English being called easy.

[xander.XVII]

Originally Posted by Mahhammer

Languages that spread out tend to smooth. I can't stand it when people say we use English because it is the easiest, no, it is not the easiest, and it may be easier because we speak it so much, it waters down when acquired by foreigners which has for centuries.

My main beef is how people think it is the easiest yet regard Mandarin as complex, some even ignore what I say too like this guy:


See, just posted without any though of my statements on Chinese.
If you took the average person in the world or internet and asked them how languages work, they have this idea that it is completely linear 100% and all languages start off full of inflection and only lose them from there, that modern languages are simpler than the ones in the past outside of losing specifications (yonder vs that), and English simplified by losing word endings, and that Chinese probably has gender and thousands of tenses and cases.

Ironically, Mandarin is the most watered down and simplified tonal Asian language there is, few vowels, consonants, very few clusters of hard sounds and no stress or pitch, grammar is very ambiguous and has few specifications (when= what time in mandarin, no difference between "any" or "some") fewer particles and helping words than something like Thai. But people regard it as some complex beast that no man can learn unless a genius. No, it is simplified as heck, even more than English in grammar compared to its cousins.

Well, let's make it easy:
What is hard in English? Pronunciation and spelling and some grammar features (phrasal verbs, duration and some other things)
What is hard in Mandarin? Writing and Tones.
Now, how many non-Anglophones are here? Rough 40%?
How many English non-native speakers are there? Billions? It's much easier to reach a good fluency in English than in Mandarin.
I'm here, writing in English.
Yes, I am making mistakes, undeniable, but I am here and I can read 100% and write 100% of what I want and being understood.
How long would it take me to do such a thing in Mandarin?
English IS simple, not the easiest language (because there's NOT an easiest language), you can deny it but nothing changes it,
Its difficulties aren't impossible to overcome at all, the proof is me and all other non-Anglophones here writing in this language.

[BugsyPal]

Originally Posted by dunno what to put here

I've heard both from different people.



There are standards really, but a lot of different variations are accepted. For example, whom should be used in certain situations, but mostly isn't nowadays, so saying "Who are you going to invite?" instead of "Whom are you going to invite" would be acceptable, even if it isn't strictly correct.

Using "who" instead of "whom" is not acceptable in many situations, it is just that persons who know better have grown weary of correcting incorrect use.

Indeed much of what passes for proper English usage on many levels at least in the United States has declined dramatically. Much of this has been brought about by the Internet/computer use along with the lowering of educational standards.

As one who spent many a day in various secretarial jobs am here to tell you even students with only high school and or one from a secretarial course have better grasp of English than many college grads today.

Back then when you had to type or write out letters, reports or whatever it forced you to understand correct grammar and usage. Secretaries, editors, etc.. all would have copies of dictionaries, style and usage manuals and so forth. Today everyone uses spell/grammar check programs an trust the results are correct.