posted November 15, 2014 09:17 PM            

3 Words That Drive English Language Learners Bonkers

English language is a confusing language because so many different languages (from different language families) have played a role in what we speak today. Here are three words and phrases that aren’t consistent or are just plain strange that can drive people learning the language to madness.

1. Teachers taught, but preachers don’t “praught.”

The past simple of teach is taught, but the past simple of preach is preached.

2. Feet smell. Noses run.

To smell in English has two meanings. One is the act of detecting a smell, and the other is the act of producing an unpleasant smell. “Feet smell” is using the second definition and is a common collocation. A runny nose is a nose that is stuffed up and is producing a lot of mucus, usually during a cold or allergies. Feet can also run, but in that case it means to literally run.

3. An alarm goes off by going on.

This one is strange because, like many phrasal verbs, the combination of the verb go and the preposition completely changes the meaning of the written phrase. In this case “to go off” means to start working or go into action. It is often used when describing a sound, e.g. “The timer is going off. The food is done!”

posted November 15, 2014 09:22 PM            

WHY ENGLISH IS SO HARD TO LEARN

We must polish the Polish furniture.
He could lead if he would get the lead out.
The farm was used to produce produce.
The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
The soldier decided to desert in the desert.
This was a good time to present the present.
A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
I did not object to the object.
The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
The bandage was wound around the wound.
There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
They were too close to the door to close it.
The buck does funny things when the does are present.
They sent a sewer down to stitch the tear in the sewer line.
To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
After a number of injections my jaw got number.
Upon seeing the tear in my clothes I shed a tear.
I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
I read it once and will read it again
I learned much from this learned treatise.
I was content to note the content of the message.
The Blessed Virgin blessed her. Blessed her richly.
It's a bit wicked to over-trim a short wicked candle.
If he will absent himself we mark him absent.
I incline toward bypassing the incline. http://www.spellingsociety.org/news/media/poems.php

posted November 17, 2014 02:33 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by GeminiKarat:
Thank you very much! I always have my problem with wright and right. The ´w´ changes the meaning of the word, but it is pronounced very similar.

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Note:
So many folks try and use a homophone in lieu of the correct word when Lexigramming.
That is not allowed!
Just because words sound exactly the same does not mean they mean the same thing,
and are not interchangeable!
Other examples:
KNIGHT NIGHT
THROUGH THREW
YOU EWE
LITE LIGHT
SON SUN
SITE SIGHT
MOTE MOAT
TO TOO TWO TU
SEE SEA SI
YOUR YOU'RE YORE
WROTE ROTE
ROT WROUGHT
And the list of homophones just goes on and on.

posted November 17, 2014 04:40 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Lexxigramer:

Four homophones, not just two.
[b]WRITE RITE RIGHT WRIGHT

[/B]

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It is very difficult for me to distinguish, but I will try to improve it.

right = correct
right = law
right = direction

I will use your link to learn a little bit tomorrow.

posted November 17, 2014 10:55 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by GeminiKarat:

It is very difficult for me to distinguish, but I will try to improve it.

right = correct
right = law
right = direction

I will use your link to learn a little bit tomorrow.

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1.
morally good, justified, or acceptable.
"I hope we're doing the right thing"
synonyms: just, fair, proper, good, upright, righteous, virtuous, moral, ethical, honorable, honest; More
lawful, legal
"it wouldn't be right to do that"
antonyms: wrong, unjust
2.
true or correct as a fact.
"I'm not sure I know the right answer"
synonyms: correct, accurate, exact, precise; More
proper, valid, conventional, established, official, formal
"Mr. Hubert had the right answer"
antonyms: wrong, inaccurate
correct in one's opinion or judgment.
"she was right about Tom having no money"
synonyms: correct, accurate, exact, precise; More
proper, valid, conventional, established, official, formal
"Mr. Hubert had the right answer"
antonyms: wrong, inaccurate
used as an interrogative at the end of a statement as a way of inviting agreement, approval, or confirmation.
exclamation: right
"you went to see Angie on Monday, right?"
according to what is correct for a particular situation or thing.
"is this the right way to the cottage?"
the best or most suitable of a number of possible choices for a particular purpose or occasion.
"he was clearly the right man for the job"
synonyms: suitable, appropriate, fitting, correct, proper, desirable, preferable, ideal; More
archaicmeet
"the right person for the job"
opportune, advantageous, favorable, propitious, good, lucky, happy, fortunate, providential, felicitous;
timely, seasonable, convenient, expedient, suitable, appropriate
"you've come at the right time"
antonyms: wrong, unsuitable, inopportune
socially fashionable or important.
"he was seen at all the right places"
in a satisfactory, sound, or normal state or condition.
"that sausage doesn't smell right"
3.
on, toward, or relating to the side of a human body or of a thing that is to the east when the person or thing is facing north.
"my right elbow"
4.
Britishinformal
complete; absolute (used for emphasis, typically in derogatory contexts).
"I felt a right idiot"
5.
of or relating to a person or political party or grouping favoring conservative views.
"are you politically right, left, or center?"

