Scottの英会話相談室

Posted by: Ravi. 
Hi Scott,Nice to meet you.
I have been living NY around 2 years.
I am wondering that it seems I can not improve my English skill especially speaking.
So far,I am reading English books,watching TV or movies and
I am listening local Radio during I am driving.
Actually I am not good at study grammar though…

Do you have any idea to improve speaking English?
Please let me know …

Thanks
Ravi
 
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Posted by: thanksmile. 
.「ペンで書かれている手紙」を英訳する際、通常は、「the letter written with a pen 」と言う表現が自然だろうということは理解できます。ただ、Merriam-Webster online1のEnglish-English dictionaryで「in」を調べてみると、手段を示すことばであると説明した項があり、そこに「written in pencil」と用例が書かれています。これを参照すると、先の英訳は、「the letter written in pen」と表現することができそうです。この、「in」を使う、「the letter written in pen」と、「the letter written with a pen 」にはどんなニュアンスの違いがあるのでしょうか？

 
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Posted by: Toshio. 
Hi Scott, how are you doing?

Please take a look at the following sentence:
“There is no need to make excuses.”

Is the person saying this angry and refuses to accept any excuses from the person he or she is talking to?

Toshio
 
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Posted by: Toshio. 
Hi Scott, how are you doing?

Following is a weather forecast put in a dialog for a movie.

Radio: “Let’s take a look at the five day forecast. …just a sprinkles here and there. And there’s a look at your Saturday, high eighty-eight. The sunshine has returned, Sunday.”

Is it correct and normal that the tense of the last sentence should be of past participle but not that of future, like “The sunshine will return, Sunday.”?

Toshio
 
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Posted by: Toshio. 
Hi Scott,

Your today’s “Listening Practice” must be erroneous. The voice for the question was saying “startling”, but the any of the three answers put were anounced “wrong”. Please check.

Toshio
 
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Posted by: Toshio. 
Hi Scott, how are you doing?

Please take a look at the following dialog:
Barry: What’s up, Kev?
Kevin: Nothing. What’s up with you Barry?
Barry: The other guys said they will be late, so we’ll start precticing in a few minutes.

Does Barry suggest that they may wait until the other guys come probably in a few minutes, or they may start practicing in a few minutes anyway without waiting for them?

Toshio

 
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Posted by: Toshio. 
Hi Scott, how are you doing?

Please take a look at the following dialog:
Barry: What’s up, Kev?
Kevin: Nothing. What’s up with you Barry?
Barry: The other guys said they will be late, so we’ll start precticing in a few minutes.

Does Barry suggest that they may wait until the other guys come probably in a few minutes, or they may start practicing in a few minutes anyway without waiting for them?

Toshio

 
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Posted by: Toshio. 
Hi Scott, how are you doing? It’s a long time since I’ve come here and posted something before.

Well, I want to ask you a question. Please take a look at the following three sentences: “He hadn’t ever been here before.” “He hasn’t ever been here before.” “He wasn’t ever here before.”

Is there any difference among them?

Toshio
 
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Posted by: Conan Rock. 
What is the first day of the week?
In Chinese calendar, it goes from Sunday to Saturday;
and in Cantonese-speaking culture, we usually say Saturday is weekend. According to my knowledge, Japanese calendar also goes from nichiyoubi to doyoubi.

But there are people saying Monday is the first day of the week. In a TV program, a Canadian person said Monday is the first day of the week, then the Taiwanese old lady said SUN is.
And I did see a calendar starts MON TUE WED…SAT SUN
somewhere on the net.

Just wounder are there cultures counting Monday as the first day of the week.

Thank you.
 
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Posted by: Conan Rock. 
Hi Scott

Either English or Japanese my first language.
Please don’t feel bad if my question sounds too stupid.

The film “Transformer” reminded me a question I wanted to ask long time ago…

“transform”
“metamorphose”

Both of them are usually translated as “Henkei” 「変形する」in Japanese.
But after I looked them up in dictionary, I still don’t have any idea.

What would you explain in plain English, please?
Thank you.

Conan Rock
 
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Posted by: mari. 
Hello, Scott.

I have a question.
Is it ok to use “unless” in a sentence like this?

How about going on a picnic unless it rains tomorrow?

Thank you very much.
 
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