Questions tagged [spoken-english]
The way in which English is spoken, either formally or informally. As opposed to written usage.
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1answer
13 views
What is the correct verb to use, is or was
What is the correct verb to use
My approved OT for the month of Feb is 127.5 hours, but only 8.5 hours was creditted last night, 119 hours unpaid.
The situation is one of our workmate's Overtime ...
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3answers
52 views
Is “tree is got to go” correct?
I have watched a movie and in it there is a dialogue which confused me. So can someone tell me whether it is correct or not?
The dialog is:
tree is got to go.
It is from the movie Grinch (...
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3answers
60 views
Is there an idiom for a situation in which you get all the closed windows of your mind open?
I am stuck to express my feelings. I watched a video about business ideas and the speaker presented it so beautifully that I got so energized and it opened up so many new ideas to me. I am looking for ...
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2answers
19 views
How does it feel when someone speaks in Third Person Speech(?)?
Third Person Speech, is it the right term? Anyway, I've seen some characters in the mass media, who talk as if they're talking about other people which are actually nothing but themselves.
Ricka: ...
3
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2answers
31 views
Fear of talking with native English speakers - how to overcome it [closed]
I'm Japanese and I can speak English decently well. When I talk with non native speakers, my grammar is 95% accurate I would say, but when it comes to talking with the native speakers, I don't know ...
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1answer
20 views
How do North American people pronounce “wants us to …” in a linked way?
Paul wants us to go over ...
I heard it to
Paul wants to screw over ...
3
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1answer
28 views
Why do I hear “to” in quick speaking english sound like “the”?
I'm looking to track down a suspect
This man (Barry Allen) said "I'm looking to ..." But I can just hear "I'm looking the ..."
Sound track is in the above link.
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2answers
19 views
Prefer to vs prefer than
Which one is correct, explain with reasons. 'He prefers to watch hollywood movies because they have good stories' or 'He prefers watching Hollywood movies because they have good stories'.
Please also ...
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2answers
38 views
Take someone up on something
I had a question,
Does "take someone up on something " mean only to accept an offer ? Can it mean to accept a suggestion
In most of the dictionaries like Cambridge and Macmillan had this definition:...
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1answer
18 views
Among Vs between
I saw a sentence, "Between videos games, television, and the internet, kids these days are spoilt for choice when it comes to their entertainment".
We can't use 'between' for more than two entities so ...
1
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1answer
31 views
It's a few weeks off/away
If something is just going to happen,is it common to use "off"?
Like:
It's just a few weeks off.( Like something, well anything could be used instead of "it's " ,to mean that thing is just a ...
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1answer
12 views
Subject verb agreement case
More than one tree/trees release/releases oxygen even at night.
Can anyone explain me which options are correct in both the cases?
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3answers
34 views
usage of “no” in a list
I am writing a journal article and tying to give an interesting title.
In this article I illustrate the situation of certain people who are neither satisfied with their life nor healthy.
I would like ...
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1answer
32 views
is this example a reported speech and why no backshifting
When my mum asked me, why I "was getting" bad marks at school last year.
direct speech "Why were you getting bad marks last year" so reported speech should be "why had you been getting bad marks ...
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1answer
11 views
What is the difference between Cryptography benchmark and Cryptographic benchmark
I read an article in which I saw
Sandra cryptography benchmark
My question is shouldn't it be
Sandra cryptographic Benchmark
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2answers
61 views
Why did they use “didn't XXX nobody” rather than “anybody”?
https://newsday.co.tt/2018/11/29/suspect-i-didnt-kill-nobody/
Suspect: ‘I didn’t kill nobody’
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2answers
94 views
He will join us soon / He will be joining us soon
He will join us soon.
He will be joining us soon.
This is little confusing, both options seem correct to me. Please explain.
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1answer
31 views
What to say in the following situation?
When we have to pay gratitude to one respectable person, we say "Thank you."
But if there are two or more persons then what to say?
As "Thanks to all of you" doesn't seem formal.
Any suggestions?
1
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1answer
46 views
“Too right it has,” meaning in this context
The hat became motionless once more; applause broke out, though it was punctured, for the first time in Harry's memory, with muttering and whispers. All across the Great Hall students were exchanging ...
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1answer
59 views
Someone says “150” in “a fifty”? [closed]
I know English people prefer to say "3-digit-number" in "N 2-digit" form. But I unexpected that 150 can be said as "a fifty". That sounds like just fifty.
I heard this from the American TV series ...
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2answers
39 views
Can I use a person's name instead of the pronoun “you”?
When talking to someone, can I use their name in place of "you"? Is this only used when talking a certain way (e.g. to children)? Or is this not done in English at all?
Example:
Ann is talking ...
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1answer
49 views
Clarification for the usage of “though”
I'm only asking for "though" as an adverb. There were already asked questions about this :
Why people says 'tho' at the end of the sentence?
Could you clarify when to use "Though" ...
2
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1answer
29 views
what does “throw your set” mean?
In Seinfeld, season 9, episode 1, at around 17 minute.
KRAMER said to Seinfeld:
Jerry, what are you doing? George tells me
you're gonna throw your set?
Seinfeld answered:
That's right, ...
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2answers
27 views
“this qualifies for” vs. “this qualifies as”
What is the difference between "this qualifies for" and "this qualifies as"?
I don't understand the difference between "qualifies for" and "qualifies as"
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1answer
20 views
type of usage with phrases [closed]
He finished the race and won a gold medal, a fitting conclusion to his career.
He finished the race and won a gold medal, fitting conclusion to his career.
When we use determiners with noun phrases ...
