.

Every time I do this, rotsie comes along to correct my spelling, but I want her to know that I actually realised that I had misspelled quantitative first, then corrected myself before ever mashing the 'Submit Reply' button.

[ominous]

Oh! It's hilarious.
I just saw the opening sequece of the pilot episode of Desperate Housewives season 1. It's very fun. Especially the part when a neighboring woman took off a piece of paper on the blender she borrowed from a dead woman from 6 months before. "Always look at the bright side." But wasn't that too much bright? I think it's the way of living lives we, you and I, are doing.
And one thing more. I found out that you Americans call that home appliance a "blender" while we Koreans always call it a mixer.

[arithmancer]

Originally Posted by ominous

Oh! It's hilarious.
I just saw the opening sequece of the pilot episode of Desperate Housewives season 1. It's very fun. Especially the part when a neighboring woman took off a piece of paper on the blender she borrowed from a dead woman from 6 months before. "Always look at the bright side." But wasn't that too much bright? I think it's the way of living lives we, you and I are doing.
And one thing more. I found out that you Americans call that home appliance a "blender" while we Koreans always call it a mixer.

In US-speak, a mixer is a different kitchen appliance. it is used to mix cake batter, cookie dough, and such. Here's a photo.

[mugglebeki]

Originally Posted by Rastaban43

You should say 'fewer spelling errors'. Because 'errors' is quantitative, you should use 'fewer' to describe it. 'Less' is reserved for words that are unquantifiable like 'milk' or 'sugar'.

OK, thanks for correcting me. See that's the main problem when one speaks more than one language, sometimes a word just gets stuck and won't come out. I truly appreciate the correction.

[Rastaban43]

Originally Posted by mugglebeki

OK, thanks for correcting me. See that's the main problem when one speaks more than one language, sometimes a word just gets stuck and won't come out. I truly appreciate the correction.

Don't mention it. That's what we're here for, eh what? Just slap me if I get too obnoxious.

[ItsMagic]

Originally Posted by zgirnius

In US-speak, a mixer is a different kitchen appliance. it is used to mix cake batter, cookie dough, and such. Here's a photo.

I dont know if this makes much of a difference either but i think most Brits(like myself) would us the word BLENDER for crushing up fruit and making smoothes or veg for soup!
a MIXER would be anything we use to Mix something ie a spoon or i would be more familiar using the word when asking for something to add to my Barcardi!