http://www.englishforums.com/search/pro.htm?q=user%3aJohn%3fC%3f&o=DateDescendingSearch results for 'user:John?C?'en-USXMOD (Build: 3615.29165)http://www.englishforums.com/English/GrammaticalMistakes/vchq/post.htm#20367Mon, 26 Jan 2004 01:18:26 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:20367john c.The plural is fine. For a group of individuals you can either use the singular if you want to emphasise the group (single entity), or the plural if you want to refer to all of the people (multiple entities) that make up the group. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/MyFirstTime/vchl/post.htm#20366Mon, 26 Jan 2004 01:15:37 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:20366john c.Welcome, Annushka You can post any questions about English that you may have. Volunteers will then answer them if and when they can. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/CanSomebodyCorrect/vccv/post.htm#20297Sun, 25 Jan 2004 09:31:18 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:20297john c.The a with an accent symbol above it is not in use in English. Fractions are usually written out (e.g. "a fifth", "a quarter") when the context is not mathematical. It's hard to tell what are headings and what is "body" text. You need some spaces between sections and underline or bold for headings and sub-headings.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Phrase/vcdc/post.htm#20296Sun, 25 Jan 2004 09:27:18 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:20296john c.It means to be very happy. As it happens, I just read the (possible) explanation for this expression the other day in Bill Bryson's book A Short History of Nearly Everything . It seems that an 1896 edition of a meteorology book called International Cloud Atlas divided cloulds up into ten main types, of which the plumpest and most cushiony-looking was number nine, cumulonimbus. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/MeaningOfWalkYourTalk/vcdj/post.htm#20295Sun, 25 Jan 2004 09:18:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:20295john c.Your interpretation of the meaning is correct. The full idomatic expression is "If you talk the talk, you've got to walk the walk", but this is often shortened in the manner shown in your example. If you search Google for "walk the walk" you'll find plenty of examples. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceBetweenLeaseRent/bbmh/post.htm#19964Thu, 22 Jan 2004 02:52:13 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19964john c.Oh no! Guest is right. Lease is a fixed term at a fixed price. Rent is until cancelled by either party. They are most definitely not synonyms.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Comments/vbrv/post.htm#19963Thu, 22 Jan 2004 02:49:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19963john c.Your question is not clear. What do you wish to know?http://www.englishforums.com/English/Chance/vrxl/post.htm#19907Wed, 21 Jan 2004 10:21:49 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19907john c.Both are incorrect. There's no such word as "sth".http://www.englishforums.com/English/NeededMoney/vrgg/post.htm#19762Tue, 20 Jan 2004 09:37:29 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19762john c."needed money" is fine. Often "much-needed" is used for emphasis. Needful is not in common use nowadays. John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WatchOutLookOut/vrvg/post.htm#19748Tue, 20 Jan 2004 01:33:15 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19748john c.Watch out would be better. It has the connotation of general awareness of a threat. Look out is more like physically keep your eyes open for some event. Having said that, they tend to be used interchangeably. It's subtle.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Vengeance/vrvw/post.htm#19747Tue, 20 Jan 2004 01:31:03 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19747john c.Same thing: "Revenge is a dish best served cold."http://www.englishforums.com/English/Weak/dqlp/post.htm#19589Sun, 18 Jan 2004 06:01:13 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19589john c.It should be "so weak" because weak is an adjective so it needs an adverb to modify it. You could however say: "He felt such weakness" in which case it would be adjective/noun. Some more examples to illustrate: "He felt so powerful" but "He felt such power" "He felt so miserable" but "he felt such misery" Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/JeffCorwinExperience/2/dpww/Post.htm#19588Sun, 18 Jan 2004 05:52:54 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19588john c.My feeling is that the experience being had is of Jeff Corwin by the viewer or listener, so no apostrophe applies. John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/FloorOrGround/dqlq/post.htm#19587Sun, 18 Jan 2004 05:40:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19587john c.I'm with hubby too, although only technically (using "ground" in that way wouldn't catch my attention normally). I think the "ground" floor is the floor thats resting on the (earth) ground! Mind you, it could be just the blokes sticking together. I admit I have trouble remembering to say ceiling instead of "roof". Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/UseOfLesser/dqhj/post.htm#19585Sun, 18 Jan 2004 05:32:05 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19585john c.A very thought-provoking question. I'll offer a considered opinion, but not very forcefully. My feeling is that "X and Y" is correct. My reasoning is as follows: You can say "the lesser of the two"; "the two" refers to a group (i.e. a single collective entity), so "the lesser of X and Y" is like saying "the lesser of the items in the group containing X and Y." Just a thought. John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/PleaseHelpJetlagged/dqmz/post.htm#19576Sat, 17 Jan 2004 22:58:02 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19576john c.Number 1 is okay for informal usage. Formal would require that it be "Despite my explicitly mentioning to you ...". Number 2 is fine. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Looser/dqmg/post.htm#19575Sat, 17 Jan 2004 22:57:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19575john c.Take care to distinguish between "loose" and "lose" Loose means not tight (e.g. She wears loose, comfortable clothes) Lose means to be defeated; to not win. So someone who never wins is "a loser". Very close in meaning to a failure. Of course, neither is polite. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/AircraftAircrafts/dpjx/post.htm#19532Sat, 17 Jan 2004 09:11:10 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19532john c.No. Aircrafts with an 's' is wrong.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DefiniteArticle/dpkp/post.htm#19531Sat, 17 Jan 2004 09:06:33 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19531john c.It's impossible to answer a question that broad. You need to give specific instances that you're having trouble with.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Massachusetts/dpmc/post.htm#19530Sat, 17 Jan 2004 09:04:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19530john c.Since no Americans seem to be available, I'll do my best. The spelling is: Massachusetts. The pronunciation is something like: Mass-a-CHEW-sis Any residents of the state please feel free to correct me on this.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WouldIsVeryVeryHard/dppm/post.htm#19529Sat, 17 Jan 2004 09:00:27 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19529john c.You're right that "would" is complicated. Your examples of polite usage are correct. Sadly there are no easy rules, so your question is too general to be answered in a forum like this. You need a good textbook. I will tell you one thing: "Would" is the past tense form of "will". But as you already know, that's not its only use. John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/VoidOrVoided/dqbq/post.htm#19528Sat, 17 Jan 2004 08:53:48 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19528john c.I agree that "will be void" is the adjective and "will be voided" is the verb. Either alternative is acceptable in my view.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ICorrect/dqhx/post.htm#19527Sat, 17 Jan 2004 08:46:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19527john c.If it's an excerpt from a book then it's probably deliberately imitating regional speech patterns. It's okay as an example of everyday colloquial usage. The meaning is clearly: "Oh! I wish Dixieland were still like Heaven, when her schools were ..."http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsQuestions/dqgk/post.htm#19494Fri, 16 Jan 2004 23:32:35 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19494john c.All are wrong. Sentences must begin with capital letters and end with full stops (periods). Any variant of "I" must be capitalised. "I've" has an apostrophe. These are absolute, basic, bedrock rules that you must satisfy before moving on to more complex questions. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/IsThisTheRightWay/dpmd/post.htm#19308Thu, 15 Jan 2004 11:10:27 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19308john c.Yes, you are right and they are wrong.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Wish/dpmq/post.htm#19307Thu, 15 Jan 2004 11:06:57 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19307john c.Grammatically they're okay, but the use of "someone" would be odd unless there is a special context. Someone usually means "anyone", whereas trust is usually something expected from a particular person known to you. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/NounsBecomingAdjectives/dpwp/post.htm#19256Wed, 14 Jan 2004 21:36:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19256john c.There are all sorts of suffixes in English to denote "like" or "in the nature of" or "related to". e.g. cell cellular three tertiary metal metallic red reddish mood moody The "rule" as to which suffix goes with which word would probably depend on the origin of the word (Greek, Latin, French, Saxon), but English speakers just learn all the combinations by rote. Cheers Johnhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/IsItATransitiveVerb/dpbq/post.htm#19183Wed, 14 Jan 2004 06:24:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19183john c.It's frequently heard, but I personally find the term irritating and pretentious. It's business/marketing jargon.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Location/dxqb/post.htm#19067Tue, 13 Jan 2004 10:23:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19067john c.It should be What is your location. "Where" means "at what place", so a location can't be "at" a place - it is a place! Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Floccinauccinihilipilification/dxmd/post.htm#19011Mon, 12 Jan 2004 23:09:21 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:19011john c.It is in bigger dictionaries. This gives me an excuse to try out the macro function on my camera. Please click here to see the Shorter Oxford entry for this word. Cheers Johnhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/FramingIntroductionLetterMyself-Others/dxjv/post.htm#18961Mon, 12 Jan 2004 10:44:03 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:18961john c.Go ahead. You have our permission.