English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Mick

02:52

@Abcd "Mainstay", perhaps? There must be others.

Færd

04:25

We have a class of beverage which is basically prepared by distilling the boiled mixture of an herb (eg, chicory or rose) and water, and has the flavor and other properties (particularly medical or healing properties) of the herb. What would you call them in English?

I drink one glass of the chicory one first thing in the morning and it has really helped with my pimple problem.

Mick

04:59

@Færd A decoction is one term that comes to mind. There are probably others. When a decoction is dissolved in alcohol (which some must be), it is called a tincture. Laudanum is a tincture of opium.

An extract is a more common term, although less precise.

Robusto

06:00

@tchrist: Mod cleanup needed on aisle Troll:

-2

A: In text, does 'enumerate' imply a numbered list?

when i was young i had beautifull eyes but i was very slim though i had very ihadvery dark long nice hair.now it has

He posted 4 of these to the same question.

tchrist

06:19

@Robusto All gone.

Færd

@Mick Thanks.

Out of those two, extract sounds more accurate to me, since there's no distillation in decoction.

Mick

@Færd You're welcome.

@Færd You may be right. In any case, most people won't know what a decoction is.

Færd

Yeah!

I was thinking about distillation itself, but it suggests too much purification to be fit for this case. This kind of beverage contains the spirit of the herb. It's not that pure.

In Farsi it's called the sweat of that herb. Pretty cool.

Mick

I'm sure there's a better term, but I can't think of it.

Færd

No problem. I will accidentally run into it sometime, hopefully.

Yashas Samaga

08:55

anybody here?

I was looking for a phrase where I can convey that I had found my career

I was doing XXXXXX. [that pharse]. Hence, I would want to major in YYYYY.

Mick

I'm not sure what you're after. "I've just decided that Y is my vocation," perhaps?

Yashas Samaga

that looks too simple

doesn't go well with the tone of the essay

maybe I should provide the context

Spending 15 hours a day on understanding how the incredibly complex machine worked, I found myself totally immersed within the esoteric world of computer science. [PHRASE GOES HERE]. Combined with my long held passion for programming, ideally, I would want to major in computer science and engineering (course 6-3).

Mick

It could be anything. What do you want to say?

Yashas Samaga

I want to say that, after showing so much interest in computer science, I had found the career for the rest of my life.

something like that

Mick

09:22

If this is for a university application, I think you are overdoing it a bit. Few people know what they want to do with the rest of their life when they are young, and it is very easy to be seduced by computer programming, especially if you find it easy at first. I should know, that was me.

Yashas Samaga

it is for a U app

:/

Mick

I would simply replace the last sentence with something like: Since I have a long-held passion for computer programming, I would like to major in computer science and engineering (course 6-3).

Yashas Samaga

In 1991, Linus Torvalds began working on Linux at the age of 22. On April 15th of 2010, I began working on my own operating system (OS) at half that age after seeking inspiration from an article at TheLinuxDaily.

that is how the essay starts

my maker portfolio talks about my work at the age of 8

I wanted to explicitly tell that I have been doing all sorts of complicated things with comps at a very young age.

so engrossed that I would spend 15 hours continously

Mick

The best thing that you could say is that you want build on your current practical experience by acquiring a sound understanding of Computer Science. For this reason, I want to major in... (Forget the "would like". This sounds like a real desire).

Yashas Samaga

yay... I am going to use that

thank you

Abcd

10:30

Anita received an invitation * dinner .

Will it be for or to

Mick

to

Abcd

@Mick Thanks. Is though followed by yet?

Mick

I would need an example sentence.

Abcd

Though he is a doctor,(yet?) he has poor health.

Mick

Although he is a doctor, he is in poor health.

Yashas Samaga

10:36

Is "I used to work from an early age" gramatically correct?

imo it doesn't sound right

Mick

"I started working at an early age" would be better.

Abcd

10:54

Is there any other phrase / word that can replace the term "mixed feeling"

?

Mick

Ambivalent

Yashas Samaga

11:30

copies of the website from the year 2012 can be found at archive.org.

is the last dot needed?

It looks awkward

.org.

Mick

Good question. I sometimes put a space after the URL: archive.org .

Either that or quote the URL.

Yashas Samaga

how about this?

"(copies from the year 2012 of the same website can be found at archive.org)."

Helmar

11:50

Put the URL in italics and keep the period.

