Like famous wrestler "The Rock" always quote : Do you smell what The Rock is cooking?
Gosh! It would be worst if the sign says Connecting Poopie..haha......Riza
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Comparatives vs. Superlatives
When you’re comparing items, you need to notice if you’re comparing two things or more than two things.When you compare two items, you’re using what’s called a comparative, so you use “more” before the adjective or the suffix “-er” on the end of it. You can remember that comparatives are for two thing because “comparative” has the sound “pair” in it and a pair is always two things. When you compare three or more items, you’re using a superlative, so you use “most” or the suffix “-est.” You can remember that superlatives are for more than two things because “superlative” has the word “super” in it and when you want a whole bunch of something, you supersize it.So to think about it loosely, use a comparative when you have a pair of things and a superlative when you have a supersized group (at least more than two).items.
For example, it would be incorrect to say, “It was the tallest of the two buildings.” You are comparing just two buildings, so you should use a comparative, “taller,” not a superlative, “tallest.” A tip to help you remember which suffix goes with which number of items is that “-er” has two letters, and it is for comparing two things; “-est” has three letters, and it is for comparing three or more things.Sometimes, though, an error of this kind sounds more natural than the grammatically correct version.
or for eg, You’ll hear, and probably say, “Put your best foot forward.” Of course we have only two feet, so we should really say “better foot,” but that sounds very strange. Maybe we say “best” because we are speaking figuratively, as in “Do the best you can”; we’re not really talking about actual feet. But we also say, “May the best team win,” usually when only two teams are playing.So “better” versus “best” is a bit of a conundrum. Sometimes the ungrammatical way sounds best.
. Well, I guess “best” is sometimes the best option, even if it’s not technically correct. In speech, it’s probably fine to let a few “bests” slip out, but in formal writing you might want to use a comparative when it’s called for. If it sounds unnatural, then rewrite the sentence
When you’re comparing items, you need to notice if you’re comparing two things or more than two things.When you compare two items, you’re using what’s called a comparative, so you use “more” before the adjective or the suffix “-er” on the end of it. You can remember that comparatives are for two thing because “comparative” has the sound “pair” in it and a pair is always two things. When you compare three or more items, you’re using a superlative, so you use “most” or the suffix “-est.” You can remember that superlatives are for more than two things because “superlative” has the word “super” in it and when you want a whole bunch of something, you supersize it.So to think about it loosely, use a comparative when you have a pair of things and a superlative when you have a supersized group (at least more than two).items.
For example, it would be incorrect to say, “It was the tallest of the two buildings.” You are comparing just two buildings, so you should use a comparative, “taller,” not a superlative, “tallest.” A tip to help you remember which suffix goes with which number of items is that “-er” has two letters, and it is for comparing two things; “-est” has three letters, and it is for comparing three or more things.Sometimes, though, an error of this kind sounds more natural than the grammatically correct version.
or for eg, You’ll hear, and probably say, “Put your best foot forward.” Of course we have only two feet, so we should really say “better foot,” but that sounds very strange. Maybe we say “best” because we are speaking figuratively, as in “Do the best you can”; we’re not really talking about actual feet. But we also say, “May the best team win,” usually when only two teams are playing.So “better” versus “best” is a bit of a conundrum. Sometimes the ungrammatical way sounds best.
. Well, I guess “best” is sometimes the best option, even if it’s not technically correct. In speech, it’s probably fine to let a few “bests” slip out, but in formal writing you might want to use a comparative when it’s called for. If it sounds unnatural, then rewrite the sentence
Monday, October 19, 2009
Some hilarious signs that were found on the internet, have a good laugh and at the same time, see if you can think of a better recommedation for the following signs below?
"dining" becomes "dying" in the above sign. o.O!! and "cooperation" become "corporation"
What it should have been; Please put the chairs back to their original position and keep the tables clean after dining. Thank you for your cooperation.
The above Chinese dish makes little sense, after a direct translation from Chinese to English.
"Take the Child, Fall into water carefully"
It should have been, "take good care of children, take extra care not to fall into water"
This is my suggestion:
"Attention: Do not Disturb. Police will be notified if any trepassers are found. Thank you for your understanding."
Do you have a better suggestion for the above warning sign?
Do you have any better recommendation for the above sign?
"dining" becomes "dying" in the above sign. o.O!! and "cooperation" become "corporation"
What it should have been; Please put the chairs back to their original position and keep the tables clean after dining. Thank you for your cooperation.
The above Chinese dish makes little sense, after a direct translation from Chinese to English."Take the Child, Fall into water carefully"It should have been, "take good care of children, take extra care not to fall into water"
This is my suggestion:"Attention: Do not Disturb. Police will be notified if any trepassers are found. Thank you for your understanding."
Do you have a better suggestion for the above warning sign?
Do you have any better recommendation for the above sign?- Shihao
Bad grammar signs
Dear friends, enjoy looking the bad grammar examples - Sarina
oxford version of singlish words? cool :)
bunnies = business? people passing by may get excited for the wrong reasons :p
I couldn't stop laughing over this one. By paying 25 cents more, we become incontinent? Hehehe.... dreadful....
???? Wrong use of possessive pronouns....
What a special chair! A person needs quite a lot of qualities to qualify sitting on it.Sunday, October 18, 2009
just for laughs
ok i was looking at the website most of you got the other pictures.
a long description of the uses of bamboo. Putting "the" in the wrong place, and wow usage of past tense can deter consumer confidence.
hope you enjoyed!
Justin
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Engrish's English!
Hello everyone!! I found these images at engrish.com. Have a good laugh!
Excellent toilet coverage! =p
What talking you?!Sutha
=p
=p
Hey all :] Here's what I've found which might be hilarious to some, or just plain absurd.
I noticed a lot of silly errors found in Japan. Probably they used babelfish to just directly translate it huh?
-Saleha :]
Private school: NO TRESPASSING WITHOUT PERMISSION.
Hotel, Acapulco:THE MANAGER HAS PERSONALLY PASSED ALL THE WATER SERVED HERE.
Hotel airconditioner instructions, Japan: COOLES AND HEATES: IF YOU WANT CONDITION OF WARM AIR IN YOUR ROOM, PLEASE CONTROL YOURSELF.
Zoo, Hungary: PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUITABLE FOOD, GIVE IT TO THE GUARD ON DUTY.
Resaurant, Nairobi: CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.
Car rental brochure, Tokyo: WHEN PASSENGER OF FOOT HEAVE IN SIGHT, TOOTLE THE HORN. TRUMPET HIM MELODIOUSLY AT FIRST, BUT IF HE STILL OBSTACLES YOUR PASSAGE THEN TOOTLE HIM WITH VIGOUR.
River highway: TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.
Poster: ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO, WE CAN HELP.
Restaurant: OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND WEEKENDS TOO.
Automatic hand dryer in public lavatory: DO NOT ACTIVATE WITH WET HANDS.
Maternity ward: NO CHILDREN ALLOWED.
Cemetery: PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN GRAVES.
Restaurant menu, Switzerland: OUR WINES LEAVE YOU NOTHING TO HOPE FOR.
Hotel brochure, Italy: THIS HOTEL IS RENOWNED FOR ITS PEACE AND SOLITUDE. IN FACT, CROWDS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD FLOCK HERE TO ENJOY ITS SOLITUDE.
Hotel lobby, Bucharest: THE LIFT IS BEING FIXED FOR THE NEXT DAY. DURING THAT TIME WE REGRET THAT YOU WILL BE UNBEARABLE.
Supermarket, Hong Kong: FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE, WE RECOMMEND COURTEOUS, EFFICIENT SELF-SERVICE.
Hotel, Moscow (opposite Russian Orthodox monastery): YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN AND SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS, AND WRITERS ARE BURIED DAILY EXCEPT THURSDAY.
From the Soviet Weekly: THERE WILL BE A MOSCOW EXHIBITION OF ARTS BY 15,000 SOVIET REPUBLIC PAINTERS AND SCULPTORS. THESE WERE EXECUTED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.
