Re: Meaning of sentences...

grammar geek — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:05:10 GMT

Poor Richard's Almanack was published in the 1700s by Benjamin Franklin. This is from Wikipedia: Franklin, the American inventor , statesman , and publisher , achieved success with Poor Richard's Almanack . Almanacks were very popular books in colonial America , with people in the colonies using them for the mixture of seasonal weather forecasts, practical household hints, puzzles, and other amusements they offered.

Re: How to pronounce /r/ ?

raindoctor — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 03:59:09 GMT

iLrrr-n, If you are just interested in producing american R, here is a tip from "American spoken english in Real life: fast natural, urgent survival foreign accent begone!" by DG Davies. " r + vowel = ur + vowel. First say u. Tongue back into mouth does not move while lips smile changing to next vowel. write - right urait, three thuri, brow buraun, etc." Here is a video that follows the above advice: Note the rounded ness of /r/

Back-to-Back Schlock!

wcmartell — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:53:28 GMT

(No, not the great film by John Landis.) In the UK they have a satellite TV channel which seems to be similar to the US channel Spike TV, called Movies 4 Men. The great thing about M4M is that they have an easy to search schedule... the bad thing is that they keep showing movies I wrote. One week they had 7 movies I wrote - one per day. I joke about it on my blog - apologizing to people in the UK. But I always check to see what I'm unleashing on expecting viewers in the UK this week... Well, on 9/10 (Thursday) I have 2 films playing back-to-back... 15:45 - Black Thunder - When the world's most powerful stealth jet fighter falls into enemy hands, only one man can get it back. Starring Michael Dudikoff. 17:30 - Crash Dive - The...

Hill of beans

joachim — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:41:47 GMT

Hi all I recently came across the following reply in an (American) play: 'Beaty don't know nothing! Hills of beans have flags in them announcing what Beaty knows!' Beaty being a particularly stupid character in the play. I know that "hill of beans" means something like "nothing at all" or "worthless", but I was wondering about the "flags" on them - do they make the insult worse in any way? Or am I completely mistaken about the meaning of this idiom? Grateful for any hints. Cordially Joachim

Re: Spelling time!!!!

dokterjokkebrok — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:17:25 GMT

hmmm actually sometimes this -ize or -ise confused me damn alot!! like a confusion Of apologISE or apologIZE !!!anybody got a tip ?? If I may add something to this disccusion. I have frequently read articles written by Britons who use -ize, just like American authors would do. And I must say this is actually more logical because it's corresponds better with the pronunciation of these words. Words like 'standardize, economize, apologize, energize'; most of them, if not, all of them, are verbs written like /'stæn.də.d aɪz / in phonetic script; i.e. with the /-aiz/ at the coda. I think it's a good thing this is changing; it makes the English language more consistent. By the way, my Cambridge computer dictionary...

Roots

avoid normal situations. — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:02:53 GMT

Yes, that's right, *that* "Roots". Believe it or not, I had never seen it before outside of a few snippets of the first episode in high school history class.This miniseries is not quite killed stone dead, but badly crippled enough by the wonkiness of '70s U.S. television conventions (lighting way too bright, just like in the original Night Stalker TV movie, rises of music just before fade out to a commercial break, etc.) that I just gave up on it after episode eight. Occasionally, however, this production actually works... mainly because it gets across the sheer horror of what it must have been like to be a slave no human rights at all, casual brutality, enforced ignorance, owners who have full rights to your body (in...

Re: How to rephrase this sentence to make it reads concise and better?

anonymous — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:05:23 GMT

I am an American school teacher with two degrees and 23 years of experience. This sentence is a classic example of a "run-on" sentence. I get tired before I get to the end of it (LOL). One hint is to break it up at the comma. Remember, you can get all of the information in with good grammar. Run-on sentences can be broken up into separate thoughts, which do not confuse the reader. This is how I would rephrase it: "My motivation comes from the recent loss of my dear mother to cancer. This tragedy has made me consider spending my life and career doing cancer research using the methods of biostatistics." You see, all of the information is still there, but with a certain economy of word choice. Don't try too hard to...