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Help/dmmb/post.htm#18416Wed, 07 Jan 2004 05:54:13 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:18416john c.Sorry, no. "I am in the phone book." Existence refers to a state of being rather than a state of being referred to.http://www.englishforums.com/English/UseOfIsh/dmzm/post.htm#18415Wed, 07 Jan 2004 05:51:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:18415john c."45-ish"http://www.englishforums.com/English/DoingDo/dmjr/post.htm#18414Wed, 07 Jan 2004 05:49:19 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:18414john c.The first is correct. In the first, "what I think you are doing" is a noun phrase operating as the object of "doing" i.e. "Are you doing ?" "Thinking" in the second, could be a gerund if the sentence were taken to mean: "Are you doing the thing that I am thinking about?" But, in that case the verb would be "am" and there would be no role for the words "you are doing". Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/UsingOclock/dmkh/post.htm#18413Wed, 07 Jan 2004 05:31:12 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:18413john c.No, it's not idiomatic to say or write six-thirty o'clock. Six o'clock, six-thirty, seven o'clock, seven-thirty, etc. I'm not sure why this is, but that's how it's said. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Addresses/dlln/post.htm#18315Tue, 06 Jan 2004 10:18:27 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:18315john c.Hi Quillo In English-speaking countries there's no recognition of family status in addressing letters. Just (for instance): Joe Bloggs 123 Anywhere Street Smalltown New Zealand Of course, it depends on the country whether there will be states or districts or cantons or zip codes or other things to include in the address. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Help/dlmc/post.htm#18314Tue, 06 Jan 2004 10:10:54 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:18314john c.Yes, it's fine, but it would be an abbreviated way of saying, "Could you help me to jump-start my car?" (because you would have to be involved - i.e. steering while they push). Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DiscountOn/dlqr/post.htm#18309Tue, 06 Jan 2004 09:12:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:18309john c.All correct.http://www.englishforums.com/English/PleaseVersusMyself/dmdl/post.htm#18308Tue, 06 Jan 2004 09:09:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:18308john c."Myself" would be more natural in this instance. The speaker refers to himself as both the subject and the object, so it's reflexive. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/VerbSubcategoriation/dmzw/post.htm#18307Tue, 06 Jan 2004 09:02:35 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:18307john c.I'll give you a hint. There's a difference between doing and being. Verbs describe both. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Resent/dlzk/post.htm#18041Sun, 04 Jan 2004 04:51:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:18041john c.Good question. Resentment is a feeling of anger or bitterness toward someone or something that has offended you.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DirectIndirect/dlvl/post.htm#18038Sun, 04 Jan 2004 04:36:16 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:18038john c.Hi Dima Direct: "I'm cold," she said. Indirect: She said she was cold. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Apostrophe/dgkz/post.htm#16830Tue, 23 Dec 2003 10:01:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:16830john c.Yes, all are fine. John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/IsThisRight/dgrw/post.htm#16483Sat, 20 Dec 2003 06:42:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:16483john c.Yes, that's fine. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Camouflage/ddxd/post.htm#15902Mon, 15 Dec 2003 09:43:30 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:15902john c.Not quite. You camouflage something or apply camouflage to something or use camouflage. e.g. The thief hid under a camouflaged blanket. or The thief resorted to camouflage to escape.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WishOrHope/ddqx/post.htm#15900Mon, 15 Dec 2003 09:39:02 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:15900john c.I wish you and your family a wonderful year.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Hand/ddxx/post.htm#15898Mon, 15 Dec 2003 09:37:16 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:15898john c.They are all idioms that recognise the dexterity of human beings. We can do so much with our hands that they enter the language as metaphors. To Hand = close enough to pick up. Out of Hand = not able to be controlled (i.e. handled) Off Hand = The sort of thing you might say with the flick of your wrist (i.e. a throwaway line!) In Hand = In your possession, or under control (the opposite of "out of hand") Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/CustomerServiceMayYouHold/ddpl/post.htm#15896Mon, 15 Dec 2003 09:33:06 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:15896john c.Don't type all in caps please. No, it's not likely to be correct. "May" when referring to another person means either permission ("You may go now.") or a wish expressed in the subjunctive mood ("May all your Christmases be white.") Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Grammar/ddqg/post.htm#15895Mon, 15 Dec 2003 09:30:21 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:15895john c.It's incorrect because the pronoun "this" has no antecedent. However, many people speak that way. Cheers John.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ProblemWithOneSentence/ddqv/post.htm#15894Mon, 15 Dec 2003 09:28:42 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:15894john c.... the highest apes are not able to speak. or ... no ape has been found that is able to speak. or ... even the highest apes cannot be taught to speak. Cheers John.