Search results for 'tag:Conversational English' matching tag 'Conversational English'

Re: Beat or beaten?

philip — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:16:08 GMT

In American English, both are considered correct. In fact, "beat" seems to be more popular than "beaten" in common conversational English. I have a feeling that 'beaten' is used more when there is a physical beating described, with 'beat' in a less physical sense. Such and such has a taste that can't be 'beat'; the victim was seriously 'beaten' about the head and shoulders.

Re: Beat or beaten?

dimsumexpress — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:46:20 GMT

In American English, both are considered correct. In fact, "beat" seems to be more popular than "beaten" in common conversational English. , ,'res','1','','0CAcQFjAA')" href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_number_one_team_was_beat_by_the_Georgia_Bulldogs"> WikiAnswers - What number one team was beat by the Georgia Bulldogs College Football question: What number one team was beat by the Georgia Bulldogs? Florida Gators. wiki.answers.com/.../What_number_one_team_ was_beat_by _the_Georgia_Bulldogs - , ,'clnk','1','')"...

Re: Differences between Located and Situated

califjim — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:52:43 GMT

Both words are used in all varieties of English, whether British or American. They are not archaisms. They are both used in modern English. I don't think there is much more that I can explain. You can use either word. The hotel is located just one block north of the post office. (Sounds like ordinary, everyday, conversational English) The hotel is situated just one block north of the post office. (Sounds more formal. Maybe this is written in a travel brochure. Or perhaps it's being said by a man wearing a tuxedo!) CJ

Re: English grammar

anonymous — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:01:10 GMT

It is good conversational English. Some people would prefer "Tomorrow is a holiday because of / owing to Christmas." If you wish to use "due" (an adjective), some people would ask that you say, "Tomorrow's BEING a holiday is DUE to Christmas."

Re: I need your opinion

mister micawber — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:26:35 GMT

2. Databank of Conversational English Expressions

I need your opinion

anonymous — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:07:15 GMT

Experts and friends, 1. The Databank of Conversational English Expressions 2. Databank of Conversational English Expressions 3. Conversational English Expressions Databank 4. Conversational English Expression Databank In your opinion which one of the above would be most appealing as a book title. Looking forward to hearing everyone's opinion. Thanks.

Re: Don't/DO NOT

anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:14:15 GMT

Because there are two acceptable ways in modern English: (1) With contraction: Why don't you come in and wait? (2) Without the contraction: Why do you not come in and wait? Or in conversational English: Why not come in and wait?

Re: Which is grammatically correct?

anonymous — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:43:32 GMT

Perfect, grammar book- English = I wish I WERE there. You are NOT there. You are only wishing. Use subjunctive WERE; Good, conversational English (even used in writing by some educated people) = I wish I WAS there.

Re: Them as That

califjim — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:04:58 GMT

You can't learn ordinary conversational English by modeling yourself on song lyrics -- unless you want to sound like you, too, are rough and tough, ignorant, and motivated by the basest passions, i.e., "raised on shotguns", and proud of it. In that case, you shouldn't be asking grammar questions on an English forum; it will ruin your image! Songs like this often paint a picture of a reality enhanced by the "local color" of substandard language. These pictures are mostly fictitious and present mostly minority groups and their supposed views. CJ

Re: Help me with these, please.

mister micawber — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:28:17 GMT

As conversational English: Jeans and T-shirt would be fine. Jeans and a T-shirt would be fine.-- Both are fine and common. 　We got everything we need, so don't bring anything. 　We've got everything we need, so don't bring anything.-- Both are fine and common. 　Bring you own beverage. 　Bring your own beverages.-- Both are fine and common. 　Are you busy/free May 23rd? 　Are you busy/free on May 23rd?-- Both are fine and common. 　Are you busy/free Monday? 　Are you busy/free on Monday?-- Both are fine and common. 　Do you have any plans tomorrow night? 　Do you have any plans for tomorrow night?-- Both are fine and common. 　　Not on the 10th, I'm busy that day. -- Only this one Unless something (else) comes up, I can make it.. --...

Re: Was or Were

anonymous — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:48:07 GMT

I wish I WERE doing that = subjunctive = only a wish; I wish I WAS doing that = everyday conversational English used by many (most?) native speakers nowadays. Since you are a language learner, it would be helpful to use the "correct" form: WERE.

