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Reviewing mistakes

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1

This is the place to review mistakes made in IC threads, correct them, and ask questions.

2

Aldagmor написал(а):

- Rainy, – the young man shook his head, coming to senses.

First, nice use of "coming to his senses"! Good job on remembering that turn of phrase. However, note the "his". In Russian, you would have needed to remove as many pronouns as possible (in fact, it's the hallmark of a bad translation to leave them in). Not so in English, where they are needed to make a complete phrase.

The second mistake here is transcribing direct speech. In English, you do not use the m-dash or n-dash for that purpose! What you do use are quotation marks and only those. The schemes are as follows:

"Bla-bla," he said.
"Bla-bla!" he said.
"Bla-bla?" he said.
"Bla-bla," he said. "Bla-bla."
"Bla bla," he said, "Bla-bla."
He said, "Bla-bla."
He said, "Bla-bl--" and was cut off abruptly.
They reported him saying "bla-bla-bla."

Is the difference between these obvious, or should I go into detail?

Anyway, so the first phrase should look like this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

"Rainy," the young man shook his head, coming to his senses.

3

Aldagmor написал(а):

He glanced at his companion, but it seemed he was talking to himself.

So who exactly was talking to himself here? Grammatically speaking, it's Jailin, but contextually I'm not sure whom you mean.

Aldagmor написал(а):

Despite the rain was becoming harder, Dagmor obviously didn’t hurry to hide from it.

Good job on the first self-correction! This is, indeed, a possible way to use "hurry," though in this particular case I personally would have done it differently. But let's get to the actual mistakes in this sentence first.

Here you're conflating two different (both possible) structures in the first part of the sentence. It should either be:

Aldagmor написал(а):

Despite the fact that the rain was becoming harder

or

Aldagmor написал(а):

Despite the rain becoming harder

The second version obviously sounds better! The difference here is the -ing form. The formula goes like this:

Noun + is/was/will be = use "despite the fact that"

Noun (optional) + verb-ing = just "despite"

You can look here if you're ever confused.

So your sentence should look like this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

Despite the rain becoming harder, Dagmor obviously didn’t hurry to hide from it.

This is grammatically passable, though I would also add a few stylistic changes if it were my sentence. I would change "becoming" into something else (this usage is possible, though--this is purely a matter of personal sense of style) and I would change "didn't hurry" into "was in no hurry." So my sentence would look something like this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

Despite the rain growing stronger with every minute, Dagmor was obviously in no hurry to hide from it.

Feel the difference? It's subtle, but it's there. In the second part of the sentence it's the difference between being in a hurry (doing something hurriedly in my version) and hurrying as a verb (your version).

4

Aldagmor написал(а):

He was slowly looking around the city as if trying to notice every detail, or, maybe to feel something elusive – from those things, that are never formulated in words.

Congrats! The first comma use is correct, which is pretty rare. "As if" is a subordinating conjunction, and when it goes after the main clause, then you usually don't need a comma.

Now to the mistakes!

Aldagmor написал(а):

or, maybe to feel something elusive – from those things, that are never formulated in words.

"Maybe" needs bracketing commas, because it is not a strictly necessary element for the sentence. You can take it out and nothing will change. I would also replace it with "perhaps"--"maybe" is mostly used when someone is speaking, it looks worse when the author uses it in a description.

Aldagmor написал(а):

He was slowly looking around the city as if trying to notice every detail, or, perhaps, to feel something elusive – from those things, that are never formulated in words.

Nice us of "to notice" and "to feel"--quite correct.

You don't need to use "from," though. That's completely wrong. That whole structure should be different

Aldagmor написал(а):

He was slowly looking around the city as if trying to notice every detail, or, perhaps, to feel something elusive–something that is never formulated in words.

Note also that I'm not using no spaces before and after the m-dash. Like this: "something--something." This is not a strict requirement anymore; however, many will still insist on using no spaces.

I explained the difference between "that" and "which" in Skype, but just in case you need to look it up, it's the difference between a restrictive and a non-restrictive clause.

And, finally, "formulated" is usually reserved for more mathematical uses. Not incorrect, but "articulated" fits better here.

So the final sentence should look something like this (with the structure changed a bit for better style):

Aldagmor написал(а):

He was slowly looking around the city as if trying to notice every detail, or, perhaps, to feel something elusive–something that can never be quite articulated in words.

Aldagmor написал(а):

- So, it’s your home?

All right, the first thing here is punctuation. This should just be a simple use of quotation marks.

Aldagmor написал(а):

"So, it’s your home?"

Next, you don't actually need a comma after "so" here. The sentence is short, and the pause is unnecessary.

Aldagmor написал(а):

"So it’s your home?"

"It's" is not quite correct here stylistically. I would do it like this.

Aldagmor написал(а):

"So this is your home?"

5

Aldagmor написал(а):

«Good answer,» half-dragon thought for a minute, «I mean if I had a home I’d probably speak about it somehow like that. Eh, forget. I don’t mind to walk in the rain, but if you have no urgent plans in the city, I think, we can have a snack. And a talk. Perhaps I need to know some specific facts about the institution I’m going to enter.»

First of all, wrong quotation marks.
«» -- you don't use them.
Use these instead:
"".

Second, "the half dragon." We already know him, so we need to clarify that it is indeed the half-dragon we know.

Next, a comma is needed after "I mean." You're using it as an interjection, a weak interruption, a pause. You also need a comma after "home" (I missed this one yesterday).
So you would get this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

"I mean, if I had a home, I'd probably speak about it somehow like that."

