A YetiGuide® : How To Post In Proper English

Samurai · 2nd July 2010, 16:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by gavinimurthy

I thought so. :-)

But this confused me.

A YetiGuide® guide to tattooing! (

1 2 3 4 5)
R32_GTR

It is not started by Yeti/ Sam.

Oops, that's a result of a merge, we will fix it.

anupmathur · 2nd July 2010, 21:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai

Oops, that's a result of a merge, we will fix it.

Fixed?
I see that these are just different pages of the same thread!

Samurai · 2nd July 2010, 22:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Fixed?
I see that these are just different pages of the same thread!

You can't see the problem anymore since it is fixed.

Blue Thunder · 5th July 2010, 18:28

Some interesting info reg. plurals in the English language :

Singular or plural for groups of people

Quote:

Originally Posted by www.englisch-hilfen.de

Which phrase is correct - the class was or the class were? Is the word class a singular noun or a plural noun? This question cannot be answered with Yes or No. Use the singular if you see the class as a group of students. Use the plural if you see the class as single students.

In British English the plural is used more often than in American English.

English plural - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quote:

Originally Posted by en.wikipedia.org : Discretionary Plurals

A number of words like army, company, crowd, fleet, government, majority, mess, number, pack, and party may refer either to a single entity or the members of the set that compose it. Also in British English, names of towns and countries take plural verbs when they refer to sports teams but singular verbs when they refer to the actual place: England are playing Germany tonight refers to a football game, but England is the most populous country of the United Kingdom refers to the country. In North American English, such words are invariably treated as singular.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

I think that was not an apostrophe. It was within quotes...

Yes, that is right, thanks, mallumowgli !

Samurai · 6th July 2010, 09:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Wolf

No Sharath, I said "I couldnt agree with you any lesser" which means I agree with you completely. You read me wrong I guess!

Can I get clarification on this?

Couldn't agree with you more -> Agree completely
Couldn't agree with you any lesser -> ?????

Gansan · 6th July 2010, 09:55

Another funny usage I have come across during my school days (from certain sections of society in Chennai) was "degree Paal (milk)"/ degree coffee" - (made out of degree milk)!. It just meant pure and undiluted with water.

It seems in those days reputed hotels used a lactometer to check the purity of milk they procured from milk vendors. Now these people had seen a thermometer being used by doctors (Doctor checked the degree for me,they will say) and somehow confused it with the lactometer! Hence, "degree milk"!

Abhay · 6th July 2010, 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai

Can I get clarification on this?

Couldn't agree with you more -> Agree completely
Couldn't agree with you any lesser -> ?????

I don't think the "agree any lesser" makes too much sense.
Just like "I couldn't care less about something" means I do not care at all about it but "I couldn't care more about it" does not make much sense if as you would rather say I care a lot about it.

When there are simpler and effective phrases why not use them like "I simply disagree with you/your opinion" - what say experts?

Rehaan · 6th July 2010, 12:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai

Couldn't agree with you any lesser -> ?????

I share the same view as you on this, IMO it means the person agrees with you so little that it wouldn't be possible to agree any less.

I guess the wolf took it as sort of double negative (which i dont think it is).

Switched around it would read "I could agree with you more" - which isn't quite what he meant.

cya
R

gavinimurthy · 6th July 2010, 15:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gansan

Another funny usage I have come across during my school days (from certain sections of society in Chennai) was "degree Paal (milk)"/ degree coffee" - (made out of degree milk)!. It just meant pure and undiluted with water.

Degree coffee is not the coffeee made out of degree milk.

In traditional rich families of the olden days, the coffee powder used for making filter coffee is thrown away after a single use. In less rich families the remaining coffee powder which remains in the top vessel (after all the water has seeped through) is used once again to make a lesser concentrated filter coffee by filling the top vessel once again. Some use it a third time also.

The decoction that is obtained in the first go is called degree coffee. Obviously degree coffee is mixed with pure milk (undiluted) to make it more tastier.

Murthy

gavinimurthy · 6th July 2010, 15:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai

Can I get clarification on this?

Couldn't agree with you more -> Agree completely
Couldn't agree with you any lesser -> ?????

In English conversations, people often say that they agree or disagree with each other. There are many ways of agreeing or disagreeing and the one you use depends on how strongly you agree or disagree. Here's a list of some common expressions.

Agreeing in English

"I think you're right."
"I agree with you."
Strong agreement

"I couldn't agree with you more."
"You're absolutely right."
"I agree entirely."
"I totally agree."

Partly agreeing

"I agree with you up to a point, but…"
"That's quite true, but…"
"I agree with you in principle, but…"

Disagreeing

"I'm not sure I agree with you."
"(I'm afraid) I don't agree."
"(I'm afraid) I disagree."
"(I'm afraid) I can't agree with you."
"(I'm afraid) I don't share your opinion."
Note

When you disagree with someone in English, you can often sound more polite by using a phrase such as "I'm afraid…"

Disagreeing strongly

"I don't agree at all."
"I totally disagree."
"I couldn't agree with you less."

************

Agreeing in English

Murthy

esteemer · 12th July 2010, 21:37

Need help on a sentence. Neither my parents nor my teacher could answer confidently.

The sentence : My sister hates cats.
Instruction : Use the word "aversion".
Result : ? : My sister has an aversion to cats, OR, My sister has an aversion for cats. ?

Blue Thunder · 12th July 2010, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by esteemer

...My sister has an aversion to cats...

This is right
.

vivekiny2k · 12th July 2010, 21:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by esteemer

Need help on a sentence. Neither my parents nor my teacher could answer confidently.

The sentence : My sister hates cats.
Instruction : Use the word "aversion".
Result : ? : My sister has an aversion to cats, OR, My sister has an aversion for cats. ?

hate and aversion are two different things. in any case, "is averse to" sound more correct to me.

esteemer · 12th July 2010, 22:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

hate and aversion are two different things. in any case, "is averse to" sound more correct to me.

Yeah, believe me, I'd rather use hate. But the pattern of questions in ICSE Grammar is as follows :

1. He hates cats. (Use "aversion")

Thus I needed to clear the doubt.

Blue Thunder · 12th July 2010, 22:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

hate and aversion are two different things...

no, they are similar; hate is probably a stronger version of aversion

.

6th July 2010, 09:55	#1281
Gansan Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 4,636 Thanked: 6,018 Times	Another funny usage I have come across during my school days (from certain sections of society in Chennai) was "degree Paal (milk)"/ degree coffee" - (made out of degree milk)!. It just meant pure and undiluted with water. It seems in those days reputed hotels used a lactometer to check the purity of milk they procured from milk vendors. Now these people had seen a thermometer being used by doctors (Doctor checked the degree for me,they will say) and somehow confused it with the lactometer! Hence, "degree milk"! Last edited by Gansan : 6th July 2010 at 09:57.
	() Thanks

12th July 2010, 21:37	#1286
esteemer BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Delhi Posts: 139 Thanked: 25 Times	Need help on a sentence. Neither my parents nor my teacher could answer confidently. The sentence : My sister hates cats. Instruction : Use the word "aversion". Result : ? : My sister has an aversion to cats, OR, My sister has an aversion for cats. ?
	() Thanks