http://www.englishforums.com/search/pro.htm?q=tag%3aConversationalSearch results for 'tag:Conversational' matching tag 'Conversational'en-USXMOD (Build: 3616.28671)http://www.englishforums.com/English/SpeakToSpeakWith/lqhnl/post.htm#999634Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:34:32 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:999634trysbHi Ifc, Speak to is often used to mean speaking to a group or audience while speak with would refer to a conversation between two persons. Speak to can also have the implication of a supervisor calling an employee into their office and 'speaking to them about a problem'. In this situation they would not speak WITH them but rather TO them. Consider the other pair--talk to and talk with. To my ear, 'speak to' has a more formal, colder sound than 'talk to'--kinda like the difference between 'converse' and 'chat'. Have a happy day, Tryshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/LestShould/lqvnd/post.htm#998888Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:52:11 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:998888debpriya deThanks for your help TrysB and welcome to the forums , but the thing is the lest...should construction is still part of our curriculum in schools and colleges in India, so we have to be aware of the rules governing this construction. But you're right ,we don't use it in normal conversation.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ACoupleOfYears/lqvdc/post.htm#998620Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:24:13 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:998620mrpernicketySo as MrPernikety said, both are ok, and "of" can be left out in informal American English (and maybe in British English too, but I'm not sure). Yeah, I remember Amy's advice. If my memory serves me right, she advised me to use "a couple" without "of" in informal conversation As far as British English is concerned, I guess Mr. Pedantic and Clive know best.http://www.englishforums.com/English/GenealogyFirstCousinTwice-Removed/lqdxj/post.htm#998459Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:00:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:998459cliveH, I've never understood all this stuff either. It doesn't seem to come up much at all in everyday conversation. People often just speak of 'one of my relatives'. Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/Improvisation/lqdrn/post.htm#998284Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:13:21 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:998284califjimhow to be fluent while speaking and stop searching for words in the middle of the conversation Just keep talking! After having difficulty with a particular conversation, reconstruct it on paper. Write out all the things you tried to say, the things you wanted to say. Learn at your desk, while the pressure is off, how to say the things you wished you had been able to say during that conversation, using a dictionary and your grammar books. Try to recall what native speakers said during the conversation. You may want to borrow some of the expressions they used in talking about a particular topic of conversation. Memorize the word groups you will need most the next time this kind of conversation comes up. They might be single words,...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Improvisation/lqdrn/post.htm#998266Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:02:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:998266hazel8Even in your native language you will sometimes search for words in the middle of the conversation!!! Practice, practice is the answer to fluency!! Good Luckhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/LetterWriting/lqcqq/post.htm#998244Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:29:55 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:998244grammar geekRefer to the recipient as you and to yourself as I, just as you would if you were having a conversation. Although you may want to say "In our recent conversation" instead of making it "your" conversation -- surely he was a part of it.http://www.englishforums.com/English/TheAdverbEver/lqcjk/post.htm#998158Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:47:57 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:998158dimsumexpress(1)Is it possible to say "How many times have you ever been abroad?" Imagine 2 people having a friendly conversation, the proper question to ask is to leave out "ever". # 1 is correct in form but it will be likely to end the conversation. When "ever" (which is an adverb) is used in this tone, it carries a predisposed notion that the person to whom you are asking this question has never at any time gone anywhere, or done anything positve.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/AQuestionOnIndirectSpeech/lphmj/post.htm#994909Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:05:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:994909gleb_chebrikoffI was really glad to help, Icadia. Ask again should you have any further questions on grammar and related areas. Respectfully, Gleb Chebrikoffhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/AQuestionOnIndirectSpeech/lphmj/post.htm#994900Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:01:57 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:994900icadiaThanks for your nice answer. You helped me.http://www.englishforums.com/English/AQuestionOnIndirectSpeech/lphmj/post.htm#994860Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:04:12 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:994860gleb_chebrikoffIcadia, I understood the focus of your question; therefore, I mentioned that 'if the indirect speech itself contains a subordinate clause (introduced by until... in your case), then the verb of that subordinate clause may be in the present tense because of the current validity even though both the main verb of the sentence and the superordinate verb are in the past: John said that it is against the law in our state for her to drive until she has been seizure-free for six months. ' ... until the rain has stopped should be transformed into ... until the rain had stopped in indirect speech, no doubt about that. It is highly improbable that the rain hasn't yet stopped at the time of reporting Mark's words, so no...