Re: Hopefully

mister micawber — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:40:40 GMT

American Heritage has this to say about this ongoing triviality: Writers who use hopefully as a sentence adverb, as in Hopefully the measures will be adopted, should be aware that the usage is unacceptable to many critics, including a large majority of the Usage Panel. It is not easy to explain why critics dislike this use of hopefully. The use is justified by analogy to similar uses of many other adverbs, as in Mercifully, the play was brief or Frankly, I have no use for your friend. And though this use of hopefully may have been a vogue word when it first gained currency back in the early 1960s, it has long since lost any hint of jargon or pretentiousness for the general reader. The wide acceptance of...

Going from upper-intermediate to advanced learning? Or something like that.

joleh — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:23:32 GMT

Hello everybody. I'm pretty good at English let's say, the writing, the pronunciation, the reading, the listening aren't big problem to me. Okay, the listening and speaking, I do it but with efforts. The speaking it's the hardest for me I think, because I do not use it frequently. Anyway, I need to improve my English to higher level. Last year I finished 4th level in Berlitz and I stopped attending classes there because of the high prices. I read books (currently The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger ) and I'm curious how effective is that? I understand, let's say, 70% of the text... but I have problems with some advanced sentences and the vocabulary. My vocabulary is pretty poor. But, everything I've...

Re: This weekend - skip TRANSFORMERS

remysun — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:39:25 GMT

Unfortunately, Transformers 2 will make gobs of money this weekend, as irresponsible parents take mobs of kids to see this. Michael Bay shows how well he knows what's on the mind of the average American, including a total lack of knowledge of Geography, with the climax at the Pyramids of Giza, walking distance from the Jordanian ruins at Petra, and everything occuring on the tip of the Sinai Peninsula, I think. And what is it about Shia La Beouf convincing directors that they have to pay homage to their entire anthology? I saw a Pearl Harbor sneak attack, meteors falling to earth, even nods to the Indy films, Alien, Star Wars Revenge of the Sith, and when a character asks if the other has seen Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, I'm...

Re: "The guy we wanted to win didn't...

ronb — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:29:11 GMT

Finally Paul admits he's an imperialist. Didn't the American colonies rebel against imperialism? (Kind of blows the claim that you're a libertarian out of the water doesn't it?) I see you're still fighting the "good fight." Hint: It's a waste of time. RonB "There's a story there...somewhere"

Re: How do I pronounce those words in American Accent?

anonymous — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:39:30 GMT

To pronounce these words with an American accent, your tongue should never touch the tip of our mouth when doing the "r." (I'm from Pennsylvania in the Northeast by the way). Regularly = r-egg-yool-err-lee Particularly = parr-TIHK-yool-err-lee Order = or-derr Murder = merr-derr That's the most important thing about the American "r" that makes it distinctive from other English "r" sounds. Your tongue doesn't touch the roof of your mouth, and really doesn't touch anything.

The silent "t"?

chenyincheng — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:17:39 GMT

Hi all, I recently attended a phonics seminar. In the seminar, the lecturer mentioned that now most Americans skip the "t" sounds in words as they speak, and gave an example of the word "county", which sounded like "coun-i". Native speakers, is this true? If so, any tips for us whose first language isnt English to help us identify the words we hear. Personally I think thats one of the reasons why we sometimes have difficulties understanding spoken English by native speakers. Thanks!

Re: Idiomatic expression

alpheccastars — Sat, 30 May 2009 01:52:35 GMT

He broke into a sweat. (from fear, from hard exercise, from nervousness) She woke up in a sweat. (she had a very bad dream, and it caused her to sweat) Hint: If you want good (searchable) examples of American English text, register at the COCA . If you want good searchable examples of British English text, register at the BNC . You can search on "a sweat" and get good examples of usage.

