- I think you shouldn’t do that
- I don’t think you should do that

- I believe that is not the case
- I don’t believe that is the case

For some reason, I’ve had the impression it seems to be the implicit rule that the latter ones are natural English speech: is that so or do you guys not care?

Additionally, any difference between Brit vs. American on this? Because I’d imagine Americans would speak more nonchalant and sardonic with the latter instead of coming off as directly opining like “I think, I believe” - just as a cultural guess

Thank you!

My wife and I were playing the game Poetry for Neanderthals the other day and a debate broke out over the word "fire". Quick overview of the game, you have to describe things on a card using only monosyllabic words.

I think I was describing the word "oven" and I said something to the effect of "box with fire to cook food". My wife objected to my use of the word "fire" claiming that it is two syllables. I disagree.

Who is correct?

Please use translation Im writing this with my language.

Fresh graduate ako and currently looking for a job. Gusto ko sana mag-apply sa BPO or VA because I need a stable income as soon as possible. Ang concern ko lang is di talaga ako magaling verbally mag English and madalas akong ma-mental block like literal na wala nalang masasabi bigla.

Sobrang pressured na ako ngayon kasi gusto ko na talagang makahanap ng trabaho. I really want to help my family talaga kaya super pressure and stress talaga ako to the point na dina ako nakakatulog sa gabi kakaisip anong next mangyayari sakin, yung father ko kasi nagda-dialysis, kaya ang dami naming gastusin sa gamot at treatment nya kaya want na want ko na talaga sana makahelp sakanila. Sa ngayon kasi ate ko lang ang may work now pero maliit lang din ang sahod niya.

So dahil nga dun gusto ko talagang mag-apply sa BPO or maging Virtual Assistant dahil mas okay ang potential salary. Ang problema ko lang talaga is hindi ako confident sa pagsasalita ko ng English like literal. Kapag interview na o kailangan magsalita, sobrang kinakabahan ako at parang nabablangko talaga ako.

Gustong-gusto ko nang mag-apply, pero pakiramdam ko hindi pa talaga ako ready and baka magsayang lang ako ng pamasahe, oras, at opportunity kung babagsak lang din ako dahil sa English communication ko. I really and willing to learn english muna talagaa and mag reready lang muna din ako kahit this july and by 1st week of August kahit anong mangyari mag aapply na talaga ako.

Previous attempts:

Nanonood ako ng English videos at nagpa-practice mag-isa, pero nahihirapan pa rin akong magsalita nang spontaneous. Gusto ko sanang malaman kung ano ang pinaka-effective na ginawa ninyo para mabilis ma-improve ang English communication at storytelling skills, especially for BPO or VA interviews.

Any advice or personal experiences would really help. Thank you so much!

I want to improve my English for work — I've got a full-time job so time is limited. Looking for something that:

• Focuses on practical, real-world use rather than just grammar
• Has flexible scheduling, ideally evening classes
• Isn't crazy expensive

I've heard of the bigger names like Wall Street English, Globish, and British Council, but I'm not sure which ones are actually worth it for working adults. Has anyone taken classes somewhere that felt genuinely useful? Or any smaller, lesser-known institutes that turned out to be really good?

I understand that the relative pronoun “which” is used to describe the antecedent, but it’s sometimes corrected to “in which”. I want to deepen my understanding of how to use them correctly depending on the situation.

before) Since I choose a company where I can make use of my skills, I would also do a second job which I can gain more experiences.

after) Since I choose a company where I can make use of my skills, I would also do a second job in which I can gain more experiences.

Hi everyone,

I'm from India, and I'm preparing for JEE and also I've to go for IELTS in about 6 months. My English is around A1/A2 level.

I can understand everyday English, but I struggle with speaking. I can't form sentences naturally, often mix up tenses, and make grammar mistakes because I don't have anyone to practice with and also i don't know the single thing in grammar.

I'm ready to study consistently every day , I appreciate your help.

Thanks in advance!

I'm a native English speaker, and I occasionally work with Hispanic clients with limited English skills. I'm a veterinarian. I speak mid-intermediate level Spanish with upper intermediate vocabulary in my field. My clients often bring a translator, but some don't. If the client asks for a Spanish speaker, I use Spanish. If their English is better than my Spanish, we use English.

The problem comes when they speak basic English to me, but their body language suggests they are not fully comprehending. Just as with my native English speaking clients, I generally ask if there are any questions and if everything is clear. For my English speakers, if I sense they aren't comprehending, I automatically adjust my explanations and vocabulary to a more basic level.

My question is, if I sense a Spanish speaking client isn't understanding, how do I ask if they would be more comfortable with Spanish without offending them or embarrassing them? I want to offer in case they just feel uncomfortable telling me they don't understand, but what if they understand well enough and just don't have questions? What if I misread body language and their eyes are just glazing over because they don't want explanations, they just want whatever their pet needs so they can go home? I'm like that when the car service people explain a car repair. I understand and comprehend the words, but I don't want to chat about it. I just want to say the bill and leave.

Any advice would be appreciated. Would it offend you if a service provider offered to speak your native language if you didn't ask them to?

I remember learning American English in school, it was difficult to differentiate between trunk and truck. The way I eventually did it was by noticing that the word trunk sounds similar to a trunk's closing sound.

Now that I teach English, remembering this got me wondering whether trunk can be determined as an onomatopoeia or there are other criteria for it.

