# I can't take it / stand it [also 'wanna']



## Antonio

Hi Group,

I can take it, is the same thing as, I can stand it?


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## Elena

I think it does, just that when you wanna say you hate sb or that he/she bothers you, you use to say I can't _stand_ him/her; in this case you don't use ''take'', because I think that would have another meaning, such as ''I can't bring you somewhere''.


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## jacinta

Yes, "I can't take it" and "I can't stand it" are the same.  They are both used interchangeably.  *I can't stand him * and *I can't take him * also mean the same.


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## cuchuflete

Elena said:
			
		

> I think it does, just that when you wanna say you hate sb or that he/she bothers you, you use to say I can't _stand_ him/her; in this case you don't use ''take'', because I think that would have another meaning, such as ''I can't bring you somewhere''.



Hola Elena,

Haz el favor de decir 'want to' y no 'wanna'.  Wanna no es una palabra inglesa, aunque mucha gente lo diga es incorrecta.

gracias,
Cuchufléte


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## Elena

Wanna es ''want to'' en inglés americano


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## jacinta

Elena said:
			
		

> Wanna es ''want to'' en inglés americano




Elena:  No se escribe *wanna*.  La forma correcta en escribir es *want to. *  La palabra *wanna* no aparece en ningun diccionario.  Aunque en forma de hablar, *want to * suena con *wanna*, es incorrecto escribirlo así.  Y por favor, ¡no des a los pobres americanos esta forma de mal educación!


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## Elena

Vale, puedo incluso llegar a dudar que wanna sea una expresión americana, aunque estaba casi segura de que lo era. Pero es que lo he encontrado en muchos sitios, y lo he oído muchas veces. Aparece que ''wanna'' es una forma abreviada coloquial de ''want to''


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## jacinta

Since this is an English only forum, I'll switch to the proper language.  I'm not denying the existence of this little word *wanna.*  It may appear in written *dialogue* but the fact remains that in written form, the correct words should be used.


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## Spicy

Che bello per me capire Elena, Cuchufléte e Giacinta che parlano in spagnolo..........in riferimento a parole inglesi...


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## Artrella

Spicy said:
			
		

> Che bello per me capire Elena, Cuchufléte e Giacinta che parlano in spagnolo..........in riferimento a parole inglesi...



Ciao, Spicy!
cosa dice Spicy?  Non capisco chi vuoi dire!  Il mio marito sa un po di italiano perche la sua mamma ha nasciuto a Padova.  Arrivederci! Art


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## cuchuflete

Spicy said:
			
		

> Che bello per me capire Elena, Cuchufléte e Giacinta che parlano in spagnolo..........in riferimento a parole inglesi...



Scusi Spicy. Dovremo parlare sempre l'italiano, ma mi sono dimenticato di quasi tutto.

Cuchu


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## cuchuflete

Elena said:
			
		

> Wanna es ''want to'' en inglés americano


*as spoken by the uneducated, standing on street corners, as they punctuate their illiterate sentences with four letter words and vague approximations of decent English.* 

Yes, you may use such words(!) but their use will mark you as one who has never read a book.  We offer the suggestion to write and speak properly for your own benefit.

Saludos,
C.


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## Spicy

Astrella I just said: - it is nice to me to understand Elena, Cuchufléte and Giacinta speacking each other in their own language (spanish) even if I am italian   (just because I perceive the meaning but I never studied Spanish).

On the other end I would remind to Elena, Cuchufléte and Giacinta that this should be a forum for English only....    I am guilty as well....


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## lau

1 - wanna is used all the time in spoken english and is perfectly acceptable in informal english writing.  If, however, you were writing a letter you should always always always used the more formal version and avoid contractions of any kind such as can't instead of cannot.  I resent the fact you said it sounds uneducated.  It's just colloquial and if people want to sound fluent then picking up on little nuances of language such as this are essential.

2 - 'i can't take it' and 'i can't stand it' are the same but in other senses 'take' and 'stand' cannot be used in the same way.  You would say 'I can't stand him' but never say 'I can't take him'.  'I can't take..' can only really go with the pronoun 'it'.


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## kainat

language please


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## garryknight

kainat said:
			
		

> language please


 Yes, I agree. We want more language, please!


