English learning thread!

[lopo2000]

Hi English speakers!

I am not that fluent in English though I really love it! Poems, stories are often best conveyed in this language than my own language, in my opinion, though my language, Malay, I think is more "flowerish". So, in an effort to strengthen my English, I have some questions to ask. One is vocab question, another is grammar question.

1) I have been trying to search for this, but I don't seem to be able to find it. What is the term for people who keep falling for people's jokes?

2) Is "need" a modal verb too? Because I sometimes hear people say, "you need not say that". Is that a correct sentence?

 

[Industrialsize]

Hi English speakers!

I am not that fluent in English though I really love it! Poems, stories are often best conveyed in this language than my own language, in my opinion, though my language, Malay, I think is more "flowerish". So, in an effort to strengthen my English, I have some questions to ask. One is vocab question, another is grammar question.

1) I have been trying to search for this, but I don't seem to be able to find it. What is the term for people who keep falling for people's jokes?
GULLIBLE

2) Is "need" a modal verb too? Because I sometimes hear people say, "you need not say that". Is that a correct sentence?
That IS a correct sentence

 

[Sergeant_Torpedo]

I understand the question but don't think the reference is classically correct. Better to use should than need, but our language has become so bastardized and politically correct that we are not allowed to insist on correct form or grammar.

 

[lopo2000]

Hi English speakers!

I am not that fluent in English though I really love it! Poems, stories are often best conveyed in this language than my own language, in my opinion, though my language, Malay, I think is more "flowerish". So, in an effort to strengthen my English, I have some questions to ask. One is vocab question, another is grammar question.

1) I have been trying to search for this, but I don't seem to be able to find it. What is the term for people who keep falling for people's jokes?
GULLIBLE

2) Is "need" a modal verb too? Because I sometimes hear people say, "you need not say that". Is that a correct sentence?
That IS a correct sentence

Thank you! Gullible! That's the term I have been saying several years ago but now forgot...

I understand the question but don't think the reference is classically correct. Better to use should than need, but our language has become so bastardized and politically correct that we are not allowed to insist on correct form or grammar.

I usually use "should" but some people use need so it made me wonder whether it's true or not...

 

[ManlyBanisters]

2) Is "need" a modal verb too? Because I sometimes hear people say, "you need not say that". Is that a correct sentence?

'Need' can function as a modal (auxiliary) verb, too. Yes. But it isn't very common these days and when it is used it is usually in the negative.

"You need say that" is questionable, actually completely incorrect, in my opinion - but maybe not in all dialects. Whereas your example "you need not say that" is fine.

Using 'need' that way in a positive sentence is like 'want' and requires that the following verb be infinitive. "You need to go to the shops" / "you want to dance the macarena with Jay Leno". So it is not really the same as using 'need' as a modal verb, like in your example.

An Indy already answered with 'gullible' which is the best answer for your vocab question.

 

[lopo2000]

'Need' can function as a modal (auxiliary) verb, too. Yes. But it isn't very common these days and when it is used it is usually in the negative.

"You need say that" is questionable, actually completely incorrect, in my opinion - but maybe not in all dialects. Whereas your example "you need not say that" is fine.

Using 'need' that way in a positive sentence is like 'want' and requires that the following verb be infinitive. "You need to go to the shops" / "you want to dance the macarena with Jay Leno". So it is not really the same as using 'need' as a modal verb, like in your example.

An Indy already answered with 'gullible' which is the best answer for your vocab question.

That is a very extensive answer! Thank you.

 

[Northland]

2) Is "need" a modal verb too? Because I sometimes hear people say, "you need not say that". Is that a correct sentence?
That IS a correct sentence

Sadly, Industrialsize's sentence was not written properly, he neglected to place punctuation at the end. :biggrin1:

 

[lopo2000]

Sadly, Industrialsize's sentence was not written properly, he neglected to place punctuation at the end. :biggrin1:

Too bad! I thought he's a great teacher! :tongue:

 

[Northland]

Too bad! I thought he's a great teacher! :tongue:

Just what has he been teaching you young man? I hope it's not the old, 3 hands are better than one lesson again.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Just what has he been teaching you young man? I hope it's not the old, 3 hands are better than one lesson again.

Sadly, Northland's sentences were not written properly.
In the first one, he failed to put a comma before the appositive, "young man."
In the second, he put a superfluous comma after the word "old," used the numeral for "three" instead of writing it out (though this involves more a convention of style than an outright error), and arguably should either have put "three hands are better than one" in quotation marks, as I have just done, or inserted hyphens, as I do here: "I hope it's not the old three-hands-are-better-than-one lesson again.":biggrin1:

 

[lopo2000]

Just what has he been teaching you young man? I hope it's not the old, 3 hands are better than one lesson again.

Ohh, he has been teaching way more than that... It's life lesson...

Senor rubirosa, since when did I declare language war in here? :tongue:

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Senor rubirosa, since when did I declare language war in here? :tongue:

The language wars have been simmering for millennia, lopo.
You'd do best to duck.

 

[Northland]

Sadly, Northland's sentences were not written properly.
In the first one, he failed to put a comma before the appositive, "young man."
In the second, he put a superfluous comma after the word "old," used the numeral for "three" instead of writing it out (though this involves more a convention of style than an outright error), and arguably should either have put "three hands are better than one" in quotation marks, as I have just done, or inserted hyphens, as I do here: "I hope it's not the old three-hands-are-better-than-one lesson again.":biggrin1:

(Weight untill he seas howe eye mix letters and numerals in a sentence- When I was thirteen years old I had 4 different razors which were given me by my grandfather who was then in his seventies. Blades at the time cost ten to 30 cents depending on quality.)



Superfluous comma? Clearly it was not! It showed up late from where it was originally supposed to have been.:smile:

 

[Countryguy63]

Sadly, y'all are all incorrect!!

No reason, just wanted to say it :wink:

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

(Weight untill he seas howe eye mix letters and numerals in a sentence- When I was thirteen years old I had 4 different razors which were given me by my grandfather who was then in his seventies. Blades at the time cost ten to 30 cents depending on quality.)

U sher do liek 2 mix stilez, donchoo?

Superfluous comma? Clearly it was not! It showed up late from where it was originally supposed to have been.:smile:

Always an Xcuze, Northland.
Lol.

 

[Northland]

U sher do liek 2 mix stilez, donchoo?

Aye shore due.:biggrin1:

Always an Xcuze, Northland.
Lol.

I learn from the best.

(actually, I depend on editors to catch my goofs of which there are many:redface

 

[vince]

You ought to be studying your Turkish Lopo. :wink:

 

[luka82]

Too bad! I thought he's a great teacher! :tongue:

I would let him teach me anything!!!!!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

 

[Calboner]

You ought to be studying your Turkish Lopo. :wink:

What is a Turkish Lopo?

 

[Countryguy63]

I would let him teach me anything!!!!!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

I'd keep you after class for detention young man :tongue: