Language Overflow

Damkerng T.

1:14 AM

> "If you never miss a plane, you're spending too much time at the airport." --George Stigler

> "Or too little." --Damkerng T.

Crazy Ninja

1:37 AM

Morning

Anyone still alive?

Anonymous

@CrazyNinja I'm alive! I'm aliiiiive〜♬

4

Anonymous

@DamkerngT. It's hard to miss a snail plane. If a snail plane leaves without you, you can catch up pretty easily :-)

Anonymous

@StoneyB I did not know that. I love Wisconsin speech, though, the people who use "donchaknow?" as an utterance final particle.

Anonymous

And I think bubbler is a great word!

Anonymous

So I'm happy to add it to my collection :-)

Crazy Ninja

1:50 AM

Hi @snailplane

Anonymous

Hi, @CrazyNinja! What's up? :-)

Crazy Ninja

I actually came here for looking for a help

Anonymous

What sort of help do you need?

Crazy Ninja

Umm.. It's completely off topic through

*though

Thia is all about asking a girl whether she has a boyfriend or not. I'd

If not

CowperKettle

@snailplane A singing snail plane. Now I've seen all and can die peacefully.

Good morning!

Crazy Ninja

1:53 AM

Hi, Good Morning !

Anonymous

@CrazyNinja I'm not sure how to answer. Your culture may be different from mine. Over here, I'd suggest just asking directly :-)

Crazy Ninja

@snailplane nods. But what I'm looking is, even I can ask it directly. But she was a very good friend. And I know I'm one of her funniest friend

Let me show you how far I came at thia point

(opps! I can't send images from my mobile)

Me: hi

Anonymous

Or you could ask one of her friends.

Anonymous

Or look her up on social media.

Crazy Ninja

Me: do you have a bf?

Me: don't take this as a joke

She: lol whyy?

That's all what we have so far

Damkerng T.

2:00 AM

@snailplane Snail planes are nice!

Crazy Ninja

Should I create a third-party imaginary person and ask this? @snailplane

CowperKettle

@CrazyNinja Ask her "does not your mother by chance need a son-in-law?"

Anonymous

@CrazyNinja I don't really recommend that.

Crazy Ninja

@CowperKettle yeah. It's a nice one. Thanks. But most probably she might have a bf. But, I wanna ask it in a way that I might be able for a replacement

Anonymous

I just meant, if she's already posted the answer online for people to see, then you could find out without asking.

Crazy Ninja

2:02 AM

@snailplane actually she hasn't posted anything so far

Anonymous

I should've known you'd've already looked :-)

Crazy Ninja

@snailplane that was my motivation :p

Give me, 30 min. I'll be back. I'm heading to my office now

Damkerng T.

@CrazyNinja "Well, the thing is I want to see a movie but I don't want to go alone. I wanted to ask you to see the movie together with me, but I was afraid your boyfriend might get mad."

CowperKettle

@DamkerngT. the ideal version

Damkerng T.

In real life, I'm usually just being blunt. :D

Crazy Ninja

2:07 AM

@DamkerngT. Ohh... You ... Always come up super awesome responses. But she is now in Australia. Went for her college degree. She will be back in Sri Lanka probably end of this year

Damkerng T.

Ahh... love at distance!

Crazy Ninja

@DamkerngT. Hahahahah... Yeah. Kind of

Anonymous

2:22 AM

Maybe you could wait until she's back, then.

Anonymous

And see what life is like then.

Crazy Ninja

@snailplane what if she had already choose by that time?

Ok, let's talk. I'm in office now :)

So, what if I will be too late at that time when she comes back to Sri Lanka?

She is really cute and funny. That's why I wanna give her a try. Because even if I failed, I won't be regretting in my life cos I at least asked from her

Damkerng T.

Hmm... how long have you known her?

Crazy Ninja

@DamkerngT. it's like 4 years, But we didn't have much longer conversations. But we were being friends

Damkerng T.

But never boyfriend-girlfriend and you never told her that you like her, right?

Crazy Ninja

2:35 AM

@DamkerngT. Nope. I was afraid my friendship will get broken

Damkerng T.

nods -- Now she's over there. I don't know. If it was in my younger days, I'd say you'd better not tell her your feelings, but you should keep writing to her.