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## dave

lau said:
			
		

> 1 - wanna is used all the time in spoken english and is perfectly acceptable in informal english writing.



I'm not sure what you mean by informal English writing. In dialogue, if you need to reflect the pronunciation traits of a character, then of course it would be acceptable, and also for humourous effect, but I can't imagine any other examples of written English where it would be correct. Unlike legitimate abbreviations such as _can't _ and _hadn't_, I don't think _wanna _ is considered a real word (not even a slang or colloquial word) - it is merely a phonetic rendering of our sloppy pronunciation.

I think the point that was being made was that this is a language forum, and therefore native speakers have a duty to use 'correct' langauge (lest non-native speakers learn from our bad habits), and to point out to non-native speakers their use of incorrect or inappropriate language. Use and discussions of colloquial or incorrect language may of course be appropriate, but only when it is made clear that that's what it is.

No doubt there will be other opinions on this!


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## Elena

Yes! Thank you Spicy.
Because I thought Cuchuflete was the one who started speaking Spanish.

Thanks,
E.


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## lau

what was meant by 'language please'????

i am aware it's not a real word but i think you could easily use it in texts/emails.. and it's important for foreign language learners to be aware of it.  irregardless it is used repeatedly in spoken language

learning foreign languages myself i would be appreciative of people telling me slang terms

i'm new to the forum and was just trying to be helpful

besides some of the, *ahem*, best songs contain this 'non-word'... 'i really really really wanna zigazigahhhhh'


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## lau

for reference i do realise that wanna is not the same as can't or don't


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## jacinta

garryknight said:
			
		

> Yes, I agree. We want more language, please!




I don't understand this.  What do you mean by this??


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## quehuong

cuchufléte said:
			
		

> *as spoken by the uneducated, standing on street corners, as they punctuate their illiterate sentences with four letter words and vague approximations of decent English.*
> 
> Yes, you may use such words(!) but their use will mark you as one who has never read a book.  We offer the suggestion to write and speak properly for your own benefit.
> 
> Saludos,
> C.



Mr. Cuchu,

Even though I'm not Elena, I am very appalled and offended by your choice of explaining the usage of *wanna*.


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## Artrella

Spicy said:
			
		

> Astrella I just said: - it is nice to me to understand Elena, Cuchufléte and Giacinta speacking each other in their own language (spanish) even if I am italian   (just because I perceive the meaning but I never studied Spanish).
> 
> On the other end I would remind to Elena, Cuchufléte and Giacinta that this should be a forum for English only....    I am guilty as well....


 

Yes, we are all guilty for not abiding by the rules.  But well, may be we just wanted to indulge ourselves by speaking some "Italian" (between inverted commas in my case because I know very little Italian)  Bye Bye Spicy, by the way have you tried the forum I mentioned?  Cheers, Art


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## Artrella

cuchufléte said:
			
		

> *as spoken by the uneducated, standing on street corners, as they punctuate their illiterate sentences with four letter words and vague approximations of decent English.*
> 
> Yes, you may use such words(!) but their use will mark you as one who has never read a book.  We offer the suggestion to write and speak properly for your own benefit.
> 
> Saludos,
> C.




I agree with you in that "wanna" "gonna" "aint" and so on are not proper English words, but I think that this does not allow you to say that people who say these words are illiterate or have not ever read a book.  I sometimes say these words colloquially and I can assure you that since I am 5 years old I've been reading a great many books of all kinds.  Don't be so strict, let yourself go... What do you think?  Need we be so strict always?


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## garryknight

jacinta said:
			
		

> I don't understand this.  What do you mean by this??


 It was a feeble attempt at humour. Kainat said "language please", presumably meaning something like "Watch your language, please" and I took it literally, as if kainat meant "give me some language, please". So I said, "Yes, I agree. We want more language, please!". Not very funny when it's explained. [Not very funny when it isn't.]


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## Artrella

garryknight said:
			
		

> Yes, I agree. We want more language, please!




