Ask About English

AAE Q151: 'in/at school'

2008-09-04T11:03:00.001+01:00

Hello!
Which is more correct?

We studied basic English in school? vs. We studied basic English at School?
Thank you!

Hi,

The only difference is that "in school" is American English and "at school" is British English.

M

AAE Q150: order of adjectives

2008-09-04T10:58:00.002+01:00

Hi Matt,

I'd like to ask you about order of adjectives in sentence. In Czech, when we have two blue shirts and one is dirty, we say "the dirty blue shirt". When we have two dirty shirts and one is blue, we say "the blue dirty shirt". The more outstanding attribute can be emphasised by moving to the beginning. But at school I was learnt that English has this constant order:

number -> judgement -> size, length, height -> age -> colour -> origin -> material -> purpose

So, in our case, English would always say "the dirty blue shirt" (since "dirty" is a judgement?) without a possibility to emphasise one of attributes? Is it really so strict?

Thanks,
Vlada

Hi,

Thanks for your question.

I would say that it is possible to emphasise one of the attributes if you need to differentiate between similar objects. Referring back to your example, if there were two or more dirty shirts and one of them was blue it is possible to refer to this one as "the blue dirty shirt".

M

AAE Q149: 'wet-eared'

2008-09-04T10:46:00.003+01:00

hi,

I wonder the meaning of the word 'wet-eared'.

Thanks

Hello,

This is from the expression "to be wet behind the ears" which is used to describe a person who is either very young or inexperienced. It originates from the fact that newborn babies are still wet (and obviously inexperienced).

Therefore to describe someone as wet-eared is to say that they have little experience.

M

AAE Q148: can't get a hold of him

2008-09-04T10:40:00.001+01:00

Hello.

I heard the phrase : "I can't get (a) hold of him" twice. At first, there was an "a", but in the other situation, there wasn't. Are there any differences? Which sentence is correct?

Thanks Bara

Hi Bara,

Basically, both sentences are correct and there are no differences in meaning.

M

AAE Q147: G.I.

2008-09-04T10:29:00.002+01:00

Hi Matt,

I'd like to ask you about a "G. I. soldier"

Thanks Mirek

Hi Mirek,

GI or G.I. is a term describing members of the U.S. armed forces or items of their equipment. It may be used as an adjective or as a noun. The term is often thought to be an initialism of "Government Issue" or "General Infantry" but the origin of the term is in fact galvanized iron after the letters "GI" that used to denote equipment such as metal trash cans made from it in U.S. Army inventories and supply records.

During World War I it was somehow assumed that GI stood for "Government Issue" and the term was applied to all military equipment and the soldiers themselves (another incorrect interpretation is "General Infantry"). The term reached even further as its usage spread with the American troops during World War II.

Hope this helps

M

AAE Q146: 'hard-done by'

2008-07-18T11:44:00.002+01:00

Hi,

What does it mean ¨to feel hard done by.."

.....and how to use it in sentences

Ivana

Hi,

Please click here for my previous definition.

Matt

AAE Q145: 'longest word'

2008-07-18T11:33:00.002+01:00

Hi,

I have a bee in my bonnet about what's the longest word in English?

Thanks for the answer

Best regards Roman

Hi,

It really depends what you mean by the longest word, but the longest recognised, non-technical word (which isn't a place name) is:

antidisestablishmentarianism

It is a political position that originated in nineteenth-century Britain, where antidisestablishmentarians were opposed to proposals to remove the Church of England's status as the state church of England forwarded principally by both Payne and Tuffin.

Thanks

M

AAE Q144: 'apostrophe s'

2008-05-26T19:51:00.002+01:00

Hi,

I have a question concerning apostrophe –‘s.

I have been taught that apostrophe “-'s” is not applicable to things, ideas etc. just to people, animals, places and time.(English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy). But very often I can see in the technical standards using -‘s for objects. For example:

The fire scenario's primary purpose is to identify the product's potential contribution to each

hazardous aspect of the developing fire and, thereby, those aspects of the product's fire

performance which affect the outcome of the fire scenario. Once the key contributors are

established, methods for their quantification or measurement must be identified as illustrated

in Flowchart 1.

Is the use of apostrophe in this context correct?

I wonder because there was a discussion between people having English as mother language and people learned English as second language. Some English speaking people insist that using the apostrophe for things is correct and Murphy has wrong.

I appreciate your answer very much.

Best regards,
Irina Ekblad

Hi Irina,

I have been doing some research on the subject and, to be honest, finding a set of rules which works all the time is impossible.

Firstly I would like to say that all of the highlighted examples above are completely fine; using the apostrophe for things, people or animals is correct.

