English Language Learners

Damkerng T.

14:00

Using past perfect tense properly is not easy. :)

learner

u got it

Damkerng T.

After I explained that...

Ice Girl

ok.bye

Damkerng T.

11 mins ago, by Damkerng T.

@learner Then I explained myself... "I tried to say that we were taught for a period of time, and that period was over, but its effects still remain. (So I wasn't sure how to select the tense. Thank you for pointing this out.)"

@IceGirl Bye. See you later, IceGirl.

Here is snailboat's explanation...

learner

with you on the same page

Damkerng T.

14:02

The reason I'd use are is to communicate that people are still taught that way today.
Even if that period is over for you, the writer
When you say we you're speaking on behalf of a larger population
Since expresses that the state is still in effect, by the way.

@DamkerngT. Often, your choice of words implies a certain aspect.

I have been eating spaghetti since 3AM. [= I was eating then and I still am now.]

I had been eating spaghetti until I realized all food was evil. [ = I stopped eating spaghetti when I made that realization.]

When I hear had been, my ear expects to hear some reason why the state is no longer in effect.

Damkerng T.

That last sentence struck me really hard. (in a sense that it enlightened me)

I kind of came to realize what native speakers expect when they heard a use of past perfect tense.

learner

yeah it's kida catchy

Damkerng T.

But I think that's not all pieces of the puzzle.

But it's a very big one.

I think your question today just gave me the remaining pieces. :)

learner

if you want a very good tip, it's RT = reference time, you can have an idea by reading StoneyB's answer to my latest post.

Damkerng T.

Especially, StoneyB's answer.

(I just switched to read his answer a moment ago.)

learner

14:08

or read his Canonical post on perfect tense, it's a long article i have not finished it yet

Damkerng T.

That one too. But I usually like to bite one nibble at a time. :)

Come to think of it, I think tenses in English writing are mostly linear, with referring back and referring forward every once in a while.

Thanks for a nice question.

learner

thanks for your comments and tips, you're welcome to ask/enrich my questions

Damkerng T.

Got to find something to eat...

See you around.

learner

see you later, i'll stick around for a while

Ice Girl

15:22

@DamkerngT. here?

Damkerng T.

Yes, but not for very long.

What's up?

Ice Girl

ok. I have only one question for conclusion in my essay

Damkerng T.

Yes, what's the question?

Ice Girl

I think there are another reasons for differences between men and women. But these reasons as i told are important than others. right?

Damkerng T.

"another reasons" make me confused. How many reasons do you have?

Ice Girl

15:27

4 reason

Damkerng T.

And what is this another?

(It sounds like there is another reason beside the previous 4 reasons.)

Ice Girl

Exactly

Damkerng T.

So you have another new reason beside these 4?

Ice Girl

yes

Damkerng T.

I think there is another reason for the differences between men and women.

The next sentence confuses me even more...

(these reasons as I told) are (important than others)...

Now I'm not sure which reasons you are talking about...

Ice Girl

15:31

I mean in addition of my reasons it can be some reason exist

Damkerng T.

Oh, I see.

@IceGirl You should just write this line instead? :-)

Ice Girl

My reasons are: communication skills and body language, sharing vs problem solving, happiness and emotion

Instead what?

Damkerng T.

Instead of that But these reasons as i told ...

Ice Girl

But these reasons as i told are important for me than others. now right?

Damkerng T.

In my opinion, there is another reason for the differences between men and women. In addition to my reasons, other reasons might exist.

What do you think about this edit?

Does it have the meaning you want to say?

Ice Girl

15:35

good

yes

Damkerng T.

But it still looks strange.

Ice Girl

sorry you down vote me in ELL?

yes, me too

Damkerng T.

@IceGirl No, what happened?

I upvoted you.

Ice Girl

some person down vote me for my first question i don't know why?!!!!

Damkerng T.

Do they leave some comments?

Ice Girl

15:38

no

Damkerng T.

I've seen it. It has got one downvote.

Ice Girl

do you know why?

Damkerng T.

Only the downvoter can know his or her real reason.

Don't mind that too much.