SmokeDetector

12:06

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Offensive body detected: Meaning of "Flyover Boy" ? - From Movie "Gone Girl" by SunMan on english.stackexchange.com

SmokeDetector

13:43

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Offensive answer detected: How to communicate the idea of a "brown-noser" without the vulgar connotations? by Phil on english.stackexchange.com

Yashas Samaga

14:33

@Mick are you here?

Mick

Yup!

Yashas Samaga

Combined with my long held passion for computer programming, I want to build on my current practical experience by acquiring a sound understanding of computer science. For this reason, I would want to major in computer science and engineering (course 6-3).

First read itself will tell you what has gone wrong there.

the first clause in the first sentence does not go well with the second clause

Thank god that I went to review my essays before hitting the submit button.

I am looking for a suitable fix

any suggestions?

I have split the sentence into two but I can't get the flow correct.

Mick

You really need to start a new paragraph with "I want to build..." It is, after all, what you have been building your case up to. This means that you must work the bit about your passion for programming into preceding content.

Yashas Samaga

the word limit is 100

Yes, I have talked about programming before those lines

Mick

Time to start throwing stuff away, then. I told you that you are over-doing it.

tchrist

14:47

“Too many notes!”

Yashas Samaga

a year or an year?

tchrist

It’s a near thing but you’ve got to have an ear for it.

Mick

@tchrist That'll teach you to hoard 500 Rupee notes under your mattress. :P

2

tchrist

Four hundred and ninety-nine of them,
       You would have endured and withstood.
But the five hundredth note, as Solomon says,
       Is one note more than you should.

2

Mick

:D

Yashas Samaga

15:59

aw

this is the worst essay I have

Every morning started with a rush to meet my peers at my institute's library to find out who had found a solution to the seemingly impossible math problem. Solving problems and challenging friends has become an enjoyable part of the daily routine. We would take another challenge problem before returning to our homes. It is a race to the top of the leaderboard. .

At home, I walk to the swing in the lawn and think deeply about the problem while my cats play in the garden. The day would end with me lying on my bed still pondering about the solution

that is so bad

I can't describe how bad it is in words

tchrist

Needs more purple.

Færd

Sounds like an enjoyable line of work to me.

Yashas Samaga

The question is "We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do for the pleasure of it. "

I need to make it more artistic

I stroll to the swing in the grass and contemplate the issue while my felines play in the garden. The day would end with me lying on my bed as yet contemplating about the problem.

-_-

Færd

Of course, I gave up such a career some years ago; it still appeals to me nonetheless.

Make math more artistic?

Yashas Samaga

that is grammatically wrong

I mean the wordings

or the sentences w.e

Færd

16:07

In what way?

Yashas Samaga

no idea

I want to make it appear like a story

@tchrist I have no idea what you meant by "needs more purple"

Færd

Don't you like the problem you're working on?

Yashas Samaga

of course yes

My parents have to shout at me to go to sleep

Abcd

Whats the term used to describe a person who is good at arguing

Yashas Samaga

argumentative

cantankerous

Anonymous

16:11

@YashasSamaga That's someone who argues a lot. They might not be good at it :-)

Yashas Samaga

LOL

Anonymous

@YashasSamaga That doesn't really mean they're good at arguing either. By the way, Stack Exchange chat has an edit function. You can edit your chat messages as long as you do so within 2 minutes of posting them.

Yashas Samaga

Every morning started with a rush to meet my peers at my institute's library to find out who had found a solution to the seemingly impossible math problem. Solving problems and challenging friends have become an enjoyable part of the daily routine. We would take another challenging problem before returning to our homes. It is a race to the top of the leaderboard.

Once I reach home, I stroll to the swing through the grass and think deeply about the problem while my felines play in the garden. The day would end with me lying on my bed still pondering about the problem.

still sucks

tchrist

As evil loves argument, no one can be good at arguing. It is thus axiomatic that good people do not argue. Rather, they raise concerns for impassioned discussion. :)

Færd

@YashasSamaga Gah! I thought that's a true story about yourself!

Hahaha!

tchrist

16:22

5

A: The name for a flowery expression - not a cliché

The year 19 ʙᴄ’s twin gifts urbi et orbi “Purple Dreams” wallpaper from nature.desktopnexus.com It was during the eighth year of the reign of Caesar Augustus, that selfsame year in which Agrippa completed his great Aqua Virgo, when Horace sent as an epistle to the consul Piso the poem we have ...

> Today I feed. Yesterday I fed. Always I have food.

Yashas Samaga

@Færd it is a true story

but the way I wrote it make it sound dull

Mick

@Yashas Try re-writing it in the present simple, just as an exercise.

Anonymous

That'd be tricky.

