http://www.englishforums.com/search/pro.htm?q=tag%3aConversational+tag%3aContextSearch results for 'tag:Conversational tag:Context' matching tags 'Conversational' and 'Context'en-USXMOD (Build: 3715.30106)http://www.englishforums.com/English/France24/2/mqhlr/Post.htm#1089860Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:30:57 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1089860califjimSo you're saying that this is even hard for the natives to figure out?If yes,why does he talk like that in these cases when people can't understand him? Yes. It's hard even for native speakers to figure out isolated passages of words. In the original context, there was probably a lot of talk about the subject in question before these words came up, so the typical native listener would have understood the basic message as heard in context even though he might not have been able to tell you word for word what was said. In any language, during the course of conversation people typically make a lot of redundant remarks, so it is seldom necessary for anyone to hear and record every single syllable of the conversation! Also,...http://www.englishforums.com/English/UnrealTenses/mnzwv/post.htm#1068747Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:23:26 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1068747dimsumexpressThis is my experience in learning the subjunctives. This word haunted me for several years because I couldn't understand the different moods and subjunctive verbs clearly enough to use it correctly. Although not an expert, I feel what I know about subjunctives now can help me navigate through this "mess". It would seem to me that if someone wants to set the mood up for a subjunctive conversation or passage, the odds is, he would most likely say "if I were you..." in north Amercia rather than "If I was you..." if he is a main stream educated professional. I understand, however, "If I was ...." may be used when something you said in a social gathering which may have caused other to feel...http://www.englishforums.com/English/UsageOfHaveBeenWorking/mmnmb/post.htmTue, 23 Feb 2010 15:06:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1065170deepbreathHi, Could you please let me know whether my usage of 'have been' is correct or not in the context of given conversation. Q- What's your job profile? Ans - I have been working as a Network engineer for 2 and half years. ( I meant to say that I am still working and started around 2 and half years before. ) -Thanks, Vikashttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WouldCorrectEnglish/mmzlw/post.htm#1063589Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:29:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1063589mr wordyNo, Mr Wordy-- it is pronounced 'four double-yu dee' and is a common term for the vehicle. In your parlance, perhaps. I am not aware that this pronunciation is in general use in conversational British English. The written abbreviation is certainly used, but looks slightly odd in the context of this dialogue unless one assumes it is also spoken that way.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DidYouGotIt/2/bxllr/Post.htm#1058272Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:39:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1058272mr wordyCan you imagine the poker situation as well? Or would it always be "What do you have?" in that context for you? In formal BrE it would be "What do you have?". In conversational BrE it would very often be "What have you got?". In fast casual speech this would degenerate into "What you got?" or possibly "Whaddya got?". However, despite phonetic appearances, I would explain the latter as a form of "What you got?", not of "What do you got?". This is because, to me, "What do you got?", fully articulated, sounds completely alien whereas "What you got?", fully articulated, sounds substandard but possible.http://www.englishforums.com/English/TheMeetingStarted/2/mkwmm/Post.htm#1054146Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:57:11 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1054146dimsumexpressTom, I clicked on the link and read the corresponding threads. This is how I would sum it up. I picked up a false notion that natives would have a deeper and better knowledge of grammar than foreigner learners. If it is a valid assumption, then I certainly would disagree. Natives, I agree, are more idiomatically equipped than learners and more in tune of what sounds correct and what doesn't, but not necessarily grammatically or linguistically more superior than learners. I don't mean to trigger reactions but that is how I see it. That being said, there is an invisible line separating what is conversationally acceptable and what is grammatically equitable. As far as the ergative contexts is concerned, "I heard the music...http://www.englishforums.com/English/IsThisProperUsage/mkczg/post.htm#1052099Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:23:58 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1052099mr wordy"Me and John went to the fair" is not grammatically correct in standard English. You would not say "Me went to the fair", so why would you say "Me and John went to the fair"? In reality, the "Me and John" type of usage is common amongst native speakers in casual conversation, and many people tolerate it in that context. You should certainly avoid it in more formal English, and in written English, where it appears uneducated.