Search results for 'tag:Numbers tag:Conversations' matching tags 'Numbers' and 'Conversations'

Re: Complaint number is 412.

Clive — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:17:04 GMT

Hi,
Please correct the given conversation. What does - denote in the given context? <<< What are you talking about?
- Sir, what is your complaint number?
- Complaint number is 412.
- Okay, as per reference you didn't report that there was distortion/noise in your (phone) line.
- I did! That day I did mention that I couldn't hear the other party clearly. Don't you think it mean the same? Or you want me to reiterate the same thing using different terms?

- Sir, what is your complaint reference number?
- 412.
- Okay, you didn't report that there was distortion/noise on your (phone) line.
- I did! I said/mentioned that I couldn't hear the other party clearly. Don't you think it means the same? Or do you want me to say the same thing again using different terms?

Best wishes, Clive

Complaint number is 412.

Jackson6612 — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:08:13 GMT

Please correct the given conversation. What does - denote in the given context?

- Sir, what is your complaint number?
- Complaint number is 412.
- Okay, as per reference you didn't report that there was distortion/noise in your (phone) line.
- I did! That day I did mention that I couldn't hear the other party clearly. Don't you think it mean the same? Or you want me to reiterate the same thing using different terms?

Inbox problem

huangpengcheng — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:44:29 GMT

My inbox keeps flashing with the number (2) next to it.

However, when I click on it, it brings me to conversation page, which is empty.

Is it a system error?

Re: Best ways to learn irregular verbs

CalifJim — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:41:18 GMT

I think language is better learned by real contact with real language than through a quasi-mathematical approach with drills. It seems to me that mistakes are normal in learning, and there is no need to stress students with artificial exercises to master. Personally, I never got a lot out of such drills when I learned foreign languages.

If the students are gradually brought into contact with the irregularities of language (whether verbs or other elements), I think they do just as well or better than if a whole batch of irregularities are dropped on them at once with the injunction to "Learn this!"

Ideally, an acquaintance with certain adjective forms in conversational settings (well done, thoughtful, lost dog, newly fallen snow, a poorly fed parakeet kept hidden in a stolen cage!), originally learned by rote, can set up the desired "ho-hum" reaction to past participles like done, thought, lost, etc. (I think that sometimes teachers are more panicked by irregularities than students, and teacher panic spreads to the students -- especially once the difficulties are officially recognized in the form of special drills! "Whoa! This is SO difficult we have to spend hours slaving away at it!" )

Other irregularities, preferably related by semantics rather than by grammar or morphology, can also be learned by rote at first: came and went, bought it, brought it home, wore it once, and took it back (or threw it out), had (s.o.) over - came over - drove over, sat down and stood up, sat down and shut up, stood up and spoke out, fell down and got (back) up, put it on and took it off, made a choice - chose, had a meeting - met, held a sale - sold, took the lead - led, took a drive - drove, got some sleep - slept, had a fight - fought, etc. There are any number of dialogs you can construct that emphasize the use of such forms, and any number of topics for free conversation which will naturally lead to the use of such forms.

Note that many irregular past participles occur after got. This might be a factor you can use to your advantage in presenting some of the irregular forms. got hurt, burnt, struck by lightening, stung by a bee, stuck in traffic, bitten by a dog, left behind, paid, ...

Students who "want to understand" irregular verbs probably just want to see them grouped in some logical way -- either because it helps them to memorize them that way, or purely out of intellectual curiosity. Just showing them the three basic groups is often enough: Those with t or d endings in both the past and the past participle; those with ng, nk, or g endings; those with -en past participles.

But I think what you really want is better exercises to drill these verbs, that is, exercises that more efficiently drum in the forms and consistently "reduce student error rates", and I'm afraid I can't help you with all that "learning technology" stuff. The ones you've found seem to do the job, and I'm not aware of any "magic bullet" that addresses that goal perfectly.

tense check please

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:31:59 GMT

Hi,

I saw the girl I used to go out in high school. It had been very long ago and it was hard to come out with the exact number of years back but it looked to be about 20 years ago. She used to have brown hair but she now seemed to have black hair. I wonnder if she dyed her hair. She was dining with a gentleman who looked like her husband -- he must have been her husband since she was quite comfortable holding his hand sporadically during the meal. I thought, "she could not be with any one other than her husband. For the time I knew her, she didn't struck me as the type of person who would cheat her husband behind his back. No, never. I was deep in thought when I was awaken by a nudge. IT WAS HER. I didn't know how she spotted me and came over to my table. "How could have seen me when I was sitting so far from her table," I thought. Anyway, we had a long conversation, reminescing the past, when I found out the person she was with was her father. How stupid of me to have thought differently -- 'there went another thirty minutes or so lost in a pointless thought," I thought.

