Foxy
- 2016-09-07
That's nothing short of Chinglish!
'Nice meeting you' is completely wrong and should never be written unless it's a quote. It is obviously a shortened version of 'It was nice meeting you', which is a lazy way to say 'It was nice to meet you'.
'We're having a wonderful silver wedding anniversary party in 3 years' time.'
Yep.....wrong due to the time, but also due to the adjective. If you dropped 'wonderful' then it almost sounds half-passable.
You should know that 'Long time no see' comes from Chinese, and how would you re-phrase 'Me too' without using twice as many words, (or more) ?
The fact is that when we talk, we're lazy. Why use 4 words when one or 2 will suffice?
Even the Chinese do it with their 'Ming Wan' as opposed to 'Ming tian Wan shang'. (Tomorrow night)
You don't even need to look past names - we shorten them all into the lowest number of syllables possible.
There remains a great divide between what is acceptable to say, and what is acceptable to write.
With the advent of text-speke (ie, nice 2 c u m8), things will get much worse as far as grammar is concerned.
But ask yourself this...In a 100 years from now, who will care anyway?
All our WeChat friends will be dead too, lol.
Foxy
- 2016-09-07
We do not need that stress, and I find grammar boring, up there with applied
maths, watching paint dry, listening to ugly nagging western women, and prefabricated
pop stars, as just boring and dull. We should be teaching slang, idioms, history,
culture of the country we come from, and general cultural differences in the west and so
on.
Agree!
"I'm very like playing basketball"? Leave it to the Chinese English teachers, they're better at it than us, lol.
San Migs
- 2016-09-07
The Chinese do not employ FTs as grammar teachers!
Quite right!! We do not need that stress, and I find grammar boring, up there with applied maths, watching paint dry, listening to ugly nagging western women, and prefabricated pop stars, as just boring and dull. We should be teaching slang, idioms, history, culture of the country we come from, and general cultural differences in the west and so on.
Former FT in China
- 2016-09-07
FTeesy. I'm not getting hot under the collar. I'm sorry if my writing style gives you that opinion, but I'm sure you'd know if I was annoyed. Incidentally, Taffy has already called me 'caustic' today too.
Firstly, I'm not teaching this. I was simply asked the question after a Chinese teacher had told the student she was 'wrong'.
As for you not using it, well I can assure you that in my English hometown, the phrase 'We're having a party next week....etc' is common, everyday usage. As I said previously, it may not be the perfect choice of words compared to the 2 other choices, but it's certainly not 'wrong' in the way that this Chinese teacher insisted it was.
Is it Tomayto or Tomarto?
Foxy, no problem, apology not at all required.
Yep, usage-wise, 'We're having a party next week is acceptable. I dunno about ''We're having a wonderful silver wedding anniversary party in 3 years' time.'' Maybe not.
Many other examples exist of bad grammar being accepted. 'Long time no see!', 'Me too', 'Nice meting you',(on first meeting, and on saying farewell)
I saw the following in a popular Chinese textbook for college students.
Scene: at a dining table outside a cafe. Ann is seated at a table reading a book and drinking coffee. Bert saunters over.
Patron A: Hi, I'm Bert. What's your name?
Patron B: Hi, I'm Ann. Nice meeting you.
Bert: Nice meeting you too. What are you doing?
Ann: I study medicine. And you?
Bert: I am a student of English.
Ann: Oh, I'm sorry! I just remembered something urgent. I must go now. Here's my phone no. Call me this evening. Nice meeting you.
Bert: I'll call you this evening. Nice meeting you too. Bye.
Ann: Bye.
Former FT in China
- 2016-09-07
We're in danger of arguing a usage issue here if we're not careful. My father uses 'going to go' all the time. 'I'm going to go and water the plants', or 'I'm going to go and wash the car', rather than 'I'm going to water the plants', or I'm going to wash the car'.
It's just his style. He's a native Brit and a retired university lecturer.
To put it in a slightly different usage context, my father would say something like - "We're not sure where we will go on holiday next year, but we think we're going to go to Europe"
He would only use "We're going to Europe" after he'd bought the tickets.
I remember posting something here a while ago about the use of 'going to'. I can't be
bothered to look so I'll just mention it again.
The question was for Grade 7 and the lesson was delivered by a Chinese English teacher.
Fill in the blank with the correct answer.
"We ____________a party next Saturday"
a) are going to have
b) are having
c) will have
If you answered b or c, then you got the big red X. Talk about demoralisation? Jeez!
Foxy, even worse when there isn't an answer to a question in an important examination! A zero mark timewaster of a question that will lumber examination takers. Check out the link below.
Foxy
- 2016-09-07
FTeesy. I'm not getting hot under the collar. I'm sorry if my writing style gives you that opinion, but I'm sure you'd know if I was annoyed. Incidentally, Taffy has already called me 'caustic' today too.
Firstly, I'm not teaching this. I was simply asked the question after a Chinese teacher had told the student she was 'wrong'.
As for you not using it, well I can assure you that in my English hometown, the phrase 'We're having a party next week....etc' is common, everyday usage. As I said previously, it may not be the perfect choice of words compared to the 2 other choices, but it's certainly not 'wrong' in the way that this Chinese teacher insisted it was.
Is it Tomayto or Tomarto?
Former FT in China
- 2016-09-07
Foxy, IMO, it's grammatically incorrect. I'd NEVER write or say that personally. Just my choice. Nowt to get hot under the collar about!