Newspaper, East Africa: A NEW SWIMMING POOL IS RAPIDLY TAKING SHAPE SINCE THE CONTRACTORS HAVE THROWN IN THE BULK OF THEIR WORKERS.
Tourist agency, Czechoslovakia: TAKE ONE OF OUR HORSE-DRIVEN CITY TOURS. WE GUARANTEE NO MISCARRIAGES.
Airline, Copenhagen: WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
I noticed a lot of silly errors found in Japan. Probably they used babelfish to just directly translate it huh?
-Saleha :]
Friday, October 16, 2009
Hi friends!
I managed to get some funny pictures! So please feel free to see and laugh your heart out.
This is one of the mistakes made, "Child Beer Available Here". This is incorrect. I think the person who made this mistake actually meant "Chilled Beer Available Here". This is a spelling error! :)
Next, look at the picture above!
It stated as "Please use anyone".
I think the person who created this sign meant that "anyone can use this toilet" or "please follow the sign accordingly".
Fatimawati
DUE102
I managed to get some funny pictures! So please feel free to see and laugh your heart out.
This is one of the mistakes made, "Child Beer Available Here". This is incorrect. I think the person who made this mistake actually meant "Chilled Beer Available Here". This is a spelling error! :)
Next, look at the picture above!It stated as "Please use anyone".
I think the person who created this sign meant that "anyone can use this toilet" or "please follow the sign accordingly".
Fatimawati
DUE102
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Stop and Stare
Hello friends, some of you might have come across the photos below in your email. Just to share a few...
There are men who are not male afterall...hmmm...
Cheese Fear or Cheese Fair?
Makes smokers feel like smoking after reading this, HAHA
Posted by: Nur Dhamirah
Interesting English Facts
Hi guys, I know it is going to be lame but I managed to find some interesting English facts which I would like to share with you. So, read on...
The longest one-syllable word in the English
language is "screeched."
No word in English language rhymes with
"month," "silver," "purple," or "orange."
The longest word in the English language,
according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
The longest place-name still in use is
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwe-nuakit natahu,
the Maori name of a hill in New Zealand.
'Stewardesses' is the longest English word that
is typed with only the left hand. (interesting?)
"Underground" is the only word in English that
begins and ends with the letters "und."
One common mistake mentioned by people is "I want to FETCH my son to school." That is incorrect. "Fetch" is defined as an action to go or come after and bring or take back. When you use that sentence, you mean that you are bringing your son to school and then bringing him back home. That is not the case! Instead, you should say "I want to SEND my son to school" or "I am going to fetch my son from school."
Have a great weekend!
Posted by: Sally
The longest one-syllable word in the English
language is "screeched."
No word in English language rhymes with
"month," "silver," "purple," or "orange."
The longest word in the English language,
according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
The longest place-name still in use is
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwe-nuakit natahu,
the Maori name of a hill in New Zealand.
'Stewardesses' is the longest English word that
is typed with only the left hand. (interesting?)
"Underground" is the only word in English that
begins and ends with the letters "und."
One common mistake mentioned by people is "I want to FETCH my son to school." That is incorrect. "Fetch" is defined as an action to go or come after and bring or take back. When you use that sentence, you mean that you are bringing your son to school and then bringing him back home. That is not the case! Instead, you should say "I want to SEND my son to school" or "I am going to fetch my son from school."
Have a great weekend!
Posted by: Sally
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
English?
Source
Source
There's 2 meanings of "No Pass, No Fee". Got it?
Source
You pay to look at the display carpark??
-----------------------------------------------
Above are some examples I got from the internet.
How does it reflect the usage of English?
Let's discuss!
Noorashikin Yahya
Taken from TalkingCock.com
Singlish Forever.
Britons answer: correct
S'poreans: WRONG. singlish.
When doubting someone...
Britons : I don't recall you giving me the money.
S'poreans: Where got?
When deciding on a plan of action...
Britons answer : What do you propose we do now that the movie's sold out & all the restaurants are closed?
S'poreans answer: So how?
When going shopping...
