English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

12:26 AM

@Tonepoet No worries, I thought I'd give it a whirl. Oh, and in case I forget ..., or I'm too busy slaving over a stove, Merry Christmas!

tchrist

@Mari-LouA Happy closeting!

Tonepoet

1:49 AM

@Mari-LouA Merry Christmas to you too!

Mari-Lou A

2:05 AM

@tchrist Thank you. Only ten more days x

tchrist

In American a cupboard is a kitchen cabinet, not a generic one, and it isn't floor-to-ceiling.

A walk-in pantry, which is something of a kitchen closet with shelves, doesn't count as a cupboard because it's a little room.

Feeds

2:42 AM

0

Q: More traditional word for 'now-centric'

I am looking for an adjective that means privileging the now or to believe the present is more important or better than any other time. Analogous to anthropocentric. I believe now-centric is clear enough but I'd rather not ignore a more commonly used and recognized word. Can you use it in a sen...

Færd

4:39 AM

> 1. This diagram shows the expenditure in the two countries France and Spain.

> 2. This diagram shows the expenditure in the two countries of France and Spain.

Which one?

And it's deserves mention that coupling the title and the name doesn't always sound good:

> ?3. This diagram shows the expenditure in the country France.

> ?4. This diagram shows the expenditure in the country of France.

Cf:

> 5. Siddhartha is a novel by German author Hermann Hesse.

> ?6. Siddhartha is a novel by the German author Hermann Hesse.

So the title author and its career Hermann Hesse sit together well, in a way that country and France don't.

I wonder why.

SmokeDetector

4:54 AM

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Bad keyword in answer, bad keyword in link text in answer, blacklisted website in answer, pattern-matching website in answer: "Bless you" & sneezing by Neil Jakson on english.SE

Educ

9:32 AM

Hello

Is there any quiz to test how students motivate to study

?

terdon

9:56 AM

@Educ could you be looking for English Language Learners? We don't teach English here so we are unlikely to know about this sort of thing.

Educ

this has noothing to do with teaching it's only question about motivation how to evaluate motivation of students

terdon

10:30 AM

OK. Still sounds like the kind of thing teachers would know about.

Educ

11:15 AM

i would like to make presentation about motivation that's why i asked that kind of question to make quiz to make the audience active

in order to test how my classemate motivated to study

i found one in french but i'm looking for english one I would be most grateful if you could help me

Le motivomètre

Répondez simplement à ce questionnaire. Pour chaque question, dites si l'énoncé vous concerne :

0 = Rarement ou jamais
1 = Peu souvent
2 = Quelquefois
3 = Assez souvent
4 = La plupart du temps

1- Je crois posséder les aptitudes et les capacités nécessaires pour réussir mes études. ( )

2- Lorsque je prépare mes cours et mes examens, je me sens compétente, compétent. ( )

3- Je crois que la formation que je reçois m'aidera à atteindre mes objectifs personnels et professionnels. ( )

4- J'ai l'impression que les connaissances enseignées dans mes cours me sont ou me seront utiles. ( )

terdon

@Educ I'm trying to tell you that I, and probably the rest of the regulars here, will have no idea. Why would we know about this sort of thing? That's why I was suggesting other places where it is likelier that you'll find people involved in education.

Educ

Okay, i see

Feeds

12:03 PM

0

Q: put each sentence into passive voice in two different ways

they awarded prizes to Bernardo and arrow they have provided new clothes to some of the survivor they promised the job to several different people they brought me some books they are distributing books to the students they were showing the visitors the old mans grave they brought her magnificent...

single-word-requests meaning word-choice adverbs past-tense

user325499

@Educ There is a little self motivation quiz on this page. You might find it helpful.

user325499

You will have to scroll down a bit. But it is a general quiz which you can use it for students as well (I guess).

Educ

@Ivan Thank you so much so in your opinion It's useful to translate the questions that i found in French to English or just use what you suggest to me ?

user325499

@terdon Well such queries and things are better than looking at boring SWR 'feeds' in an English chat room I'd say.

user325499

@Educ Um, my French is a bit rusty so I'm not sure. Do what's best I guess.

