The novice begins to

Discuss any questions in English. Practise your writing skills.

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#226

Сообщение acapnotic »

Beginner пишет: 13 дек 2020, 01:11 How often have you came across the words "flabbergasted" and "dumbfounded" in books you've read recently?
I vaguely remember seeing the first one in some book recently and the second somewhere on the internet. However, when I saw them in your post, I couldn't remember their exact meaning. They are rare birds. Besides, I probably don't feel like using such fancy words myself and it may also prevent me from memorizing them. Where did you find them?
Beginner пишет: 13 дек 2020, 01:13 If she hadn't been punished she wouldn't have cried/wept
When the if-clause goes first, you need a comma after it. At least most writers do so. The same is true for when-clauses, like in my previous sentence.
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#227

Сообщение Beginner »

acapnotic, Sometimes I try to arrange words according to their level of force, so to speak.
I start from a weak word and finish of strongest word. Thus, I can memorize them better. For example:

surprised and agape (maybe else "bewildered"), amazed, astonished, startled and appalled, stunned and dazed, flabbergasted and dumbfounded, shocked.

In is not very accurate, probably... . Maybe "appalled" stronger word and it equal to "shocked"... , I don't know.

The word "flabbergasted" attracted (caught) my attention because of its length and pronunciation. It looks like German word. I like those words. It is funny for me :). And I don't remember where I came across with this word.
But I think if I begin to use such kind of words in my speech or writing, it won't be natural, it won't be like a native. Native English speaker, probably, even won't understand me. What do you think?
I saw many similar words in the paveltashkinov'thread and, at first, I thought why this guy uses them? Now I think he just use them for training. For his level using high-frequency words is boring. An addition, his style required using many words that could express various tones.
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#228

Сообщение Beginner »

acapnotic пишет: 13 дек 2020, 08:57 When the if-clause goes first, you need a comma after it
Thank you very much.
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#229

Сообщение VictorB »

Beginner пишет: 14 дек 2020, 00:20 astonished, startled and appalled, stunned and dazed, flabbergasted and dumbfounded, shocked.
Maybe you'll want to add to this list the adjectives discombobulated , stupefied, aghast and some more from this web page for example:
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/the ... or-shocked
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#230

Сообщение Beginner »

VictorB, Oh! Thank you, VictorB. English has so many words and phrases that you can collect them. I'll add these words in my collection :)!
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#231

Сообщение acapnotic »

Beginner пишет: 14 дек 2020, 00:20 Sometimes I try to arrange words according to their level of force, so to speak.
I start from a weak word and finish of strongest word. Thus, I can memorize them better.
Well, that makes sense.
Beginner пишет: 14 дек 2020, 00:20 In is not very accurate, probably... . Maybe "appalled" stronger word and it equal to "shocked"... , I don't know.
I think the words on your list are not just stronger or weaker but have differences in meaning. As far as I understand, you are appalled by something bad, while 'amazed' doesn't have that implication. Ultimately, we learn the place of each word in the language, so to speak, from the language itself. We need to see what situations they are used in.
Beginner пишет: 14 дек 2020, 00:20 But I think if I begin to use such kind of words in my speech or writing, it won't be natural, it won't be like a native. Native English speaker, probably, even won't understand me.
Yes, sometimes they don't understand things that seem clear to us. That may indeed be because we have said something in an unnatural way. Not all native speakers have minds flexible enough to figure out the intended meaning.
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#232

Сообщение acapnotic »

VictorB пишет: 14 дек 2020, 01:47 discombobulated
Thanks for this one, I definitely like it. :)
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#233

Сообщение Beginner »

Yesterday, I quit Quito quite quiet.
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#234

Сообщение Beginner »

Yesterday I quited Quito quite quietly.
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#235

Сообщение acapnotic »

Yo, Beginner. :) How are things? Have you been making progress in your English lately? What have you been doing?
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#236