Meaning of "crib sheet"

mrpernickety — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:20:25 GMT

Hi, I am interested in knowing the usage of "crib sheet" from an American native speaker's standpoint. A British person described it as "A crib sheet is a piece of paper the a student smuggles in to an exam with his notes written on it to help him", but I'm in doubt as to whether it retains the same meaning on the other side of the pond. If it does not, could you tip me off to a term(s) with the same idea that you have in common use Thanks a lot!

A Comprehension Question

anonymous — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:48:18 GMT

Sir, I was halfway through Professor Raj Persaud’s article “What’s the tipping point”（Financial Times Weekend , April9—10） when it occurred to me that what I was reading was not ironic（讽刺的）. If Prof Persaud wants to know why Americans tip in restaurants, he need only ask the first American he meets in London. Americans tip in restaurants for one reason, and one reason only：we tip to supplement（补贴）the salary of restaurant workers. Quality of service does not enter into it, beyond the fact that one may tip a bit less for poor service, or a little more for good service. Not tipping at all in a non-fast –food restaurant is not a choice. In the US, one used to tip about 15 per cent for dining in a family-style restaurant or in an...

Could you give me a hand over here?

roge0196 — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:04:44 GMT

Hi guys. Here it goes another composition. Quite long, but I think it wont take too much of your time. Please post your comments and suggestions. Any help is welcome. I´m trying to write as simmilar as Americans do, so if you find something correct but not so good in American English, please tell me. Thanks!!! Robots and Humans Day by day people leave their homes and go to their offices, schools, hospitals, banks or any other place in order to work, learning, see the doctor or just for a walk. During this time it is almost impossible not buy anything, not pay any bill or not use any other type of service. When we buy a ticket to use the subway, we will probably using an automatic machine. In our daily routine in big...

Re: Writers Picket American Idol

betterduck — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:49:47 GMT

LOS ANGELES Audience members waiting in line for the first live broadcast of American Idol this season were greeted ... Laity United for Economic Justice rallied outside CBS TV City in support of better working conditions for American Idol workers. Oh ***, I'll be filming all week on South Beach. The Guildless can Twitter me, and I will tell them how to find my exact location on their iPhone and they can make sure the entire crew doesnt get Pumpkin Pie-eriah from bad Cuban food again or what? There is no money to squeeze from these shows. Sure it would be nice if we got money if the shows become hits, but we dont. I'm the closest thing to a writer you are gonna find on damn near every reality show set. Whats the guild gonna do...

Re: Help with grammar and mechanic problems i have alot of problems. please help and thanks

alpheccastars — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 03:29:53 GMT

Hi Grammar Geek: You can send me some of your cookies anytime! My mouth is already watering... Daniel: I've underlined the words where there are problems with grammar. Think about these areas and make changes to the sentences. If you don't know what is wrong, you can ask in a follow-up. Hint: you often run two sentences together. You can improve the cookies resulting from following the directions you give by taking GG's suggestions in your next rewrite. Try to prepare the cookies (in your imagination) using your directions. Will the directions really work? It has been said that (this is a very weak way to begin. Just make a statement starting with "homemade") homemade cookies are delicious and a favorite among...

Re: Please, help me with my questions!

anonymous — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:53:34 GMT

Thank you ayn for the tip. But please, just ask me if / Pôl / corresponds to a British pronunciation while /' Pól/ corresponds to an American one. Anon.

Re: British Accent - How to speak in a British Accent

anonymous — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:42:48 GMT

well i lived in england for first grade and half of second and its so easy to pick up the accent. well u just bring out the T us americans use d instead of t like slang. dont try too hard you'll sound wierd and also dont try in england. define the vowels. also most brittish people talk quietly not loud, sorry that was bad advice since u r on stage i should know i have a play tomorrow and i need sleep thats why cant give u lots of tips because i have tons so see ya

Article

anonymous — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:11:57 GMT

The standard explanation for this pattern, based on ideas put forward by geophysicist J. Tuzo Wilson in 1963, is that the islands record motion of the Pacific plate over a volcanic hot-spot . The hotspot can be thought of as a candle within the earth whose flame burns through the crust, pumping lava to the surface and building an island. The ever moving plate pulls the island off the hotspot, the hotspot generates a new island, and the cycle continues . Together the hotspot and plate tectonics produce islands like an assembly line. In 1971 Jason Morgan of Princeton University went a step further. He proposed that the "candle" was the molten tip of a plume of hot rock rising from deep within the...