Anonymous

I guess have become could be are now. Close enough? :-)

Yashas Samaga

16:39

Every morning starts with a rush to meet my peers at my institute's library to find out who had found a solution to the seemingly impossible math problem. Solving problems and challenging friends is an enjoyable part of the daily routine. We take another challenging problem before returning to our homes. It is a race to the top of the leaderboard.
Once I reach home, I stroll to the swing through the grass and think deeply about the problem while my felines play in the garden. The day ends with me lying on my bed still pondering about the problem.

Yashas Samaga

18:39

@Mick are you there?

Mick

I'm still here, and will be for the next 6 hours.

Yashas Samaga

I have bumped into a problem.

sudden change of context

I asked him to
request our teacher to shift his place near mine so that I could help. In
addition to that, we decided to spend around 20 minutes together every day
after school. Within a month, he was comfortable with the topic and confident
with his abilities.

I had trained four schoolmates for a national level programming competition.
One of the students got admission at Indian Institute of Information
Technology, Hyderabad where he had a head start after joining the college. He
publicly thanked me for the training I had given.

problem #1: sudden change of context

problem #2: it looks like show off (he publicly thanked part)

I don't indent to show off but I want to say what I want to say

my recommendation letters will probably get that message through

but I don't want to take a risk

what do you suggest?

Mick

@Yashas I'm not sure what you are asking. Who is "him" in your first sentence?

Yashas Samaga

classmate

I should've copied the whole essay I guess

Mick

Just get rid of the word "publicly" if it is bothering you. Is this still your Uni app?

Yashas Samaga

18:47

yes

I have around 40 hours before I hit the deadline

but I prefer to submit early :P

to prevent the adcoms from accusing me for procrastinating important work.

Mick

I'm not sure where you are, or what is expected in such an application, but if you were applying for a place at a UK university, you would definitely be selling yourself too hard.

Oh! You mentioned India.

Yashas Samaga

did I over do it again? :/

I am applying for a U.S. college

I have to write 5 different essays instead of one highly polished essay

the essay I am talking about currently is an answer to the "how did you contribute to your community" prompt

Mick

OK. That makes more sense.

Yashas Samaga

I don't want to show off in my essays

but it is happening -_-

If I had to show off, I would have talked about giving lectures to students -,-

what if I add 'also' before trained?

"I had also trained"

I am not sure if that'll fix the sudden change of context problem

maybe it minimizes...

Mick

Remember that Americans are more "up front" (direct) than us Brits, so I wouldn't worry about showing off.

You really need to say when these events happened, e.g. During May 2016, I spent 20 minutes a day training a schoolfriend in C programming (be specific). This helped him to get a place at XXX university.

Yashas Samaga

19:01

I used four students

it is two each

two in 2014

two in 2015

the one who made it to IIITH was from the 2015 batch

maybe I shouldn't talk about it at all

I am 99.999% sure that the training part is there in my application

but it probably doesn't mention that he was doing well at the college

added dates

if you have more tips, let me know :P

Mick

The training is worth talking about unless there is something more siginificant. Have you given any public talks (to a class, for example)?

Yashas Samaga

I have been teaching high school students

but I know it as a fact that it will be there in my recomendation letter

if the teacher misses that out, she is not sane

I want to avoid repeating information

I keep giving advice to students about preparing for competitive exams, etc

I clarify doubts of the students

3 subjects at a time!

physics, chemistry and math

Mick

19:20

Do you contribute to Stack Overflow?

Yashas Samaga

nope

I got banned for asking too many dumb questions. So stupid that people would ask if I code when I'm drunk.

I contribute 2 Physics & chem SE though

no idea when my SO ban will be lifted

Mick

That's almost worth mentioning. University lecturers do have a sense of humour. :D

Yashas Samaga

lol

really?

even if I were to add that, I am not sure where

do you add a - between trans and male?

transmale or trans-male?

Anonymous

@YashasSamaga People write it all three ways: trans male, trans-male, transmale; and trans man, trans-man, transman. I don't know which is most common.

Anonymous

Wikipedia and Wiktionary seem to list the versions with spaces as primary, with the others as alternatives. Maybe that means it's more common with a space.

Yashas Samaga

19:37

"I was introduced to computers in primary school"

is that grammatically correct?

Arrowfar

seems okay.

Yashas Samaga

is it ok to use "techy" in college app essays?

informal

Arrowfar

not sure because "techy" is informal.

Yashas Samaga

any alternatives to it?

it has to be one word

I don't have room for more words

Arrowfar

hmm there is "tech savvy" but that's informal too. Let me think.

