Help needed from NATIVE English speakers

[Le Parisien]

Hi guys, I need a little help from all the native English speakers here.

Actually I consider my English to be pretty good for an Asian (neither born or grew up in English speaking countries) and a Frenchie (everybody knows how French guys suck at speaking English... ). Especially in 2004 when I was still in the States, after only a two-year stay (2002-2004), my (American)English was "sharp":yes: , everybody thought I was an Asian American with a very slight Asian accent.

However, since I got back home, I haven't had any opportunity to use my English extensively, thus it's getting rusty by the day. I have less and less this natural "language feel" about English expressions and find myself "thinking" more and more instead of just "flowing" naturally.

So here are a few of the questions I have:

- Do you say "What is she like?" or "How is she like?" or both are correct?

- Do you say "What does she look like" or "How does she look like" or both are correct?

- Do you say "He testified in front the jury" or "he testified before the jury" or both.

I want to know what's correct in the sense that it's idiomatic, I know that both are grammatically correct.

So the native speakers, please help me. When you give the answer, please also tell me your country of origin so I can gauge the exactitude of your input.

Sorry to say this, but for me, Indians or Singaporeans for example are NOT native speakers, I'm mostly thinking of the Americans, the Canadians, the Brits the Aussies etc...

Thanks a lot for your help guys! :flowers:

Guys who are not native speakers, feel free to reply too, please just mention where you are from.

 

[TyTe`EyEs]

What is she like? correct

What does she look like? correct

He testified in front of the jury (otherwise, both are commonly used)


I'm from Florida.

 

[MisterNigma]

- Do you say "What is she like?" or "How is she like?" or both are correct?

^^^You would say "What is she like?"

- Do you say "What does she look like" or "How does she look like" or both are correct?

^^^ You would say "What does she look like?"

- Do you say "He testified in front the jury" or "he testified before the jury" or both.

^^^ In this case both are correct.


-E.Nigma

 

[simon]

1. "What is she like?"

2. "What does she look like?" or "How does she look?" (no like)

Though "How does she look?" would only be asked in circumstances like "How does she look in that dress?" not what she actually looks like.

3. Both are used.

I'm English btw.

 

[Vulpine]

- Do you say "What is she like?" or "How is she like?" or both are correct?

- Do you say "What does she look like" or "How does she look like" or both are correct?

- Do you say "He testified in front the jury" or "he testified before the jury" or both.

I want to know what's correct in the sense that it's idiomatic, I know that both are grammatically correct.

"What is she like?" is correct. Which asks for a description or comparison. You are asking someone to relate in terms you can understand or compare to people you know. "How is she?", (without the "like", "like" makes the question grammatically incorrect) can be used when you want a generalizations of "How she is" meaning "how is she doing?" or "what has she been doing?" or "How does she feel?"

Don't add "like" to questions using "how" because "how" is vauge, general, or open-ended whereas "what" is more specific and concrete. It's like asking "How is she, exactly." In which case, you would just ask that, not "How is she like." That's confusing. Besides, "How is she?" is asking something completely different than "What is she like?" "How is she?" is used when you already know someone and are wondering how there health is, mood is, etc.

"What does she look like?" is good. The other version is close, but without the "like". Like asks for a reference. "What does she look like?" could get the answer: "Like a sack of potatoes." Notice the answer begins with "like" drawing a relation between her and a sack of potatoes. You could also get "She's 5'4", Black hair, green eyes, and has a clear complexion." for an answer. "How does she look?" is ok. But, it prompts the person being asked to give a description or opinion instead of a relation. Expect "She's hot." or "She's ugly." as answers.

"He testified in front OF the jury" (you need "of" to make it grammatically correct - "in front of" is a preposition, "He" is the subject, and "the jury" is the subject of the preposition) is used when talking about a specific jury, and a specific person, when the jury is important. "He testified before the jury." is acceptable, but you don't really hear it said that way. Instead, you would hear "He testified before a jury." In that case, the stress is more on the subject "He" and not as much on the "jury". It's used when the jury isn't very important in the story besides the fact that it was there and "He" or his testimony is of greater importance. Since "in front of" and "before" are virtually the same, the difference is just stress of the subjects.

I'm from the United States, and I speak some Spanish as well as a little Japanese.

 

[Kerpal]

1. What is she like?
2. What does she look like?
3. Either one, but in front of the jury is more common, before the jury is a little more formal.

I'm from the USA.

