English chat. Общение на английском

[Dmitry2006]

The first one - only that I'd rather say: "I've read the letter you sent me" - just for the sake of better style (to avoid repeating "your" and "you")...
Besides, the word "advice" is uncountable, so you cannot use the indefinite article with it. You can say: "I need advice", or "I need a piece of advice".

Thanks for your answer. Could you clarify why Past Perfect is not correct in the second part of the sentence? This action (he sent the letter) happened before I read it.

[Bagirapuss]

Thanks for your answer. Could you clarify why Past Perfect is not correct in the second part of the sentence? This action (he sent the letter) happened before I read it.

b) I have read your letter you had sent me.

This sentence is formally incorrect: though you are speaking about the past, you are using the Present Perfect teense in the first part of the sentence. This automatically means that the auxiliary (have) in the second part has to be in its Present form ("have", not "had"). If you used Present Perfect in both parts of the sentence, it would be OK from the viewpoint of a grammar book, but rather strange-sounding from the viewpoint of native speaking.

c) I read your letter you had sent me.
This sentence is formally correct, but it is incorrect from the viewpoint of the situation you described in your post. As far as I can understand, you are replying to a recent e-mail. Past Simple + Past Perfect, however, refers the reader deeper into the past. It suggests that a kind of story in Past Simple is going to follow.

Ex.: "I read the letter you had sent to me before, and I thought you were planning a trip. So, I decided to put off my visit to you, but apparently, you didn't mean it that way.... "

As you can see, this combination of tenses requires a certain set of circumstances to be used.

Overall, it was just right of you to use Present Perfect for the first part of the sentence (One of the classical uses - Present Perfect for immediate result). But it is a mistake to combine it with Past Perfect, since formally, Present Perfect is a Present tense. So, it is enough to use Past Simple for the second part is quite enough to imply that the second action took place before the first.

[efilatov]

I'd expect this thread to be more pupular on our forum It seems not so many people are eager to speak English here.

[ValVed]

Maybe we should speak about funny things in our life ( not politics).

Maybe movie – comedy.

[Bagirapuss]

Well, finding conversation topics is not at all easy! It's by far not enough to say: "Let's talk in English!"
Such situations remind me of a certain kind of family gettogethers, when really distant relatives celebrate, say, someone's wedding. Many of them see each other for the first time, and nobody knows what they are supposed to talk about - at least, not until they've had a few drinks

When I was a child, I used to absolutely hate being taken to such parties. At a certain stage, someone's aunt or granny would discover that two kids - myself and some cousin God-knows-how-many-times-removed - both spoke German. So, the two of us would be asked to sit next to each other, and next thing we knew, the whole crowd would be staring at us, and saying: "Now, speak German to each other!" Can you imagine how it felt - given that the two of us were actually seeing each other for the first time ever?

It seems to me that here, the situation is somewhat similar.
Anyway, it is evident that we all do have an area of interest in common, and that's language learning, right? So, why don't we just share our language learning expereinces? What was it like when you first started learning English, or another language? What seemed to be the most difficult, and what came easy? What was fun, and what seemed boring? What would you change if you could travel back in time and start it all over again?
I think it would be valuable for both students and teachers of English, don't you?

[Lika--]

It seems to me that here, the situation is somewhat similar.

I agree with you on that.

My first real experience would be ... I think it was when I was 12 years old, I had a flu and had to stay in bed. I was bored (no Internet back then), so i somehow came across an English self-study book. I couldn't have enough of it! I just loved the fact that every day I could learn words and then understand the actual texts. Even though I had started learning the language 6 years before that, that period was a real breakthrough. I told my dad I wanted to start taking English lessons at a foreigh language school. I was so much into it! The only thing I can add is "it's love!")))

I think if you love something, you enjoy doing it and you're hardworking enough, it will pay off in the end. In my case, so many opportunities opned in front of me because of English. I would not be what I am now without it. I would not meet all these people from around the world who really made a difference for me personally and professionally.

When someone's learning any laguage, it's a good sign if you start seeing dreams in that language. I remember that feeling very well. I woke up in the middle of the night and started screeming (I was 13)! My mom almost got a heart attack, she just couldn't grasp it why someone would be so thrilled about that! It meant a lot to me!=) As I know it for a fact now, if something like that happens to you, you can be sure you're on the right track and your language skills are improving.