Educ

12:14 PM

@Ivan : Okay i'll let you know my outline until now is : Introduction, definition of motivation , type of motivation (Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation) i'm gonna disscuss only those two form and i would like to make quiz to evaluate how my classemate are motivated to study after that i will conclude by conclusion and references

what do you think about my outline

user325499

There is also this blog/website about how to motivate students. It might come in handy.

user325499

@Educ Looks fine to me.

terdon

@Ivan I'm not saying they shouldn't be asked here, only that this isn't a room that is particularly rich in people who would know about that sort of thing.

Many users think this site is about learning or teaching English, which isn't the case.

Educ

currently , i'm working on book : Understanding-the-Nature-of-Motivation-and-Motivating-Students-through-Teaching-‌and-Learning-in-Higher-Education

user325499

12:50 PM

@terdon Yeah, it isn’t a teaching or learning site but it is chat. And I just checked ELL room, it is dead, so no wonder people would come here (the second best relevant place) to ask their questions about English.

user325499

So if not this room then the only solution for learners with little questions i.e. questions which are not worthy for the main site would be to go outside SE altogether.

user325499

Erm, I mean, hey, it is way better than writing things like “Why is the sky blue? I want it red...now! To match my socks“

user325499

Just saying. But sure, your call, I mean I might be misjudging things here.

terdon

@Ivan I am not making any call. All I'm saying is that there might be better places.

@Ivan But yes, this room is not aimed at people with questions about learning English any more than any other room on any site of SE. The internet being what it is, the majority—or, at least, the greatest minority—of users across SE are comfortable in English. So sure, you can go into any random chat room and ask for help with your English. My point is that many people think this site is specifically for this sort of thing and it really isn't.

And then they come here and get annoyed because people ignore their questions. I am just trying to clear up a possible misunderstanding. Sometimes, people here are willing to answer basic English queries. Other times, they are not. And this can be confusing if you are laboring under the misapprehension that this is a room associated with a site aiming to help people learn the language.

Lawrence

1:37 PM

@Mari-LouA Nice sleuthing in your question.

Mitch

1:53 PM

@Ivan WTH!!! MY SOCKS ARE RED!!!

@Færd squints

squints harder

squints real hard

Ohhh... wow... I see it now.

Feeds

2:25 PM

0

Q: How do you describe an act of making a mistake on purpose, but convincing even yourself it was an accident?

An example of such behavior would be the following. The mother is depressed and alone with her child. She doesn't want to wake up the baby, but him being awake would really help her feel better. So she coughs a few times to wake him up. "Accidently on purpose". Another example. You hate...

single-word-requests phrase-requests

user325499

2:48 PM

@Mitch Are you yelling at me? Anyway, I'm sorry Your Highness.

user325499

Still, why should your socks match the colour of the sky?

user325499

I'm wearing a black underwear, can I get black sky?

user325499

And no, I'm not talking about at night, I want it black right now.

user325499

But now I'm talking like you so...

user325499

But still, I don't mind what you write, perhaps it is just that you are doing it wrong. You should say "The sky is red today, why aren't my socks red?" Now, that should make sense if any, and that should and could be done -- change your socks to match the colour of the sky not the other way around.

user325499

2:56 PM

Bah. I guess we both have a lot of free time on our hands.

Færd

> Definition of joke
...
2 : something not to be taken seriously : a trifling matter

Feeds

0

Q: what is the single word to desribe a gymholic person as his/her hobby?

one word for desribing a fitnessbeleiver person as his/her hobby. what can he/she write as his/her hobby is he/she goes to gym regularly?

single-word-requests

user325499

Just playing along. I get the humour and I love it.

user325499

@Mitch So just out of curiosity, can you wear red socks at work wherever you are? I mean if you are Santa then... understandable.