 

[Le Parisien]

Thanks a lot guys, please keep them coming.

Vulpine, special thanks to you for your elaborate answer.:flowers:

Actually I know the preposition is "in front of", the "of" got lost when I was typing this relatively long thread in a short time.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Although it's fine in conversational English, when writing, you should not end sentences with a preposition, such as "like" or "to." This represents one of the widely ignored technical complexities of the English language.

What is she like?

is more correctly expressed as

"Please describe that woman."

 

[MisterNigma]

What is she like?

is more correctly expressed as

"Please describe that woman."

^^^Are you a lawyer? Just seems a tad too legalise to me.


-E.Nigma

 

[Bible_Belt]

Are you a lawyer?

I have not finished up.

The ending a sentence with a preposition rule is one that people debate over. There is no exactly correct answer to look for. But you can see that it is an awkward habit to get into. Sentences seem cut off. When writing, I would not want to give someone anything to be critical of. I was taught in school that was something to stay away from, and I have tried to follow that rule ever since.

 

[BacardiGuy]

People would say "What does she look like?" to get more of a physical description (ie blonde, blue eyes, tall, thin etc). Someone would say "How do(es) I/she/they look?" for more of a subjective type of response, ie, "She looks good."

From the States

 

[Le Parisien]

Thanks guys.

Now the second round of little questions:

- What's the nuance between "a lot" and "a lots". I know you can say "a lots of things" and "a lot of things", how about "a lot of hair" or "a lots of hair"? And other subtle differences?

- When you have "too many things", the correct equivalent would be "too much stuff" or "too many stuffs", I've heard that "stuff" is supposed to be singular only.


Now another one that mostly only concerns North Americans, but others can participate too of course.

- In American English, when you say "parking lots", a parking lot is a marked "spot" for parking (a "parking space") or it means a set/building/construction that consists of several actual "spots"?


And what's the vocabulary in other English speaking countries? "Parking lots"? "Parking spaces"? "Parking" anything else?

Thanks.

 

[Unregistered]

- What's the nuance between "a lot" and "a lots". I know you can say "a lots of things" and "a lot of things", how about "a lot of hair" or "a lots of hair"? And other subtle differences?

- When you have "too many things", the correct equivalent would be "too much stuff" or "too many stuffs", I've heard that "stuff" is supposed to be singular only.

"A lots" isn't correct. You could say He has a lot of things or He has lots of things.

Too much stuff is correct.

- In American English, when you say "parking lots", a parking lot is a marked "spot" for parking (a "parking space") or it means a set/building/construction that consists of several actual "spots"?

Parking lot means a place with several actual parking spots.

 

[Le Parisien]

Now another one:

- Do you say "in school" or "at school" or both? Maybe with different meanings?



You know what messes things up the most when you try to learn proper good English? Being surrounded by people who speak bad English.

It's like the accent thing. When you spend enough time with people who all have the same weird accent, let's say the Southern Rural American accent for example, you get bad influence. You can fight it all you want, but with time, your good "basis" wears off. You just don't know the correct ways for sure anymore and start to talk like them.

 

[Skilla_Staz]

Both.

If you're within the building, or school is in session, then it's in school.

If you're just there, for whatever reason, then you can say at school.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Do you say "in school" or "at school" or both? Maybe with different meanings?

Skilla_Staz is correct. Also, "in school" can be used to mean "currently enrolled in classes." For example, I was working full time, but now I am in school.

 

[RedPill]

Are you a lawyer?

I have not finished up.

The ending a sentence with a preposition rule is one that people debate over. There is no exactly correct answer to look for. But you can see that it is an awkward habit to get into. Sentences seem cut off. When writing, I would not want to give someone anything to be critical of. I was taught in school that was something to stay away from, and I have tried to follow that rule ever since.

Is it me, or does every sentence in this post end in a preposition?

 

[Bible_Belt]

Yes, you are correct. Some are less awkward than others, but they are all preposition endings.

 

[diplomatic_lies]

You know what messes things up the most when you try to learn proper good English? Being surrounded by people who speak bad English.

Definitely. If you're trying to learn English (especially the oral component), you should hang out with local native speakers. Oral English is already difficult, and hanging around people who speak very poorly makes it worse. Although if you can barely speak 2 words, it might be hard to make any native friends

In fact, our national government has recently passed a law banning foreigners from entering the country, in order to prevent other languages/cultures from infiltrating our own.