Things are different now, so it's up to you! :D

Crazy Ninja

@DamkerngT. that's a good approach. But with my last few sentences with her, I asked "do you have a bf". So that approach will be quiet awkward now

I can ask her directly. But i was just wondering a nicer way to ask it

i mean, when I ask her, "do you have a bf? I'm not joking with you."
she only replied with like "lol.. why?"

Damkerng T.

It doesn't really matter either way, I think. You could pretend that it didn't happen and continue writing(?) to her normally. I'm sure she'll keep it as a clue in the back of her mind, though.

Crazy Ninja

Now it seems like I have to answer her question in a way that could get some attraction on me

It's occasionally we both being online, cos she has few hours difference and she may do some other work. But she always replies to my messages

@DamkerngT. how could you possibly answer her last question? (If you were me, and want to pick that girl)

CowperKettle

2:52 AM

@CrazyNinja You can say "because I love you!" in a exaggeratedly funny, dramatic way. She will have the option of laughing it off, but will know that you have some feelings towards her.

Crazy Ninja

@CowperKettle But will that make me only just a joke to her? o.O

CowperKettle

Maybe yes. Then you can just talk openly to her.

Crazy Ninja

@CowperKettle yes, you are correct. This would an good option for now. Thanks.

Any other ways you guys think?

Damkerng T.

@CrazyNinja It's a tough question because I don't know her.

Crazy Ninja

This is my feeling to her. >>> I know that you are an exceptional girl i've met in my life. Sometimes you may already have a boyfriend. I know I am not a handsome guy, but you are another shinny diamond I've seen. So I wanna keep that diamond with me

CowperKettle

3:05 AM

> I believe that you are an exceptional girl. You may already have a boyfriend. I know I am not a handsome guy, but you are like a shiny diamond to me. I want keep that diamond with me.

proofread

> I want to keep that diamond with me.

Crazy Ninja

^ thanks. But my sentences doesn't seems to be that much attractive

Can anyone help me with that? Any additions are preferable :)

CowperKettle

You can compose a poem. (0:

> Genetic variations of the COMT gene and a measure of the strength of the brain's communications network -- known as "white matter"-- jointly accounted for 46 percent of the reason for why some students performed better than others in the language class.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160613153358.htm

> The brain scans suggest that within a day of the immersive English training, white matter had already begun to change. Foreign language exposure increased the connectivity of the brain's language circuitry in enrolled students compared with students who were not enrolled in the language class.

> The increase went up over the course of the three-week training, and then reversed after the training ended.

A "Methionine/Valine" English class, a Valine/Valine English class.

Crazy Ninja

@CowperKettle wow! that's much better. Answering her question in a poem

CowperKettle

> YOU are a rose, but set with sharpest spine;
You are a pretty bird that pecks at me;
You are a little squirrel on a tree,
Pelting me with the prickly fruit of the pine;
A diamond, torn from a crystal mine,
Not like that milky treasure of the sea,
A smooth, translucent pearl, but skilfully
Carven to cut, and faceted to shine.

Crazy Ninja

How could I say this,
To make it simple,
How could I say this,
Not to make you cry,
How could I say this,
Without saying goodbye

But my idea won't shows up in those. My idea >>> She is very rare kind of a girl that i've ever seen. I know that i could have a better life with her than anyone else in this whole world

How about this >

I care for you a lot
They say it's crazy but it's not
I want you to know
You impressed me so
I'll be simple
Yet true
Hey, girl, I got a crush on you!

CowperKettle

3:28 AM

Well, from a poetic standpoint, it's trash. From a love message standpoint, it's nice.

