Language Overflow

Anonymous

02:42

@DamkerngT. Plural-marked attributive nouns are something of an innovation. They've been around since the 1940s at least, but they've been growing in popularity over time. Older speakers are still often less comfortable with them than younger speakers, because the change has been going on in our lifetimes.

Anonymous

They've become common more rapidly in British English than American English, as I understand it.

Anonymous

But Indian English isn't actually British English. I am not sure if they've really become as common in Indian English, which is often more like an older form of British English, since it was established as a dialect before these changes took place.

Anonymous

I don't honestly know, but I would not be surprised at all to hear that plural attributives are uncommon in Indian English.

Anonymous

In any case, a ten-rupee note isn't one of those times when you'd find speakers using plural marking, regardless of dialect.

Anonymous

But you do sometimes find them with measure expressions:

3

Anonymous

02:46

> a ten day absence
> a ten-day absence
> a ten days absence
> a ten days' absence

Anonymous

This list of attested forms is from Quirk et al 1985 p.1333.

Anonymous

One of the many reasons it does not make sense to talk about nouns used as adjectives is because they may still inflect as nouns do, even in attributive position: a systems analyst

Anonymous

It is certainly false that they are always singular in this position.

Anonymous

But I really do wonder about the difference between Indian English and British English in this regard.

Anonymous

I would expect the textbooks to be based on an older form of the language, in any case.

CowperKettle

04:35

Good morning!

A nice flag for a united Russo-US state

We should move the capital of this united state to Hawaii

Exactly in between Russia and the US

And call it... Moskwashington

Man_From_India

05:20

Few things need to modify. First of all, depending on is by themselves in not a phrase. Secondly, depending on what Duncan decides, depending on who's reading it or depending on talks etc as used in your sentences are not Participle Phrase. They are Preposition Phrase, and depending on in these examples are Compound Preposition. — Man_From_India 9 mins ago

Well can't remember it fully, but I think Bas Aarts calls it a compound preposition.

There is another way of analyzing it. depending is a preposition and it takes a Preposition Phrase headed by on. — Man_From_India 3 mins ago

based on CGEL's analysis.

@DamkerngT. It seems that H&P don't actually discuss depending. However, they do discuss similar prepositions such as according in the prepositional construction according to as well as the prepositions owing and pertaining which both also take prepositional complements headed by to. The preposition depending also seems to be very similar to the prepositions barring, excluding, failing, providing, given, regarding, following and so forth. Cf pp. 564, 610-611 if you get a chance to look at a copy of CaGEL. :) — Araucaria Dec 23 '14 at 4:21

Good morning @CowperKettle

Catija

@CowperKettle Have you seen the actual story about these flags? snopes.com/2017/02/24/trump-russian-flags-confiscated-at-cpac

EngFan

Also I would like to bring to your attention that the name mentioned is incorrect . If you could please make a correction , i would me much obliged - is this sentence grammatical ?

also natural?

Catija

05:35

Why do you put spaces before your comma and period?

Punctuation rarely, if ever, has a space before it. See my use of punctuation? There are only spaces after.

Also, the first person pronoun "I" is ALWAYS capitalized.

EngFan

@Catija : thanks a lot. apart from that anything else you think is incorrect ?

Catija

There should probably be a comma after "also"... but that's up for debate. And I think you mean "I would be much obliged". Though I don't know that people really talk like that any more. It seems very formal and very out dated. Most people would just say "I would appreciate it".

Also, question marks are the same as periods and commas... no spaces.

Like I said, most punctuation. That means, at the very least: . , : ; ?

!

The only real exceptions that I can think of right now are any opening things... so opening parenthesis, quotes, brackets, braces... that sort of thing.

CowperKettle

@Man_From_India Good morning!

EngFan

@Catija : thanks a lot

@CowperKettle : Hello!

CowperKettle

06:14

@EngFan hi!

