Teacher Discussion Forums

Hi all,

Is there another word/phrase for "direct translation", i.e., direct translation from one's mother tongue which often results in a string of meaningless words? I'm sure there is, but it seems to have slipped my memory.

A huge shudder from me Juan!

Ago... a definite past

Sorry

Oh yes, I do like my mint tea and, by the way, it's a ten-minute cure for stomach upsets/cramps! I just brew a teaspoon of dried mint per cup - though I do prefer the taste without sugar.

OK, maybe a bad example but people use this in written form too! There are many dialects where, for example, the forms of the copula aren't used. Particularly in Black Vernacular English, the use of He nice, we coming, She a teacher is common. Or take the use of I never went to school today which is...

OK guys, if we take language from a sociolingiustic point of view ANYTHING is possible. I've heard "I wouldn't of gone" a thousand times. But, is it possible to say this? NO! Is it standard English? NO!

Spoken: Oughtn't we be going soon? Written: Oughtn't we to be going soon? If anything the first form is more formal. We have discussed this before. You didn't ought to do that. This is an emerging form. Currently it is non-standard. An emerging form? Where? Used by whom? I would certainly never use...

I'm told that the "here" is necessary/cannot be omitted in AmEng in the following question: Has the mailman been (here)? Is that true? ---------------- In BrEng, one would normally hear: Has the postman been? I would never say that sentence without the "here." I might say, "Has the mailman come yet...

Stephen Jones wrote:Is it at all appropriate to talk of the 'meanings' of a grammatical feature?

I should think it would be more appropriate to talk about the 'uses' or 'functions' of grammatical features as opposed to "meanings". Especially where modals are concerned!

Hi Before anybody gets into possible differences, it should be mentioned that " any longer " is always written as two words. " No one " is also written as two words (or possibly hyphenated). And now a question: Did you really mean to write anymore (one word, AmE usage) or did you possibly mean to w...

OK, so it seems that noone could explain the difference between "forget" and "forget about"! Well, can anyone tell me how they would explain the difference between the following pairs of sentences? I couldn't wait anylonger I couldn't have waited anylonger I couldn't eat anymore I couldn't have eate...

Does anybody know of any rule governing the use of "forget" with and without "about"?

For example:

I forgot about the meeting
I forgot about the party
I forgot his birthday
I forgot him in time

I'm sorry but I'll have to disagree that the APA is easier and more useful than the IPA. I studied both phonetic alphabets and found the IPA much easier to learn and not forget. Remembering a few basic ones can actually help you remember others you may forget, just by using a bit of common sense. I ...

I suppose this is where sociolinguistics comes in

By the end of next year, I will be working for him for 32 years is wrong. The future progressive [will be + ing] indicates an action in progress at a particular time in the future. for 32 years indicates the number of years completed (by a certain time). Therefore, we would say: By the end of next ...

I agree with Metamorfose. There are so many exceptions to the rule that, if ever in doubt, I'd rather check the phonetic transcription for the word in the dictionary. I also teach my students the phonetic alphabet at the beginning of a course and frequently write on the board the phonetic transcript...