English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

@Cerberus I know! I do wish I didn't get stuck sitting at a desk so much. I didn't feel so unhealthy nor did I have as squishy a stomach before this whole w*^k thing.

Matt Эллен

Jennifer Reference?

-4

Q: Which is more correct "the have" Vs "the haves"?

When referring to the rich we may say 'the haves'. Can 'the have' also be used to mean the rich? And how about the opposite meaning? Which is more correct "the haves not" or the have nots"

grammar

Cerberus

@aediaλ Yikes, another reason to abolish this wicked thing.

aedia λ

@MattЭллен I think so.

Oh, you commented too, more politely than me.

I've gotten fed up with dear Genni Ref and been quite brusque with my comments.

Matt Эллен

Well, since I had a grumpy day where I was rude to newbies, I'm trying to be more measured today

aedia λ

10:31 PM

I've had like a grumpy week.

I'm doing almost two people's jobs and it's... vexing.

Yikes!

Poor n00bs.

Golly!

Can't you tell them to take some of the work from your shoulders?

aedia λ

They are, but it's not fast to train other people.

My colleague left and I was her backup.

Matt Эллен

10:33 PM

d'oh! more backups are needed

aedia λ

No one else is capable of doing some of this stuff until we get them access or teach them, and some of it would be like saying "let's teach the English majors how to do programming" so we've got to figure out how to move not-that-stuff over.

@MattЭллен Yeah, in retrospect... seems kind of obvious.

Cerberus

Oh, no...can't they hire people who already have experience with this kind of work/thingy?

Matt Эллен

@aediaλ "But what if we're both hit by a bus?!"

aedia λ

But no one likes to listen when you tell them everything we have exhibits the hit-by-a-bus vulnerability.

Haha.

Cerberus

Or is it unique to your company?

aedia λ

10:35 PM

No hiring right now.

Or I would be pushing that like there's no tomorrow.

Matt Эллен

:(

aedia λ

I'm sure only like 2% of it is unique.

Cerberus

You could casually mention you're getting overworked, but you're sure you won't get a burn-out within the next two weeks.

Hi Vemv.

aedia λ

I talked again with my boss about it today. She understood better after I showed her my calendar and was like "see this time I have blocked out? that is so I can get the urgent stuff done, I can't get the stuff done you're asking me to do unless someone helps me with the urgent stuff and people stop asking to meet with me"

Sheesh I can't even conjugate.

@vemv Visitors! Hi!!!

Matt Эллен

hello @vemv

Cerberus

10:38 PM

Yeah especially meeting are annoying when you are pressed for time.

Are most of your meetings pretty useless too, like most people's?

aedia λ

Almost all of them.

Cerberus

Okay, then don't go to any meetings any more but a few, say you just don't have the time.

vemv

Hh thanks, hello all! - quick question: is "What assets does [something] bring?" correct English? The verb bring is what concerns me.

Cerberus

Bring is fine.

vemv

Oh thanks, I meant

aedia λ

10:40 PM

@Cerberus Lately we started trying to use a sort of agile method for some projects and those quick meetings are fine, except I haven't even been going all week because I don't have time to do the work for the project.

vemv

perfect then Cerberus, cheers. :)

Cerberus

If you use the verb to do in this way, it takes a bare infinitive, so bring.

OK, cool!

aedia λ

@vemv Bring is fine but you might want to say bring to the table in business-speak, or another word like contribute, depending on your exact meaning.

Cerberus

@aediaλ OK well that is good, I'd say?

@aediaλ Agreed, we need more context.

Mahnax

@Danielδ She's beautiful.

vemv

10:43 PM

Just general context. Might use bring to the table at some point, I like how it sounds.

aedia λ

@Cerberus I hope so. I think my direct boss now understands how ridiculous this has been but my colleagues I was supposed to be working with on other projects... I don't know if they understand that I just don't have any hours left for them. I feel kind of guilty because there is some pressure to get these projects done. Grr.

Matt Эллен

19 out of our 50 newest questions are closed. Should I be worried or happy?

aedia λ

Oh, also, we don't have paid overtime and overtime just counts as filling back up our sick time, which resets each fiscal year, so we are encouraged to not work overtime. They would love it if I could get more than 40 hrs of work done in 40 hours. But I have to charge my time accurately. Auuugh.

I think I've ranted enough, but thanks for listening to me vent.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Huh wha I was supposed to listen to someone?

aedia λ

@RegDwightѬſ道 Nope, nope, nothing to see here. soothes owl

I'm going back to the tar pits for a little bit.

Matt Эллен

10:48 PM

Work stress is bad. People throwing their weight around, trying to squeeze blood from a unicorn, not realising the essential truth of their situation

you can have it on time, working or on budget - pick two

Cerberus

@aediaλ You could tell them personally so they understand you can't help it?

@aediaλ I understand. It sounds terrible...how long do you think it will be like this?

@MattЭллен Very good formula.

Matt Эллен

@Cerberus Aye, I don't know who came up with it, but they got it right

user19161

@mahnax I just reached home!

user19161

@MattЭллен Neither, go get a life outside ELU.

