English Language Learners

Anonymous

1:00 PM

I give this book five out of five Damkerngs

Damkerng T.

LOL

Having five of my avatar beside it wold be even neater!

Anonymous

I've never heard of giving something two out of ten horseshoes

Anonymous

But I assume it's just a more colorful way of saying a two out of ten rating

Anonymous

Two out of ten stars

Anonymous

The unit doesn't really matter because it cancels out: 2 stars out of 10 stars is 2/10

Damkerng T.

1:03 PM

nods -- I guess it's because they run a site called Java Ranch. :-)

Anonymous

Sounds right to me!

Damkerng T.

I think my quick spelling checker is defunct today!

I spelled wold!

Anonymous

Hee

Anonymous

I refuse to use a spell checker

Anonymous

If I misspell something, well, whoever I'm talking to will just have to deal with my poor spelling and/or typing skills :-)

Damkerng T.

1:13 PM

I could very well have both of the two accounts!

Damkerng T.

1:41 PM

> In "Games for Vocabulary Practice" by Felicity O'Dell and Katie Head (Cambridge,2003)I have come across this phrase more than once reading the guidelines for running activities, e.g. "Student B pretends to be the person ON the picture"
http://ell.stackexchange.com/q/37878/3281

Interesting!

Anonymous

Looks like a typo

Damkerng T.

We have a new face here!

Hello, @Mr.Alien!

Mr. Alien

hello :)

Damkerng T.

@snailboat I wonder if a book from Cambridge would really have such a typo. Maybe it's really a typo.

Anonymous

@DamkerngT. I don't believe any publisher is above typos.

Damkerng T.

1:45 PM

@Mr.Alien Wow, I couldn't even see the whole of your profile when I clicked on your avatar!

Mr. Alien

haha yea too many rooms in fav list.. if you are looking for the main one, then here you go

Damkerng T.

Ah, an avid SO user!

Mr. Alien

kinda but no anymore...

Damkerng T.

@snailboat The most interesting thing is the OP said "more than once"!

@Mr.Alien Okay, a regular user, then. :-)

Mr. Alien

yes :)

Anonymous

1:51 PM

books.google.com/books/about/…

Anonymous

Can you search inside this book where you are, Damkerng?

Damkerng T.

@snailboat Oh, not in this book. I cannot.

Anonymous

Drat.

user116848

I am feverish with a sore throat. Bad day.

Damkerng T.

Oh, no!

Anonymous

1:53 PM

@DamkerngT. If the guidelines are the same each time, they might have been copied and pasted in error

Anonymous

@Arrowfar Feel better!

Damkerng T.

@snailboat That's quite plausible!

Damkerng T.

2:37 PM

> "Where has this product been made?"

Hmm...

user116848

Yeah "Where was this product made?" sounds better.

user116848

etc.

Damkerng T.

I'm trying to come up with a context that allows "Where has this product been made?" -- still trying...

user116848

okay :-)

Damkerng T.

Without other words, the sentence just sounds wrong to me.

user116848

2:44 PM

1

A: Could you help me with this sentence I wrote, please?

You could simply say: "Where was this product made?" Or "Is this 'made in China'?" Or "Where is this product from?" In "Where has this product been made?" they are using present perfect. It indicates the action that is completed now. "Where has this product being made?" is not grammatical. Y...

user116848

0

A: combine two sentence into one sentence

You could say: "I went to honeymoon trip in Hong Kong. It was my last trip." Or "I did my honeymoon trip in Hong Kong. It was my last trip. " Breaking these sentences with a 'period' looks much better. Or much better is: "In my last trip I went honeymooning in Hong Kong"

Damkerng T.

oerkelens already commented the other one.

user116848

Oh, I gave an answer to this question too:

user116848

0

A: Is "We decided to repeat the monologues in turn one after another" right?

It looks okay to me. However you can use the word 'both' in your sentence to make it more clear. Also by using comma at the end of your sentence. Therefore we both decided to repeat the monologues in turn, (one after another.) Or Therefore both of us decided to repeat the monologues i...

user116848

@DamkerngT. Yeah

Damkerng T.

