2012年2月 3日
A Scary Statistic (Feedback)
I went skiing today for the first time in about five years. I went to Teine Highlands in Sapporo, which is a place I used to go all the time when I lived here. I was a bit worried about whether I would still be able to ski because it has been so long, but I was fine. I was able to go down all the same runs I used to go down with no problem at all, and I only had two minor falls. I was using new skis and boots that I bought last week, and I was really pleased with both of them. I'm going to Rusutsu tomorrow, so I'll have a chance to get more used to them. By the way, skiing today reminded me that the best feeling in the world is not slipping into an onsen or curling up in a warm bed on a cold night, it's taking ski boots off after you've been wearing them for a few hours!
Anyway, thanks for your comments on the topic. Here is some feedback...
But I don't have much time to do it.
So, this is not the answer for about question .
But let me write my feeling about politics.
(We don't normally start sentences in English with words like "and," "but," and "so." These are conjunctions, and their job is to join sentences, not start new ones. If you have never studied this, go to englishbooks.jp's website and search for "English Writing Manual" from BTB Press. It is a bilingual guide to the basic rules of English writing, and it is only 500 yen. It might be useful for you. You can see sample pages from it at www.btbpress.com.
I approve of the idea consumption tax goes up to 10 percent.
(I approve of the idea of consumption tax going up to 10 percent.)
After a few years, she quitted it because she didn't find any benefits
(Remember that "quit" is an irregular verb. The past form is also "quit.")
It is incredible for me that the budget of the government is about twice the amount of income from tax.
(Nice sentence. It's incredible for me too!)
Hello, Mr. Barker and everyone.
I'm writing here for the first time though I've sometimes come here to learn english and got interested in conversations among all of you.
(Hi Neko. Thanks for your comment. Nice to have you with us.)
I'm afraid that Japan's economy will collapse from within if nothing changes.
(Nice sentence.)
Anyway, now is the time we think about our country's future and change it to a better one...
(Anyway, now is the time for us to think about...)
I think raising tax is inevitable considering Japanese current economic situation.
(I think that raising tax is inevitable given Japan's current economic situation.)
I think if our money will spend wisely and government give us enough
(I think that if our money were spent wisely and the government gave us enough...)
For instance, there's a possibility that we can not receive our pension after retirement.
(For instance, there's a possibility that we might not be able to receive our pension after retirement.)
[This is a good point, but if I were a child now, I don't think I would be very happy about paying older people's pensions in the future. Those old people (i.e., us!) are the ones who refused to pay higher taxes when we were working, so what right do we have to claim a pension that has to be paid for by raising the taxes of the next generation?]
To tell the truth, I've already given up on them.
(I know how you feel!)
I heard that Japan's population will keep losing one million every year.
(I saw this story too. Apparently, Japan's population one hundred years from now will only be a third of what it is today. That is another very scary statistic. Mind you, I will be dead by then, so I suppose there is no point in me worrying about it.)
I regretted I should have put on a knitted cap.
(I'm not sure whether you were actually wearing a cap or not. If you were, it should be "I regretted wearing a knitted cap." If you were not, it should be "I wished I had put on a knitted cap." As you are talking about sleet, though, I guess you mean the first of these.)
I'm glad hearing I'm a woman ,though I'm hairy man.
(I'm glad to hear you thought I was a woman; I'm actually a hairy man.) [Me too!]
Well, I don't think VAT and Shohi-zei are comparable. In the UK (and many other countries), necessities of life such as daily foods, water, books, children clothes, public transport are zero-rated.
(Hi Nao. Nice to have you with us. That is a very good point. I had forgotten about that. Maybe Japan needs to introduce a similar system.)
I'd caught a cold since the New Year's day. I've just got over it.
(I caught a cold on New Year's Day, and I've only just got over it.)
The first 'there' is a pronoun. The second 'there' is an adverb or a noun, I soppose. But the sentence looks a little strange. Could you explain the sentence gramatically?
(Funnily enough, someone asked me about this the other day. In phrases like "in there" and "on there," "there" is a noun. If you check in your dictionary, you should find an entry for it. Actually, Fumie uses an expression like this in the comment after yours...)
If I was in your situation, I would get out of there immediately because I would be frightened.
(The expression "get out of there" is correct, but the sentence should be "If I had been in your situation, I would have got(ten) out of there immediately because I would have been frightened.)["Got" is British English; "gotten" is American English.)
Yes, but the government should stop wasting money and change the old systems FIRST.
(A very nice sentence, and a very true one!)
As I said above, I will accept the tax rise if they stop wasting money, but I don't think it's enough.
(Nice sentence. If you don't know it, "As I said above" is a useful phrase to learn.)
You wrote, 'I saw another three men', but I thought 'another' originally means 'an other' and it must be followed by a singular noun. Will you explain it, please?
(That is an interesting question. I have never really thought about it before, but "another" is often used with numbers higher than one. I suppose that grammatically, it should be "three other men," but this kind of expression is often used in modern English. It adds a bit of emphasis to the sentence.Here are some examples:
Just another three days to go until Christmas!