You don't need to be a Shakespeare. (0:

Crazy Ninja

@CowperKettle @DamkerngT. @snailplane thanks a lot for your help. Have a nice day! :) I will try this above poem to her and let you know her response :) Hope everything will be good

CowperKettle

You can use her name in a poem

Crazy Ninja

Her name : Sashini

CowperKettle

> To Zakharova Nastya, who never grows rusty, etc. (0:

(name invented)

Crazy Ninja

@CowperKettle I didn't get you

CowperKettle

3:41 AM

@CrazyNinja I mean, I came up with a line with a made up name

Crazy Ninja

What can i get it from that to include her name in that poem??? o.O

CowperKettle

You can try to come up with rhymes of your own

Crazy Ninja

3:55 AM

They say it's crazy but it's not

I want you to know

You impressed me so

I'll be simple

Yet true

Sashini, I got a crush on you!

^I wrote this to her, and now i'm waiting..... ^_^

CowperKettle

> Sashini my dear, not having you near
Is really distressing for me
Please drop me a line
To make me feel fine
(You can even drop two lines, or three!)

Crazy Ninja

If she takes too long to reply today, I'd probably write this. @CowperKettle Thanks a lot mate!

CowperKettle

No problem!

V.V.

4:15 AM

Oh! Lovely.

CowperKettle

4:35 AM

Loverly! (0:

this version is better

Crazy Ninja

4:56 AM

Aaaaannnnd she replied:

"Hahaha okay "

But seems like she took it as another funny statement :( @CowperKettle

How can I convince her that this is a real feeling?

CowperKettle

She might be just shy of showing her feelings.

Crazy Ninja

I am not a experienced lover. How do I approach her?

CowperKettle

But since she did not flatly turn you down, you can just repeat signs of attention.

Crazy Ninja

like how?

CowperKettle

I've made a Community Wiki answer! Yay!

0

A: Meaning of "crutch 'gin" in Browning's Childe Roland

"What crutch [would] begin [to] write my epitaph" -- the narrator imagines the "hoary cripple" writing his epitaph in the dusty road with his crutch. 'gin is a common abbreviation in Elizabethan English; Browning was immersed in the Elizabethan stage, and could count on his readers to recognize ...

@CrazyNinja In different ways. Small gifts, jokes, discussions of what interests her.

BBL

CowperKettle

6:16 AM

Crazy Ninja

hahaha

We_are_the_Borg_

6:28 AM

anyone here know Java?

CowperKettle

7:15 AM

> A student comes to the canteen and finds all the tables occupied. There's only one table with a vacant seat, but there's a professor on the other seat. Seeing the student approach, the professor says: "Geese with geese and swine with swine" (a common byword meaning "to each his own").
> The student replies: "Well, then I gues I'll have to fly away".

> The professor remembers that and decides to off that student later. An exam day comes, the professor gives the hardest exam paper to the student, but the student answers all the questions with flying colours. The professor asks an additional question: "let's say you find two sacks on the side of the road, one sack with gold, the other with smarts. Which would you choose?"

> The student: "the one with gold". - "That's odd, I would pick the one with smarts". - "Well, a man chooses what he needs most".

Crazy Ninja

7:36 AM

@We_are_the_Borg_ probably :p

Sina

@CowperKettle A smart man!

Hi!

CowperKettle

@We_are_the_Borg_ the proper form is probably "knows"

@Sina Hi!

Sina

7:56 AM

@DamkerngT. Reminds me of @TIPS!!

Bubbly @TIPS:D

Crazy Ninja

8:55 AM

@CowperKettle @DamkerngT. her reply is like this> "if you're really serious about this Im glad you told me about it. But don't worry this won't affect our friendship. So lets forget it"

^ What does this mean?

CowperKettle

9:42 AM

Word of the day:

Snap gage

A snap gage is a form of Go/no go gauge. It is a limit gage with permanently or temporarily fixed measurement aperture(s) (gaps) which is used to quickly verify whether an outside dimension of a part matches a preset dimension or falls within predefined tolerances. The surfaces which define the edges of the aperture are the anvils, which may be made of separate pieces of hard material such as tungsten carbide for wear resistance. Two apertures are frequently used to provide Go/No-Go testing and are often arranged such that a part being measured can pass through the two apertures in sequence; a...