Now, "speak about it somehow like that" is technically correct but obviously very Russian in origin. I would change it to something like this:

DuskWizard написал(а):

I mean, if I had a home, I'd probably talk about it the same way.

Next, you can't omit the "it" after "forget."  Pronouns are prominent! You should have

Aldagmor написал(а):

Eh, forget it.

Next, "I don't mind to walk in the rain" is wrong. You can't use an infinitive here, you need an "ing" form. So if you insist on "to walk" you get:

Aldagmor написал(а):

I don’t mind having to walk in the rain

This means "I do not mind the necessity of having to walk in the rain."

Or:

Aldagmor написал(а):

I don’t mind walking in the rain

Which means "I don't mind having a walk in the rain."

The difference is on the emphasis: the necessity of taking an action vs. the action itself.

Next, no comma after "I think."

Aldagmor написал(а):

I think we can have a snack.

Think of "we can have a snack" as an extended addition to "I think," an essential part of the sentence. Remember, commas mostly separate the essential from the non-essential. If you just left "I think," then the sentence would come to an abrupt halt.

BUT, if you add "I think" on at the end of the sentence, as an addendum to express "possibly" or "perhaps," then you do need a comma. Like so:

Aldagmor написал(а):

we can have a snack, I think.

The last sentence is a bit tricky.

Aldagmor написал(а):

Perhaps I need to know some specific facts about the institution I’m going to enter.

"Perhaps" expresses uncertainty. "Need" expresses strict necessity. These two words conflict with each other. The only way you'd use them together is if you were admitting that you were wrong in the past, ("perhaps I do need to know about this. Tell me about it.")

Here you want a softer tone, like this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

I'd like to ask you a few questions about the institution I’m going to enter.

Or:

Aldagmor написал(а):

I think I should ask you a few questions about the institution I'm going to enter.

And, finally, "enter an institution" is technically correct, but I haven't actually seen it used live. Which probably means it's very British, though perhaps it's just a matter of my limited expertise. If it were my sentence, I would use "I'm going to enroll in" or "I'm going to attend," the difference between the two being "register at" and, well, "attend."

6

Important: anybody can use any time they like for now, be it past or present tense (or even future if we're practicing that specifically). However, I will check for consistency across a single post.

Tanda написал(а):

The halfling curiously looking at you. He is a young, thin, brown-eyed, dark-haired (hair cut short enough), tanned guy. He wears a gray-brown traveling cloak, a long brown leather vest with lacing on the sides, a light shirt with embroidery on sleeves and collar, brown leather pants, brown leather boots. His belt consist of several intertwined ropes; a dagger in a sheath and several bags are on the belt.
A bowl with meat in gravy and a mug from which rises a fragrant steam are on a table near the halfling.

Tanda написал(а):

The halfling curiously looking at you

The word order here is a bit wonky. "Curiously looking at you" is either a definition of "halfling"(and then the verb is gone, and you need to follow this up with an action), like so:

DuskWizard написал(а):

The halfling looking at you curiously takes a sip of his fragrant tea.

See? It's an essential clause that defines which halfling (out of many, presumably) is looking at the reader. Speaking of which, you are writing like the dungeon master by using the "you." This is OK, as long as you know you're doing it. ;-)

If you want to make it a separate complete sentence you want something like this:

Tanda написал(а):

The halfling is looking at you curiously.

Note that in both sentences you're changing "curiously" closer to the end. You can split the subject from the verb, but it isn't usually recommended you do so.

Tanda написал(а):

He is a young, thin, brown-eyed, dark-haired (hair cut short enough), tanned guy.

You really like the word "guy," don't you? It's a good word, but it's usually used in spoken language to define someone (i.e."He's an OK guy.") This isn't a mistake per se, but I'd do it like this:

Tanda написал(а):

He is young, thin, brown-eyed, dark-haired (hair cut short enough), and tanned.

Oh, and "short enough" implies that there's a reason his hair is cut short. Short enough for what, specifically?

Tanda написал(а):

He wears a gray-brown traveling cloak, a long brown leather vest with lacing on the sides, a light shirt with embroidery on sleeves and collar, brown leather pants, brown leather boots.

Consistency across times! You want "He is wearing" here. Oh, and add the "and" at the end, it sounds better this way. Other than that, this is almost fine (you missed an article, these are particular sleeves and a particular collar. You used "the sides" correctly; "the sleeves and collar" follow the same rule).

Tanda написал(а):

He is wearing a gray-brown traveling cloak, a long brown leather vest with lacing on the sides, a light shirt with embroidery on the sleeves and collar, brown leather pants, and brown leather boots.

Next:

Tanda написал(а):

His belt consist of several intertwined ropes; a dagger in a sheath and several bags are on the belt.

First of all, "belt consists of." You've only got one belt! The rest of the sentence is fine, so let's expand your vocabulary. I'd do it like this:

Tanda написал(а):

His belt consists of several intertwined ropes; a dagger in a sheath and several bags hang are hanging from it.

Note the "-ing" form.

And, finally:

Tanda написал(а):

A bowl with meat in gravy and a mug from which rises a fragrant steam are on a table near the halfling.

Almost correct! The word order is slightly wonky, but this is entirely readable. I'd change it like this

Tanda написал(а):

A bowl with meat in gravy and a mug from which a fragrant steam rises are on a table near the halfling.

And, once again, vocabulary expansion time! You can say the same thing like this:

Tanda написал(а):

A bowl with meat in gravy and a mug from which a fragrant steam rises sit on a table near the halfling.

or

Tanda написал(а):

A bowl with meat in gravy and a mug from which a fragrant steam rises are sitting on a table near the halfling.

