User Comments - dorrick

Posted on: How to Protect the Environment

I lived in Yangshuo for a year, and I used to take a stainless steel canister to the clay pot rice shop to bring home my takeaway. At first they thought I was mad, but eventually they got used to it. While recycling is well-practiced in China, anything that is not useful (i.e. has no monetary value) is still discarded indiscriminately. Unfortunately plastic bags are still readily available for free from markets and smaller shops, although not from supermarkets. After living in China for almost 5 years I think that this country has a long way to go on its road to a genuine environmental consciousness, but it is taking the first tentative steps.

Posted on: Amusement Park

Where are the exercises?  This tab is missing from my feed.

Posted on: Talking with Numbers

I'm slightly confused about the useage of these numbers.  Are they only used on-line or can they also be used in oral conversation.

Posted on: 会 (Huì) and 能 (Néng) Face-off

Some interesting discussion here, especially about the evolution of spoken English! English modal verbs cause problems for both native and non-native speakers, because the same word is often used to express different meanings, so I find that it helps to focus on functional expressions rather than grammatical form. The modal verb "can" has several functions, namely to express something that has been learned or is naturally possible, or (perhaps erroneously according to the Grammar Police) permission. So when a student asks "Can I go to the toilet?" it is obvious to me that he/she is asking permission to leave the room to deal with a bodily function. The other grammatical options seem irrelevant i.e. Yes, you have the natural ability to egest body waste, or yes, you have learned how to use a WC. It's interesting to learn that in Chinese, these functions are expressed with different words 会 (hui4) 会 (neng2) and 可以 (ke3yi3). Where does 行 (xing2) and the structure verb + 得了 (deliao3) or 不了(bu4liao3) fit into this functional hierarchy?

Posted on: More than 50 kuai!

Hi Amber

to indicate one's speaking ability as per Bazza (and me!) could you also say 我中文说的比三年岁的小孩一样。