I've finished one report, but I have another two to finish by the end of the week.
I'll have a think about that and let you know if I can come up with a better explanation.)
Teacher: Have you finished?
Student: Not yet. I need another 5 minutes.
(Thank you! That is another good example.)
That's it for today. As I said above, I'm going to Rusutsu tomorrow. On Sunday, I'm going to climb a mountain near Shikotsuko on my new telemark skis, and then if I can still walk, I'm heading off to Niseko on Monday.
Have a great weekend.
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Comments
Hi David,
Thanks for your feedback.
I am glad that you enjoy your time in Hokkaido:) I have never tried ski so I don't know how It feels after taking off the ski boots:( Anyway, hope you have a good time rest of your stay;)
Bye for now,
amo
- amo
- 2012年2月 4日 00:06
Hi Tommano, David & everyone,
I finished running and had breakfast.
Thank you for your consideraton of my question.
I did not look into my dictionary, Longman Advanced American Dictionary before posting my question. (I'm sorry.)
After checking my dictionary, my understanding is different from yours.
My dictionary say the word:there in this case is an adverb. It shows the usage 'out/in/under etc.
there'
So considering David's sentence, both 'in' and 'there' are adverbs, I think.
Of course, I understand what David said.
Talking about another question about the word another, my dictionary says that the word:another is a determinor. That means 'in addition to a particular amount.' I've seen the usage of the word:another before. However, I don't know which is better 'another three men' or 'other three men' in this case.
See you,
Gussan
- Gussan
- 2012年2月 4日 09:05
Hi David,
Thank you so much for the feedback. It's so useful, especially we talked about grammar a lot this time so it's good for my study for TOEIC. Although, I'm still struggling with grammar so I need some books to learn about it. You introduced us your book "English Writing Manual". I checked it and read sample content and thoght I want to buy it. Besides it's only 500yen, it's so reasonable. I am stingy but it cost me postage fee. Is there any way we can buy the book at book stores or order from bookstores (取り寄せ）to avoid paying postage fee?
I am sorry to bother you.
>Actually, Fumie uses an expression like this in the comment after yours...)
I wasn't intend to write "there" in my comment. It was mere coincidence. ただの偶然
As I mentioned above, I am not good at grammar, so when other members started talking about it, it's difficult for me to follow even if they did in Japanese.
> I was a bit worried about whether I would still be able to ski because it has been so long, but I was fine.
さすが。まだまだ若い！
Have fun at ski resort.
Fumie
- Fumie
- 2012年2月 4日 22:26
Hi David,
Thank you for your feedback. It helps a lot as always.
>I regretted I should have put on a knitted cap.
(I'm not sure whether you were actually wearing a cap or not. If you were, it should be "I regretted wearing a knitted cap." If you were not, it should be "I wished I had put on a knitted cap." As you are talking about sleet, though, I guess you mean the first of these.)
---Actually, I went out without wearing the cap, so my sentence should have been " I wished I had put on a knitted cap."
It's interesting that there are two different sentences to express depending on each situation.
How was your day? I hope you fully enjoyed skiing and onsen today.
Have a lovely weekend, everyone,
Anne
- Anne
- 2012年2月 4日 23:02
Hi david.
Thank you for your feed back and letting me know about great your book.
Actually , I have not had your book so I was going to buy your book, but I was wondering which books to buy. Now I can buy your book.
Even so , I'm going to check your comment and regulars comments more carefully to learn how to write in English when I read them . Anyway , you seem to have a fantastic time . Have fun of the rest of your trip too.
Hi Gussan.
I'm always impressed by your comment.
By the way , I watched the film "night museum 2" Friday night.
Amelia Earhart you recommend was in a movie as a heroine. She seems to be very famous in US. Then I read her article that you told us at former comment. It was interesting! That reminds me 紅の豚 and 人間の土地（Wind, Sand and Stars）by サン＝テグジュペリ .
though I can't remember much about both of them but I still love them.
Anyway, I'm always enjoying your comment.
I'm looking forward to reading your next.
Have a nice weekend everyone!
see you next time.
Zim.
- 匿名
- 2012年2月 5日 02:20
Thank you David (I was wondering if I could call your first name but allow me to call you like this just as everyone does!) for your kind feedback. Also, thank you for introducing "English Writing Manual", which seems very useful for me. I'll check it out for sure.
You've mentioned "the best feeling" ever in your comment, I understand how you feel. As for me, having hot bath and relaxing in it after a long day on a freezing winter night is the best one. It's interesting that the both feelings are brought only after having experienced complete opposite feelings. I think there must be a certain name for this kind of effect in Japanese but I have no idea at all. I wonder if there is a name in English as well... Contrast effect?? not sure...
Anyway, unfortunately, I can't do it here in Thailand...
Humie, Ann and Tomo, thank you for welcoming me with kind words. It's really lovely exchanging comments with you all here.