Сообщение Beginner »

acapnotic пишет: 03 янв 2021, 14:17 Yo, Beginner. :)
Do you use "Yo", really? Well, wow! Interacting with some people can even change a worldview. But the result of your interaction with a participant of this forum who has created many topics about Afro Amercans is only one word - "Yo". Well, at least something :).
acapnotic пишет: 03 янв 2021, 14:17 Have you been making progress in your English lately? What have you been doing?
I hope I have progress. Last month before New Year I worked on(at) the following schedule:
In the morning I was working with the "English Grammar in Use" (blue). I was reading two Units with grammatical rules and was doing exercises for these Units. Then I was working with the Vocabulary in Use (pre-intermediate, intermediate). I was doing one Unit without exercises and was auditing. Then I was working with the Collocations in Use (intermediate). One Unit without exercises. And auditing of this Unit. Then I was working with the "1000 English Collocation in 10 minutes a day", one Unit - reading and auditing with or without exercises.
And, finally, I was working with the "English Grammar in Use - Supplementary Exercises" but very, very rarely, almost never. All this activity took me about three hours in the morning.
In the evenining could listen to podcasts or audio book.
Also I tried transcribing audio in English (the Vermont Public Radio podcast, "My heart still beats"; the podcast about people with addiction, mostly heroin addiction). By the way, I coped with this challenge quite well, from my point of view, of course.
I've listened to several audiobooks (adapted books): "The Rain man", "The Story of the Internet", "A dangerous sky". From the source which was reccomended to me by VictorB (english-e-reader.net).

I bought something from a(an) university teacher. I bought from University teacher something. Two books and one dictionary (the books: "Slam" and "How to be good" by Nick Hornby and dictionary - LONGMAN language activator). I've read the "Slam". It wasn't difficult. I' was coming across with new words not often. Very often, all the words in a sentence was familiar to me but they were connected in an unfamiliar way (or rather - in an unusual way for me). This had created some problem. There are many sentences with "would" in this book, because of the main hero is a teenager and it's common for him to use expression with "would". I'll plan to write them out. Well... I've read my first original English book, almost without problem. :)
And I've already started reading the "How to be good". This book is more complicated and I come across three or forth new words on each page. (For instance: "ominous", "baffled", "tetchy", "come unbidden", "snarling", "doughnut","to retch", "sprawled", "crap"; and a couple of phrases that I liked: "... and only then casts bleary eye over the household", "... wich robbed the moment of its spontaniety", "... my obsession with putting things off").

After the New Year, unfortunately, my pace become slower. Now I am learning English a bit chaotic.


Acapnotic, what about you? Did (didn't) you feel sad and lonely at the 00.00.01 of the 2021? What was you doing during this holiday? Was you brain resting or working hard? Once you mentioned you have to read a lot in Englishe (English manual for programming), I'd thought you are a software tester. Maybe you were testing a new programm like a maniac during this holiday? Although you, probably, was reading an interesting book... .
Последний раз редактировалось Beginner 16 янв 2021, 02:33, всего редактировалось 1 раз.
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#237

Сообщение Beginner »

acapnotic,
This is my little essay about wireless headphones. I would like you to write a couple of lines about your experience using them. Here it is:


ABOUT THE EARPHONES
How do you prefer to spend your leisure time?

When I have a free time I often lie on my favourite big orange sofa and read a book. Sometimes I go for a walk (go out in the evening) and listening to English podcast through wireless earphones which connected to my smart phone via Bluetooth

Why do you prefer to use this type of headphones?
Well..., an(?) advantage of using wireless earphone is that you don’t have any problems with wires. Often, when you use wire earphones you can’t move your head freely and the wire can suddenly catch some items and people in a cramped bus or trolley, for example. When you roll a wire it gets tangles sometimes but wireless earphones don’t. One more plus. It’s unbelievably but the wireless ear buds have a quite good quality of sound. My one, at least(?).

OK. Have they (it) any disadvantages?

Unfortunately, they(it) have.

What kind of disadvantages wireless ear buds have, from your point of view?