What about you, Bagirapuss? Your story?=)

[Bagirapuss]

Oh, my story is somewhat similar to yours - it's also connected with a book. As far as I can remember myself, I have always loved reading. Books are like drugs to me, it's an addiction.
Once, when I was about 12, my parents sent me to Odessa for the summer, to stay with Granny and granddad. At tht time, we were living in Ismail, for dad's job was there.
Now, the trouble with granny and granddad was that they practically never read anything, and they didn't have books at home at all (apart from granny's cookery books). Well, I do love coking - but not to the extent of reading just cookery books all summer! I did try to borrow books from a library, but they kept giving me just children's books - they had some supid instructions related to the age of the readers. However, a book of the "recommended" kind only lasted me for about half an hour. After a couple of weeks, I grew really desparate!
I sarted searching some drawers with my great-grandma's things (she had died just recently, and some of her things were still there). One day, I found a coursebook of English grammar. It was really old - somethying like 150 years - but I felt really happy, even though it was intended for speakers of French, and all the insructions were in French. At that time, I couldn't read in French yet, and I just had an idea of how to read Englis words. But the book had funny stories, fables, poems, and fairy tales. The exercises had some rather weird sentences, but surprisingly, the instructions were not really needed: it was very clear what you are supposed to do. And it was very easy to figure out the meanings of the words from the context, and the words were very cleverly recycled in every unit, too. So, it was a really good book, though very old.
Even so, it took me ages to get through it - which was only to the better, since I didn't have any other books to read anyway. By the end of the summer, I found out I could express myself in English to some extent, which surprised me a lot. When I went back to school, I tried it out on our English teacher first thing. With not much success, though: she was delighted, and gave me top marks all the time, but she just didn't understand about two thirds of what I was saying... When I went to University, I took up German, because it didn't make any sense to start English all over again.
I think what helped me most at the very first stages was the wonderful quality of my first book. It was made so well that you just couldn't put it away. There are a lot of books available now, but I still haven't seen a book better than that old grammar book for French speakers!

[Lika--]

So, at the beginning there was a book... and circumstances=)
An English coursebook which is that old! It's amazing! Is it still in your family?

[Bagirapuss]

So, at the beginning there was a book... and circumstances=)
An English coursebook which is that old! It's amazing! Is it still in your family?

Yes, of course. It's now of sentimental value to me. The home library is really huge, and there are quite some books that are that old. There is even a book of poems by Pushkin printed when he was still living. Of course, these books are kept in a special bookcase, which is not even jpened very often. Now I am old enough to know how fragile jld books really are.

[kapkanda]

Hi people.
I need an advice. Imagine a situation: you received some letter, read it and want to reply. What following phrase is correct:

Hi Alan.
a) I have read your letter you sent me.
b) I have read your letter you had sent me.
c) I read your letter you had sent me.

Thanks in advance.

Just say "Great to hear from you"

[Bagirapuss]

Just say "Great to hear from you"

Not bad an idea, rather informal, though.

[kapkanda]

Not bad an idea, rather informal, though.

"Thank you very much for your promt response" Is it any better?

[Bagirapuss]

"Thank you very much for your promt response" Is it any better?

It's not better or worse - just more formal.
Are you trying to deliver a master-class on letter writing here? Good idea, I am sure it'll be of great use to many here.

[K@TёNoK]

Hello for everybody_)
I'm Kate)
Wanna chat with you here) Can I?

[kapkanda]

Hello for everybody_)
I'm Kate)
Wanna chat with you here) Can I?

gotta wait, me too busy, ini?

[kapkanda]

It's not better or worse - just more formal.
Are you trying to deliver a master-class on letter writing here? Good idea, I am sure it'll be of great use to many here.

No, just showing off

[Bagirapuss]

No, just showing off

Why the ... not? Do it, it'll be useful... I feel you'd enjoy it. By the way, I'd benefit from that, too. I never know how to finish the letter, by the way

[kapkanda]

Why the ... not? Do it, it'll be useful... I feel you'd enjoy it. By the way, I'd benefit from that, too. I never know how to finish the letter, by the way

are you winding me up?

[Bagirapuss]

are you winding me up?

Yes, I am. I always wind people up to do useful things (useful for me first and foremost, of course )

[remeslo]

Hi everyone.
I desided to join yor club and i will try to find some time to write here.
I am an attorney at law, and, maybe, i can help you in this matter.
My English is bad and I want to remember it from my childhood because I need it in my work.
Plese advise me if you know something about the free english - speaking clubs on sundays in Odessa.

Let's ceep in touch