Re: Is or Are?

anonymous — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:40:41 GMT

There ARE a bank, a laundromat, and a restaurant in the building. = A bank, a laundromat, and a restaurant ARE in the building. = Correct English. There IS a bank, a laundromat, and a restaurant in the building. = Good conversational English used by many (most?) native speakers, who use "is" because they are thinking first of the singular "bank."

Re: Would you check my English? (Sep.12)

anonymous — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:19:06 GMT

Hi Begae, I earnestly suggest that you follow Clive’s advice. I tend to agree with what he said. Classroom English is not exactly the same with natural conversational English. BTW, a flat is not the same as a “studio”.

Re: AS IF

anonymous — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:02:50 GMT

Both answers are ok in conversational English. Purists want you to reserve "like" for its uses as an adjective and adverb (or, for many speakers today, a preposition). One should use the conjunction "as if." In fact, purists would like you to say: Don't talk to me as if you WERE talking to a friend, for you are not my friend.

Re: Sbuject-verb agreement

anonymous — Wed, 13 May 2009 06:41:30 GMT

Here are the answers: Choose the verb in each sentence: 1. One and a half apples are left on the table. 2. One apple and a half are left on the table. The verb is plural b/c the subject is plural - it's a "compound subject" representing two seperate, countable objects. Just picture one apple and half an apple on the table. Aren't they plural? :D 3. One and a half years has/have passed. Amounts like time and length can be singular or plural, depending on the context. If the time span is considered as one unit, it would be singular. (e.g. Two years is a long term for that type of office.) In the mentioned sentence above, the subject is likely plural. If this question arose...

Re: The use of the words "inure" and "revamp"

alpheccastars — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:40:47 GMT

They are not very common in conversational English. Revamp is sometimes used in business contexts and probably more frequent than inure.

Re: Informal endings in letters

alpheccastars — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:22:54 GMT

"Shall" is an older form of future tense. It is still used in legal documents, but not very much in conversational English. It literally means: I am not looking forward to seeing you now. I will do so in the future.

Re: had have

anonymous — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:04:22 GMT

yes you can, don't discount conversational English, it's more authentic than your text books. condition if + subject + past aux + present aux + v (pp) result subject/object + past modal + v (base) This conditional ads an extra verb tense to English between past perfect and present perfect past present future (had + present perfect) (past modal + present perfect)

Re: Comma placement: essential or not essential?

anonymous — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 06:10:03 GMT

Thank you. Would you allow me to indulge in my asking this further question? You wrote: But when it comes to conversational English, the comma would differentiate the speaker's feelings I wonder what different effects would be introduced by either putting a comma and not putting a comma in a converstional situation (as you seemed to have been referring to).

Re: Comma placement: essential or not essential?

askshameer — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:55:51 GMT

The usage of comma in these contexts would be of personal choice. Either way, you are expressing the same idea. But when it comes to conversational English, the comma would differentiate the speaker's feelings. As far as written English is concerned, its about to the author's style of writing to decide. /Sameer

Re: The American accent

aliaj — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:02:48 GMT

Congratulations on your enthusiasm in such a complicated hobby. It is not necessary to have an American accent, but is more important to be able to pronounce words correctly so that others will understand you. To acquire a complete American accent is not a realistic goal unless you were trained that way from the beginning of your language learning process. There are so many factors that go into language learning that it can become too complicated and confusing. The point is not to sound exactly like the American, but to make sure that you are pronouncing words, phrases correct. Also "American Accent" is an extremely broad term because the accent changes from state to state and region to region. So, you can speak and...

English for Dentistry...tuition available on-line.

leem72 — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:19:52 GMT

Hello, I am a Dental Hygienist with over 20 years experience in the Dental Industry. I work in private practice and also provide tutoring to International dentists preparing for the OET in Dentistry and planning on working in Australia. I am available for speaking practice via Skype ( live one to one tuition) and also can set writing practice tasks. Please contact me on email (see Personal info in my profile) for further details or questions. Thanks, Leem72 (Lee)

Online English Tutor

anonymous — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:45:02 GMT

Hi. I was reading through some of the forums and it seems like a lot of people are looking for native English speakers to practice their English. I'm a native speaker who was born and raised in California, and would be happy to be a conversation buddy with anybody who wants to learn English. I am currently looking for students and would be happy to answer any questions. Email me if you're interested. My email is in my profile. Thanks.

