Punctuation Marks and Etc. of the English Language

MarkT:
Usually efficiency is greater when input and output voltages are close to each other, so daisy-chaining
is likely to mean each converter is being more efficient than with independent converters, but that won't translate to overall efficiency unless the lower voltages are using much less power that the higher voltages.

In our non-native schools, we were asked to sit for English Language punctuation tests. If the quoted sentence would be my test, I would do the following. My query is: Should the punctuation test be different for natives and non-natives?

Usually efficiency is greater when input and output voltages are close to each other; so, daisy-chaining
is likely to mean each converter is being more efficient than with independent converters; but, that won't translate to overall efficiency unless the lower voltages are using much less power that the higher voltages.

(I have applied the rules of independent clause and the transitional adverb.)

No

...R

PARK LIFE!

Hi.

If you was born here is your god given right to language how yous want if ya ain’t you got to earn it. I don’t go round correcting mexicans on the correct pronounsation of taco bell, now, do i? #MAGA

Punctuation has two separate purposes

  1. To make it easier to understand written text

  2. To create employment for language teachers.

...R

ifyoudonthavesomekindofrulesthenthingscanbeabitdifficulttofollowanditbecomeshardertocommunicate
alsoihavealwaysthoughtheenglishinenglandwasabithardtounderstand

:grin: :grin:

larryd:
ifyoudonthavesomekindofrulesthenthingscanbeabitdifficulttofollowanditbecomeshardertocommunicate
alsoihavealwaysthoughtheenglishinenglandwasabithardtounderstand

If you don't have some kind of rules, then things can be a bit difficult to follow; and, it becomes harder to communicate; also, I have always thought (that) the English in England was a bit hard to understand.

GolamMostafa:
I have always thought (that) the English in England was a bit hard to understand.

Presumably you are now referring to spoken English rather than written English.

One needs to attune one's ears to the local accent. I'm Irish and I was at a business meeting in Texas when one of the experts that we were visiting arrived late due to a delayed flight. Having got used to US accents I could not understand the newcomer for about 20 minutes until I realized he was speaking with a Scots accent. Then there was no problem understanding him.

...R

GolamMostafa:
If you don't have some kind of rules, then things can be a bit difficult to follow; and, it becomes harder to communicate; also, I have always thought (that) the English in England was a bit hard to understand.

In my opinion this is too much of punctuation. Or am I wrong and it is correct? Can somebody with native English and good knowledge of grammar, write it correctly?
P.S.: I'm native Slovak. Our language has very complicated grammar rules, much more than English. We are using comma frequently, semicolon less. The sentence above uses both in rate, which would be in Slovak language criteria simply "too much". I am suspicious that it is not correct.

Budvar10:
In my opinion this is too much of punctuation. Or am I wrong and it is correct? Can somebody with native English and good knowledge of grammar, write it correctly?

I am a native English speaker but I won't pretend to be a grammar expert. I would write that sentence like this as two separate sentences. In general shorter is better.

If you don't have some kind of rules then things can be a bit difficult to follow and it becomes harder to communicate. Also, I have always thought (that) the English in England was a bit hard to understand.

...R

Thank you Robin. I've expected 2 sentences.

Here is text from an autocue that missed some commas;
"This is BBC World News, I am Jonathan Charles kept hidden for almost two decades and forced to bear children...."

Both native and non-native speakers should have the same test for punctuation as the meaning of sentences can change completely different with different punctuation.

Having said that non-native speakers can often simplify the grammer of spoken English in non-standard ways that are are perfectly understandable and unambiguous. No doubt, over time, these simplifications will become "standard" English.

Robin2:
If you don't have some kind of rules then things can be a bit difficult to follow and it becomes harder to communicate.

As a non-native, I need to re-write the above sentence as follows just to get pass of the English as a second language.

If you don't have some kind of rules, things can be a bit difficult to follow; and, it becomes harder to communicate.

I must honor the rules of combining together the dependent clause, independent clause and transitional adverb through correct use of the punctuation marks.

GolamMostafa:
As a non-native, I need to re-write the above sentence as follows just to get pass of the English as a second language.

If you don't have some kind of rules, things can be a bit difficult to follow; and, it becomes harder to communicate.

....

I see what you mean you are actually having to be more dilligent than the native speaker.

GolamMostafa:
....
I must honor the rules of combining together the dependent clause, independent clause and transitional adverb through correct use of the punctuation marks.

I only speak one language and I don't have a formal understanding of it's grammatical rules. I am sure that is a bad thing. I suppose though as a non-native a lot depends on what level of study you are undertaking. If you are studying at University level being tested on a formal understanding of the rules probably makes sense.

GolamMostafa:
As a non-native, I need to re-write the above sentence as follows just to get pass of the English as a second language.

See the second point in Reply #4 :slight_smile:

...R

Robin2:
Presumably you are now referring to spoken English rather than written English.

One needs to attune one's ears to the local accent. I'm Irish and I was at a business meeting in Texas when one of the experts that we were visiting arrived late due to a delayed flight. Having got used to US accents I could not understand the newcomer for about 20 minutes until I realized he was speaking with a Scots accent. Then there was no problem understanding him.

...R

Years ago we hired a Scots programmer. The biggest problem was not understanding him, it was his use of the middle finger to point to things. Usually in a meeting.

Paul

Paul_KD7HB:
The biggest problem was not understanding him, it was his use of the middle finger to point to things. Usually in a meeting.

That suggests that you are a Sassanach.

...R

Robin2:
That suggests that you are a Sassanach.

...R

Probably. I had to search the word.

Paul

Paul_KD7HB:
Years ago we hired a Scots programmer. The biggest problem was not understanding him, it was his use of the middle finger to point to things. Usually in a meeting.

Paul

No, that's a thing in meetings. My corporate lawyer gf taught me the art of pushing one's glasses up, while looking straight at a rival coworker.