Job Discussion Forums

[tanyakenapa]

found this on the net today...

You've gotta admit, its a pretty stupid language. I'd hate to be a foreigner trying to learn it. Heres 21 reasons why English is a pain in the a***.

1. The bandage was wound around the wound.
2. The farm was used to produce produce.
3. The dump was so full it had to refuse more refuse.
4. We must polish the Polish furniture.
5. He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7. Since there was no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10. I did not object to the object.
11. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12. There was a row among the oarsmen on how to row.
13. They were too close to the door to close it.
14. The buck does funny things when does are present.
15. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18. After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

[parrothead]

If I had a nickel for every time I said each of those sentences, I'd have...a nickel.
It was a fun list, so thanks for sharing, but English is by no means the only language to offer homonyms and homographs to riddle foreign language learners. I am frequently bewildered by Japanese ones. I can't speak for Bahasa Indonesian, but I'm guessing it has its fair share too. Context is key, eh?

[TEAM_PAPUA]

[malu]

The problems with English homophones pale into insignificance compared those facing learners of mandarin Chinese. The big difference is that we KNOW this is a problem in English so native speakers of English are very good at figuring out which of the homophones the speaker meant to use through context clues. The mainland Chinese don't seem to have that skill, and if you get the tones wrong and ask for two paintbrushes and a dead badger, the bartender will look at you blankly and insist that they don't serve either paintbrushes or dead badgers.

[guruengerish]

Well, here I go, being pedantic again.

I can't agree at all about item 9. Some talk about a dove.

Is the past tense of 'dive' really 'dove' in the USA? I know it makes some sort of sense as we say 'drive' and then 'drove', but I wonder if this is a new use of 'dive' or does it have a long history. It is not used outside the USA as far as I know.

I came across a 'new' one recently, where someone 'drug' a body out of a building. I was told by a friend at Harvard that this was common in the 16th century.

While I'm on my soap box, how about the use of 'then' and than' in the USA? I see that these two words are often used in place of each other. e.g. "I'd rather be at the beach then at home". Is this widespread or just a regional thang?

[parrothead]

[laughing_magpie06]

Never heard of the word 'dove' as a verb. I always thought 'dive' was a regular verb.

[guruengerish]

Oooops!

yes, you're correct.

I noticed the typo as I pushed the 'submit' button.

Ok, it should be dive and dived.

'I like to dive' and 'he dived'

But why do I think you already knew that

[pauleslteacher1]

He "dove" off the diving board and made a perfect dive...