Re: Pronounce can & can't

jossx — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:45:45 GMT

Hey! That's a little tricky. You can say CAN AS /kæn/ and kɛn as weakened, but you can pronounce the negative the same way in fast speech. all depends on the context. That's the reason you sometimes hear "I can't do it the same way as I can do it on TV" It happens mostly in american english accent. However, pay attention to those who speak english carefully and pronounce the /t/ sound as a glottal stop. Here's a tip. In american english accent, the final /t/ is sometimes a glottal stop. how to produce a glottal stop? that's a sound made by closing you vocal cords fully. try to make the sound "ah ah" when negating something. The sound is very simple and ease the speaking fast. In careful speech (or...

My Rough Draft about Battle For Iwo Jima

gnarliebrown — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:33:02 GMT

What do you think about it? I will go through and fix errors, and change stuff later. Hate to beg, but could you make me a short little outline for it? That is one thing I suck bad at making. During the summer and early fall of 1944, American engineers were busy building huge airfields and supply installations on the Marianas Islands of Saipan, Guam, and Tinian. As the construction work was getting close to completion, vast amounts of supplies, gasoline, and bombs began to arrive in Navy cargo ships. Soon after, squadrons of new B-29 Superfortress bombers began to fly into the fields. On November 24, 1944, the B-29 squadrons made their first attack on Tokyo. Japan reacted fast by shooting at the planes with antiaircraft guns and...

Re: For the first time

clive — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:34:39 GMT

Hi, We have but skimmed the surface. eg this is from http://www.writtensound.com/laughter.htm Clive Laughter When you try and write the sound of a person laughing, the standard "haha!" does not always capture the true sound and meaning. Different laughs have different flavors. For the benefit of world peace, here is a list of written laughs, and information on those subtle differences. ahahah! aristocratic, or kind of a hick laugh ahh ha ha not really different from the ordinairy hahaha, but this one is an attempt to capture the breath before the burst of laughter (ahh-) bwahaha! boisterous BWL! acronym: Bursting With Laughter chortle gleeful chuckle, chuckling and snorting. Ususally designated as a...

Re: How do Americans pronounce Button ?

kooyeen — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:12:54 GMT

No! It's not sloppy! It's actually advisable to pronounce BUTTON that way in American English, since it seems to be the most common way to pronounce the pair NT. And the same goes for similar words: sentence, mountain, cotton, etc. The T and the N are pronounced together, and you don't drop the tip of your tongue after you say T, but you keep it there and pronounce the N right away. To be more precise, the T turns into a glottal stop. I don't know what happens to those T's in Australian English... they're probably pronounced "normally", seeing that Jeannie cringes at the American way of pronouncing them.

Re: Is there a [n ] in the end of gerunds?

reefannie — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:41:59 GMT

No, you are not crazy wont. The American tongue has become very lazy. When I was a young girl we were taught to enunciate using the "tip of the tongue, your teeth and your lips". Also, where I live is a melting pot of many nationalities so the English language is really slaughtered. Another thing I have noticed in the last 20 years is the bastardation of some words where they become accepted, and in some cases, included in the dictionary as an actual word. If I were Eeyore I'd be saying, "we're all doomed!".