"Sitting on something" when used to talk about objects means "being on a surface."

7

Aldagmor написал(а):

"Great," Dagmor nodded to Jailin and followed him.

Having entered into the tavern before his companion, the young man hastily stepped aside, behind Jailin’s back. He didn’t interrupt the elder elf during his dialogue with the tavern’s proprietor, only gave a short answer, "Dagmor, ma'am," on her question.

He fleetingly but attentively scanned the tavern, pointing out the visitors watching him.

"Mulled cider is fine, thanks," he answered to Jailin and, following suit, took off his own cloak and had a seat at the table by the wall.

Now a curious visitor could see that the juvenile had rather unique appearance. His slight built, pale skin and black hair were typical for the high elf, but his frostily-blue eyes with the vertical pupil, barely visible weave of scales on his face and a diadem of ice outgrows running from his temples to his nape couldn’t be anything but the marks of dragon’s origin. He also had such outgrows on his hands, mostly hidden under the sleeves of the shirt. His fingers ended with long sharp claws, seemed to be made of glass.

His clothing was rather ordinary, definitely intended to be comfortable rather than luxurious, but the inspective eye could notice that it was made of first-class textile and leather.
He had a medium-sized leather bag, now put on the settle beside him, and a mythril long sword in a leather scabbard, decorated with silver tracery.

All right, a good job in general. This is pretty readable, so we can start working on a few pretty difficult topics. Now to the specifics.

Aldagmor написал(а):

Having entered into the tavern before his companion, the young man hastily stepped aside, behind Jailin’s back.

You mean here that he's stepping behind Jailin's back or that he's taking the step while being already located there? This is what the comma placement depends on. If it's the former, you've got it right.

Aldagmor написал(а):

He didn’t interrupt the elder elf during his dialogue with the tavern’s proprietor, only gave a short answer, "Dagmor, ma'am," on her question.

First of all, he's not THAT old. :D 220 is not an elder by any stretch of the word. You want "older elf".

Second, there are very few circumstances under which you are allowed to separate a subject from its verb with a comma.

So this comma here is wrong:

Aldagmor написал(а):

He didn’t interrupt the older elf during his dialogue with the tavern’s proprietor, only gave a short answer, "Dagmor, ma'am," on her question.

What you want looks something like this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

He didn’t interrupt the older elf during his dialogue with the tavern’s proprietoronly gave a short answer, "Dagmor, ma'am," on her question.

Or, alternatively:

Aldagmor написал(а):

He didn’t interrupt the older elf during his dialogue with the tavern’s proprietor but only gave a short answer, "Dagmor, ma'am," on her question.

Yes, you are allowed to have no comma before "but." You would need a comma if you had a different sentence structure, but in this particular case no comma is required. You either need an m-dash or a conjunction.

Now, continuing:

Aldagmor написал(а):

He didn’t interrupt the older elf during his dialogue with the tavern’s proprietoronly gave a short answer, "Dagmor, ma'am," on her question.

The punctuation for direct speech here is wrong, and part of the problem is that the sentence structure is rather wonky. The easy part here in "on her question," which is obviously Russian. You need "to her question." The hard part is the word order and punctuation. When you're quoting directly, you don't need commas: you only use them if they are required for some other part of a sentence.

I'd do it like this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

He didn’t interrupt the older elf during his dialogue with the tavern’s proprietoronly replied to her question with a curt "Dagmor, ma'am."

Next sentence:

Aldagmor написал(а):

He fleetingly but attentively scanned the tavern, pointing out the visitors watching him.

First, congratulations on the correct use (or, rather, non-use) of the comma! That's one huge hurdle cleared, keep it up! But, once again, problems crop upwith a natural-sounding word order.

The usual order is: subject + verb + any definitions. So your quote would be:

Aldagmor написал(а):

He scanned the tavern fleetingly but attentively, pointing out the visitors watching him.

And a problem with the meaning of words. "Pointing out" means "saying something about it to someone else." In essence, you wrote that Dagmor turned to Jailin and said "y'know, they're staring at me." What you want is "noting" or "taking note."

Aldagmor написал(а):

He scanned the tavern fleetingly but attentively, noting the visitors watching him.

Next:

Aldagmor написал(а):

"Mulled cider is fine, thanks," he answered to Jailin and, following suit, took off his own cloak and had a seat at the table by the wall.

Very good, this is almost correct. "Almost" because "have a seat" is used almost exclusively to offer someone a place. What you really want is "took a seat."

Aldagmor написал(а):

"Mulled cider is fine, thanks," he answered to Jailin and, following suit, took off his own cloak and took a seat at the table by the wall.

8

Aldagmor написал(а):

Now a curious visitor could see that the juvenile had rather unique appearance. His slight built, pale skin and black hair were typical for the high elf, but his frostily-blue eyes with the vertical pupil, barely visible weave of scales on his face and a diadem of ice outgrows running from his temples to his nape couldn’t be anything but the marks of dragon’s origin. He also had such outgrows on his hands, mostly hidden under the sleeves of the shirt. His fingers ended with long sharp claws, seemed to be made of glass.

His clothing was rather ordinary, definitely intended to be comfortable rather than luxurious, but the inspective eye could notice that it was made of first-class textile and leather.
He had a medium-sized leather bag, now put on the settle beside him, and a mythril long sword in a leather scabbard, decorated with silver tracery.

All right, let's get into the descriptions now. :)

Aldagmor написал(а):

Now a curious visitor could see that the juvenile had rather unique appearance.

