English Language Learners - 2015-04-01

« first day (797 days earlier) ← previous day next day → last day (102 days later) »

7:07 AM

By all that is right and good, this needs to be re-opened: ell.stackexchange.com/questions/53827/big-hit-meaning

We need only one more vote!

@JimReynolds Hi, @Jim!

3

Q: Which kind of books should be read for learning spoken English?

Should I prefer plays or composition? Is there some benefit of one over the other for learning spoken English? I live in India and will be talking to only Indians. It is supposed to be a daily conversation about day to day life.

Lots of misconceptions in there. Just my thought.

"Which kind of books should be read for learning spoken English?"

Me: "Don't!"

"What kinds of shows should I watch for learning written English?"

Me: "Don't!"

"What kinds of English books should I read for learning Thai?"

Me: "DON'T!" (alarmingly!)

(Well, that would depend on how deep you want to learn it. And I imagine that we have some exceptional books that teach spoken English, some shows that teach written English, some English books that teach Thai, but that's rare.)

2 hours later…

9:22 AM

Hi @Dam I'm still working. Just sneaking a peek in here!

@JimReynolds Hi! Me too!

9:35 AM

@DamkerngT. hi

Hi!

I'm sorry if I'm not very chatty at the moment. :) But if you need me, you can ping me. I'll try to respond as soon as I can.

i understood

9:52 AM

Hi @Jude

@JimReynolds hi bro

how do you do?

I am fine, Jude. I am on the subway going home from work!!

Dam, .... There is evidence that reading is, in general, the best thing we can do to increase skills in all four domains. Of course, we also need verbal input to learn to speak.

exactly. verbal improvement is very much essential

10:39 AM

@JimReynolds I sort of agree. Recently, this idea hit me: we shouldn't read before we can speak right.

But that condition is too ideal.

1 hour later…

11:48 AM

Hello world of the word!

Nope. I should practice on a better rhythmic salutation

Welcome back!

0

Q: Pronunciation of Pick it up in American English

When you pronounce the phrase 'pick it up' as a native speaker, is there any word in it that need to be pronounce higher in pitch with more stress? This is how I pronounce it in American English. I'm not native. https://clyp.it/njjdhmuy Phonetically the three words are connected together with a ...

american-english pronunciation american-accent word-stress

@JimReynolds @snailboat (and everyone else) I wonder how you would evaluate his "Pick it up."

0

Q: A debased way of saying food?

I'm trying to accentuate the essence of "food," and try to make it clear that nowadays people don't truly eat food, they just eat [insert debased synonym here], similar to when people say, "this isn't a car, this is just a vehicle." Any way of saying this? Also, it should be formal. I've tried t...

Hmm... debased.

They have a nice use of vocab, but their question isn't what I prefer to look at.

I don't get the question.

"I need sustenance," said Thor.

11:59 AM

You sure that's what they're looking for?

I'm not!

I will get poetic again when I feel like it.

But it sounds like what they want.

It's similar to when people say, "this isn't a car, this is just a vehicle." It meets their Also, it should be formal. He also mentioned that I've tried to look for lists of synonyms, but they are more like "substance," I would like something actually defined as food. So, apparently, substance is close enough but it doesn't suggest the sense of something edible or you need to consume to survive.

Gets me more confused. I don't know why my brain doesn't like to comprehend that question.

@MARamezani Because you brain chimes better with rap music? :-)

12:03 PM

Heh. But for the record, I hate rap.

LOL! Watch this:

In any case, I don't think vocabulary is all about knowing what words mean.

-8

Q: Platinum Badges

I think it would be cool to implement (yet another :D) level of badges for the StackOverflow site. Perhaps a so called Platinum badge. These would have to be extremely rare and only given out for extremely special accomplishments. A type of Medal of Honor for StackOverflow users. Would anyone...

discussion badges

:D

Multi-level marketing loves this kind of stuff.

Hmm... come to think of it, Aslan Maslin may not be a male name.

Reminds me of the pair "[a word] [schmel-the word]". You get what I mean?

I don't know schmel, but I think you were having a good time rhyming it with male. :-)

12:13 PM

Hehe. No I mean when natives [?] don't like an idea or are careless about, they use this. Example is when they don't like a, say, change and then say: Change schmelchange or Change schmenge or whatever.

I think change doesn't come good with a "schmel-"

It's very interesting how people pick up this kind of stuff.

Maybe because they're smart...?

Because everyone picks it up, I don't think being smart is the reason.

Or maybe because I picked it up. :P

:D

ell.stackexchange.com/posts/53947/revisions

I wonder if anyone will come to fix that among.

