Language Overflow

user2684291

00:29

@snailplane I'd never really thought about the difference between those words. Thank you for the explanation.

CowperKettle

04:15

> In an experiment, cognitive psychologists have shown how word comprehension can be sped up – namely by having study participants grasp objects while reading at the same time.

sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161221090120.htm

QuokMoon

05:21

Good morning

CowperKettle

06:33

How To Pronounce Suite

►

It's so odd that it is pronounced as sweet

mike

not really - it's a loan word from French, so the pronunciation makes sense

CowperKettle

ah

I see

Jude

06:56

HI

I am trying to write a reply to a higher technical people

So, I feel, my English and the way I write the response has to be attentive

Yes. It is possible from the Result datum to differentiate them. Thank you for pointing out this. With this, we don’t need to join Activity tables.

I wonder, Thank you for pointing out this. sentence sounds bit informal

CowperKettle

> Thank you for pointing this out.

Jude

I see

CowperKettle

> Thank you for informing me of this.

> Thank you for suggesting this.

> Thank you for you suggestion.

Jude

yeah. Thank you for suggesting this. sounds good

another thing

With this, we don’t need to join Activity tables.

isn't this a inproper way to start a sentence?

I'd say, With this solution

V.V.

I think they say, "This stated", but better ask Mike.

mike

07:52

Yes. It is possible from the Result datum to differentiate them. Thank you for suggesting this. Using this approach, we don’t need to join Activity tables.

that's just one possibility

Ahmad

08:21

hi

Jude

09:18

@mike Thank you:)

Damkerng T.

11:59

Word of the Day: racidivism

Damkerng T.

12:13

0

Q: Which is the correct way of writing this sentence?

Which one is correct, and why? The Tourism Authority of Thailand has asked if the cabinet will increase its marketing budget this year. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has asked that the cabinet increase its marketing budget this year. Thank you.

subjunctive

Might need to be protected.

1

Q: What does "exposure" mean here?

They added that some consumer-sector stocks offer effective exposure not just to emerging-market economic growth, but also to the burgeoning consumer class's spending growth. Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/21/mark-mobius-this-is-how-to-play-emerging-markets-in-2017.html

meaning-in-context

Hmm... it's another question that has no research whatsoever.

And that's the second question I browsed on the main site today.

Two questions; both have no research.

Maybe it's because of the Hat Season.

...

Then again, this makes me think of what Arrowfar complained a few days ago.

I guess other sites would be fine with the two questions.

You ask, we answer, everybody's happy. Something like that.

Our site (ELL) seems to aim at either making a library of very good answers or trying to really help the learners.

And in order to be able to really help the learners, we need to know more about the the learners themselves.

What they know, what they don't know, why they ask about this, how they came up with their sentences, etc.

I guess that's why some learners feel like they're not very welcomed.

I ask you. Why do you ask me to explain myself? I just want my answer. Can't you just write it?

Also, sometimes when some learners think an answer doesn't sound right, for whatever reason, maybe they don't think the username's trustworthy, maybe they think they know better than the answerer, maybe something else, they will "squeeze" the answerer back.

I don't think you're right. How do you know? How are you so sure?

So ...

I think I should go look for more hats. :-)

mike

12:29

hmmm

I agree to a point

and yes, I see a certain amount of laziness at times in questions, in terms of research (seriously, google it!)

but I also try to look at things from the point of view of a non native speaker

what's obvious to me, may not be obvious to someone else

so the best I can do is try to frame my answer in such a way as to highlight the obvious connections, so that next time that person might make the leap for themselves

I'm sure I've asked a lot of equally dumb questions in Stack Overflow :)

Damkerng T.

@mike nods -- I think we can't draw a clear line between non-researched and researched questions a lot of times.

@mike Sometimes trying to find a similar post on SO/SE can be very tricky!

mike

I agree

and if I'm honest, I deal with this daily at work, and a part of me does think "have you done anything to research the answer yourself"

but I also realise that I have asked similar questions in other languages

where I haven't been able to make that seemingly obvious connection

on more than one occasion, I've studied a language for YEARS, and I'll suddenly have that flashbulb moment where I'll realise that two words are related in some way

and wonder how the hell I didn't spot that before

it was a lesson in humility, for me

Damkerng T.

@mike I just realized that a bartender is actually a bar tender, i.e. someone who tends a bar, only recently!

mike

exactly :)(

Damkerng T.

Funny that the word bartender had been opaque for me for years! :D

mike

12:39

I've had very similar revelations in other languages

:)

But on the flip side of that, you are correct - certain questions really only require the use of a dictionary, so there's really no excuse :)

other than those types of questions though, I try to provide an answer, to the best of my (limited) ability

:)

Damkerng T.

@mike Your answers are pretty good, IMHO! :-)

mike

I'm a native speaker, and I still learn something about my own language every day :)

Damkerng T.

I guess it's pretty much the same to everyone. Someone coins a new word. New ideas, new tools, and so on requires new expressions in language. Though, surely, you don't learn those new things to be able to speak in your own language.

mike

In my experience, native speakers aren't always the best people to answer questions on the finer points of their language

native speakers can often tell you whether something is correct or not (because it sounds natural to their ear), but they can't tell you why it's wrong

Damkerng T.

nods

mike

12:51

Someone who learns that language from the building blocks up (in terms of grammar, and so on) often has a better insight into the construction of the language

thats just my own opinion

Damkerng T.