@Catija Yes, I have (^_^)

user62015

09:32

At this time of the year (a)/ the mountains are (b)/ usually covered with ice. (c)/ No error(d) (SSC LDC - 2014)
A. At this time of the year B. the mountains are
C. usually covered with ice D. No error

Answer: Option C

It says we should almost completely instead of usually here.

user62015

10:16

One must learn (a)/ to distinguish (b)/ good from bad. (c)/ No error (d) (SSC LDC - 2014)
A. One must learn B. to distinguish
C. good from bad. D. No error
Answer: Option B @DamkerngT. @snailplane @M.A.R.

CowperKettle

> Quote of the Day: "Three may keep counsel if two be away; and if I knew that my cap knew my counsel, I would cast it into the fire and burn it" (Henry VIII)

What is the meaning of knew my counsel?

ah!!!

The meaning of counsel here is secret

Quote of the Day: "Three may keep counsel if two be away; and if I thought that my cap knew my counsel, I would cast it into the fire and burn it" (Henry VIII)

It's not "knew" but "thought"

@user62015 is something wrong with "good from bad"?

user62015

No sure.

I think, it can be used "good from others bad"

CowperKettle

I see nothing wrong

user62015

macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/…

Damkerng T.

10:56

@user62015 I think to distinguish good from evil would be more normal.

But I don't think bad is really wrong.

user62015

Okay.

She was ill for five days (a)/ when the doctor (b)/ was sent for. (c)/ No error(d) (SSC LDC - 2014)
A. She was ill for five days B. when the doctor
C. was sent for D. No error
Answer: Option A

I don't see anything wrong

has been could be used

Stack Exchange

0

Q: Can any one explain to me what is the meaning of "quiet destination"?

Here is the phrase which I am reading As a result, for years, it’s been a quiet destination for Northerners looking for jobs, schools and business deals. What does "quiet destination" mean? I searched for it on google but found no answer.

meaning-in-context

Damkerng T.

11:38

@user62015 No, you shouldn't use has been. Had been would be a good choice.

user62015

Yes.

Sorry.

I agree.

userr2684291

Yup. It's to avoid concurrency, I think, and make the events chronologically discrete.

Damkerng T.

@snailplane Thanks for the info! I guess a ten days absence is okay because a ten days' absence was probably the choice in the old days.

M.A.R.

11:56

@user62015 It's got no error that I can see

\o all

user62015

There is (a)/ a silver lining (b)/ on every cloud. (c)/ No error (d)

in the cloud vs on the cloud

@M.A.R. which sentence I have posted so many questions so not sure. Could you please tell me the question?

userr2684291

Every silver lining has a cloud.

M.A.R.

@user62015 You can click on the bent arrow before your username to see where it leads to

userr2684291

And it's "to every cloud".

user62015

@userr2684291 Are you sure?

userr2684291

11:59

Yeh.

About 93.71%.

user62015

Okay.

userr2684291

phrases.org.uk/meanings/every-cloud-has-a-silver-lining.html

M.A.R.

@userr2684291 Haha, I'm 93.72 percent sure. In your face.

userr2684291

@M.A.R. Haha, can't even type the percent sign.

:>

M.A.R.

@userr2684291 But I can 'type' this (┛◉Д◉)┛彡┻━┻

Also haha

userr2684291

12:07

@user62015 In standard English, (not the old version your book is trying to inculcate in you) use "Every cloud has a silver lining.", and you're silvern.

user62015

I agree.

userr2684291

@user62015 Oh, maybe if you're using the Indian version, you should adhere to the obsolescent forms.

user62015

Okay.

CowperKettle

13:06

> Scientists have estimated that 60% of people fake evolution

Damkerng T.

14:31

I knew it! Snails are important! :D

I just thought that this would be nice as my first use of Page Shot. :)

userr2684291

14:45

Zombie Snails | World's Deadliest

►

Damkerng T.

Oh, they can shift the stuff inside their tentacles real fast!

Personally, I find to in There's a silver lining to every cloud a bit odd. (I know it's idiomatic.)

I'd say in is more logical.