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1answer
21 views
What does “crank me up to nine” mean in this Seinfeld monologue?
"crank me up to nine" is around 18~19s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aiFh4VR448
Full script:
The cosmetic surgery procedures
that are available to people
today--
Liposuction,
are you ...
1
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1answer
29 views
Pronounce 'a' sound (bat vs. but)
I am a middle aged adult with a non-English background and my English is proficient. I am unable to create the 'a' sound in words like bat or cat. My pronoucitation makes them sound like but and cut.
...
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2answers
59 views
Is “I think, may be that's more of a question to John.” grammatical?
I think, may be that's more of a question to John.
While in conference call, I heard a person said the above sentence.
Can anyone please correct the grammar in the above quoted sentence?
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1answer
13 views
Should I use “in” or “of”?
Which one is correct
This is the last November of our college life.
This is the last November in our college life.
0
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1answer
34 views
What is he saying in video? [closed]
What is he saying between 1:55 ~ 2:00 in the video in the link below? I can't hear well...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koJMqQ5pV6E&feature=youtu.be&t=115
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0answers
62 views
How to speak english fluently [closed]
I am here to share one of my personal problem with you. I am not a native English speaker. I learn to read how to read or write in English. I am not very fluent in english. Sometime people ask me ...
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1answer
31 views
Which are the differences between the verbs “to say” and “to tell”? [closed]
i don't know in which contexts I have to use One of these two verbs?
Can anyone help me?
0
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1answer
24 views
What does “You (don't) want to do something” mean while explaining?
What does it mean when someone explains something to me?
You want to do this.
You do not want to do this.
Is this equal to You should/shouldn't do this?
(instead of "do this" would be something ...
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6answers
4k views
What does “That was like three seconds” mean?
I was watching the movie "Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind" when I heard the phrase "That was like three seconds" from Kate Winslet.
You can find this phrase at 01:14:25.
She and Jim Carrey ...
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1answer
25 views
When to use “is” and “are” in the following examples?
Tea with biscuits is a very nice combination.
Tea with biscuits are a vey nice combination.
The problem is I am not understanding when to use are and when to use is
Similar examples:
Tea ...
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2answers
46 views
Do we say “A movie of Tarantino's” or “A movie of Tarantino”?
What do i say when i want to mean the same as i would mean by saying "The movie of his"?
"Big bat of his", "Good looking face of hers" etc...
Should i say "Big bat of the guy's" and "Good looking ...
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1answer
76 views
'''There are several days'' vs ''it is several days''
Context;
İt is December 20 and I want to talk about the period of time until following
christmas.
Which one is the proper way to make that sentence or are both OK?
Sentence a)
İt is several days ...
3
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2answers
63 views
One/Two onion rings?
When making an order, is it correct to say the following? If so, Why? If not what is the correct way?
Can I get one onion rings?
In case you want two servings,
Can I get two onion rings?
3
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2answers
55 views
How to use a question “What are you”? [duplicate]
I was looking through some English books and I found that in a dialogue one person ask another
"What are you?"
And answer was
"I'm policeman."
I first time saw this way to ask about ...
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1answer
42 views
She and her sisters ____ our dog (adore) …what should come here?
Do we treat it as singular or plural? Will it be adore or adores?
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0answers
66 views
How to improve listening/speaking if learned mostly by reading/writing? [closed]
My first language is Spanish and I learned English mostly by reading/writing in academics and professional context but few listening and speaking practice. I got a job abroad and after 2 months I ...
1
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1answer
32 views
Is it natural to say academy/language school “happens”?
I heard one native American saying,
"So right now, I'm actually attending language school which happens every single day for hours."
But I'm not used to this kind of expression.
Is it natural to ...
2
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1answer
79 views
Proper usage of the expression “words fail me"
I am trying to use the expression “words fail me” and I want to know if these sentences are formed correctly:
Look at this mess, words fail me.
This comment is so ridiculous that words fail ...
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6answers
1k views
How do natives say how they would like to pay?
How do natives answer the question "How would you like to pay?" When I want to pay with my bank card, sometimes they ask credit or debit? Sometimes they ask Visa or Mastercard? So I now usually say ...
0
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1answer
1k views
'She/He is not available' [closed]
Is the following sentence correct? Or is there a better way to frame this sentence?
'She/He is not available'
Can the word 'available' be used to state the availability of a person? or is it ...
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2answers
161 views
“when I’m 100% confirm what to study” or “when I'm 100% confirmed what to study”
I’ll tell you when I’m 100% confirm what to study
Or:
I’ll tell you when I'm 100% confirmed what to study
Which one is correct?
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1answer
36 views
Is it possible and normal to use the words without any verbs in everyday English? (look at the example)
Is it possible and normal to use the words without any verbs in this particular example?(The highlighted part I mean)
Are we allowed to add an irrevelant sentence in the middle of it? ( the added ...
0
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1answer
55 views
Am I describing the time events using the right grammar?
Am I describing the time events using the right grammar?
After finishing the 5 days of the IV steroids course, I started to
regain most of my vision within one week (large blind spot). The rest
...
1
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2answers
148 views
Can't we say “don't/doesn't got” while we can say “I got”, “He got”, “They got” etc.? (American English)
I am used to hearing the positive version of "got" when it is used for meaning "have".
For example, I mean we can say "I got a car.", "He got three children.", "I got no money." etc.
But I am not ...
0
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1answer
25 views
The correct expression of 'follow his way (or method)'
I asked a question on a forum, and somebody (let's say his name is Bob) answered it (but not completely solve the problem). Based on this answer, I have the problem solved.
I want to write the answer ...
