Do you enunciate clearly?

Lillie Yarde: poop

Francisco Schonhardt: I try to.

Gabriel Realmuto: Ah, yes I do take pride in the language. So, let us continue the lesson:jew el ry (not jew ler y)and real tor (not re la tor)

Karey Dunken: I'd say yes, it's needed for clarity in your first example and no, it's not for the second.

Gerardo Greist: to be grammatically correct yes

Reyes Brunell: a condition

Omar Phipps: I'm pretty sure I do, even though sometimes I am quick to pronounce things and get them wrong. Maybe it's my Northern accent, but I say "probably" correctly.

Felipa Nosis: Conditions

Jonathon Labonne: ultimatum

Virgilio Echter: yes (to) is needed in the sentence

Jesse Japak: nope but i have a speech inpedament so forget u

Rufus Plough: I'm going to take some flak for this, but I don't look down on people whose pronunciation is imperfect. We are all learning all of the time.I think the second syllable in "probably" is one of ! the easiest to swallow in the whole of our language. Everyone has pet peeves. I had a friend once who couldn't stand that no one pronounced the second "f" in "fifth." Since then I've changed my pronunciation of the word, but I also recognize that "fith" is pretty much standard these days, as is "probly."As I said, we would should recognize that we are learning all of the time."Realtor," for example, is a proper noun and a registered trade mark. It is not interchangeable with the term "real estate agent."I think the only time I would seriously worry about someone's diction is if it appeared that the person was having trouble communicating. In my opinion saying "probly" instead of "probably" does not fall into that category.I've edited copy for two publications, and I've seen copy submitted for publication that would make your hair stand on end. So no, leaving this syllable out just doesn't worry me as much as it might.I do recognize that primary education teachers are i! n a slightly different position. They of course are entrusted! with the education of people whose language skills are in a particularly formative stage. Teachers who love and care for my language are near and dear to my heart.And to answer your question, yes, the English language is one of my great loves. I just have to recognize that I don't own it....Show more

Robbie Starchman: Yes, I do. I think more people would have better spelling if they pronounced words correctly.

Dan Seen: A short answer to Lisa, I live/teach in an economically depressed area. The use of Non-standard would most certainly cause my students to be discriminated against in the job market. For example: There are 2 candidates for the job and one has precise diction and the other does not enunciate th but rather uses terms like dis, dat and prolly.Who will get the job? The unemployment rate in this area is 17% at its best... probably ..... much higher when the next statistics are posted because the whole state and country are experiencing a down ! turn.I talk to my children/students about "home speech" and "school/job speech"... They need both. They also need to develop an "innate sense" of when each is appropriate....Show more

Derrick Smsith: "Do you enunciate clearly?"Hmm... so... you're asking me if I "pronounce words clearly... clearly"?(In other words, it was my understanding that the word -enunciate- already included the idea of "clearly." Right? Yeah....)Mike...Show more

Nell Dipiero: 1st - Yes2nd - No

Geraldo Mccalla: You are right to a point, the point at which one becomes a pedant, and the correct pronunciation literally interferes with communication, the goal of language. If I ever hear a person say 'Rasp-berrry' instead of 'Rassberry', I think, 'avoid this person'. Pedant Alert !!!!

Hans Sachetti: 'To' should be added, but many people wouldn't bother.

Joie Libutti: Whether I enunciate clearly or not, I expect my men to understand what I mean... and they betta' understand th! e first time around, I hate to repeat myself.For example, When I say, "! whack em', and don't leave a mess, youz got dat?" There had betta' be no mess!

Kizzy Hett: I would say yes in both cases. "To" is necessary.

Marco Stolarz: yes, needed for the sake of clarity.

Hai Biggart: I have a background in linguistics and studying foreign languages.All languages change in time and space. These changes are inexorable. If you like them, you call them progress. If you don't like them, you call them decay.English itself is in the early stages of splitting up into a new family of languages the way Latin was in the fifth and sixth centuries.You seem to have a healthy attitude toward your students, I think, by telling them that it is okay to speak at home and in their neighborhood the way the people they live with speak and then telling them that public English has different characteristics.But I must emphasize that their home speech should not be characterized as sloppy or inferior. It is merely different and only reflects the ongoing ! process of linguistic change, and it should be respected.Harleigh Kyson Jr....Show more

Inell Riesgo: after 6 beers, no. dont speel to good either! LOL

Toby Women: Yes, I take great pride in my enunciation. I sing with a chorus and one of the items we work on most is diction, so that the words sung by 80 voices can be heard as one voice by the audience. I have taken those lessons to heart, and my diction (especially in public speaking situations) is very clear (sometimes so much so that it draws specific attention, at which point I know I've taken it TOO far and dial back a notch).

Derrick Smsith: sentence: She taught me to love everyone, regardless of their social background, and (to) help those who live in poverty.Hope English speakers can tell me if preposition "to" is needed in the second part of the sentence?If I change the sentence to "She taught me to love his family and "to" help his family repay their debt. Is "to" still needed?Hope English spea! kers can help. Thank you....Show more

Cristopher Gavalis: THANK y! ou EEK!!! I find it distressing that today's kids all use such poor English. And the truth is, many of the adults have become lazy, also! I enjoy using the computer and occasionally will use slang and "text speak' but for the most part, I attempt to use proper grammar and diction! I take pride in being able to speak/write The Queen's English, even though I am from the southern United States!Further education in diction...Ask not axestreet not screet...Show more

Aldo Decurtis: Maybe (just to make a guess that seems sensible) "to-do" sort of refers to , or originated from, a sense of people feeling that they "just have 'to do' something" about a situation...just have to get involved in a very active way. That's what it signals to me, anyway. A bunch of people feeling and responding this way, all at the same time, naturally "can" lead to some kind of commotion, disruption, etc.On your second question: I'm not sure I've ever heard a whetstone called a snakestone, but ! conceivably the connection could be this: Both a whetstone when it's used in the wet way (with oil or water on/with it as a lubricant), AND a snake, may be wet and shiny looking.....Show more

Doreatha Kjellsen: please explain its etymology..question 2: why call whetstone as snakestone?

Coleman Deliberato: example:a parent tells their child, "you can have this or nothing at all"what word, a noun, would describe that statement?

Claire Billegas: Mrg, it is "razz"berry not "rass" berry. :)

Jorge Gerrero: I do take pride in language, but i take more pride in my regional accent. I am from Yorkshire origionally and moved to an area with a more neutral accent and I am very proud that people can tell where I am from y my accent.I pronounce probably as prolly because of the area I am from not because of poor diction.Yes that means I miss letters out of words and pronounce things differently to the "queens english" but I like that.Now, people from Yorkshire ! are known for being very proud of where they come from, I don't know if! thats the same for other areas that have strong regional accents but I hope to keep my accent dispite the fact that I have moved away.I can understand how some people, especially teachers may find it frustrating that children do no talk properly, but don't you think that the diversity of language in this country is amazing and should be kept at all cost. Life would be boring if everyone spoke the same. I also understand that accents and diction is different but both are the development of language within community, children pick up diction as the do accents and I think to a point it should be encouraged....Show more