Maybe people think of the phrase metaphorically.

Like a solution to every problem.

0

Q: The definite article before certain adjectives

There are some adjectives that require only the definite article: wrong, perfect, right, etc. So, for example: That's the wrong answer. The Bentley is the perfect car for commuting. He made the right choice. So replacing all the the's with a's will be ungrammatical. However, in these examples...

articles adjectives definite-article indefinite-article

An interesting question. (cc @snailplane)

@user178049 I think a right choice, but the wrong answer, would be idiomatic. Let me look around to see if I can find anything to support my idea (which the OP seems to be aware of). — Damkerng T. 8 secs ago

(Edited to add the; the/a right choice.)

> Larson (2000) observes that the definite article the is the only determiner under which wrong allows for a non-local interpretation. The infelicitous sentences in (35) demonstrate, for example, that non-local wrong is unavailable in a DP headed by a, every, or no.

> (35) a. # I opened a wrong bottle.
b. # I opened every wrong bottle.
c. # I opened no wrong bottle.

> Attributive Wrong, Bernhard Schwarz

> I can only offer tentative suggestions at this point regarding this behavior. The restriction of wrong and right to the definite article the seems to be associated with the fact that, semantically, these adjectives behave rather like superlatives, in so far as they denote the extreme points of the scale of accuracy. Just as the superlative strongly prefers a definite, so do wrong and right. In effect then this represents an extra feature of their semantics.

> ACD in AP?, Larson (2000).

CowperKettle

15:31

@DamkerngT. We've had a question about "the wrong"

Damkerng T.

Ah! Where is it?

CowperKettle

Dunno..

but I remember reading it and possibly discussing it

Damkerng T.

Nothing wrong with A wrong answer, and a right choice — user178049 2 hours ago

I'm thinking, this comment (which has one upvote) is possibly misleading.

Yes, a wrong answer is possible, but in what circumstances?

So, "nothing wrong" would be bad advice, IMHO.

CowperKettle

1

Q: "You're using THE wrong formula" vs. "You're using A wrong formula": choosing between the definite and the indefinite article

I'm trying to conceive the difference between the use of a definite article and an indefinite article here. You are using a wrong formula (for the math problem). You are using the wrong formula (for the math problem). What's the difference if any? Thank you.

articles

Damkerng T.

Aww... look at the number of our votes on ELL, why is it so low?!

CowperKettle

15:35

?

Damkerng T.

@CowperKettle Each of the two answers in that question has gotten only one upvote.

It depends on context. The indefinite article could be used in all three sentences. — Clare 2 mins ago

Yeah. But when?

Looking at it from a non-native speaker's point of view, it's very, very tricky.

Though I'm not quite sure what one of the two papers I posted above means by "local" and "non-local", I think it's the key to decide whether a wrong something is possible.

"The restriction of wrong and right to the definite article the seems to be associated with the fact that, semantically, these adjectives behave rather like superlatives, in so far as they denote the extreme points of the scale of accuracy." -- This one seems to be on something, I think.

We don't normally say, You are a best boss!

But why do most learners simply use the best without thinking? I think it's because it's in the books.

But wrong isn't.

8

Q: Barking up a tree ("barking up the wrong tree")

I don't understand expression barking up a wrong tree Does it think about putting bark on tree or taking it off? A person says you're barking up the wrong tree and he means don't bother me But what is it from? Does he mean the bark is wrong kind for the tree? Like "I am oak, tak...

phrase-meaning idioms metaphors

Isn't it interesting that the OP's choice was a wrong tree?

Damkerng T.

17:21

> http://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/apple/why-programmers-think-mac-os-x-is-best-os-use-3638706/
However, In Stack Overflow's 2016 developer survey, OS X topped the most used Desktop Operating System, followed by Windows 7 and then Linux. StackOverflow says: "Last year, Mac edged ahead of the Linuxes as the number 2 operating system among developers. This year it became apparent that trend is real. If OS adoption rates hold steady, by next year's survey fewer than 50% of developers may be using Windows."