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WouldVsWill/mjkxj/post.htm#1049893Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:53:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1049893rayhThere's no real difference in meaning. Which you use will depend on the context of the larger conversation and your own choice at the moment. By the way, can we use will or would in an "if" clause? If you mean "If I would encounter a difficult..." and "If I will encounter a difficult..." then no, you can't.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Comparisons/mjjcd/post.htm#1049363Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:17:19 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1049363mr wordy"He held on to the rainbow that was hope" could work, poetically, in some types of writing. However, it doesn't seem a natural or common enough metaphor to be used willy-nilly in ordinary everyday English. If you plonked it into everyday conversation then it would seem strange or pretentious. Your other two sentences are even more unusual. They are not impossible, but would need a special context (a poem, say, or highly stylised piece of creative writing) to be usable.http://www.englishforums.com/English/IsGoingVsWillWhile/mjrzv/post.htm#1046714Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:04:00 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1046714mr wordy- What's it going to be?/What will it be? -- Both possible. More context is needed. - Are some of the passengers going to survive ? -- Possible, but "Are any ..." is more usual. Missing question mark again! - W ill some of them surive ? -- Again, "Will any " is more usual. - The storm that caused the crash was big. We don't know. -- Possible I suppose, but it seems doubtful to me that the size of the storm has any bearing on survivability. - When is he going to go?/When will he go? -- Both possible. The former seems slightly more conversational (usually it would be contracted to "When's"). - You'll learn the song while reading it/while you read it. -- Both OK. The second...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichSentenceIsCorrect/mwnwd/post.htm#1045504Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:16:09 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1045504gleb_chebrikoffDear friend, if your question mainly concerns the placing of 'Kyle' and 'she', then it is a conventional matter of politeness to mention the other person first: Lora says: ' Kyle and I went to the store'. In indirect speech, the same order may be preserved. Also mind the form of the verb 'go' in the subordinate clause, be it either went, had been , or were going , depending on the context. Respectfully, Gleb Chebrikoffhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/SuggestSubjunctiveOrNot/3/mhzqq/Post.htm#1040541Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:33:07 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1040541english 1b3Thanks for posting that, dimsumexpress. It's very interesting. I'm pleased to see that most sources seem to be endorsing the use of "should" in this context in BrE -- good news for me, as I think that's the way I most naturally say it in conversation! (I'm assuming that "English" in the strangely worded "more common in American English than in English" actually means " British English"!) Instead, UK English often uses present indicative or even past indicative - which are both considered incorrect by many people in the UK and (prescriptive) UK authorities on language usage - or a construction with "should". Much time is spent in the UK in trying to...http://www.englishforums.com/English/SuggestSubjunctiveOrNot/2/mhzqq/Post.htm#1039069Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:40:30 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1039069mr wordyThanks for posting that, dimsumexpress. It's very interesting. I'm pleased to see that most sources seem to be endorsing the use of "should" in this context in BrE -- good news for me, as I think that's the way I most naturally say it in conversation! (I'm assuming that "English" in the strangely worded "more common in American English than in English" actually means " British English"!) Instead, UK English often uses present indicative or even past indicative - which are both considered incorrect by many people in the UK and (prescriptive) UK authorities on language usage - or a construction with "should". Much time is spent in the UK in trying to prevent...http://www.englishforums.com/English/DoYouMeanVsDidYouMean/mhznk/post.htm#1038497Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:42:48 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1038497michalsI think it all depends on the context. I imagine it's possible under some specific circumstances to say that, for example : A: By the way, at the beginning of our conversation you said XY. What did you mean by that? B: Well, I meant .. In a normal conversation, however, when person A says one thing and person B replies immediately, he would ask "what do you mean?", since 'what did you mean' would rather refer to something spoken in the past. To recapitulate, when you ask somebody "What did you/he/she/etc. mean by .." you have to specify what you're refering to, unless it's obvious from the context, for example: What did you mean when you said (last week) you would take care of her?...