Britons : I'm sorry, Sir, but we don't seem to have the sweater you want in your size, but if you give me a moment, I can call the other outlets for you.
S'poreans: No Stock!
When returning a call...
Britons : Hello, this is Mr Bean. Did anyone page for me a few moments ago?
S'poreans: Hello, who page?
__________________________________________________________
LONGEST TIME WAITED FOR SBS BUS
Mrs Tan Gu Gu, a local shopper in Hong Kan GRC has emerged the winner for waiting for the longest time for an SBS bus at a local bus-stop. She had waited for 8 hours, 43 minutes and 37 seconds before she got onto her bus.
Here is an account from her on that day, 22nd September 2003:"Aiyoh, SBS bus always like that one leh, no come ah, all no come! One come, three, four come leh. Der weather hot mah, so I sit under shelter at the bus-stop lor. The stupid bus hor, all air-con pecah one. Becos I tak boleh tahan the heat, so I don't wan’ to take the first bus lor. Den I wait and wait hor, the aircon bus never come leh. But den hor, got like 2 non-aircon bus pass by mah, den I very angry lor, so I call SBS complain lah. Eventually when the aircon bus got come lor, but three of them together come. SBSservice lagi lousy, pay so much busfare but still got so many non-aircon feeder bus one."
Here is an account from her on that day, 22nd September 2003: "It is either the SBS buses come at the same time, or they do not come at all. Somtimes, four of them come together.
So i sat under the shelter at the bus stop that day. A bus came by. However, it was unairconditioned. So i decided to wait for the next bus, hoping that it is air conditioned. To no avail, two non-aircon buses went by and by then i was already very angry. So i've decided to call SBS and lodge a complain. Finally three air conditioned buses came. SBS service is very bad. Consumers are paying busfares, yet there seem to be very few airconditioned buses around."
Mrs Tan Gu Gu is also the proud achiever and record holder of waiting for the longest time to get a Hello Kitty from the local MacDonald's.
_______________________________________________________________
Alright. Done with my post. We are English teachers, and we speak Singlish.
N-I-C-E.
The phrase i always use: Wah sian so many assignments, want to die already.
Hahahaha.
Rachel Koh Yhih Huua
Singlish Forever.
Britons answer: correct
S'poreans: WRONG. singlish.
When doubting someone...
Britons : I don't recall you giving me the money.
S'poreans: Where got?
When deciding on a plan of action...
Britons answer : What do you propose we do now that the movie's sold out & all the restaurants are closed?
S'poreans answer: So how?
When going shopping...
Britons : I'm sorry, Sir, but we don't seem to have the sweater you want in your size, but if you give me a moment, I can call the other outlets for you.
S'poreans: No Stock!
When returning a call...
Britons : Hello, this is Mr Bean. Did anyone page for me a few moments ago?
S'poreans: Hello, who page?
__________________________________________________________
LONGEST TIME WAITED FOR SBS BUS
Mrs Tan Gu Gu, a local shopper in Hong Kan GRC has emerged the winner for waiting for the longest time for an SBS bus at a local bus-stop. She had waited for 8 hours, 43 minutes and 37 seconds before she got onto her bus.
Here is an account from her on that day, 22nd September 2003:"Aiyoh, SBS bus always like that one leh, no come ah, all no come! One come, three, four come leh. Der weather hot mah, so I sit under shelter at the bus-stop lor. The stupid bus hor, all air-con pecah one. Becos I tak boleh tahan the heat, so I don't wan’ to take the first bus lor. Den I wait and wait hor, the aircon bus never come leh. But den hor, got like 2 non-aircon bus pass by mah, den I very angry lor, so I call SBS complain lah. Eventually when the aircon bus got come lor, but three of them together come. SBSservice lagi lousy, pay so much busfare but still got so many non-aircon feeder bus one."
Here is an account from her on that day, 22nd September 2003: "It is either the SBS buses come at the same time, or they do not come at all. Somtimes, four of them come together.
