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

Aquarius_Girl · 11-17-2010, 03:31 AM

Thanks Charles Dickens,

Now I know that I should always replace had he been with were he !
I had a notion that what I have written is sounding wrong somewhere.

brianL · 11-17-2010, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anishakaul

Quote:

Shakespeare would have faced tough competition had he been alive today

I very much doubt it.

catkin · 11-17-2010, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianL

I very much doubt it.

Not even in Oldham?

brianL · 11-17-2010, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catkin

Not even in Oldham?

Well, I haven't written any plays or poetry yet, but if I did...then...who knows?

Aquarius_Girl · 11-17-2010, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianL

I very much doubt it.

Actually I had written that as an over-statement to a pen-friend poet

brianL · 11-17-2010, 06:53 AM

There's no hyphen in overstatement.

catkin · 11-17-2010, 08:51 AM

This is intended to be constructive and I would not mention it if it were it not for your interest in perfecting these things Anisha ...

The "back" is not necessary in "Not replying back is considered rude !" and the space before the "!" is wrong.

Aquarius_Girl · 11-17-2010, 09:03 AM

That's so nice of you to point out that fault..Charles..Just now I found this: http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/replyback.html

catkin · 11-17-2010, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anishakaul

That's so nice of you to point out that fault..Charles..Just now I found this: http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/replyback.html

Happy you appreciated it

They've got "meet up" on that site too. Mmm ... but "catch up" is OK; it has two different meanings from plain "catch".

Aquarius_Girl · 11-17-2010, 09:16 AM

Now since we are talking about these things...I noticed this long back but couldn't understand why you wrote "a leg" with "corners". Corners is plural so why shouldn't it be legs ?

Quote:

Mostly upright with a leg on the bottom corners and an arm on the top corners

brianL · 11-17-2010, 09:40 AM

This would have been better:
Mostly upright with legs on the bottom corners and arms on the top corners
or:
Mostly upright with a leg on each bottom corner and an arm on each top corner

catkin · 11-17-2010, 10:27 AM

You 'ave me bang to rights guv'nor an no mistake!

Aquarius_Girl · 11-17-2010, 10:30 AM

That's Greek to me !

brianL · 11-17-2010, 10:36 AM

That's Cockney to me!

catkin · 11-17-2010, 10:38 AM

It's stereotypical working class East London language.

"'ave" is "have" with the not-so-easily pronounced h dropped.
"bang to" means exactly.
"rights" refers to legal or quasi-legal rights.
"guv'nor" is a form of "governor" and is used in the general sense of somebody with authority over the speaker.
"an'" is "and" with the not-so-easily pronounced d dropped.
"no mistake" means what it says -- implying that the speaker cannot wriggle out of the charge against them.