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ArticlesAAnVsThe/mglmz/post.htm#1036486Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:19:38 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1036486dimsumexpressMagic, I would like to share this with you. This is how I feel about learnig the article usage. First and foremost, entrust your ears and eyes to the mainstream media that you have confidence in. By that, I mean CNBC, The History Channel, and not the kind that show a lot of skins and drinking booze. Soon you will develop a sense as to when and where to use correct article. That's 50% of the battle. The other 50% is on the grammatical side. The - can be something specific (most of the time), or implied. Take this for exampe: I love the movie. When someone said this, it's presumed that there was a conversation involving a specific movie. So this is a specific case. On the other hand, if I say...http://www.englishforums.com/English/SubjectInversion/mzzhv/post.htm#1028394Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:22:21 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1028394mr wordyOpinions on this may differ, but to me this kind of inversion sounds slightly literary, but not excessively so. I don't have any problem with its use in an ordinary written context, and on occasion I might even use it in conversation.http://www.englishforums.com/English/SentenceTooCasual/mzzgp/post.htmTue, 19 Jan 2010 21:59:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1028379cute572Which sentence is nice and informal? if none then feel free for suggestions. 1. Sadly our New york branch, name, is going through a rough/tough time 2. Sadly our New york branch, name, is experiencing difficult time. 3. Sadly our New york branch, name, is having some hard time. All these sound too casual and conversational. I am writing a letter and it supposed to be my first line--main idea, topic sentence. Please do suggest me something better than these. Or Should I change whole context? Thankshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichOneIsCorrect/mzcqz/post.htm#1027719Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:35:47 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1027719mr wordyFirstly, neither of these is a complete sentence. You need some more words, such as: 1. It's my first time to see Mary. 2. It's my first time seeing Mary. In my opinion, neither of these is strictly grammatically correct. However, they are both expressions that you might hear native speakers use in everyday conversation, and in that context they pass well enough, I guess. There is no difference in meaning.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhichOneIsCorrect/mvprm/post.htm#1027400Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:01:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1027400fandorinDear friend. Sometimes films are not very reliable sources and since we have no information about the original poster's context it's useless for you to persist. I recommend you should pay attention to what you're typing because your sentences are teeming with discrepancies. this was a conversation between t wo man in a film. F irst man want ed to sew something up but he can't do it. Suddenly another man appear ed and the first man ask ed him "Do/Did you ever use a needle?". I can't exactly recognize that he said "do" or "did" . What do you think ? W hich one is better?http://www.englishforums.com/English/StopBeingOne/mzrxj/post.htm#1027067Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:30:25 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1027067cliveHi, In this situation, two people are quarrelling -Stop ... -Stop being one. I don't know what is the exact meaning of "Stop being one". I don't know whether the second agree to stop quarrelling, or she asks the other to stop first, or something else. Could you show me the answer? 'One' is a pronoun referring to something previously mentioned in the conversation. eg You are a fool . Stop being one. If you need more information, you have to provide us with more context. Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/PastPerfectAmbiguity/mvgjr/post.htm#1023817Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:51:32 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1023817ivanhrYou need to remember that most conversations take place in a real-life context. It's possible that a context for this would work. A: You just don't know what it's like to live abroad B: Sure I do. A: Yeah, right. You wouldn't be able to make it two weeks away from your hometown. B: Actually, I've lived in the UK for three months, in Colombia for six months, and am now planning a nine-month stay in Kenya. There is no ambiguity in that context.http://www.englishforums.com/English/PastPerfectAmbiguity/mvgjr/post.htm#1023806Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:29:26 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1023806grammar geekYou need to remember that most conversations take place in a real-life