Search results for 'user:Hela'

Re: translation into English: text 11/03 (Patrick)

hela — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:27:14 GMT

Thank you so much, MrP 3. Lots of people dream aloud / out loud (?) about ] neither really used! So how would you translate "rêvent bruyemment d'accomplir de grandes choses..." is your initial proposition "have grandiose ideas about all the important things they're going to do" the only solution? It isn't easy to find, is it? Have a nice day

Re: translation into English: text 11/03 (Patrick)

hela — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:34:03 GMT

Hello MrP, 1) Would you please tell me the dfference in meaning between "has/had finished" and "finishes/finished" in this sentence? "he called me to say that he is going to Ireland as soon as he finishes / has finished his exams." 2) On se connaît depuis si longtemps, lui et moi. "It has been a such a long time since we have known one another." Not " it has been a such a long time "; perhaps "We have known each other for such a long time". Why not? Is it because of the verb "to know"? 3) Il n'est pas nécessaire de mettre tout le monde au courant de ce qu'on a envie de faire. Il y a des tas de gens qui rêvent bruyamment d'accomplir de grandes choses et...

Re: translation into English: text 11/03 (Patrick)

hela — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:23:46 GMT

Good evening, Mr P, nice to read you again. I often ask questions on the site but you seem not to have seen my posts I don't think it's necessary to translate "allait partir travailler" literally; "was going to leave to work" would sound too clumsy Actually I wrote "he was leaving for Ireland for work", is it wrong too? 2) Do you accept a) "he was going to work in Ireland as soon as - his exams were over - he finished / had finished his exams b) "he was goint to work in Ireland right after - he finished / had finished his exams - he would finish / would have finished (?) his exams - his exams would be / would have been (?) over" - Is it also possible to use the present, even...

Re: translation into English: text 11/03 (Patrick)

hela — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:37:09 GMT

Hello teachers, I'd like to know if the following translations are correct. Doyou think that the following English pairs of clauses mean the same? 1) Il m’a téléphoné ce matin pour me dire qu’il allait partir travailler en Irlande dès qu’il aurait fini ses examens. He called me this morning to tell me he was going to work in Ireland / he was leaving for Ireland for work as soon as his exams he'd finished his exams / his exams were over . 2) Et en plus il est nul en anglais!

Re: correct sentence 06/08

hela — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:46:36 GMT

Dear teachers, Would you please explain these excerpts to me? 1) "the fighting in Darfur is entering a new and deadly phase --one in which the government is planning an aggressive campaign against the rebel groups fighting here as efforts to find a negotiated peace founder ." 2) "Today two dozen rebel groups are jockeying for territory and influence in Darfur. Some analysts say the government has sown chaos by splintering the rebel groups to weaken them ." - The government has sown chaos among the population, the rebel groups, both ? - "splintering the rebels" means that the gvt have / has (?) managed to cause division, disagreement, discord among them? They have / It has (?) succeeded in splitting /...

Re: correct sentence 06/08

hela — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:43:38 GMT

Good morning What do you think of the following, please? 1) The oberservers say that a) the campaign waged / the battle engaged in Darfur was illegitimate. b) it was not right to conduct bombing campaigns against civilian targets in Darfur. 2) After the rebels had (?) attacked innocent civilians, prevented humanitarian militants (?) from assisting the victims, and hampered UN forces / peacekeepers from protecting the region and monitoring the ceasefire, the Sudanese government conducted a military operation / intervention to defend the villagers from those bandits / brigands and ensure the " bon déroulement " of international aid and rescue operations. 3) The governement is taking advantage of rebels' attack / is...