To all native speakers - Assimilation

kooyeen — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:16:47 GMT

You probably know two of the major public radios in the US: NPR (National Public Radio) and MPR (Minnesota Public Radio). At the end of certain programs, you can hear something like... Brought to you by NPR Brought to you by MPR 1) Do you pronounce them differently? Do you pronounce them the same only in fast relaxed speech? My understanding is that the vast majority of Americans always say them differently (except in a few dialects in relaxed speech), while it is very common in BrE to pronounce them exactly the same (so NPR becomes MPR and the tip of the tongue doesn't even rise to touch the roof of your mouth behind your teeth) 2) How do you distinguish between them? Even if they are pronounced differently, I have a hard time...

The Saint - a short story

pructus — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:20:28 GMT

Hi, Forum Gurus and members! 1. It was unbelievable that a man so eminent would actually sit in our dining room, use our knives and forks, and eat our food. Every imperfection in our home and our characters would jump out at him. The Truth had been revealed to man with scientific accuracy -- an accuracy we could all test by experiment -- and the future course of human development on earth was laid down, finally. And here in Mr. Timberlake was a man who had not merely performed many miracles -- even, it was said with proper reserve, having twice raised the dead -- but who had actually been to Toronto, our headquarters, where this great and revolutionary revelation had first been given. http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/saint.htm The...

Just exactly what great changes is Obama gonna bring?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:36:12 GMT

I've read his book The Audacity of Hope, and I've studied his website, and I think he's a moderately bright, narcissistic politician with more public speaking ability and charisma than most narcissistic American politicians. I think I'll probably vote for him or not vote at all. But I don't see what the Big Change is. I don't see a whole lot of change at all, except toward the Israeli-Palestinian issue and that seems to have been heavily watered down by the Democratic Party and is not a very big issue to me or most people anyway.Economy Trivial, obligatory tax-cut-for-the-middle-class that all politicians offer around election time. If he gets Congress to pass it, most Americans will get a one-time pittance at a...

Script Magazine: New Issue - Spike Lee, Caroline Thompson, THE SHIELD

wcmartell — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:31:58 GMT

The new issue of Script is on newsstands, book stores, and maybe even your mailbox (if you subscribe). Here's the table on contentes.. Heroes and Miracles: Miracle at St. Anna By Ray Morton Whether you believe in miracles or not, some Divine intervention brought James McBrides celebrated novel to the attention of celebrated filmmaker Spike Lee. Above writing a powerful screenplay, or creating a beautiful piece of cinema, both men hoped to honor the Buffalo Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry with their Miracle at St. Anna. To accomplish this feat, McBride and Lee delved into World War II history, Italian culture, and the firsthand accounts of black American veterans. Script to Screen: City of Ember by David S. Cohen Caroline Thompson...

Re: Chip Mayhugh finds his character

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:27:31 GMT

Much more real and interesting than the previous South Beach goombah imitation. Made me proud of Florida again. I shot a 527 today! Big money. Nova and bagels. Regular video, 35mm Pro Adapter, film prime lenses, tripod-slider, jib, 3 ton grip truck. Its gonna play nationally. They called me Monday night to shoot today. And lets just say they were throwing money around like TV shows don't. They paid .50 cents a mile door to door and that was about 80 miles. How many jobs can you get that pay for you to get there? Of course Im not near as confident that Im gonna actually get paid as when I work for hire under one of those Burbank payroll companies but oh well. It was interesting to see how these things go down. Hint. My jaw dropped. It...

Thoughts on "Iron Man" and "Hulk"

martin b — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:19:42 GMT

I have now seen "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk," both of them in a cinema on wide screen with digital sound. Meh. On balance I slightly prefer "Hulk," but maybe that's because I prefer Edward Norton to Robert Downey Jr. On the other hand, Gwyneth Paltrow (IM) is streets more attractive than Liv Tyler (H). Of course Pepper Potts (IM) is a more ridiculous name than Betty Ross (H). William Hurt's Gen. Ross (H) was a more believable renegade higher-up than Geoff Bridges' Obadiah Stane (IM), which is also a really stupid name. Hmm. It's close. How could a weedy little runt like Tim Roth be considered some sort of uber fighting man? Only in Hollywood. On the other hand, Lou Ferrigno still...

