Search results for 'tag:Learn English tag:Noun phrases' matching tags 'Learn English' and 'Noun phrases'

Re: Lack of emphasis on NPs in ESL

Kooyeen — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:38:55 GMT

I obviously agree with Forbes: it depends on your first language. I have never had any problems with passive sentences, subjects and objects, the difference between countable and uncountable, etc. because those are all features I have in Italian too. It is not difficult at all for me to use conditional structures (= modal verbs) in polite requests, like in "Could you lend me 1,000 dollars?", because very similar structures are used the same way in Italian too. On the other hand, I know some Asian languages don't even have past or future tenses, so it's easy to imagine how much more difficult it must be for them to learn English.

So instead of focusing on noun phrases, shouldn't we rather focus on the real difficulties, which happen to vary from learner to learner according to their native language and past experience with languages in general?

Anonymous

How about this student?

<<I assume many of you have watched the cartoon "Totally spies", right?
I just wonder why it is "Totally" here. "totally" is always an adverb, so what do they imply when using "totally" here? How can it go with the noun "spies"?>>>

Heh, good question! I don't know! Could somebody tell me more about that, as a side note here without going completely off topic? Otherwise I will open another thread. I would say "Total spies", but if I suspect that "totally" in "Totally spies" is used informally in some dialects to mean "definitely", like in, like " Are you, like, coming to my awesome party tonight? - Oh, yeah, totally!"
If that is the case, then I don't think that "totally" has anything to do with proving learners have trouble with noun phrases. It would suggest learners have trouble with informal English, and if you ask me, that's true.

Re: Is 'As such' used wrongly?

Goodman — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:19:37 GMT

_{Hi Hoa,}

_{You are pretty brave to dare this thread!}

_{The discussion about the âas suchâ usage, to me, was actually more of a reflection of how we interpret what a noun or noun phrase is, rather than grammatical correctness. As I found on one of the site, it said:}

_{"As such" -as being what is indicated or suggested. All I was doing was to confirm my interpreation and if there were others seeing it the same way. I am not saying right or wrong.}

_{There is always this hidden bias that natives can communicate and write better than non-natives and therefore, in a debate situation, the non-nativeâs answer is likely deemed incorrect. Generally, it may be true. However, the reality is, even natives canât seem to have a uniform answer or opinions to the same question in our everyday life sometimes. Not because they are wrong, itâs just because their answer is subject to personal interpretations and how they acquired their language skills. Mike Tyson is a famous, or infamous American native, would anyone care to comment on his English correctness or perhaps like to learn English from him? For the longest time, I had always thought âamongstâ is a wrong word for âamongâ until I listen to Dr. Michael Savage's radio talk show who has two Ph.Dâs. The manâs fluidity and command of the language is absolutely magical, aside from his personal view on issues. But one has to admire his wit and quickness on the language. I donât want to offend any natives here by what I said. Please do take this in the negative light. If I do, I sincerely apologize.}

Re: Countable Or Uncountable?

paco2004 — Sun, 24 Apr 2005 11:56:17 GMT

Hello Infinity.

I'm a mere English learner from Japan, but could you allow me to throw my 2 cents on your question?

Frankly speaking, I'd say you'd better give up the hope you could get a conclusive answer to the question. I have raised a similar question before in this forum but I could not get enough persuasive responses (Post:56071).

As for some nouns (especially substantive nouns), English distinction between countable/uncountable seems mostly reasonable cross-linguistically. But for some nouns (above all abstract nouns), the distinction cannot be logically understood to non-native English speakers. I think we should take this kind of distinction as a matter belonging to the realm of linguistic habit particular to English rather than to the realm of universally available reasons. Countableness for some nouns is different even between similar European languages. For example, "information" is deemed as uncountable in English but it is countable in French and German. So I think we had better learn English's countableness of nouns without asking why it is so. (BBC grammar QA).

Nevertheless, I'd like to add about your question what I feel personally. I think English people someway has a tendency to take a thing as countable in the case they could feel there would be things similar to that thing. For example, let me take the case of "knowledge". When you say "knowledge" without adding the indefinite article "a", it means a general and indefinable amount/sort of "acquaintance with something through experience and intelligence". But when you say "He has a knowledge of biology", the noun phrase "a knowledge of biology" is interpreted to imply "a certain sort/amount of knowledge on biology such as that you can imagine other people also might have one similar to that. It is my humble opinion.

Anyway as I'm a beginner of English learning and don't know much about English, you'd better not believe me so much. Our teachers and other native speakers must give you much much better answers. Please wait until then.

paco