correct sentence 06/08

hela — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:42:11 GMT

Dear teachers, Would you please correct and complete this sentence of mine ? The janjaweed are paramilitaries / paramilitary group (?), a military force raised from the civilian population and set up by the Sudanese government, appointed / instructed to supplement the regular army “pour faire le sale boulot” . . Do the Janjaweed originate from the North of Darfur ? Best regards, Hela

adjectives

hela — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:06:14 GMT

Dear teachers 1) When do you use "government" and "governmental" as adjectives ? Would you say "government forces" or "governmental forces" 2) Do all the following adjectives mean the same or is there a difference between them? What are the best equivalents of "episodic violence" : sporadic fighting, spasmodic / intermittent violence, periodic attacks ? Would you say that "episodic, spasmodic, intermittent events" happen occasionally and at irregular intervals, while "periodic events" are occasional but happen at regular intervals ? Best regards, Hela

translation 05/08

hela — Wed, 28 May 2008 05:54:17 GMT

Dear teachers, Here is a text I have translated. Would you please have a look at it? Prendre l’avion Au moment où le réveil a sonné, j'ai regretté d'avoir accepté ce voyage. Il faisait encore nuit, et je n'avais pratiquement pas dormi. J'aurais dû me coucher plus tôt la veille, me suis-je dit. Mais ce n'était pas mon genre. Et puis je pourrais toujours dormir dans l'avion. Je me suis levé pour aller boire un café. J'ai regardé par la fenêtre de la cuisine. Il était cinq heures, mais Paris ne s'était pas encore éveillé. Jeanne non plus. Une fois habillé, je suis allé la regarder dormir. Je ne sais pas pourquoi, je l'ai toujours trouvée plus belle le matin. Son corps comme un refuge contre le froid...

Re: To + infinitive or gerund

hela — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:43:01 GMT

Dear teachers, What should I say: to submit / object to + ob eying OR ob ey ? Do I always have to use the gerund in this case or can I also use the infinitive ? Thank you in advance, Hela

Re: conversation: mistakes

hela — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:02:20 GMT

Good morning, Goodman Would your sentence describe someone with a level he ad, or not exactly ? Have a nice day PS: Why don't I receive any notice of the teachers' answers on my e-mail?

conversation: mistakes

hela — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:31:14 GMT

Dear teachers, Would you please help me correct this sentence? He has an appropriate knowledge and way of thinking that help s him have a sensible conversation. These are my views: vocabulary : a) is "appropriate" wrong here and should be replaced by "sufficiant" ? b) is "way of thinking" wrong here and should be replaced by "common sense" ? c) what verbs can be used with "conversation" : to have, lead, conduct, something else ? grammar : a) is it possible to use the article before "appropriate knowledge" even though "knowledge" is uncountable ? b) should the verb "help" be in the singular or plural ? Are there other mistakes ? Regards

Re: correct English 04/08

hela — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:02:14 GMT

Mister Micawber please, what do you think of these: 1b) No one was allowed / authorised to leave / quit the boat during the whole time it / she remained / stayed / was at the port . (is "harbour" better than "port" ? is there any difference ?) 3) During the last months of his rule the P resident (?) was not that popular any more. 9) We don't have to buy the books we use / are using ? (both?) 10) Were they less rich, they would have been ruined . (mixed conditional ? correct ?) Best regards

correct English 04/08

hela — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:42:11 GMT

Dear teachers, Would you please tell me if these phrases / sentences are correct? 1) The passengers were on board during all the time that the boat remained / was lying in the harbour / at anchor . 2) They had still to wait (for) almost / nearly 20 years to become independent. 3) During the end of his term / mandate the president was not really popular any more / no more very popular. (could "really" and "very" mean the same thing here ?) 4) He was in London during his study / studies (?) of law. 5) He was thrown out of / thrown off the train. 6) She wants to go to / enter university. 7) railwaymen / railway workers / railway employees / railmen ? 8) He trembled with cold all night long /...