12:25 PM

Their whole sentence knocks my ear.

> A messaging system should be in place between the above mentioned disparate systems.

Hmm...

> A messaging system should be implemented in-between the disparate systems mentioned above.

The latter is better.

It's rather clear that not many people ~~enjoy~~ have tried StackEgg.

Yeah. I wish I were here in the Unicoins' era.

Moreover, the reason why I did not make an essential example in companion to my question is that I am afraid some people may hurriedly close my question... — Chou 2 hours ago

True.

A couple questions: (1) What makes you think Americans would punctuate this differently than Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, or writers in the UK? (2) What is this no-comma-before-because "rule" you speak of? Here's one reason to use a comma; here are five more. — J.R. ♦ 3 hours ago

Also true.

> However, sometimes I find that if one sticks to the rule of no-comma-before-because, then the whole sentence gets extremely long.

Maybe it's not a comma problem.

2

A: Can a movie have a great "replay value"?

Sorry, the comment feature just isn't working for me. Let me try this instead. You currently are at an advanced level, but still a little awkward sometimes, and not completely self-confident yet. I'm happy to say that although you have expressed a lot of complex ideas, I felt that I understood...

If I could give any post a Best Post of the Day award, I would give it to this one!

12:41 PM

@Chou It's perfectly reasonable to close a vague/without-sufficient-context question. It's obvious a sentence is, presumably, Math.SE caused your confusion. Why not provide it here? — MARamezani 9 secs ago

Done.

Oh, and the is typo corrected.

I thought so!

Hmm... I'd use on for sites or stacks.

I guess some people might use in as well.

Let me think...Yeah this is better: In a math.SE post

@MARamezani: Not at all. I am asking for the sake of my own writing. Just want to have a general principle in mind, so that I will not just "guess" the timing to use comma or not. — Chou 1 min ago

That's quick!

How to answer that? I wanna say it's too broad.

Or primarily opinion-based.

It could be.

But I hope someone can provide good guidelines.

Using commas is art!

12:46 PM

Indeed.

One thing that struck me was this: However, sometimes I find that if one sticks to the rule of no-comma-before-because, then the whole sentence gets extremely long.

Short or long is relative, in my opinion. So, if the whole sentence in his proof is not longer than the average sentence in the same kind of proof, I think it won't be a problem.

I'll go and ask him to provide an example for that.

It's clear that he focuses only on his own writing. (So, providing his examples might turn his question into a proofreading one.)

Ah, this is a Catch 22 situation!

Not if he explains why he thinks that way.

Oh, yes. That's true.

12:52 PM

@Chou Maybe this post will be fine if you add examples concerning this sentence of yours: However, sometimes I find that if one sticks to the rule of no-comma-before-because, then the whole sentence gets extremely long. As I said before, this whole thing is assumingly case-relevant. — MARamezani 48 secs ago

I wonder if there's something better than case-relevant, more idiomatic. Ringing any bells?

case specific, or specific to this case

> The sequence is not convergent because there is no real number $l$ such that for every $\epsilon > 0$ there is an $N \geq 1$ such that $|x_{n} - l| < \epsilon$ for all $n \geq N.$

That's not really long to me.

So, is that the sentence?

Conclusion: I don't know how to answer that question.

Yes. I just refreshed the main page, and saw his update.

I think a comma is optional there. A semi-colon is a bad idea.

But to answer why it's so would be very difficult.

IMO none of them is a bad idea there, but there are no points in typing an extra char.

@DamkerngT. See?

Yes.

1:04 PM

@MARamezani But I am afraid then I would incur another issues..., which is the original concern of mine... — Chou 6 mins ago

IMHO, ... drum rolls ... Screw this.

Now I don't know what he meant. Maybe it's about the proofreading thingies.

Heh. You really want the OP to say please do these for me, okay?, now don't you? :P

No, what I meant was that I couldn't figure out his concerns in the last comment.

8

Q: How can I make my kids passionate in science while being religious?

Please be considerate in your answers. We are an observant jewish family, although I was educated in secular institutions. I feel that I have a wealth of knowledge that I want to pass to my kids that I don't see they'll ever get in a religious school. More specifically: My kids are currently t...

pre-schooler education teaching homeschooling religion

Oh, good question!

1:07 PM

Evolution doesn't seem to be working with people's attitude.

But in a more serious manner, SCIENCE NEVER CONTRADICTS RELIGION. I love @stephie's answer to that question.

I doubt that.

Never. Let's fight.

I think questions like How old is Earth? or How long have humans been here on Earth? will counter that good enough.