Færd

We're being too hard on (red) socks. Why should a red T-shirt be OK but red socks too much?

user325499

3:08 PM

I'm not being hard on red socks, they would just look odd at a formal setting like a workplace.

user325499

You would have to match red socks with red pants for example, and who wears a red pant?

user325499

And red T shirt? Outside workplace? It looks amazing if you are hot.

Færd

Umm, you can match them with a red belt? Things don't have to match with their immediate neighbors. Gives more dimensions to your appearance.

Or with a red beard, if you're into dying it.

Gigili

People we've talked about it.

Acting is reacting.

Don't star random messages.

Also, don't stare at random messages.

user325499

Starring messages like "Merry Christmas" is cute. I didn't star them but they seem cute.

user325499

3:17 PM

And staring at random messages is fun. Better than watching the paint dry.

Gigili

Did you just contradict me?

takes deep breath

user325499

That's right, I did.

Gigili

Did you just admit to your wrong doing?

user325499

Not sure what you are on about.

Gigili

stares blankly

There's nothing wrong with my combat moves except that they're ineffective.

Feeds

3:42 PM

0

Q: Hypernym for comparisons (less than / greater than)

Question says it all, I'm looking for a Hypernym that groups ">" and "<" and perhaps similar logical comparators (">=") into a word. I'm not sure if "logical comparator" is even a valid term, and using it doesn't feel great either.

single-word-requests hypernyms

tchrist

0

A: Is it ok to use ‘ backquote here?

Just a bit off: 2019 − 2018 = 1 If this were text you found on the Internet, particularly on the Web, then because more than 90% of websites worldwide use Unicode text, we would be able to examine the actual codes used for that bit of text and so give you a very good guess as to what has gone wr...

Forgive me, I couldn't help myself.

That there was a wrong answer on the Internet didn't bother me; that there was a wrong answer on our site did. :)

terdon

4:03 PM

Please edit your posting to fix the grammar: one cannot say "is not fitted" to mean "does not fit". — tchrist ♦ 4 mins ago

@tchrist why not just edit?

Hmm. Now that I think about it, I guess because it's not entirely obvious what the OP meant.

tchrist

@terdon Because I want the hat that goes with prodding people to edit stuff in comments!

terdon

@tchrist Pffft! :P

tchrist

Okay, next time I'll be less honest.

terdon

Been there, got the t-shirt. Or hat, as the case may be.

tchrist

ELU isn't doing as well as in the Leaderboard as it normally does. Where have all the hatters gone?

terdon

4:07 PM

Hatters gotta hat.

tchrist

> 156 users from this site have earned a total of 252 hats!

Surely we can do better than that!

terdon

Oh wow! That's worse than U&L and we never do particularly well!

tchrist

That's what bugs me.

terdon

Maybe because we like Fedora?

Matt E. Эллен

4:20 PM

there are no hats you get just for turning up this year, so I think that means people who were on the fence about joining in aren't drawn into the milliner's yard

Feeds

0

Q: Is it correct to say "overly optimistic writers"?

Is it correct to say "overly optimistic writers"? Is there any other adjective to describe someone who's too optimistic?

single-word-requests

Feeds

4:43 PM

0

Q: single word request for exercise book

I need the correct term for this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_book#/media/File:Exercisebook.jpg In the German language we just say "Heft". The English term seems to be "exercise book". But "exercise" is just one aspect of this thing. I can write cooking recipies, my to-do lis...

single-word-requests

Matt E. Эллен

5:01 PM

today is not my day. first I forget the key to the office now I've found my laptop power brick is at home, too. screams into the void

Feeds

0

Q: Looking for the right word or phrase to describe someone

What would you call a person (or the behavior of someone) who insinuates that another person's kind gestures and/or comments are self serving in order to shame or embarrass the person? This is a person who is passive aggressive and self righteous. I am looking for the word or way to describe...

single-word-requests phrases

Feeds

7:01 PM

0

Q: Any specific word for an emotional person?

