Problems with English? Questions? Vocabulary, grammar... Post here :)

Aquarius_Girl · 02-09-2011, 11:43 PM

Thanks Mr. Code.

Quote:

I would be following it once I get retired because then I won't have to catch up the deadlines of the office work

I am talking about the future here, so is won't appropriate here? or should it be would not?

lupusarcanus · 02-10-2011, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anisha Kaul

Thanks Mr. Code.

I am talking about the future here, so is won't appropriate here? or should it be would not?

Won't is just a contraction of would not, so it really doesn't matter.

MrCode · 02-10-2011, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Won't is just a contraction of would not

Correction: "won't" is a contraction of "will not", present tense.

"Wouldn't" is the contraction of "would not", which would go best in this particular sentence.

sycamorex · 02-10-2011, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrCode

Correction: "won't" is a contraction of "will not", present tense.

Correction: From a purely linguistic point of view English has only two tenses: present and past, but if anything, "will not" would indicate the *future tense* (or more correctly: the future aspect of a verb)

Aquarius_Girl · 02-10-2011, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sycamorex

but if anything, "will not" would indicate the *future tense* (or more correctly: the future aspect of a verb)

I also guessed the exact same thing, so that means won't is correct in this context?

Aquarius_Girl · 02-10-2011, 03:38 AM

The word Dude is used only for men? or girls are also referred as dude?

linuxlover.chaitanya · 02-10-2011, 04:57 AM

According to wiki

Quote:

A dude is an individual, typically male, particularly somebody well dressed or who has never lived outside a big city. The female equivalent, which is used less often, is "dudette" or "dudess". However, "dude" has evolved to become more unisex to encompass all genders,and this was true even in the 1950s.

Though this might be true but I havent heard anyone calling female a dude. But I can call Anisha a dude

Aquarius_Girl · 02-10-2011, 05:28 AM

Well, actually someone referred to me as 'dude' in the networking section and I reminded him of me being a girl

Perhaps I should attach my birth certificate to my signature now!

linuxlover.chaitanya · 02-10-2011, 05:32 AM

Ha ha ha.... But wiki says:

Quote:

However, "dude" has evolved to become more unisex to encompass all genders,and this was true even in the 1950s

.

linuxlover.chaitanya · 02-10-2011, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anisha Kaul

Well, actually someone referred to me as 'dude' in the networking section and I reminded him of me being a girl

Well I understand his stand. The number of females regular on LQ is very low compared to males, and that makes the default gender to M. But after your name capitalization, it has become more clear, at least for us (those from India)

sycamorex · 02-10-2011, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anisha Kaul

I also guessed the exact same thing, so that means won't is correct in this context?

It sounds good to me.

Quote:

I would be following it once I get retired because then I won't have to catch up the deadlines of the office work

What does not sound good TO ME (I might be wrong) is the first 'would'.
I'd say:

Quote:

I am going to follow it once I get.....

or

Quote:

I will follow it once I get...

In this context 'would' usually refers to some unreal situation in the present, as in:

Quote:

I would follow it if I had more time [but I don't have enough time]

Quote:

If I were rich, I would party every day.

or some improbable/unrealistic situation in the future:

Quote:

If I won this race, I would celebrate all week (said by the slowest runner)
If I win this race, I will celebrate all week (said by the fastest runner)

Aquarius_Girl · 02-10-2011, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sycamorex

What does not sound good TO ME (I might be wrong) is the first 'would'.

Thanks again, but when we say

Code:

He is her "would be".

"would be" together represents future, is that wrong?

Having this in mind I wrote there

Code:

I "would be" following this ...

silvyus_06 · 02-10-2011, 11:08 PM

i saw some user posts here in his sig common english mistakes..
i don't get it how can i correctly say how things would have(is it wrong??) gone if i did this instead that

sycamorex · 02-11-2011, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anisha Kaul

Code:

He is her "would be".

huh?

I'm not sure I understand it.

AFAIK, the use of 'would' to refer to the future is restricted to conditional / hypothetical sentences.

Quote:

I would be following it once I get retired

Here you're stating a fact.

Compare the following pair of sentences:

Quote:

If I lived to be 150, I would throw a massive party [My throwing a party is conditional on me living till 150, which is highly unlikely]
If I live to be 50, I will throw a massive party [ My throwing a party is conditional on me living till 50, which is quite probable - at least I hope so

)

In your sentence there's NO condition. You're merely stating a fact.
Talking hypothetically about my future, I could say:

Quote:

If I retired at the age of 90, it would be too late to start travelling.

At least that's my understanding of it. Feel free to correct any mistakes

sycamorex · 02-11-2011, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silvyus_06

i saw some user posts here in his sig common english mistakes..
i don't get it how can i correctly say how things would have(is it wrong??) gone if i did this instead that

I'm not sure I understand what you mean.

Some people write:

Quote:

could of
should of
would of

instead of

Quote:

could've
should've
would've

The confusion, I think, results from the fact that they are pronounced in a similar way.