@CrazyNinja Sorry, but you might have been friend-zoned

Friend zone

In popular culture, the friend zone is a situation in which one of two friends wishes to enter into a romantic or sexual relationship, while the other does not. It is generally considered to be an undesirable or dreaded situation by the lovelorn person. If a desired party does not return or respond affirmatively to the advances or affection of the desiring party, but continues to participate in the friendship in a platonic way, it is sometimes described as friend-zoning. In a related sense of the term, friend zone can describe a "commitment mismatch", such as when two people are sexually involved...

I wonder why it is "snap gauge". Because it looks like the jaws "snapping" the measured piece?

Crazy Ninja

10:00 AM

@CowperKettle yeah. she just told :(

TIPS

@CowperKettle That is NOT a verb!

Or maybe it is.

@snailplane So all those cheesy cartoons and animated movies about talking airplanes aren't fake?

Damkerng T.

11:31 AM

0

Q: What is the meaning of "moves to comfort his would-be killer and takes his hand in his own"?

Source. Hanna, knowing that he has more in common with Neil than anyone else in his life, moves to comfort his would-be killer and takes his hand in his own. What is the meaning of this sentence: moves to comfort his would-be killer and takes his hand in his own?

I'm pretty sure our OP knows at least 90-95% of the meaning, not only at the word level.

I guess they either don't know would-be or didn't want to look comfort up, or else the appositive confused them, but how can we be sure if they won't tell us?

I wish our users tried to say more about their understanding.

-1

Q: I want to find out the error in the sentence

1)Before any 2)during pandemic 3)the scientists can find out the solutions. Pls find out the error with cause

error

Wow, this is hard. It's really hard because I don't know how to fix the sentence to be grammatical and logical by changing just one word (which is the de facto standard way in these test-prep books).

Damkerng T.

12:10 PM

Word of the Day: lanky jeans

V.V.

12:21 PM

Hi.

Damkerng T.

Hi!

V.V.

I answered some "?" Waiting for dv-s.

Damkerng T.

Wow, I didn't believe that they really wrote "used for comparing"!

CowperKettle

the red marked sign says "open here"

Damkerng T.

@CowperKettle That's very helpful!

CowperKettle

12:30 PM

How do you call this in English? A candy? A piece of candy?

Damkerng T.

Toffee?

CowperKettle

it's "konfeta" in Russian

no, toffee is a subtype of "konfeta"

A konfeta is a piece of kandy that is usually packed in individual packaging.

It could be wide-ranging in its composition: chocolate, nuts etc

Damkerng T.

konfeta makes me think of confectionery!

CowperKettle

yes, but a slab of chocolate is confectionary yet not a "konfeta"

Damkerng T.

I bet Willy Wonka must know what it should be called. :-)

Oh, ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/… is linked to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy. :D

I don't know why, but the first candy that would come to my mind when I hear or read the word would be a lollipop.

Maybe it's because of Kung Fu Hustle.

V.V.

12:41 PM

@CowperKettle, did you like it?

Damkerng T.

A funny font I just stumbled upon: kishanrajani.com/Lollipop-Kung-Fu

V.V.

Chocolates or sweets.

You don't have such things, do you?

Damkerng T.

I like chocolates, BTW.

V.V.

Who doesn't?!

CowperKettle

@V.V. yes (0:

But I don't eat candy, I (have?) lost that habit. Sometimes I have an ice-cream.

V.V.

12:53 PM

What do tney look like? In boxes?

Can you show a picture?

Damkerng T.

@V.V. I guess there are a lot of people who hate chocolates out there. (Poor chocolates!)

V.V.

Poor them, who hate chocolates.

Or they.

Damkerng T.

:D

V.V.

I just composed pity them +poor people.

Damkerng T.

Poor them sounds fine to me.

Sina

1:13 PM

My students r taking final exam. They r all silent. Oh, what a peace. This is the unique opportunity seeing them all quiet:-) the only one who is enjoying is me😈😈😈😈

Damkerng T.

What a devilish smile! :P

You've got a new look, too.!

Sina

Yes! Needed some change!

But realy I love this class. All lovely, funny, energetic, handfuls. Better say my bubbly class!!!!

2

V.V.

Wow, who's that?

Sina

@V.V. A new Sina! Decisive to learn more. My glasses tell so!

V.V.

Hi, Sina.

A nice image.