Technically, "juvenile" can be used as a noun. However, it is so much more common as an adjective that the use here frankly feels off. To address your own area of expertise: "the juvenile court deals with any and all crimes committed by youths." So here I would also replace it with "youth".

Also, you need an article before "appearance." He had "an appearance/a countenance"; however, the article goes before the adjective, which here starts with a consonant. So the sentence needs to look like this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

Now a curious visitor could see that the youth had a rather unique appearance.

Next, several relatively severe mistakes here.

Aldagmor написал(а):

His slight built, pale skin and black hair were typical for the high elf, but his frostily-blue eyes with the vertical pupil, barely visible weave of scales on his face and a diadem of ice outgrows running from his temples to his nape couldn’t be anything but the marks of dragon’s origin.

After some thinking, it's possible to parse that "the high elf" here is used to mean "the high elf as a race of the elven species." However, the context makes that ambigous: the other meaning is that Dagmor is the only high elf in the world—obviously false. It's a stumble that's best corrected in this manner:

Aldagmor написал(а):

His slight built, pale skin and black hair were typical for a high elf

This means that Dagmor is one of many and creates no ambiguity.

Next, "frostily-blue eyes with the vertical pupil" implies that he's got one pupil for two eyes. You want:

Aldagmor написал(а):

frostily-blue eyes with vertical pupils

Next, "outgrows" is not a word. "Outgrowths" is.

And, finally:

Aldagmor написал(а):

couldn’t be anything but the marks of dragon’s origin.

You want an adjective, not a posessive here. Like so:

Aldagmor написал(а):

couldn’t be anything but the marks of draconic origin.

There are also good things in this sentence, do not despair! "Couldn't be anything but the marks" is very good. The "barely visible weave of scales" is a downright beautiful turn of phrase: well done!

The next sentence is fine, but for the "outgrows."

Then we come to this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

His fingers ended with long sharp claws, seemed to be made of glass.

First of all, fingers "ended in". Second, you're conflating two different sentence structures. Either "which seemed to be made of glass" or "seemingly made of glass." Pick one and stick to it. :) Your version says that his fingers seemed to be made of glass, not the claws.

Aldagmor написал(а):

His fingers ended in long sharp claws, seemingly to be made of glass.

This sentence:

Aldagmor написал(а):

His clothing was rather ordinary, definitely intended to be comfortable rather than luxurious, but the inspective eye could notice that it was made of first-class textile and leather.

...is perfectly done. You're starting to put your lessons to good use, good job!

And, finally:

Aldagmor написал(а):

He had a medium-sized leather bag, now put on the settle beside him, and a mythril long sword in a leather scabbard, decorated with silver tracery.

"Put on the settle" is not an existing turn of phrase. Did you mean "set down beside him"? Or put onto something I can't translate back into Russian?

Also, what you've said here is that it's the sword which is decorated, not the scabbard. Did you mean that?

All in all, some good progress. :)

9

Tanda написал(а):

When the halfling heard about a funny student life, he'd smiled a little dreamily. It seems that this future is waiting for him.
However, the halfling doesn't look like a magician - more so he looks like a traveler who traveled long time in places where there is a lot of sun and heat, but pleasant forest shade absents.

All right, first things first. "Funny" and "fun" are two different things. "Funny" is something that makes you laugh. "Fun" is when you have fun. I think you rather want the latter. :)

Second, tenses. Yours are all over the place. Past simple, past perfect, present continuous within the space of two sentences. This is how you wanna do it to keep the times straight:

Tanda написал(а):

When the halfling heard about a fun student life, he smiled a little dreamily. It seemed that this was the future waiting for him.

Second: seemed to whom? This is technically correct, but kind of weird stylistically. To the onlookers? To the halfling himself?

Next, tenses again. You switched into present, but since you started the fragment with the past, I'll be correcting to that.

A traveler who traveled is a tautology. Expand your vocabulary. :) "Abscence" is a good word, but the usage is quite wrong. "Absents" is not a correct form. "An abscence," however, is.

Tanda написал(а):

However, the halfling didn't look like a magician--more like a traveler used to wandering in places with a lot of sun and heat, but an abscence of pleasant forest shade.

10

Aldagmor написал(а):

"As you please," the youth seemed to be confused but only for a moment, "but promise me to give me a visit some day to share my student’s meal."
A small smile appeared on his face.

He took his mug, shortly blew on it – Jailin could notice that it covered with an icy crust in a moment – and took a long sip.
"Perfect. I should try it earlier."

In contrast with a last time in Myth-Erithas Dagmor looked rather relaxed, not completely, but Jailin could feel the difference distinctively.

Having looked through the menu, he chose a steak with blood and gave to his companion an opportunity to take his own pick.

"So, about the Academy. What should I know about the admission procedure?"

"As you please!" That's a beautiful turn of phrase, and I think it suits Dagmor very well: it's a bit antiquated, not something you would hear on the streets, and a little warmer than neutral. Good choice!

In fact, the whole sentence is practically without any mistakes. There is only one little piece of trouble:

Aldagmor написал(а):

"but promise me to give me a visit some day to share my student’s meal."

It should either be "promise me you'll give me a visit" or "promise to give me a visit." Promise + to whom + future or promise + infinitive.

There's one optional reading, though:

Aldagmor написал(а):

the youth seemed to be confused but only for a moment

If you had a comma before "but," it would mean "the youth was confused only for a moment." Your version is "the youth was confused only for a moment." I'd say you'd want the comma, though technically you can do it both ways.