context. It's possible that a context for this would work. A: You just don't know what it's like to live abroad B: Sure I do. A: Yeah, right. You wouldn't be able to make it two weeks away from your hometown. B: Actually, I've lived in the UK for three months, in Colombia for six months, and am now planning a nine-month stay in Kenya.http://www.englishforums.com/English/AmbiguousSentences/mvdch/post.htm#1022857Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:18:36 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1022857khoffIt can mean either "she didn't like the fact that he played cards" or "she didn't like the set of playing cards that belonged to him." (In conversation, the meaning would almost certainly be clear from intonation and context."http://www.englishforums.com/English/HalfExpensiveHalfCheap/mvcql/post.htm#1022809Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:25:01 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1022809dimsumexpressWith respect to the first three, in conversation, they are all about the same. That having been stated, none of them are very good. Contemporary usage discourages opening the sentence with either a pronoun reference that is not quite specific, as has been done in all three of the examples, or, with what is called a "dummy subject," such as, "There was an old lady who lived in a shoe." Contemporary usage encourages structures in which the noun and the verb drive the thought or action with minimum ambiguity. Taking this into account, your sentence might better become something on the order of, "Houses cost more here than (they do) there." Do you see how the thought has been broken down into...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WouldCorrectEnglish/mvbvp/post.htm#1022284Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:10:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1022284mr wordyNo. 1 M: Is this your first time snowboarding ? F: Yes, so I fell over again and again! M: It's difficult at first, but you'll get used to it. -- Both are good English, but "used" would be more common in everyday conversation. F: I certainly hope so. No. 2 M: Hello? I can't hear you very well. Would you speak a little louder? -- This is correct English, but in ordinary conversation I would say " Could you...". Others may differ. F: Sure. This is Mary. May I speak to John? -- Often one would tack "please" on the end. "may" feels more formal/polite than "can". However, if I wanted to soften it, I'd probably say "...http://www.englishforums.com/English/FromThatPointOn/mdprw/post.htmMon, 28 Dec 2009 07:04:03 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1021334evgeniiHello, friends. The context is technical enough, but I thing, that from that point on can be found in a daily conversation. Here is context. commit = log, register The transaction logs are some of the most crucial files when it comes to a working Exchange server. Microsoft Exchange Server uses transaction logs as a disaster recovery method that can bring a Exchange database back to a consistent state after a crash. Before anything is written to the EDB file, it is first written to a transaction log. Once the transaction has been logged, the data is written to the database when convenient. Until a transaction is committed to the database, it is available from memory and recorded in the transaction logs. This is...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ItSnowsAndItsSnowing/2/mdngh/Post.htm#1020940Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:28:16 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1020940califjimsnowy 1 a : composed of snow or melted snow b : marked by or covered with snow 2 a : whitened by snow b : snow-white (snowy egret; snowy owl) According to the definition above, "It's snowy" would not be a very good translation of "Snyeg idyot", if that's what you're translating. Nevertheless, like Yankee, I hear "snowy" as a general description of weather in which it may be snowing from time to time and snow flurries in the air are being blown about by occasional gusts of wind. I don't see "snowy" as the exact word, however, for continuously falling snow. Perhaps, in the right context, or in some poetic use, you could use "snowy" for your translation, but I wouldn't...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ScoochVerb/mdmqc/post.htm#1020743Sat, 26 Dec 2009 03:12:09 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1020743trysbHi, Most people I know would not use 'as with' in conversation, at least not in this context. The language in a dictionary often sounds stilted because of the need to explain a word in a short definition. I think the meaning would have been just as clear if it had said: to slide with short, jerky movements, but it would have been better to say slide over. I checked the slang dictionary and I like their definition better: to move over, as in Can you please scooch over? Tryshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ToOrTill/mdkmc/post.htm#1020278Thu, 24 Dec 2009 02:51:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1020278trysbHi alc24, You might be able to use 'I am' as you do, but it would have to be in context. If you said something like: I am watching the entire Simpsons series, and I am ten episodes from the end of