But I liked that one too, a naughty one.

Is that an ordinary school or language courses? Don't answer if you don't want.

Damkerng T.

1:40 PM

Learn The Alphabet In 85 Movies Or Less

►

LOL

Sina

@V.V. Sorry busy with class! It's an English conversation course in an institute! I don't like school atmosphere. Here's more lively and friendly!! !!

@DamkerngT. :D

Damkerng T.

2:07 PM

3

A: What do you mean that it's wrong?

I wonder whether different examples can shed some light: How can you say [that] it's wrong? There doesn't seem to be anything odd about the nominative subordinate clause "[that] it's wrong". To my eye, it looks like an direct object. It's the thing that can be said. The part tha...

I like it that the answer mentions How do you mean that it's wrong?

For one thing, it seems like a lot of speakers use What do you mean? and How do you mean? almost interchangeably.

We've already had I had rather for I would rather (because of 'd), so it's easier for me to think of it this way.

And we don't have to resort to ellipsis.

CowperKettle

3:09 PM

I translated a Ukrainian verse

> Inside you there’s a censor dwells
Beware the stubbly, rustic little being
That by his homely little elfish spells
Your conscience seeks to strip of any meaning
Little by little, softly, day by day
Will rob you of yourself attempt he
Your heirlooms nip and icons tear away
And leave behind a carcass heaving empty

TIPS

(/¯◡ ‿ ◡)/¯ ~ ┻━┻

CowperKettle

Lina Kostenko

Lina Kostenko (Ukrainian: Ліна Василівна Костенко, born March 19, 1930 in Rzhyshchiv, Kiev Oblast, in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union) is a Ukrainian poet and writer, recipient of the Shevchenko Award (1987). Kostenko is a leading representative of Ukrainian poets of the sixties known as the Sixtiers. This group started publishing during the 1950s and reached its apex during the early 1960s. It was during the 1950s when Kostenko published her first poems in major Ukrainian periodicals. == Life == Kostenko was born in a family of teachers. In 1936, she moved from Rzhyshchiv to Kyiv, where...

TIPS

CowperKettle

@TIPS Since I've just translated it a minute ago, the translation looks nice to me. But I might find it horrible in a week's time

It was time well spent.

TIPS

@CowperKettle Since you've just translated it a minute ago, the translation looks nice to me too.

@Sina Sometimes when I was taking a final exam I felt the teacher was taking revenge on us, and devilishly smiling inside while watching us.

Damkerng T.

3:22 PM

-1

A: In the given sentence, should I mix the tenses, or should I keep them in harmony?

Your first sentence is correct, however your second sentence should be I thought you were one of those people who doesn't like dogs. the progression is who doesn't like dogs those people who don't like dogs one of those people who doesn't like dogs The meanings are slightly differ...

And here we go again. One of those who do or one of those who does.

TIPS

2 hours ago, by V.V.

Poor them, who hate chocolates.

I wonder; if strictly speaking, is this grammatical?

Is this a correct form of apposition?

Damkerng T.

Hmm... a stickler may want Poor they, but Poor them sounds more natural to me.

@TIPS Oh, I see. You meant another point.

TIPS

I would've phrased it as "Poor those who hate chocolate."

@DamkerngT. Poor them in itself is good, I can tell for sure

Damkerng T.

My natural choice would be Poor them, whoever hate chocolates.

TIPS

What a problematic sentence! I would've said "whoever hates".

Damn sentence is making me use "would have".

Damkerng T.

3:27 PM

Hmm... it comes after them, but your point makes me think.

I don't think whoever is really singular, but I'm not 100% sure.

TIPS

(/¯◡ ‿ ◡)/¯ ~ ┻━┻

CowperKettle

> Inside you there’s a censor dwells

Look ungrammatical

But let it remain

TIPS

Looks ungrammatical for @Cowp's sake.

Damkerng T.

> Socrates: Then whoever enjoy are good, and whoever are in pain are bad?

TIPS

Unfair; @Socrates isn't a native speaker.

Damkerng T.

3:31 PM

> The Tragedy and Comedy of Life: Plato's Philebus - Page 68

It's a translation. I think the translator is a native speaker.

