LicoriceAllsorts
Donator
Do you mean she closed her eyes and then opened them again? How many times did she blink?
Halp me out with research plz?
- Thread starter Fangu
- Start date
Ghost X
Moderator
I'd not use "tight face" to describe the features mentioned. If anything else, for me, they'd describe someone who has had a lot of plastic surgery. I'd suggest looking at gaunt and its synonyms instead.
To the question at hand, was the act of blinking hard, and is that why she is doing it slowly? Think about the "why". For example, if it is hard for her, maybe a long laboured blink might be a good description?
To the question at hand, was the act of blinking hard, and is that why she is doing it slowly? Think about the "why". For example, if it is hard for her, maybe a long laboured blink might be a good description?
LicoriceAllsorts
Donator
Keveh Kins
Pun Enthusiast
Depends on who's saying it, methinks. If it's a character who speaks in a very regal or formal manner all the time I'd go with the second one. Most people in day to day conversation would probably say it the first way or something like "Don't you dare follow me."
Unless of course the speech mannerisms of the universe in which your writing are different, at which point ignore everything I just said
Unless of course the speech mannerisms of the universe in which your writing are different, at which point ignore everything I just said
.
Cabaret
Donator
Isn't do not dare to follow me incorrect? it souds very wrong to me.
Dare is followed by an infinitive without 'to' unless it's an imperative.
EG dare to be different (imp)
Dare I say
Don't you dare tell anyone
I dare you to say that again - oh, there we go.... um... no I think that's an imprative
Do you dare to defy me?.... maybe questions as well, I'm thinking it's the aux verb that's fucked things up there.
Do you want me to look this up properly?
Re contractions - generally they are seen as aggressive/very very firm/threatening if not contracted in negatives. It depends on the wider context of course, but I would have someone use a generally higher register by not using phrasal verbs and converting most verbs to nouns etc than cutting back on contractions. But again, more context needed so go with your gut.
propping up on elbows sounds good to me.
or perhaps lifted himself onto his elbows? For variety?
Dare is followed by an infinitive without 'to' unless it's an imperative.
EG dare to be different (imp)
Dare I say
Don't you dare tell anyone
I dare you to say that again - oh, there we go.... um... no I think that's an imprative
Do you dare to defy me?.... maybe questions as well, I'm thinking it's the aux verb that's fucked things up there.
Do you want me to look this up properly?
Re contractions - generally they are seen as aggressive/very very firm/threatening if not contracted in negatives. It depends on the wider context of course, but I would have someone use a generally higher register by not using phrasal verbs and converting most verbs to nouns etc than cutting back on contractions. But again, more context needed so go with your gut.
propping up on elbows sounds good to me.
or perhaps lifted himself onto his elbows? For variety?
Fangu
Great Old One
It's more of a fast movement, so... propped doesn't sound right because it sounds too... cozy? Lifted sounds better, something equivalent to 'sat up' would be even more so, but it's not a question of sitting up, so that doesn't work. Maybe a rewrite to avoid the [action] [elbows] thing altogether, idk.
I don't know about the 'to follow' thing. Feel very much free to look it up - the thing is you need to avoid any forms of 'don't', as mentioned above here.
('Do not dare following me' is perhaps more correct? But it sounds strange.)
Edit: 'Do not dare going after me'. Sounds like a good alternative rewrite. Alternatively 'if you follow me/ go after me, I will wring your neck until your eyes pop out'?
I don't know about the 'to follow' thing. Feel very much free to look it up - the thing is you need to avoid any forms of 'don't', as mentioned above here.
('Do not dare following me' is perhaps more correct? But it sounds strange.)
Edit: 'Do not dare going after me'. Sounds like a good alternative rewrite. Alternatively 'if you follow me/ go after me, I will wring your neck until your eyes pop out'?
Cabaret
Donator
I reckon sat up on his elbows is ok too
followING is definitely wrong. Keep your choices to without without 'to'
In my examples above I put 'don't' but they are just as valid using 'do not' - so no difference there.
