Is there a word meaning "of or relating to objects?" As far as I'm concerned, "objectual" may not be a real word.

I'm looking for a word like "standoff", but one that describes actually fighting

like, "The 3 armies were about to engage in a x-off"

like you can have things like "bake-off", "whatever-off" which implies a competition

i want to imply a physical confrontation with such an expression

"fight-off" doesn't sound right.... im sure there is a word for it that i'm forgetting

Face-off?

yes

that's what i think i was looking for!

cheers!

No problem!

@snailplane Only a matter of time. Also a classic case of police having no clue how technology works.

Considering what the gadget sites found when they disassembled the thing I doubt they find helpful data of any kind, but we'll see.

Hi, everyone. Should there be quotation marks around 'children of God' from the statement 'they shall be called children of God' from the Beatitudes? Because the various Bible translations I have seen online don't do it.

@LWTBP I don't think so. It is not meant figuratively. Rather, it is meant literally -- a relationship is intended. Just as Jesus is the son of God (I've omitted the customary capitalisation), so a Christian will be a son (or daughter) of God. This would be a good question for the main site (although it may be controversial).

@mick

Thanks, man. And yes, I think we won't come to much conclusions if I did ask this on the main site.

@LWTBP if you're being a robot, the sentence is telling you a label, something in that sentence that is being mentioned. So in that case it should be quoted.

If you are being a human, come on, you're not a robot, why take things so literally, you know it's not being used, no need for eye-burning quotation marks.

And most people aren't robots.

Lately

When a country makes a website inaccessible, we call it "filter" ?

"Blocked"

thx

@LWTBP Right. I don't think one uses quotes there in usual print. But I can see how one might think it necessary in very technical language.

Also, when in doubt, look about. If all the other similar versions don't do it, then that's a good sign not to do it. (and there are so many different Bible versions with their subtle differences that if they all do agree, then that's probably safe. Extrapolating to non-Bible stuff in this very instance is probably pretty safe also.

@Mitch Hello again!

Can someone answer a few questions for me?

Fire away

English is not my native language so forgive any ignorance on my behalf

this symbol ( ' ) is an apostrophe yes? When exactly do you use it? So far, I know it is used to "merge" two words like "isn't" and "we'll", but I'm not sure when it goes at the end of a word, like "Her sister's cat" or "her sisters' cat" or "her sisters' happy?" help

It is used for contractions to indicate omitted letters, as in it's (it is). It is also used to indicate possessives, as in Susan's cat, the boys' books. If the subject is plural, it goes after the "s". The same (keyboard) character is used to quote text, although a typographer would call it a single quote.

Hi @Fernando @Mick

@Arrowfar Hello again!!

@Arrowfar Hi there

@Fernando This is a good read regarding apostrophe: en.oxforddictionaries.com/punctuation/apostrophe. Also thepunctuationguide.com/apostrophe.html. And here: thepunctuationguide.com/apostrophe.html

@Fernando that's a classic basic English punctuation question. Look at wiki apostrophe to answer more than you want to know about how to use it. I think your main question is under the 'possessive' apostrophe.

or what @Arrowfar said

@Mitch precisely.

Hello @Mitch How is it going?

I'm getting ready to take IELTS

so you've read al that and you just want it simplified?

or had training in all that already?

@Arrowfar hey!

@Mitch nope, I had extensive english training when I was young (4-10years) but haven't practiced since

@Mitch You mean the one in which Amy Adams is a linguist? No, I haven't but then I have stopped watching movies two years ago. Is it a good film?

@Arrowfar @Mitch Ohh I see now... So, anyone in the mood for Rodrigo's dirty mohitos?

(see, I used the ' )

Sure, I am in the mood for chat.

How did your interview go? Or is it in a few day?

not yet, they're requesting I submit an IELTS score first. (see, i used the ' again)

(correctly I hope)

ha!

Also I have never had a mohito. I am a 100% teetotaler. :)

yup, and the very good (awful) news is that the next IELTS test is next May... bummer. Also, what is teetotaler=

?

"One who never drinks alcohol."

merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teetotaler

hahah, ok ok

It's okay, Rodrigo can make it virgin. Also...

damn, meeting with the boss. see ya later @Arrowfar!

See you later @Fernando

@Arrowfar Yes, that one. No movies? On principle or just too busy for it?

@Fernando haha. I'd on't wnat to know what makes it dirty

@Mitch Good question. Oh it is a long story. :)

I gave up buying music albums a long time ago. I didn't stop listening to music, just stopped paying for it.

I will ramble and tell you why I stopped watching movies sometime.

@Mitch Exactly. Use Youtube.

I listen to music though.

@Mitch I used to buy music CDs here but then I stopped buying them... calculates... about eleven years ago.

I use that money on food and transport etc. now. :)

@Mitch You know watching movies kind of made me dumb, I mean I watched them for entertainment and English both but then I realized that I am not gaining anything, it is just a waste of time.

I have discovered other more fun avenues (at least for me). I started reading different things, even reddit has improved my English and the way I write. I still make mistakes but I am constantly trying to improve. It is fun to read what others think, the way they think and why

There on reddit there are some very good writers, they are not writers per se but they are native speakers who write like every single thing under the sun and are not shy, some stuff even rated but it is fun to go through their posts. So I am kind of addicted to go through posts there now.

Also I utilize my time searching for English related queries that pop into my mind, I use examples that pop into my mind, Google them, go through the sentences, sometimes get into the rabbit hole and start reading different things. All that takes up my time and I really really enjoy it, more than any movie to be honest.

:)

@Arrowfar depends on the kinds of movies. but great for learning a foreign language.

So guess what? When I am pasting my responses here from MS Word, sometimes this chat says “this message is too long” in five MS Word lines, sometimes in four MS Word lines. I tried what’s appropriate amount by experimenting in Sandbox but still not sure because today it says five MS Word lines are fine, a few days back it was four lines. Maybe it’s the spaces or something that I use that is making it inconsistent.

but yes lots of it is dumb

Do you always write in the chat box below or write somewhere else as well and then paste things here?

I always write here but I can't write here when I have to explain something or feel like saying more heh.

I write straight in the box. It's not like you have to submit, you can delete and edit and stuff before you submit. The ELU chat box underlines misspellings, and I don't care if I get (much) grammar wrong.

yeah true. well you already know the language and you are a native speaker of English, it is kind of a big deal for me to write things wrong here. Well maybe big deal is not the expression I want to use but you see the reason is if I write something wrong, I remember it wrong and learn it wrong and next time I make the same mistake and write wrong.

Happy holidays by the way.

See you later.

Feel free to ping anytime.

@Arrowfar laterI know what you're saying.

later