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#2 (permalink) Sun May 18, 2008 15:48 pm What is this adjective in English? |
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| Shy, bashful, formal? |
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Rajin New Member
Joined: 18 May 2008 Posts: 7
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#3 (permalink) Sun May 18, 2008 23:01 pm What is this adjective in English? |
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We wouldn't use just one adjective for that. It depends on what we mean.
1/ "Hey guys, don't be shy, timid, formal, stiff, reserved Just make yourselves at home. 2/ "No need to be so formal, stiff, reserved. We are friends, aren't we?" 3/ "Don't feel guilty we are friends and I know you're busy lately. |
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Jamie (K) I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 5332 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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#4 (permalink) Mon May 19, 2008 0:12 am What is this adjective in English? |
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| I think formal would work for all 3 of those. In the 3rd example "don't be so formal! we are friends!" works perfectly fine. |
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Rajin New Member
Joined: 18 May 2008 Posts: 7
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Nessie I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1102
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Nessie I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1102
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#7 (permalink) Mon May 19, 2008 21:06 pm What is this adjective in English? |
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Hi Nessie
Presumably you want to know which preposition to use. "You don't have to be formal (with me)."
I suppose people might also say 'to me'. You'll probably hear 'around me' as well, for example. . |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8265 Location: USA
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Nessie I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1102
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#9 (permalink) Tue May 20, 2008 11:36 am What is this adjective in English? |
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| Quote: |
| 1/ "Hey guys, don't be shy, timid, formal, stiff, reserved Just make yourselves at home. |
"Reserved" doesn't fit so well with "Hey guys", in terms of register, IMO. I think "don't be shy" would be the most common choice there. |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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#10 (permalink) Tue May 20, 2008 12:12 pm What is this adjective in English? |
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| There's nothing wrong with putting "hey, guys" and "reserved" in the same sentence. After all, it's the "guys" who are being reserved, not the speaker. |
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Jamie (K) I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 5332 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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#11 (permalink) Tue May 20, 2008 12:20 pm What is this adjective in English? |
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| Quote: |
| After all, it's the "guys" who are being reserved, not the speaker. |
And if the guys were being yellow-bellied wimps, would you tell 'em so? |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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#12 (permalink) Tue May 20, 2008 12:51 pm What is this adjective in English? |
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To be honest, Molly, you don't seem to know much about register either.  . |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8265 Location: USA
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#13 (permalink) Tue May 20, 2008 14:20 pm What is this adjective in English? |
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| I'm discussing it. You? |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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Nessie I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1102
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#15 (permalink) Wed May 21, 2008 8:02 am What is this adjective in English? |
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| nessie wrote: |
Hi Molly, Could you please tell me what "register" means in your sentences? I've seen you use it many times but I can't understand
Many thanks Nessie |
9. A variety of language used in a specific social setting: speaking in an informal register; writing in a scientific register.
http://www.bartleby.com/61/55/R0125500.html
With the BNC for example, you can search "compare between registers":
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| With this architecture and interface, you can also easily find the frequency of words and phrases in any combination of registers that you define (spoken, academic, poetry, medical, etc). In addition, you can compare between registers -- for example, verbs that are more common in legal or medical texts, or nouns near break that are more common in fiction than in academic writing. |
Go to http://corpus.byu.edu/bnc/ and read the Introduction. |
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Molly I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 4017
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