Garry as you know I'm doing my English Teacher's training Course, and at the Profesorado we are compelled to write (spelling) and to pronounce in the British fashion.  No "Rs" for instance unless a sound vowel follows it.  What's worse we have to practice "glottal stop" which is almost impossible to produce being not a native speaker.  So as an Englishman you can teach us some beautil, posh words.  I really would like it, because at the Profesorado we are punished if we speak American... Yours, Art


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## Artrella

quehuong said:
			
		

> Mr. Cuchu,
> 
> Even though I'm not Elena, I am very appalled and offended by your choice of explaining the usage of *wanna*.




We have to respect people! Art.


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## lau

the problem with the debate on whether wanna etc etc etc is a word is how far are we going to attempt to maintain "shakepeare's" english and how far are we going to let our beautiful language evolve?

whether we like it or not many colloquial or 'phonetic contractions' of words are now commonplace.  emails/texts etc are breaking down rules of grammar, punctuation (as shown by my appalling lack of it) and spelling....

what are people's thoughts on this?  should we let the language evolve?

i personally think that it is inevitable and we shouldn't so defensive about a language that has come about through the evolvolution and usage of other languages - change is coming so should we not welcome it rather than being bitter about it?  although our gut reaction is to cry out against the appalling ' how r u, i am good'... is it not the future?


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## garryknight

Artrella said:
			
		

> What's worse we have to practice "glottal stop" which is almost impossible to produce being not a native speaker.


 I feel that way about rolled (or trilled) Rs. I never could get the hang of them.



			
				Artrella said:
			
		

> So as an Englishman you can teach us some beautil, posh words.


 Words in themselves aren't posh. If "posh" still exists these days it's in the attitudes of part of British society towards another small part of society, but any class barriers that exist now don't stratify society in the same way they did in the past. The word is still used in a small, localised sense, e.g. "I'm going to wear my posh shoes to the party tonight", but when applied to people and their lifestyles it often takes on a slightly pejorative air.

 On the other hand, if you want more of the kind of words used by well-educated people like yourself then I've noticed that there are a few forum contributors to watch out for. I'm sure you'll guess who they are.


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## quehuong

A, 

So, they'd skin you for practicing (using, teaching) American English in Argentina?  How interesting!  I find all dialects of English very charming, and I don't really understand why some countries are very STRICT about just learning the standard British English.  



			
				lau said:
			
		

> the problem with the debate on whether wanna etc etc etc is a word is how far are we going to attempt to maintain "shakepeare's" english and how far are we going to let our beautiful language evolve?
> 
> whether we like it or not many colloquial or 'phonetic contractions' of words are now commonplace.  emails/texts etc are breaking down rules of grammar, punctuation (as shown by my appalling lack of it) and spelling....
> 
> what are people's thoughts on this?  should we let the language evolve?
> 
> i personally think that it is inevitable and we shouldn't so defensive about a language that has come about through the evolvolution and usage of other languages - change is coming so should we not welcome it rather than being bitter about it?  although our gut reaction is to cry out against the appalling ' how r u, i am good'... is it not the future?



L, 

It's impossible to stop the wheel of evolution of language (language in the general sense).  Why should one want to stop language from evolving?  Wouldn't language then be stagnant and very boring?  However, I like rules a lot, well, some rules at least.  As a result, I believe that we should examine, sift, and evaluate the inner and outer changes of our language (here English) with the utmost respect, then situate/organize the changes to fit the system of our language.  The ones that don't fit our system are eradicated right away or soon.  



> emails/texts etc are breaking down rules of grammar, punctuation (as shown by my appalling lack of it) and spelling....



No, I don't believe that the age of information has broken *down* rules of grammar, punctuations etc.  If by breaking down you mean decomposing, falling apart, collapsing, crumbling and the likes, then you don't know grammar (syntax) well enough yet.  

If you take out the word [down], then I'll be very happy to agree with you to a certain degree. 



> although our gut reaction is to cry out against the appalling ' how r u, i am good'... is it not the future?



I find *how r u* very interesting and creative.  *I am good* on the other hand is okay in informal discourse.  

I don't think *how r u* will replace *how are you* in the future.  If you look at the history of the verb *to be*, then you'll see why.  I can see *u* replacing *you*, but not the *r* replacing the verb *are*.  A different form, perhaps, but not *r*.

*I am good* has a good chance like *who ... a preposition*.  *Who are you going with* is acceptable too most Americans, but *With who are you going* is not acceptable.

