Language Learning Base -2-

Useful Everyday Phrases in English. Asking people to wait. Reminding people to do things.
Asking people to wait Reminding people to do things
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What's the difference between the sheep -> baaah
and the goat -> baah
30% longer for the sheep?
I'd not noticed.

Neither did I

gerardM a écrit:

Halloween Vocabulary. Traditional Symbols of Halloween.
Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31st, the last day of October, when according to Christian ... a full moon Red : blood, fire, demons
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Here is the definition of the word "mummy" I didn't know

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/mummy
noun, plural mummies.
1.
the dead body of a human being or animal preserved by the ancient Egyptian process or some similar method of embalming.
2.
a dead body dried and preserved by nature.
3.
a withered or shrunken living being.
4.
a dry, shriveled fruit, tuber, or other plant organ, resulting from any of several fungous diseases.
verb (used with object), mummied, mummying.
5.
to make into or cause to resemble a mummy; mummify.

How to Speak English Fluently
How to Speak English Fluently .
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Gérard they say that listening, speaking, reading and writing are the natural order. I Wonder if writing  is not the most useful exercise  because it helps solidifying what we know.

MurielB a écrit:Gérard they say that listening, speaking, reading and writing are the natural order. I Wonder if writing  is not the most useful exercise  because it helps solidifying what we know.

Everyone their needs.
IMHO...
"Listening, speaking, reading and writing" are the chronological order (we listen as a new-born, then we speak around a year, then reading and writing around 5-6).
When we want to learn a foreign language, it is important to begin by listening because there's accent, intonation, vocabulary, grammar (provided we already know the basics).
We always have to spend much time listening. However speaking is very important.
Reading and writing are needed to consolidate knowledge.
The 4 have their place.

I'd like to add that I agree with "6. Don't translate" o course but it doesn't mean you don't need a bilingual dictionary.
In my opinion, a good bilingual dictionary is absolutely necessary to know the exact "weight" (meaning) of words and expressions, so that we can feel the very nuances.

Hi Gérard !
As we are French we need comparing the vocabulary of the language we are learning with our own language.
By the way do you know if it is better to say "To compare with" or "to compare to" ?

> WBy the way do you know if it is better to say "To compare with" or "to compare to" ?
Muriel, I guess there's no difference, no preference.

> As we are French we need comparing
I let you investigate but I'd bet the -ing form is not permitted after "need"

Tx Gérard. I have checked that language point because I wasn't sure.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode121/languagepoint.shtml

NEED TO

We use this form when we want to talk about something that's necessary for someone to do. We usually mention who is going to do it. For example: "I need to go to the dentist" means "It's necessary for me to visit the dentist".

NEED+ING

We can use this form when we want to talk about something that is necessary for someone to do. This is a passive structure where the usual subject + verb + object form changes to object + need + verb+ing.

 my sentence : "As we are French we need comparing the vocabulary of the language"  isn't a passive form and it should be "As we are French we need to compare the vocabulary of the language
OK

MurielB a écrit:...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode121/languagepoint.shtml
...
NEED+ING

We can use this form when we want to talk about something that is necessary for someone to do. This is a passive structure where the usual subject + verb + object form changes to object + need + verb+ing.

> I'd bet the -ing form is not permitted after "need

My bet got lost!

Thanks Muriel, I wasn't aware of this specificity, I'm going to study this point.

You're welcome Gerard !

How to write a basic paragraph. Some good transition words for starting a new paragraph. When to Make a New Paragraph.




How to write a basic paragraph. Some good transition words for starting a new paragraph. When to Make a New Paragraph.
Paragraphs are an important part of structuring any essay, story or extended piece of writing. ... 

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Tx Gérard for that expression "In a nutshell"
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/in-a-nutshell

very briefly, giving only the main points:

In French we could say "En résumé"

MurielB a écrit:...

very briefly, giving only the main points:

In French we could say "En résumé"

Yes but there're shorter expressions.

En un mot ?

MurielB a écrit:En un mot ?

I meant that there were shorter expressions in English.

Like "In other words"