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jotham
Joined: 05 Jul 2007
Posts: 77
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 Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 5:02 am Post subject: |
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[quote="JZer"]
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| JZer wrote: |
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I have lived in England since I was a child.
You may have lived...but he lived. You don't know where he is living now. |
True, I do not know where he lives now but if he does not live in England now that sentence is also incorrect. It should read:
I lived in England when I was a child. Since should be used with the present perfect tense.
I don't have a stick up my bum. I just think it is funny that shanewarne wrote that he or she speaks perfect English but made such an elementary mistake in his post. |
That isn't an elementary mistake. Only British think that. It's totally acceptable in American. We find the added baggage of complex verb tenses a bit pretentious sometimes. A sentiment compounded by the arrogance of those who would correct a lack of such as inferior. |
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ryanx
Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 11:53 am Post subject: |
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| That isn't an elementary mistake. Only British think that. It's totally acceptable in American. We find the added baggage of complex verb tenses a bit pretentious sometimes. A sentiment compounded by the arrogance of those who would correct a lack of such as inferior. |
Are you saying complex verb tenses are unnecessary or optional? How would we distinguish subtle differences in meanings?
Are you saying it is unnecessarily complicated (a valid argument)?
How would we express Present Perfect Tense? Aren't grammar concepts universal (language independent)?
Doesn't 'complexity' add to the richness of the language? Make it more powerful and sophisticated?
If something is totally acceptable in American [English], would that necessarily make it correct?
Please explain this sentence: "A sentiment compounded by the arrogance of those who would correct a lack of such as inferior".
Cheers |
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jotham
Joined: 05 Jul 2007
Posts: 77
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| Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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| ryanx wrote: |
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| That isn't an elementary mistake. Only British think that. It's totally acceptable in American. We find the added baggage of complex verb tenses a bit pretentious sometimes. A sentiment compounded by the arrogance of those who would correct a lack of such as inferior. |
Are you saying complex verb tenses are unnecessary or optional? How would we distinguish subtle differences in meanings? |
I'm saying that a failure to employ such doesn't mark the original poster as non-fluent in the language. I wouldn't have been able to tell that he was foreign unless he mentioned it. I might have surmised he was American as opposed to British, however.
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| Are you saying it is unnecessarily complicated (a valid argument)? |
I don't think I really care. Grammarians tell us that economy of words is best. Americans usually like to say things in the least words as possible. For example, we use the very efficient subjunctive case, whereas British prefer to employ more words in order to avoid it (because they find it quaint.)
American: I advise that you take this along.
British: I advise that you should take this along.
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| How would we express Present Perfect Tense? Aren't grammar concepts universal (language independent)? |
Yes grammar concepts are universal, but every language may express such differently. Some may use one word, whereas others employ two, for example. Or some languages will use present perfect in certain situations whereas others do not.
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| Doesn't 'complexity' add to the richness of the language? Make it more powerful and sophisticated? |
Um, I think it takes more smarts and ability to employ simple language to describe difficult concepts. The rare person who can do this is talented indeed. Anyone can use jargon and undecipherable phrases to make themselves sound smarter than they are.
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| If something is totally acceptable in American [English], would that necessarily make it correct? |
No, but if someone, like the poster, says something unacceptable in British English, does that necessarily make him incorrect?
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| Please explain this sentence: "A sentiment compounded by the arrogance of those who would correct a lack of such as inferior". |
In reference to the poster chiding another poster for not being British and elite, like himself.
If you're interested in language issues, I can recommend the Applied Linguistics discussion board. It requires separate registration, however.
http://forums.eslcafe.com/teacher/viewforum.php?f=3&sid=bf20413b7d8f8912997287773377c908 |
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citylightsruralcalm
Joined: 11 Dec 2008
Posts: 53
Location: The Ilha
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| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:16 am Post subject: |
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| Did you know that the past tense of chide used to be chode? |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:30 am Post subject: |
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| I'm saying that a failure to employ such doesn't mark the original poster as non-fluent in the language. I wouldn't have been able to tell that he was foreign unless he mentioned it. I might have surmised he was American as opposed to British, however. |
The funny thing is that the OP claims he was educated in England. Also I don't know Americans who don't use the present perfect tense. |
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shanewarne
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 146
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| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:02 am Post subject: |
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Oh how i love this forum!  |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:37 am Post subject: |
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| Oh how i love this forum! |
Anyways, if you decide to come I can give you some contacts. Also people post odd jobs on the bulletin board at Shida. |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:38 am Post subject: |
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| i do however speak perfect english, as i lived in england since childhood (i am now over 30). Will this cause any problems? thanks. |
Well all of this started because of your insistance on stating that you speak perfect English. Does anyone speak perfect English? |
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ryanx
Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:32 am Post subject: |
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| Does anyone speak perfect English? |
Yes, I does! |
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