Re: ubelt courses

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:05:04 GMT

Official UBELT Practice Tests

UBELT have developed a number of profession specific Official UBELT Practice Tests. These practice tests have been written for candidates preparing for UBELT Tests.

Aims of the practice tests

To prepare candidates for the UBELT Tests by familiarising them with the types of texts and tasks found in a UBELT Test.
To provide a template upon which teachers can supply their own teaching and preparation material.

Practice Tests Content

Official UBELT Practice Test packs contain one complete UBELT Practice Test, each one of which comprises a writing, reading, listening (with CD) and speaking test. Accompanying the tests are the answer keys for the reading and listening tests, and the scripts for the listening test conversations.

The Official UBELT Practice Tests are similar to the UBELT Tests in length, style, and format.

Re: Best regards, Kind regards, or Yours sincerely, - which is correct

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:51:44 GMT

Yours sincerely and Yours faithfully

In the UK, traditional valedictions have been mainly replaced by "Yours sincerely" or "Yours faithfully".

(Do not paste and copy lengthy material without citing references-- MM)

I personally feel that Kind Regards or Best Regards sounds cold and distant. Yours Truely.....or anything starting out with YOURS is to personal. A simple Thank You is warm, professional, and friendly.

Petyon/ HR Manager

come vs go

New2grammar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 05:30:02 GMT

We met him at the Waukegan Regional Airport not far from his home. CNN producer Dana Garrett and I had flown there in my small, single-engine airplane, a Cirrus SR22. Within moments, Wayne and I were talking about the kind of mileage it gets.

Fortunately, as air travel goes, it is a pretty efficient mode of conveyance. Once I have leveled off at say 8,000 feet and after, I have "leaned" the fuel/air mixture to the most efficient setting. I usually get about 13 miles per gallon.

Wayne seemed to approve of this and was glad I did not arrive alone. He reminded me miles per gallon per person, or MPGPP, is really the crucial number. That led us to a conversation about the relative benefits of driving versus flying commercially.

I know the meaning may not be the same. Can I change "arive' to "come"? Or should it be "go"? "come" and "go" is kind of confusing to me. If a person approaches me, I would use 'come'. If I approach someone, I tend to say 'go' but I've heard 'come' and that really confuses me.

Thanks in advance.

Re: What does it mean?

Mr Wordy — Sat, 31 May 2008 11:05:57 GMT

Further, as attested by the occurrence of a number of theory-non-conforming instances of ironic speech, most purely pragmatic views of conversational irony have a limited sphere of explanatory sway.

I understand this to mean, more-or-less: "Most purely pragmatic explanations of how irony is used in conversation have limited use. This is evident from the fact that a number of instances of ironic speech do not conform to theory."

What's not clear to me is how the "pragmatic views" relate to the "theory". For the logic to work, the two have to be referring to the same thing (otherwise the fact that instances of ironic speech don't conform to theory says nothing very much about pragmatic explanations). The problem is that "pragmatic" specifically refers to something that is not theoretical. So, for me it doesn't quite make sense.

Most theories have a limited sphere of explanatory sway because each has to face ironic sentences that ~~they~~ it cannot explain.

To me, this sentence is easier to understand, and if it gets the job done for you then I'd tend to prefer it. It also avoids the pragmatic/theory confusion that I suffered with the first version.

Re: saying finding a job ? how ?

Mr Wordy — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:41:25 GMT

From what you say, I gather that you're visiting places without an appointment, just in the hope that they might have a vacancy.

To give a good first impression, make sure that your appearance is smart and tidy, adopt a good posture, be confident, look them in the eye when you speak to them, and generally try to look hard-working, honest and reliable (however you do that!).

First, make sure that you're speaking to the right person. "Hi, could I speak to the manager please" would be a good way to start. If the actual manager is not there then ask to speak to "the person in charge".

Once you're speaking to the manager you could say something like "Hi, I'm looking for work and I wondered if you had anything available?". If you're looking for a particular type of work then say "Hi, I'm looking for work as a waiter/dishwasher/whatever...."

As I'm sure you know, some places put notices in the window saying "waiters needed", or whetever it might be. In that case, you could say "Hi, I'm interested in the waiter's job/dishwashing job/whatever that you advertised outside."

If they say "yes" then great. If they initially say "no" then there's probably little hope and little point in carrying on the conversation for very long, but you could try something like "I work really hard, and I'm very reliable...", or, as a last resort, "I've got no money and I desperately need a job". Remember to be polite if they turn you away: "OK, well thanks anyway" would be appropriate.

If they want to contact you later with a decision and they ask for your phone number but you don't have one, you could say "Sorry, I don't have a phone at the moment. Can I come back later to get your decision?". Or, if you are able to phone them from a public phone, you could say "Can I call you later to get your decision".