Ice Girl

ok np

Damkerng T.

A good downvoter will usually leave a comment.

Ice Girl

15:40

now returned to my sentence

Damkerng T.

I think you should combined them into one sentence.

Ice Girl

finally which one is correct?

you please give me a good conclusion okay?

two line or even one line it's not matter

Damkerng T.

There might be some other reasons for the differences between men and women. But, in my opinion, the reasons I mentioned in this essay are the most important ones.

(I think that should be good enough.)

Ice Girl

oh, thanks

Damkerng T.

Make sure you understand both sentences.

You can use them in other essays too. :)

Ice Girl

15:46

yes

every person needs help OR need help?

Damkerng T.

every person needs help

When we say every, it will be singular, so needs.

Ice Girl

she want to or she wants to?

Damkerng T.

Is she singular or plural?

Ice Girl

singular

Damkerng T.

Correct. So, want or wants?

Ice Girl

15:50

wants

Damkerng T.

Good. Correct. :)

(See, you don't actually need me. You got all your answers right. :-)

When you can't find me, just ask yourself like this, okay?

Ice Girl

Because of your help my answers are right

okay

Damkerng T.

I did nothing. I just asked the questions. :)

Be confident. Your answers are usually correct.

Ice Girl

she can help them because she wants to learn everything that knows about it to others.

right?

Damkerng T.

Take a look at that everything carefully.

Ice Girl

15:53

right?

Damkerng T.

Better. It's now grammatically correct...

But doesn't make much sense.

What or who knows?

Ice Girl

yes, you're right

wait please

she can help them because she wants to learn everything that she knows about it to others.

right?

Damkerng T.

It sounds more like she wants to teach than she wants to learn.

(learn to others is strange)

Maybe you wanted to say this...

She can help them because she wants them to learn everything she knows.

Ice Girl

yes

I think a good friend is very effective in personal life for everybody.

Finihed

right?

Damkerng T.

I'm thinking...

It's grammatically correct...

Ice Girl

16:01

wait for 2 minutes sorry

Damkerng T.

But I'm not sure that effective is the right word...

Perhaps, use important instead.

I think a good friend is very important in personal life for everyone.

I think a good friend is very important in life for everyone.

I think a good friend is very important in everyone's life.

(I like the last one most.)

Ice Girl

yes, last one is the best

Damkerng T.

Also, you just got a new answer. :)

Jay just answered you.

His edit is also good. His suggestions too.

Ice Girl

She has lots of information or a lot of information?

how can I find him?

Damkerng T.

I think you can use either.

1

A: Is this use of "Whenever" ... "So" correct?

There are a couple of problems here. I suggest: I think she is a good friend and she has lots of information about everything. Whenever any person needs help, she can help them because she wants to learn everything and teach it to others. So I am happy because I have this good friend in my li...

You don't have to find him. Just read his answer.

Ice Girl

16:10

ok

Damkerng T.

If you think his answer is useful, click upvote.

If you think his answer is perfect for you, click accept. (You can both upvote and accept the same answer too!)

If you really want to thank him, then you can leave a thank you comment. :)

Ice Girl

He send it now because I checked my profile a few minutes ago I didn't see anything.

Damkerng T.

I think he just posted his answer just a few minutes ago.

Ice Girl

yes

Damkerng T.

Got to go again.

See you later, okay?

Ice Girl

16:14

okay

Damkerng T.

Bye :)

Ice Girl

Bye :)

Damkerng T.

17:56

@snailboat Hello

Anonymous

@DamkerngT. Hello!

Anonymous

Fiji time doesn't really refer to, well, Fiji time!

Damkerng T.

No?

Anonymous

The implication is that scheduling is more relaxed there

Anonymous

> the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in "Fiji time"

Anonymous

18:02

People in Fiji don't hurry; they do things on "Fiji time" (is the implication)

Anonymous

In another context, Fiji time would probably mean "the time in Fiji".

Anonymous

I can give you some other examples of this construction

Anonymous

For example, when you hire contractors to work on your house

Anonymous

They typically don't show up when they're expected. They show up whenever they want to.

