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"The Round Table" Discussion Forum

"The Round Table" Discussion Forum

Date: Jul 13 2013

Topic: Conversational English

Author: englishteacher24/7

Lesson

This is a lesson series where you can ask your questions on English, culture, technology, and things that are related.  Please feel free to submit your questions and/or comments here.

Comments

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S&W

S&W

China

Every time i came here ,I just wonder ,should i read every piece of comments? Oh that’s toooo long

12:00 PM May 16 2014 |

1 person likes this

handwriter

handwriter

Norway

Myth: You must not split infinitives

Some people say that ‘to boldly go’ is grammatically incorrect because the word ‘boldly’ appears between ‘to’ and ‘go’. However, there is no such rule in English. The notion is based on a misplaced 19th century idea that English must follow Latin (where the infinitive cannot be split because it is one word).

11:49 AM May 16 2014 |

englishteacher24/7

United States

Welcome Shsima and  Navid. Movies can be a tool to help learn English, however, it may move too fast for some people to comprehend the English. I suggest using songs with lyrics as an additional tool to learn English. Food for thought!

11:35 AM May 16 2014 |

2 people like this

englishteacher24/7

United States

Handwriter, the split verb rule says “an adverb must not be placed between an auxiliary and the following verb.” For example, you should never write “you should never write” but instead write “you never should write.”


This level of grammar may be too difficult for many to retain and implement. Therefore, unless a person is an English major or have a need to know, I think it may cause difficulty and discouragement in learning English.


It’s like you don’t have to be an automotive engineer to know how to drive a car.


That’s my concern; however, I appreciate the knowledge but have to weigh out the benefits in relationship to the whole picture.

08:05 PM May 14 2014 |

navid77

navid77

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Hi everyone!
i used to watch movie to learn English! but i used here to! this website helped me a lot! I learned the way of speaking English without any fear! now I can watch any movies without any subtitle, even English subtitle! I understand almost everything on movies! but frankly some words are really difficult or useless! so I don’t know their meaning because I didn’t see them before! but I can find out the meaning with using the rest of the sentences! I went to a English class and they took me an exam! I accepted for the highest level of that class! few month later I’ll be ready for IELS exam! and by the way I have to add this sentence that I’m just 15 years old! maybe I’ll start learning another language in future!
good luck everyone! ;)
(bye)

07:48 PM May 14 2014 |

shsima

shsima

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Hello everybody


I’v decided to improve my english ability by watching movies, I’v seen some and result was great so I want to continue watching movies… but the problem is all the movies don’t have an easy language to understand even by advanced students! ...I’m intermediate so I would be thanks if somebody introduced me some good movies .


04:21 PM May 13 2014 |

handwriter

handwriter

Norway

Mr. englishteacher,
Thank you for your quick response, but no, it wasn’t a “Pop Quiz”.
(I had to look up “Pop Quiz”).
I had asked you because I am not sure. I ran across the “splitting of verb phrases” in a class that I am taking, and my “teacher” of English wasn’t able to explain it well enough for me or any of the other 200 plus students who are taking this course at this time—the Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE).
I must admit, some of the things you say are…well, their Interesting.
Now again, I must admit that your response, even though much appreciated, did not satisfy or match my question.
My question was:
“When is it grammatical to place a two-worded verb…
(modal/auxiliary verb + subject + main verb)
…on either side of a subject?”
I was asking, “When do we “split” verb phrases?

10:10 AM May 12 2014 |

handwriter

handwriter

Norway

SPLITTING BASE INFINITIVES (1/1)


03:41 PM May 11 2014 |

handwriter

handwriter

Norway

SPLITTING BASE INFINITIVES (2/2)

03:39 PM May 11 2014 |

englishteacher24/7

United States

Handwriter, you can use this type of sentence structuring when expressing a shade of time or mood of the main verb. For example:


“You should have seen Jack run!”


“Jack” is the subject,  “should have” is the two-worded modal/auxiliary verb (helping verb) which is indicating or implying something pertinent concerning the main verb “run.”


Concerning your P.S. question, God can be man’s best friend, but it will be on His terms!


Thanks for your pop quiz, please share your thoughts on this.


02:37 AM May 11 2014 |

handwriter

handwriter

Norway

But with respect, this was my question to you:


When would we use this sentence structuring?


({?} + modal/auxiliary verb + subject + main verb)


04:37 PM May 10 2014 |

englishteacher24/7

United States

Please give a sample of this sentence construction.

04:00 PM May 10 2014 |

handwriter

handwriter

Norway

Mr. Englishteacher,
Apart from any of that friendship—will or will not be—stuff, I have a grammar question for you.
When is it grammatical to place a two-worded verb (modal/auxiliary verb + subject + main verb) on either side of a subject?
Let me know if you do or do not understand my question—I will then try to clarify it should it be the latter.


P.S.  God should be man’s best friend, no?

07:30 PM May 09 2014 |

englishteacher24/7

United States

And in the end, you both may turn out to be the best of friends!

05:54 PM May 09 2014 |

handwriter

handwriter

Norway

I am to you whatever you want me to be as you are to me whatever I want you to be. And I have chosen you as my friend. About things of “disaster”, I didn’t create these things. Am I conscious or unconscious—can that not only be a subjective opinion?  Two questions: Do you like Jell-o, and do you have a sandbox?

05:49 PM May 09 2014 |

handwriter

handwriter

Norway

Ryo,


In your profile it lists that you like “Investigations”.  What kind of investigations do you like doing?

01:38 PM May 09 2014 |

handwriter

handwriter

Norway

Dear Friend—Ryo,
I assure you that I have nothing against you. Do I like to play with words? Yes, most defiantly. However, I do not like to hurt people. If I have offended you, before God, I apologize, and ask for your forgiveness. However, should you care to carry on with this… game, I am here for you.



As for being lonely, I certainly can understand not liking that feeling, and if I can maybe be here for you as—well, as someone who cares to listen—then talk to me. I will listen.



I am not your enemy.

01:16 PM May 09 2014 |

handwriter

handwriter

Norway


08:27 AM May 09 2014 |

handwriter

handwriter

Norway

My dear friend, Ryo,


But therein lies the rub: you cannot choose for me whom I will or will not call my friend.  So you may wonder and fret all your life how it may be that you may have more control over the desires of God and whom he might call His friend than you have over me. Another thing, if it is your intent to rile me, again, you are powerless in this endeavor.


As for being my equal: you are not.

01:39 AM May 09 2014 |

handwriter

handwriter

Norway

Ryo, I am not sure exactly what it is that you may be suggesting that I have failed to learn.  If it was meant for me to have learned something while in this life, and I prove to have failed taking every opportunity of having learned it, how great and miserable will be my sadness in a world that may follow. But thank you for your careful, kind, and thoughtful observation and encouragement for me to do better. I shall endeavor to do better.

12:25 AM May 09 2014 |

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