Vocabulary Questions

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Hi English Teachers,
I have two questions, the first question is that I am Chinese; I study English and Chinese. Am I a linguist?
Furthermore, please let me know if my below sentence is acceptable, thanks in advance.
1)The thief has conceded that he stole things after he had been locked in the police station for two days.

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Type: Question • Score: 7 • Views: 946 • Replies: 13

[+3] - timur - 02/11/2013[quote=Frank Apisa]you are a very cunning linguist. [/quote] That makes you a naughty old man.

@Loh Jane,

Quote:

1)The thief has conceded that he stole things after he had been locked in the police station for two days.

Was the thief saying that after two days locked in the police station, he decided to steal something for some reason…

…or that after two days in lock-up, he finally decided to confess to having stolen something before being confined to the police station?

The sentence is ambiguous on this.

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@Frank Apisa,

Yes Frank,
the thief conceded after being locked in the police station for two days.
Can I have the answer for the other question also?'Am I a linguist'?

1 Reply

@Loh Jane,

Quote:

Can I have the answer for the other question also?'Am I a linguist'?

If you are, you are a very cunning linguist.

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

Just having some fun here. Maybe someone will come along to actually answer your questions.

1 Reply

Whether or not you are a linguist is something no one here can really answer. A linguist is someone who speaks several languages fluently--whether or not two languages qualifies as several, we still don't know how fluent you are in English. Writing something is not at all the same as engaging in conversation in a language. A linguist can also be someone with a specialist's knowledge of languages--which is also something we can't know about you.

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@Setanta,

Hi Sentanta,
thanks for your clear explanation. I am not a linguist because my English is quite weak.

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I applaud your candor. I taught myself to read French when i was 13, and to this day, i read French with almost the same facility that i read English. However, there was only ever a brief period in my life when i was fluent in speaking French. Alas, that was more than 30 years ago, and one's skills deteriorate through disuse. I would not call myself a linguist, either.

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Frank Apisa wrote:

you are a very cunning linguist.

That makes you a naughty old man.

1 Reply

@timur,

Quote:

That makes you a naughty old man.

Indeed I am.

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@Frank Apisa,

Quote:

a very cunning linguist.

Again Frank you've made my entire day, maybe tomorrow too, at least through noontime

Linguist, Jane, no, you're not. After achieving credentials maybe

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@Loh Jane,

Quote:

1)The thief has conceded that he stole things after he had been locked in the police station for two days.

English technically okay but leaves reader puzzled

The thief conceded his guilt although he maintains that his thievery began only after the police had locked him for two days without even explaining why

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Quote:

1)The thief has conceded that he stole things after he had been locked in the police station for two days.

"the thief conceded that he stole things after he had been locked in the police station for two days" - after 2 days captivity the thief confesses.

"the thief has conceded that he had stolen things after he had been locked in the police station for two days" -the thief confesses that after 2 days captivity he stole something.

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@Loh Jane,

To avoid ambiguity, place the modifying clause before the main clause:

After he had been locked in the police station for two days, the thief has conceded that he stole things.

or right after the subject:

The thief, after he had been locked in the police station for two days, has conceded that he stole things.

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