Help for those learning English et al.

Nifty29

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Hi gang

I've had a few members ask me about the correct use of certain words in the English language that sound the same but are spelt differently.

I'll provide a few examples and add more when I think.of them.

THERE - Where something is e.g. I put the newspaper over THERE

THEIR - Belonging to them e.g. I just saw THEIR awesome screenshot

THEY'RE. - Abbreviation for THEY ARE e.g. These spiders are awful......THEY'RE everywhere"

TOO - As well as/In addition e.g. I've hit five aces TOO! / I'm just TOO excited

TO - In a direction toward etc e.g. I'm going TO deposit at 32Red.

YOUR - Belonging to you e.g. YOUR car is super fast

YOU'RE - Abbreviation of "YOU ARE"e.g Just let me know when YOU'RE going to the market



More to follow. Feel free to ask about words you're unsure about. :)
 
Ha! Nifty, when I read the thread title I thought you were garnering help for the fairer sex ie les.....

Oh, maybe it was a French word.

Mostly these problems stem from the verbal usage. In my early schooldays my English classmates scored low grades in English as though they could speak the language well they were poor in grammar and spelling. The ascendancy of ICQ has also aggravated the problem but as its so common now a reversal of this is unlikely.
 
lesrning english? :p

Here's one:

Then:
Pertaining to time - that was then, this is now.
In addition to - it's $19.99, then with tax it's $49.
Afterward - I deposited $100 and lost, then deposited another $100 and lost.

Than:
Used for comparing things - ie:
Nifty is smarter than the average bear.
It's better to be a winner than a loser.
 
lesrning english? :p

Here's one:

Then:
Pertaining to time - that was then, this is now.
In addition to - it's $19.99, then with tax it's $49.
Afterward - I deposited $100 and lost, then deposited another $100 and lost.

Than:
Used for comparing things - ie:
Nifty is smarter than the average bear.
It's better to be a winner than a loser.

If we continue with this Max will move this thread to the Attic. You ok with this Nifty?

Nifty is definitely smarter than the average bear but I usually ask ladies to bare with me and not bear.

With most of us we are likely to be a winner then a loser as our 'beginners luck' wears out
 
My favorite english rule is the I before E except after C rule.

I like it because there are actually more words that it doesn't apply to than there are words that it does.

It should be I before E except most of the time. But I guess that's a little vague.
 
here= something in immediate vicinity
hear= what you use your ears for

week= 7 days make a ....
weak= No food for a week, makes you weak

sea= smaller than an ocean but larger than a lake
see= I hear that this sea here that I can see will take a weak man a week to cross

Beatle= Thinks 8 days make a week
beetle= a German car

balls= what guys have
bawls= what guys do when kicked in the balls

hair= what old men don't have
hare= what Elmer Fudd never gets

ahhh...got to get to bed. here's more ... fare/fair, tear/tare, whole/hole
 
Pretty usefull i assume Nifty:)
One question pops up, was this a joke or is my english up for a repolishing:

Hi gang

I've had a few members ask me about the correct use of certain words in the English language that sound the same but are spelt differently.

isn't spelt some type of grain, and spelled the correct word?

:p
 
Lol@title

Stupid smartphone!!

Well I just hope it helps someone....then it's worth it.

Its important as it makes reading and comprehension easier. I know some posters might be having difficulties with the language but surely they should shore up their efforts and use the correct words as far as possible before posting. Forum etiquette you know and not just confined to CM.
 
isn't spelt some type of grain ....

Nope. Both are correct :)

Which isn't to say that spelt is not a type of grain, which it is. In fact I'll be having some spelt flakes in my porridge this morning.

Spelt (Triticum spelta) is a hexaploid species of wheat. Spelt was an important staple in parts of Europe from the Bronze Age to medieval times; it now survives as a relict crop in Central Europe and northern Spain and has found a new market as a health food. [
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]

grains_including_spelt_-_marked.jpg 2008_04_25-Spelt2.jpg

FWIW the Wikipedia entry is a bit off. Spelt is very closely related to farro and that is quite popular in Central and Northern Italy and has been for a long time. Apparently it was the grain of choice for the Roman legions. Today they make everything from bread to hearty soups to desserts out of the stuff. Time doesn't seem to have diminished it's significance in Italian cuisine in the slightest. And for good reason, it is very tasty stuff!

Which brings me back to the topic at hand, sort of:
desert - a place with little or no rain, usually covered in heaps of sand.
dessert - a tasty course to follow one's meal, especially good if it somehow involves chocolate. ;)

[/mother-of-all-derails]
 
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PUT YOUR CLOTHES

Ammm...
close to your clothes...?...close the door,then/than...
 
Great thread:thumbsup:
There is not many post I make that I'm satisfied with, and sometimes not knowing the right words for what I wants to say prevents me from write a post at all.
Sad as what I'm saying should be the most important thing, but I know my own reaction when people can't spell in Swedish so I'm doing my best here.:)
 
Apart from the blatant embarrassment of being taught correct English by Aussie`s, Eastern/Western/Northern and Southern Europeans, Americans + Asian dudes, we Brits are by far the worse culprits and need Fred`s like this (see what I did thar?).