My son is very sensitive to what happens around him. For example, if I am away for a couple of days he is down, or if someone shouts at some else he immediately reacts and gets anxious. Is there any specific word to describe such a behavior. Can I say very emotional or sensitive?

single-word-requests

1

Q: Single word request for the effect of an expert's presence

I am searching for a word or a couple of words to describe the following situation: A login webpage isn't working (i.e. someone can't log in) (for example the login page of Gmail). An user Is trying to login without success. The user tries multiple times in different ways without success. This ...

single-word-requests

Mitch

@MattE.Эллен Easily rectified. If you forget the key to your office, don't forget to key the office.

I have this dull anxiety that, given all the times I shined my flashlight into the night sky void, it will all bounce back one day. All on the same day

@Gigili No.

I mean yes.

I mean ... argh!

If someone says it's opposite day, that definitely means it's not. It may be 'randomly wrong day', but it's surely not 'opposite day'

@Ivan Of course. Just wear longer pants.

MetaEd

@Mitch Be consoled by the impending heat death of the universe, then.

SmokeDetector

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Few unique characters in answer, repeating words in answer: "Closet" vs. "wardrobe" Why is the first more common in the US? by poo poo on english.SE

Gigili

7:38 PM

@Mitch The sweet smell of success

Not even death can save you from me!

@Mitch Did you just contradict yourself?

Matt E. Эллен

@Mitch thanks for that stellar advice.

MetaEd

7:49 PM

Great. Now Hotel California is going to be in my head all day.

MetaEd

8:08 PM

Also it seems I have been pronouncing "catholic" wrong all my life.

Mitch

@MetaEd taps fingers

tippity tappity tippity

@MetaEd to rhyme with 'alcoholic'?

MetaEd

@Mitch Based on the Greek, it's cat-holic.

Mitch

@Gigili Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)

Rather I think I've overindulged. Multitudes of cake!

MetaEd

@Mitch that's very biblical of you.

Mitch

@MetaEd Or Whitmanesque

@Gigili Still waiting...

ugh... the universe. Is it always like this?

MetaEd

8:16 PM

@Mitch The test of course is whether your body is electric.

Mitch

Screw it, I'm fast forwarding to the end, I want to see how it turns out.

MetaEd

1 hour ago, by MetaEd

@Mitch Be consoled by the impending heat death of the universe, then.

Mitch

fast forwards

I'm back

pretty cool how you can come back at any time, but just to stick the landing you come back immediately after you leave.

Anyway. wow.

I mean wow

you just would not believe...

I mean there's a lot of boring stuff, but the twist at the end.

You'd never guess.

I mean some things are pretty obvious.

Like bitcoin. If you haven't sold it by now...!

I skimmed some a little.

Like in about 20 million years, flying platypuses.

Pandas never change

MetaEd

@Mitch So you've seen the entire future, how many times does ... no, that question is too tasteless even for me.

Mitch

No I don't think it is that tasteless. Not for you at least

But 3. The answer is 3.

MetaEd

8:35 PM

@Mitch Huh. You'd think He'd be good for more than two or three.

user325499

I wonder how we should pronounce "Touhou".

user325499

In Baltic languages we have this... never mind.

user325499

@Mitch yeah, but that's hiding red socks.

user325499

I mean how can you wear them at work without hiding them and without looking like a total clown?

user325499

8:57 PM

And why do you waste your time in an almost deaden chat room when you can continue making points on the main site?

user325499

I'm trying to make sense of this place and it makes no sense. Nothing makes sense. Nothing. I repeat, nothing.

Mitch

@Ivan That makes more sense then flanging the tammel inscipent, if you know what I mean.

user325499

Eh? I read "Merry Christmas" on the starboard and I thought it was past 25th December and all my project dead lines... Phew it is not, it is just that I'm a little tipsy. Ugh, sorry.

