Polish people: did you struggle learning English - differences between both languages

Nah it's not a pain, we all learned to type this way in the 90s - not least because you cannot type a website url in Cyrillic, or some other specific applications. Irritating, but not a big issue.


It is absolutely maddening. "I live in a house" vs "I live in the house" vs "I live in-house" - very difficult to wrap your mind around as a new student.

I work in house. = I work full time, not free-lance! I work in THE house.= I work from [MY] home! He's [still] in office. = He's in politics. He's in THE office= He's still at work.

@Lyzko


Yes, and this is why many times one sounds like an idiot without realizing it.

"The" is best understood in this case and in most cases as "the one that you know I mean".

Get it from a shop somewhere. Get it from the shop opposite. I saw the cat. I saw a cat. We blew the tank up with an NLAW. We blew a tank up with an NLAW.

I see A (one) house? Which house? THE house (That one) there on THE hill!

Any house



The one that we both know we're talking about.

BINGO!

If it's defined - the
If it's not defined but can be counted - a
If not defined and cannot be counted - neither the nor a. Nothing.

Is this correct?

I never learned it so i wouldn't know.

@Cojestdocholery
Then how can you speak English?

badly

@Cojestdocholery
What's wrong with your English? It seems fine to me.

@RussianAntiPutin
it was a joke.

@Cojestdocholery
Oh. I didn't realise.

No, it wasn't a joke, Rich!
Bad English usually seems "fine" when there's something in it for the American for whom a favor, pleasure aka money or sex will be exacted:-)

Our institute just welcomed a multi-mega-million Chinese tycoon into one of my Business English classes.
His English skills are as ****-poor as his business skills are impressive. Am I going to tell him his English stinks and risk LOTS OF MULLAH coming into our school??

When he apologized through an interpreter for his "poor English, I of course immediately chimed in that his English was "good" in order to ensure a steady stream of classes.

In point of fact, most foreigners on the average speak English badly. This is an honest assessment. Business though has rarely much to do with honesty and this nameless Chinaman's "poor" English promises to make all of us "rich.

Back to the topic at long last, I've found in my many years of teaching, Poles to be far more modest and willing to admit to lacking English than the Russians.