There are lots of great online learning sites!

learninghelp — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:37:37 GMT

Studio4learning.tv has tons of free, educational videos for ESL or native English speakers. It's a fun and easy way to improve your language skills.

Re: Causative verb with passive form

cool breeze — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:45:24 GMT

Gerund would suggest that someone saw a part of his walking and the walking is still happening, whereas the infinite suggests that someone saw the whole event and the walking is stopped now. I know that view has been expressed by quite a few grammarians. In my view they are just trying to make English more exact than it really is. If I see one of these sentences: He was seen to walk in the street, or: He was seen walking in the street, there really is no knowing if the person saw saw part of the walking or all of it. I know many grammarians agree with me - we'll just have to disagree, I think. Anyone versed in English literature and conversational English will have noticed that even though in some cases what you...

"work behind a bar" - what exactly does it involve?

missladybird — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:07:31 GMT

In a book which gives some examples of common collocations in English I came across a phrase "I work behind a bar at the weekends to help pay for my studies". What kind of work is that? Serving customers and pouring drinks? Cleaning tables? I will be grateful for your answers.

AVAILABLE TEFL POSITIONS IN TURKEY!

ukla — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:07:04 GMT

UKLA ACADEMY - Language Schools / Turkey seeks experienced native English teachers for 2008 - 2009 academic year to teach Skills Courses of General English, Conversational English, TOEFL / TOEIC Prep. Courses, Business English and company courses. Employment : Full Time Start Date : November & December 2008 Student Level : Adults

Re: else vs. otherwise

alan pemberton — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 09:16:00 GMT

Pardon the intrusion, I was hoping someone could help me out understanding the subtle differences (if any) between 'else' and 'otherwise' in the following. What's better: If {something happens}, {the following happens}. Else {something else happens}. The terse 'else' form is usually reserved for high-level computer languages (and those who speak them fluently). 'Or else' is sometimes used in conversational English, although it often implies a threat, or some other portent of doom. If {something happens}, {the following happens}. Otherwise {something else happens}. That would be the most common form in conversational/written English. But with the clauses separated by commas, rather than full stops. I...

Re: 'Force your opinions on people'

yizhivika — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:28:59 GMT

"Impose" is, of course, perfectly good English here, and might be many English-speakers' preference, native-speakers or otherwise. However, don't imagine that "impose" is the only available word for you to use here. As a native English-speaker myself, I see nothing wrong with using "force" in this sentence, and in conversational English at least, I think I would be more likely to use it than "impose". In written English, I might use either word, depending on context.

Re: baby girl

grammar geek — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:07:17 GMT

Oh for God's sake! We had been talking about conversational English among people discussing their families. Now you take your "correction" to our suggestions and after being told it's NOT natural in conversational English, you find a setting for it. Does the moon need to be ascending in Capricorn for this to work too? And in fact, a doctor would ask "How many pregnancies have you have? And how many live births? Vaginal or Cesarean?" We welcome your contributions to the forum, but PLEASE accept that sometimes there are other people who can provide more natural conversation based on the way we've been speaking our entire lives.

Re: I Want To Be Fluent English Speaker How Please?

david little — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 12:17:05 GMT

Hello The best way as far as I know is LISTEN! LISTEN! LISTEN! LISTEN! so its LISTEN.Listen a lot.Listen to a comprehensible material(easily understandable).How do you do it? Just by watching a lot of DVD movies.Don"t rush off.Just take some 10 minutes each from that movie and listen carefully how a dialog is said,hows the words pronounced and the accent too.Its easy,interesting and MOST EFFECTIVE! Its better to just listen for some six months before you start conversing in English(Actually you would hurt your English development by trying too hard hard to talk or by translating English to your language and back to your language,so please try to be a listener for 6 months to a year).You will be taken by...

Re: Need Ideas for (english) conversation topics with woman aged 35 - 45.

anonymous — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 18:02:34 GMT

I can't teach you English but I can help you improve what you already know with English conversations. I run a tele-service where I help others with their English by having real talks in conversational English. Its inexpensive and definitely worth it! Let's chat!

