UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

He has had a stroke (sometime recently and his experience). He has had 3 strokes in his life (collective experience). He had had too much to drink before he finally passed out. The having of too much to drink precedes the second action of passing out. That's the nature of the past perfect simple. The differentiating factor with the past perfect continuous is that we focus on the length of action (duration). I had been jogging for 2 hours straight before collapsing. In both cases, there are 2 actions and we focus on cause/effect sometimes, the relationship between them.

UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

Wrocław is right. With the present perfect simple, it means you have amassed experience to a point but we don't know if you have continued with that.

So, one focusses on experience and the other on continuity from an action that started in the past.

The duration form: Past, Present and Future perfect continuous. Please ask if unsure.

Life / Alcohol problems of Polish people [141]

Exceedingly I'd say! We have the same but with whisky. There was a drinking competition in Inverness and the guy didn't even live to claim his reward. Oops a daisy! I don't see many Poles staggering around tbh. More Scots do IMHO.

UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

Nope, not true. Try again!!

UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

Wrocław, what do you think is the difference between the following?

I have taught for 8 years

I have been teaching for 8 years.

For me, it's easy. As a non-teacher but native, you should be ok with it.

UK, Ireland / Avalon method course vs Conversation with a native speaker to learn English? [37]

There are many Scottish accents, PP52. Britain is VERY diverse when it comes to accents and dialects. Teachers here don't understand my Doric dialect one bit.

Conversation is SOOOO much better than any regimented method.

UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

Present perfect simple:

Action finished, time not finished, e.g I have eaten a banana today

Or used for experience, I have been to Thailand (not important when)

Past simple:

Time and action finished, e.g I watched a good film yesterday

Sequencing, e.g I opened the door, walked down the stairs, strolled out, looked around and then jogged.

What is troubling, ladies?

Love / Polish Girl Doesn't Want To Touch. [240]

Oh yeah, Japan is a country full of alleys that are like magical mystery tours. Japanese girls tend not to like touching. You might hear 'sawaranai yo' or 'sawannai yo' (don't touch me), depending on where you are. However, they won't scream out or make a fuss as it's fundamentally anathema to their culture. Not that I was doing the touching, you understand. Touching as 'chikan' or 'sukebe/hentai' do in Japan is NOT the Western way.

UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

Oh, I teach that day in, day out. Just PM me for any specifics, Zeti. Bułka z masłem :) :)

UK, Ireland / Avalon method course vs Conversation with a native speaker to learn English? [37]

PP52, what Scottish accent? Geez, you Polish yanks likely think that we all speak in the same way. I can move 30 minutes west of my home city and I know they are not from where I"m from.

Food / I have a Polish couple coming over for afew days and would like to cook for them. [93]

WB, in case it had slipped your mind, a fair percentage of English comes from French and you lived longer in the UK than I did, I think. It is called kotlet de volaille, nothing fancy about it. It's what they call it in regular shops here. Even milk bars. Nothing au fait there :)

Love / Polish Girl Doesn't Want To Touch. [240]

I was never really in it as I have had a GF virtually for the whole time I've been here. One for 7 months and then my current wife.

Love / Polish Girl Doesn't Want To Touch. [240]

Not really, no. More the loose ones that don't charge ;) ;) They frequent bars in Roppongi, Tokyo. Hiroshima didn't have a huge scene but there were those bars where they put out. I loved my time in Shinsaibashi or Amerika-mura (American village) in Osaka. Wow, those cats were hip. I fitted in with my red hair. They thought I was a gangster as it's a sign of rebellion in Japan, LOL.

Food / I have a Polish couple coming over for afew days and would like to cook for them. [93]

Kotlet, WB. Kotlet de Volaille, for example. WB, it's the slab of meat wrapped in a kind of thinly veiled batter. Come on, you are bound to have tried them. Kotlet rzymski (cheese covered in Ruskoline type batter).

Pgtx, you are a tease. My taste buds have returned in force and that's just a torment.

To the OP. If you can make a chicken kiev, gushing in garlic butter then you are onto a winner. I haven't met anybody yet that doesn't like it.