I like your openness to change.

Well, I gotta go now.  Discuss language with you next time.


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## DDT

Lau, I do guess we do have a very different opinion about "best songs"...despite of the fact that the 5 spicy """singers""" (I know that's too much, but "song-player" sounds pretty mechanical for a human being...) you were referring to remind me a gorgeous 1996! 
 

DDT


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## Artrella

garryknight said:
			
		

> I feel that way about rolled (or trilled) Rs. I never could get the hang of them.
> 
> 
> On the other hand, if you want more of the kind of words used by well-educated people like yourself then I've noticed that there are a few forum contributors to watch out for. I'm sure you'll guess who they are.




Garry it is probable that I misunderstood your mail.  What does it mean that there are a few forum contributors to watch out for.  Who are they?  Sorry, I can't understand what you meant to say.  Could you put it in plain words for me?  I'd appreciate it Garry.  Regards, Art


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## jacinta

garryknight
 
 On the other hand said:
			
		

> And again, garry!  What does this mean?
> 
> I'm sorry, everyone, for the way this thread is going.  I believe there is a tone to this thread that seems mean and unfriendly.   I hold fast to my opinion on the use of wanna and gonna but I'm not going to discuss it anymore here.
> 
> Saludos


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## LadyBlakeney

Jacinta, your remark couldn't be kinder, not only I agree with you, but I defend your right to express your opinion. 

Of course, that freedom of expression goes for Lau too, for I think each forum member should decide the value of each opinion that is expressed here. In that sense, I wouldn't be much impressed by Lau's cries for "Freedom!!!", considering that I am a non-native speaker of English and I found over thirty spelling and grammar mistakes in her four posts (and that's because I didn't pay attention to the "I" in lower case). I trust he/she will not be offended by my remarks, after all he/she doesn't seem ashamed at all by writing like that. But, honestly, living in Cambridge and misspelling Shakespeare...

I agree that Cuchufléte got a bit carried away, but I fully understand his feelings and his concern. I agree that informal speech is widely used by educated people in every language (and I understand those who resented Cuchu's words), but those people are aware of it, and use that speech with their friends or relatives, in a relaxed environment.

The problem is that many English learners speak like that because they don't know any better. I have met many non-natives who used slang when speaking English because they thought it made them sound "cool" or, "hip", but I thought they sounded lame, so I asked the natives about it. They told me that, if they knew the person was able to switch to formal speech whenever he or she wanted, then it was all right, but if the person only spoke informal English, they assumed he or she wasn't proficient in English. What's more, they admitted that, uncounsciously, they were assuming that the speaker was uneducated in his or her own language.

When I studied Spanish language in high school, I learned that a well educated person who commands a language is the one that dominates the formal speech as well as the informal speech and is able to use one or the other depending on the context and the level of education of his or her interlocutor. In that sense, I use informal speech a lot, but I wouldn't advise foreign learners of a language to use informal speech and disregard grammar and spelling rules, because I am sure it would be against their interests in the end.

I sincerely hope I didn't offend anybody. If I did, I apologize most humbly.


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## garryknight

Artrella said:
			
		

> What does it mean that there are a few forum contributors to watch out for.  Who are they?


 You said: "So as an Englishman you can teach us some beautil, posh words." And I wasn't sure what you meant by 'posh words'. So I said that if you wanted to learn the kind of words used by well-educated people like yourself - meaning words like "didactic" and "erudite" (as in another thread) and knowing the difference between them - then there are other people on the forums who use this kind of word and you can learn a lot from them. As for who they are, I would include Cuchufléte, LadyBlakeney, Jacinta, and many others from whom we could all learn. That's all I meant. But please let me know if it's still not clear and I'll try again.  



			
				jacinta said:
			
		

> And again, garry!  What does this mean?
> I'm sorry, everyone, for the way this thread is going. I believe there is a tone to this thread that seems mean and unfriendly. I hold fast to my opinion on the use of wanna and gonna but I'm not going to discuss it anymore here.


 I notice you talked about the tone to the thread just after mentioning my name and I sincerely hope you didn't think anything I said reflected on, or even related to, the wanna-gonna debate about which I have no strong feelings either way. I was simply replying to Artrella's request for 'posh words'. If you did think anything I said was a comment on your posts then I apologise for not being clearer. And if you didn't then maybe I've misunderstood and I apologise again.


