Learning English. I’ll need your help. (Language Learning Log) Language Learning Forum

Learning English. I’ll need your help.
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10 messages over 2 pages: 1 2

Fio
Newbie
Brazil
Joined 6083 days ago
9 posts - 9 votes
Speaks: Portuguese*
Studies: English, French

Message 9 of 10

03 December 2007 at 7:43am | IP Logged

owshawng wrote:

Have you tried watching US sitcoms? The characters tend to speak slower then in dramas/action shows.

I bought the Simpsons box of the 8º season and the box of the first season of Arrested Development (this is a TV show that I love very much). Later this week will arrive for me the box of the two seasons of Rome. Since these are shows that a really like, I think it'll be nice to watch them without subtitles and pay attention. If you have some recommendation, I'll be happy to read.

ryuukohito wrote:

Fio, if you use the article 'a' before a noun that begins with a vowel ('a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u'), the 'a' would almost always be changed to 'an'. I will provide you some examples: An apple, an egg, an imp, an oak tree, an umbrella.

There are exceptions, of course.

My bad, this is a basic error. But thanks for the exceptions list; I wasn't aware about these exceptions.
And in fact the way that you re-wrote the phrase sounds much more natural.

ryuukohito wrote:

Secondly, I urge you, Fio, please, pay attention to spelling. It is alright for me to encounter and correct grammatical errors, because I understand that you are in the midst of learning English, but it can be very frustrating to come across spelling errors (such as 'latelly' and 'insuportable') that could have easily been corrected beforehand by your person. Always check with a dictionary (or even Google) if you aren't sure as to how a word is spelt.

You're right. I have a pretty good dictionary here (Babylon, which I recommend for anyone learning a new language, it provides a quick translation for any word with just a click). Some words really confuse me, mainly these ones written with 'l'. I'm always wondering if it has one or two 'l'.

ryuukohito wrote:

According to (studies by?) the UN, only 10 percent of total waste produced by African countries are disposed of properly.

Also, many other problems have cropped up lately, arguably in tandem with the increase in population.

The major culprit, as deemed by African public authorities and environmentalists, are plastic bags. These plastic bags block waste-disposal mechanisms such as sewage systems. This has made certain areas uninhabitable, and even livestock have died as a result.As the problem is so widespread, some countries have decided that the only solution would be to ban plastic bags for good. But it is not that Nigeria relies too much on plastic bags; rather, it is that most drinks in the country are provided in plastic bags. So as to make the situation a little better, the government of Nigeria has declared a "Sanitation Day" that will take place on the final Saturday of every month; and on that day people would be supervised by the police to clean up their neighborhoods.

wrote:

According to (studies by?) the UN, only 10 percent of total waste produced by African countries are disposed of properly.

I have the impression that "is" would be the correct. Right?

But the whole text really reads better. Also, this makes emerge in me one big concern. Among these words that you have written, I just didn't know "tandem". So why couldn't I have written a better and more natural text as you did? Will this natural written style come normally by just reading or you suggest some other methods?
And thank you for your time, really thanks.

--

Here I have some questions about details that have been puzzling me lately.

I always listen to people talking in informal conversations "I've got a car", "I've got a son", "I've got something for you". If I am not mistaken, it is a synonym for "I have". Is it right? Is this covered by English grammar or it is an aspect only of the spoken English?

And "I'd rather"? I listended a couple of times something like "I'd rather die" in dramatic scenes in some movies, It also puzzles me. Is it a synonym for "I prefer"?

I also remember listening something like "You'd better go". Can anyone explain it to me?

Thanks.
1 person has voted this message useful

Monox D. I-Fly
Senior Member
Indonesia
monoxdifly.iopc.us
Joined 4925 days ago
762 posts - 664 votes

Speaks: Indonesian*

Message 10 of 10

14 February 2016 at 11:13am | IP Logged

Fio wrote:

And "I'd rather"? I listended a couple of times something like "I'd rather die" in dramatic scenes in some movies, It also puzzles me. Is it a synonym for "I prefer"?

Yes, it is.
1 person has voted this message useful

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