Thing is I wouldn't be teaching that kind of stuff in the first place! The Chinese do not employ FTs as grammar teachers!
Anyway, if asked by a student what the correct answer to a multiple choice question like that was, I'd make a note of it. I'd use the net to figure the best answer out. That done, I'd mention the question to the student the next time I was in his/her classroom. I'd explain why each of the available choices should be chosen or not.
Foxy
- 2016-09-06
I'd say b is wrong, whereas a and c are both correct.
So, FTeesy, are trying to tell us that you would never say 'We're having a party next Saturday, would you like to come?'
Of course it's not wrong! It may not be the preferred answer, but it's certainly not wrong!
Former FT in China
- 2016-09-06
We're in danger of arguing a usage issue here if we're not careful. My father uses 'going to go' all the time. 'I'm going to go and water the plants', or 'I'm going to go and wash the car', rather than 'I'm going to water the plants', or I'm going to wash the car'.
It's just his style. He's a native Brit and a retired university lecturer.
To put it in a slightly different usage context, my father would say something like - "We're not sure where we will go on holiday next year, but we think we're going to go to Europe"
He would only use "We're going to Europe" after he'd bought the tickets.
I remember posting something here a while ago about the use of 'going to'. I can't be bothered to look so I'll just mention it again.
The question was for Grade 7 and the lesson was delivered by a Chinese English teacher.
Fill in the blank with the correct answer.
"We ____________a party next Saturday"
a) are going to have
b) are having
c) will have
If you answered b or c, then you got the big red X. Talk about demoralisation? Jeez!
I'd say b is wrong, whereas a and c are both correct.
I'd say, grammatically speaking, that 'going to somewhere' should only be used in the same way as 'doing'. Both are present continuous forms of the verbs.
Example 1 - a friend happens to see you on a bus.
Where are you going?
I'm going to the zoo.
Example 2 -
What are you doing?
I'm writing a letter to my uncle.
Former FT in China
- 2016-09-06
Native English speakers would never say or write "I am going to go to" in that context (
Oh yes they would and do.
I'll confirm wot u say, as a native speaker of English from Scotland. Tiresome tripe from that other poster, imo. Seems he/she is stranded on another planet from us, one of ignoramuses.
Guangxi Guy
- 2016-09-05
Native English speakers would never say or write "I am going to go to" in that
context (
Oh yes they would and do.
no a teacher
- 2016-09-05
The internet is infested with misinformation about sex and grammar.Yep, you're right.
no internet, no place for English teachers to complaint about bad schools and warn others.
Paul Fox
- 2016-09-05
We're in danger of arguing a usage issue here if we're not careful. My father uses 'going to go' all the time. 'I'm going to go and water the plants', or 'I'm going to go and wash the car', rather than 'I'm going to water the plants', or I'm going to wash the car'.
It's just his style. He's a native Brit and a retired university lecturer.
To put it in a slightly different usage context, my father would say something like - "We're not sure where we will go on holiday next year, but we think we're going to go to Europe"
He would only use "We're going to Europe" after he'd bought the tickets.
I remember posting something here a while ago about the use of 'going to'. I can't be bothered to look so I'll just mention it again.
The question was for Grade 7 and the lesson was delivered by a Chinese English teacher.
Fill in the blank with the correct answer.
"We ____________a party next Saturday"
a) are going to have
b) are having
c) will have
If you answered b or c, then you got the big red X. Talk about demoralisation? Jeez!
Former FT in China
- 2016-09-05
The internet is infested with misinformation about sex and grammar.
Yep, you're right.
amused
- 2016-09-05
The internet is infested with misinformation about sex and grammar.
Former FT in China
- 2016-09-04
amused
- 2016-09-04
Native English speakers would never say or write "I am going to go to" in that context (and writing it without a conjunction or semicolon - using a comma is a comma splice). It sounds redundant and childish. We would simply say or write "I am going to Beijing."
We would use the "am going to go to" construction when mentioning a number of options from which we have chosen: "I've been accepted to several universities, but I am going to go to Columbia."
no a teacher
- 2016-09-04
If you are making a future prediction based on evidence in the present situation, use 'going to'.
I have an interview in China, I am going to go to Beijing next Friday
Paul Fox
- 2016-09-04
Impossible to answer without context.
I will go to Beijing next Friday
I am going to go to Beijing next Friday
Same meaning.
learning English
- 2016-09-04
thxs. Another one is will or going to.
no a teacher
- 2016-09-04
Rise to the occasion: is correct. There is not object.
Raise your hand: "your hand" is the object.
Raise always have an object and rise don't (most of the time)
I could be wrong.
amused
- 2016-09-04
There is variability in almost all English grammar 'rules', but raise is usually transitive, taking an object that actually experiences the elevation. Rise is routinely use intransitively, where the subject is experiencing the movement. The wine is the glass rises, but you raise the glass. Ocean levels rise as a result of climate change, but the rising ocean levels raises all boats and requires communities to raise taxes to battle the rising seas.
Former FT in China
- 2016-09-03
Paul Fox
- 2016-09-03
It's 'Rise to the occasion' and it's typically a fixed-phrase in English.
You 'raise your glass' when you make a toast to somebody, you don't 'rise' it.
To lift something higher, you 'raise' it up.
'Rise to the occasion' essentially means to "accept a challenge".
which one and why?thx