the first season. That would be a casual or conversational way of saying that you had ten episodes left to watch in the first season of the Simpsons. Using 'until' instead of 'before' is not ungrammatical. To me it's just a matter of preference or style. Correct me if I'm wrong. There are three minutes left in the first half. There are three minutes to the end of the first half. There are three minutes until the end of the first half. There are three minutes to the end of the third quarter. All...http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionAboutTextAgathaChristie/mdkvq/post.htm#1020017Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:41:11 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1020017cliveHi, 1) in this text: Bletchley ended up wrathfully. "And will they make use of me now? No, they will not. Too old. Too old be damned. I could teach one or two of these young cubs something about war." "Even if it's only what not to do?" suggested Tommy with a smile. "Eh, what's that?" A sense of humour was clearly not Major Bletchley's strong suit. He peered suspiciously at his companion. Tommy hastened to change the conversation. what is mean: "Even if it's only what not to do?" Tommy is making a little joke. He is suggesting that Bletchley, as a soldier, makes a lot of mistakes, and that these young people can learn how...http://www.englishforums.com/English/InItsSetOf/mcqwc/post.htmMon, 14 Dec 2009 06:08:48 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1016840user_garyWith FBI now confirming that Headley was in touch with Lakhvi, the NIA has sought the voice tapes of their conversations to match the same with the intercepts of the conversations between the 26/11 attackers and their Pakistan-based handlers. This would help nail Lakhvi as the key strategist behind the Mumbai strikes. Though India has, in its set of dossiers to Pakistan on the 26/11 probe, sought the voice samples of Lakhvi, the authorities in Islamabad are yet to heed the request. During the FBI team’s visit here, India also sought the US agency’s help to get Pakistan to question the 26/11 accused arrested on its soil to confirm Headley’s presence in the LeT control room at Karachi during the Mumbai mayhem. Source...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsCorrect/mcprp/post.htm#1016634Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:08:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1016634gleb_chebrikoffHello, Avangi, thank you for sharing your views and laying stress on the need to explore contextual links. Let me, therefore, further elaborate on the topic by briefly outlining when it is (and when it is NOT) possible to resort to perfect present, rather than preterite. 1. As a general rule, when- questions referring to a single bygone situation make use of an simple past: When did she leave? <direct question> I wonder when the accident happened. <indirect question> The reason for the obligatory use of the preterite is that the use of when ? with reference to a single given situation reveals that the speaker is not concerned with NOW but with THEN. When ? asks for the identification of the time of actualization of...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsCorrect/mcprp/post.htm#1016475Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:54:51 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1016475avangiThanks for joining us, ipeake. Welcome to English Forums! We sometimes make the mistake of not allowing the poster any prior context. If your friend is bragging about his experiences in Paris and you're quite sure he's making it up, it's quite natural to say, "When have you visited Paris?" (sometimes said with an air of disbelief) Sometimes we find that a poster has heard his example as part of a conversation, rather than as an isolated sentence. Or he'll say something like, "I heard it on Friends ." Most English usage is in fact part of some context. In terms of style, "I have never visited Paris" is probably as common as "I never visited Paris." "Have you visited...http://www.englishforums.com/English/IBoughtTheBookForMySon/mrxwb/post.htm#1006475Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:39:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:1006475califjimThen, I suppose 2 can also mean "pass the salt to me" No. The difference is in the verb itself. The verb pass allows both to and for . When a verb can take both, then each means something different. Pass the salt to me. (I want to receive the salt.) Pass the salt for me. (Someone else receives the salt.) But the verb buy cannot be used with to . You don't buy something to someone, but only for someone. Therefore buy for has to take both meanings. Buy the shirt for me. (I want to receive the shirt.) Buy the shirt for me. (Someone else receives the shirt.) Only by paying attention to the conversation and understanding the context can you know which of the two is meant. _______________ Besides the synonym of...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Vocabulary/lpjmx/post.htm#995525Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:12:06 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:995525douglewisAs in... the last one? As in... the latest one? The last one could mean there are no more. The latest one could mean there are multiple occurrences, this being the latest. In conversation though, depending upon context, they could be interchangeable.