Re: translation into English

hela — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:49:11 GMT

Hello, Feebs Thank you for your reply. You haven't mentioned sentences # 1, 2, 5, 6 and 8: does it mean that my answers are correct? Now, would you please tell me what the English means exactly here: I hated the drivers for pretending they didn’t see me, especially the ones in big cars with three empty seats. Does it mean that : a) I hate all drivers because they always pretend not to see hitchhikers (?) b) I hate only the drivers who pretend not to see hitchhikers (?) Many thanks, Hela

translation into English

hela — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:12:20 GMT

Dear teachers, Would you please have a look at my translations? 1. C'est une fille très intelligente qui passe son temps à lire et à apprendre , / ; (?) elle a de très bon résultats scolaires. She is a very intelligent girl who spends her time reading and learning , / ; (?) she has very good academic results. 2. Maggie est la petite dernière de la famille Simpson. Elle est encore un bébé et n'arrive pas à faire plus de trois pas debout sans tomber. Maggie passe son temps à sucer sa tétine, à regarder la télévision qu'elle adore ou à jouer avec les animaux. Maggie is the latest addition to the Simpson family. She is still a baby and is unable to walk more than three steps without falling. Maggie spends her time...

I take me a bird bath

hela — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:21:02 GMT

Dear members, Would you please tell me if the underlined phrase is correct? If yes, is it some sort of slang? What does it mean? The text is by a prisoner. "Well...after I’ve finished my calisthenics and the hot water has arrived, I take me a bird (jailbird) bath in the little sink." Thank you in advance

capitalization of adjectives

hela — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:11:46 GMT

Good morning everyone, Would you please tell me if these adjectives should be capitalized ? V enitian blinds, D anish pastry, (would you have more examples, please?) All the best, Hela

Re: At the doctor's

hela — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 07:12:41 GMT

Thank yo very much to both of you. Are there expressions that are rather British or American, or is there no difference whatsoever between all the sentences you have both suggested? e.g. (1) "What seems to be the matter" = is it more a British expression than American ? (2) "I don't have time (OR) I have no time for that" = Br / "I don't have the time for that" = Am ? (3) Could there be other differences ? Best regards, Hela

At the doctor's

hela — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 11:46:18 GMT

Dear teachers, Here’s a text I tried to translate. I have proposed many translations for several French sentences; would you please tell me which ones fit best? And I would be grateful if you could tell me if the words between parentheses should be added to the translation. I thank you very much for your patience. TEXT: “ Bonjour, jeune homme. Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas? - Eh bien ! docteur, je me sens fatigué depuis une quinzaine de jours et je ne dors pas très bien. - Qu’est-ce que vous faites, monsieur ? Vous êtes étudiant ? - Oui, docteur, et je suis en pleine préparation d’examen. - Ah ! un peu de surmenage sans doute. Otez votre chemise, je vais vous ausculter. Respirez fort... Vous avez quel âge ? - Je vais avoir 19 ans. -...

Re: several grammar questions (2)

hela — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 06:50:25 GMT

Thank you, Hoa Thai for the list. It's really helpful. Dear teachers, here are other questions, if you wouldn't mind. So it's correct to say : 2a) The weather conditions have improved during the last few days / these days . (but perhaps not during these last days , right?) 2b) There has been a real fall in that town's population over/during the last decade. now what about " the town's population has known a real drop over/during the last decade " or is it poor English? Have you got a better alternative, please? 6) Would you please tell me which alternative is preferred? a) Why not spend the weekend in the country? b) What / How about spending ... c) What if we spent... d) Why shouldn't / wouldn't we spend...

several grammar questions (2)

hela — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:26:22 GMT

Dear teachers, 1) How would you qualify this time of genitive , please? Which "title" would you give it? Is it some sort of " human activities "? but I don't really like this. love 's spirit, science 's influence, my life 's aim, duty 's call . 2) Which tenses would you use in the following sentences and why? a) Weather conditions have improved / improved (?) during the the last few days. - Is it possible to say " the weather conditions" or is it definitely wrong? - can we say " during the last days " = without "few"? b) There has been / was (?) a real fall (?) in that town's population over / during (?) the last decade. c )

Re: translation of "moral d'acier"

hela — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:03:52 GMT

Thank you Feebs

translation of "moral d'acier"

hela — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:15:19 GMT

Dear teachers, Would you please tell me if the French expression "avoir un moral d'acier" has a more formal translation than "to be made of stern stuff"? Is the French expression informal too? All the best, Hela

Re: only child

hela — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 06:14:32 GMT

Thank you all!

weave

hela — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:48:04 GMT

Good morning, Is it correct to say "to weave a strategy"? Best regards

Re: only child

hela — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:46:48 GMT

Is there another term for that?