2:46 PM

@Jim informative! They are just one side of the conversation. by we could not hear I meant the sentences of the other side of the conversation was missing, they were not recorded. Please write an answer below. — Juya 23 hours ago

That's not really clear.

They can't hear what the other say?

And yet they don't (weren't?) record the conversation?

Anonymous

@DamkerngT. That's an experiential perfect. "This product has been made in both Japan and Korea at different points in time, but these days it's made in China and Indonesia"

Damkerng T.

@snailboat If we knock all other words out and turn it into a question, would you still use the present perfect?

Probably okay.

Anonymous

Yes: "Where has this product been made?" = "What locations has this line of products been manufactured at in the past?"

Damkerng T.

nods -- Nice context!

Anonymous

But it's not a common sentence, I think.

Anonymous

2:51 PM

More common would be "Where was this product made?" = "Where was this product manufactured?"

Anonymous

Hmm, my gloss isn't particularly explanatory on that one . . . :-)

Damkerng T.

It works fine for me. :-)

Anonymous

"Where was this product made?" = "What location was this particular product produced in?"

Damkerng T.

"Where has this product been made?" = "Where has this product been ever made?"

Anonymous

Nice! Yeah, ever illustrates it

Damkerng T.

2:54 PM

I also have a problem with another question about finishing marble tiling.

1

A: One word for preparing (rubbing/polishing) marble tiles?

Popularly, it is known as Tile Sanding and Rubbing among ceramic professionals. Tile sanding and rubbing is the procedure that makes the tiles smoother and shinier. This is commonly done when the tiles are new OR when they are too old and need servicing. On the market, you find Tile sanding a...

Anonymous

I don't know anything about that subject

Damkerng T.

My gut says the other two answers are better than this one, but the OP seems to like it.

Me either. That's why I didn't comment anything.

But if you followed the link he gave, homedepot.com/p/…, you'll find that its rather clear that the QEP Tile Sanding and Rubbing Stone with Dual Grit Surfaces isn't for making tiles smoother and shinier.

The 2nd and the 3rd photos make it quite clear.

And I tried googling for "Tile Sanding and Rubbing" and got nothing else but this QEP Tile Sanding and Rubbing Stone in the results.

Anonymous

Have you ever sanded something with something with really fine grit, like 2000+?

Damkerng T.

Nope.

Another thing is "ceramic professionals" makes me think of something else.

My idea, which is based on my first language, is we sand the floor to course-polish it, then we polish it, then we coat it.

Anonymous

I only really know about sanding in other contexts, like sanding a guitar

Damkerng T.

3:03 PM

In any case, I think the OP already got the right word, polish.

Anonymous

This isn't directly relevant, but I was just watching this video:

Anonymous

►

Anonymous

5000 grit!

Anonymous

Even with 5000 grit, polishing is a separate step

Anonymous

Apparently.

Damkerng T.

3:05 PM

Neat!

I asked my house's builder once (because my house has a ceramic tile floor), what if we got scratches or anything. And he told me that they can "polish" (it's in Thai, but roughly, polish rather than rubbing or sanding). I then asked, do we need some special chemicals to make it shiny after the polishing. He said no. And I think I didn't really believe him.

With 5000 grit, maybe he didn't lie!

But I'm pretty sure that parquet flooring needs coating.

user116848

3:29 PM

@DamkerngT. , @snailboat So, whenever I talk to you guys it is always fun! I hope you guys never leave ELL :D

user116848

Just thought I should say something nice. Haha

Damkerng T.

Hehe!

Up-close, on-the-road product demonstration is quite a skill!

When I was younger, I really enjoyed going to exhibitions. I guess I kind of tire of crowded places nowadays.

user116848

3:44 PM

So, I don't go to any events that people sometimes invite me to here. I don't know why.

user116848

I lose many friends that way I guess.

Damkerng T.