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatDepartmentDepartment/2/ljgzh/Post.htm#991126Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:02:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:991126douglewisAgain in a conversational context, for me the questions posed, without further context would seem to elicit this kind of conversation... A) What club are you in? (Tennis? soccer? crib? or? and so forth) After the type of club is established then... B) Which (tennis) club are you in? I expect there will be differences of opinion and in conversation there would be more context probably, making the choice of question easier. In any event the question would probably be understood for what it is either way. ?http://www.englishforums.com/English/HomosexualMarriagesAcceptable/lkqdj/post.htm#990789Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:24:32 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:990789zeroxHard to answer anything since I'm not even sure what 'normal' is in this context. 'Bring forth' is a phrasal verb, meaning 'produce' among other meanings. I merely meant that religion shouldn't be forced to nearly every conversation.http://www.englishforums.com/English/VacanciesVacanciesVacancy-Vacancy/ljdzb/post.htm#963999Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:23:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:963999cliveHi, If ABC Graduate Recruitment is the name of a graduate scheme, then which of the following sentences are correct? note: there are more than 1 vacancy I am interested in the ABC Graduate Recruitment Vacancies I am interested in the ABC Graduate Recruitment vacancies I am interested in the ABC Graduate Recruitment Vacancy I am interested in the ABC Graduate Recruitment vacancy The capital V is incorrect, because the word 'vacancy' is not part of the name of the scheme. For both of the other sentences, you need a context, because the definite article 'the' suggests that the listener is already aware of what you are talking about. In other words, you can't just walk into a room...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WallowAbout/lhldp/post.htmThu, 29 Oct 2009 17:16:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:956367akdomwhen they were discribing cars, they said: Cornering : does it hug the road or does it wallow about ? 1. Is wallow about an idiom? I can only find some reference in british style. 2. In this context, when discribing cars, what does it mean? Wallow means "roll around"? "with difficulty"? About means "in opposit direction"? "all around"? or is it like she likes to walk about , (walk to here and there randomly)? 3. Could you teach me how would you use wallow about in your common conversations?http://www.englishforums.com/English/UsingWasAndWere/lzgvg/post.htm#945154Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:21:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:945154yankeeIf you want to know which one is used the most... I don't know, lol. Probably "was" in informal registers, and "were" in formal ones. I have always used "were" regardless of register. In other words, I have always said things such as "if I were you, I would..." both in formal AND in informal contexts. It is not a problem to use "were" in any register. It is always correct. However, in casual conversation, saying something such as "if I was you, I would..." is pretty common nowadays, and I also use it in casual conversation sometimes. It still sounds informal, though, and I would not recommend using it in a more formal context. In a formal context, it will come across to...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Sound/lzcxj/post.htm#944381Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:30:21 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:944381dimsumexpressI’d like to make a liberal comment with this observation. Having read most of the threads lately and this one is among them, there is a prevailing trend in which learners are posting long lists of questions and dialogs asking for correction help. Making correction for this kind of thread is much more time consuming and challenging because of the many problems the helpers encountered in this kind of posts with either the tone, logic, structure and grammar, or all of the above. Since all your “B” dialogs are pretty much identical, I will comment on the “A’s”. A: What do you do? “what do you do?” without additional context simply means ” what kind of work do you do?”. But when you add: (when you have free time) (on your...http://www.englishforums.com/English/TheUseOfCome/lvhkp/post.htm#940639Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:27:45 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:940639yankeeHi Tom Can I use it in everyday conversation? I'd say it's sometimes used in everyday conversation. Is the use of come natural in the given sentence?... I will invite you to dinner come December. I'd say that would be possible, but only if the reason for the choice of December in particular is already known to both people in the conversation. In other words, the context is very important. For example, if in the broader context the speaker had already mentioned that, as of December, he will no longer be putting in the excessive hours he is doing now at work -- i.e. if it had already been mentioned that the speaker expects to have more time available to do things other than work. If the reason for the choice of Decemebr is...http://www.englishforums.com/English/10SentencesNeedHelpPlease/ldpvq/post.htm#938073Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:55:25 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:938073anonymous1. It was dark outside, and when we turned the street corner, it had become light. 