Aldagmor написал(а):

He took his mug, shortly blew on it – Jailin could notice that it covered with an icy crust in a moment – and took a long sip.

I'm afraid "shortly" is not a synonym for "quickly." It means that you did it "quickly after the previous action." "You will be allowed in shortly" = "you will be allowed in soon." You want "quickly."

Next "it covered" in itself isn't quite correct past tense here, because "covered" isn't in the passive voice. You want "it became covered.

Aldagmor написал(а):

He took his mug, quickly blew on it – Jailin could notice that it became covered with an icy crust in a moment – and took a long sip.

Or, if you want a prettier version:

Aldagmor написал(а):

He took his mug, quickly blew on it – Jailin could notice that an icy crust formed over it rapidly – and took a long sip.

Aldagmor написал(а):

"Perfect. I should try it earlier."

Next, times are screwed up."I should try it" refers to the future. "Earlier" sends you back into the past. Assuming you're expressing regret, the sentence should look like this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

"Perfect. I should have tried it earlier."

Aldagmor написал(а):

In contrast with a last time in Myth-Erithas Dagmor looked rather relaxed, not completely, but Jailin could feel the difference distinctively.

A/the, the last time can't be just any old time by default.

Your second mistake is in punctuation. First of all, the "in contrast" part is an introductory clause. You need a comma after it. Second, the juxtaposition between the two parts of the sentence is stronger than the comma allows. You need an m-dash here.

Aldagmor написал(а):

In contrast with the last time in Myth-Erithas, Dagmor looked rather relaxed—not completely, but Jailin could feel the difference distinctively.

Other than that, very good. Perfectly clear.

Aldagmor написал(а):

Having looked through the menu, he chose a steak with blood and gave to his companion an opportunity to take his own pick.

One tiny nitpick—you do not need a "to" before "his companion. I suppose it's technically possible, but it is very rarely used in practice. Other than that, the sentence is fine.

Aldagmor написал(а):

"So, about the Academy. What should I know about the admission procedure?"

And this is perfectly fine, too. Well done!

11

Tanda написал(а):

Halfling listened very attentively, and then decided to ask cautiously:
"Please tell me how to get an interview with the rector? Is it necessary to pre-register, or... I'm sorry I've just recently here, and still I don't know, probably, very basic things."
He smiled again.

All right. :) You're still not allowed to separate the subject from the verb with a comma. The sentence needs to be like this:

Tanda написал(а):

Halfling listened very attentively and then decided to ask cautiously:

You also want a "the." You're a particular halfling by now, not just any old halfling. :D

Tanda написал(а):

The halfling listened very attentively and then decided to ask cautiously:

Now, the next sentence is technically correct, but the way it is it sounds very much like a desperate plea.

Tanda написал(а):

"Please tell me how to get an interview with the rector?

This is because you're omitting the full structure, and it sounds like you're in a very big hurry. You want something like this:

Tanda написал(а):

"Could you please tell me how to get an interview with the rector?

Or, for extra politeness points:

Tanda написал(а):

"Excuse me, could you please tell me how to get an interview with the rector?

The next sentence is correct, congratulations! The one after that, however, will take work.

Tanda написал(а):

I'm sorry I've just recently here, and still I don't know, probably, very basic things."

So let's spell this out completely.

"I'm sorry I have..." -- this implies that you're sorry that you've done something. In this case, you're lamenting the fact that you've even come here! :P If you want "I'm sorry" as an introductory clause, you also want a comma after it.

Tanda написал(а):

I'm sorry, I've just recently here

You've just recently what? You're missing the verb. You probably want "arrived." Incidentally, it doesn't need a "here" after it - it implies the "here" within "arrived" itself.

Tanda написал(а):

I'm sorry, I've just arrived recently

Next, word order. And no commas around "probably"; you don't need 'em.

Tanda написал(а):

I'm sorry, I've just arrived recently, and I still don't know probably very basic things."

An element of style: "I still don't know" means you're ashamed of taking so long to find out. It makes a better impression if you say "I don't know yet," which belies your stalwart intent to find out.

"Even" is also a good choice of word for emphasis.

Tanda написал(а):

I'm sorry, I've just arrived recently, and I don't know even very basic things yet."

The final sentence is fine. :)

12

Aldagmor написал(а):

Dagmor was listening to Jailin’s explanations attentively, sometimes nodding, sometimes pondering on elf’s words.

The sudden halfling’s question interrupted the young men thoughts.

Despite the asker looked friendly, Dagmor glanced at him coldly, his draconic eyes narrowed for a trice.   
But when he spoke to the halfling, his tone was neutral.
"So you’ve come here for the magic lore, haven’t you?"

All right, let's get to this.

Aldagmor написал(а):

Dagmor was listening to Jailin’s explanations attentively, sometimes nodding, sometimes pondering on elf’s words.

First, for "pondering" there is a really neat mnemonic. If you've ever watched "Pinky and the Brain," the Brain often asks his insane companion "Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Pinky?" You don't need an "on" for this.

Second, you've forgotten the "the."

Aldagmor написал(а):

Dagmor was listening to Jailin’s explanations attentively, sometimes nodding, sometimes pondering the elf’s words.

I can't say I like the sentence structure here—it doesn't feel entirely natural somehow—but it's technically correct. So let's stop here for now and not go into matters of style too deeply.

Next:

Aldagmor написал(а):

The sudden halfling’s question interrupted the young men thoughts.

First of all, the adjective goes before the noun it's defining. "Sudden halfling" is not equivalent to "sudden question."

