Some people really have an extraordinary writing style. It makes me wanna keep reading their piece. But then when I write, I find my writing incredibly academic and boring. I wouldn't want to read my work. I make sure that my sentence construction is correct and that my writing is grammatical and idiomatic. But it never sounds great. There is no color in it. Then I try for hours to write like those awesome writers. I spend days trying to write one great sentence.
That is awful!
Anonymous
12:28 AM
I write the way I speak, and I speak the way I write.
> After Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall where was he taken to? The Mayo Clinic
@AIQ I noticed this in Russian press. A couple of journalists have an outstanding style: clear and interesting. It's a pleasure to reread their piece just for the sake of reading.
But 99% of journalists write in a style that is not pleasant for rereading.
I tried comparing texts, but I can't understand the crux of the difference.
On two separate incidents, I have been told that the sentence below (without any context) is rude.
I want a chocolate now.
Question:
Is this an absolute interpretation? Where is the argument for "rude" coming from - is it the use of "now" at the end? Or is it the use of "I want"? P...
(Note: this is just my opinion)
I'm referring to the comments from this thread.
Is it our duty to decide whether an answer would be useful to a learner or not, considering that there are different kinds of learners and learning needs are not the same per person? I'm wondering because I am also...
Out of curiosity, I wonder if non-native speakers screw up more when speaking to a particular group of people?
I have been told that while taking to certain people, non-natives overthink what they are going to say - they become too cautious with their words, grammar, idiomatic language, etc. That makes them screw up even more.
If that is true - what is a good way to stop thinking about what you are going to say?
Isn't most statements or opinions open to argument. Then why do we use "arguably"?
Usain Bolt is the fastest runner. Many people will argue against this. Usain Bolt is arguably the fastest runner. Many will argue against this too. What is the difference?
It's the same as far as my belief (yes/no) in the veracity of that statement goes.
The way I see it, with arguably it's as if you've had some thought about it: you pondered the reasons for and against it and have decided that indeed there are good reasons to believe in the claim you're making.
Hm... I think it's only a stronger statement than There are no good reasons to believe that to be the case.
I'm only differentiating here between having thought about it and just some random, possibly unsubstantiated opinion I have.
Arguably can be used as a way of hedging. I think you could say Bolt is arguably the fastest man on Earth while thinking he might not actually be, and yet acknowledging that it may in fact be argued convincingly that he is. There are, after all, no other men who have officially been recognized as faster.
I don't think so. I don't think people who know that our planet is round would say Earth is arguably flat. The argument for that isn't very convincing. I guess it could be said ironically.
You could say it ironically as though you've considered / you're considering the idea and haven't found it entirely preposterous.
On two separate incidents, I have been told that the sentence below (without any context) is rude.
I want a chocolate now.
Question:
Is this an absolute interpretation? Where is the argument for "rude" coming from - is it the use of "now" at the end? Or is it the use of "I want"? P...
(Note: this is just my opinion)
I'm referring to the comments from this thread.
Is it our duty to decide whether an answer would be useful to a learner or not, considering that there are different kinds of learners and learning needs are not the same per person? I'm wondering because I am also...
Language Overflow
Language Overflow