English :)

[RawonaM]

Gentlemen, double negative is common in American (and British too) colloquial language. There's nothing incorrect. Dont u think so, Rawonam?

No, I don't think so.

To be honest, I like Ebonics  
I can speak Ebonics a little. And you?

Unfortunately, no.

But what is the non-dialect kind of English? I think British English, isn't it?

I'm not sure I understand what "non-dialect" means.

What is the literary language in this case?

You mean, the Standard English? There is no uniform standard, every country has its own one.

Digamma, are you trying to convince me of smth? I told you what I think about it, I showed you the stats, which showed the spreading of the construction. I guess this discussion is sorta unnecessary, isn't it?

[Digamma]

Digamma, are you trying to convince me of smth?

For what?  

I told you what I think about it

Me too. No problem, let's stop it.

[Dimitrius]

The polemics is in full swing

[Nord]

It could be if only the discussion did not stop for a month or so.

[Hopeful]

It could be if only the discussion did not stop for a month or so.

As far as I know, not this type of English conditionals should be used here.
I would say, we need here not the 2nd but the mixed one: "It could be so (NOW) if only the discussion hadn't stopped..." (because it DID stop in the past).
How do you think?  

[Peamur]

How do you think?

I think u r right.
Past Perfect it calls  
When two things had happened and one happened before another - we shall use Past Perfect.

[Hopeful]

How do you think?

I think u r right.
Past Perfect it calls  
When two things had happened and one happened before another - we shall use Past Perfect.

Thanks for the explanations but I guess you're not absolutely right.
That's not just Past Perfect tense but conditionals (namely, it's called mixed conditionals - there're 2 of them, if I'm not mistaken).

[Peamur]

Thanks for the explanations but I guess you're not absolutely right.
That's not just Past Perfect tense but conditionals (namely, it's called mixed conditionals - there're 2 of them, if I'm not mistaken).

Aye, i may be wrong, i just meant this case with two times together.
I should look in the learnbook next time to be more exact.

Let's call Leo!!!!He'll explain it swiftly, that's for sure

[Letizia]

Past Perfect it calls

Subjunctive Mood it calls

As far as I know, not this type of English conditionals should be used here.
I would say, we need here not the 2nd but the mixed one: "It could be so (NOW) if only the discussion hadn't stopped..." (because it DID stop in the past).
How do you think?  

I guess it would sound better with perfect forms in both clauses: "It could have been so if only the discussion had not stopped for a month or so". Unreal condition in the past, since the discussion did stop.

[Hopeful]

I guess it would sound better with perfect forms in both clauses: "It could have been so if only the discussion had not stopped for a month or so". Unreal condition in the past, since the discussion did stop.

I would still call it a mixed conditional, when in the if-clause we have the conditional action in the past and in the main clause we have the result in present. Unreal condition in the past but with the result in present.

[Dimitrius]

Subjunctive Mood it calls

Why do you write in suh a way? Seems like grammatically incorrect, but I might be wrong.
Isn't ''It is called Subjunctive mood'' right?

[Peamur]

Why do you write in suh a way? Seems like grammatically incorrect, but I might be wrong.
Isn't ''It is called Subjunctive mood'' right?

It sounds like oldnfair english!

[RawonaM]

Subjunctive Mood it calls

Why do you write in suh a way? Seems like grammatically incorrect, but I might be wrong.
Isn't ''It is called Subjunctive mood'' right?

You're right, I also think it is a very weird way to say that.

[Letizia]

Subjunctive Mood it calls

Why do you write in such a way? Seems like grammatically incorrect, but I might be wrong.
Isn't ''It is called Subjunctive mood'' right?

Sure it is. I just paraphrased what the previous poster had said:

Past Perfect it calls  

Maybe I should have put an asterisk or something...  Sorry!

I would still call it a mixed conditional, when in the if-clause we have the conditional action in the past and in the main clause we have the result in present. Unreal condition in the past but with the result in present.

I don't know, perhaps you are right. Still I am not that sure that the result necessarily belongs to the present.

[Nord]

Dunno if anybody is going to pay attention to this post. I' m sure it was a kind of a misprint of mine. *A slip of a keyboard it calls.

[Digamma]

I would still call it a mixed conditional, when in the if-clause we have the conditional action in the past and in the main clause we have the result in present. Unreal condition in the past but with the result in present.

I don't know, perhaps you are right. Still I am not that sure that the result necessarily belongs to the present.

Usually, but not necessarily. Moreover, some sentences don't allow that "by design". But to be fair usually time is shifted.

[Rezia]

How do you think?  

