Hi David,

Thank you for the explanation about 'going to' and 'will' again. I was thinking about it too much, and I was a bit confused. The point you realized is interesting. OK, I'll try to make different example sentences later.

It's too bad that you can't make it tonight, but I think you need to get some rest because you've been working too hard, so that's okay. I hope you can join us next time:)

Have a great evening(and weekend!).

See you soon,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2009年2月 6日 20:43

Hi David,

I'm sorry to hear that you can't make it tonight.
But maybe next time we will make it.

Hi Appoh and everyone,

Talking about the word "superstition"

When I'm improving my English skill little by little, I met with this word.
Every thing was new for me to learn English.
This word is a little bit cool for me, because it has a power and it is long.
Especially the part of "Super" is easier to remember.
When I got this word, I used to use that whenever I can.
" Do you believe superstition? " it was like this.
But funny thing was I forgot it as soon.
I remember the fact that I got the new word and that meaning.
But most important thing is whether I can use it whenever I want to use it.
Unfortunately, it wasn't that.
That's why my database was added a new category.
" A number that you tried to remember the words "
To tell the truth, I forgot it three time.
Is there any words that you tried to remember many times?
Only fact that you tried it remain.

Talking about the word "diagonal"

This word is cool too for me.
I saw this word in movie but I'm not sure exactly.
That was "ハリーポッター”　
ダイアゴン横町　って町にハリーがはじめて行った時だったと思います。
たぶんそのダイアゴンと"diagonal" 何か関係があるんじゃないかと勝手に
思ってました。ただそれだけの理由しか思い浮かびませんが、印象に残る
単語の覚え方でした。

みなさんは印象に残る単語の覚え方や、何度覚えても覚えられない単語って
ありますか？

最後は日本語になってしまいました。まだまだ英語の修行が足りませんね～(^_^;)

Kazu

•  Kazu
• 2009年2月 6日 20:58

Hi Kazu,
It was nice talking to you in the chat room. I know what you mean. There are a lot of words I keep forgetting although I can’t think of any particular words right now (if I could, it means I actually remember the word, right?) You keep the number of times you tried to remember the word in your vocabulary database? That’s pretty interesting. What is the biggest number so far and what is the word?

•  Lily
• 2009年2月 7日 00:22

Hi David,

Thank you for your explanation; "will" can be used to make a prediction, but you need to use "was going to" in the past tense.←This part is tricky and I don't think I understood it well.
OK, I tried making a sentence using "will" and "be going to".

Here is my sentence:
My friends said that they were going to (go) a world cruise next summer, and I hope it would be a wonderful trip.
I'll make another sentence later

Hi Tomo＆everyone,
We enjoyed a lot! Thanks,Tomo.

I felt a quake now.

speak to you soon,

Anne

•  Anne
• 2009年2月 7日 00:26

こんばんは。
日本語ですみません＆既出ならもっとすみません。
「英語じょうずになる辞典」を学習中なのですが、１点わからないことがあります。
７－past perfect tenseの「正しくはコレ！」で
(1)I play/used to play baseball when Iwas in high school.
とありますが、
I played ・・・
とならないのは何故ですか？
どなたか教えてください。
よろしくお願いします。

•  匿名
• 2009年2月 7日 00:44

Hello,David.
Thank you for your explanation.
Your quiz gave me a good opportunity to review subjunctive part of English grammer.

Hi,Everyone.
Thank you for your generous welcome.

Hi,Tomo
You held chat evevt today ,did'nt you.
How nice!
I wanted to join it.
Next time, I want to try to join it and
enjoy reading your conversation.
(because I don't still have a courage to join you in my English level... I need too much time to write English.)

Hi,Appoh
I love to know about your story.
I look forward to having a chance to tell me about it.

Hi,Anne
Thank you for your comment about my question,
but what I wanted to say is that.....

時制に関してではなく、未来に有り得ない事実（太陽が西から昇る）、もしくは、起こりそうもない事実、（世界が終るなら）を述べる場合に,be going to　を用いるのが自然な英語になるという点が、少し納得できなかったのです。
SF映画などで、隕石が落下して、人類滅亡の危機の兆候が現れているというような場面なら、be going to が使われるべきでしょう。
Davidの文では、if you knew that...が挿入されているので、be going to が自然に用いられるように感じます。それは、理解できました。ただ、quizからは、if you knew that...の構文は思い浮かびませんでした。
本当にいい勉強になりました。

日本語で失礼しました。

Hiro

•  Hiro
• 2009年2月 7日 02:07

Hi Lily,

We had fun, hadn't we last night?
So far, according to my data base, the biggest number is 3 times.
And found out 2 records from my data base.