TIPS

The Translator is the next blockbuster.

Coming soon

Damkerng T.

:D

TIPS

Now back to square one: Is @V.V.'s wording grammatical?

Damkerng T.

I still like The Interpreter. I hope they'll rerun it again soon.

@TIPS Hmm... probably marginal.

TIPS

How grammatical? 1. Beginner 2. Intermediate 3. Native speaker 4. Mild pedant 5. Descriptivist pedant 6. Prescriptivist pedant 7. Pedantry god 8. Dammit, it's grammatical

Damkerng T.

3:35 PM

Possibly may be grammatical.

TIPS

That's around 5.5.

Damkerng T.

The Trailer for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" Reveals a New Character

►

There's a new character! Whooping Willy!

(jump to 1:43 for the original trailer, and 2:49 for one with Whooping Willy inside)

TIPS

Oh, it's the same anchor from a funny GIF I remember.

Sina

4:32 PM

@TIPS Seems you haven't been too wrong😈😈😈😈😈

Damkerng T.

LOL

V.V.

Found "poor them ". for MAR, can't make a link with my connection.

How it came from the depths of my memory, don't know.

Just remembered "poor thing" and " poor them", subconsciously.

TIPS

5:00 PM

@V.V. So it's a zenish thing?

Simpson safety messages

CowperKettle

5:32 PM

> Birds have primate-like numbers of neurons in the forebrain. PNAS, June 13, 2016 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1517131113

TIPS

So it's the back of the head that betrays them.

Wait, fore- from which direction?

Damkerng T.

1

Q: A "Whoever vs Whomever" usage puzzling example

In her famous Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation and at the grammarbook.com site, Jane Straus gives the following examples and brief explanations of the use of whoever and whomever: 1.Give it to whoever/whomever asks for it first. He asks for it first. Therefore, whoever is correct. ...

grammar pronouns

> My dad said: Give the money to whoever/whomever who you are sure can't get by without it.

It's an interesting (made-up) sentence.

a) I wonder who would write it this decade unless they lived in an ivory tower.

b) one is normal, two in a row is odd, more than two could be absurd.

Anyone whoever that which who that who would think like this?

Sina

6:12 PM

@V.V. Poor them is right. Not poor they. In an exclamatory phrase we use adjective with object pronoun!

TIPS

6:39 PM

@Sina My problem was with the apposition after it.

Sina

@TIPS l know!

@TIPS what does MAR stand for?

It's my initial.

@TIPS Right!

Amnesia, @Sina

@V.V. No, I hadn't told her.

Sina

6:46 PM

@V.V. what?

V.V.

You did.

TIPS

@V.V. You talk with so much certainty that . . . OK whatever

V.V.

That's a joke.

Sina

What r u chatting about? Include me?

TIPS

V.V. thought that you forgot that MAR is my initials, then I told him that it's not, then he said it is, and I thought I forgot about it too, then you asked what we're talking about.

Sina

6:49 PM

@TIPS I thought @V.V. is a she:D

TIPS

(┛◉Д◉)┛彡┻━┻

Sina

Sorry about that!

TIPS

I forgot that too.

@V.V. care to clarify?

OK I wonder which of the chatters first thought @Dam is a she.

Sina

@TIPS How many tables do you have:D

TIPS

@Sina A bunch

Sina

6:51 PM

:D

Once I thought!

Damkerng T.

I was mentioned ...

TIPS

You can join the Table Flip Academy™ here: japaneseemoticons.me

@DamkerngT. Morning, robot

Sina

we were backbiting.

TIPS

Make us some coffee

Damkerng T.

The coffee maker is out of function right now.

TIPS

6:55 PM

K I gotta sleep. Night all \o

Sina

@TIPS Thank u!

O/

Damkerng T.

Sleep tight!

Sina

7:17 PM

@DamkerngT. Really I was wrong with V.V???

Damkerng T.

I can't remember V.V. telling us that, but it looks like TIPS knows.

Maybe @V.V. can solve this mystery for us. :-)

Sina

@DamkerngT. OK! So I wonder shall I use they 4 every one? It's more safe. But odd.