And they use this graph to demonstrate the point.

CowperKettle

Of developers = of programmers?

okay, Mac OS has 26% and Windows OS has 52%

Damkerng T.

Yeah. Isn't it interesting how English works!

CowperKettle

It's even more interesting how it relaxes

Damkerng T.

:D

CowperKettle

(0:

M.A.R.

17:28

:E

Damkerng T.

Interestingly, #1 development environment is...

tada! Notepad++!

:D

M.A.R.

@DamkerngT. MS paint

Damkerng T.

LOL

CowperKettle

@DamkerngT. That's odd

Damkerng T.

Hehe! Indeed.

Source: stackoverflow.com/research/developer-survey-2016

CowperKettle

17:30

ah!

It's "++"

Damkerng T.

Yes

CowperKettle

I remember trying it out. It has nice features

It highlights the syntaxis

Damkerng T.

It's kinda nice, but I find it strange to call it "development environment". :D

It's a tool nonetheless. This, I'm sure!

(TBH, I'm using it too. :)

CowperKettle

Very strange - this kind of chart would be okay for March 20-25

Damkerng T.

Hey, it's above 0C sometimes.

CowperKettle

17:32

But not for February 26-March 4

Yes. It's unusually warm

Damkerng T.

Is it supposed to be colder or warmer?

Ahh

CowperKettle

It's usually about 5°C colder

It starts getting above zero in the second half of March

Damkerng T.

It's rather warm over here too. But that's fine with me. I like it warm anyway. :D

CowperKettle

(0:

M.A.R.

Russia's losing the coldness battle

Booyeah

Damkerng T.

17:34

I hope it'll be not too hot this April and May.

M.A.R.

@DamkerngT. Prolly the iceberg Cowp lives in will melt

CowperKettle

(0:

Damkerng T.

Haha!

M.A.R.

Hey, where's the WOTD

I should go read some political crap

Damkerng T.

!!translate/เอาเลยๆ

Ellbot

17:37

th: เอาเลยๆ
en: Go for it

Damkerng T.

Oh, it translated it correctly!

CowperKettle

18:19

!!translate/нихрена себе!

Ellbot

ru: нихрена себе!
en: Nichrome yourself!

CowperKettle

!!translate/ни хрена себе!

Ellbot

ru: ни хрена себе!
en: no shit myself!

CowperKettle

the phrase actually means "this is damned amazing"

!!translate/сердце красавиц склонно к измене

Ellbot

ru: сердце красавиц склонно к измене
en: Beauties heart tends to change

M.A.R.

18:24

@CowperKettle Hehe

CowperKettle

close, Ellbot, but no cigar

@M.A.R. and there is no 'shit' there, хрен is horseradish

M.A.R.

@CowperKettle no shit myself!

CowperKettle

@M.A.R. I googled this phrase, and found this

I've Shit Myself

►

M.A.R.

OK, I need to see something beautiful ASAP

CowperKettle

The hero of the video probably had too much titanium dioxide in his meals

M.A.R.

19:03

Hi @Foggy!

Foggy Finder

19:16

Hello @M.A.R.

M.A.R.

Hey

stackoverflow.com/revisions/42473003/1

Foggy Finder

what is it?

M.A.R.

Revision of the day

M.A.R.

19:47

in The Periodic Table, 18 secs ago, by M.A.R.

RIP Bill Paxton !!flip

Hey @Dam

Damkerng T.

Huh!?!

Oh, no!

M.A.R.

@DamkerngT. Well, a terminator, an alien and a predator weren't enough to kill him, we had to have surgery do it (┛◉Д◉)┛彡┻━┻

Damkerng T.

IIRC, his character in Aliens didn't make it, but yeah it's sad.

M.A.R.

BTW, I believe in the power of smileys

Anything but [grammar]. Please don't use that tag. Thanks :) — M.A.R. 2 mins ago

Damkerng T.

:)

M.A.R.

19:57

They make a message look suddenly much less official and friendly

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