"with all due respect"
"If not for you I wouldn't have done that."

So far I forgot 3 times these phrases.

If not for you I wouldn't have found out these phrases.
Now these phrases are deeply into my body.

Thanks Lily

Kazu

•  Kazu
• 2009年2月 7日 05:23

「英語じょうずになる辞典」で学習中の方へ

それは誤植だと思います。　過去の話ですから、もちろん play は過去形になるべきですよね。

(1)I play/used to play baseball when I was in high school.
↓
(1)I played/used to play baseball when I was in high school.

それから、このブログは日本語でもOKなブログです。　なので、謝らなくて大丈夫ですよ＾＾

Hi Anne,
Thank you, too!

Hi Hiro,
Don't worry, we chat in Japanese and just have fun. 次はぜひ参加してみてください＾＾

Talk to you later,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2009年2月 7日 08:21

Hi Hiro,
Sorry, I'm afraid I didn't get right what you meant.
Hiro さんがおっしゃるように日本文では、「あなたが知っていたとしたら。。」とは表れてこないので、この無意識に表している部分を、汲み取って訳していくか、むずかしいですね。私も、If you knew～の部分は、思いつきもしませんでした。
ぜひ次のチャットには参加お待ちしています。

See you soon,

Anne

•  Anne
• 2009年2月 7日 09:31

Hi Kazu,
Glad I could help ;-) Three times isn't bad at all.

"With all due respect"
I kind of like this phrase. I was into a drama that was set in a millitary situation, so I heard that phrase many times. I'd love to use it someday ;-)

Hi Hiro,
The chat was entirely in Japanese as Tomo said, and it was just a ... chat, really :-) I hope you will join us next time.

•  Lily
• 2009年2月 7日 10:37

Hi everyone,

Thank you to the unnamed commenter who found a mistake in the book. I will forward your message on to ALC.

Hi Anne,

That is a very interesting example.

My friends said that they were going to (go) a world cruise next summer, and I hope it would be a wonderful trip.

'Were going to' is more natural in this sentence. If you said 'would', it would sound as if (a) someone had asked them to do it and they had agreed, or (b) they had said that they weren't going to go, but then they had changed their minds.

Bye for now,

David

•  David
• 2009年2月 7日 10:51

Hi Kunchan,
I think it's too early for you to lose your memory yet but we might need to exercise more to stay in shape.

Hi Jazmin,
Glad to hear from you! Your favorite English words come from a novel or something? Thank you! I've got new words.

Hi Anne,
Thank you for your words but I'm sorry I can't get "a faint tenderness". What exactly deos it mean? Where did you know that phrase?

Hi Kazu,
Thank you for your explanation. I'm afraid I can't show you the way I remember English words for now. But I'd like to write some words I often use wrong. "Substantial" and " Sustainable"and "Substance". "Thrive" and "Strive".
I said "Wood foot print" the other day.
I should have said "Carbon foot print" or "Wood block print".
Anyway, you seem to have enjoyed the "chat" with graceful and a little bit chatty ladies!

Appoh

•  Appoh
• 2009年2月 7日 22:27

Hi Hiro,
Thank you for your reply. Here's my story for you but not about me. Sorry.

For most office workers, having luch can be part of pleasant time but for some, it could be stressful. If you go to a cafeteria, you can see lots of people lining with a tray before the register. Sometimes the line extends from the room to the hallway. You have to wait for a long time to get a table.

To solve this inconvinience, some companies may install a ticket-vending machine or a premayment system. However, the cafeteria I often go to has a extraordinary cachier. She never keeps anyone waiting at the register. She watches customers carefully and calculate the total amount of the lunch before they reach her. Then, she grabs the change exactly and gives it as soon as they put a tray.
She is amazingly professional. I'm sure she would never allow the company to replace her with the machine.

Did you enjoy it? I might have written a little bit long.

Appoh

•  Appoh
• 2009年2月 7日 23:00

Hi David,
Thank you for your explanations about "will" & "be going to". As Anne said, that part is tricky and I don't think that I understand it well. Besides, I'm a bit confused, but it's interesting what you explained about Anne's sentence. I also tried making sentences.

I asked my friends if they would go sking with me next Sunday.

She decided that she would/was going to study in the UK.

Hi Tomo & Everyone,
We had a lot of fun last night! Thanks, Tomo!;-)

Hi Hiro,
みんなの言うとおり、チャットはばりばり日本語でOKですよ♪
次回はぜひ参加してね！

Hi Appoh,
Yes, I used to listen to YMO music. "Techno-pop", right? なつかし～！;-)

Have a lovely weekend, Everyone!