Anonymous

This is because contractors work on Contractor Time.

Anonymous

18:03

(That's a jocular expression. :-)

Damkerng T.

Oh, maybe it's like Miller Time.

Anonymous

I think the putative "Miller Time" is "time for Miller Lite beer"

Anonymous

As in "dinner time"

Damkerng T.

Argh, something is wrong with my Internet connection...

Anonymous

4

Q: Should we have a meta thread for "How to learn English quickly" tricks?

I can state two things with confidence: 1) Asking "What are some good resources for learning English?" is off-topic. However, we have a meta thread devoted to that topic. 2) "What are some good ways to learn English quickly?" is also off-topic (as explained here). Yet we get asked that questio...

discussion

Anonymous

18:08

I feel it's somehow disingenuous to tell people there are tricks to learning a language quickly. But on the other hand, there are plenty of ways to learn a language slowly...

Anonymous

It's not entirely false.

Damkerng T.

Test...

Anonymous

It won't ever be "quick", but learning more effectively probably does make it take less time, in the end.

Anonymous

@DamkerngT. Pong.

Damkerng T.

Test #2...

Anonymous

18:10

@DamkerngT. Pong #2.

Damkerng T.

@snailboat :)

Anonymous

Did you pass?

Damkerng T.

I think I have my connection back, but not very stable.

Anonymous

Hooray! Ish.

Damkerng T.

Maybe the traffic is flood during New Year.

Anonymous

18:11

Traffic can be flooded, or perhaps even flooding, but not flood

Anonymous

You might also write during the New Year

Anonymous

Would you like to see my baby snails? I got them a new cage yesterday.

Anonymous

Damkerng T.

Oh, yes. Thanks.

If it takes too long for me to response, blame the Internet. :)

@snailboat There are lots of them!

How many of them?

Anonymous

18:43

@DamkerngT. I'm not sure! :-)

Damkerng T.

Test...

Anonymous

Hehe.

Damkerng T.

The connection looks much better now. :)

Anonymous

What is the purpose of your tests? To see how quickly your message appears, if at all?

Damkerng T.

Yes

If it couldn't go through, it would timeout soon enough.

Anonymous

18:47

Ah, I've had that happen before.

Damkerng T.

I needed to reset the router and reboot my home-office server too.

Today IceGirl signed up with ELL and posted two questions.

I think it's a big baby step for her.

0

Q: Is it correct to say "This dress attracts me the most ?"

Is it right to say "This dress attracts me the most "? If this sentence is wrong,with what words it will be right ? When should I use the word 'the most'?

word-usage vocabulary

I'm rather sure that it should be This dress attracts me most.

Anonymous

I don't see anything wrong with the most. "I like this one the most [out of all of them]."

Damkerng T.

Perhaps, I might be confused with I like this one best.

Anonymous

Likewise, I don't see anything wrong with "I like this one the best."

Damkerng T.

Hah

Perhaps, what I read (from other sites) in the last two weeks might give me wrong information.

Anonymous

18:54

I'm not sure I can explain it accurately, though. Maybe you could ask a question about "I like this one { best / the best }."

Damkerng T.

Previously, I would normally say I like this one the most/best.

I will see the answers in that question first, to avoid duplication.

Anonymous

Sure.

Damkerng T.

I think you are right about effectively not quickly.

But I think most people would wish for quickly in their learning.

Actually, I think they are quite the same. :)

Anonymous

They're related.

Anonymous

I recognize that they are, which is why I don't want to be insistent about changing it. It might not be the right thing to do.

Anonymous

19:01

But in my experience, a lot of people who say "quickly" mean "without much effort"

Anonymous

A lot of people start learning languages, but don't want to put in time or effort.

Anonymous

And you can't help these people.

Anonymous

You can try, but it doesn't amount to anything.

Damkerng T.

@snailboat I couldn't agree more.

To compress the time needed to learn == huge amount of effort

Kyriakos Kyritsis

23:46

Folks, I need proofreading, are you allowing proofreading questions?

I think that if you allow proofreading questions the ratio visit/day can explode.

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