Search results for 'tag:Images tag:Expressions' matching tags 'Images' and 'Expressions'

Re: correct sentences 24/11

Teo — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 06:09:54 GMT

They won't smoke ever since they saw a film on lung cancer.

What does "won't" mean here?

Re: correct sentences 24/11

Teo — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 06:09:49 GMT

http://forums.eslcafe.com/student/viewtopic.php?t=22113&highlight=

Lives on and certain Lenin

Rotter — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:00:26 GMT

The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes is travelling in a Volga car along the Volga river to take a snapshot of life in Vladimir Putin's Russia, as the presidential election looms. This is his third piece, from the city of Ulyanovsk.

For those peculiar individuals who still mourn the loss of the Soviet Union: I have good news.

In this remote city on the edge of European Russia something of the USSR lives on.

The first sign I had entered a time warp came as I tried to check in to my hotel. A very severe-looking woman in large spectacles and heavy make-up demanded to see my passport, visa and police registration.

This is normal in Russia. What came next is not, or is not supposed to be.

"Mr Wingfield, may I ask what is the purpose of your visit to Ulyanovsk?" the lady asked me.

"I'm a journalist," I said.

A dying industry

Rupert prepares for trip

A dying industry

Rupert prepares for trip

From her expression this was clearly tantamount to admitting I work for MI6.

"Who are you planning to meet while in Ulyanovsk?" she demanded. I wanted to tell her it was none of her business, but I new that would only make things worse.

"The governor's office," I blurted.

Then came the question that really floored me: "Mr Wingfield, exactly how many years have you been a journalist?"

I began to giggle. "Is this for real?" I asked.

My new friend did not see the joke.

Lenin museum

Perhaps I should not have been surprised, after all, Ulyanovsk is the birthplace of a certain Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. The city is named after his family. And in Ulyanovsk there is no escape from him. The city is named after his family. And in Ulyanovsk there is no escape from him.

Stepping out of my hotel, I crossed Soviet Street towards the vast edifice that is the Vladimir Lenin Museum.

It stands high on a bluff overlooking the Volga river, a huge lump of brutalist white marble. It was built in 1970 to mark the 100th anniversary of the great man's birth.

Inside, I walked past hundreds of glass cases stuffed with Lenin memorabilia, past a Lenin library, and a Lenin conference hall. At the centre of the museum stands the very house in which Lenin was born - dismantled and rebuilt here.

......................................................................................................................................................................

1.You can live on very little amount of money.

2.You can live on only by eating potaoes.

3.You can live on for a short period of time if you are sufferning from a disease like cancer.

If you read the fourth sentence of the above, you will read the words 'USSR lives on'.

What does it mean?

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Perhaps I should not have been surprised, after all, Ulyanovsk is the birthplace of a certain Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

What is the meaning of the words 'certain Vladimir IIyich Lenin'?

I would write 'Ulyanovsk is the birthplace of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin'.

We don't say the USA is the birthplace of a certain Bill Clinton.

We say the USA is the birthplace of Bill Clinton.

Re: get rid/get around them

Moonwalker — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:09:38 GMT

1. PHRASE : V inflects, PHR n
When you get rid of something that you do not want or do not like, you take action so that you no long er have it or suffer from it.
The owner needs to get rid of the car for financial reasons.

2. PHRASE : V inflects, PHR n
If you get rid of someone who is caus ing problems for you or who you do not like, you do something to prevent them affecting you any more, for example by making them leave.
He believed that his manager wanted to get rid of him for personal reasons.

Do you want to 'get rid of' your parents?

How about this expression?

5. ADJ : v-link ADJ of n
If you are rid of someone or something that you did not want or that caused problems for you, they are no long er with you or caus ing problems for you.
The family had sought a way to be rid of her and the problems she had caused them.

Help for translation of English economic words

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:41:45 GMT

Hi everyone!
I am about to translate a sort of "economic" report about Italian regions.
It`s the firs time i come across something like that so I really need your help.
Let`s start then!

