English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

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user19161

10:00 PM

I see that Jordan got suspended from chat @gigili.

user19161

Well, actually there was no need to flag him.

Gigili

I didn't flag him?

user19161

I did not say you flagged him though.

Gigili

Yes, and for seven days which is a long time.

But he's doing a great job.

user19161

But I think if I met him in person I would have a better idea of what he is like.

user19161

10:02 PM

@Gigili In what?

Gigili

In doing his homework.

user19161

@Gigili But I don't know what his plans are. He definitely should not be doing math or anything related.

Jecimi

Hello, sorry to Clark Kent for not having answering to him before, but I struggle with my computer :/. I just wanted to join a chat to ask quickly for an advice. I need to write a letter to the admission office of a University. I was wondering if I should start with "Dear Sir or Madam" or ... ? I have no idea who will read my letter (a woman or man).

Gigili

Why not? He's quite good at it now.

user19161

To pass his exams and get some papers to do something, yes. To do math, no.

Gigili

10:06 PM

He just needs to stop whining.

user19161

@Jecimi Oh dear, I am not good at writing letters. Have you looked online for some samples or guides?

user19161

Finally, Pacerier stopped saying "good afternoon" in every question!

Meysam رها در بند

"I was wondering" vs "I am wondering"

Jecimi

@Clark Kent Well, yes a little bit, but most of the sample are directly addressed to a particular person, not to an "office" in general.

Meysam رها در بند

@Jecimi I think starting with "Dear Sir/Ma'am" would be fine

Jecimi

10:15 PM

@Meysam That's what I thought also, I'll try to check online if I find some sample which confirm this, just to be sure... Ok thanks for having answering me. Bye :)

user19161

In fact now that I think of it, I may not have written a single formal letter in my entire life!

Meysam رها در بند

@ClarkKent weird!

user19161

Of course, I have written 26 letters: A, ... ,Z.

user19161

@Meysamرهادربند But I wrote many letters to friends.

Meysam رها در بند

It's good not to be formal

user19161

10:18 PM

It's good to check a few places for such things. They will give you slightly different conventions and then you can compare and decide which variation to follow.

user19161

There are so many different ways just to write the date for example.

Meysam رها در بند

@ClarkKent So many ways to write a date is confusing. I still don't know how to read a date!

user19161

@Meysamرهادربند Really? Oh you mean there is ambiguity?

user19161

06042012 could mean sixth of April or fourth of June.

Meysam رها در بند

@ClarkKent Yup!

user19161

10:22 PM

I like to use 06 Apr 2012.

Meysam رها در بند

@ClarkKent How can I get along with that ambiguity?

user19161

It's a personal convention I stick to.

Gigili

Q: Date format in UK vs US

Why is the most common date format in the US like mm/dd/yyyy, whereas in Europe (including the UK) it's more common to have dd/mm/yyyy? Looking around, I found that the US form is actually the more traditional Anglo-Saxon way, but the British adapted to using the European form in the early 20th ...

user19161

@Gigili Yeah, the problem is, not everyone will know or follow these conventions!

Gigili

Do you think?

user19161

10:23 PM

And I would rather consult Wikipedia than that post first.

user19161

There are many calendars which start with Sunday in a row.

Gigili

Well, they don't make things up. They probably used different sources.

user19161

Many people then think that Sunday is the first day of the week.

Gigili

People are not dumb.

user19161

@Gigili Exactly, which is why Wikipedia is good. It usually states all the different conventions with elaboration on any given matter.

user19161

10:26 PM

Which day is the first day of the week also has different conventions.

user19161

If we follow ISO, Monday is the first day.

Gigili

@ClarkKent I just contradicted your previous statement.

user19161

@Gigili I see no contradiction, only a discussion.

user19161

I find writing 6th in dates quite ugly.

user19161

It's like mixing a number and a word.

Meysam رها در بند

10:29 PM

@ClarkKent Sometimes when you don't see something, it does not mean that thing does not exist. Like electricity, you don't see it, but it flows through the wires.

user19161

@Meysamرهادربند Ah I see. Also, whether it exists or not also depends on interpretation of various statements.