For all who would like to improve their English

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SGTdude
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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by SGTdude » Sun Feb 16, 2014 6:39 am

Its cool. I mean I wanted to help and you can clearly help better.

I dont mind at all.


PS - with all your free time, I have something in the works that might literally make you squee. Its gonna be pretty great.
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thinkslogically
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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by thinkslogically » Sun Feb 16, 2014 6:53 am

Yeah? cool :)

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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by WearsHats » Sun Feb 16, 2014 7:52 am

I've meant to take part in this thread, too, but stayed away due to battles between pedantry and fatigue. Really, I'd be as liable to start correcting things like this:
SGTdude wrote:This is too long. Even for conversation. Everyone has there own speaking style, but I would have said "but its not like he is Rambo or anything. I mean he isnt immortal or indestructible since he dies right when you first meet him. So thats basically the book, what do you think?"
(You used "there" instead of "their," left out three apostrophes and a comma, and committed a comma splice.)

I'm not sure whether that would be helpful or annoying. The point is to provide examples of proper English (which should be capitalized, since it's a proper name), but you signed up to help, not to have your own words picked apart.

Should I also point out that "cause" is its own word, not to be confused with "because"? The latter is derived from the former and is sometimes shortened in speech to 'cause or even (in slang) cuz (which should not be confused with coz, which is short for cousin). So it might be okay, depending on context, to use "cause" instead of "because" but technically it should have the apostrophe in front of it as an indication that you've shortened the word.

The ice cube melted quickly because the room was very hot. The heat of the room was the cause of the ice cube's rapid melting. The heat caused the ice to melt.

"To cause" is a verb. "The cause" is a noun. "Because" is a conjunction.

Am I helping or being annoying?
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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by SGTdude » Sun Feb 16, 2014 10:28 am

Ok. I quit. Its official. :frustrated:
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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by DrinksTooMuchCoffee » Sun Feb 16, 2014 10:31 am

"It's".

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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by WearsHats » Sun Feb 16, 2014 10:47 am

SGTdude wrote:Ok. I quit. Its official. :frustrated:
See, that's exactly what I wanted to avoid. You've done more good in this thread than any of us. You're not perfect, but none of us is.
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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by SGTdude » Sun Feb 16, 2014 10:59 am

eye jist wunt too helps hem lurn betr englush. whoanybody cans heps hem teh bestest shoudest heps.

ps - My ability to write horrendously far outweighs anyones ability to be a grammar nazi, i promise. >:-D
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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by LAYF » Sun Feb 16, 2014 11:07 am

Is there any bad indications when I say I had no problems what so ever reading that? :paranoia:
-Best regards LAYF

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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by WearsHats » Sun Feb 16, 2014 11:13 am

The one who can help the most is the one who has the time, will, and patience to actually participate. Which has pretty much been you for this whole thread. Then again, this isn't exactly Highlander. No one ever said "There can be only one!"

(And yes, I understood it just fine, too. And no, I won't correct LAYF's grammar. I've done enough damage for now.)
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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by SGTdude » Sun Feb 16, 2014 11:26 am

im not quitting. I was just making a joke.


Should the OP pop back in though, I will step back a bit and let you guys help some more as your language skills clearly outdistance my own.
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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by thinkslogically » Sun Feb 16, 2014 11:36 am

Nah, don't do that. I second Wears completely on what he said. Besides, there's a big difference between written and spoken English, and just because a couple of us happen to be secret grammar nazis doesn't mean you aren't still the most helpful guy in this thread :) You're a native speaker of the language, end of story, and your advice is just as valid as anyone else's. It's just two sides of the same coin really :)

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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by DrinksTooMuchCoffee » Sun Feb 16, 2014 12:28 pm

Subject: I/you/he/she/it/we/who
Object: me/you/him/her/it/us/whom
Possessive article: my/your/his/her/its/our/whose

That is all (not really ;)). That's the stuff that native speakers don't get right: when to use "whom" instead of "who", when to use "and me" instead of "and I"[1], using the objective after "to/from", etc.. Basically, you can use the first person to identify the correct row of those above, and then pick the word you need from that row.

[1] It used to be many people in the U.S. would incorrectly use "and me" when it should have been "and I". But after a period of being publicly corrected on that, now people seem to think it should always be "and I", and are using that when "and me" would be correct. That they've been over-corrected into incorrect grammar, instead of just natural misuse, pushes that to my #1 grammar peeve. :)

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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by LAYF » Sun Feb 16, 2014 12:36 pm

WearsHats wrote:-SNIP- And no, I won't correct LAYF's grammar. I've done enough damage for now. -SNIP-
oh please feel free to do, I try to learn when people correct me, as long as it is not done in that annoying way that seems to be popular on the interwebs...
if you do in games or other it's also cool, just please keep it in spoilers marked @LAYF.
I know you only do it to help, and in fact I appreciate it :)
-Best regards LAYF

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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by Zathyr » Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:30 pm

Well in that case, @LAYF, there's a word I see you consistently misspell. I've corrected you one or twice and tried to illustrate the difference between what you're saying and what you probably mean, but I still see it and it drives me crazier than it should.

Never - not ever; on no occasion; not at all
Newer - more new

:)
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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by LAYF » Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:47 pm

Hehe. thanks :) I've actually finally started to note that word a few days ago, thinking back on I think you correcting me :) I hope that I will not make the mistake again, newer again ;)

*sorry, there was no way around it :P
-Best regards LAYF

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Re: For all who would like to improve their English

Post by WastesTime » Sun Feb 23, 2014 11:39 am

Wow, you guys are just awesome! I've never imagined this thread being so... lively? Is that the correct word to use here? ;) Anyway, I'm looking forward to more tasks!

@thinkslogically One more reason to go to Scotland (aside from it being a beautiful country full of fantastic places to see) is people like you! Thanks for that post!
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