From my point of view the biggest disadvantage is that it needs to be charged quite often. Next, I would like to say about the problem of attaching wireless headphones to (the) ears. Despite of the fact that earphones have different mounts the problem of reliable attaching still exists. If you move your head very quickly and sharply, you may not notice as your ear buds can fly out and fall to the ground. There are many different types of wireless ear buds (are) with various bracings and, probably, some of them don’t have this problem I’ve just described, but my experience of using it tells me that it can happen with any type of wireless headphones. But using ear buds during the winter are more safely because the edges of your cap (if you wear a cap in the winter, of course) keep (the) ear buds on the right position.

Are there any other drawbacks you know?
I would add a couple... . I know people who abuse of using headphones. They use them everywhere and always. They are music lover. They can damage their hearing due to constant use. Secondly, ... . Sorry, I’ve lost the thread of my thought... .

The End
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#238

Сообщение acapnotic »

Beginner пишет: 16 янв 2021, 02:09 Interacting with some people can even change a worldview. But the result of your interaction with a participant of this forum who has created many topics about Afro Amercans is only one word - "Yo".
Yes, and I'm not even sure I borrowed it from him. :) As for using it, it's for practice, of course. I don't think it's OK to use it always, but here, where we are actually playing with the language, why not?

You've done a lot of work on your English. Sure there must be progress. I've been reading books, yes, this time by Poul Anderson, once one of my favorite Sci-Fi authors. I've read There Will Be Time, am reading Vault of the Ages and will read The Shield of Time. Three books of the same author in a row in the hope that new words will show up repeatedly. Maybe I'll find something else written by him if I'm not too bored by the end of the third book.

I've also made a New Year resolution to improve my listening skill by listening for at least 30 minutes every day for half a year. I think it was my mistake that in the previous attempts I forced myself to listen longer. I got bored and dropped it. Let's see if this new approach works better. I view it more as an experiment and don't worry too much about the results.
I bought from University teacher something. Two books and one dictionary
You mean paper books? You haven't bought an e-reader yet?
I've read my first original English book, almost without problem. :)
Congratulations. :)
This book is more complicated and I come across three or forth new words on each page. (For instance: "ominous", "baffled", "tetchy", "come unbidden", "snarling", "doughnut","to retch", "sprawled", "crap";
Well, sometimes I find as many words on a page that I have to look up. I often remember the word but not its meaning. Of those that you listed above, I would have to look up 'tetchy' and 'retch'. They looked somewhat familiar, so I've most likely seen them somewhere, but their meanings wouldn't spring to mind. "Come unbidden" is absolutely new to me.
Did (didn't) you feel sad and lonely at the 00.00.01 of the 2021?
No, I was asleep. I can't drink alcohol, and without it, there's just no fun in staying awake so long. I usually go to sleep between 9 and 10 p.m.
Once you mentioned you have to read a lot in Englishe (English manual for programming), I'd thought you are a software tester.
No, not a tester. I was interested in programming itself -- mostly, I suspect, for the purpose of proving to myself that I'm smart enough for that. As soon as I had proved it, my interest began to dwindle. The language in manuals is usually precise and concise, but rather limited in vocabulary and grammar. Now that I've started reading fiction again, I regret I didn't do so earlier.
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#239

Сообщение acapnotic »

Beginner пишет: 16 янв 2021, 02:25 This is my little essay about wireless headphones. I would like you to write a couple of lines about your experience using them.
I don't have such experience, unfortunately. I don't even have a smartphone, that's how backward I am. :)
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#240

Сообщение Beginner »

acapnotic пишет: 16 янв 2021, 18:21 I don't even have a smartphone
Really?! Oh, my God! That's all. I'm interrupting communication with you! ;) I highly recommend that you remove this confession because in our age the fact you don't have a smartphone can make you an outcast ).
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#241

Сообщение acapnotic »