Is it correct to write:"Its GDP is estimated around 14.200 euro"?
would you write something like: "he would like to meet delegates of productive world and commercial distribution"?
Would you use to write a formal report in English an expression such as "The Regional Director of Sicily would be pleased/honored to meet the Chief minister of Andrha to discuss about agricultural,mevhanical,navy and furniture industry"..does it sound right??
Do you also have in English the expressione "three economic sectors" to refer to i 3 settori economici ovvero primario, secondario e terziario?
Referring to enviromental issues, would you say:"He would like to compare and discuss experiences related to development and qualification of teh territory such as energy/enviroment, data transmission nets and social and logistical services"?
How do you say in English "attivita` produttive"?
Does it sound right something like: Sicily`s main incomings are represented by mechanical engineering, transportation equipment and telecommunications."? Or: "Its main productive business are breeding and wine".
And what about this:" he would be pleased to meet you in order to plan collbaoration`s agreement to organize exchanges within universities and research sector"? Is within right or between is better?
the idea is to let students move by universities...
Last thing, do you usually use in English to write You with initial capital letter if you ae addressing to someone important?

As you can see, I have a lot of doubts cause I have never attended a business English class before...even if I feel it`s time to take one !
I would extremely appreciate your suggetsions, advice and, basicly, your help!
Mostly, i would like to know whether the language is correct or not.
I mean, I have to write a formal paper but, you know, it doesn`t have to be ridicolous! something like you would expect to read in case you were reading a formal English paper...
Ok, I think you got it!

Thank You so much!!!!
I`ll wait for you!

Belfagor

Re: wish clauses

Goodman — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 17:52:34 GMT

Yoong Liat wrote:
Hi Goodman

You wrote: I have been labeled and called by many descriptions, hinted being âIgnorantâ is the first ...

I'm not hinting that you're ignorant. I say that if a learner tells me "informal" means "wrong", I'll understand that he says so because he is ignorant. But you are not a learner. You're one of the members who have a good command of English. So that's why I say it's not correct for you to say that a usage, which is classified as "informal", is wrong.

I've reproduced below what Michael Swan has to say about "I wish I was ... " and "I wish it wasn't ..." and let the members decide whether you're right to say "I wish it was not raining" or "I wish it wasn't raining" is a wrong usage.

We can use 'wish' to express regrets - to say that we would like things to be different. We use a past tense with a present meaning in this case.
I wish I was better-looking.
I wish it wasn't raining.

In a formal style, we can use 'were' instead of 'was' after 'I wish'.
I wish I were better-looking.

(Basic English Usage by Michael Swan)

Best wishes.

Liat,

With our differences in point of view, I appreciate your reply. For all intents and an purposes, I am still a learner on a different level but I perhaps have the advantage being in a completely English environment and therefore, I may appear to have better command. That said, I do feel there is a certain slight inconsistency among all the different English websites, particularly on the subjunctive. There should not be any argument that âIf I wereâ or âI wish I wereâ is a subjunctive mood. The difference of the agruement really lies in the defining of the rules and the mood expressed in the senstence. The early website quoted âI wish I wasâ as informal.

In reality, after reading this article, that is indeed incorrect. The bottom line, " I wish I was" is against the subjunctive ruels. Take a look at the explanation on this website then you may come to agree with what I said in my earlier threads.

Confusingly enough, in the "self test", some of of the answers are considered "acceptable" or "informal" by some. I should hope that this piece will settle all questions about indicative and subjunctive moods.