If you need to look up anything wordy or grammary this is the chap to see: http://languageandknowledge.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/practical-english-usage-by-michael-swan.pdf
Go to the end of the book where there is the word by word index, this has a 'chapter' reference to it (not a page) then just go there and see what he has to say about it. He usually says how we use it and what's not right, it's a TEFL teacher's bible when asked such questions as 'what's the difference between 'have' and 'have got'? ><
So in chapter 150 he talks about 'dare' (book page 140-141)
Bare can be used as an ordinary verb (like: I have and orange) or a modal auxiliary verb (like: I have to have an orange)
As a normal verb it's followed by the infinitive with 'to'
I do not dare to speak Mouldy Voldy's name
As a modal auxiliary very it's followed by a bare infinitive (without 'to')
I dare go there
So this is now a minefield
Fuck it - Do not dare to follow me sounds more formal and like the character is looking down on who he's talking to than do not dare follow me which sounds more like a threatening invitation. Myself talking, I would say the latter because I don't 'talk down' to people, but if I was writing for that Turk boss bloke, I'd use the former cos I think he does have an air of superiority about him.
Disregard all but the last paragraph - I think going with my gut was better than looking this bad boy up!!
followING is definitely wrong. Keep your choices to without without 'to'
In my examples above I put 'don't' but they are just as valid using 'do not' - so no difference there.
If you need to look up anything wordy or grammary this is the chap to see: http://languageandknowledge.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/practical-english-usage-by-michael-swan.pdf
Go to the end of the book where there is the word by word index, this has a 'chapter' reference to it (not a page) then just go there and see what he has to say about it. He usually says how we use it and what's not right, it's a TEFL teacher's bible when asked such questions as 'what's the difference between 'have' and 'have got'? ><
So in chapter 150 he talks about 'dare' (book page 140-141)
Bare can be used as an ordinary verb (like: I have and orange) or a modal auxiliary verb (like: I have to have an orange)
As a normal verb it's followed by the infinitive with 'to'
I do not dare to speak Mouldy Voldy's name
As a modal auxiliary very it's followed by a bare infinitive (without 'to')
I dare go there
So this is now a minefield
Fuck it - Do not dare to follow me sounds more formal and like the character is looking down on who he's talking to than do not dare follow me which sounds more like a threatening invitation. Myself talking, I would say the latter because I don't 'talk down' to people, but if I was writing for that Turk boss bloke, I'd use the former cos I think he does have an air of superiority about him.
Disregard all but the last paragraph - I think going with my gut was better than looking this bad boy up!!
Fangu
Great Old One
Well - we're talking Fran here, and Fran has a kind of oldish, very formal way of speaking. The threat is a very personal one made to a lover she can't trust. He's repeatedly proven to do the opposite than what she tells him to (he has his reasons - but that's a different story) and so this time she's trying to make the punctuation a proper punctuation. She might have found his bullshit tolerable and even cute at times, but now she's had enough.
I believe context to be of high importance, and the example is already posted in the quote a few posts above here - but maybe you didn't see it?
Thanks for the link, I'll download the PDF What I usually do when I'm unsure of a sentence, what I do is Google it in quotation marks. If I get more than say 50-100 hits I feel fairly sure it's a sentence I could use - although I'd much rather I get at least a few thousand hits. Then I know I'm sure the chances of it being proper use is high.
(ESL writing - desperate methods for getting by, lol)
I believe context to be of high importance, and the example is already posted in the quote a few posts above here - but maybe you didn't see it?
Thanks for the link, I'll download the PDF
What I usually do when I'm unsure of a sentence, what I do is Google it in quotation marks. If I get more than say 50-100 hits I feel fairly sure it's a sentence I could use - although I'd much rather I get at least a few thousand hits. Then I know I'm sure the chances of it being proper use is high.(ESL writing - desperate methods for getting by, lol)
Cabaret
Donator
I'd go with: Do not dare to follow me then. I probably did miss it, I just woke up from a nap when I answered and got excited over a language question! ><
Oh I'd be careful of google there - lots of non-native English speakers look up stuff which they may prefer because the explanation is clear rather than correct. And a lot of EFL/ESL teachers talk total bullshit! (see my responses
)
Is English your second language or do you teach / have you taught ESL?
I teach ESL/EFL and I'm studying a masters in it at the moment. I love those kinds of questions cos it makes me go: yeah easy.... no wait..... Ohh English language!!!
Oh I'd be careful of google there - lots of non-native English speakers look up stuff which they may prefer because the explanation is clear rather than correct. And a lot of EFL/ESL teachers talk total bullshit! (see my responses
)Is English your second language or do you teach / have you taught ESL?
I teach ESL/EFL and I'm studying a masters in it at the moment. I love those kinds of questions cos it makes me go: yeah easy.... no wait..... Ohh English language!!!