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## jacinta

No, garry, that was meant as a separate question.  I meant, what do you mean, there are a few forum contributors to watch out for?  I really didn't know what you meant by that.  I wasn't including you in the tone of the thread.  Sorry if you understood it that way.


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## kainat

LadyBlakeney said:
			
		

> Jacinta, your remark couldn't be kinder, not only I agree with you, but I defend your right to express your opinion.
> 
> Of course, that freedom of expression goes for Lau too, for I think each forum member should decide the value of each opinion that is expressed here. In that sense, I wouldn't be much impressed by Lau's cries for "Freedom!!!", considering that I am a non-native speaker of English and I found over thirty spelling and grammar mistakes in her four posts (and that's because I didn't pay attention to the "I" in lower case). I trust he/she will not be offended by my remarks, after all he/she doesn't seem ashamed at all by writing like that. But, honestly, living in Cambridge and misspelling Shakespeare...
> 
> I agree that Cuchufléte got a bit carried away, but I fully understand his feelings and his concern. I agree that informal speech is widely used by educated people in every language (and I understand those who resented Cuchu's words), but those people are aware of it, and use that speech with their friends or relatives, in a relaxed environment.
> 
> The problem is that many English learners speak like that because they don't know any better. I have met many non-natives who used slang when speaking English because they thought it made them sound "cool" or, "hip", but I thought they sounded lame, so I asked the natives about it. They told me that, if they knew the person was able to switch to formal speech whenever he or she wanted, then it was all right, but if the person only spoke informal English, they assumed he or she wasn't proficient in English. What's more, they admitted that, uncounsciously, they were assuming that the speaker was uneducated in his or her own language.
> 
> When I studied Spanish language in high school, I learned that a well educated person who commands a language is the one that dominates the formal speech as well as the informal speech and is able to use one or the other depending on the context and the level of education of his or her interlocutor. In that sense, I use informal speech a lot, but I wouldn't advise foreign learners of a language to use informal speech and disregard grammar and spelling rules, because I am sure it would be against their interests in the end.
> 
> I sincerely hope I didn't offend anybody. If I did, I apologize most humbly.



I suggest that we start a new discussion based on the use and tone of language in different settings. It is very interesting and Lady's comments are informative to say the least


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## lau

Wow what a reply... a mix of nice, interesting discussion and just general derision.  I find it quite insulting that you question my knowledge of grammar... isn't this supposed to be a friendly web site?  In response to an earlier reply I said 'breaking down' as I believe that the rules are being broken down - some are adhered to, some aren't, some are followed in a lax fashion.  Thus they are not necessarily being fully 'broken', they are in the process of breaking down in this particular form of writing.

I cannot believe that you counted my errors.  How ridiculous.  I am a native English speaker and i thought you would value the input of someone who is interested in language and could help with the everyday use of my language but apparently not.  I am hurt and insulted by your attitude.  Not only do I live in Cambridge, I am a student at the university.  And guess what? I make mistakes!!!! I type quickly and don't have time to nitpick over rules of grammar when typing on the internet.

I thought by coming here i would enjoy discussion on something that I passionately love but clearly not.  Instead I have been berated and hurt.  I don't really think you have the right to insult me for the way i speak and write my own language.  This is how young, native english speakers write and talk, whether you like it or not.



p.s. if you seriously think I don't know that i should be I then you really need to lighten up


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## kainat

lau said:
			
		

> Wow what a reply... I cannot believe that you counted my errors.  How ridiculous.



Although Lau hasnt addressed me here, but allow me to specify the part of LadyBlakeney's thread to which I responded saying that _lets elaborate_...



			
				LadyBlakeney said:
			
		

> When I studied Spanish language in high school, I learned that a well educated person who commands a language is the one that dominates the formal speech as well as the informal speech and is able to use one or the other depending on the context and the level of education of his or her interlocutor.



Lau: hakuna matata


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## Tormenta

Hola Chicos y Chicas ( this is not too Argentinean, is it?)  

It is not my intention to reply to any specific comment , but I do wish to make a general comment.