So i sat under the shelter at the bus stop that day. A bus came by. However, it was unairconditioned. So i decided to wait for the next bus, hoping that it is air conditioned. To no avail, two non-aircon buses went by and by then i was already very angry. So i've decided to call SBS and lodge a complain. Finally three air conditioned buses came. SBS service is very bad. Consumers are paying busfares, yet there seem to be very few airconditioned buses around."
Mrs Tan Gu Gu is also the proud achiever and record holder of waiting for the longest time to get a Hello Kitty from the local MacDonald's.
_______________________________________________________________
Alright. Done with my post. We are English teachers, and we speak Singlish.
N-I-C-E.
The phrase i always use: Wah sian so many assignments, want to die already.
Hahahaha.
Rachel Koh Yhih Huua
Preposition!
Questions to ponder:
1)Do we say
This shirt is made of cotton
or
This short is made from cotton?
The correct preposition is of.
We say something is made of a particular material. Hence:
This shirt is made of cotton.
We use made from if a material takes on a completely form to make something. For instance,
This paper is made from cotton.
2.Do we say
We had an enjoyable discussion about Japan
or
We had an enjoyable discussion on Japan?
We use about for ordinary kinds of communication. and on for more serious, scholarly kinds of communication.
Hence, we would probably have an enjoyable discussion about Japan, but,
We consult an authoritative reference work on Japan.
:)
From
Chen Yang
1)Do we say
This shirt is made of cotton
or
This short is made from cotton?
The correct preposition is of.
We say something is made of a particular material. Hence:
This shirt is made of cotton.
We use made from if a material takes on a completely form to make something. For instance,
This paper is made from cotton.
2.Do we say
We had an enjoyable discussion about Japan
or
We had an enjoyable discussion on Japan?
We use about for ordinary kinds of communication. and on for more serious, scholarly kinds of communication.
Hence, we would probably have an enjoyable discussion about Japan, but,
We consult an authoritative reference work on Japan.
:)
From
Chen Yang
myself or me. themselves or them.
Is this sentence correct?
'He is more experienced than myself'
Reflexive pronouns, the ones that end with 'self' or 'selves', have just a few basic uses. First and most important, a reflexive works with another noun or pronoun in a sentence to "co-refer' to the same entity.
Consider: 'I see myself in a better job'
In this sentence, 'I' and 'myself' refer to the same person. They co-refer. Reflexives can be used for emphasis but if you're a little rusty here are some helpful guidelines: If it can be replaced by 'me', do not use 'myself'. If it can be replaced by 'you', do not use 'yourself'. If it can be replaced by 'him', do not use 'himself'.
It should thus be: "He is more experienced than me"
Source: Mortal Syntax by June Casagrande
Cheers,
Jelyn Ng Huimin
'He is more experienced than myself'
Reflexive pronouns, the ones that end with 'self' or 'selves', have just a few basic uses. First and most important, a reflexive works with another noun or pronoun in a sentence to "co-refer' to the same entity.
Consider: 'I see myself in a better job'
In this sentence, 'I' and 'myself' refer to the same person. They co-refer. Reflexives can be used for emphasis but if you're a little rusty here are some helpful guidelines: If it can be replaced by 'me', do not use 'myself'. If it can be replaced by 'you', do not use 'yourself'. If it can be replaced by 'him', do not use 'himself'.
It should thus be: "He is more experienced than me"
Source: Mortal Syntax by June Casagrande
Cheers,
Jelyn Ng Huimin
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Grammatical Error
Hi guys, i suppose we are asked to find some grammatical error signboard or sentences and post it for discussion right? So, there you go:
What they meant was 'in order to keep the Great Wall in good condition, please don't spit on it."
What they meant was 'in order to keep the Great Wall in good condition, please don't spit on it."
Both of these signs actually refers to keeping your volume down. Maybe the second one with the picture carries the message across better than "no louding"!
Last but not least, do click on the link to watch a video from youtube. This video shows some signs which contains either spelling error or structure problem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFf-pLKhx5w
I would conclude tht most of these errors occur in countries whose native language isn't English. Most transaltion are made literally from Chinese to English. Hence, they consist grammar error.
Cheers, Sharon
Friday, October 9, 2009
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