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AQuestionOnIndirectSpeech/lphmj/post.htm#994755Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:39:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:994755icadiaThanks!! I appreciate your replies. Yes. you are right. I think the legislation about driving is still effective, so the tenses don't need to be changed, which means his comment is still relevant. I posted a contradictory question. If his comment had been made more than a years ago, or the legislation wasn't effective anymore at present, Indirect speech would be "it was against the law in our state for her to drive until she had been seizure-free for six months." Am I understanding right? To say frankly, What I really wanted to know is the tense after "Until" Mark : I am going to wait here until the rain has stopped. Indirect speech : He said he was going to wait there until the rain had stopped. ...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AQuestionOnIndirectSpeech/lphmj/post.htm#994733Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:58:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:994733gleb_chebrikoffGreetings, Icadia, Direct speech: It's against the law in our state for her to drive until she has been seizure-free for six months. Indirect speech: 1. The provisions of the legislation have probably not changed by the time of reporting John's words, so there is no need to change is into was ; 2. If the indirect speech itself contains a subordinate clause (introduced by until... in your case), then the verb of that subordinate clause may be in the present tense because of the current validity even though both the main verb of the sentence and the superordinate verb are in the past: John said that it is against the law in our state for her to drive until she has been seizure-free for six months. (Please note that...http://www.englishforums.com/English/AQuestionOnIndirectSpeech/lphmj/post.htm#994723Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:43:15 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:994723john clasetThis is the correct sentence: John said that it is /was against the law in our state for her to drive until she has been * seizure-free for six months. *It will always be "has been", because it is a present-perfect-progressive. John is implying that it is against the law for her to drive, depending on the duration in which she's had no seizures . The quotations do not affect it at all.http://www.englishforums.com/English/AQuestionOnIndirectSpeech/lphmj/post.htmSat, 21 Nov 2009 07:21:47 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:994662icadiaA weeks ago. John made a comment below. John's comment: "it's against the law in our state for her to drive until she has been seizure-free for six months." Now. I am reporting what he said, Let's consider his comment isn't relevant anymore, so I will use the past tense of "Say". John said that It was against the law in our state for her to drive until she __ seizure-free for six months. I am really wondering which tense is good for the blank Could anyone answer for me?http://www.englishforums.com/English/IntroducingSeisst/lxxjk/post.htm#994335Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:07:26 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:994335darkjackass1234will be great to see u to make conversation ..about culture add me (Email removed)http://www.englishforums.com/English/ToWhomBelong/lpznl/post.htm#994122Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:20:07 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:994122khoffYou've already said "to," at the beginning. Don't repeat it at the end. But you need to add "does": To whom does this pen belong? Now, I should let you know that while that sentece is quite correct, it sounds very formal. In conversation, most people (at least most Americans) would say, "Who does this pen belong to?" (which is not actually correct, but very common, even among well-educated people.) A good compromise is "Whose pen is this?" It's correct, very natural, and avoids the who/whom question entirely.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/WhatDepartmentDepartment/ljgzh/post.htm#991097Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:19:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:991097kunsanThanks, DL, I appreciate your comment very much. I think I get the nuance. Yet would it be correct to conclude that in an ordinary conversation both questions can be used more or less interchangeably? For example, I want to know in what (which?) club you are. Which question do I ask?