Mesaĝoj: 45
Lingvo: English
alexbeard (Montri la profilon) 2009-januaro-11 17:20:32
For example, every other language in the world just says it literally 'one would do this' but in english you say 'you would do this'
And this causes so many misunderstandings! I asked someone, well this is paraphrasing but, i said 'what will you know at the end of the year?' she is sophomore i am freshmen, she thought I meant it as in what would one know, as in what will I know in my classes, when I meant what will you know as in what will you know at the end of your sophomore year.
English annoys me so much.
I say we should just go to saying "one would" instead of "you would"
What do you think?
andogigi (Montri la profilon) 2009-januaro-11 17:28:35
Rope (Montri la profilon) 2009-januaro-11 17:51:42
alexbeard:How we use the word 'you'It can also be a problem for us UK english speakers.
For example, every other language in the world just says it literally 'one would do this' but in english you say 'you would do this'
And this causes so many misunderstandings! I asked someone, well this is paraphrasing but, i said 'what will you know at the end of the year?' she is sophomore i am freshmen, she thought I meant it as in what would one know, as in what will I know in my classes, when I meant what will you know as in what will you know at the end of your sophomore year.
English annoys me so much.
I say we should just go to saying "one would" instead of "you would"
What do you think?
It would be correct to use "what does one think?" but this can be seen as being to stuffy and using the old stiff upper lip.
I think English does have some strange traits, but it can also be a persons perception of the correct way to say a thing that also causes problems.
We need to promote Eo more, that would make it better
*Drako* (Montri la profilon) 2009-januaro-11 18:15:02
I say we should just go to saying "one would" instead of "you would"Well, you're quite right, that's the way it should be said unless one refers to the person directly. It's modern culture that is lacking, not the language.
In general day to day parlance I would not say, 'If one was to...', as people would find that rather strange. In an important piece of factual writing however, I'd consider it important to use the proper terminology, if I expect to be taken seriously.
It would be correct to use "what does one think?"It wouldn't, as such a question would be directed toward a person specifically, and so would be, 'What do you think?'. To refer to a non-specific 'you' would be, 'What is one to think?'.
Personally, I could very happily revert to Early Modern English.
Rope (Montri la profilon) 2009-januaro-11 18:27:26
*Drako*:Good point, but as you say it would sound strange. It would be great to have Early modern English as a standard but it would not fit in with modern youf.I say we should just go to saying "one would" instead of "you would"Well, you're quite right, that's the way it should be said unless one refers to the person directly. It's modern culture that is lacking, not the language.
In general day to day parlance I would not say, 'If one was to...', as people would find that rather strange. In an important piece of factual writing however, I'd consider it important to use the proper terminology, if I expect to be taken seriously.It would be correct to use "what does one think?"It wouldn't, as such a question would be directed toward a person specifically, and so would be, 'What do you think?'. To refer to a non-specific 'you' would be, 'What is one to think?'.
Personally, I could very happily revert to Early Modern English.
Frankouche (Montri la profilon) 2009-januaro-11 18:32:14
Often, you have no choice.
In my language, french, sometimes we forget how to write some conjugated verbs, so we avoid them and use others, or we say "how would you write this ?" but we feel us a little shame...
I can't hate my language because i don't have an other native language, it's the roots of my culture.
*Drako* (Montri la profilon) 2009-januaro-11 19:40:25
Irritatingly, I will hear people say 'yous', rather than, 'you both/all', or, 'both/all of you', but the inclination of people to do this would suggest that we ought to have a plural 'you'.
RiotNrrd (Montri la profilon) 2009-januaro-11 19:47:22
"Y'all come back now, ya hear?"
Not that I would suggest using it in professional publications. But the fact that it's there at all suggests that others essentially agree with you.
orthohawk (Montri la profilon) 2009-januaro-11 19:52:17
RiotNrrd:Colloquial American English does have such a plural "you": y'all.CAE has LOTS of forms: y'all (mainly South) yinz (Pittsburgh area), youse (mid-atlantic), you guys (midwest-great lakes).
joke: What's the plural of y'all?
All y'all!
*Drako* (Montri la profilon) 2009-januaro-11 21:00:48
"Y'all come back now, ya hear?"Lol! Imagine!
Not that I would suggest using it in professional publications.
joke: What's the plural of y'all?Haha! I have actually heard English people say, 'all yous', instead of 'all of you'.
All y'all!
In Early Modern English, 'you' was actually the plural for indicating more than one individual, the singular being 'thou'.
We lost something there, that should sensibly, have been preserved.