Re: self-appriciation

hela — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:44:28 GMT

Since I couldn't find the definition of the 3 expressions above in the dictionary, would you please tell me what they mean exactly? Many thanks, Hela

self-appriciation

hela — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 11:11:02 GMT

Hello everyone, I'd like to know if the words "self-appreciation" and "self-love" exist. And can we "prove oneself to other people" ? Thank you in advance for your help. Hela

only child

hela — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 11:06:49 GMT

Good morning, Is there another adjective we can use instead of "only" when talking about "an only child" ? What's the plural form, "only children" (= one per family) ? All the best, Hela

"bite off your tongue"

hela — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:46:42 GMT

Good morning everyone, Would you please tell me what you understand from the underlined part ? Is it idiomatic English? To lose an argument is a brief disappointment, much like losing a game of tennis; but to be crushed in a quarrel... rather bite off your tongue and spread it at your opponent's feet . Is it correct to say that a family has a "deteriorated relationship"? Many thanks, Hela

on line dictionary of collocations

hela — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:08:58 GMT

Dear members, Does anyone know if there are some on line dictionaries of English collocations? Do we say "to be in bad terms" or "to be on bad terms" Many thanks, Hela

Re: grammar exercise

hela — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 15:06:29 GMT

Dear teachers, In the exercise above there was something missing that could have helped us find the right tenses at the end of the passage. Here it is, and what do you think of my choices, please? ON the morning I arrived I went to call ON Hislop. He (modal + not + pretend) COULD NOT PRETEND he (not know) DID NOT KNOW me, but he behaved as though he knew nothing about what I (do) HAD DONE. When I asked for permission to stay, he said it was OUT OF his hands. He said the merchants (not want) DID NOT me (land) TO LAND. They had made a petition to him. They said that FOR six months they had been cut off from trade with the Main because of me, and they (ruin) WERE RUINED for nothing at all. The petition (debate) HAD BEEN DEBATED that...

Re: pronunciation of "Levi"

hela — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:41:38 GMT

Now what about the pronunciation of the name of the creator? Should it be pronounced /li:vai/ or /li:vi/ Strauss?

pronunciation of "Levi"

hela — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 21:09:32 GMT

Dear members, Would you please tell me how I should pronounce the proper name "Levy / Levi" Strauss ? Is it /li:vi/ or /li:vai/ ? The brand "Levi's" is pronounced /li:vais/, is it not? Thank you for your help Hela

grammar exercise

hela — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:31:57 GMT

Dear teachers, Would you please correct this exercise for me? Fill in with the right preposition (simple or multiword) and put the verbs in the right tense or form: In the morning I arrived I went to call for Hislop. He (modal + not + pretend) could not pretend he (not know) did not know me, but he behaved as though he knew nothing about what I (do) would do . When I asked for permission to stay, he said it was out of his hands. He said the merchants (not want) would not want me (land) to land . They had made a petition to him. They said that for six months they had been cut off from trade with the Main because of me, and they (ruin) were ruined for nothing at all. The petition (debate) was debated that very morning in...