I think you're exactly right.

mike

I enjoy reading snailplane's analysis of English for that reason

it can be very insightful

CowperKettle

14:48

her knowledge of grammar is outstanding

Hanaa

16:21

Hello !

Damkerng T.

Hello!

mike

Hello :)

CowperKettle

How to Pronounce Angina

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I never knew it is pronounced "engine-э" by Americans

mike

that's a first for me too

Damkerng T.

16:49

I don't even know what it is!

Nagendra

Hello everyone one!
Is the sentence _He says he has have had three failed relationships_ correct?

Damkerng T.

has have had is ungrammatical.

Nagendra

17:08

@DamkerngT. Are you sure? I also thought so. But someone said it's grammatical.

engfan

Hello Everyone!!!

V.V.

17:22

Hi.

engfan

"The Cornish coast is to my mind every bit as fascinating as that of the south of France". In this sencetence " to my mind" means when I think of something?

@V.V. : HELLO!!

V.V.

Sh-sh! Some people are still sleeping.

Lol.

To my mind =in my opinion.=I think

engfan

@v.v : haha

@V.V.: OK , thanks

V.V.

Welcome.

!!wiki/sweets

Ellbot

Candy

Candy, also called sweets or lollies, is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called sugar confectionery, encompasses any sweet confection, including chocolate, chewing gum, and sugar candy. Vegetables, fruit, or nuts which have been glazed and coated with sugar are said to be candied. Physically, candy is characterized by the use of a significant amount of sugar or sugar substitutes. Unlike a cake or loaf of bread that would be shared among many people, candies are usually made in smaller pieces. However, the definition of candy also depends upon how people...

V.V.

17:33

Help yourself.

Damkerng T.

17:48

@Nagendra This is not the first time I've heard someone think that. You'd better ask him or her why he or she is sure.

@V.V. nom, nom

V.V.

We say nyum, nyum. Sawasdee kha.

Damkerng T.

Sawasdee khrap!

@V.V. Nice sound effect! :-)

V.V.

Soft sounds which nobody can pronounce (learners)

CowperKettle

Good evening

> If we want to know what the probability is of rolling a 10 or more is, we simply calculate the area of the rectangles from 10 and up. (Which position is better for "is"?)

V.V.

privet.

Damkerng T.

17:54

Evening!

I like the second position better.

CowperKettle

But the first must be grammatical too?

The Penthouse principle is satisfied with both positions

Damkerng T.

Hmm... I think it's in my "probably ungrammatical" basket.

Anonymous

The Penthouse Principle isn't responsible.

CowperKettle

I like the first option, because it allows you to make a pause.

Anonymous

The basic position is at the end of the sentence, but the other position is possible too because you can postpose the of-phrase to the end of the sentence, past is.

Anonymous

17:57

But you shouldn't pause after is.

Anonymous

I mean, if you postpose the of-phrase, you shouldn't pause after is.

CowperKettle

> If the want to know what the probability of death is, ... If we want to know what the probability of making a terrible mistake that would haunt you for years is, ...

@snailplane I see. I meant some kind of "mental pause". It's easier for the mind to put it there.

Anonymous

In the other position, pausing after is would be okay.

CowperKettle

nods

Thanks!

lurk mode on

I don't know who I am.

Hi, @DamkerngT. How are you all?

Damkerng T.

18:07

@Idon'tknowwhoIam. Hi! Long time no see!

I don't know who I am.

@DamkerngT. I was as busy as bee with my exams but I got free right now to run my companionship with you people. Hope everything is lovely in the garden.

Damkerng T.

painting the room to make it look like a garden...

I don't know who I am.

Well, @DamkerngT. Where is Mars?

As a matter of fact, I asked the question on the site. I want you to put your remarks too.

Damkerng T.

I haven't seen him for a while. Not sure where he is.

Oh! Where is the question?

I don't know who I am.

I have asked on the main site.

Are you pretty sure about Mars?

Damkerng T.

18:15

I said not sure. (^_^)

@Idon'tknowwhoIam. Could you paste the link here?

I don't know who I am.

Well, let me find the question.

It couldn't be submitted. I don't know why?

@DamkerngT.

Damkerng T.

I don't know why either. Maybe you can try again.

I don't know who I am.

@DamkerngT. I was said that it has duplicate.

Damkerng T.

Oh, so it got closed?

Maybe it's indeed a duplicate.

I don't know who I am.

I don't understand the system of this site nowadays. Sometimes, they fight for votes. Sometimes, they ask different questions. I have been insane to see all these things.

I got reply there now.

CowperKettle

18:41

> I have been insane to see all these things.

Seeing all those things has been driving me mad.

(0:

user2684291

19:21

@CowperKettle Why'd you substitute "mad" for "insane" and "those" for "these"?

Anonymous

I would guess Cowper Kettle learned drive me mad as a collocation. Drive me insane is also possible. In American English, we usually say crazy instead of mad.

Fernando

Excuse me, can anyone tell me the difference between complex and complicated?

user2684291

19:40

@Fernando Merriam-Webster.com has a "Synonym Discussion" at the bottom of the page for some of its entries.

Fernando

oh, I'll check that out. Thank you @user2684291

user2684291

Jeez, that scared me. I think I'll turn the notification sound off after all.

Fernando

by the way, English isn't my native language and I'm being interviewed next week, can someone please be my English sparring partner for awhile

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