By Intonations, Tenses

Hi everyoneI just wondered if anyone could help - I have to write a profile of a chinese learner of English (completely made up). In it I must put any difficulties that the learner has in learning English as an L2. I have got so far:Intonation transfer from L1 may cause them to be perceived as...

Why didn't you take it? There was no one around! 1 - You have stolen it!<-- You had a chance to steal it, you had the ability to steal it, you were allowed to steal it, but you didn't. were allowed is a less probable paraphrase. An additional paraphrase is You should have stolen it. Why...

Thank you so much! I understand.Hi Amy,well, it is not true, is it? When you say "I only need a few beers", you are not modifying "need"... That "only" could refer to "need", "few" or "beers".Hmm, then how do you decide what 'only' modifies when a sentence is written rather than spoken? Ah-ha!...

Marvin A. wrote:As long as you get the tense-lax distinctions down, then all's well.Do you mean, as long as I don't merge "did" and "deed", "bad" and "bad", like Italians do? Marvin A. wrote:>> It's just that those vowels are on two different levels of intonation (=pitch) <<?? How...

>> It's just that those vowels are on two different levels of intonation (=pitch) <<?? How so?>> But I tend to use long vowels where I shouldn't use them. <<Well, since it's allophonic, it really makes no difference. It might add to the impression of a foreign accent, but...

Anonymous wrote: I wish he were here , ........? a) weren't he? b) do you c) do I? What is the tag question for wish clauses? Can you give me some examples please? I don't understand, help me please. Hi Anon As I see it, a tag question for a sentence with the verb 'wish' will...

I have to hand in this report this Friday. Could you please run a quick check through it to see if there are any mistakes? Recently I have been having Harry practice making sentences in the present, past and future tense so as to reinforce his memory of the usage of tenses. Harry occasionally...

As for the intonation, sarcastic remarks are often said in an almost angry tone, but what might be called cold anger. You raise the volume level ever-so-slightly from your normal tone of voice, but not too much or you will seem out of control. To be effectively biting, sarcasm must always...

Hello Goodman Yes, that sounds reasonable – the equivalent of the original would be: 1. I was sitting in my room last night and (I was) reading a book and (I was) smoking a cigarette. where "I was" is omitted. But it also occurs to me that it might be possible to use intonation to force a...

Davkett wrote: The sentence by itself is ambiguous, as you suspect. Here is how I would explain the ambiguity, the effect of which may be exactly what you've expressed, in your own way. I'll tell you when the concert starts. = 1. I'll tell you what time the concert starts. 2. I'll tell...