Re: Jean Libman Block

hela — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 07:06:06 GMT

Thank you, Barbara

Re: translation of sentences 8/11 (2)

hela — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:46:21 GMT

Hello everyone, Marius is right, it should be "as-tu faiT", sorry. It's true that there any many "myselves" in #11, so how can all this be corrected, please? As for "burglarize" is it not an American version of the verb "burgle" in British English? See you, Hela

Re: translation of sentences French-English 8/11 (1)

hela — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:34:11 GMT

Thank you for your help and comments, Rotter and Barbara For #4, what do you think of : Constables are not supposed / expected to carry firearms

translation of sentences 8/11 (2)

hela — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:57:10 GMT

Dear teachers, Here are some more translations if you wouldn't mind. 11)La police m'a forcé à attendre pendant deux heures dans la fourgonnette, alors que je n'avais strictement rien à me reprocher. J'ai eu beau essayer de m'expliquer, je ne suis pas parvenu à me faire comprendre. The police made me wait in the van for two hours whereas I had strictly nothing to reproach myself with. However much I tried to justify myself, I could not make myself understood. 12) La police l'a forcé à s'arrêter pour lui faire subir un alcooltest. The police made him stop in order to breathalyse him. 13) Mes voisins se sont fait cambrioler alors qu'ils étaient partis en week-end. Je leur avais dit de faire installer une alarme, mais ils...

translation of sentences French-English 8/11 (1)

hela — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:17:09 GMT

Dear teachers, Would you please tell me what's wrong with my translation? 1) Les femmes britanniques ont obtenu le droit de vote en 1928. Quant aux femmes françaises, il leur a fallu attendre encore presque vingt ans pour jouir de ce privilège, jusque-là réservé aux hommes. (The ?) British women got the right to vote in 1928. As for (the ?) French women they had to wait nearly twenty years to enjoy this privilege, until then reserved for men. 2) Beaucoup de gens vivent dans un environnement déprimant. Many people live in a depressing environment . 3) Soixante personnes ont été blessés dans les émeutes de Moss Side à Manchester. Sixty people were wounded in the Moss Side riots in Manchester . 4) Normalement,...

Jean Libman Block

hela — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:45:56 GMT

Dear teachers, Would you please tell me who is Jean Libman Block? I couldn't find her biography on the net. Is she an American journalist or biographer? Is this how you pronounce her name ? / ʤi:n libmən blɔk / See you soon, Hela

Re: translation French-English: education

hela — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:13:36 GMT

Hello Marcus, Professeur des écoles in France are teachers in primary school. See you

translation French-English: education

hela — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:29:09 GMT

Dear teachers, Would you please have a look at my translation? It's full of cultural references and I wonder how this can be transfered into the British or American system. There's also a problem of tense. Sans être épargnés, les professeurs des écoles dont le statut a été revalorisé au début des années quatre-vingt-dix, échappent au pire. Les enseignants du secondaire et du supérieur accusent une érosion plus nette de leur pouvoir d’achat : - 20,6 % pour les agrégés, - 16 % pour les maîtres de conférences, - 20,6 % pour les professeurs d’université. Et - 20 % pour les enseignants certifiés en fin de carrière, dont Jean-François Copé assurait, il y a peu, qu’ils touchaient des mille et des cents. Without being spared,...

Re: translation French-English

hela — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 06:31:23 GMT

Don't be sorry, Jim. We all make mistakes, especially ME!

Re: translation French-English

hela — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:14:27 GMT

Hello Jim, you're right that was a typo " d es" and not " m es". But you should not put an "s" to "mille" it's uncountable = invariable => "des mill e et des cent s ". Kindest regards, Hela

Re: meaning of "produced"

hela — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:05:25 GMT

Thanks to all of you

translation French-English

hela — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:28:12 GMT

Dear teachers, How would you translate the following? a) " Gagner mes mille et des cents " (= to earn a great deal of money ) Is there a similar idiomatic expression in English ? b) Ils me regardèrent de travers comme si j’étais un criminel. = They gave me a strange look / looked askance at me as if I were a criminal . (?) Thank you for your help. Hela

Re: pronunciation of proper names

hela — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:40:00 GMT

unfortunately I can't read the symbols

Re: meaning of "produced"

hela — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:36:17 GMT

Here is what follows: No less than eleven of his plays were produced during the next ten years . These include the great tragedies Othello, Macbeth and King Lear. His last work was The Tempest, but he may have shared in the writing of the historical play King Henry VIII.