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/BeatOrBeaten/lxlcj/post.htm#990778Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:16:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:990778philipIn 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.http://www.englishforums.com/English/BeatOrBeaten/lxlcj/post.htm#990754Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:46:20 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:990754dimsumexpressIn 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','')"...http://www.englishforums.com/English/PrepositionsForTime/lnwkr/post.htm#985203Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:15:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:985203douglewisFrom a conversational perspective I think it goes like this; For the past 10 years... referring to the entire duration. In the past 10 years... referring to particular points within the span. Over the past 10 years... referring to occasional incidents within the span. During the past 10 years... referring to things that have happened within the span. For the past 10 years I have been overseas. In the past 10 years it has snowed twice. Over the past 10 years I have seen many come and go. During the past 10 years I have tried many times to escape this place. I suspect they are all pretty much interchangeable though.http://www.englishforums.com/English/SubjectEmbeddedQuestions/llbdd/post.htm#984961Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:53:51 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:984961califjim1 Could you tell me who the best driver in the city is? 2 Who do you think the best person to ask about cars is? Isn't it exactly like sentence 4) ? No. Not exactly. The structures are different. who is in an indirect question in 1. who is in a complement noun clause in 2. The structures are these: You could tell me You think that "who" is the best person to ask about cars. CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/CorrectPronounUsage/llrjz/post.htmMon, 16 Nov 2009 07:03:55 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:972932mamabrendaEvery Girl Scout met their/her own fundraising goal. Or All the Girls Scouts met her own funraising goal. One tragic effect of Hurricane Katrina was/were massive flooding Politics are/were/is my least favorite conversation Correct Subject Verb Agreement on this one I am confusedhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/UsageOfSlamDunk/lkmjb/post.htm#972633Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:11:33 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:972633califjimCould you tell me if the following sentence sounds idiomatic from a native speaker's viewpoint? "I need to slam-dunk her a quick one" It may well get a laugh from Al Bundy in the context of a TV sitcom, but I think it would be regarded as a shocking thing to say among most of my friends. It's less a question of idiomaticity and more a question of appropriateness within the group where the conversation is taking place. CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WasOrWere/lkpqg/post.htm#972591Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:23:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:972591califjimI wish I were or I wish I was? Either one in ordinary conversation, but "I wish I were" is a little more "high class", so definitely use that one on an English test! CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/IntroductoryPhrase/lkpmv/post.htm#972470Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:19:10 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:972470califjimWhat about sentence like: On the hill is a beautiful house OR In the garage is a car. When can we use such structure and when we are supposed to use the one I've underlined above? The underlined structure is the most usual and ordinary. If you wish, you can place the location phrase first for stylistic variety (with or without there ), but this technique is for the most part literary and is more often seen in fiction or poetry than in ordinary conversation. How What do grammarians call this introductory phrase There is/are ? I have heard it called "expletive there ". Also, "existential there ". CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/GerundOrParticiple/lkrbm/post.htm#971110Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:10:32 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:971110mister micawberThis conversation continues HERE .http://www.englishforums.com/English/OneWordSubstitution/lkjbp/post.htm#971077Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:56:54 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:971077califjimI've always understood agnostic to mean you're not convinced one way or the other. An agnostic sits on the fence; the atheist has chosen a side. That is the popular view that 95% of people generally accept. The view from philosophy (the other 5%) comes from the fact that a - gnostic means not - knowable , so the (philosophical) agnostic holds that the question of whether there is a God cannot, in principle, have an answer. It's simply a matter of logic, not faith. Within this view, people who answer "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" are not agnostics, because not knowing or not being certain implies there may be a way to know or a way to be certain, say, eventually, or under some circumstances....http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowYouDoingNothingMuch/lkkjz/post.htm#970927Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:13:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:970927douglewis"How are you doing?" is a common informal greeting, it is like an extended version of saying "Hi." It is not so much a literal question, it is more like a warm greeting said in the spirit of "conversation starter" or friendly acknowledgement of the person it is spoken to. The usual response is "I'm fine and you?." From there the rest of the conversation proceeds. You could say it is an "ice breaking" moment. "What's new?" and likewise greetings are very much along the same lines. An answer is not expected, and the usual response is "Not much, how about you?" From there the rest of the conversation proceeds. They are just easy ways to get into