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English Grammar sentence help!?


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English Grammar sentence help!? #1 (permalink) Sun Apr 25, 2010 2:08 am   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

Hi.. My name is Tsering and I have been learning grammar for many days. I am having many problems with it and two specific problems are word/phrase/clause order in a sentence, and saying 1 sentence in 2 different ways and being grammatically correct at the same time.

Ex: Arguments for the SMS are typically invoked in settings involving considerable uncertainty and potentially irreversible loses.

Why can't you say: Arguments are for the SMS typically invoked in settings involving considerable uncertainty and potentially irreversible loses.

or
Typically invoked are arguments for the SMS in settings involving considerable uncertainty and potentially irreversible loses.

I know the sentences sound weird but can you guys tell why Why in a strictly grammatical sense.

Ex: He could not help but see that.

He could not help seeing that.

How can you say these sentences in two ways yet they are both grammatically correct.

Last Ex: I desperately want to gain flexibility.
- I desperately want to be flexible.

Both "gain and be" are verbs so why is "gain"followed by noun "flexibility" and "be" by adjective flexible.
-Can you also say "flexibility is what I want to gain desperately."

Question about saying sentence in millions of different ways always confuses me like how can they be all grammatically correct. When can you write a sentence and when can you not.

Thanksss so much...
Tsering Lama
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English Grammar sentence help!? #2 (permalink) Fri Apr 30, 2010 23:31 pm   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

Hi,
I think for your first example, we must consider the first phrase as a subject:
Tsering Lama wrote:
Ex: Arguments for the SMS are typically invoked in settings involving considerable uncertainty and potentially irreversible loses.

They are typically invoked in settings involving considerable uncertainty and potentially irreversible loses.
We are talking about something which the whole sentence is about. So, it must be the subject of the sentence. And I think just your first sentence is correct, isn't it?

However, I would like to hear from Alan, or Torsten.
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English Grammar sentence help!? #3 (permalink) Sat May 01, 2010 17:34 pm   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

Hi Lama. I think your question must be left to your english teacher. I mean the teacher from your country and who speaks your language. After hearing you said that you'd learnt english grammar for SOME DAYS, I know that you're now a beginner. There are many new terms in english must be explained to you in your language by your teacher himself. I mean the equivalent terms. When I started to learn english, my teacher did so. They're basic rules from which I can build my english knowledge myself better. Sometimes, there are something native teachers can't teach you better than your teachers. That's why we always learn philology before other subjects and mother tongue before other languages.
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English Grammar sentence help!? #4 (permalink) Sat May 01, 2010 18:28 pm   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

I don't think Lama is that much of a beginner, BS. He'd never have been able to construct that post if he hadn't been learning for more than 'some days'. I think that was just an incorrect choice of phrase.
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English Grammar sentence help!? #5 (permalink) Sun May 02, 2010 12:35 pm   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

Blue_Snow wrote:
Hi Lama. I think your question must be left to your english teacher. I mean the teacher from your country and who speaks your language. After hearing you said that you'd learnt english grammar for SOME DAYS, I know that you're now a beginner. There are many new terms in english must be explained to you in your language by your teacher himself. I mean the equivalent terms. When I started to learn english, my teacher did so. They're basic rules from which I can build my english knowledge myself better. Sometimes, there are something native teachers can't teach you better than your teachers. That's why we always learn philology before other subjects and mother tongue before other languages.


Just what the heck are you taking about?
Pasban110
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English Grammar sentence help!? #6 (permalink) Sun May 02, 2010 18:43 pm   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

What the hell, Pasban! That hell is my thought!
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English Grammar sentence help!? #7 (permalink) Sun May 02, 2010 20:49 pm   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

:-) You certainly get on a lot of peoples nerves BS. Why don't you just go where you are appreciated?
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English Grammar sentence help!? #8 (permalink) Mon May 03, 2010 0:56 am   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

Tsering Lama wrote:
Last Ex: I desperately want to gain flexibility.
- I desperately want to be flexible.

Both "gain and be" are verbs so why is "gain"followed by noun "flexibility" and "be" by adjective flexible.
-Can you also say "flexibility is what I want to gain desperately."
.


It's grammactical, Tsering. There are always grammactical rules in a certain language.
Go this way. "Gain", like other transitive verbs, requires a noun, but not an adjective, to follow as an object. "Be" is a special verb that can be followed by a noun or an adjective. Some other verbs such as feel, sound, taste... that you might as well learn by heart also can be followed by adjectives....
Frankly, you make me come into a question why you have asked such a question. You know to ask "flexibility is what I want to gain desperately" which shows that you are not just "some days" learning English.
JLTS
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English Grammar sentence help!? #9 (permalink) Mon May 03, 2010 1:10 am   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

Blue_Snow wrote:
Hi Lama. I think your question must be left to your english teacher. I mean the teacher from your country and who speaks your language. After hearing you said that you'd learnt english grammar for SOME DAYS, I know that you're now a beginner. There are many new terms in english must be explained to you in your language by your teacher himself. I mean the equivalent terms. When I started to learn english, my teacher did so. They're basic rules from which I can build my english knowledge myself better. Sometimes, there are something native teachers can't teach you better than your teachers. That's why we always learn philology before other subjects and mother tongue before other languages.


Hi Blue Snow,
In my opinion, learning English with a native teacher in a full "English atmosphere" is best. Initially we just find it difficult because we have to manage to understand our teacher but it's easier for us to really master English as a native speakers on our way.
Regards,
JLTS
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Joseph_Learns_To_Speak
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English Grammar sentence help!? #10 (permalink) Mon May 03, 2010 6:03 am   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

Of course everyone wants to learn a language with native speakers but what will happen if we know nothing about it? When learning a new language or whatsoever, we need a basis. This basis helps us know how the language works and from which we will have targets to reach. Notice that every foreign language center has native speakers on behalf of tutors.
Blue_Snow
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English Grammar sentence help!? #11 (permalink) Mon May 03, 2010 7:25 am   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

Blue_Snow wrote:
Of course everyone wants to learn a language with native speakers but what will happen if we know nothing about it? When learning a new language or whatsoever, we need a basis. This basis helps us know how the language works and from which we will have targets to reach. Notice that every foreign language center has native speakers on behalf of tutors.


Ok, BS. That's your opinion and I have mine.
I think if I could start to learn English from A in England or the US I would have been to Z and mastered English as native speakers.
Thanks anyway.
JLTS
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Joseph_Learns_To_Speak
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English Grammar sentence help!? #12 (permalink) Tue May 04, 2010 6:54 am   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

BS,
I really don't like to call you an idiot. Anyway, watch you words, kid! You don't have the right to scold me!

If I didn't have some friends form Vietnam, I would think Boy! Every Vietnamese is a bad mouth one!
Pasban110
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English Grammar sentence help!? #13 (permalink) Tue May 04, 2010 8:03 am   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

Hello guys
Let's have a friendly atmosphere. Please...!
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English Grammar sentence help!? #14 (permalink) Tue May 04, 2010 8:48 am   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

I agree with Richard.
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English Grammar sentence help!? #15 (permalink) Tue May 04, 2010 10:54 am   English Grammar sentence help!?
 

Pasban110 wrote:
BS,
I really don't like to call you an idiot. Anyway, watch you words, kid! You don't have the right to scold me!

If I didn't have some friends form Vietnam, I would think Boy! Every Vietnamese is a bad mouth one!


I am very sorry, Pasban. I am a Vietnamese, too. :-)
Regards,
JLTS
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Joseph_Learns_To_Speak
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