Matt Эллен

@JasperLoy out... side...?

user19161

10:59 PM

@MattЭллен Indeed. Do you need to check a dictionary?

Matt Эллен

@JasperLoy maybe...

outside
noun
1. the outer side, surface, or part; exterior: The outside of the house needs painting.
2. the external aspect or appearance.
3. the space without or beyond an enclosure, institution, boundary, etc.: a prisoner about to resume life on the outside.
4. a position away or farther away from the inside or center: The horse on the outside finished second.
5. an outside passenger or place on a coach or other vehicle.

that might not be the best place for me.

user19161

@MattЭллен Cheese and rice! Well, I just realised that blogger stats only show the first ten rows for country and number of hits, so the eleventh country will not be shown.

user19161

That is just so damn silly!

user19161

@Mahnax It was good. I walked for six hours and just got back but you just left for work I guess.

Matt Эллен

who knows who comes up with these ideas

user19161

11:06 PM

@MattЭллен Someone whose salary is worth more than his brain.

Matt Эллен

brains can be pretty expensive on the zombie markets

Cerberus

Is that why nobody has them?

user19161

@Cerberus Woof!

Matt Эллен

@Cerberus I sold mine to pay for my gold addiction

vemv

If you let me suggest a random topic, does anyone have good recommendations on argumentative essays? They practice my favourite form of written English - usually concise yet highly expressive.

user19161

11:09 PM

@MattЭллен I enjoyed playing House of the Dead in the past at the arcade.

Matt Эллен

@JasperLoy Yeah, it's good - I have played "The Typing of The Dead" too, to try to improve my typing

Cerberus

@MattЭллен Haha, I see.

user19161

@vemv Sorry what do you mean by recommendation? Recommend a book with essays for you to read or recommend a topic for you to write on?

Cerberus

@JasperLoy Hi! I can hear your woofs without a ping, you know...

vemv

@JasperLoy I'm looking for books/articles to read

user19161

11:12 PM

@vemv Sorry I have no recommendations on that. The rest might have though. Just read anything and everything seriously.

user19161

@vemv Honestly I don't think the conciseness or expressiveness as you call it has anything to do with the type of writing. Any kind of writing can be concise or expressive, or not.

user19161

@vemv If you want to be concise in your own writing, one way is to try to make everything you write yourself shorter and shorter with each draft, retaining only the essential information.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy No, I'm leaving for work in approximately 25 minutes.

user19161

@Mahnax How come you changed back to the globe?

vemv

Just read anything and everything seriously. I really don't enjoy it, as I'm trying to improve my English -which is not my first language- and "literary" grammar/vocabulary is often not directly useful for me.

user19161

11:15 PM

No more BM?

Mahnax

@JasperLoy I do not like Bob Marley as much as I like Earth.

user19161

@vemv No need to quote me. You can use the right arrow to reply so that I know which one you are referring to do you know this feature?

user19161

@Mahnax Good good, I'm a bit scared of him. He looks like the vampire in Twilight!

Mahnax

@JasperLoy No, he doesn't. He was black.

user19161

@mahnax Do you have any recommendations for dear @vemv to read? He wants books with argumentative essays.

Mahnax

11:19 PM

@JasperLoy Argumentative essays? 'Fraid not.

vemv

@JasperLoy yeah I'm aware of that feature, I just thought a quote would be more precise.

user19161

@vemv I am not an English teacher, but I would think that reading good books will help you much too. Maybe try non-fiction books. They would have more formal grammar and vocab than fiction.

user19161

If you want a book with argumentative essays, they are likely to be for students taking exams and will have the same old boring few topics and will talk about things in a superficial manner.

user19161

So if you want these books you should look under that section for students taking exams.

user19161

@Mahnax I noticed you like to use contractions a lot like 'fraid and 'twas and 'tis, hehe.

Mahnax

11:25 PM

@JasperLoy Yup!

Matt Эллен

@Mahnax I think Jasper means this guy:

Although he doesn't look much like Bob Marley either

user19161

@MattЭллен Yes yes, this is one of the bad vampires.

Matt Эллен

the hair, mostly

user19161

@MattЭллен Not to be racist or anything but the colour is similar too.

Mahnax

Vampires are supposed to be pale! That book/movie is trying to be too multicultural and less realistic.

Matt Эллен

11:26 PM

@JasperLoy oh, well, yeah but that goes without saying

user19161

@Mahnax Well, all books and movies are.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Mrrk.

user19161

@Mahnax Another weird sound!

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Bluurp.

vemv

@JasperLoy AEs can span more than just academic stuff: politics, design, anything, especially if expressed in articles rather than books. But I'll take your advice. Now the thing is to find non-fiction I guess - I think it's harder than it sounds

user19161

11:29 PM

@Mahnax I just realised that my messages are interspersed with those of two Matts, not one.

Mahnax

@JasperLoy Ah.

Matt Эллен

@vemv The opinion pieces in New Scientist are quite good for that

user19161

@vemv Hmm, read topics that interest you. Maybe biographies of interesting people, for example.

user19161

@MattЭллен Oh I didn't know there's New Scientist, I only heard of American Scientific.

Matt Эллен