Re: Non-Partisan Wednesdays

alan brooks — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:33:29 GMT

So, how about one day a week that is Obama-free, McCain-free, Hillary-free, Democrat-free, Republican-free, Iraq-free, Iran-free, accusation-free, fisticuffs-free, nonsense-free, personal attack-free, feud-free, anger-free... ? I remember buying a cookie that was fat-free, sugar-free, gluten-free and something else-free at a health food store. It was ... flame war, but there wouldn't be so much collateral damage in terms of wasted mindshare for the lurkers and spectators. Well well... We seem stuck between those who complain when it's too quiet and those who complain when it's too noisy. Here are a few hints: There were 2365 posts to MWSM in the past month. Well over 200 of them were from various incarnations of...

Re: 10 Must-See Jeremiah Wright Videos

l8 nuz — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:47:58 GMT

http://snipurl.com/22ep0 Hey, a Wrightwash! Thanks, non-American non-voter. I'm an American voter (as from the legal perspective), but a "non- voter" for private reasons. So that guy of yours won 35 contests? - care to elaborate? I've already got my survival tips from the HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS. Google up the key word I mentioned if you, WHITE guys, wanna bar(a)k another day. I can foresee gas chambers, soap factories, labor camps: all for da white jerks that - starting with Obama's presidency - are guilty for not being black (as Obama. his wife and his religious tutor would like). Well, Good Luck! I'll hide my ass in Copenhagen, since Osama said in his last speech that Denmark is the safest place in Europe ...

Re: A Movie You Haven't Seen for a While

wcmartell — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:21:24 GMT

Last night I put in the disk to AMERICAN FRIEND, and it was scratched up so bad I couldn't watch it, so I irdered another from Amazon... But this is my favorite Wenders film. I'm strange, because I like all of the pre-HAMMETT movies and think the ones afterwards are hit & miss. I am oddly not a fan of PARIS, TEXAS.But AMERICAN FRIEND takes Wenders' slow pace and uses it to build the suspense. And, unlike the novel, there is a real friendship between Tom Ripley and his victim in the film. A warm friendship. I stuck with the skips and scratches and articating until the end of the first murder - a never ending scene in the subway where Bruno Ganz can't bring himself to kill the man; and the longer he waits, the more...

Portrayals of Screenwriters in Film

mc — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:58:58 GMT

Cinematical Seven: Most Memorable Screenwriter Characters Posted Nov 9th 2007 8:02PM by Christopher Campbell Filed under: Classics, Comedy, Drama, Foreign Language, Scripts, Cinematical Seven, Lists In honor of the striking screenwriters, I wanted to write a list of my favorites, either contemporary or all-time. But I decided that it would be more respectful to not exclude any of them. Even the bad writers need recognition right now. I've tried writing screenplays, and I salute anyone who has had one produced, whether brilliant or not. Even if it weren't difficult to actually write a script, it's certainly tough to deal with the b.s. of Hollywood and the sad truth that your vision will likely not make it to the screen as...

Re: Anyone going to teach in Poland this Autumn?

leszek l. — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:47:59 GMT

Uzytkownik "Sam" (Email Removed) napisal w wiadomosci Hi, I've been offered a teaching position at a school in Opole, starting at the end of September. I need ... Poland before? Any advice, tips? This will be my first teaching job, so it will all be new to me. I can try to put you in touch with an American friend who has just finished her second - and sadly, last - year as an English teacher in a high school in Gliwice, 100km (62 miles) east from Opole. Send your contact data to my real email address (the one displayed on usenet is a spam trap): (remove the four elements) Cheers, Leszek.

Search results for 'tag:Tips tag:American' matching tags 'Tips' and 'American'

Re: Sentence correction doubt

Frustrated by wars, mysteriously switched

Vocabulary exercise 56

Re: Allophone [t] at end of short words