Mitch

@Ivan You don't need red socks to look like a clown. It's all in the delivery. Also location.

user325499

@Mitch Eh, what does "flanging the tammel inscipent" mean?

user325499

9:05 PM

I mean I'm good at English but I'm pretty bad at pulling phrases like that out of my a$$. And I'm joking again, wow.

user325499

@Mitch That would be Baltic region.

user325499

Any Latvians around?

user325499

Estonians?

user325499

@Mitch What's your native language?

MetaEd

Lithuanians? Bueller?

Mitch

9:16 PM

@MetaEd I just saw that the other day. Ferris is a psychopath.

user325499

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Mitch

@Ivan You'd be surprised. I'm written mostly in straight C, with some Perl for batch jobs.

MetaEd

@Mitch Teenager. Same thing.

@Mitch core dumped: your fault

user325499

@Mitch You are made of nice code then. Are you really a bot for this room then?

MetaEd

@Ivan I've seen his code. It's all BASIC.

Mitch

9:22 PM

@MetaEd The other teenagers aren't like that. Everything is all about him. Sure, he helps his friend Cameron deal with some issues. But he does that only to show everyone how great a guy he is.

@Ivan Yeah. Try a command

user325499

@MetaEd Hah

Mitch

@MetaEd Aw snap!

user325499

@Mitch What's your command?

user325499

Let's see.

MetaEd

@Mitch FERRIS BUELLER: PSYCHOPATH - Ruthless Reviews

Mitch

9:24 PM

Something like 'Set an alarm for me to walk the dog at 5:30 every morning'

user325499

@Mitch No, I would rather not try a command because you are not a bot I think.

user325499

If you really are a bot then give me a 10 minutes timeout. But it should say "Given by the ELU chat bot Mitch"

user325499

:P

Mitch

@MetaEd "Disagreeing with me would make you a racist."

Feeds

0

Q: Synonyms for "open" or "exposed" pages on a table?

Here is my sentence: The pungent smell of all the different pages exposed gave a pleasing coat to the chaos. I feel as if "different pages open" would work better than exposed, but still that feels too informal and lazy. This is an important emotional description in the writing so I want to...

single-word-requests synonyms

Mitch

9:32 PM

@Ivan That's unfair. I wasn't given those kinds of permissions when I was written, probably a good idea given that you are already attempting to abuse such things.

user325499

You haven't told me your native language so I'm guessing you are the default "American" that we tend to find in internet chatrooms? Am I reaching a correct conclusion here or am I reaching a retarded conclusion?

user325499

Just an observation. I'm friends with lots of American, it is not like I have it in for them.

user325499

I don't hate yanks, I mean Americans. They are cool.

Mitch

@Ivan The preferred adjective is 'idiotic'.

'retarded' is racist

user325499

No it isn't.

Mitch

9:35 PM

against the Irish

user325499

Yeah I mean everything is 'racist' on the internet.

user325499

Right?

user325499

Speaking of Irish... have you heard that joke... that joke...?

user325499

@Mitch I abuse programming languages, it is fun.

user325499

And you are just a code like you say so.

Mitch

9:48 PM

'code' is a mass noun. There is no 'a code'. It's just 'code'.

user325499

Oh, thanks for the correction.

Mitch

Mar 12 '11 at 2:29, by Robusto

De nada, mi amigo.

Mitch

10:08 PM

@Ivan It's a thing that people do (some native English speakers too) that really bugs me (as a non-sentient organization of moving electrons on silicon and general consumer of words).

Feeds

10:19 PM

0

Q: Is there any adjective or phrase to describe two people with different approaches?

I'm looking for an adjective or a phrase to describe two poets with different approaches to a particular subject: Speaking of two (adjective) poets, it should be noted that ... Can I use "theoretically different"? Any other possible choices?

single-word-requests adjectives

Feeds

11:30 PM

0

Q: Is there a positive verb "to not do anything about"?

For a positive verb meaning "to do something about," we have "address" or "handle." For a negative verb meaning leave alone or not do anything about or not give attention to, we have "neglect." Also "disregard" is a more neutral word, but it specifically means to not pay attention to rather tha...

single-word-requests

Transcript for

English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…