Subjunctive Mood

However, if a form of the verb to be were used in that sentence, all polished writers would agree that the subjunctive is necessary: "If he were [not was] ...
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GIW Home		writeDate(); Mon Oct. 8, 2007 \| Tell a Friend \| Subscribe \| Order Our Book
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	Writing Tip: July 30, 2001 The Subjunctive Mood Examine the verbs in each of the following sentences: 1. If Harrison were chosen to be the next chief executive officer of the corporation, several controversial hiring practices would change. 2. If I were you, I would increase my weekly contribution to the company-sponsored retirement fund. 3. I wish that his report were longer. 4. We recommend that the trip be postponed because of violence in the region. 5. The finance department requests that he submit updated budget projections each month. All the above sentences are correct. Two terms apply to the mood of English verbs: indicative and subjunctive. An indicative verb makes a statement that is factual, whereas a verb in the subjunctive mood is used to indicate a situation or condition that is hypothetical, doubtful, or conditional. In the indicative mood, we would never write "Harrison were," "I were," "report were," "trip be," or "he submit," but these verbs are correct in the examples above because each of the sentences is written in the subjunctive mood; that is, in every case, the sentence is describing a situation that is hypothetical or conditional: 1. Harrison is not now the C.E.O., but hypothetically he could be chosen for that position. The conditional nature of the position is suggested by the word if. 2. Again, as the word if makes clear, I am not, in fact, you. So once again the situation is hypothetical and conditional: I would save more only under the condition that I became you. 3. His report is not, in fact, longer, so the sentence speaks of a hypothetical situation. 4. The trip is not currently postponed, so the subjunctive mood is appropriate to suggest a possibility, not an actuality. 5. He is not currently submitting reports monthly, so we use the subjunctive mood to discuss the possibility--not the actuality--of his doing so. For all verbs except to be, the present subjunctive mood is most often made by omitting the characteristic s ending on verbs with third-person singular subjects. Thus, whereas in the indicative mood we would write "man leaves," in the subjunctive mood we would omit the s on the verb leave: "The judge insisted that the man not leave town." For the verb to be, we simply use be for all present tense subjunctive mood verbs and were for all past tense forms, regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English (New York: MJF Books, 1993) points out that while many subjunctive-mood phrases are commonly used in ordinary speech--"if I were you," "if need be," "far be it from me," and so on--strict use of the subjunctive mood is rare, even in the most formal speaking and writing situations (243). Very few people would write, for example, "If he arrive on time, we will have dinner before the show." However, if a form of the verb to be were used in that sentence, all polished writers would agree that the subjunctive is necessary: "If he were [not was] to arrive on time, we could have dinner before the show." The Harbrace College Handbook (13th edition) lists other common, fixed expressions that are stated in the subjunctive mood: "so be it," "be that as it may," "as it were," and "God bless you" (99-100). TEST YOURSELF Which of the following sentences need verbs in the subjunctive mood? 1. If I was Sam, I would hire an assistant now before the hiring freeze takes effect. 2. The committee suggested that Dr. Jones is chosen as the next chief of staff. 3. As August approaches, every school child wishes that his or her vacation was longer. 4. It is critical that every potential donor gives blood during this shortage. ANSWERS 1. If I WERE Sam, I would hire an assistant now before the hiring freeze takes effect. 2. The committee suggested that Dr. Jones BE chosen as the next chief of staff. 3. As August approaches, every school child wishes that his or her vacation WERE longer. This is almost the exact sentence identified as correct in your past post. 4. It is critical that every potential donor GIVE blood during this shortage. Copyright 2001 Get It Write More Tips \| Tell a Friend *Special Request:* Please share these tips with friends and colleagues and encourage them to subscribe. (If you post the tips to an internal distribution list of any size, please tell us the nature of the list and the number of subscribers. We would like to know how many people we are reaching with this service. We appreciate your positive feedback and excellent comments!)

Idiomatic English

Hayatoukrama — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:44:07 GMT

ace: make an "A" on a test, homework assignment, project, etc.

"Somebody said you aced the test, Dave. That's great!"

all right (1): expression of reluctant agreement.

A: "Come to the party with me. Please!"
B: "Oh, all right. I don't want to, but I will."

all right (2): fair; not particularly good.

A: "How's your chemistry class?"
B: "It's all right, I guess, but it's not the best class I've ever had."

all right (3): unharmed; in satisfactory condition.

A: "You don't look normal. Are you all right?"
B: "Yes, but I have a headache."

and then some: and much more besides.

A: "I'd guess your new computer cost about $2,000. "
B: "It cost that much and then some because I also bought extra RAM and VRAM."

antsy: restless; impatient and tired of waiting.

"I hope Katy calls soon. Just sitting around and waiting is making me antsy."

as easy as pie: very easy.

"I thought you said this was a difficult problem. It isn't. In fact, it's as easy as pie."

at the eleventh hour: at the last minute; almost too late.

"Yes, I got the work done in time. I finished it at the eleventh hour, but I wasn't late.

Re: That isn't saying much

Niuben5777 — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:14:07 GMT

Dear all,

Clive wrote:

Hi guys,

I have a trouble with understanding the clause "that isn't saying much." Does it have the same meaning with "So it is obviously."

This expression is often used when giving faint praise.

eg After 20 years, he was promoted to senior clerk, although that isn't saying much.

The idea here is that, after 20 years, he should have managed to get promoted to a higher level.

Best wishes, Clive

"I was probably the tallest person in the whole place â and that isn't saying much." Is use of "that isn't saying much" in this sentence to give faint praise?

Re: Our basketball team tried hard but was defeated in the long run.

Marius Hancu — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:33:34 GMT

I do not think the expression in the long run is correctly used in your original sentence.