Yashas Samaga

19:45

"I invited my [techie] classmates"

I have been preparing for Indian Institute of Technology - Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) for 3 years. During this preparation, I was taught very advanced mathematics and science (in my opinion, far more advanced than SAT and AP).

should I mention "in my opinion, far more advanced than SAT and AP"

I am writing AP in May so....

Mick

"Very advanced maths and physics"? You are setting yourself up for some very awkward questions should you get an interview. Leave it out. That goes for your opinions too.

Yashas Samaga

nvm

Yashas Samaga

20:17

Every morning starts with a rush to meet peers at my institute's library to find out if anyone had found a solution to the seemingly impossible math problem.

should I add a "my" before peers?

meet my peers at my institution's....

repeation of the word :/

Every morning starts with a rush to meet peers at my institute's library to
find out if anyone had found a solution to the seemingly impossible math
problem. Solving problems and challenging friends have become an enjoyable
part of the daily routine. We would take a new challenging problem before
returning to our homes. At home, I stroll through the grass to the swing and
think about the problem while my felines play in the garden. The day ends
with me lying on my bed still pondering about the problem until alas, a

do you see any grammatical mistakes?

or do you have any suggestions?

Mick

"my peers" or "my classmates" (better imo)

"seemingly impossible" => "latest" (of course they will be difficult)

"we tackle [or analyse] a new problem before returning to our homes"

Yashas Samaga

we don't talk about the homework problem

Mick

"cats", not "felines"

Yashas Samaga

so writing we tackle before... would be a lie

Mick

"we collect a new maths problem before returning home"

Yashas Samaga

20:23

maths or math?

To North American speakers of English, the word to use is “math”, as in “I majored in math”, and “maths” would sound wrong. Speakers of British English, however, would always say “maths”, as in “I took a degree in maths”. They would never say “math”.

I will use math as the app is for a college in the U.S.

and it is math or physics problem

I tried to save words

Mick

Sorry. Brits say "maths" -- a habit too old for me to change now.

Yashas Samaga

and used only math

Mick

"a masterstroke"? If you say so.

Yashas Samaga

the problems aren't easy

but the problems are really short

a person needs to think out of the box to solve it

"ush to meet my classmates at my institute's library"

my appears two times

can I use "ush to meet my classmates at the institute's library"

Mick

Why not just say "at the library"?

Yashas Samaga

20:28

but 'the institute' would be an ambigious

oh

:P

Every morning starts with a rush to meet my classmates at the library to find out if anyone had found a solution to the latest physics problem. Solving problems and challenging friends have become an enjoyable part of the daily routine. We discuss the problem and collect a new physics problem before returning home.

At home, I stroll through the grass to the swing and think about the problem while my cats play in the garden. The day ends with me lying on my bed still pondering about the problem until alas, a solution appears in a masterstroke. Triumph!

how about "After I reach home, I stroll through the grass to the swing"

Mick

"I go to the swing in the garden"

"while my cats play."

Yashas Samaga

I thought stroll would add depth

I watch the sky and walk lol

so much into the problem

sometimes I keep walking back and forth while thinking

Mick

It needs to be a little bit prosaic. You are not writing a novel. How about "walk to the swing"?

Yashas Samaga

the adcoms don't appreciate writing skills? :P

Initially, I wanted it to sound like a poem.

I failed in achiving that.

are you sure that writing a bit of poetry is not good?

Mick

It depends on whether you want it to sound like an exercise in creative writing.

Yashas Samaga

20:37

Out of the 5 essays I wrote, two of them are creative.

including this one (to some extent)

Mick

My ideas are known to be odd on ELL and EL&U. Did no one tell you that?

Yashas Samaga

I did it on purpose

to implictly show that I can write in many ways

odd?

you did point out important mistakes

Mick

I'm sure they'll make allowances.

Yashas Samaga

and I am grateful

their rules say that if you have a piece of poem to present, paste it directly in the essay

if you have quotes to present, then let them know

they give the freedom

so I thought a bit of creative writing won't do much harm (if any)

Mick

I really think that you are making a mistake talking about masterstrokes. "I lie in bed thinking about the problem until either a solution occurs to me, or I fall asleep". (don't trust my spelling - I'm a lousy typist).

