Stative Verbs and Translation Pitfalls
by Carol Cutler
Many ESL students can’t help but translate directly from their native languages in the early stages of learning English.
One of the most common mistakes is using the progressive tense with stative verbs in the process. For example, in Portuguese, it is acceptable to say “I am believing you” as you listen to someone’s excuse for something. Therefore, many Portuguese speakers use the progressive instead of the correct present simple form “I believe you.” There is a long list of stative verbs that we generally don’t use in the progressive tense in English, unless we intend to use them for a different meaning. For example:
“I SEE that woman across the street.” (visual perception) VS. “Dr. Payne IS SEEING a patient at the moment.” (having a consultation)
“That cake TASTES great!” (perception of taste) VS. “The chef IS TASTING the soup to see if it needs more salt.” (action of putting soup in one’s mouth)
“Your jacket LOOKS great on you!” (perception) VS. “She is LOOKING at herself in the mirror.” (action of inspecting her appearance)
“I HAVE a computer at home” (possession) VS. “I’M HAVING dinner with my family right now.” (action of eating dinner)
“You APPEAR to be tired.” (perception) VS. “My friend IS APPEARING on the Tonight Show on TV.” (action of coming into sight)
A short general rule for using verbs as “stative verbs” is never to use them in progressive tenses. They are usually used in the SIMPLE TENSES. If they are used in the progressive tense, they usually become action verbs, as seen in the examples above. A short list of stative verbs includes: to know, to like, to belong, to agree, to understand, to prefer, to need, to want, to seem, to promise, to remember, to recognize. Be careful next time you translate any of these verbs from your native language into English!
Texting Expressions and Acronyms in English: What did you say?
by Carol Cutler
Just when you are starting to feel confident about your English-speaking skills, you come across a new challenge:
texting acronyms from native-speaker friends. Even when you have deciphered the usual letters (like LOL), some texting expressions can still be confusing. You asked, “Can I bring a friend to the party?”, and your roommate replied “Bet”. What does he mean? Was that a yes or no? As it turns out, “bet” means “yes”, or “you bet” (For sure! It’s so certain that you can “bet” on it). These expressions and acronyms are mostly found in text messages, but sometimes they find their way into emails, too. Please be aware that they are INFORMAL and should only be used with close friends and people you know very well. They are most commonly used by teenagers or young adults and also may vary by geographic location in the US. Here is a list of 25 common texting expressions and acronyms with short explanations:
- WDYM – What do you mean? (Please explain yourself)
- OMW – On my way (I’m coming)
- WTM – What’s the matter? (What’s wrong? What is the problem?)
- Ight (or aight) – Alright (Ok or I agree)
- Bet – You bet (It sounds good to me, or for sure)
- ALR – Alright (Okay, or it sounds good to me)
- CU – See you (I will see you later)
- LMK – Let me know (Please give me an answer soon)
- IDK – I don’t know
- IG – I guess (I’m not sure, but I think so)
- RN – Right now
- OMG – Oh my God (Or oh my “gosh”. Some native speakers are sensitive to using the word “God”)
- IMO – In my opinion
- IMHO – In my humble opinion (Or in my honest opinion)
- BTW – By the way (Incidentally)
- TBH – To be honest
- LOL – Laughing “out” loud (That was very funny)
- ROFL – Rolling on the floor laughing (That was very funny)
- BRB – (I will) Be right back
- BBL – (I will) Be back later
- TTYL – (I will) Talk to you later
- GR8 – Great (Wonderful)
- NVM – Never mind (Forget it, ignore it)
Greetings from America
Informal in-person greetings
Many ESL students learn the popular greeting, “Hi, how are you?” only to be confused when they arrive in the United States. Instead of this familiar question, they often hear “How’s it going?” or “What’s up?” from friends or roommates.
Here is how to decipher (and re-use) the informal greetings you hear:
If you are meeting a college friend or someone close to you (especially a young person), you will most likely hear “How’s it going?” or “How are you doing?” (Translation: How is everything going in your life? How is life?). A good answer would be “Doing well, and you?”
You may also hear “What’s going on?” or “What’s up?” or “What’s happening?” (Translation: What is new in your life?). If you want to answer that nothing exciting is happening, you may reply “Not much, what’s new with you?”
These informal questions may come by themselves or follow an even more informal “Hi!”, or “Hey!”, “Howdy!”, or even a “Yo!” They all mean “Hello.”
Formal in-person greetings
When greeting people in a more formal setting (such as a professor in college, or a potential employer for an interview), your greeting must be more formal and conventional. These situations call for the well-known, “Hi, how are you?” or “Hello, it’s nice to meet you.” Other polite greetings include “Good morning” or “Good afternoon.” If you are meeting someone after 5 pm, most people greet each other with “Good evening” in formal situations. You should only say “Good night” when you are going home.
Some students wonder about the greeting, “How do you do?” In America, you rarely hear someone using it. It is more common in Great Britain.
Regardless of all these options you have, when in doubt, always use the old reliable “Hi, how are you?” It is a safe greeting for both formal and less-formal situations.
False Cognates
There are many words in English that native Portuguese (and sometimes Spanish) speakers may think they recognize, only to be completely misunderstood.
These are known as “false cognates” or linguistically “false friends”. They may sound pretty close to familiar words, but these false cognates mean completely different things in English. Here are a few examples:
1) Costume (English) X Costume (Portuguese).
In English, a “costume” is an outfit or clothing that someone would wear to play a character in a movie or play, or for a party or special event. For example, “I’m wearing a Carmen Miranda costume for Halloween this year,” or “The actress wore a beautiful costume for her role in the movie.” The best translation for the Portuguese “costume” is CUSTOM or TRADITION in English.
2) Actually X atualmente
In English, the word “actually” means “in truth” or “as a fact”. For example, “I thought that it would take three hours to travel there, but it actually took five hours!” “Atualmente” means “currently” in English. For example, “I am CURRENTLY working on my master’s degree.”
3) Educated X educado
In Portuguese, “educado” has to do with good manners and not necessarily with formal education. In English, “educated” has everything to do with schooling, and nothing to do with manners. For example, “He was educated at Harvard.” If you want to refer to someone’s good manners in English, you should use the word “POLITE”. For example, “He is very POLITE and would never use bad language.”
4) Enroll X enrolar
To “enroll” means to sign up or register for a course or school. For example, “She enrolled in the Algebra class” or “He will enroll in the university classes this semester.” If you are trying to say “enrolar” in English, you need to use “WIND UP” or “ROLL UP”. For example, “Please ROLL UP the maps when you are done with them” or “Do you mind WINDING UP the cord?”
5) Cord X corda
When it comes to the last example above, don’t be fooled by the word “cord”. While it can mean something long and used for tying things, a “cord” usually means an insulated cable used for carrying electricity. For example, “She pulled on the telephone cord.” When trying to say “corda” in English, the best translation is ROPE or STRING.
6) Fabric X fábrica
These two words could not be more different in meaning. “Fabric” in English has nothing to do with building things. “Fabric” is a noncount word that means the type of material that clothes are made of. For example, “She bought some fabric to make her own dress,” or “That fabric will make a lovely shirt.” If you are trying to say “fábrica”, you probably mean “FACTORY”.
These are just some of the “false cognates” or “false friends” that native Portuguese speakers will come across. Be careful next time you use them!