ESL General English Grammar Questions

ESL General English Grammar Questionshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/EslGeneralEnglishGrammar-Questions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here. <font color=red>DO NOT post paragraphs and compositions here. Post them in our <a href="http://www.englishforums.com/English/EssayReportCompositionWriting/Forum9.htm"><b>Essay, Report and Composition Writing Forum</b></a>.</font>enXMOD (Build: 3607.32596)Re: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#799186Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:15:33 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:799186tinanam01020http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#799186http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-799186.xmlHi Avangi, I've learned a lot from this thread. Thank you. TNRe: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#798923Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:05:00 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:798923Avangi1http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#798923http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-798923.xmlHa! It's like when Margaret Thatcher famously said to George Bush senior, "Don't go all wobbly on us, George," or something like that. Sometimes we are overcome by emotion and seem to lose our resolve. We lose our ability to act with calm self-control and steady determination. Sometimes seeing a girl can effect you like that. Or it may be fear of something. You may be actually physically trembling, or weak in the knees; or it may be a sort of mental incapacitation. Maybe you "freeze," unable to act. I'm only familiar with "weak in the knees." Perhaps the others are BrE.Re: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#798899Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:44:19 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:798899tinanam01022http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#798899http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-798899.xmlHi Avangi, Thank you for the explanation. I looked up "go all weak in the knees", do you mean "you like redhead girl?" but the idiom is "go weak at the knees." Any difference? Yahoo has "go weak on your knees." Sometimes I find it hard to study English, because I lack the ability to discern the usage. If I see a phrase, which is a typo error, from the caption of the news, I wouldn't know whether it is a typo, and would assume it is correct. Thank you TinanamRe: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#798231Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:49:27 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:798231Avangi3http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#798231http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-798231.xml"Go ahead. I'm a sucker for you". As you continue to fill in the details, I'm less inclined to say he thought badly of you. It's still a little ambiguous. People are naturally suspicious of car dealers, and not without reason. But it could be a good-natured reply - especially if your relationship has been good up to this point. It could be used in the sense below: He likes you and he trusts you, even though he thinks he may be foolish to do so. "He can't resist readheads." "He's a sucker for readheads ." (I couldn't find this entry in the dictionary) A "redhead" is a person with natural red hair. Whenever I see a redheaded girl, I go all weak in the knees. ...Re: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#798155Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:35:03 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:798155tinanam01024http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#798155http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-798155.xmlHi Avangi, In my situation, Did my last customer think I overcharged him the product he was not supposed to be charged? Honestly, my boss negotiated with him the price range, and I followed up on the service. So based on the email communication between my last boss and this customer, the price was fixed: USD.35 per phone, but it was USD.30, my boss made a mistake, and my boss asked me to talk to him before production begins. So I explained everything to me because not my boss's fault, but my typo. Then this customer sent me an email: "Go ahead. I'm a sucker for you". So I asked him to confirm if he would accept USD.35 in a second email, and he said yes as a reply. So I billed him USD.35 for 300pcs. Do you...Re: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#797970Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:41:09 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:797970Avangi5http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#797970http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-797970.xmlRe "I'm a sucker for X," I left out one thing I had intended to mention: There's a usage similar to "He's a soft touch." When a con man or a scam artist is looking for a mark (person to run his scam on), he looks for a gullible person (a sucker), or sometimes someone with a "big heart." Panhandlers can usually tell by looking at a person whether or not he's likely to give them money. We might say that a person has a "weakness," or a "soft spot in his heart" for some particular thing or situation. "He can't resist readheads." "He's a sucker for readheads." My mother used to have an expression, "He's a sucker for punishment,"...Re: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#797292Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:09:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:797292tinanam01026http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#797292http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-797292.xmlHi Avangi, I understand now. Thank you. Regards, TNRe: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#796668Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:01:13 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:796668Avangi7http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#796668http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-796668.xmlPositive, not sarcastic. Right. to hold and repress the gas whey they sang. I love it!Re: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#796122Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:13:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:796122tinanam01028http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/2/jwxdm/Post.htm#796122http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-796122.xmlHi Avangi, "What a set of pipes on him" means he have god-talent and voice-production equipment in / on