Beginner пишет: 16 янв 2021, 19:44 I highly recommend that you remove this confession because in our age the fact you don't have a smartphone can make you an outcast ).
It's too late. :)
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#242

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

acapnotic пишет: 16 янв 2021, 18:21 I don't even have a smartphone, that's how backward I am. :)
Don’t give in, acapnotic, stick it out. The damn thing was practically forced on me about a year and a half ago as a heartfelt gift. Now it constantly beeps, flashes, vibrates, and finds about a hundred other ways to command my attention. It’s like a modern day Tamagotchi, I’m telling you. Like my relationship with the world is now mediated through this little monster. Annoying.
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#243

Сообщение mustang »

Easy-Breezy English,

I don’t really think that modern technology is an inherently bad thing in itself. That shiny device that you find so annoying at times can become your best friend if you give it a chance. You can easily change the settings to make your smart phone work for you rather than against you as it happens with so many people these days.

You can literally trick it into behaving like an obedient servant that is acutely aware of how much value you place on your privacy and if used correctly, it can be quite helpful in so many areas of your life.

Wanna get mentally fit, finally lose that stubborn belly fat, record your run on Strava, read a life-changing inspiring book or have a nice chat with your lifelong friends who just happen to live across the pond? Well, your phone is here to serve you and it asks nothing in return.
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#244

Сообщение VictorB »

Beginner пишет: 16 янв 2021, 19:44 I highly recommend that you remove this confession because in our age the fact you don't have a smartphone can make you an outcast ).
LOL at how you put it) A good joke it is, but haven't you gone too far? LOL again)
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#245

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

mustang, if you say so. You'd make for a good smartphone salesman. :-) I found that it doesn't really add anything to my experience. It doesn't make me a deeper thinker, a better friend or a fitter person, more like the opposite. It's distracting and has a very Bradburyesque feel to it.
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#246

Сообщение mustang »

Easy-Breezy English пишет: 17 янв 2021, 13:29 It doesn't make me a deeper thinker, a better friend or a fitter person, more like the opposite
It largely depends on what apps are installed on your smartphone . Are they just mind-numbing video games, time-sucking social media platforms or you are using your phone in a quite different way?

There’s tons of relatively cheap (or even free) and yet well-developed mobile apps that are designed to satisfy specific consumer needs and preferences. For example, you might want to learn speed reading or become more physically active.
Well, your phone can help your reach these goals.

I personally read a lot of books on my phone applying speed reading techniques and still occasionally use running apps (polar beat, trainingpeaks) to track my HR, running speed, cadence, elevation gain, you name it. It almost feels like having a bunch of people working for me on my morning runs.
Easy-Breezy English пишет: 17 янв 2021, 13:29 You'd make for a good smartphone salesman. :-)
It wasn’t a sales pitch, I assure you. :)
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#247

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

mustang пишет: 17 янв 2021, 17:16 mind-numbing video games, time-sucking social media platforms
... soul-crushing forums and heart-rending messengers... 😆
applying speed reading techniques
I'll just have to stick to my slow reading. Just to balance things out, you know. :-)
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#248

Сообщение mustang »

Easy-Breezy English пишет: 17 янв 2021, 18:37 soul-crushing forums and heart-rending messengers
But it all can be offset by fun-loving female forum members.:)
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#249

Сообщение Easy-Breezy English »

mustang пишет: 17 янв 2021, 19:09 But it all can be offset by fun-loving female forum members.:)
If it doesn't all get soured by incessantly proselytizing male members. :-)
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#250

Сообщение Beginner »

Easy-Breezy English,
Easy-Breezy English пишет: 17 янв 2021, 22:02 If it doesn't all get soured by incessantly proselytizing male members. :-)
What are you talking about? What "faith "or" side " of a man are you talking about? I definitely missed something. In this section of the efl-forum, we have only one faith-English. Do we have a recruiter here from another faith?). Probably, you've meant something like m..m..m. man's arrogance, criticism, a dark view on life, jokes that hurt the soul (especislly tender woman's soul)?
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