AVAILABLE TEACHING POSITIONS IN TURKEY!

ukla — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:14:40 GMT

UKLA ACADEMY - Language School / Turkey seeks experienced native English teachers to teach Skills Courses of General English, Conversational English, Business English, TOEFL / TOEIC Preparation Program and company courses. Employment : Full Time Start Date : IMMEDIATE (and December 2007) Student Level : Adults Requirements: • Native speakers of English • Bachelor’s degree • PGCE /Trinity TEFL/CELTA/ or equivalent certification Salary & Benefits • A very competitive monthly wage (guaranteed hours) • fully furnished Shared apartment or housing allowance • 2 weeks summer holiday (plus time off every 8 weeks) • Contract renewal bonus • 12 Month contract • Residence & work permit and Social Security Scheme Registration...

Re: American Accent Training!

anonymous — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 18:03:21 GMT

If you want to learn spoken english or conversational english and accent I can recomment the best training center in makati City, the name is American english skills Development Center Inc. you can find them on the Net. they have American anf Fil-Am trainers and good modules too. Try them .. really good value for your money.

Re: Negatives and Inversion

old eladio — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 14:13:32 GMT

Okay, thanks, but Which one would be used more often, say in conversational English or in formal one??!! Eladio

Re: Which sentence is right?

yankee — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 20:19:15 GMT

Vaivara wrote: While giving some advi c e to someone I said: ‘I don’t know how deep and far you want to go…’ meaning I didn’t know if she needed just brief definition or maybe a more in-depth article on the subject we were discussing. My son, for whom English is native tongue, said it doesn’t sound right and I should say ‘I don’t know in depth …’ Can you please help me? Which one is right? My son’s advi c e doesn’t sound right for me for some reason. Thank you. I don't find your wording ("how deep") to be unusual -- especially not in conversational English. I suppose you could have also said "I don't know how in-depth you want to go" (i.e. since the word 'depth' is a noun, in order to use 'in depth' as an adjective,...

Re: Natural?

toronto2001 — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 03:19:25 GMT

I would say "I think that next time, I can do better than I did before." Conversationally, you could say "I think next time, I can do better than before." In written, non-conversational English, the first is better. When you are writing, the difference between conversation and regular text is how it sounds, not how it is read. If it sounds like conversation, it should be in quotation marks. I hope this helps.

Please teach me english.

anonymous — Sat, 19 May 2007 17:14:33 GMT

Hi ! I am a mail and i am keen interested to learn conversational english. May I ?

Re: English - The reason why it is so hard to learn

califjim — Mon, 14 May 2007 03:05:30 GMT

I doubt you'll need more than 7,500. Well, I wouldn't even dream of trying to hold a conversation in Italian any more complicated than "How much does it cost?" unless I knew at least 10,000 words of Italian. In fact, when I was studying Italian, I only started to be able to converse a little better than haltingly with my Italian teacher when I reached approximately 8,000. (And yes, I was counting the number of words I had learned.) Besides, what's the point of claiming some sort of victory if you know 97.8% of the words in a particular text because you know about 15,000 words? That still means that there are tons of things a native speaker might say to you that could leave you totally lost. It means you still don't...

AVAILABLE TEACHING POSITIONS IN TURKEY

ukla — Tue, 01 May 2007 13:46:02 GMT

UKLA ACADEMY - Language School / Turkey seeks experienced native English teachers to teach Skills Courses of General English, Conversational English, Business English and company courses. Employment : Full Time Start Date : Immediate (May) or September 2007 Student Level : Adults Requirements: Native speakers of English Bachelor’s degree PGCE /Trinity TEFL/CELTA/ or equivalent certification Salary & Benefits A very competitive monthly wage (guaranteed hours) fully furnished Shared apartment or housing allowance 2 weeks summer holiday (plus 1 week off every 8 weeks) Contract renewal bonus 11 - Month contract Residence & work permit Social Security (providing health care) ...

Re: Need help the sentence

einde o'callaghan — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 05:09:23 GMT

n o s p a m p l e a s e schrieb: Thanx Einde and Paul for earlier help. I read somewhere as follows: * If a 400 kg person sits on ... I tried to understand but couldn't figure out. They is plural and it is referring to person which is singular. In modern conversational English the pronoun "they" is often used to refer back to impersonal constructions (a person, somebody and similar constructions), even if technically gthe original construction is singular. Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

Re: English lessons- free online???

kooyeen — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 16:16:49 GMT

Anonymous wrote: I have been looking for any free english lessons online? Do you maybe know any good adresses ? Umm, no, not free. I know there are many teachers who teach conversational English on Skype, you join a small class and then you practice. But you have to pay! There are a lot of websites for learning English grammar for free, anyway.