IMHO, those questions are answered with religion from a different point of view than science's .

nods

1:10 PM

But the true answer will be something like a blend of those ideas.

So, it's not about which side is correct, but it's about parenting.

Yeah. But I think that guy needs parenting too....

But they asked a good question, at least...

nods

1:21 PM

My god...Some people have really weird suggestions.... Watch this:

-28

Q: Hide a question's real score from users for some time so that they can't tell that it has downvotes

Recently there have been some very lengthy discussion threads on metaSO on downvoting. Askers have really concerns about downvoting. At the same time downvoters support their stand by saying downvoting is essential to maintain quality of this site. There are various solutions suggested on this pr...

feature-request down-votes voting

I think downvoting is more necessary on bigger stacks.

Yeah.

But make that reasonable downvoting, pretty please?

Okay, okay. :-)

0

Q: how can I avoid using 2 different tenses instead of each other?

My name is Ali. I live in IRAN and my mother tounge is Farsi.My reference book in studying grammer is English Grammer in Use written by Raymond Morphy and I am sure you are familiar with this book.One part of the book which i found confusing is the difference between peresent perfect continuous a...

1:36 PM

You got my interest. Dammit.

:D

Not sure if I could help them with the problem, but I certainly could help them with formatting...

Hey!

nods

An edit is waiting approval.

1:38 PM

Maybe approve that, and format it.

I edited it. My style.

I can't grasp what he's trying to ask.

@MARamezani Nice edit!

@Fantasier Proofreading?

@MARamezani Huh?

1:43 PM

I meant he is proofreadingly asking for clarifications on his example.

I think I can remember sometimes I got this kind of reply: "What are you doing?" "Are you blind?"

O right. Maybe.

@DamkerngT. Sometimes? :P

Then Thailand is heaven!

Yeah. Bad timing!

Or we, Turkish people, are guardians of hell!

1:51 PM

Oh, interesting, you two were talking about Science versus Religion?

Not talking. I'd call it commenting.

It was really short.

I thought commenting was just a more manner-detailed way of saying talking, but anyway...

We chose a question, and expressed our opinions on it. That is commenting.

If we went on talking about it, it would be a discussion.

Say, talking.

Yeah, and when we express our opinions, we speak. That is talking.

I see no reason it can't be both.

Well, commenting is talking. But it's a rule that the more specific word is better.

1:57 PM

You were saying not talking, but commenting and now you're saying commenting is talking?

And I have no idea there's such rule O|--<

You could read it as not [just] talking, but commenting.

I don't think so.

@Fantasier I can't get anything out of your emoticon.

@MARamezani It's a man lying on the floor.

@Fantasier Think so, then. :P

@Fantasier No face expressions? That's boring. :P

1:59 PM

@MARamezani Nah, sorry, I don't like people forcing their opinions on others.

@Fantasier FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

@MARamezani And I hate fights, too, so no to that.

@Fantasier Yeah, me neither. But you can read it that way

@MARamezani Any reference? Because I've never seen that interpretation anywhere.

That's common sense.

2:02 PM

Well, that would be acceptable if you were a native speaker :)

@Fantasier Oh boy. Of course! You beat me to it!

Lol

There must be something about fighting on SE.

@MARamezani I count 21 FIGHT!s!

What do you mean by something?

Well, something means something, doesn't it?

2:07 PM

@DamkerngT. That's the power of copy-paste.

@DamkerngT. Oh yes. Something = something. Why did I ask that in the first place?

Yes. Which makes me think, how did you copy them?!

In groups of three? Or seven?

@DamkerngT. Wrote one FIGHT! , (including the space) and just copy-pasted it.

@DamkerngT. I'm not that smart.

Which makes me think, what did you copy them with?!

Your mouse? Or your keyboard?

@DamkerngT. Keyboard.

Oh, which makes me think what shortcut did you use?

Ctrl+V?

2:11 PM

Of course, what else should I be using?

Or some programmable key on a programmable keyboard?

I see.

Nah. No programs.

Or Command + C?

That, still, makes me think, which hand did you use to press the Ctrl key?

@Fantasier I guess it's now clear that he doesn't use Mac OS X.

@DamkerngT. Squinting What are you getting at?

2:13 PM

@MARamezani I love to visualize things. I guess you must know that by now. I was trying to visualize you copy-pasting those FIGHT!s!

@DamkerngT. One day you're gonna break. But I was doing the copy-paste with fingers on both hands.

Which makes me think, is that how you pluralise "FIGHT!"? By adding -s and (optionally?) an exclamation mark after?