a...http://www.englishforums.com/English/GoNeverTense/lkjxj/post.htm#970728Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:29:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:970728califjimthe past participle of the verb "go", is it "been"? No. It's gone . "go" in this case has irregular form in the past participle which is "been" That seems logical, but normally we analyze the situation differently. We say that the forms with been to are idioms , and retain the idea that gone is the (only) past participle of go , and been is the (only) past participle of be . (An idiom is, as you already know, an expression in which meaning depends on a particular grouping of words, regardless of how they are usually used separately.) ___________ ex: they never _________ aboard "travel" is it : they have never traveled abroad. they never travel abroad. It is my assumption...http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionAboutDefiniteArticle-The/lkwjp/post.htm#970371Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:27:45 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:970371cliveHi, is it correct to use the in this sentence? if it is wrong, under what circumstance it could be correct? I am so inspired by the sadness that I feel I have found the joy.” It's not wrong to say 'the', but it suggests that you are referring to some specific sadness and some specific joy that the listener is already aware of. If the listener is not aware of this, the conversation may continue in this manner. eg Tom: I am so inspired by the sadness that I feel I have found the joy. Fred: I don't understand. What sadness are you talking about ? What joy? Tom: The sadness that I felt yesterday when my goldfish died. The joy of realizing that now I can buy a canary. ...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhileDuringConversationQuestion/lkhzm/post.htm#970282Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:37:45 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:970282mister micawberNOT passive at all. Have, make, let are in this manner used as coercive verbs: + object + bare infinitive.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhileDuringConversationQuestion/lkhzm/post.htm#970072Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:39:00 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:970072mister micawberHow could you have had it fixed so soon?!http://www.englishforums.com/English/Fixed/lkvck/post.htm#969999Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:48:35 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:969999bradnugentHi, Both 'thought' and 'fixed' are past tense. The fact that the car is, in the present, fixed or not doesn't change your word choice for this sentence. You are correct when you say the past tense ' thought ' is to blame for having to use the past tense ' hadn't '. The correct sentence is: 'I thought you hadn't fixed it up yet.' Notice what happens if we turn it into a question and leave out the ' thought ' part --- ' Haven't you fixed it up yet? ' is now acceptable. ' Hadn't you fixed it up yet? ' could also be acceptable. The one you use would depend on the meaning of the whole text. So if it was a conversation where you were asking someone...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhileDuringConversationQuestion/lkhzm/post.htmFri, 13 Nov 2009 00:16:32 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:969981pleasehelpHi, My friend told me he's planning to fix up his car. A few hours or days later he wants to show me his new fixed up car. Which is way too soon considering it's a lot of work. So then I asked him: Thought you hadn't fixed up your car yet? Or Should it be thought you haven't fixed up your car yet. To which he tells me the Auto mechanics had photoshopped an image of what his car will look like after it's completely modified.http://www.englishforums.com/English/IntroducingYouneverknow331/lkhvv/post.htmThu, 12 Nov 2009 23:44:35 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:969956youneverknow331I'm a high school student taking college courses in spanish and love learning new languages. Im looking for a native spanish speaker to practice my conversational skills and I'd love to help someone practice their english.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThreeSentences/lkgmp/post.htm#969876Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:55:54 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:969876avangiI thought you said you hadn't eaten yet. But it seems as tho haven't can also be used? No? Is this correct? I would say that it's not. There's been some water under the bridge since your earlier conversation, and you may have reason to believe that the situation has changed. If you use "haven't eaten," you're essentially accusing him of lying. Well, I suppose you could say it. When you're about to leave, it turns out you're both broke, each assuming the other would pay. He lies and says he's already eaten to avoid embarrassment, and you call him on it. That is, you don't believe him, but you're not angry about it.