If they likes!

Damkerng T.

@Sina I imagine we would use the singular they less often in face-to-face conversations. :-)

Sina

And not in chat rooms!

Damkerng T.

@Sina Even though this they refers to a single person, we would use they like rather than they likes, BTW.

Sina

7:24 PM

This way I totally mustaken it!!!

How is it in Thai?

U have same problem?

Damkerng T.

Thai has a bigger set of pronouns, so it's easier to be vague.

Sina

In Azery and Persion, we just have one 3rd singular prounoun for human beings

So no such vagueness!

Damkerng T.

@Sina The gender is always unspecified, I suppose.

Sina

Yes.

How many pronouns 4 3rd singular d u have?

Damkerng T.

Hmm... it's unclear, actually.

Sina

7:30 PM

How?

Damkerng T.

We have at least 17 words for I, and maybe more than 10 words for you, but I said it's unclear because it's really unclear what should be considered a pronoun in Thai!

Sina

Oh!

Damkerng T.

We have a word that can be used, depending on context, for either you or her.

We have another word that can be used, depending on context, for either they or him.

See, it's not easy to explain!

Sina

@DamkerngT. So a person can think of himself as 17 people!! U will never feel alone then!

Damkerng T.

And being a monosyllabic and a pro-drop language, it's easy to make something like "he who you know who" sounds like a single word in Thai.

@Sina LOL

@Sina Some words are reserved for those who have special statuses, so not everyone can use all of them. Come to think of it, I don't think anyone can use every one of them.

Sina

7:35 PM

@DamkerngT. Wow!!!

Damkerng T.

For example, some of these words will reveal that you are male (or female), but some won't. :-)

Sina

@DamkerngT. I completely understood! Couldn't be easier!!!

Damkerng T.

> "ผม เรา ฉัน ดิฉัน หนู กู ข้า กระผม ข้าพเจ้า กระหม่อม อาตมา กัน ข้าน้อย ข้าพระพุทธเจ้า อั๊ว เขา" all translate to "I", but each expresses a different gender, age, politeness, status, or relationship between speaker and listener.

> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_language#Pronouns

(Those are not all of the words for I, BTW.)

Sina

@DamkerngT. So U can at least feel to be 2, or 3. Good! Again u won't feel alone:) How you managed 2 learn 2 talk!!!;)

Thanks 4 the link!

Damkerng T.

@Sina Haha!

My pleasure!

Sina

7:47 PM

Night! Full of starflowers:-)

Damkerng T.

Good night!

Sina

8:13 PM

@DamkerngT. Backed to apologize. I didn't mean to be mean. Was just kidding. But then I thought first language is not a topic for joking. I'm truely sorry! Good night!

Damkerng T.

@Sina Don't worry. I don't think it was offensive in any way.

2

Q: Is it necessary to use past perfect tenses with words like "before" or "after"?

I had never done anything crazy in my life before I started learning how to skydive five months ago. I never did anything crazy in my life before I started learning...... Are both the above sentences grammatically correct? I see natives not using past perfects all the time. I was on t...

past-perfect

That makes me think, the writer on that site is probably not a native speaker.

Or maybe they tried too hard to focus on the Exam English dialect.

Interestingly, I can't find its About Us page, or something similar on the site.

Damkerng T.

10:04 PM

0

Q: "He must have probably been an excellent student" -- what does it mean?

It's stated on some learning website that it means Perhaps, he was not the most excellent student. Is it right? It seems strange for me. There is not any negation in the sentence. I'd agreed on that if the "probably" were substituted for "never", for instance.

modal-verbs past-perfect negation

Hmm... if they said He must have probably been an excellent student means "he was not the most excellent student", I'm afraid that I'd have to guess that in their dialect (not mine) they must have probably a native speaker.

*been

> Imagine, a room, awash in gasoline. And there are two implacable enemies in that room. One of them has 9,000 matches. The other has 7,000 matches. Each of them is concerned about who’s ahead, who’s stronger. Well, that's the kind of situation we are actually in.

> --Carl Sagan

All of a sudden, I miss him.

Damkerng T.

11:06 PM

Word of the Day: precipice

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