Second, "men" is plural, and it's also not a possessive. You want this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

The halfling’s sudden question interrupted the young man's thoughts.

Next:

Aldagmor написал(а):

Despite the asker looked friendly, Dagmor glanced at him coldly, his draconic eyes narrowed for a trice.

This is difficult for me to explain; I'm still trying to find the rule I'm correcting this by. I'll get back to you on that, but this is how the first part of the sentence should look like.

Aldagmor написал(а):

Despite the asker having a friendly look on his face, Dagmor glanced at him coldly, his draconic eyes narrowed for a trice.

The second part of the sentence concerns what is called a comma splice. The comma splice is a mistake where one joins two independent sentences using only a comma. This is wrong and should not be done. You need to either use a semicolon (;) or one of the FANBOYS conjunctions: "for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so." So your sentence needs to look like this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

Despite the asker having a friendly look on his face, Dagmor glanced at him coldly; his draconic eyes narrowed for a trice.

Otherwise it means that he is looking while his eyes are narrowed, but since that's taking only a split second, you're contradicting yourself.

Aldagmor написал(а):

Despite the asker having a friendly look on his face, Dagmor glanced at him coldly. His draconic eyes narrowed for a trice.

Also, the word "trice" is also quite the rarity! "Moment," "second," or even "split second" would make your text sound less archaic.

And, finally:

Aldagmor написал(а):

"So you’ve come here for the magic lore, haven’t you?"

This sentence is correct, but the tone is anything but neutral. The "so" at the beginning of a sentence usually implies one of two things: 1) it's used after a pause to rekindle the conversation ("So what are you doing tonight?"); 2) it implies that you have the right to be questioning someone. ("So what are you doing here anyway?")

"Haven't you?" is also a bit hostile in context. It's a challenge to disprove your statement—or prove it right, as the case may be. In any case, it's a challenge.

By themselves, both elements are pretty neutral. Together, they imply Dagmor's bristling. :P

13

Tanda написал(а):

"As much as it is within my power, rshrshzschshshr prkrrrschshr kprrzschshz *", the halfling said politely. His Draconic was surprisingly clear and free, as if he didn't learn this language sitting for long hours with the textbooks but knew it from his childhood.

* "esteemed descendant of the dragon's blood" (Draconic, a respectful appeal to the dragons and half-dragons)

Отредактировано Tanda (2015-05-26 19:29:28)

Most of this I've already corrected by Skype and you've fixed it. However, mind the comma position! It still goes inside the quotation marks.

Next,

Tanda написал(а):

as if he didn't learn this language sitting for long hours with the textbooks

There is a good cliché to be used here: "poring over textbooks." Also, mind the tenses: you're speaking about something that happened in the faraway past. "Had" is the correct form here.

Tanda написал(а):

as if he hadn't learned the language by poring over textbooks

Lastly, "know something from childhood" isn't a very English turn of phrase. I'd use something like "but had been speaking it for years" instead.

14

Aldagmor написал(а):

The halfling’s draconic impressed the youth definitely – but not in the way the man could probably expect.
Dagmor became bristling in a second – as if having been ready to attack or at least to answer in a rude manner.
It took him a couple of deep breaths to calm down.

"It’s not necessary to be so official – we`re not at the rout. So, if both of us succeed, we can become classmates. My name is Aldagmor.
By the way, your draconic is pretty good. But don’t forget the uvular "r"."

Except the last sound, pronounced in a rather unusual manner, the half-dragon was speaking in common elvish.

Отредактировано Aldagmor (2015-05-26 21:51:52)

All right, first things first. Adjectives go before the word you're defining. So:

Aldagmor написал(а):

The halfling’s draconic definitely impressed the youth

The rest of the sentence is fine; however, I would use "if" instead of "but." There's no real difference, but "if" is slightly prettier English.

Aldagmor написал(а):

Dagmor became bristling in a second

"Bristling" is not a state. It's a verb, an action. If you want the state, it's "hackles raised." If you want the verb, it's "bristled." I'd say the verb is better.

Aldagmor написал(а):

Dagmor bristled momentarily

.

Next, the m-dash here is superflous. You need a comma.

Aldagmor написал(а):

Dagmor bristled momentarily, as if having been ready to attack or at least to answer rudely.

.

Note the momentarily--it adds to the transcience of the moment. You can also replace "in a rude manner" simply with "rudely."

Aldagmor написал(а):

"It’s not necessary to be so official – we`re not at the rout.

.

Ouch! A "rout" in the contemporary context is a military defeat, Dagmor. "A rout is a chaotic and disorderly retreat or withdrawal of troops from a battlefield, resulting in the victory of the opposing party, or following defeat, a collapse of discipline, or poor morale." After you've looked a word up in the dictionary, Google it. Always.

Appropriate here would be something like this:

Aldagmor написал(а):

"It’s not necessary to be so official. We`re not at a reception.

Or, if you want to be colloquial, "fancy party" would also suffice.

The rest of the paragraph is almost entirely correct, save for the quotation marks. Besides what we already know (that the comma and period always go in quotation marks), there's one more thing.

The scheme goes like this:

"I mean, she said 'blablabla!'"

OR

'I mean, she said "blablabla!"'

You can use either single or double quotation marks to set off quotes. BUT when you have a quote within a quote, you must use the one you didn't choose.

Aldagmor написал(а):

By the way, your draconic is pretty good. But don’t forget the uvular 'r.'"

And a little nitpick or two in the last sentence.