Both languages, English and Spanish are spoken by millions of people in different countries, cultures and contexts.

Many of these people are native speakers; therefore, they feel that the way they speak that particular language is the correct one.

Of course, we cannot deny that there are "rules" , especially when it comes to grammar.  The ideal would be to learn all these rules
and speak/write properly.  But let's not forget that a language is a "living" thing, and it changes constantly; actually, people change it.

For example, I , as a native Spanish speaker, was most upset when the Real Academia decided to include "blue jeans" (among other things) 
in our Spanish dictionary.

I beg your pardon?  Are you kidding me? "Blue jeans" in MY Spanish dictionary?  Well, I was told to get over it!!!

I moved to the UK, 4 months ago. I was expecting to hear posh English everywhere, but this is not the case.  I hear things such as "me house" 
(my house), "alrite" (alright), etc , etc.  We can call it, colloquial, informal, argot, etc.........they call it English and I respect that. 

(by the way, lovely people those Northerners)

I guess most of us are hear to share, learn , and improve.   To me, this is a beautiful thing.

Being able to speak a foreign language is a gift and a blessing (to me, it is).  Let's relax, learn from each other , and let's keep in mind that,
in a given time and context, some things can be perfectly correct, even if the Real Academia says it is not......even if it does not sound posh enough
for some people.

Best luck to all of you, and remember: ""Caminante no hay camino, se hace camino al andar" A. Machado

  Claudia


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## lau

cheers me dear 
completely agree


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## Sharon

Well, I have stayed out of this so far, and I question the wisdom of jumping in now,but I have a few things I would like to add.
I agree with Dave's comment that the forum, as a whole, has the duty to use proper grammar and punctuation, as we are helping to teach our language. If we are trying to be helpful by teaching them the wrong thing, then we are doing them a disservice.
I also agree with Lady B, the person who truly commands the language is the one that shows ease in switching between formal and informal. If a person only uses informal speech, especially a native speaker, I do question their level of education.
I disagree to a small extent that people automatically think that a non-native speaker is not proficient in their own language, just because they are not proficient in their second one.  But I may have a broader mind than some, and I am learning a second language myself. ( Hee,hee - I once got my use of pronouns and reflexive verbs confused,  and wound up telling my Spanish professor that I had given him a bath that morning   !!!) *Humility teaches forgiveness.* 
I would like to say that if anyone sees an error in my English usage, please correct me, and I shall not be offended.  I truly enjoy the discussions here in the forum, and I have learned many things.
lau, all of us type too quickly, and make errors. However, as we know that we are teaching, we take the time to nitpick our rules. Otherwise, are we truly being helpful?  I am not trying to insult you, berate you, or show you derision in any way. I offer you no disrespect. 
To help all speakers of English, be they native or non, regardless of their level of education, I am going to correct a few misspelled words.

unco*u*nsciously...unless this is a British variation that I am not familiar with, this word is spelled "unconsciously"
*Ir*regardless... this is a common mistake. The word is "regardless," the word "irregardless" is not standard usage.
Evolvolution...this is spelled "evolution."

Hope I helped somebody !!


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## lau

Fair enough - point taken.

I do know how to spell, contrary to some people's musing at the level of my education, they were simple typing errors.  Generally, upon using the internet I do not concern myself with being 100% accurate, however, I see that upon this forum I should be more careful in order not to pass on bad habits.  I will try harder in future, but I would like to point out that just because someone mistypes a word does not mean they are uneducated!!!! 

I would quote my A-level results as proof, however, I fear this would bring on a discussion about the state of the English school system


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## quehuong

lau said:
			
		

> I find it quite insulting that you question my knowledge of grammar... isn't this supposed to be a friendly web site?  In response to an earlier reply I said 'breaking down' as I believe that the rules are being broken down - some are adhered to, some aren't, some are followed in a lax fashion.  Thus they are not necessarily being fully 'broken', they are in the process of breaking down in this particular form of writing.
> 
> I cannot believe that you counted my errors.  How ridiculous.  I am a native English speaker and i thought you would value the input of someone who is interested in language and could help with the everyday use of my language but apparently not.  I am hurt and insulted by your attitude.  Not only do I live in Cambridge, I am a student at the university.  And guess what? I make mistakes!!!! I type quickly and don't have time to nitpick over rules of grammar when typing on the internet.
> 
> I thought by coming here i would enjoy discussion on something that I passionately love but clearly not.  Instead I have been berated and hurt.  I don't really think you have the right to insult me for the way i speak and write my own language.  This is how young, native english speakers write and talk, whether you like it or not.
> 
> p.s. if you seriously think I don't know that i should be I then you really need to lighten up