There is one word that surpasses many others in the multi meaning stakes and that word is set/sett (without Googling I think it has around 30+ different meanings).

There is one word in the English dictionary that has the same letter twice in three consecutive places ie:- AARRTT, what is that word (no cheating).

Whenever I see a thread like this I cannot help but cast my mind back to my schoolboy days (thank God I didn`t go to one of those schools where the term `Head boy` was nothing more than a command :eek:), and, apart from those fond memories of being with Sarah Jones behind the bike shed (damn that girl was hot and intelligent, she could speak seven different languages fluently, and couldn`t say `No`in any of them), oops drifted there, anyway`s back to topic - Proverbs, remember those?, intended to broaden one`s horizons whilst on the very long road of bettering one`s grasp and understanding of the complex English language, but, at the same time, dripping, nay oozing, with hypocrisy, a few examples.......

1). The pen is mightier than the sword.

1b). Actions speak louder than words.

2). To many cooks, spoil the broth.

2b). Many hands, make light work.

3). The early bird, catches the worm.

3b). The second mouse, gets the cheese.

Just a few examples, there are many more.

Anyway`s great thread Nifty.
 
Than:
Used for comparing things - ie:
Nifty is smarter than the average bear.
It's better to be a winner than a loser.
That reminded me of one of the most common wrong words used by non-English natives...

Loose = Floppy, not tight, a slot paying out well!
Lose = Unable to find something you previously had possession of, not winning.

The word I always seem to have trouble with myself is "because" - nearly every time I write it I put "becuase" - thank god for spell-check! :p

KK
 
That reminded me of one of the most common wrong words used by non-English natives...

Loose = Floppy, not tight, a slot paying out well!
Lose = Unable to find something you previously had possession of, not winning.KK

Lol, thats a very fitting one forum wise..
One "o" can make such an impact on how your deposit experience unfolds:)
Reminds me of that other recent thread i think where nifty and myself came to the SLOT, LOST, and LOTS anagram..... are we finally discovering deeper, cabbalistic thruths of the gambling universe? :lolup:
 
Than:
Used for comparing things - ie:
Nifty is smarter than the average bear.
It's better to be a winner than a loser.

Here's a little one that's naturally come up in the thread:

EG: Means 'for example', such as in the quote above. Eg: Here is an example of what we're talking about - there could be multiple options. Use it in place of 'for example'

IE: Means 'that is'. IE: It is used to further define what you're talking about - the statement is factual and multiple forms cannot be simultaneously correct.

Some examples -

Bob likes to pet small furry animals. Eg: Puppies (you could could also use kittens, hamsters etc...)

Bob often mixed up the latin phrases 'exempli gratia' and 'id est'. Ie: He used IE in the place of EG, and visa versa.

:p
 
Great thread:thumbsup:
There is not many post I make that I'm satisfied with, and sometimes not knowing the right words for what I wants to say prevents me from write a post at all.
Sad as what I'm saying should be the most important thing, but I know my own reaction when people can't spell in Swedish so I'm doing my best here.:)

Even if you're not sure if you're typing the words correctly, you should always feel free to post. I've been chatting globally for probably 20 years and I can fully understand that not everyone is fluent in english. Keep in mind that there are many people who speak nothing but english and still make pretty simple mistakes.

If you mix a few words up, nobody is going to penalize you for it.
 
Even if you're not sure if you're typing the words correctly, you should always feel free to post. I've been chatting globally for probably 20 years and I can fully understand that not everyone is fluent in english. Keep in mind that there are many people who speak nothing but english and still make pretty simple mistakes.

If you mix a few words up, nobody is going to penalize you for it.

Thanks Skiny! I think my problem is that I'm penalizing myself more than I'm afraid of others doing it:rolleyes:
My mother is still correcting me if I dare to use words that's not grammaticly correct:oops:

What Baldidiot tried to explain about the difference between EG and IG I didn't get at all.
If someone can be so kind to....:D ...in easy English:oops:
 
What Baldidiot tried to explain about the difference between EG and IG I didn't get at all.
If someone can be so kind to....:D ...in easy English:oops:

Hmm, let me try again.

'EG' is latin for 'for example' - use it when you are providing examples of something
'IE' is latin for 'that is' or 'in other words' - use it when you are elaborating or defining something.

An easy way of figuring out which one should be used is to see which phrase would actually fit what you're saying. So to use another example:

"NetEnt have some great slots (for example Gonzo's Quest and Jack Hammer)" = "NetEnt have some great slots (eg: Gonzo's Quest and Jack Hammer)"
- here you are providing examples, but there are many possible options.

"I really should run to the store before my neighbour comes over for coffee or she'll have to drink it black (that is to say, I've run out of milk)" = "I really should run to the store before my neighbour comes over for coffee or she'll have to drink it black (ie: I've run out of milk)"
- here I am clarifying what I've already said with more information.

Does that make more sense?
 
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Yes it did make a lot more sence.

I still think I have to ask my friend Emmeline to explain it a little more. I believe we only use EG = for example in Swedish so that's why I'm so unsure when I should use any of them.
 

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