You mean, not at all?

user116848

No, not like that. I sometimes go.

Damkerng T.

Ahh

user116848

I mean most often this is the case :)

user116848

4:19 PM

►

user116848

My favorite game!

user116848

I don't play any games nowadays though.

user116848

All cut scenes :D

Damkerng T.

Neat!

user116848

Yep! :D

Damkerng T.

4:22 PM

Though my image of Lara Croft is still more of the first version, which is less human like. :-)

user116848

I see :)

user116848

They are making her more and more real.

Damkerng T.

nods -- I think it helps the realistic look.

user116848

yeah

Damkerng T.

►

For some reason, this looked so cool back then!

user116848

4:30 PM

Yeah, it did. It looks kinda funny now!

user116848

Still, at that time it was considered very good graphics.

Damkerng T.

Indeed!

The wolf scene was also great!

I don't know if we will see Lara Croft on the silver screen again. Probably not.

user116848

You mean movie? Yeah, I hope they make some new good film.

Damkerng T.

Yes!

Anonymous

@DamkerngT. I'm not sure I understand the point of discarding a running motorcycle by dropping it into the sea

user116848

4:41 PM

@snailboat Only for action? :D

Damkerng T.

@snailboat To land near the boat as much as possible, perhaps. :-)

user116848

Plus for Looking cool :-)

user116848

Like in Resident Evil movie, the heroin comes into a church (I guess) on heavy bike by breaking windows and firing!

user116848

It was a awesome scene.

user116848

I remembered just now!

Damkerng T.

4:45 PM

@Arrowfar The bike was used to break the window!

:P

user116848

Yeah

Damkerng T.

I don't know exactly when it started, but I think it should be within the last 25 years that characters in games and movies started to shoot their guns both hands. And it's been popular ever since.

user116848

Yeah. Lara Croft uses one hand for heavy pistols like 'Desert Eagle' though.

user116848

It looks like a very silly talk lol

Damkerng T.

Hehe!

user116848

4:48 PM

:-)

Amit Joki

@Arrowfar I finished TRA just few days before

user116848

@AmitJoki Good to know :)

Anonymous

0

Q: What is the us of using preposition 'of' to talk about possessions with *ANIMATE* countable nouns?

In the coursebook 'New Round-Up 3' by Virginia Evans, Jenny Dooley and Irina Kondrasheva (Pearson, 2010) I have come across a title "A Day in the life OF a Farmer'. Michael Swan in his fully revised 'Practical English Usage' (third edition, OUP, 2013) says that 'we use the 's structure most ofte...

possessive

Anonymous

Hmm, but a day in the life of X is something of a fixed pattern...

Damkerng T.

A friend of my dad is also natural.

Ice Girl

4:56 PM

Hi all

Damkerng T.

Swan's 440.1 has this note: "An of-structure is preferred when the 'possessing' is very long". — Damkerng T. 8 secs ago

The problem is I'm not sure how long is very long.

@IceGirl Hello

Ice Girl

@DamkerngT. What's up?

Damkerng T.

> a) A day in the life of X
b) X's day in X's life
c) A day in X's life

@IceGirl Same old, same old.

Ice Girl

OK

Anonymous

5:14 PM

4

A: Do I have to use “do” in any “wh-” question?

The rule is: You do not use do a) when the Wh- word is the Subject of the verb, or is a 'determiner' on the subject Who told you that? Which bus goes downtown? b) when the tensed verb is a form of BE Who are you? How old are you? Where were ...

Anonymous

Or, in short: You need to invert the subject and auxiliary unless the interrogative phrase is in subject position, so if you don't have an auxiliary already, add the dummy auxiliary do

2

user62015

Hi Dam!

Damkerng T.

Hi!

user62015

I have written a small paragraph on me, could you please check it out? if I have made any mistake you may help me out. I understand that it is not allowed here but I request you to help me out. I am on a mobile device so please forgive any typo mistake. Please also check written English also like commas and periods at the right place. May I send you the paragraph?

Damkerng T.

5:31 PM

If it's just a few sentences, also, I can't guarantee that I can catch all the errors. :-)

user62015

My name is Vinod Kumar. I am a Graduate in xyz from New Delhi. I have worked with many International and National companies in New Delhi. It was a great learning experience and I have learnt a lot there which I am sharing with my students in New Delhi. I just love Programming and trying to help people who want to learn it too!!! I have learnt it in a natural atmosphere which was created by me. It is very funny and easy, which helps you in many ways.

Thanks, I have just sent it. Thank you so much!!!

Freddy

Fantasier

Okay...

Anonymous

You might try Lang-8 for proofreading

user62015

Dam take your time. I am curious to know my mistakes. Thank you so much again.

Damkerng T.

5:40 PM

> My name is Vinod Kumar. I am a graduate in xyz from New Delhi. I have worked with many national and international companies in New Delhi. It was a great ~~learning~~ experience and I have learnt a lot. I am now sharing my experience with my students in New Delhi.

> I just love programming, and I love helping people who want to learn it, too!!!

I'm not sure about the rest.

> ? I have learnt it in a natural atmosphere which was created by me. It is very funny and easy, which helps you in many ways.

Do you mean: I have learnt it. I learnt it in the environment I created it myself.

user62015

Great. Thank you so much. I made these mistakes by mistakes -:)

Damkerng T.

Also, Lang-8 is great for proofreading, because you will get different feedback from different people.

I don't like some of the corrections, but I don't want to rephrase your sentences.

user62015

Are you telling me about Lang-8?

Damkerng T.

Yes. Like snailboat said.

user62015

Oh!

What does it do?

Damkerng T.

5:46 PM

You post your own sentences. Other users correct them.

user62015

Great.

Damkerng T.

That's pretty much the way that site works (or I think it works).

user62015

Let me know url please?

Damkerng T.

It's here: lang-8.com

user62015

Thanks. I am there.

Damkerng T.

5:48 PM

Happy learning!

user62015

Thank you so much guys. Have a great day.

Bye bye.

Damkerng T.

6:32 PM

To Siri, With Love: How One Boy With Autism Became BFF With Apple’s Siri

> Unless you are Harry Potter, you probably don't live with an owl in your house. But writer Martin Windrow lived with his "one true owl" long before Harry met Hedwig, as we discover in the charming book, The Owl Who Liked Sitting on Caesar.

> Written by a British historian and military expert employed at a London publishing house, this poignant memoir tells the story of a man who fell under the spell of an extraordinary owl – thanks in part to the influence of his older brother, a falconer.
http://www.theguardian.com/science/grrlscientist/2014/jul/24/owl-who-liked-sitting-on-caesar-martin-windrow-book-review

Anonymous

7:13 PM

A question about determiners!

user116848

9:46 PM

What? They didn't take any writing exercise in Overlook chat today.

user116848

:(

user116848

Everyone is busy it seems.

user116848

Okay, then I'll get busy too.

user116848

10:26 PM

0

A: Is inpolite to say "check this out"?

There is no problem in saying 'check this out'. Unless the thing one is referring to, is wrong to refer to that way, like 'a person'.

user116848

So, today whenever I am laying on my bed I am feeling feverish. And when I am getting myself busy with easy tasks like 'reading' I am feeling relatively better.

Anonymous

I think it's helpful to distinguish formality from politeness

Anonymous

It's definitely informal but there's nothing intrinsically impolite about it

Anonymous

@Arrowfar Feel better!

Anonymous

When are the writing exercises normally?

user116848

10:34 PM

@snailboat Yeah they could also use formal words like: "examine, go through, assess, weigh up, analyse, evaluate"

user116848

I should edit my answer a bit

user116848

@snailboat Thanks! :D

user116848

@snailboat On Tuesdays. This week they missed somehow.

user116848

:)

user116848

@snailboat In my above sentence I am using too many gerunds like 'feeling', 'getting' then again 'feeling'. Does it look odd?

user116848

11:10 PM

Bye.

Transcript for