--------
long run

: a period of time sufficiently long to permit all factors in a situation to exercise their full influence -- used chiefly in the phrase in the long run <it is obvious that in the long run automation will be of great benefit to us all -- John Diebold>

Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged.
------------

You should use in the end/finally.

Re: Pucca's expressions - I understood it now

CalifJim — Thu, 31 May 2007 01:48:09 GMT

CalifJim wrote:

-- Geez! Now you gave me the Dormbrinkler report!

Sounds strange to me. How does the present perfect sound to the American ear in this context?

Present perfect sounds OK, too (to me), in spite of the extra syllable or two!

CJ



GIW Home		writeDate(); Mon Oct. 8, 2007 \| Tell a Friend \| Subscribe \| Order Our Book
		Resources: Writing Tips \| More Tips
	Writing Tip: July 30, 2001 The Subjunctive Mood Examine the verbs in each of the following sentences: 1. If Harrison were chosen to be the next chief executive officer of the corporation, several controversial hiring practices would change. 2. If I were you, I would increase my weekly contribution to the company-sponsored retirement fund. 3. I wish that his report were longer. 4. We recommend that the trip be postponed because of violence in the region. 5. The finance department requests that he submit updated budget projections each month. All the above sentences are correct. Two terms apply to the mood of English verbs: indicative and subjunctive. An indicative verb makes a statement that is factual, whereas a verb in the subjunctive mood is used to indicate a situation or condition that is hypothetical, doubtful, or conditional. In the indicative mood, we would never write "Harrison were," "I were," "report were," "trip be," or "he submit," but these verbs are correct in the examples above because each of the sentences is written in the subjunctive mood; that is, in every case, the sentence is describing a situation that is hypothetical or conditional: 1. Harrison is not now the C.E.O., but hypothetically he could be chosen for that position. The conditional nature of the position is suggested by the word if. 2. Again, as the word if makes clear, I am not, in fact, you. So once again the situation is hypothetical and conditional: I would save more only under the condition that I became you. 3. His report is not, in fact, longer, so the sentence speaks of a hypothetical situation. 4. The trip is not currently postponed, so the subjunctive mood is appropriate to suggest a possibility, not an actuality. 5. He is not currently submitting reports monthly, so we use the subjunctive mood to discuss the possibility--not the actuality--of his doing so. For all verbs except to be, the present subjunctive mood is most often made by omitting the characteristic s ending on verbs with third-person singular subjects. Thus, whereas in the indicative mood we would write "man leaves," in the subjunctive mood we would omit the s on the verb leave: "The judge insisted that the man not leave town." For the verb to be, we simply use be for all present tense subjunctive mood verbs and were for all past tense forms, regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English (New York: MJF Books, 1993) points out that while many subjunctive-mood phrases are commonly used in ordinary speech--"if I were you," "if need be," "far be it from me," and so on--strict use of the subjunctive mood is rare, even in the most formal speaking and writing situations (243). Very few people would write, for example, "If he arrive on time, we will have dinner before the show." However, if a form of the verb to be were used in that sentence, all polished writers would agree that the subjunctive is necessary: "If he were [not was] to arrive on time, we could have dinner before the show." The Harbrace College Handbook (13th edition) lists other common, fixed expressions that are stated in the subjunctive mood: "so be it," "be that as it may," "as it were," and "God bless you" (99-100). TEST YOURSELF Which of the following sentences need verbs in the subjunctive mood? 1. If I was Sam, I would hire an assistant now before the hiring freeze takes effect. 2. The committee suggested that Dr. Jones is chosen as the next chief of staff. 3. As August approaches, every school child wishes that his or her vacation was longer. 4. It is critical that every potential donor gives blood during this shortage. ANSWERS 1. If I WERE Sam, I would hire an assistant now before the hiring freeze takes effect. 2. The committee suggested that Dr. Jones BE chosen as the next chief of staff. 3. As August approaches, every school child wishes that his or her vacation WERE longer. This is almost the exact sentence identified as correct in your past post. 4. It is critical that every potential donor GIVE blood during this shortage. Copyright 2001 Get It Write More Tips \| Tell a Friend *Special Request:* Please share these tips with friends and colleagues and encourage them to subscribe. (If you post the tips to an internal distribution list of any size, please tell us the nature of the list and the number of subscribers. We would like to know how many people we are reaching with this service. We appreciate your positive feedback and excellent comments!)