However sometimes it is not necessary to use an apostrophe: if the noun is a building, an object, or a piece of furniture

room of the hotel = hotel room

door of the car = car door

leg of the table = table leg

Hope this helps.

Matt

AAE Q143: 'at the right place at the right time'

2008-05-26T19:34:00.003+01:00

Hi,

Could you tell me which sentence is right?:

"be at the right place at the right time"
or
"be in the right place at the right time"

and how can i answer the sentence "nice to meet you"??

thanks...

Hi,

Both of these sentences are correct. In English you can either be 'in' a place or 'at' a place and often both. The sentence is an expression and personally I don't think it is important which one you use.

The usual response to "nice to meet you" is "nice to meet you too".

Please click here for more examples of greetings.

Matt

AAE Q142: 'call it a day'

2008-05-22T14:01:00.003+01:00

Hi Matt,

Can you explain to me sentence "Call it a day?"

Thanks for your answer

Have a nice day

Iva

Hi,

If someone "calls it a day" they stop doing something, especially working.

After playing together for 20 years the band have finally decided to call it a day.

It's almost midnight - I think it's time to call it a day.

Hope this helps

M

AAE Q141: ''What's new?'

2008-05-20T11:22:00.003+01:00

Hi,

Could you tell me how you would ask students about what is new in their lives or in the world (been to the cinema, visited any exhibitin, etc.)?

Would you say: What´s new? or What´s up?

Thanks,

Dasa

Hi Dasa,

There are a few ways how to ask this:

What's new?

Have you got any news?

Has anything new been going on recently?

What have you been up to recently? (this is what I use the most)

Have you done anything interesting recently?

Hope this helps

Matt

Sorry

2008-05-20T11:18:00.002+01:00

Hi,

I am very sorry for not posting anything for a long time. I have been very busy and have had some problems.

I will be posting again within the next few days.

I will answer your questions as soon as possible.

Thanks for your patience.

Matt

AAE Q140: 'will'

2008-04-09T22:47:00.003+01:00

Hi

I would like to ask you when i can use 'will' like a modal verb..in which specific situations?

Hi,

These are the functions of 'will', as a modal verb:

Instant decisions: 'I can’t see any taxis so I’ll walk.'

Offer: 'I'll do that for you if you like.'

Promise: 'I’ll get back to you first thing on Monday.'

Certain prediction: 'Profits will increase next year.'

Hope this helps

Matt

AAE Q139: 'speak to' vs 'speak with'

2008-04-08T11:56:00.003+01:00

hi,

can u tell me what is a difference between - 'speak to' someone and 'speak with' someone.

Thank you.

Hi,

In most uses these combinations are interchangeable: "I spoke to [with] her for only a few minutes". In some cases, however, there may be slight differences: 'Speak to' sounds a bit more one-sided, perhaps, than 'speak with', which suggests more give and take (more of a two-way conversation).

Thanks

m

AAE Q138: 'hire, rent, lease'

2008-04-08T11:37:00.002+01:00

Hello,

I would ask you if you could explain me differences between words: hire, rent and lease.

Thank you

Hi,

Both 'to rent' and 'to hire' can mean to pay money to borrow sth for a short time: to hire a car / room / video. Rent, in this meaning is used most in American English, and hire in British English.

'To hire' can also mean to give sb a job: "She was hired three years ago" or to employ sb for a short time to do a particular job: to hire a lawyer.

'To rent' and 'to lease' also mean to regularly pay money to sb so that you can use sth that they own, such as a house, some land, a machine.

Matt

AAE Q137: 'tut-tut'

2008-04-08T11:32:00.002+01:00

Hi!

I'd like to ask you when is the interjection 'tut-tut' used?

Thanks

Hi,

This interjection is used when we which to express disapproval, annoyance or impatience.

M

AAE Q136: 'cold turkey'

2008-04-03T14:59:00.003+01:00

Hi Matt.

What does mean expression"cold turkey"

thanx

Hi,

"Cold turkey" is a slang expression describing the actions of a person who gives up a addiction or habit all at once.

For example:

"I am going to give up smoking; I am going cold turkey from tomorrow"
"My bad shoulder forced me to quit playing tennis cold turkey."

This term may have come from the earlier expression talk turkey (for blunt speaking). At first used strictly for abrupt withdrawal from drugs or alcohol, it soon was transferred to quitting any habit or activity.

Matt

AAE Q135: 'food'

2008-03-19T20:27:00.007+01:00

Hello,

I´d like to ask you what difference is between chop and cutlet ? and between salami and sausage?

thanks for answers:) P.

Hi,

A chop is:

an individual cut or portion of meat (mutton, lamb, veal, or pork) and usually contains a rib.

A cutlet is:

1. A thin slice of meat, usually veal or lamb, cut from the leg or ribs.
2. A patty of chopped meat or fish, usually coated with bread crumbs and fried; a flat croquette.

