Community Discussions
What's something in English that really surprised you?
Hey everyone! I’ve been learning English for a while, and I keep noticing little things that aren't in the textbooks, like how "That's interesting" can sometimes mean the opposite, depending on the tone. Have you ever come across something like that? A phrase, habit, or rule that just felt totally unexpected? Would love to hear your stories!
Help Me Win an Argument
My friend hit me with the “no two words mean the exact same thing.” I KNOW there HAS to be at least one example of this but I can’t think of one. Any help? I attached a screenshot so you can see the petty levels.
do waiters say "coming right up"?
in my translation I used "coming right up" as a waiter's response to taking an order. in context it was: - I'll have a salad... - ok, coming right up. my teacher marked it as a mistake. was I really wrong?
...by saying something stupid like "I love you."
Now, this is something more to do with culture than language, per se, but why is it always such a big deal when, at least in the US, when people say "I love you"? I mean, as a Latin American we pretty much day it like it's "good morning". Is it some kind of verbal contract in English speaking countries? Are people afraid of being sued? edit: of course I'm exaggerating on the being sued comment. it's just that Americans have a certain reputation .
I’m B1–B2 in English and I’ve been stuck here for years. I need to reach C1–C2 but nothing works
I’ve been B1–B2 in English for a long time now. I understand TV shows, YouTube videos, Reddit posts, casual conversations. That part is fine. But I’ve been stuck here for years and I don’t know how to move forward anymore. Most language learning advice online is for beginners. It's always like: “watch more shows,” “use Duolingo,” “listen to podcasts,” “immerse yourself.” But I already do that. I’ve watched hundreds of hours of shows. I understand them. But it doesn’t help with what I actually need. I can’t understand academic texts. Textbooks are hard to read. I get lost in longer sentences or abstract topics. Writing is hard. Speaking is unnatural. Grammar makes sense when I study it, but I can’t use it when I need to. It just falls apart. It feels like everything online is about getting from A1 to B1. But what if you’re already B1/B2 and stuck? What helped you actually move past that? If anyone here went from B1/B2 to C1 or C2, how did you do it? What worked? Any advice would help. I’m just tired of reading the same beginner tips over and over again. Thanks.
Reading an English Dictionary for Language Learning: Beneficial or a Waste of Time?
My native language is Turkish. Do you think it makes sense to read English - English - Turkish Oxford Wordpower Dictionary like a book? Can I develop my vocabulary properly this way? Will I benefit from this or will it just be a waste of time?
Hard to understand words in musics
I'm learning English, and in normal conversations, I can understand the words pretty well, but today I realized that I can't understand songs. I was listening to a song that I used to hear when I was a teenager in NFSMW (Skinnyman - Static-X), and out of curiosity, I searched for the lyrics. And damn, I realized that I did not understand a single word without the subtitles. Is that normal? Do you guys also have trouble understanding lyrics without subtitles?
Do these plastic things tie socks together ?
1. What are they called? 2. I just got some socks I had ordered and every two pairs of socks were tied together with this thing. What’s a natural way to say this sentence? Thanks in advance!
Do all native speakers know that "Good morning" is "I wish you a good morning"?
I'm having fun studying English. I'm sorry for my poor English sentences. Then let's have a question. Do native speakers use "Goodmorning" after knowing the original meaning? I was curious, so I posted it.
Subway sign: "for" instead of "to" - is this grammatically correct and comprehensible?
https://i.redd.it/l7yp9o4shcae1.jpeg