I don't know if this should be in the International section. If it should, I'm sure it'll be moved.

 

There are a lot of people on this board whose first language isn't English. Including me.

 

The idea of this thread is to ask and answer other people's questions about English and its proper use.

 

As much as this board has helped me with learning English (mostly because it's forcing me to use English every day), I am aware that people make mistakes too and are not always paying attention to what they write, so I don't want this thread to be somebody's only source of learning English. I want it to be helpful, and a place where people can find out new thins about English. You can't ask Google questions, can you? I can ask my English teacher everything I want to know, but I don't see her that often; this thread could help me to find out answers faster.

 

People whose first language is English can ask questions too (hey, nobody's perfect).

People whose first language isn't English can answer questions too.

 

You can also write something interesting you've found out, post words you've learned, and such.

 

 

Here's an example. A few weeks ago, in out English class, we were supposed to write a letter to someone (as a form of practice). I found out that it's correct to say "I haven't started taking up guitar lessons yet", rather than "I haven't started taking guitar lessons yet".

 

:nice:

Here's an example. A few weeks ago, in out English class, we were supposed to write a letter to someone (as a form of practice). I found out that it's correct to say "I haven't started taking up guitar lessons yet", rather than "I haven't started taking guitar lessons yet".

 

:nice:

 

Milica, you can say either. xD I would say "haven't taken up" or "haven't started taking" - the "correct" one sounds funny actually.

People on this have great english :)

I thought that you were fleunt in enlgish if i'm honest :D

 

 

If i had to come on here and speak in German,

Any one from germany wouldn't be able to understand me :laugh3:

 

Even if i had to speak in Irish D:

I can't do that...

which is pretty bad seeing as i've been doing it in school since i was 5.

Even though I'm English, I suck so much at it. :P

 

Good thread idea!

It's my first language. :nice:

I hope to be an English Teacher when I grow up. :P:escaping:

I'm told my writing is very impressive for a seventh grader... :blush:

It has been said that the English language is the hardest to learn. I think it is actually the same as learning any other language. It's going to be just as hard for a person who speaks English to learn German or French. Being myself who takes Latin, I find that Latin is truly the hardest language to learn. :dozey:

Ich finde Deutsch sehr schwer manchmal.

Ich mochte zu deutsch besser sprechen.

 

My english is not as bad as that. My english actually makes sense.

:laugh3:

My last english paper got a B .

It was a 5 page one on the poetry of Eavan Boland.

Here's an example. A few weeks ago, in out English class, we were supposed to write a letter to someone (as a form of practice). I found out that it's correct to say "I haven't started taking up guitar lessons yet", rather than "I haven't started taking guitar lessons yet".

 

:nice:

I would use the second one myself. The up is fine but unnecessary. It doesn't add anything to the sentence.

 

Heh... I even majored in English in university and I still can't spell. :tongue: But it made me annoyingly picky about grammar. :thinking:

 

I still can't get over how many people around here speak amazing English even though they're just learning it. I took French for years and years in school and still can't piece a sentence together to save my life.

It has been said that the English language is the hardest to learn. I think it is actually the same as learning any other language. It's going to be just as hard for a person who speaks English to learn German or French. Being myself who takes Latin, I find that Latin is truly the hardest language to learn. :dozey:

 

Is actually the easiest language. Is easier for a latinoamerican to learn english than an English to learn spanish.

 

 

Here's an example. A few weeks ago, in out English class, we were supposed to write a letter to someone (as a form of practice). I found out that it's correct to say "I haven't started taking up guitar lessons yet", rather than "I haven't started taking guitar lessons yet".

 

:nice:

 

"Up" would be fine without started.

As "taking up" is a one-off situation, you can't "start" to do it.

Therefore you should either say: "I haven't started guitar lessons yet" or "I haven't taken up guitar lessons yet".

 

Hope that helps.

 

:D

I still can't get over how many people around here speak amazing English even though they're just learning it. I took French for years and years in school and still can't piece a sentence together to save my life.

 

I think it's because they use it almost every day. I didn't do English for very long before I moved to the UK and I was still able to work there. I'd actually say my French was worse when I did A Levels even though I had to take it for about 8 years.

We should all get English tuition from Yossarian.

His is the best.

I presume most of you speak the language which if so, then I am so respectful of you lot. You obviously have a culture where you can be arsed to speak two languages, unlike in Britain!

It has been said that the English language is the hardest to learn. I think it is actually the same as learning any other language. It's going to be just as hard for a person who speaks English to learn German or French. Being myself who takes Latin, I find that Latin is truly the hardest language to learn. :dozey:

 

I think it's a very easy and logical language, it's way easier than french for example :dizzy:

Hooray for being a native English speaker! :nice:

 

Millie, this thread is an excellent idea. :) Even I don't speak perfect English. (I tend to forget the difference between "good" and "well," and I use them incorrectly a lot of the time. I blame this on my Texan heritage. :P)

Milica, you can say either. xD I would say "haven't taken up" or "haven't started taking" - the "correct" one sounds funny actually.

 

Ok.

 

People on this have great english :)

I thought that you were fleunt in enlgish if i'm honest :D

 

Thank you!

 

Even though I'm English, I suck so much at it. :P

 

Good thread idea!

 

Thanks!