Lau,

1.  "Well enough yet" does not mean "very little".  I've never heard Chomsky said, "I know syntax very well."
2.  I should have written "is breaking down" instead of "has broken down".  It was absolutely my fault in using the wrong tense.  Still, I'd expect a better use of verb on your part to express accommodations and changes in English grammar rules.  I guessed you were attending Cambridge.
3.  I believe the only error that I really "mentioned" was the use of the verb "breaking down".  
4.  I respect all speakers of English dialects.  That's the rule I live by and the rule I give my ESL students.  
5.  Discussing language, especially English, is a pleasure.  Attacking people is not!  Tell me which words I have used to attack your knowledge.

6.  I have no intention of hurting people's feelings here or elsewhere.  If I did hurt your feelings, I most sincerely apologize for causing you any discomfort.
7.  Living in Cambridge or attending Cambridge does not mean you're infallible.  Who is?  I don't daydream of perfection, and I don't ask anyone to be perfect.
8.  Passionately love language?  I imagine that's what you meant.  Well, many people love language passionately,too, otherwise we wouldn't be here discussing language.
9.  Did I berate you language?  Did I insult you for the way you write/speak your language? 


Tormenta and Sharon,

I agreed!  Thanks for jumping in and trying to spread peace.


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## lau

Quehuong,

Sorry, I should have made that clearer.. the first paragraph was in response to the question I raised earlier regarding the future of our language, however, the rest was in reply to Lady Blakeney who did indeed count my errors.

I know going to Cambridge doesn't make me infallible - God I know that too well!!!  People have the misconception that students at such a university are perfect or exceptionally bright.  I consider myself relatively intelligent but what I study is not the English language and so I don't pretend to have the knowledge you must have as a teacher of it.  I should have been clearer when recommending usage of language that I was recommending everyday use and that when raising questions about the future of English I was not assuming to know all the ins and outs, I was simply interested in what everyone else thought.

What I didn't really like was the way you picked at my words.  I only wanted to put forward what I thought was an interesting topic to discuss but you seemed to make it personal by referring to my level of grammar.  Anyway, I don't want to argue  in fact on my year abroad I want to be a language assistant for French and Italian so maybe you could offer some tips for teaching English? 

I apologise sincerely for any tension that I may have caused.  I certainly didn't come here with the intention of being embroiled in such a discussion!  I have the upmost respect for anyone who learns another language and who is interested in languages at all.  I just wish that posts did not become so personal.

For reference, I am not ashamed at how I write my own language as I know that I can write standard English when I wish to.  I may not know all the rules of English grammar (who does?) but if I can be of any help as regards to spoken, every day English then that's great.

I really don't want to argue, I just didn't expect my language to be inspected so carefully!  

Here's to happier conversations!
xxx


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## quehuong

Lau,

Let's have happier conversations! 

I was gonna edit my earlier post, but I thought editing it would cause readers to be a little confused of why you were upset with me.  Also, I think editing it would not change the fact that my words hurt you.  If you disagree, then I'll edit it.  

Nobody knows everything.  So, why must we be ashamed of our lack of knowledge of some things?  

You'll enjoy teaching English and you'll have plenty of resources here.

Peace?


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## garryknight

jacinta said:
			
		

> I wasn't including you in the tone of the thread.  Sorry if you understood it that way.


 No problem. Probably my fault for reading the forum at 2 in the morning after a hard day.


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## lau

Yes definitely peace!  Don't worry Quehuong I was probably being over sensitive. 

I'm glad I found this forum as I think it could come in very handy!!!  I study French and Italian so plan to use those boards when I have tricky translation moments!!!

Am exhausted after a day of failed attempts to write an essay and a debate about the Middle East so will go now but I'm happy that I can sleep peacefully


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