@Fantasier I don't know! But it looked like a good idea the first time!

@Fantasier Well, one could use {}, "", an apostrophe before the s and so on. It really doesn't matter in a non-serious discussion.

What's a non-serious discussion? Never heard of that :P

2:16 PM

lol

Coming to think of it, I think adding "non" to "serious" isn't correct.

I did the listening. This is how I heard it in a movie. I just wanted to know if it's pronounced correctly. I was curious if "What do you" are really squeezed together in one sound. Some people pronounce it "whaddya" , but I also heard it with an "u" ending. There always need to be someone negative who can't refrain from commenting. — Zoltan King 12 mins ago

Hmm...

I can't make up my mind if that is serious or non-serious.

I think asking for a feedback on how they pronounced things is inappropriate in SE.

Quite possibly. It'll hardly benefit other users.

On the other hand, pronunciation is a real problem for learners.

nods

I really wonder why people didn't end up having a single language throughout the world.

2:23 PM

I wish to see roses of various kinds.

Hello @arrowfar!

Hmm, could be a reason. I mean, why wasn't there a universal language at the first place.

There probably was.

user116848

Hello @DamkerngT. and all!

Hello mysteriously beautiful!

Try googling "Proto-Nostratic"

Hello!

2:24 PM

Gotta do some chores. Be back in maybe half an hour.

@Fantasier Ooooh, nerdy phrase! Thanks!

2:40 PM

hello!@MARamezani

3:13 PM

Hey @Dane!

I was taking a shower.

I thought of you there.

A very good time for "speaking of the devil..."

user116848

Here is something I wrote:

user116848

in The Overlook Hotel, 1 hour ago, by arrowfar

A story that tries to make no sense

GOOD!

user116848

Yay!

...Thing I can't read it!

user116848

3:28 PM

I think I suffer from this:

user116848

Paranoid personality disorder

Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is a mental disorder characterized by paranoia and a pervasive, long-standing suspiciousness and generalized mistrust of others. Individuals with this personality disorder may be hypersensitive, easily feel slighted, and habitually relate to the world by vigilant scanning of the environment for clues or suggestions that may validate their fears or biases. Paranoid individuals are eager observers. They think they are in danger and look for signs and threats of that danger, potentially not appreciating other evidence. They tend to be guarded and suspicious and...

You're right not to trust me.

@arrowfar Is it lethal? I hope so.

user116848

I mean no one has ever said that, but I think I get paranoid easily.

user116848

@MARamezani What? No! :-)

2 DAYS REMAIN

3:30 PM

@arrowfar If you're paranoid...Then I'm dead, even if this thing isn't lethal!

@Dane Don't care.

@Dane It's not like school is going to be serious.

YOUR RIGHT.I'm scared

It never is, after Norouz.

typhoon,zakeri

TSS...

we have class on zakeri's exam

he'll kill us

3:31 PM

Apparently Tss is scary, since he's gonna be giving an exam.

@Dane So you understand me.

about what?????

@Dane Tss is giving me and everyone in our class that feeling too.

not TSSS didemishdiki is dangerous

diir themisshe the ki

@MARamezani

What?

says one had said

3:37 PM

Paranoid personality disorder. ... ?

So? Still, Tss is more scary.

@JimReynolds Hey alienling!

i won't see him

Covers @MAR 's forehead with kisses.

o.0

@JimReynolds Why?

@Dane He's not scary towards your class...yet.

user116848

@JimReynolds Yo

3:43 PM

Hi arrow

Is not it better to talk after jim's conversation

I don't think many people with paranoid personality disorder can have insight into that fact.

@Dane No. Since he hardly says anything useful.

Dane, Are you unfortunate enough to know MAR personally?

@JimReynolds Yes. And I'm unfortunate too.

3:47 PM

yeah,we both are classmate,friend and both are studying for Olympiad.

lots of similarity

both are 16

and etc

But you must have better manners, I hope?

@JimReynolds Hardly. Is there anything better than me?

;-/

(That emoticon is only understood by me and Dane)

No idea

Coming to think of it...

Think of what?

3:55 PM

Really, @MAR ?

Yeah. Really? Wait, really what?

I AM QUOTING YOU, DOLT!!

It's Come to think of it...

A fixed expression.

Dolt, nice word, I'll remember that next time I ping you.

O.O

Dolt is copyright me, 2015.

@JimReynolds FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

user116848

3:57 PM

Ugh.

user116848

Here we go again. Well, I am in no mood to argue today sadly :)

That's sad.