I’m making a game about eating and I’m trying to establish some terminology. There are multiple types of foods. Players collect Bites and they earn points by completing individual food items. So a player could “eat” 3 hotdogs, 1 pie, and 4 hot wings for example. So that is a total of 8 individual food items. I feel like if I just say “foods” it might infer the types of food, so 3 in this example. Is there more succinct way to refer to these individual food items?

Almost always, in ordinary conversation, the word you're looking for is "envious."

Roughly speaking

• "envy" is when you want something that someone else has;
• "jealousy" is when someone else wants something you have

Because poor usage is so commonplace, everyone will understand when you mix these up, and of course this poor usage is enshrined in dictionary definitions, you don't have to tell me. Because they all do it, doesn't mean you have to.

Hi everyone! I was having a debate about the phrase:
"I didn't do it on purpose."
Usually, this phrase is used after an accident (e.g., dropping a plate or spilling coffee):
Scenario A: Something happened by accident.
Meaning: "I did it, but it wasn't intentional."
However, consider a situation where "it" refers to an omitted task or inaction:
Scenario B: Someone asks, "Why didn't you reply to my text?" or "Why didn't you turn in the report?"
Answer: "I didn't do it on purpose."
Intended Meaning: "My choice NOT to do it was deliberate."
My questions for native speakers:
Does Scenario B sound natural to you in everyday speech, or would you almost always rephrase it (e.g., "I intentionally didn't do it" / "I chose not to" / "I left it undone on purpose")?
If someone gave you that answer in Scenario B, would your brain immediately parse it as "I intentionally refrained," or would it sound slightly confusing/clunky at first?
Curious to hear your thoughts! Thanks!

Hello English practitioners, aficionados, experts,

For the love of God. I am a senior undergraduate who constantly falls back on passive voice misuse in writing.

Why does passive voice exist, and what purpose does it serve? What examples in writing make it excusable?

On another note, I am taking a profession of writing course. I need to learn how to end this embarrassing catastrophe.

I think I read philosophy too soon in my English development that has caused this. Or uncertainty, and constant criticism throughout my youth that has led to significant doubt.

What is going on.

Please help me!

Edit to add: As feedback my professor included a 50 word verb list as a recommendation. The next recommendation was Bloom's taxonomy of verbs.

Something tells me I need better verbiage.

“Isn’t the movie great?” or “is the movie not great?”

As in: “I think the movie’s great, don’t you think so?” (seeking sympathy) or “is the movie un-great?” (how do you clearly ask this one without implying the nuance of former?)

Can you say both for both, is one limited to one, or does it depend on context and intonation? (I’d assume “is it not ~” emphasizes more on the negativity)

https://youtu.be/d_KEGhJ1guk

At 1:50

Ciao a tutti!

Vorrei migliorare il mio inglese parlato. Direi di essere tra un livello B1 e B2: leggo e capisco abbastanza bene, riesco anche a scrivere, ma quando devo parlare mi blocco, faccio fatica a essere fluente e finisco per tradurre mentalmente dall'italiano.

Stavo pensando di provare italki, perché sinceramente non ho voglia di seguire il classico corso incentrato sulla grammatica. Quello che cerco è qualcuno con cui parlare tanto, che mi corregga quando serve e mi aiuti a sbloccarmi.

Per chi la usa o l'ha usata:

• Ve la sentite di consigliarla?
• Avete qualche insegnante madrelingua (o comunque davvero bravo) da suggerire?
• Se anche voi partivate da un livello simile al mio, vi ha aiutato davvero a diventare più fluenti?

Accetto volentieri qualsiasi consiglio o esperienza personale. Grazie!

TLDR: what is the correct pronunciation of the phrase “close-clenched hand,” in Sara Teasdale’s poem “Refuge.”

I have a long-standing feud with several choir friends over a line in the Sara Teasdale poem “Refuge” as set for choir by composer Elaine Hagenberg. The line reads “Sifting through my close-clenched hand.” During rehearsals, I noticed that I was one of the only members of the choir pronouncing the word \[klos\]-clenched instead of \[kloz\]-clenched. I put the question to the rest of the choir and was met with scorn and derision. I was not able to make a coherent enough argument about my pronunciation to win over the choir, who kept saying things like, “you wouldn’t \[klos\] your hand, that makes no sense!” To make matters worse, the composer of the piece visited our choir and said she always thought the word was pronounced with a “z” sound as well. The choir took this as the final word on the subject. I know I am right about this, but I am not an expert. This argument has dragged on now for four years, resurfacing every time I see these friends. I will tolerate their snide comments no longer (I’m sorry, our time together has come to a \[klos\] haha). I need vindication. Help me, Reddit.

PS
My partner was the director of said choir, and she privately told me she agreed with me (of course, a ‘z’ sound makes no sense) but left me hanging in front of the ensemble. I will never forgive her for this.

Student: How do children learn new things?

Teacher: They should....them to learn better.

a. protect

b. experience

c. happen

d. spend

Guys what do you think about this question in a NATIONAL EXAM( not considering the level of it)?

Don't you think the pronoun "them" is unclear?

I just feel it can't be a standard question

As stated above.

Can they be both? I'm confused

Here is a snippet of the opening, is something missing before "Priorities"?

Because as Senator Padilla and others on both sides of the aisle will tell us shortly, there are urgent domestic needs that we should be addressing instead of sending more money for Trump to drop bombs overseas. Priorities like disaster relief for our communities that have been ravaged by the unthinkable or taking action to lower families costs. You know what's a crisis right now? the fact that there are families I hear from back home who are working full-time and still being forced to decide whether to skip meals so they finally can buy their kids a pair of shoes.

Video link