Yashas Samaga

20:42

aw that removes a bit of poetry

but you are also right (no idea how I got that spelling wrong)

they might ask about the masterstroke

and I'll have to answer something

Mick

Never set yourself up for a fall. I made the mistake of putting Oxford as my first choice on my (joint) uni application (I wasn't Oxford material). The other universities gave me a really hard time: "Oh! You think that your good enough for Oxford do you?" It was brutal. :(

Yashas Samaga

I have applied for just one college

I already have backups

got seats secured already

I have months to deny the seat

so thought why not try for some Ivy League college

Mick

20:57

Good idea. If I had kids, I hope that I'd encourage them to think about studying abroad. The UK's university system is going down the pan.

Yashas Samaga

You haven't seen the Indian education system.

Do you want to study computer science? Be an expert in Physics, Chemistry and Maths.

You may fail in English.

Arrowfar

@Mick UK's accounting education is pretty good though.

Yashas Samaga

But we, one of the Ivy League college of India, will give you a seat.

What if you were sick during the exam day? Well, we don't care. You don't deserve a seat. You may start begging.

This is India. :P

Do you have an international olympiad in Informatics and you are not good at physics but above average? We don't want you to study computer science here. You may leave.

WiCK3D POiSON

Indian edu sys aint that bad.

Yashas Samaga

It is!

Saying Indian edu sys is bad is an understatement.

WiCK3D POiSON

21:07

Maybe its just the lack of job opportunities that make it look bad.

Yashas Samaga

I was just 4 years old when my mother took me to her college's electronic lab from
where I brought a heap of used electronic components home to add to my existing
collection of junk.

It doesn't sound alright.

Mick

It sounds like you chose your mother wisely. ;-)

Yashas Samaga

I love it.

I was born to be an engineer.

or scientist cum engineer

glad that I had such a mom

Mick

@Arrowfar The UK's accounting education is good because you can go to prison if you make a mistake in your career. That doesn't happen to scientists. Blow CERN sky-high? No problem. Write another paper.

Arrowfar

21:35

Hah!

Well “…because you can go to prison if you make a mistake in your career.” That’s looking at things in a negative way. I mean overall way in which people look at things. Like in US law education is good, UK’s accounting education, Germany’s engineering universities are great etc. That sort of thing.

And as regards going to prison, anyone can go to a prison if they do something bad.

Doctors can go to prison, lawyers can, a president can, everyone can. I don’t hear news about accountants going to prison, but yeah it happens, and it can happen in any field.

Yashas Samaga

Somewhere around June 2015, I had a classmate who had tremendous difficulty
understanding differential calculus even after the semester on it was virtually
over

any suggestions?

I am not sure if "Somewhere around June 2015" is correctly used there

Mick

"Somewhere around"? Why make your audience wonder? "During June 2015..." Does it matter if it was actually July?

I'm not sure where you're going with this sad story. Does it have a happy ending?

Yashas Samaga

yes

he did well

I helped him out

Mick

"who had real difficulty understanding differential calculus." (avoid superlatives) What happened next?

Yashas Samaga

21:50

I had a classmate who had tremendous difficulty
understanding differential calculus even after the semester on it was virtually
over. He was so poor at it that the teacher used to sometimes come short of
persistence and yell at him. I asked him to request our teacher to shift his place
near mine so that I could help. In addition to that, we decided to spend around 20
minutes together every day after school. Within a month, he was comfortable with
the topic and confident with his abilities.

Mick

As an aside, try to get hold of a copy of The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto. If you do, it will teach you how to write well-structured reports with a crystal-clear logical flow. It's a hard slog, but once you have learned the techniques, the words really flow. The first edition is better than the second, imo. I haven't seen the third. It's expensive, but worth it.

Yashas Samaga

I am confused.

nvm

what changes do you want me to make for that essay?

I removed the training part

Mick

22:07

I don't know what to say. It sounds totally over-blown -- like a school-room drama. You make your teacher look bad. What will prospective lecturers think? You need to tone it down. Don't dis you teacher, and say that you helped your friend regain his confidence.

Yashas Samaga

I should remove this "He was so poor at it that the teacher used to sometimes come short of persistence and yell at him. "

Mick

Absolutely.

Yashas Samaga

should I write about the classmate or about the training?

Mick

Write about what you did, and how you helped to restore his confidence. Everything else is irrelevant.

Does "nvm" mean "never mind"?

Yashas Samaga

yes

We swept through the entire lesson series where I explained each concept slowly with diagrams. Each and every example problem and many of the exercise problems were solved.

were solved or was solved?

Mick

22:24

"Swept"? With a broom? "Went", please. This is prose, not poetry.

Yashas Samaga

oh yea

Mick

Drop "slowly"

"We solved all of the example problems and many of the exercise problems." (avoid the passive voice).

Transcript for

English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…