Love / Polish Girl Doesn't Want To Touch. [240]

Well, tz, that would be typical. I can never consider myself to be not worthy of any girl here. It's just the way I perceive things and I've never really pursued women anyway. Chatting with Japanese women was better, they were more exotic and enigmatic. I didn't chase the so-called 'yellow cabs' either.

Food / I have a Polish couple coming over for afew days and would like to cook for them. [93]

Well, a cutlette is French in name but we eat them as do the Poles. Potatoes, need I comment? I can imagine eating that in Scotland in a given family, no surprises. It's 'safe'.

Food / I have a Polish couple coming over for afew days and would like to cook for them. [93]

I wouldn't try anything that they will be fussy about. Hunter's Stew (bigos) for example. It takes quite a few attempts to get it down and they might claim to enjoy it only to not offend you. I'd keep it simple. A cutlette with potatoes, side salad and red cabbage might go down well. Simplicity is genius as they say :) :)

UK, Ireland / Avalon method course vs Conversation with a native speaker to learn English? [37]

Zeti, there is no substitute for conversation with a native speaker as you can ask them pretty much what you want. Avalon is a fixed method which doesn't give you maximum flexibility. You might get frustrated and want to pull out.

Seriously, Avalon ties you to going but conversation grants you flexibility which is needed in today's world. Convos every time, Zeti :) There is simply no comparison in utility value.

Love / Polish Girl Doesn't Want To Touch. [240]

Could it be frigidity? Natural touching is too good not to be liked by normal people. OK, when we just want to be alone, that's different. However, she seems like a cold fish.

UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

Yeah, 'how many sugars do you take?' is standard. 'No thanks, I'm sweet enough' is the normal answer ;) ;)

A pitfall is where the present simple expresses habitual action, thus interpreted as continuous. Therefore, the present continuous/progressive tends to be overused.

Love / SHE'S 25, HE'S 85 (Polish actor Andrzej Łapicki) -- ANY FUTURE? [82]

The fact remains that she has free will to enter into that relationship. 85 is too old, but still....

UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

Taking a test is good too, pgtx :) It's more American, much like taking a shower instead of the British, having a shower.

UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

Zeti, no problem :)

DT, you can say 'dogs in Thailand' :) The dogs in Bangkok would subdivide it.

UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

There are many many rules governing the use of 'the' in the wider sense. The basic rule is that it is sth being referred to which all concerned know and is sth specific.

Dogs are obedient (generally)

The dogs in Thailand are strays (specific)

Zeti, please check the search facility for info on this. It might be that the threads have expired and thus we can discuss it again.

UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

I do an exercise with MAKE, DO, HAVE and TAKE. They have a word like 'break' and they have to place it under the correct heading. Some students take a very minimalist approach by giving a word such a narrow ambit. For example, time. They match it up without exploring other possibilities. Time fits all 4 of the above categories.

I often hear, 'oh, but I thought that word meant such and such' when it has many meanings.

UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

Irregular plurals, yes. Informations, knowledges, furnitures etc etc.

UK, Ireland / Common pitfalls for Poles learning English [187]

Saying 'themselves' instead of 'each other' is a common mistake.

'Attend to' instead of 'attend'

'Call to' instead of 'call'

'Make a test' instead of 'do a test'

Also, I really believe they aren't taught the articles properly at all. It's a trickle-down effect as the teachers themselves seem not to know. I mean, who really says 'a chairs'? If you know that a is one then what's the problem? Also, the 's' seems to be an invisible letter for many. I wonder if that's the problem.

I could list many more but I'll wait for now.

Law / Your experience as a foreigner running a small business in Poland [43]

WB is right on the second point. Some companies are just short term and unsustainable concerns. I wouldn't roll with an unknown element at all.

Love / Polish Girl Doesn't Want To Touch. [240]

Popcorn, why are you writing from a prison IP address? ;) ;)

Love / THE POLISH DISEASE, wanna marry a Polish girl ? read on... [197]

Set and setting also plays a large part. I teach at the largest publishing company in Poland and the atmosphere, I have to say, is cordial. The vibe is kept positive as the they appear to be satisfied with what they are doing. Granted, the men seem to be happier but it's rare to hear a woman complaining there. So, there is hope :) :)