Teach me English

[aam1234]

My English is fairly OK I think, but there are some little things I don't know and wish to learn about. Won't ask the general ones like when to use/not use "The" for example, although I struggle with it.

Two questions for now:
- Where would you place the period if the sentence ends with a bracket/parenthesis. Inside or outside the bracket.

- This one is a net question. After a smilie, do you capitalize or not capitalize.

I'm serious about these questions, I love languages.

[Latinbob]

Put the period after a bracket or parenthesis is closed. However, if you have a quote, put the period inside, for example, you said, "My English is fairly OK." This was tough to get people do do consistently when I taught English.

I'd say to treat a smiley like any punctuation, so capitalize whatever comes after it.

Bob

[aam1234]

Thank you very much, Bob. Appreciate the advice

Hope you can check this thread from time to time as myself, and hopefully others, will have some questions too.

Thanks again.

(FWIW, English is not my first language, so any advice is appreciated).

[Latinbob]

I'll check it again for sure, so feel free to ask. I've taught remedial English at the college level, and these are good points to know and ask.

Bob

[jfrancho]

In technical writing, when using a single quote or double quote to demarcate some code, it is common practice to put the punctuation outside of the quote. This often because there is punctuation required in the code. For instance, go to the code editor and type, "select * from users,". I am guilty of doing this in my regular writing . latinbob is on the money, and some semblence of grammar can help in a forum, but isn't necessary if the message comes across.

[aam1234]

Breaking paragraphs. Wink wink John, we talked about that before

It helps if one breaks what's he/she is writing into separate sentences/paragraphs. Each with an independent thought/idea. Otherwise the reader will be lost, I think.

What do you think Bob.

[jfrancho]

Well, all of those five sentences are part of one paragraph. Surely you've read some books with longer paragraphs?

[aam1234]

Unfortunately I did

[Latinbob]

John's right about not being too picky in a forum setting. Yes, good paragraph structure is helpful, and we should try to write like that, but online we are more casual. It's more like a spoken conversation, where ideas flow freely.

If someone was writing an online tutorial, then yes, good paragraph structure is necessary. Otherwise, casual is ok.

You mentioned that English isn't your first language, AAM. What was your first language, and how long have you been studying English? Your English is quite good, and I wouldn't have known you weren't a native speaker.

Bob

[aam1234]

You are right Bob. John's sentence structure above is quite alright and clear, because he is talking about the same idea.

But others talk & talk in big blokes and include many thoughts in the same bloke. The reader gets confused.

Took a few English Lit. classes and from what I got is...writing ought to resemble talking, in terms of breathing and normal flow of human interaction (e.g conversation).

[badpickev]

you should have payed attention in class.

[aam1234]

Very good Kev, I'm impressed. Just a little note, if I may. You forgot to capitalize "y" in the beginning of your reply

[Kevin Barrett]

I'm guilty of omitting a word or two on occassion. I think the words, but forget to type them. I also often incorporate elipses ... as an implied pause ... in thought. This isn't necessarily a proper use of the elipse, but it's growing in favor.

Here are a few English words that are often utilized improperly:

To, Too and Two
Hear and Here
Their, There, and They're
Knew and new
Whomever, whoever
"Irregardless" isn't a word at all, but give it some time. "Regardless" is
what is implied.

Then there is the U.K. English versus the ham-fisted Americanized version.

City Centre versus City Center
My favourite, or is it favorite? Colour and Color

In America, you put a boot on your foot. In the U.K., it's where the spare tire is located for your car. Similarly, in the states a bonnet goes on your head. Across the pond, you have to open the bonnet to check your oil.

It gets even worse. The various states have their unique sayings and pronunciations:

Michigan is no exception:

"You guys": Can refer to men or women.

"How'zit goin'?" In other parts of the world, the equivalent of "what's up?" or "how are you?"

"Bolth": meaning both. We pronounce an "L" in there.

"Cahngriss": Congress. Those guyz frum Waashingtin, DC.

"Frigerraider": Refrigerator.

"Grrarapids": Grand Rapids

and so on...

We're messed up. I think it's because we don't see the sun too often.


My hat is off to those who learn the english language as a second language. I don't know if I could.

[aam1234]

Originally Posted by Kevin Barrett

To, Too and Two

That one bugs me the most. "That player is "to" fast for the defense". What?

The other is then/than. What's wrong with those people. Player X is better "then" player Y. Ha

[Max@Home]

...I think this one fits in nice here: (posted before, sorry to those who already read it... )

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

...and yes, English is a second language to me, too

Kindest regards,

Max@Home

[Kevin Barrett]

It's surprising bow quickly that can be read. Thanks for that post.

[blumesan]

Originally Posted by aam1234

Hope you can check this thread from time to time as myself, and hopefully others, will have some questions too.

Thanks again.

(FWIW, English is not my first language, so any advice is appreciated).

Well, only because you asked: .....from time to time as I, and hopefully other,...

For what it's worth, your English is a damn site better than many for whom it is their native tongue.

Cheers/Mike

[aam1234]

Good point Mike. Thanks.

[Athena]

Originally Posted by Kevin Barrett

"Irregardless" isn't a word at all.

This is a pet peave of mine... Drives me crazy.

I often leave small words off and don't write in complete sentences in forums as well. It's not that I am unable, but rather that I am lazy. Hopefully I am still understandable.


Max -Deutsch kan ich, aber "th" must ich haben! My name is not so nice without it.

[aam1234]

Originally Posted by Kevin Barrett

"You guys": Can refer to men or women.

Isn't that the case. I asked about it some time ago and people say it's correct to use "Guys" for both males and females or both (in a mixed company).

Another one that bugs me and often misused is "your" & "you're".