Yes

[Alan]

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Hi,

It's a simple enough word, isn't it? I'm talking about 'yes', you understand. But there are a lot of ways you can say it and quite a few depend on the manner in which you say it. Let me explain -

http://www.english-test.net/stories/76/index.html

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Albertgray]

Hi Alan,
Please do we say, 'there are apples in the tree or there are apples on the tree'?

And also,

Is it, 'there are birds on the tree or there are birds in the tree'?

Thank you,
Albert

[Alan]

Hi Albert,

I would use 'in' for the birds because they are, as it were, sitting inside the tree and I would use 'on' for the apples as they are hanging on the branches of the tree. In the same way you would say: There's a bird in the tree sitting on a branch.

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Foah]

[Mariela Bolivia]

Hi Alan:

I really enjoy your essay and this is the firts time I respond one of them, I`m hidding from my boss, jejeje. (I should be working) :P.

I wanted to know the grammatical explanation of: " yes, that may well be so but..."
Thanks a lot.

Kind regards from Bolivia.
Bye bye.

[Alan]

Hi Mariela,

The expression 'Yes, that may well be so but..' suggests: 'Yes, that's probably true but ..'.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Passive Voice

[Hoadong]

Hello Alan,

It was interesting to read your lesson “The language of yes”. I really loved the way you created the stories of idioms, which are so helpful to us, your students, to improve our vocabulary and to learn about the English language.

When I was a student, once my English teacher said to me that the best method to study and remember new words was that the student have to use them in his/her essays to make them become his/her own words. So I will try to use the new words, which I have learned from your lesson, as many as I am able to use in my essay "All About Yes".

Please give comment and correct my mistakes.

Thank you so much!

All About Yes

When asked the question "If you are a boss, or a superior, will you like the person that is a yes-man?", some people will say “yes” whilst the other people will choose “no”. People, who love the flattering and the feeling that they are the first will like the yes-man because whatever the superiors say the inferior never againsts them, even what they have said is not true. Nevertheless, to people, who seek the new ideas from their workers to develop the company will not like the yes-man. In my paper, I will analyze the reasons of these two kinds of choices.

If you have a chance to be the listener of the discussion between a superior and his workers it is not so difficult to you to see what sort of person the superior is. Relying on the discussions you can get his number. For example, if the superior likes the answers as “Yes, I couldn’t agree with you more.”, “Absolutely.”, “You are absolutely right.” it means he is the person who doesn’t like the contrary views, who thinks he is the most intelligent and important. If some worker dares to express his point of view to the superior it could cause a trouble to him. Some people, who are not yes-men sometimes, have to hide their thoughts, opinions because they do not want to involve in the problem, which may effect his position, or his salary.

On the contrary, there are some superiors, who know the value of the new ideas. These people know that the true sayings help a lot for the companies' developing and do not like the yes-man who always agrees with those in authority especially when he wants to ingratiate himself with his superiors. Presenting your thoughts to the boss is an art. The true sayings are always good. However, it is much better if you know how to say, how to express your ideas intelligently. Sometimes if you want to be careful in your reply but would also like to express your point of view, the answers “Yes, that’s all very well but…” or “Yes, that may well be so but…” then go on to state your thoughts on the matter will be good in these cases.

Moreover, sometimes, through the answers you will know the conversation partner agree with you or not. He or she may be feels obliged to say “yes” then his or her answers would be “ Yes, I suppose so.”, “Yes, all right if you insist.”, Yes, go on and then.” When the answers are “Yes, you could well be right” it means the person come to cautious agreement. Or when he doesn’t want to get involve in an agreement he will reply “Yes, there’s a lot in what you say.”, “Yes, you do have a point there.”

There is a saying "Words are not paid. Consider the words to make the listener to be pleasured." So, it is always wise to use the words in the right time, in the right place, in the right case and to the right person.
_________________
Hoadong

[Alan]

Hi Hoado,

I have made some changes to your text in capital letters:

[Hoadong]

Alan, thank you so much.

I am very glad that you have helped me to correct the mistakes in my writing. This gives me a push to study harder.

Have a nice day!
_________________
Hoadong

[Hoadong]

[Zakata]

Hi Alan
i'm really like your style of writting . i hope to learn some of your skills in writting please help me
it's my pleasure to be one of the students of yours

[Yuri Yurinov]

Dear Alan,

Though I am not a Yes-man, I' d like to say: "Yes, You are a good essayist."

Regards,

Yuri
_________________
Everything is Anything.

Please NO Youtube on "My first steps in English" thread... Yuri Zverev

[Linaseattle]

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That's really awesome Alan. Yet, for I am not a native speaker, I could not put all of them in minds, and I don't want to bother myself, otherwise it will be a slip of the tongue. So I make some modifications on my own style according to my limited capabilities. I for one would prefer to retain this words only, 'yes please, no thanks, absolutely, I would prefer bla bla bla, it's up to you, as you wish, okay if you insist, alright you win, go ahead, go on please'. That's all words I can cope with. And suppose I don't really understand their talks, then to avoid misunderstanding, I would prefer to paraphrase them on my own just for confirmation, or ask them to say it again in other words. That works for me, and release my burden some.
:D
Lina
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I am looking for a skype partner to practice my English.

[Adia]

Hello,

Thank you for the essay, lovely as usual.

I knew once a boss who couldn't stand being contradicted in any way. Once he was wrong about the day of the week (Wednesday instead of Thursday), and when we brought him a calendar, he maintained that he was right and the calendar was wrong...
Tragicomical, isn't it?

All the best!

[Brandon]

Hi~ my name is brandon j
I always enjoying your essay.
Thank u.