Language Overflow

Cardinal

18:01

@Catija Because I didn't check my sentence before pressing enter button. :)

@CowperKettle Hi

@CowperKettle This is very common in Persian, but it is pronounced as /ruz be kheir/.

CowperKettle

@Cardinal Ah! ruz be kheir then!

Cardinal

@CowperKettle Is that your translation? Is that "the .... of ...." structure the reason that you think it sounds odd

CowperKettle

@Cardinal The whole sentence is bulky

Cardinal

@CowperKettle Thank you, however, it is 10:39 PM right now

CowperKettle

> The precision of an analytical procedure expresses the closeness of agreement (degree of scatter) between a series of measurements obtained from multiple sampling of the same homogenous sample under the prescribed conditions. Precision may be considered at three levels: repeatability, intermediate precision, and reproducibility.

I wonder if it is natural.

Should it not be "among", not "between"?

it is from an article written by a Russian woman

Cardinal

18:12

you mean since there can be more than two series, therefore, she should've used "among"?

CowperKettle

I dunno. No. Maybe it's okay after all.

I lifted some expressions from this definition to use in my translation

> Precision: expresses the magnitude of the confidence interval calculated for a series of repeated analyses of the same sample (random error), i.e. the closeness of agreement between a series of measurements.

Voila

I'll need to read that article.

Because I've no idea what I just wrote.

I have a hazy idea.

Cardinal

nods

Man_From_India

@Araucaria are you still there?

CowperKettle

> In statistics, a confidence interval (CI) is a type of interval estimate of a population parameter. It is an observed interval (i.e., it is calculated from the observations), in principle different from sample to sample, that frequently includes the value of an unobservable parameter of interest if the experiment is repeated. (WIKIPEDIA)

This definition is way too complex.

Cardinal

18:36

I see, I am not an expert in this brunch, estimation theory and estimating by sampling technique. but, I think I can explain the CI for the mean of a random process. As we know, in order to calculate the average of a set whose elements are random. You can sum the random element's value, dividing the result on the number of elements. This is your estimation for the mean value of the set. Now, a parameter is defined to determine to what extent this estimation is accurate, that is CI.

A wide interval would suggest your estimation for the mean value is not very accurate and you need to extend the set. This means you need to provide more samples or observations so as to refine the estimate for the mean value

Cardinal

18:49

@CowperKettle I wish it help

Man_From_India

Remember is not introducing a clause. What you have there is a reduced relative clause. The unreduced form is I remember that you promised to help. The relative clause is introduced by that, not by remember - which should be obvious as that would leave a semtence with no verb! — Roaring Fish 1 hour ago

Am I wrong in not considering that you promised to help in the following sentence to be a relative clause?

> I remember that you promised to help.

Listen.. I am a highly educated professional linguist, and have been for years. Don't waffle at me about 'murky concepts', or about these 'modern grammarians' you keep referring to - they are my colleagues and they don't say what you claim, which is why you ignored my request for specifics of who they are. We are discussing the sentence I was going to call you when I got home. Not any other sentences you have invented. Just that one. You say that in that sentence - not any other - when is a preposition. Explain how it functions as a preposition in that sentence and without the waffle. — Roaring Fish 13 mins ago

Anonymous

19:15

In English, relative clauses usually have something called a gap. Typically, a relative clause modifies a head noun which semantically fills that gap.

Anonymous

> I hit the ball

Anonymous

> the [ball that I hit ＿＿]

Anonymous

Now, if we look at your example:

Anonymous

> I remember [that you promised to help].

Anonymous

You might say that help seems to be missing a complement. You can say a complement like me or someone has been ellipted, and the exact complement we'd expect would depend on context.

Anonymous

19:17

But there is no gap linked to a head noun outside the bracketed constituent.

Anonymous

Instead, we could say that help is being used intransitively here.

Anonymous

Now, we could make the same string into a relative clause:

Anonymous

> the [person that you promised to help ＿＿]

Anonymous

Now there's a head noun which semantically fills the role of the gap.

Anonymous

The relative clause (starting with that) modifies the head noun person.

Anonymous

19:19

So the same string, that you promised to help, could be a relative clause in another example.

Anonymous

But in your example it is instead an expandable declarative content clause.

Anonymous

@Man_From_India Rather than argue with Roaring Fish, simply provide references to CGEL, and maybe explain that by "modern grammarians" you're referring to post-Jespersen grammar. For example, for your claim that when is a preposition, see The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, p.615.

Anonymous

I don't recommend spending time arguing with that user.

Anonymous

In any case, your answer will be stronger if you cite your claims.

Araucaria

20:31

@snailplane , @Man_From_India I completely concur with all of Snailer's comments there. Very good advice. I learnt the hard way :)

@Man_From_India Sorry to miss you before ...

Damkerng T.

21:58

When someone starts to convince us or try to win an argument by telling us who they are, what they did or have done or achieved, and so on, it usually occurs to me that they can't really give us good evidence that supports their claims in the argument. In other words, the argument is not objective anymore.

Speaking of which, I've heard that this book is good:

amazon.com/Wrong-us-Scientists-relationship-consultants/dp/…

user208178

do you mostly buy your books from Amazon or bookshops?

user208178

I think I have never tried Amazon.

Damkerng T.

I guess I buy more ebooks than real books lately. :D

user208178

I used to visit bookshops here but then lost the habit.

user208178

Ah :)

Damkerng T.

22:10

I wonder why CGEL doesn't come in an ebook format. It would be nice to be able to search the book. :D

user208178

yes I read a starred message here once that you bought it :) Congrats!

user208178

I still have that <cough> bogus <cough> version of CGEL ;)

user208178

do you have access to OED unabridged version? I think the library card access to the dictionary is only in the west. I'm not sure. I'll check again here.

user208178

I just feel like quoting parts from the OED sometimes like some people do, but don't have any access. Well, free dictionaries online like ODO and Webster's are quite good as well.

user208178

more than enough I guess.

Damkerng T.

22:20

@Arrowfar I don't have that. -- sad

user208178

yeah me too.

user208178

heh

user208178

22:38

nice chatting with you m8 as always. Peace and good luck. I think I should be getting some sleep. Good night!

Damkerng T.

Good night!

Nihilist_Frost

I can assure that my parents speak with a non-rhotic accent

and me and my brother speak with a rhotic accent

Damkerng T.

:D

Nihilist_Frost

but they cannot produce a single /ʌðɚ/ word

they say them with /ɒðə/

or perhaps /odə/

and other bizarre spelling pronunciations

/sekond/ for second

Damkerng T.

23:27

because

Adverb: because ‎(not comparable)

(archaic) For the reason (that).
1611, Authorized King James Version of Genesis 2:3:
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
On account (of), for sake (of).
I ruined my life because of you!‎
Used alone to refuse to provide a full answer a question begun with "why", often taken as an ellipsis of "Because I said so".

Conjunction: because

By or for the cause that; on this account that; for the reason that.
I hid myself because I was afraid.‎
As is known, inferred, or determined from the fact that.
It must be broken, because I pressed the button and nothing happened.‎
He's not a nice guy, because he yells at people for no reason.‎

(3 more not shown…)

Interestingly, that definition of because says it can be an adverb, a conjunction, and a preposition.

What's really interesting is that the page has a References section only under Preposition. Does this mean it's widely accepted that because can be either an adverb or a conjunction?

Macmillan (macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/american/because) only has conjunction.

Damkerng T.

23:41

Mishearing of the Day: I see a silly wetter man. (actual words: I see a silhouette of a man)

:D

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