Kenta  +  948165 Tue, 20 Oct 09 03:20 PM Hello. I wrote two dialogues. Will you correct them?   No. 1   M: What kind of instructions are these? We need to be experts to      understand them!   F: You are a computer expert, aren't you?   M: Year, but I'm an expert about computer hardware, not software.   No. 2   M: Will, I'm taking up a collection for Sandra's 40th birthday.   F: OK. How about a tenner?   M: How generous! Most people are pitching in just a few bucks.                                      Thank you.             kenta Kenta Joined on Fri, Dec 21 2007 Regular Member 531 kenta Countries, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Languages

	Mister Micawber  +  948173 Tue, 20 Oct 09 03:33 PM No. 1 M: What kind of instructions are these? We need to be experts to understand them! F: You're a computer expert, aren't you? M: Yeah, but I'm an expert in computer hardware, not software. No. 2 M: Will, I'm taking up a collection for Sandra's 40th birthday. F: OK. How about ten dollars?  ('A tenner' is rather outdated slang, Kenta) M: How generous! Most people are pitching in less than that. ($10 is 'just a few bucks'.) Mister Micawber Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004 Yokohama Veteran Member 30,825 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.' Countries, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Languages

	Kenta  +  948936 Wed, 21 Oct 09 02:05 PM Thank you, Mister Micawber.   I didn't know "a few bucks" implies ten dollars. I thought it means less than five dollars.   See you!                      kenta Kenta Countries, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Languages

	Mister Micawber  +  949000 Wed, 21 Oct 09 03:57 PM It's all relative, Kenta.  Thirty years ago, 'a few bucks' was $5.  Now it's about $25. Mister Micawber

	Kenta  +  949845 Thu, 22 Oct 09 03:14 PM Wow, 25 dollars?   No one in Japan imagine that. Our textbooks says " a few means two or three".   Thank you very much!                                                                              kenta Kenta Countries, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Asia, Languages

	Mister Micawber  +  950149 Thu, 22 Oct 09 11:02 PM It depends on the topic, Kenta. There are a few elephants in the zoo = 2 or 3 There are a few apples on my tree this year = 5 or 10 There are a few aphids on the apple tree = 300-400. ... and those are just my images.  Every speaker has his own concept when he says 'a few'. Mister Micawber