adverb
adverb: right

1.
to the furthest or most complete extent or degree (used for emphasis).
"the car spun right off the track"
synonyms: completely, fully, totally, absolutely, utterly, thoroughly, quite
"she was right at the limit of her patience"
exactly; directly (used to emphasize the precise location or time of something).
"Harriet was standing right behind her"
synonyms: exactly, precisely, directly, immediately, just, squarely, dead; More
informalbang, smack, plumb, smack dab
"right in the middle of the village"
informal
immediately; without delaying or hesitating.
"I'll be right back"
synonyms: straight, immediately, instantly, at once, straightaway, now, right now, this minute, directly, forthwith, without further ado, promptly, quickly, as soon as possible, ASAP, in short order; More
informalstraight off, PDQ, pretty damn quick, pronto, lickety-split
"he'll be right down"
antonyms: sometime, later
dialectarchaic
very.
"it's right spooky in there!"
2.
correctly.
"he had guessed right"
synonyms: correctly, accurately, properly, precisely, aright, rightly, perfectly
"I think I heard right"
antonyms: wrong
in the required or necessary way; properly; satisfactorily.
"nothing's going right for me this season"
synonyms: well, properly, justly, fairly, nicely, equitably, impartially, honorably, lawfully, legally, ethically More
"make sure you're treated right by the authorities"
well, for the best, favorably, happily, advantageously, profitably, providentially, luckily, conveniently
"things will turn out right"
antonyms: unjustly, badly
3.
on or to the right side.
"turn right at Main Street"

noun
noun: right; plural noun: rights; noun: the right; noun: Right; noun: the Right

1.
that which is morally correct, just, or honorable.
"she doesn't understand the difference between right and wrong"
synonyms: goodness, righteousness, virtue, integrity, rectitude, propriety, morality, truth, honesty, honor, justice, fairness, equity; More
lawfulness, legality
"the difference between right and wrong"
antonyms: wrong
2.
a moral or legal entitlement to have or obtain something or to act in a certain way.
"she had every right to be angry"
synonyms: entitlement, prerogative, privilege, advantage, due, birthright, liberty, authority, power, license, permission, dispensation, leave, sanction, freedom;
historicaldroit
"you have the right to say no"
the authority to perform, publish, film, or televise a particular work, event, etc.
"they sold the paperback rights"
3.
the right-hand part, side, or direction.
"take the first turning on the right"
(in football or a similar sport) the right-hand half of the field when facing the opponent's goal.
Baseball
short for right field.
"a looping single to right"
the right wing of an army.
a right turn.
"he made a right in Dorchester Avenue"
a road or entrance on the right.
"take the first right over the stream"
(especially in the context of boxing) a person's right fist.
a blow given with this.
"the young cop swung a terrific right"
4.
a grouping or political party favoring conservative views and supporting capitalist economic principles.

verb
verb: right; 3rd person present: rights; past tense: righted; past participle: righted; gerund or present participle: righting

1.
restore to a normal or upright position.
"we righted the capsized dinghy"
synonyms: set upright, turn back over
"the way to right a capsized dinghy"
restore to a normal or correct condition or situation.
"righting the economy demanded major cuts in defense spending"
synonyms: remedy, put right, rectify, retrieve, fix, resolve, sort out, settle, square; More
straighten out, correct, repair, mend, redress, make good, ameliorate, better
"we must right the situation"
redress or rectify (a wrong or mistaken action).
"she was determined to right the wrongs done to her father"
synonyms: remedy, put right, rectify, retrieve, fix, resolve, sort out, settle, square; More
straighten out, correct, repair, mend, redress, make good, ameliorate, better
"we must right the situation"
archaic
make reparation to (someone) for a wrong done to them.
"we'll see you righted"

exclamation
informal
exclamation: right

1.
used to indicate one's agreement with a suggestion or to acknowledge a statement or order.
"“Barry's here.” “Oh, right”"
used as a filler in speech or to introduce an utterance, exhortation, or suggestion.
"and I didn't think any more of it, right, but Mom said I should take him to a doctor"

cut and paste this link.
I cannot seem to get it to be clicked.
https://www.google.com/search?q=right+definition&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US%20fficial&client=firefox-a&channel=sb
_________________________________
As you can see;
it all becomes quite complex.

posted November 19, 2014 09:47 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Randall:
Thanks, LEXX.

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posted November 19, 2014 10:15 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by GeminiKarat:
I like this poem:
Write we know is written right,
When we see it written write;
But when we see it written wright,
We know it is not written right:
For write, to have it written right,
Must not be written right or wright,
Nor yet should it be written rite;
But write, for so 'tis written right.
(Gleanings From the Harvest Fields of Literature, Science and Art: A Melange of Excerpta, Curious, Humorous, and Instructive, 2nd ed., collated by Charles C. Bombaugh. T. Newton Kurtz, 1860)

The more I study, the more I get confused. “Scio me nihil scire” is the leading sentence in my life. Although I do know that, I do not give up and try to get rid of some of my stupidity. I will study a little bit more on the link above. I like it very much! Thank you!

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quote:

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The phrase "I know that I know nothing" or "I know one thing: that I know nothing" (originally from Latin: "ipse se nihil scire id unum sciat", a possible paraphrase from a Greek text; also quoted as "scio me nihil scire" or "scio me nescire"; later back-translated to Katharevousa Greek as "[ἓν οἶδα ὅτι] οὐδὲν οἶδα", [hčn oîda hóti] oudčn oîda), sometimes called the Socratic paradox, is a well-known saying that is derived from Plato's account of the Greek philosopher Socrates.

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Some other links you might enjoy!
Two of my favorite ones! http://phrontistery.info/index.html

posted December 01, 2014 02:39 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Lexxigramer:

Some other links you might enjoy!
Two of my favorite ones! http://phrontistery.info/index.html

and
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php [/B]

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I did study the first link last week.

Thank you very much!

I will study The Phrontistery this week. It seems to be a very good homepage.

posted December 01, 2014 09:46 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by GeminiKarat:
I did study the first link last week.

Thank you very much!

I will study The Phrontistery this week. It seems to be a very good homepage.

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