 

It's my first language. :nice:

I hope to be an English Teacher when I grow up. :P:escaping:

I'm told my writing is very impressive for a seventh grader... :blush:

 

That's great :braces:

 

It has been said that the English language is the hardest to learn. I think it is actually the same as learning any other language. It's going to be just as hard for a person who speaks English to learn German or French. Being myself who takes Latin, I find that Latin is truly the hardest language to learn. :dozey:

 

In my opinion, the grammar rules aren't hard to follow, the problem is that there are so many exceptions! If I compare it to Serbian, Serbian is easier to read and spell, but the grammar is harder.

 

I would use the second one myself. The up is fine but unnecessary. It doesn't add anything to the sentence.

 

Heh... I even majored in English in university and I still can't spell. :tongue: But it made me annoyingly picky about grammar. :thinking:

 

I still can't get over how many people around here speak amazing English even though they're just learning it. I took French for years and years in school and still can't piece a sentence together to save my life.

 

Ok, thank you.

You could be a great contributor to this thread. :nice:

 

"Up" would be fine without started.

As "taking up" is a one-off situation, you can't "start" to do it.

Therefore you should either say: "I haven't started guitar lessons yet" or "I haven't taken up guitar lessons yet".

 

Hope that helps.

 

:D

 

Thank you.

 

I presume most of you speak the language which if so, then I am so respectful of you lot. You obviously have a culture where you can be arsed to speak two languages, unlike in Britain!

 

I won't get anywhere if I don't know at least one foreign language. Especially because I would like to go to college outside of Serbia.

 

Hooray for being a native English speaker! :nice:

 

Millie, this thread is an excellent idea. :) Even I don't speak perfect English. (I tend to forget the difference between "good" and "well," and I use them incorrectly a lot of the time. I blame this on my Texan heritage. :P)

 

Thank you.

 

 

It's easier for people to learn English than any other language, I think, because it's used so much.

I've been learning English for 10 years, since I started kindergarten. That's 2 years in kindergarten, then 3 years of private lessons (which were, by the way, organised by partially the same people who were my kindergarten teachers), but I had to stop with private lessons when I was in fourth grade, sadly (and I was just about to learn what I learn now in school... that means I was 5 years ahead), and since fifth grade I have English in school.

 

I usually make mistakes related to Present Perfect. I know the rules and all, but there are situations when I simply am not sure which tense to use.

My reading, listening and writing skills are fine, and vocabulary is pretty wide for a foreigner, I think.

BUMP

 

Anybody willing to list all of the tenses? And possibly describe a bit each of them?

Mildly Tense: This occurs when neighbors drop by unexpectedly.

Moderately Tense: This occurs when neighbors drop by unexpectedly at 3AM.

Very Tense: This occurs when neighbors drop by unexpectedly at 3AM with some bad news to tell you.

Extremely Tense: This occurs when neighbors drop by unexpectedly at 3AM to tell you that your home's roof has just caught on fire!

 

:) (just kidding around!)

this is a super idea! :cheesy:

 

i'm often quite glad that English is my first language, 'cause it does seem like it would be hard to learn as a second language.

but i'm glad we don't use accents on letters. :wacky:

I find it strange when British people ask me how to spell things in English and I get this ALL THE TIME. I mean come on, it's your first language!

 

Oh and I'll try to explain you when you need to use which tense tomorrow. I'm a bit drunk right now so I probably wouldn''t make a lot of sense.

English can be confusing, even for us fluents :P

I will explain the tenses tomoorow if nobody explains first :nice:

I prefer Engrish. :cheesy:

BUMP

 

Anybody willing to list all of the tenses? And possibly describe a bit each of them?

 

 

There are only two Tenses in the world. Textbooks have said that there are 12 possible Tenses (fine) but look... for example the word 'bake'...

"bakes"-for present tense

"baked"-past tense

now how will you make the word 'bake' in the future tense? 'willbake'? 'willbakes'?

no. When you use a 'future tense', you have to use a phrase such as 'will', etc., it is included with a modal auxilliary. So you will notice that there's no single word used in a 'future tense'.

 

That's all that I could grasp at our lesson. Hope it helps. If something's missing then someone may add something in here.

Mildly Tense: This occurs when neighbors drop by unexpectedly.

Moderately Tense: This occurs when neighbors drop by unexpectedly at 3AM.

Very Tense: This occurs when neighbors drop by unexpectedly at 3AM with some bad news to tell you.

Extremely Tense: This occurs when neighbors drop by unexpectedly at 3AM to tell you that your home's roof has just caught on fire!

 

:) (just kidding around!)

 

:lol:

 

I find it strange when British people ask me how to spell things in English and I get this ALL THE TIME. I mean come on, it's your first language!

 

Oh and I'll try to explain you when you need to use which tense tomorrow. I'm a bit drunk right now so I probably wouldn''t make a lot of sense.

 

I will explain the tenses tomoorow if nobody explains first :nice:

 

Okay...

 

There are only two Tenses in the world. Textbooks have said that there are 12 possible Tenses (fine) but look... for example the word 'bake'...

"bakes"-for present tense

"baked"-past tense

now how will you make the word 'bake' in the future tense? 'willbake'? 'willbakes'?

no. When you use a 'future tense', you have to use a phrase such as 'will', etc., it is included with a modal auxilliary. So you will notice that there's no single word used in a 'future tense'.

 

That's all that I could grasp at our lesson. Hope it helps. If something's missing then someone may add something in here.

 

:thinking: ...um, no, that doesn't help, because that's not what I need.

 

 

I have to admit the question was a bit random, I just didn't want a thread that people called a 'good idea' to die.

I'm still waiting for an answer. I don't really want somebody to explain me the basics, I just want a list of tenses with short explanations.

I think I asked this because I wanted to know if there's a tense that I don't know :P