A sausage is:

minced pork, beef, or other meats, often combined, together with various added ingredients and seasonings, usually stuffed into a prepared intestine or other casing and often made in links.

Salami is:

Any of various highly spiced and salted sausages, made from beef or a mixture of pork and beef.

Hope this helps

M

AAE Q134: 'meet' vs 'meet with'

2008-03-17T20:45:00.001+01:00

Hi

What is the difference between 'I will meet you' and 'I will meet with you'?

Thanks

Hi

I will meet you

There is a difference: I will meet you or I'll meet you, could mean all kinds of things. It could mean that we're going to have a meeting, and we're going to do some work together; but it could simply mean that's where we're going to see each other, and we're going to go and do something else afterwards.

I will meet with you

'I will meet with you' does imply a number of things: it implies that it's quite formal; it implies that it's very professional reasons and it implies that somehow, we're going to collaborate on something ...and that it will go on for quite a long time.

Hope this helps

M

Phrase of the Day 187: 'speak of the devil'

2008-03-17T20:35:00.002+01:00

"Speak of the Devil"

definition: this is used as a reference to someone who appears unexpectedly while being talked about.

example:

John- "Bill is qitting his job!"
Simon - "Really...why?"
John - "Well some one told me that ..."

Bill enters the room

John - "Well speak of the devil!"

Phrase of the Day 186: 'scot free'

2008-03-17T20:29:00.003+01:00

"Scot free"

definition: to escape pursuers or avoid payment/prison sentence.

example: "That man who murdered his wife got off scot free! Can you believe it?"

origin: The term is a contraction of 'scot and lot'. Scot was the tax and lot, or allotment, was the share given to the poor. Scot as a term for tax has been used since then to mean many different types of tax. Whatever the tax, the phrase 'scot free' just refers to not paying one's taxes.

No one likes paying tax and people have been getting off scot free since at least the 16th century

AAE Q133: 'able' vs 'capable' +

2008-03-10T19:49:00.002+01:00

Hi,

I have some questions about differences between:

1) 'be able to' and 'be capable of'

Able is followed by an infinitive. If someone is able to do something, they can do it and it is not unusual or surprising if they do it: 'The doctor said that after a few years I'd be able to get out of bed'. 'Will you be able to play on Saturday?'

Capable is followed by the preposition of and a gerund/participle. If someone is capable of (doing) something, they do not usually do it, but it is possible for them to do it if they want to: 'I'm sure he's quite capable of getting here on time, but he can't be bothered'. 'The power station is capable of generating enough electricity for the whole region'

2) 'remainder' and 'rest' - What should be used in maths: 5/3=1 remainder or
rest 2?

In Maths it should be 'remainder'

3) dish and bowl - I have soup in a dish or in a bowl ?

dish: a flat shallow container for cooking food in or serving it from: a glass dish: an ovenproof dish ; a baking / serving dish ; They helped themselves from a large dish of pasta.

bowl: (especially in compounds) a deep round dish with a wide open top, used especially for holding food or liquid: a salad / fruit / sugar, etc. bowl ; a washing-up bowl

Basically a dish is shallower than a bowl. I would normally eat soup from a soup-bowl.

Thank you
Martin

Hope this helps

M

Phrase of the Day 185: 'a rip off'

2008-03-07T01:55:00.003+01:00

"a rip off"

definition: A product or service that is overpriced or of poor quality; something, such as a film or story, that is clearly imitative of or based on something else.

example: 'A bought a second-hand car for 1000 pounds...but it broke down and the mechanic told me it needs a new engine...; what a rip off!!!'

AAE Q132: 'another' and 'other'

2008-03-03T19:57:00.001+01:00

Hi,

What is the difference between 'other' and 'another'?

T

Hi,

Please click here to see my previous post on the subject.

Matt

AAE Q131: 'cool'

2008-03-03T19:52:00.002+01:00

Hi,

What does 'cool' mean?

Hi,

Cool has many meanings:

1. fairly cold: somewhat cold, usually pleasantly so

2. staying calm: staying calm or not showing emotions, especially nervousness or fear

3. fashionable: fashionable and sophisticated ( informal ): looking cool

4. unfriendly: unfriendly or unenthusiastic: They gave us a somewhat cool reception.

5. emphasizing sum of money: used to emphasize how large a sum of money is ( slang ):
a cool $3.2 million

6. excellent: used to indicate approval or admiration ( slang ): a cool idea

7. OK: used to indicate agreement or acceptance ( slang ): That's cool, no problem.

8. seeming cold: giving an impression of coldness: a cool mint green

9. keeping temperature low: made of fabric that keeps the body at a pleasant temperature when it is hot

m