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WeLivedIrelandFiveYears/lkcjp/post.htm#968941Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:22:58 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:968941dimsumexpressHi Clive, Thanks for taking the time on my query. I guess what I had in mind when I used "had taken computer science for 2 semesters.." rather than the simple "took" was the deliberate intent to emphasize the duration I had spent time in the course before deciding to change major in the second year. I know simple past would work in everyday conversation. But I didn't expect the contrary when I opted the past perfect. Now I have few more past perfect scenarios for you to comment on. Please let me know if past perfect is an overkill, being incorrect or unnecessay. Thanks, The couple next door had argued and gotten physical frequently months prior to the last night's shooting. He...http://www.englishforums.com/English/OkayToUseThePastTense/lkcwb/post.htm#968620Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:968620dimsumexpressSince there is no direct time frame specified, one can only assume that this conversation has come to past. Based on the logic process going in my head, as far as C's reason for being late is concerned, I would say this: " The reason and time of C's late arriving shall be discussed later."http://www.englishforums.com/English/OkayToUseThePastTense/lkcwb/post.htm#968605Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:49:17 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:968605cliveHi, Situation: We (A and B) are waiting for a friend (C). Is the underlined I see no underlining expression okay in the above situation? A: We've been waiting for C for a long time. OK B: I don't know what has happened to C. keeps the focus on the present A: I can't wait any longer. I have to go now. OK B: Okay. I'll call you tonight and tell you what time he came here and why he was late. . . . tell you what time he came got here and why he was late. C has not arrived yet when the above conversation takes place. The arrival of C and the reason for being late will be known later. Can I use the past tense in that case? See above Best wishes, Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/OkayToUseThePastTense/lkcwb/post.htmWed, 11 Nov 2009 16:20:16 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:968576snappySituation: We (A and B) are waiting for a friend (C). Is the underlined expression okay in the above situation? A: We've been waiting for C for a long time. B: I don't know what happened to C. A: I can't wait any longer. I have to go now. B: Okay. I'll call you tonight and tell you what time he came here and why he was late. C has not arrived yet when the above conversation takes place. The arrival of C and the reason for being late will be known later. Can I use the past tense in that case?http://www.englishforums.com/English/InEverydayConversationGottaGotta/ljmnr/post.htm#967775Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:12:16 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:967775califjimWhat you're saying is that it really doesn't matter which one to use? That's right. Both are in the category of casual speech, and it doesn't matter which you use. You can use one of them in the morning and the other in the afternoon! Mix them up however you like! CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/CooperativeReciprocalCollaborative/ljpmz/post.htm#967635Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:13:02 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:967635califjimFemale speech is typically cooperative, reciprocal and collaborative . How do should I understand these three? They cooperate, reciprocate, and collaborate. That is, each helps the other to keep the conversation going, each allows the other a turn to speak, and each works with the other toward the 'goal' of the conversation, which might be, for example, solving a problem or coming to an understanding about a topic. As you said, it can all be summarized as cooperation in one form or another. CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/Chat/ljxwz/post.htm#967145Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:48:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:967145rishikawhen I click the ESL chat tab new page is displayed where other tabs are seen. I'm lost in this page. I even clicked one of the categories from the Chat rooms but the same page is displayed. I don't see anyone online or having live conversation. Please tell me the steps to enter the chat room.http://www.englishforums.com/English/InEverydayConversationGottaGotta/ljmnr/post.htm#966966Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:05:06 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:966966califjimI understand that "I've gotta ~" and "I gotta ~" both mean "I have got to ~," and both are quite common in colloquial terms. Now my question is, which one of them is actually more frequently used in your everyday conversation? Which one do you use? Similarly, for "I have got (I have) ~", is it "I've got ~" or " I got ~" that is more commonly and frequently used again in everyday conversation? As a learner of English, you should stick to "I've got" and "I've got to". As for whether "I've gotta" or "I gotta" is more often used in casual speech, I couldn't possibly guess. These are in free variation. Often the...http://www.englishforums.com/English/SentenceFromBook/ljndb/post.htm#966925Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:53:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:966925califjimI'd love to rent a helicopter, but there is/are none available. Isn't either formally correct? Formally? No. Sorry. No prize for you on that one today! is is the "correct" (formal) form given in the more conservative grammar books. are is the form most often used in everyday conversation (informal). If I were writing an academic paper, I would use is , but that's not likely since I've been out of school for some time. Hence, nowadays, I use are all the time, but especially when renting helicopters! CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/InEverydayConversationGottaGotta/ljmnr/post.htm#966641Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:08:32 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:966641madpotatoexpertI think have got is British and got / have alone is American. I use the later because I learned American English.