OSDev.org

Posted: **Sun Nov 18, 2007 3:18 am**

As you all know my native language isn't English, I ask you:
What grammar errors do I make in this forum frequently?

The thing is, I signed up for a English language contest, that will be sometime in January. I don't learn English in school, I got the "basic knowledge" only from computers, movies (especially Ed Edd Eddy from Cartoon Network

), and of course, from this forum.
The only language that I'm learning in school is German, obwohl ich weiÃŸ ein groÃŸer Sch*ÃŸ von Deutsch, I've managed to pass two times the German district contest on the second place (in school contest of course first place, weird

).

So, be as harsh as you can get, and count these grammar errors as I want to know what should I learn more (well, recap -or how do you say that).

Regards
inflater

Posted: **Sun Nov 18, 2007 5:46 am**

As you all know my native language isn't English, I ask you:
What grammar errors do I make in this forum frequently?

Although it isn't a grammar error per se, a native would most likely say "What grammar errors do I frequently make in this forum?".

I've managed to pass two times the German district contest on the second place (in school contest of course first place, weird ).

"I've managed to come second in the German district contest twice", or
"I've managed to twice come second in the German district contest", or if you want something similar to your original sentence structure:
"I've managed to pass twice the German district contest in second place (first place in the school contest though - weird!).[/quote]

The phrase in parantheses (brackets) really needed re-structuring to sound native.

would be a better way of putting it. It flows more, sounds more natural. I assume it's because in your native language the sentence structure is completely different

So, be as harsh as you can get,

"So, be as harsh as you can,"

and count these grammar errors

While "these" may be correct technically, an English speaker would most likely say "my".

(well, recap -or how do you say that)

Recap is correct.

Your English is very good - any English speaker would understand you no problems, I'm only being picky since you asked me to! Most of the things I've picked up on aren't really errors, as I said at the start just things which would stand out to a native speaker as being "strange" - sentence structure being the main culprit.

Cheers,

JamesM

Posted: **Sun Nov 18, 2007 11:54 am**

Thanks JamesM!

Any next comments regarding my grammar errors from The Book-worms of this forum, are welcome.

Regards
inflater

Posted: **Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:23 pm**

You just made a mistake.

Any next comments regarding my grammar errors from The Book-worms of this forum, are welcome. Smile

would sound better if you said

Any other comments regarding my grammatical errors from this forum's bookworms would be welcome.

Not sure if you really meant to use bookworms, though.

Posted: **Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:42 pm**

From other posts:

I've removed Ubuntu 7.04 few days before gutsy was released for lack of disk space, I had only 50 MB free. Shocked

Maybe: 'I removed Ubuntu 7.04 a few days before gutsy was released due to lack of disk space. I had only 50MB free.'

err, the little pupils even didn't know what's networking, neither what is GRUB or Linux.

A better way to say this might be: 'err, the little pupils don't even know what networking, GRUB, or Linux are.' It would be 'don't', because the rest of the paragraph is in present tense, and the the 'is\are' part usually comes after the noun.

Many things are in dust for more than 10 years there, and are rare to find Cool

Better version: 'Many things have been in dust for more that 10 years there, and are rare to find.'

eg: 'I have been jogging for 30 minutes.' vs. 'I am jogging here for more than 30 minutes.'

No. That means the BIOS boot signature, if BIOS will find this sig, it will load from the boot sector. Some BIOSes are ignoring this sig.

'No. That means the BIOS boot signature, if it finds the signature, will load from the boot sector.' (Not quite sure what you're saying here...)

Posted: **Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:02 am**

On Monday, the school district contest of English and German languages will begin. [I think I've made error here.] Let's have fun inflater...

My teacher (well I can't say my you know

) gave me some papers regarding last year's contest. Aww crap.

The papers are already filled in, but some answers are wrong; and they aren't corrected.

Can you, the natives, help me somehow with this stuff?

Grammar test questions which I'm unsure of wrote:Use the words given in capitals at the end of each sentence to form a noun or adjective that fits in the space. Do not change the sentence.