Really.

user116848

@JimReynolds I agree. I was just rambling. I write such thoughts when they come to mind :)

user116848

@MARamezani Yeah, otherwise I'd come up with good arguments, puns and whatnot.

user116848

user image

user116848

4:02 PM

Not relevant here but the cartoon seems amusing.

user116848

Sorry for the small resolution though.

@arrowfar Yes. Because Image not found.

@arrowfar I kindly accept your apology.

Star that. ^

n any case, I don't think vocabulary is all about knowing what words mean.

How do I quote from earlier in the chat?

In any case, I don't think vocabulary is all about knowing what words mean.

The robot said that drivel.

user116848

@JimReynolds You can use the "copy link location" option by right clicking on any post.

Permalink. then copy the link address.

4:05 PM

On my Android portable device?

@JimReynolds I suggest you don't chat. :P

user116848

Most fun part of SE is chat I guess.

Why you little . . . .

Well, I'm here. (That should save your from copy-and-pasting.)

But please be serious, and quick.

My night is very short tonight.

Oh. Me too. So your dissertation on how to learn English will wait?

4:09 PM

I guess that has to wait. (And it's not my dissertation, anyway.)

okok. I have nothing serious!

Okay, I see. :-)

@JimReynolds How about a five-or-ten-minute talk? (I have to clear some stuff on another machine, anyway.)

By the way, I didn't mean to make anyone getting serious. I just have to cut my chatting short tonight.

user116848

Yeah taking a break from chat is good once in a while.

user116848

I do that too.

Oh, it's not like that. I just have something in my schedule that I can't shift it the way I want it.

user116848

4:24 PM

This is kinda romantic:

user116848

user image

That's

NICE!

Yuck! I used that word!

user116848

Nice is a very nice word.

user116848

rimshot!

user116848

Well, do I have to paste every interesting thing here myself? Here:

user116848

4:29 PM

user image

user116848

Now I am tired of chatting.

user116848

4:47 PM

I like this motivation quote:

user116848

user image

user116848

Good quote but I'd change "best days" in the quote to "Good or okayish days". Because "best"? Really?

@arrowfar You're starting to talk some sense.

user116848

I know, right?

7:01 PM

Wow, I'm shocked.

Very shocked.

Anonymous

@arrowfar You'd have to replace the entire phrase "some of the best days of your life" for it to work

Hello @snailboat!

Anonymous

@DamkerngT. American writers and editors do sometimes stick to mechanical punctuation rules that aren't fashionable in the UK at the moment

Anonymous

Hello

Anonymous

@MARamezani No, it's okay.

Anonymous

7:05 PM

That doesn't mean you want to say non-serious all the time, but it's standard English: oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/non-serious

Phew

Anyways, as I was saying, I was shocked.

Anonymous

@DamkerngT. Yeah, a lot of it is knowing when and how to use the word.

Apparently, some people took StackEgg too seriously.

72

Q: When something that was supposed to be fun became not fun

StackEgg! What a great invention. Probably the best thing to hit Stack Exchange since the invention of unicoins! Very entertaining game, very fun to play. Many users have probably spent several hours playing this. And April Fool's day is not over yet. However, where there is great inventions t...

discussion fun april-fools stackegg

Anonymous

@MARamezani Change shmange. (It's a spoken English rule with no standard spelling, so schmange is okay, too.)

Aha.

Anonymous

7:08 PM

@MARamezani Hmm, I'm skeptical.

@snailboat Well I'd call it language-barrier. Such thing to do is correct and feasible here.

Anonymous

@DamkerngT. Pretty good. Obviously non-native, though.

With Turkish, and Persian.

Anonymous

The /ɪ/ sounded a little too high to me the first time I heard it, but I'm not sure now that I relisten.

Anonymous

The mind has a funny way of correcting for that sort of thing. Anyway, my ear isn't good enough to figure out what makes it sound non-native without using some kind of program.

7:17 PM

That?

Anonymous

@DamkerngT. Probably. And my metaphor for learning sports would probably be music :-)

7:49 PM

1

Q: Does the verb "unvelcro" exist or what can we use instead

I know that the followind words do exist: button-unbutton; tie-untie; Can we use the same analogy with the verb "velcro"?

Haha, nice question!

1 hour later…

Simon André Forsberg

9:14 PM

@MARamezani Which ones?

« first day (797 days earlier) ← previous day next day → last day (102 days later) »

Transcript for

Apr '151

English Language Learners

A room to talk about English, linguistics, or anything you wan...

join this room
about this room

00:00

06:00

12:00

18:00

all times are UTC

site design / logo © 2024 Stack Exchange Inc; legal

mobile