It seems to me that one should say "what do you think?" . "How do you think" may be understood as "by means of what do you think", so the answer should go like this:"I use my brain (or my wit)"...

Добавлено спустя 15 минут 19 секунд:

Another abbreviation used quite often is ASAP (As Soon As Possible).

Yeah, this one I know. I was taught it in highschool, because it is formal, as opposed to the other ones, which are used often, but informally. I like most AFAIK and IMHO, among those.

FYI, AFAIK ASAP is MRU (IMHO).

NB! MRU = most-recently used

2B or not 2B

These are the longest ones that I came across:

AWGTHTGTTA = are we going to have to go through this again
or
AWGTHTGTTSA = are we going to have to go through this sh* again.

And several more:

BIF = before I forget
CUL8R = see you later
DBEYR = don't believe everything you read
GMTA = great minds think alike.

Interlanguage homography :

DETI = don't even think it

Добавлено спустя 2 часа 28 минут 56 секунд:

so when you see an error in my post and tell me about it, I'll probably remember it for the rest of my life.

I am envious of your memory. It would be great if I could remember any information 'for the rest of my life'. Maybe you'll impart your secret to us?

Write it down and always hold the notebook in a pocket.

Better two. Just in case you lose one

"The horror of that moment," the King went on, "I

shall never, never forget!"

"You will, though" the Queen said, "if you don't make a memorandum of it."

[Xsevin]

Don't you just love this, everyone talks about English and how American teenagers and the messenger community warped it into cul8r and brb. they are nice and easy to type no particular spelling is necessary; however,  when things like this start showing up in term papers as they did in some of my classes. it starts to worry me as does the mecdonalization of the entire world. believe it or not i have seen some funny things in regard to abriviations that we use here and in icq, and some thing like w/ & w/o (with & without) is one of the most common things that i see people write in term papers. i don't know if it's a real problem but imagine the words that we will be introduced to the dictionary a few years into the future... we would be using the caps lock more then lower case just a thought

Xsevin

[iskender]

Don't you just love this, everyone talks about English and how American teenagers and the messenger community warped it into cul8r and brb. they are nice and easy to type no particular spelling is necessary; however,  when things like this start showing up in term papers as they did in some of my classes. it starts to worry me as does the mecdonalization of the entire world. believe it or not i have seen some funny things in regard to abriviations that we use here and in icq, and some thing like w/ & w/o (with & without) is one of the most common things that i see people write in term papers. i don't know if it's a real problem but imagine the words that we will be introduced to the dictionary a few years into the future... we would be using the caps lock more then lower case just a thought

Xsevin

It's not only an American problem, I suppose. :?
Here in Russia such words as щас (сейчас), чё (что), ваще (вообще) are used very often in ICQ, chats, etc.

[Vertaler]

Here in Russia such words as щас (сейчас), чё (что), ваще (вообще) are used very often in ICQ, chats, etc.

Romanian: pt = pentru (for)
Italian: cmq = comunque (however)

[Rezia]

Don't you just love this, everyone talks about English and how American teenagers and the messenger community warped it into cul8r and brb. they are nice and easy to type no particular spelling is necessary; however,  when things like this start showing up in term papers as they did in some of my classes. it starts to worry me as does the mecdonalization of the entire world. believe it or not i have seen some funny things in regard to abriviations that we use here and in icq, and some thing like w/ & w/o (with & without) is one of the most common things that i see people write in term papers. i don't know if it's a real problem but imagine the words that we will be introduced to the dictionary a few years into the future... we would be using the caps lock more then lower case just a thought

Xsevin

It's not only an American problem, I suppose. :?
Here in Russia such words as щас (сейчас), чё (что), ваще (вообще) are used very often in ICQ, chats, etc.

In my humble opinion you're talking about different things. Yours are not pure abbreviations actually.

[Vertaler]

In my humble opinion  you're talking about different things. Yours are not pure abbreviations actually.

And mine?

And I can give you some more, if I think it over a bit.

[iskender]

In my humble opinion you're talking about different things. Yours are not pure abbreviations actually.

М-дя, perhaps you're right. And speaking about pure abbreviations... Hm... I've seen several times such masterpieces as СПНЧ (спокойной ночи), пр апп (приятного аппетита).

[Vertaler]

СПНЧ (спокойной ночи), пр апп (приятного аппетита).

«Мне он не нра». I have seen it a lot of times...

[iskender]

In my humble opinion  you're talking about different things. Yours are not pure abbreviations actually.

And mine?

IMHO those of yours are quite what Xsevin has told us about. As distinct from my examples.