Maki

•  Maki
• 2009年2月 7日 23:12

Hi David,

It's difficult for me to feel the difference, but your explanation about Anne's examples is interesting.
Anyway, here are some example sentences I made. Would you check them, please?

1. He had been studying hard, so I thought he was going to pass the exam.

2. He told me that he was going to win the race.

3. We all knew that he was going to be successful.

Hi Kazu,
I'm trying to build my vocabulary, but it's not easy for me..
By the way, I also thought that ‘ダイアゴン横町’ was come from diagonal.

Hi Lily,
I laughed when I read this, “if I could, it means I actually remember the word, right?” You are right, exactly!(笑)

Hi Appoh,
My favorite English word is 'always', and my favorite phrase is 'walk the talk'. I learned this phrase from one of my friends' comments last year.

Hi Maki,
Thank you, too;-)

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2009年2月 8日 13:23

Hi David and everyone,

Anne and Amica,
Thank you for your comment for my topic Mt. Asama's news. It is everything okay, now.

Appoh and Anne,
About scattering beans, I had eaten it on EV of the first of spring and also I've eaten it next day. So I don't know how many beans I had eaten, actually.
Could you tell me the reason, why did you eat the roll sushi at the same time on the spring day? I've never experienced it. Is it a new trend?

Hi Tomo,
After passing time, I knew about the chat room in Japanese; date and time was acceptable for me. However, I was exhausted with PC trouble after posting on 4th, and I have been leaving my PC since last Wednesday. So I missed your uniqu gathering command.
Today, while reading your notice "meeting place is in front of PC", "clothes is free", I'm chuckling. According your lead, I clicked your name and entered the chat room and found member's name. It seemed a part of the ending time. So I couldn't know about their talking contents.
About "will" and "be going to", your and member's explanation was helpful for me. Especally, "boyfriend" example sentence was understandable for me.

Hi everyone,
Recently, PC is very convenient and becoming my necessity more and more, but PC's trouble often happens and attacks me and also takes my free time automatically.
Needless to say, I'm not good at machine. Besides, not only PC but also English is in same level. Under this condition, I have no way. In result, I leave my PC for some days and transfer to another thing.

See you soo,

Kiyoko

•  Kiyoko
• 2009年2月 8日 14:05

Hi David.
Hi Everyone.

Oh,you chat in Japanese.
It looks fun!

Hi, Appoh.
Thank you for your interesting story.
what a smart woman!
She is a very efficient worker.
I think companies should be treat such an efficient worker very well.

Hiro

•  匿名
• 2009年2月 8日 21:52

Hi David,

Thank you for your comment about my writing; I didn't have no idea about this part--" (b) they had said that they weren't going to go, but then they had changed their minds."--Hmmm....difficult!
I made another sentences.

Here are my sentences:
1.I can't bear his stupidities anymore, and I know our marriage life is obviously going to end, but I also know he will not admit that.(←It's not about my marriage life!)

2. I thought Leonard DiCaprio was going to be a wonderful actor when I watched a movie"What's Eating Gilbert Grape", and now he is.

It was fun to make sentences using "will" and " be going", and it was a good chance to make sure if I understand both or not.

Hi Kazu,
You set up your own database, right? Before memorizing words, I'm not sure how much time it will take to set up my own database, or it might be impossible for me because I'm not good at such kinds of things....

Hi Appoh,
Sorry, it's a bit personal and might be difficult to catch the meaning. I cut off this words" a faint tenderness" from a book "journey of the wind" by Tomihiro Hoshino(風の旅） which has always been with me. These are excerpts from the book.