Well, it's time to go to bed now. Good night everyone.
- Neko
- 2012年2月 5日 04:09
Hi, David
Thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate it. Thanks again for answering my question. I looked up my dictionary and found that 'another' can be used before [number ＋ plural noun]. In this case, the whole phrase is treated as both singular and plural.
For example, you can say
Another three month have [has] passed.
You said you went to Teine! Teine is about thirty minutes from my town. I am very happy to know that! In this season, snow is very good condition everywhere in Hokkaido. Rusutsu and Niseko must be in very good condition, too!!
Hi, Tomo
Thank you for your good example. Now I think I got it! The title of the movie "Another 48 HRS." is also a good example for me.
Hi, Gussan
Thanks for your consideration about the question. My dictionary says the sentence''Give me another five eggs.'' can be paraphrased as ''Give me five more eggs''. I guess if you say ''Give me other five eggs'', you don't want to add eggs but to exchange them... うまく説明できないのですが・・・the meaning seems a bit different...
By the way, I liked the site you mentioned, Voice of America, and see them often. Thank you very much!
Hi, Neko
I liked your comments, too. You must be a polite and intelligent woman. Please let us know your life in Thailand if you have time!
- panda
- 2012年2月 5日 12:48
I am sorry!
×Another three month have [has] passed.
→Another three months have [has] passed.
- panda
- 2012年2月 5日 12:53
Hi Gussan,
It's very difficult to analyze sentences like that, isn't it? I did some more search and read explanations about the phase like "in there" on online dictionaries and grammar sites. Some say it's an adverb, and others say it's a noun, so I guess even experts have different ideas. Anyway, it was good study for me as well, so thank you, too!
Hi Panda and everyone,
Glad to be of some help:) As for the expression "another + plural noun", I also checked my Practical English Usage, and it says that "another" can be followed by "few/a number + a plural noun". Here are some examples:
I'm staying for another few weeks.（もう2、3週間滞在の予定です）
We need another three chairs.（もう3脚ほど椅子が必要だ）
> I guess if you say ''Give me other five eggs'', you don't want to add eggs but to exchange them... うまく説明できないのですが・・・the meaning seems a bit different...
I understand what you are trying to say. 例えば、上の椅子の例で言うと、We need another three chairs. / We need three more chairs. は「あと3脚椅子が必要＝足りないから、または予備として“追加”したい」だけど、We need three other chairs. と言うと、「ほかの椅子が3脚必要＝数は足りていたとしても何かしらの理由で別の椅子と“交換”したい」、ということですよね？ 私もそう思います。
By the way, I found some other interesting expressions when I checked my Swan book, so let me share them with you.
【another, a/an + 形容詞】
数量を表す複数形の表現と一緒にanotherとa/an + 形容詞を用いることができる
I want to stay for another three weeks.（私はもう3週間ほど滞在したい）
We'll need an extra ten pounds.（あと10ポンドほど必要になるだろう）
He's been waiting for a good two hours.（彼はたっぷり２時間も待っている）
I've had a very busy three days.（ここ3日ほど非常に忙しかった）
It seems that even "a/an" can be used with numbers higher than one!
Hope you all had a nice weekend,
Tomo
PS Neko - David is very friendly, so of course you can call him with his first name;-)
- Tomo
- 2012年2月 5日 23:57
Hi everyone,
I am still in Hokkaido, so I'm not going to do a new entry this week. Please feel free to talk about anything that grabs your interest.
I skied in Niseko today, and I'm camping in my van tonight. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to climb up Youteizan and then ski down. I won't have time to go all the way up, but I should be able to manage about a third of it.
After I come down from Youtei, I'm going to go to an onsen, and then I'm going to drive up to a hotel near Asahidake tomorrow evening. I'm going to ski on Asahidake on Wednesday, and then hopefully catch the ferry from Tomakomai on Wednesday night. If all goes according to plan, I'll be back in Seto on Thursday evening.
Hi Fumie,
That book is not available in regular bookshops, so I'm afraid you will not be able to buy it if you don't want to pay the postage. Sorry about that.
davidbarker- 2012年2月 6日 23:44
Hi David,
Thank you for your feedback from Hokkaido. It's very useful as always. There are a lot of expressions I want to learn in the entry, but the one that interested me most is:
(I think that raising tax is inevitable given Japan's current economic situation.)
I didn't know the usage of "given" like this.
Panda's question was also very interesting. I'd never thought about it before, either. I think it's a bit different from this case, but the title of the movie "Another 48 HRS." came to mind first. When I saw the Japanese title of this movie(48時間PART2 ～帰って来たふたり～), I thought to myself, "What a nice translation!"
>By the way, skiing today reminded me that the best feeling in the world is not slipping into an onsen or curling up in a warm bed on a cold night, it's taking ski boots off after you've been wearing them for a few hours!
Ha ha, I know how you feel. It's been more than 15 years since I last went skiing, though.
Anyway, I'm going to curl up in a warm bed now.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Good night,
Tomo