Aldagmor написал(а):

Except for the last sound, which he pronounced in a rather unusual manner, the half-dragon was speaking in common elvish.

That's it. :) All in all, well done!

15

Tanda написал(а):

The halfling was confused.
"Sorry, it was very impolite on my part not to introduce myself. My name is Aycherr."
He looked at Aldagmor.
"Thank you so much that you have corrected my mistake. Unfortunately, my Dragonic is some demotic. But I hope that I improve my provincial pronunciation during studying at the Academy. I would be happy to see you a classmate."
Halfling turned to Jailin.
"Yes, you're right, I'm from the land Za'Reyn, north-eastern province - it is not far from the steppes."
Referring to the two interlocutors, Aycherr said:
"Many thanks for valuable advice and I apologize for interrupting of your conversation."

The first three sentences are good, no mistakes! Congratulations. :) The next mistake is fairly small, too.

Tanda написал(а):

"Thank you so much that you have corrected my mistake.

This should be

Tanda написал(а):

"Thank you so much for correcting my mistake.

But the next one is an actual blunder.

Tanda написал(а):

Unfortunately, my Dragonic is some demotic.

First, not some, but somewhat.

Second, "demotic"? Honestly, unless he's a historian, that word should never enter his speech (besides being not entirely correct). What he needs to say is

Tanda написал(а):

Unfortunately, I only speak vernacular Draconic.

This still sounds very learned. But it's better.

Tanda написал(а):

But I hope that I improve my provincial pronunciation during studying at the Academy.

A few lil' bugs in structure.

Tanda написал(а):

But I hope to improve my provincial pronunciation during my studies at the Academy.

or

Tanda написал(а):

But I hope to improve my provincial pronunciation while studying at the Academy.

And another small bug.

Tanda написал(а):

I would be happy to see you as a classmate."

Or, in generally more fluid English:

Tanda написал(а):

I would be happy to be classmates with you."

Next, you forgot the "the."

Tanda написал(а):

The halfling turned to Jailin.

Next:

Tanda написал(а):

"Yes, you're right, I'm from the land Za'Reyn, north-eastern province - it is not far from the steppes."

First, it's either "land of Za'Reyn" or just "Za'Reyn." Second:

Tanda написал(а):

"Yes, you're right, I'm from the land of Za'Reyn, its north-eastern province, to be precise--it is not far from the steppes."

Note how there's no comma before the m-dash. Some people would place a comma there; most editors wouldn't. Unlike in Russian, there is no hard-and-fast rule.

Tanda написал(а):

Referring to the two interlocutors, Aycherr said:

Just as with "demotic," there is pretty much no situation when "interlocutors" should be used in casual speech.

Tanda написал(а):

Then Aycherr said to both of his conversation partners,

is far more proper English.

Tanda написал(а):

"Many thanks for valuable advice and I apologize for interrupting of your conversation.

Almost correct, mostly little article bugs. Oh, and mind the comma before a new sentence. :)

Tanda написал(а):

"Many thanks for the valuable advice, and I apologize for interrupting your conversation.

16

Aldagmor написал(а):

Dagmor looked somewhat embarrassed, not for anyone, but definitely – to Jailin.

He was used to different ways of communication – from indifferent to aggressive. But the halfling answered him simply and politely and, to top it all, seemed to be really thankful. All in all it put the half-dragon at a stand.

"Erm, that’s okay… Aycherr. If you have more questions to Jailin and he doesn’t mind, you can ask them now. I’ll wait."

First of all, you've got "for" and "to" mixed up a few times.

Dagmor looked somewhat embarrassed, not for anyone, but definitely – to Jailin.

Here, for example. You can look embarassed to someone, not for someone — just as in your second use. "To Jailin" is correct. Anyway, I would sort of rewrite the sentence so it sounds more English anyway.

Dagmor looked somewhat embarrassed. Not just anyone would notice, but Jailin definitely could.

Here I'm stressing the "anyone" with a use of "just," and contrasting "would" and "could."

He was used to different ways of communication – from indifferent to aggressive.

This is OK, but very obviously Russian in origin. Perhaps something like this:

He was used to people communicating either indifferently or aggressively.

But the halfling answered him simply and politely and, to top it all, seemed to be really thankful.

This is correct. I'd use "to top it all off," but both versions of the idiom are feasible.

All in all it put the half-dragon at a stand.

I'd use a comma after "all in all." Other than that, this is correct. The last sentence is also perfectly fine.

17

The previous post is entirely correct, so well done!

Tanda написал(а):

The halfling also don't been forgotten. Clay dish appeared on the table near of a bowl with beef stew and beans. Grilling vegetables - zucchini, small onions, carrots - it was sprinkled with wild spicy herbs. They smelled wonderful. A neat pile of grated dry cheese was on the edge of the plate.
"This is luxurious!" halfling sincerely admired. "This is one of the best meals of my life!"

Tanda написал(а):

The halfling also don't been forgotten.

"Don't been" is an impossible construct. What you want is something like this:

Tanda написал(а):

The halfling had also not been forgotten.

Next:

Clay dish appeared on the table near of a bowl with beef stew and beans.

Nearly correct! All you need is an article before "clay dish." You're just introducing it, so the proper article is "a."

A clay dish appeared on the table near of a bowl with beef stew and beans.

Next:

Grilling vegetables - zucchini, small onions, carrots - it was sprinkled with wild spicy herbs.

Ooh, two pretty big mistakes here. First of all "grilling" is an action, thus — a verb. You want an adjective here, "grilled."

Grilled vegetables - zucchini, small onions, carrots - it was sprinkled with wild spicy herbs.