Re: Spoken english lessons for Indians

kellyc — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:38:55 GMT

Hi, You can use reading materials, such as Newspapers, you can also watch English films, use Dictionaries etc, there are 100s of reading materials and resources to help you learn English. But you will need to practice your conversational English. You will need someone who knows English to answer you and to help you, with any questions etc. Learning the English language is hard but with determination and plenty of practice you will get there in the end. I am a Native English Teacher and have been teaching students in Tunisia, when they first meet me they advise me that they have fluent English from all their resources and then after the first lesson they say oh there is so much more and nothing beats speaking real English everyday,...

Re: English speaking

ianq — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:47:51 GMT

When it comes to grammar and spelling I can strongly recommend reading a ton of English books. Good literature with high quality English, so don't go and get yourself a copy of any of Mark Twain's books, but maybe something more contemporary, a professional book for example. Try to feel and absorb the language. When you read, you're a sponge. Pay attention to how the author phrases things. In conversational English you'll find that the same kind of sentences are constantly repeated (How are you doing? Where are you going? How do I get there? etc.) Obviously, don't settle for merely memorizing sentences since you are an intelligent individual, but learn those recurring patterns. By reading you can really improve your understanding of...

Re: will or would

grammar geek — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 15:34:52 GMT

Hello Scott, and welcome to the forums. 1) Will you marry me? A simple question of fact. Would you marry me? This has a conditional. Would you marry me if I promised to quit smoking, stop sleeping with your sister, get a good job, etc. 2) Forest means that you don't have to have a high IQ to do good things, and people who are born smart can make really bad decisions about how they act. (PS - It would be best if you used "you" instead of "u," since this is a forum for learning standard or conversational English, and not text messaging, okay?)

Re: D/T sound

marvin a. — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 18:33:04 GMT

>> Between vowel sounds (Italy), and between vowel and liquids (title, butter), the letter t is usually pronounced /d/ in conversational English. The t in steer, however, sounds like /t/ to me, as I would expect. << Interesting. I've only heard Japanese people pronounce Italy with a . You must have an interesting dialect. I myself would say using an alveolar flap instead of a . Italy in Upper RP would be pronounced .

Re: D/T sound

mister micawber — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 09:29:36 GMT

Between vowel sounds ( Italy ), and between vowel and liquids ( title, butter ), the letter t is usually pronounced /d/ in conversational English. The t in steer, however, sounds like /t/ to me, as I would expect.

AVALIABLE TEACHING POSITIONS IN TURKEY

ukla — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:45:19 GMT

UKLA ACADEMY - Language School / Turkey seeks experienced native English teachers to teach Skills Courses of General English, Conversational English, Business English and company courses. Employment : Full Time Start Date : Immediate or January 2007 Student Level : Adults Requirements: Native speakers of English Bachelor’s degree PGCE / Trinity TEFL/CELTA/ or equivalent certification Salary & Benefits A very competitive monthly wage (guaranteed hours) fully furnished Shared apartment (2 teachers max) or housing allowance 2 weeks paid summer holiday (plus 1 week off every 8 weeks) Contract renewal bonus Travel reimbursement 8 Month contract (Jan – Aug) Residence...

Re: there is some, there are some

anonymous — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 01:16:49 GMT

Thank you all for your very helpful information! The point about the contracted form definitely makes sense, if someone asked me if there was any noodles in that bowl, it seems much more natural in conversational English to say 'Yes, there's some noodles in there' as opposed to 'Yes, there ARE some noodles in there'. But it's the technically correct form that I was looking for so 'There ARE some noodles in the bowl' it is then. Nick

Re: I want to help someone learn English!

dipak trivedi — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 08:25:37 GMT

Medusa171 wrote: Hello, my name is Michelle, and I am a 17 year-old girl from the United States. I am a native English speaker, and have always wanted to help someone improve their English. I can help with most things, from grammar and spelling, to conversational English, to slang and expressions. I'm so glad to have finally found a web site where I can help people! Who wants to talk? P.S. I also have some knowledge of French, and would LOVE to improve it!