Fangu
Great Old One
Oh yeah I know I'm taking a chance with that googling... but I'm a very impatient person so after a round of going AAAa HALP NAO in both #tls and to people on Skype and I've had no response I'm more likely to just Google around and see what I can dig up XD
English is a bastard language for sure, with several giant vocabularies (where words tends to have even conflicting meanings, lol) but it's part of why I love it so dearly. I have an ESL rant tag on Tumblr by the way! And yes, definitely not teaching English
I'm by some of those definitions not even ESL, because I don't live in a country where English is a native language (although it is widely used), and neither do I have one or two parents who speak it as a first. Technically I'm EFL - I think I did a rant on that too in that Tumblr tag, lol!
I love a good language rant
I usually can't add much re: grammar though, not unless we're bringing in other Latin languages, or the Scandinavian ones (my first is Norwegian.)
English is a bastard language for sure, with several giant vocabularies (where words tends to have even conflicting meanings, lol) but it's part of why I love it so dearly. I have an ESL rant tag on Tumblr by the way! And yes, definitely not teaching English
I'm by some of those definitions not even ESL, because I don't live in a country where English is a native language (although it is widely used), and neither do I have one or two parents who speak it as a first. Technically I'm EFL - I think I did a rant on that too in that Tumblr tag, lol!I love a good language rant
I usually can't add much re: grammar though, not unless we're bringing in other Latin languages, or the Scandinavian ones (my first is Norwegian.)
Cabaret
Donator
Yeah I know what you mean about being impatient - I do the same if I'm honest on different areas
I was reading that thinking: holy moly that's an impressive level of language! Then I read Norwegian and though: Ah that explains it! Your country rocks when it comes to bilingualism and it it bilingualism in my opinion - I get to say that cos I'm a Cambridge examiner and I'd pass you at proficiency based on what I've read so far - not sure I would with some native speakers! One of my ex's is Norwegian and an EFL teacher, you wouldn't know that English wasn't her first language.
I love a good language rant too, and will have a look at yours later - I should be making a power point presentation right now.
I was reading that thinking: holy moly that's an impressive level of language! Then I read Norwegian and though: Ah that explains it! Your country rocks when it comes to bilingualism and it it bilingualism in my opinion - I get to say that cos I'm a Cambridge examiner and I'd pass you at proficiency based on what I've read so far - not sure I would with some native speakers!
One of my ex's is Norwegian and an EFL teacher, you wouldn't know that English wasn't her first language. I love a good language rant too, and will have a look at yours later - I should be making a power point presentation right now.
LicoriceAllsorts
Donator
"Do not dare to follow me," sounds very FFXII. It sounds regal and very proper, like Ashe or Fran.
Zidane, on the other hand, would say something like, "Don't you dare follow me."
And Reno would say, "Yeah, don't even think about followin' me, zo, to."
Zidane, on the other hand, would say something like, "Don't you dare follow me."
And Reno would say, "Yeah, don't even think about followin' me, zo, to."
Fangu
Great Old One
Okay this isn't for fic, but for my CV 
I need good titles for:
* A person who works the cash register selling bakery goods but also prepares bake off to sell
* A person who feeds cattle
* Someone who takes people on horseback trips (riding guide??) and does general work in the stables (feeding, preparing horses for riding lessons)
Preferably British English
I'm blank on all of these - I need suggestions!
I need good titles for:
* A person who works the cash register selling bakery goods but also prepares bake off to sell
* A person who feeds cattle
* Someone who takes people on horseback trips (riding guide??) and does general work in the stables (feeding, preparing horses for riding lessons)
Preferably British English
I'm blank on all of these - I need suggestions!
LicoriceAllsorts
Donator
Okay this isn't for fic, but for my CV
I need good titles for:
* A person who works the cash register selling bakery goods but also prepares bake off to sell
Bakery general assistant, with responsibility for production and sales
* A person who feeds cattle
Stockman, stockperson, cowhand
* Someone who takes people on horseback trips (riding guide??) and does general work in the stables (feeding, preparing horses for riding lessons)
Horse-trekking guide and stable hand
I am pretty sure there isn't a single word to cover the bakery job or the horse job.
Preferably British English
I'm blank on all of these - I need suggestions!
Hope that helps. Good luck! We're all rooting for you!
LicoriceAllsorts
Donator
"General factotum" is the phrase that describes what you did in the restaurant.