2. sentence is fine but context might be needed. You might say "how can," or "how do." 3. correct; two possible meanings 4. She looks good with short hair and long, but the inbetween length doesn't look good on her. 5. I can't do anything with my hair. It's too short. 6. You mind her way of dressing, yet you're dressed the same way. You're both dressed.... 7. I don't need you guys to make a mess, so if you're planning on it, you can leave. 8. You can't have less than a 20 percent chance of winning, no matter what. 9. What's the most a stock has gained in one day? The most a...http://www.englishforums.com/English/CouchingMe/lbdzx/post.htm#936396Sat, 10 Oct 2009 09:28:32 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:936396untoldpainsorry, i forgot the context, I saw it on movie conversation, that's why. thanks anyway.http://www.englishforums.com/English/CanIGetAnyCorrection/lbcvx/post.htmThu, 01 Oct 2009 12:08:13 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:924304beatutiful heartHi, this is a conversation between me and my friend, and I just wonder if they all make sense with no mistakes, but if there is any, your correction would be appreciated. All these are done in text messages. A : Hi, how are you doing? B : I am fine, oh I was about to send you a message and you hit first, so I lost the first hit to you. Can you let me know if the underlined phrases in bold letters make good sense in this context? Thankshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ListOfIdioms/3/bbqjl/Post.htm#895398Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:37:17 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:895398anonymousbreak a cleg Putting idioms into your everyday conversation. Make up as many sentences as you can using a certain idiom. Write down the idiom and its context as soon as possible after you hear it said. If you do these things, the idioms will be popping out as you speak! AND, you will notice that people say them all the time. You just didn't notice before! CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ListOfIdioms/3/bbqjl/Post.htm#895397Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:36:57 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:895397anonymousbreak a cleg Putting idioms into your everyday conversation. Make up as many sentences as you can using a certain idiom. Write down the idiom and its context as soon as possible after you hear it said. If you do these things, the idioms will be popping out as you speak! AND, you will notice that people say them all the time. You just didn't notice before! CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/IsRollRightWrongUnderSituation/kjmwd/post.htmWed, 02 Sep 2009 03:50:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:883034anonymousI just have a question about whether the expression Let it roll is still ok or wrong under a situation below ? when you are close to bickering with somebody during a conversation about a particular issue, you want to avoid anything more nasty happening in the conversation, so you just say let it roll and is this okay or wrong? Let it roll in this context may mean something similar to let it go forget it''. can i get any reply to this? thankshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WillPastProgressive/kwjdz/post.htm#880284Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:54:35 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:880284kimlroblesWow, I really had to think about that one. The "matter of couse implication" in "I was talking..." simply means that she hadn't made it a point to speak with Ann about the vacancy: It just came up in the conversation. The reason the -ing form is more conversational is because that is how it's been regularly used in the context of speech, and how most people would interpret it.http://www.englishforums.com/English/PleaseParseSentence/kjrpw/post.htm#879777Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:04:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:879777ant_222Thank you for the feedback, I, too, ôried to interpret it as an imperative form but failed. To me it is not clear at all how this conclusion follows from the sentence's structure. Below I have condensed it to make the overall structure easier to grasp: «<...> his imagination followed it; and now it was a faceless thing <...>; and again it was a shadow of himself; and yet again behold the image of the dead dealer <...>». Three "illusions" are described. The first two are expressed with full sentences ("it was" this, "it was" that), but the third one is an imperative sentence! How did you derive from the context who is commanding, and to whom? It is not indirect speech, and...