The day I changed into my school -uniform
I was touched by a fainted tenderness
~~~~~~~
冬服に着替えた日
ほのかなやさしさが
私をつつんだ

I watched a movie"Revolutionary Road" by Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet;this movie was not such a movie as to expect a romance but was much better than I had imagined, and their performances were amazing!(right, amo?)

Bye for now,

Anne

•  Anne
• 2009年2月 8日 21:54

Hi again,
またまたやってしまいました。少し訂正：
if I understand →if I understood

Anne

•  Anne
• 2009年2月 8日 21:59

Hi Anne and everyone,

Today is day off, so I'm going to make my blog.
As much as possible, I'm going to make it.
If you want to know about File Maker pro9 It is useful for you.

•  Kazu
• 2009年2月 9日 09:11

Hi everyone,

Here's my translation of the entry.

『‘going to’と‘will’の違いの話を楽しんでくれて良かった。
Kunchan、｢予測｣のキーポイントは、何かが｢なりかけている｣時は‘going to’が使われる、ということだと思います。　例えば、誰かが壁伝いに歩いていてバランスを失ったら ‘He's going to fall.’、空が急にとても暗くなったら ‘It's going to rain.’、などです。

でもね、前にも言った通り、未来について話すこの2つの言い方の違いは、本当に曖昧だし、専門家ですら意見が食い違うんだ。

実は、｢世界の終わり｣についてのディスカッションで、1つ気づいたことがあるんだ。　たとえ未来の予測の話で‘will’を使ったとしても、その話を過去形にするなら、‘would’ではなくて‘was going to’を使わないといけないケースが多いんだ。　つまり言い換えると、‘would’は‘will’の過去形として使えるけど、いつも使えるとは限らないってことです。

はっきりとしたルールはないから、これを説明するのはともて難しいんだけど、もし興味があったらいろんな例文を挙げてみて。　それが自然かどうか教えるから。

例えば、

Even though we took a taxi, we knew that we were going to be late.
｢例えタクシーを使ったとしても、遅れることは分かっていた｣
( We knew that we would be late. もOK)

I could see that she was going to lose her temper.
｢彼女が怒り出すのが分かった(見えた)｣
(この例文で‘would’はちょっとおかしい気がする)

みんなのアイディアを楽しみにしてるよ。』

Hi Kiyoko,
I'm glad you found the 'boyfriend' example sentences were useful. Actually, it took me some time to make them because I'd never produced such difficult subjunctive sentences.
By the way, did you come to the chat room? I'm thinking of holding another chat after the meeting event in March, so I hope you will join us next time.

See you soon,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2009年2月 9日 12:24

Hi everyone,
I thought I completely understood the difference between ‘will’ and ‘be going to’ when I misread なりかけているas かなりいけてる in David’s entry. :-P

Hi Appoh,
Actually my favorite words didn’t come from any particular novel. I just like the sounds. By the way, my favorite Japanese word is 行き当たりばったり。Sounds funny, right?

•  Jazmin
• 2009年2月 9日 16:29

Hi Jazmin,
You misread なりかけているas かなりいけてる？That's funny! Actually, I often do same as you...
By the way, my favorite Japanese word is " まっいいか"”＾＾）

I introduced a part of the poem, but I mistyped ..
fainted tenderness→faint tenderness

Anne

•  Anne
• 2009年2月 9日 18:11

今回はほとんど話についていけてないAmicaです(^_^;)“かなりいけてない”かも(笑)

Hi Anne,
私の口癖が「ま、いいか」なんですよ！高校生の時に友人から指摘されて初めて気づいたんです。

•  Amica
• 2009年2月 9日 19:21

Hi Tomo,
Thanks for the translation. You are "always" the key person of this blog because you surely "walk the talk."

Hi Kiyoko,
Eating sushi on the first day of spring is not new trend but this habit can be seen in Kansai area originally. It's getting popular or some convenience store companies want it to be profitable these days.
If you were born in eastern area, it's natural for you not to know this tradition.

Hi Maki,
Did you remember "Rydeen"?

Hi Hiro,
I had lunch at that cafeteria today,too. Of course, she was there.

Hi Anne,
Thank you for your explanation. I got it in the context you gave me.

Hi Jazmin,
I like "行き当たりばったり",too. Programmed or planned life looks efficient but I don't think it's the way to go.

Appoh

•  Appoh
• 2009年2月 9日 21:02

Hi Everyone,
How's your weekend? I stayed home and enjoyed a relaxing time.

Hi Anne,
"まっいいか"　is getting to be my favorite Japanese word these days.;-)

Hi Appoh,
I remember it indeed! The melody starts in my head whenever I hear the title. :-)

By for now,

Maki

•  Maki
• 2009年2月 9日 23:01

Hi David

Thank you for your explanation.
I made a sentence, so please check it out.

I was going to travel alone last summer,
but my mother wouldn’t let me go.

Hi Anne

You are right!! Leonard Dicaprio and Kate Winslet are good. You knew that I watched the movie! Their performances are great.
When I watched the movie “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”,
DiCaprio was brilliant!! I also thought he became wonderful actor.

•  amo
• 2009年2月10日 00:13

＞Tomoさん
有難うございます！＆返事遅くなりましてすみません＆前回Nameを入れ忘れてました。
誤植だったのですね。
ホッとしました。

•  nino
• 2009年2月17日 17:58

Hi nino,
You are welcome＾＾

•  Tomo
• 2009年2月18日 07:02

I agree with your デビッド・バーカーの英語と仲直りブログ：スペースアルク, superb post.

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