1.Cinema or theatre? It's your ... . I really don't mind where we go.
-DECIDE-
[I think the answer is "choice"]
2. If you overcook vegetables they lose all their flavour and become completely ... .
-TASTE-
[Disgusting? Nasty?]
3. The one thing you need above all else to be a successful writer is a vivid ...
-IMAGINE-
[Imagination?]
4. To survive today, a company needs to be very ... .
-COMPETE-
[Competetive?]
5. The job requires a working ... of French and German.
-KNOW-
[Knowledge?]

***

2. I wonder if you could give me a ........ with waashing-up?
a) help, b) assistance, c) support, d) hand
[a) is bad, I think it's B or D.]
3. The child was throwing stones at the pigeons but his mother didn't take any ....... of him.
a) attention, b) notice, c) control, d) regard
[c) is bad. I dont know what to choose here...]
5. In ..... women live longer than men in most countries.
a) average, b) the whole, c) reality, d) general
[I think it's C)]

There's much more, but I don't want to spam this whole topic.
The logic is telling me that I've made errors in this post, so if you would be so kind to find them...

Anyways thanks for your support!

Posted: **Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:45 am**

Decision, Tasteless, Imagination, Competitive, Knowledge
2=a, 3=b, 5=d (a was tempting though)

I not too sure about the spelling, but otherwise...

Code: Select all

[I think I've made error here.]

I think i've made an error here.
or
I think i've made some errors here.

I would probably say:
I may have made a few errors here.

Posted: **Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:49 am**

1.Cinema or theatre? It's your ... . I really don't mind where we go. -DECIDE-

A) Decision..

2. If you overcook vegetables they lose all their flavour and become completely ... . -TASTE-

A) Tasteless.

3. The one thing you need above all else to be a successful writer is a vivid ... -IMAGINE-

A) [Imagination?] Correct.

4. To survive today, a company needs to be very ... . -COMPETE-

A) Competitive, not Competetive

5. The job requires a working ... of French and German. -KNOW-

A) [Knowledge?] Correct.

Posted: **Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:57 am**

I'm not a native, but I have an IB certificate English...

The errors you didn't fix:
2. If you overcook vegetables they lose all their flavour and become completely tasteless.

Disgusting? Nasty?

2. I wonder if you could give me a hand with waashing-up(typo) ?

a) help, b) assistance, c) support, d) hand
a) is bad, I think it's B or D.

3. The child was throwing stones at the pigeons but his mother didn't take any notice of him.

a) attention, b) notice, c) control, d) regard
c) is bad. I dont know what to choose here...

5. In general women live longer than men in most countries.
a) average, b) the whole, c) reality, d) general

a) average, b) the whole, c) reality, d) general
I think it's C)

This one's tricky: both C and D fit gramatically. Depending on the context both are even possible. However, we have no context so the 'in reality' implies a comparison to something we don't have.

Can't your teacher have done a bit more effort on this?

ps. looking at the other replies, I would say "its your choice" (It also gets more hits on google

)

Posted: **Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:13 am**

Kind regards Combuster, Brynet-Inc and Zacariaz for your help.

I thought the tests would be easy as 1-2-3, but it seems that I was wrong...

Wish me good luck on Monday, please. I think I'll need it.

Regards
inflater

Posted: **Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:22 am**

Best of luck then

What usually helps me when dealing with a multiple choice question in this maner is what sounds right. Kinda like:
2+2 = ?
a) 1 b) 2 c) 4 d) 7
I would answer C, not necaserely (that cant be spelled right) because know why 2+2 equals 4, but because i've seen it so many times.

Posted: **Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:57 am**

ps. looking at the other replies, I would say "its your choice" (It also gets more hits on google )

'choice' is incorrect because the word to be conjugated is decide. Therefore the answer can only be 'decision'.

Unfortunately in tests you are required to answer the question set, not a question you make up

It'll be good to remember that when doing the test - the correct answer is the one they expect to recieve, and not necessarily the one which fits best.

Posted: **Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:21 am**

JamesM wrote:
ps. looking at the other replies, I would say "its your choice" (It also gets more hits on google )
'choice' is incorrect because the word to be conjugated is decide. Therefore the answer can only be 'decision'.

I hereby call upon my right to question the writer of the exam

Posted: **Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:51 am**

The writer of the exam hereby calls upon his right to point, laugh, and write an 'F' in blood on your paper

Posted: **Thu Nov 29, 2007 8:24 am**

Whose blood?

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