Second, you can't use "it" to refer to a plural.

Grilled vegetables - zucchini, small onions, carrots - were sprinkled with wild spicy herbs.

Next, I just want to note that the next two sentences are correct, and that this particular sentence is also perfect stylistically:

A neat pile of grated dry cheese was on the edge of the plate.

And, finally:

"This is luxurious!" halfling sincerely admired. "This is one of the best meals of my life!"

You can't really use "admire" to refer to a phrase. You want something like:

"This is luxurious!" the halfling said with sincere admiration. "This is one of the best meals of my life!"

Also, note the "the." Other than that, good job!

18

"I’ll do my best," Dagmor gave Mylis a short and a little bit shy smile.
He wasn’t very hungry, but the toothsome steak tempted the half-dragon’s appetite.
"Okay, let’s taste it"
The youth lost his interest to the halfling rather quickly. Jailin could even notice that his companion felt relief having threw up the dialogue with the stranger.
Dagmor froze his meal in one blow, bit off a piece and crunched it.
"Mm, tasty."

"I’ll do my best," Dagmor gave Mylis a short and a little bit shy smile.

Pretty much OK in structure, but I'd say "somewhat" would work better here instead of "a little bit."

"I’ll do my best," Dagmor gave Mylis a short and somewhat shy smile.

Next: toothsome! Live and learn, first time I've ever seen that word in use. Nice find, but know that it's a rarity. Also, an appetite cannot be tempted—it is not a living, thinking being. And don't forget the punctuation.

He wasn’t very hungry, but the toothsome steak still looked quite tempting.
"Okay, let’s taste it!"

Next: if you lose something to someone, it means you used to have it, but no longer—they possess it now. You want "in."

The youth lost his interest in the halfling rather quickly.

Next: whoops! "To throw up" is a synonym for "to retch" or "to barf." Very wrong choice of words! I assume you meant something like this (although the structure here isn't the best, I'm just trying to get the general meaning)?

Jailin could even notice that his companion felt relief upon having stopped the dialogue with the stranger.

Next: "one blow" means "one strike." You didn't hit it with your breath.

Dagmor froze his meal in one breath, bit off a piece, and crunched it down.

The final sentence is ok. :)

19

After the beef stew and grilled vegetables Mylis brought dessert - baked apples with honey and cinnamon. These apples are usual dish in many homes here. However, the halfling was eating dessert with a delight in every little piece. They usually listen to beautiful music with such dreamy expression on the face.
When the halfling finished his dessert, he paid, politely thanked Mylis, and went out.

The first sentence is entirely correct, congratulations!

However, your tenses are still all over the place. Let's keep this to the past tense for now. So the next sentence would be:

These apples were a usual dish in many homes here.

Note the article as well.

However, the halfling was eating dessert with a delight in every little piece.

This sentence is kind of a mess. First of all, "a/an delight" is only if you're talking about something that is a source a joy. Like "she is an absolute delight." You can't say "with a delight."  "Delightful" is more common; however, I'd like to introduce a new word to you that is more precise for your meaning: "relish."

However, the halfling was eating dessert and relishing every little piece.

Next sentence: I see what you're trying to say, but it's not entirely in English. First of all, note how I switch around the parts of the sentence: the more important part comes first. Second, "an expression on the face" is a tautology. And, third, I'm introducing a new word again: "befit."

Such a dreamy expression would befit someone listening to beautiful music.

And the final sentence is quite all right! Nicely done. :)

20

Eyes of wounded elda were opened but he was looking at nowhere.
Nelyo was pale and seemed to be cold sweating.
He twitched his head turning to the door and heave a sigh.
It looked like he was being awakening but had not awaked yet... at a dead set between nightmare and reality.

Not bad at all for your first try! Let's get to the mistakes, then.

First and foremost, you want to look at your sentence structure.

Eyes of wounded elda were opened but he was looking at nowhere.

This should be:

The wounded elda's eyes were open

This is because the more natural way is to place the definition before the noun. Also, the eyes themselves are open—nobody is actually opening them like one would open a chest or a cupboard.

"But he was looking at nowhere" is Russian. You want this:

The wounded elda's eyes were open, but he was staring off into space.

Also, note the comma before the "but." You have two sets of subject and verb ("eyes were open" and "he was staring"), so you need a comma before the conjunction.

Nelyo was pale and seemed to be cold sweating.

Almost right, but you want "seemed to be covered in cold sweat." "Sweating coldly" would not work; I don't think anyone will understand that.

Nelyo was pale and seemed to be covered in cold sweat.

Next:

He twitched his head turning to the door and heave a sigh.

"To twitch" is a very short movement, like a tic. Fingers can twitch, lone muscles can twitch, but a head probably can't. I'd say it should go something like this:

He jerked his head towards the door and heaved a sigh.

Or, less fluidly, but if we want to keep your sentence structure:

He jerked his head, turning to the door, and heaved a sigh.

Note the commas. "Turning to the door" is not essential information, so you set it off with commas. Also, note heave-heaved.

It looked like he was being awakening but had not awaked yet... at a dead set between nightmare and reality.

Check your verbs, because you're getting the tenses wrong. "Awake" should be like this.

It looked like he was waking up but had not awoken yet...

However, this is a place where you do not need a comma before "but"— you have that right, well done!

at a dead set between nightmare and reality.

I'd use "caught between nightmare and reality," and would also replace the ellipsis with with a comma.

It looked like he was waking up but had not awoken yet, caught between nightmare and reality.

Pretty nice, keep up the good work. :)


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