him. Positive, not sarcastic. Slang expressions are difficult. My teacher used to say that Opera singers tended to be buxom becasue they have more lung capacity to hold and repress the gas whey they sang. (Sorry. My native word) Thank you again Avangi. Regards, TNRe: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#796100Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:48:09 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:796100Avangi9http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#796100http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-796100.xml1. "Go ahead. I'm a sucker for you" was said by my American customer. At that time we had differences on price range. Did he think I decieve him? Or like bad services our team provided and he wanted to complain a little? I'll have to guess. He thought you were giving him a line of bull - that you were trying to overcharge him by making the car seem more valuable than it really was. You were trying to play him for a sucker. "Go ahead, I'll play your silly game. (But I know it's a game, and I'm not really fooled by it. I'm wise to you.)" That is, "Okay, I'll be your sucker - but not for long." 2. (No, not that well-endowed!) -- Is it a sarcastic remark to a person...Re: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#796043Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:07:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:796043tinanam010210http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#796043http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-796043.xmlHi Avangi, I'm sorry for keeping you. 1. "Go ahead. I'm a sucker for you" was said by my American customer. At that time we had differences on price range. Did he think I decieve him? Or like bad services our team provided and he wanted to complain a little? 2. (No, not that well-endowed!) -- Is it a sarcastic remark to a person whose singing is average but this person thinks she sings like "Sarah Brightman"? Thank you. TNRe: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#796017Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:39:04 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:796017Avangi11http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#796017http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-796017.xml1. What does "Go ahead, I'm a sucker for you!"? I'm a lollipod for you? It's a slang right? It's definitely slang, but I don't attribute its origin to the lollipop (note the spelling). I could be way off base. When I refer to someone as "a sucker," I'm thinking in terms of the famous P. T. Barnum quote, "Never give a sucker an even break." (P. T. Barnum was co-founder of Barnum and Bailey's Circus.) I believe he also invented the expression, "There's a sucker born every minute." The expression "A fool and his money are soon parted" also fits in here somewhere. "Suckers" are people who are easily fooled into spending their money on...Re: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#795954Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:34:10 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:795954tinanam010212http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#795954http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-795954.xmlHi Avangi, Thank you for your reply. I have two questions left for you. 1. What does "Go ahead, I'm a sucker for you!"? I'm a lollipod for you? It's a slang right? 2. You wrote: "What a set of pipes on him!". What does that mean? Regards, TNRe: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#795831Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:29:07 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:795831Avangi13http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#795831http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-795831.xmlWhen you say "slang, do you mean, in a causal conversation, you'd say "I've never heard such a voice on an eleven-year-old before!"? And in a written essay, you'd choose "in" because it's more "formal"? Yes. I'd go one step further, and make a distinction between "slang" and "casual conversation." Clearly, not everyone would say "What a voice on that guy!" in casual conversation. It's somewhat stylized. Nearly everyone uses casual conversation, but not everyone uses slang. Slang is a bit lower register, and different groups have their own sets of favorite expressions. But I don't think any US native speaker would be put off by hearing...Re: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#795745Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:56:00 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:795745tinanam010214http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#795745http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-795745.xmlHi Avangi, Hi CalifJim, Thank you for your help. When you say "slang, do you mean, in a causal conversation, you'd say "I've never heard such a voice on an eleven-year-old before!"? And in a written eassy, you'd choose "in" because it's more "formal"? Thanks. Regards, TNRe: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#795463Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:24:21 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:795463Avangi15http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#795463http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-795463.xml"I've never heard a voice on/in an eleven years old." "On" is also commonly used as slang: I've never heard a voice like that on an eleven-year-old before! I've never heard such a voice on an eleven-year-old! What a set o' pipes on that guy!Re: A a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#795430Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:47:33 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:795430CalifJim16http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htm#795430http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-795430.xmlI've never heard such a voice in an eleven-year-old. Your interpretation of the dictionary example is correct, and you applied it correctly to your example. CJA a voice on / in an eleven years oldhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htmThu, 25 Jun 2009 16:01:33 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:795102tinanam010217http://www.englishforums.com/English/AVoiceElevenYearsOld/jwxdm/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-795102.xmlHi teachers, "I've never heard a voice on/in an eleven years old." I happened to have heard it said but I didn't know if I heard it correctly. Is it "in" is called for? Thanks. From the dictionary: "In him I see a great leader figure." That's how I think "in" is correct in this sentence. Regards, TN