In Nouns^x, Dialects^x, Tenses^x

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...

MrPedantic wrote: What are we to make of the fact that adult native speakers often "self-prescriptivise"? Example: "Oh, hello, MrP. MissQ was just telling Randy and me – Randy and I – about L1 acquisition." MrP I read your question wrong... oops. Um, I...

Hello Japan I'm interested in the topic you raised. I am now living in Tokyo and on my way to work I can see an English-like phrase on the signboard of a jewelry store, that reads 'Well come!'. You may feel it's funny, but I don't think that use of 'well come' is not so rare in Japan....

Hello MrP History of English Gerunds (quoted from OED) The most notable development of the verbal nouns in form of -ing is its use as a gerund, i.e. a substantive with certain verbal functions, particularly those of being qualified by an adverb instead of an adjective, and of governing an...

My first language was Greek and Ukrainian, even though my background is actually Ukrainian, Polish, Scottish, and Native Canadian Cree. I travelled throughout Europe and Asia through my life, and now I am flutent in seven languages, and can get along conversationally in eight others. Of these...

Interesting question with an even more interesting answer (I doubt your students will like it ) To tell the truth: We don't actually "need" the 3rd person singular -s anymore, we could even get along without it very well. The -s is kind of a hangover from ancient times: In Old-English...

I agree with Mike. Your two suggestions works, for me at least. So Nawal should really give it a try. One day many years ago, I realized this from my observation: a Chinese friend of mine could speak so well because he had used English since his birth. He was exposed to only one language...

Introduction taken from http://www.ead.ufms.br/letras/Literature/01-Origins_Of_English.pdf Origins of English (up to 1066) Historical Background Before the time of the Roman colonization in A.D. 43, Britain was populated by Celts and Britons, relatively primitive people without...