Search found 509 matches

by jotham
Thu May 04, 2017 5:17 pm
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: spanish question
Replies: 2
Views: 7995

This is a great question. I'm not a native speaker (I have a concentration in Spanish so I know very formal Spanish), but I did a quick corpus search using http://www.corpusdelespanol.org/web-dial/. I looked for "gracias por su atención", and I actually didn't find any instances of the informal se...
by jotham
Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:48 pm
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: spanish question
Replies: 2
Views: 7995

spanish question

A poster who is familiar with Mexican and Venezuelan Spanish wanted to advertise for personal tutoring in spoken Spanish and in his ad he says, "Gracias por su atención, ¡espero conocer te pronto!" Another poster from Spain criticized him for using inconsistent pronouns, "su" and "te," which is te...
by jotham
Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:10 am
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: We had a great time discussing this issue
Replies: 7
Views: 18167

Spertula, did you find this in any references you could quote me?
Or does anyone agree or disagree with me or Spertula?
by jotham
Sun Oct 30, 2011 10:08 am
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: We had a great time discussing this issue
Replies: 7
Views: 18167

Re: Abbreviations versus full-text

Failing to distinguish between abbreviations and full-text leads to confusion. The full text in this case is "We had a great time in discussing this issue." So, "discussing" is a gerund, and yes, "in discussing this issue" is an adverbial phrase telling HOW it is that we had a great time. Welcome t...
by jotham
Sun Oct 23, 2011 12:28 pm
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: We had a great time discussing this issue
Replies: 7
Views: 18167

I found this, which might explain my dilemma. "Although we have traditionally thought of the participle as an adjectival (and that is certainly its more common role), some participles and participial phrases clearly have an adverbial function, providing information of time, place, reason, and manner...
by jotham
Sun Oct 23, 2011 11:24 am
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: We had a great time discussing this issue
Replies: 7
Views: 18167

It seems to be "While discussing this issue, we had a great time." Although on second thought, the meaning to me is slightly different, as is often the case! Yeah, it seems a bit of a different nuance from what I assume is the intended emphasis of the speaker. The student wants to say that they had...
by jotham
Thu Oct 20, 2011 2:23 pm
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: We had a great time discussing this issue
Replies: 7
Views: 18167

We had a great time discussing this issue

A student was trying to say "We had a great time to discuss this issue," and I corrected him ( discussing this issue, not to discuss this issue), but upon being asked the reason and grammatical structure behind it, I was at a loss for words. Later that night, I realized this was a participial phrase...
by jotham
Sun Jun 12, 2011 11:38 am
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: Word for "fear of using up my last pen"
Replies: 2
Views: 4857

Re: Word for "fear of using up my last pen"

Sally Olsen wrote:My friend is writing a story about the Last Pen and needs a word for the phobia of not having any more pens which are his only method of communications. Any ideas?
Penultimataphobia?
by jotham
Sat Jun 11, 2011 2:01 pm
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: pronunciation of "legacy"
Replies: 10
Views: 21968

My mom said they pronounce it like everyone else, so I've decided that I'm just wrong. I read the word many more times than I'd ever heard it enough times to guide my pronunciation. Well, time to practice it now. See how many sentences I can make a day using the word. Not something you use every day...
by jotham
Fri Jun 10, 2011 1:47 pm
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: pronunciation of "legacy"
Replies: 10
Views: 21968

I'll assume short e to sound like the vowel in t e n and long e like the vowel sound in t ee n . You should check if the change short e to long e and/or short e to short i is systematical in your speech and/or speech community. It seems something that goes on in your speech community as I can tell....
by jotham
Fri Jun 10, 2011 1:41 pm
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: pronunciation of "legacy"
Replies: 10
Views: 21968

Like I say, it would help if you indicated what this 'long e' of yours/your pronunciation of 'legacy' sounds like, Jotham (refer to the Longman link I provided earlier if need be - it has guide words e.g. /3:/ as in b i rd). I've assumed it's /3:/ (closer to the /e/ of the standard pronunciation of...
by jotham
Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:27 am
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: pronunciation of "legacy"
Replies: 10
Views: 21968

As 'a long e ' isn't in the phonemic inventory of symbols given in e.g. the Longman's pronunciation scheme, I honestly thought you were referring in a rough n ready non-technical way to the final phoneme in the word 'legacy'. (Using IPA wherever possible is always best/unambiguous!). But as it's no...
by jotham
Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:54 am
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: pronunciation of "legacy"
Replies: 10
Views: 21968

Perhaps you're not getting the stress quite on the first syllable? Anyway, FWIW, I pronounce it as ending in /i/ ('happ y ') rather than /i:/ ('sh ee p'), as per the Longman's guide to the IPA, and the pronunciation given in the OALD (the LDOCE online doesn't appear to display the IPA in its actual...
by jotham
Wed Jun 08, 2011 4:07 pm
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: pronunciation of "legacy"
Replies: 10
Views: 21968

pronunciation of "legacy"

I was caught in error today, and when that happens, I want to know why. All dictionaries pronounce legacy with a short e . But I've grown up for some reason pronouncing it with a long e . I wonder if this is my Kansas accent or if I just picked this up from reading the word wrongly rather than liste...
by jotham
Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:54 pm
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: (?) I use to do it
Replies: 37
Views: 69087

Those are pretty fair judgment I would expect from a descriptivist. ..... I thought it very descriptivist to praise Burchfield for having carried Fowler's torch. On the contrary, Fowler's name should have been deleted from those later editions, as they turned decidedly descriptivist. Americans who ...