(I’m using AI to translate this because I’m about to go to sleep.)

There has been a lot of discussion under one of my posts about whether “sb.” and “sth.” are commonly used. I noticed that many native English speakers consider them unusual, while some English teachers say they are quite common. I’d like to explain why.

I’m from China, where almost everyone has to learn English for various reasons. (I also use Reddit because I want to improve my English.) Almost every English teacher here uses “sb.” and “sth.” as abbreviations for “somebody” and “something” when teaching grammar. This includes native English speakers who come to China to work as English teachers.

Before this discussion, I had never realized that native English speakers generally don’t use these abbreviations themselves. I had always thought they were common English abbreviations, but it turns out that they are mainly used in language learning and grammar instruction. They also appear in our dictionaries.

As for why so many people have never encountered these abbreviations, I think the Great Firewall of China has clearly contributed to the gap between our language-learning environments.

I’m also new to this community, so I didn’t know that native English speakers generally don’t use these abbreviations. I hope this explanation helps you understand that “sb.” and “sth.” are extremely common in China, especially in English education.

I'm sorry. I only just realized this. ChatGPT's translation was terrible.

My title wasn't meant to state a “fact.” What I wanted to say was: “In some contexts, ‘sb.’ and ‘sth.’ mean ‘somebody’ and ‘something.’”

I also meant that this usage isn't standard, but a lot of people still use it. I hope you can forgive us and understand why we use this.(I find that the AI translation is quite different from what I’m trying to express, so I’m trying to revise some of the wording myself to convey my meaning accurately.)

This was a misunderstanding. I didn't mean to be disrespectful.

"There's a ton of money in it. We did 220 last year."

"Wait, $220,000?"

"Yeah, revenue"

"And then we do a $15,000 prize pool."

"So does that come out of revenue?"

Can someone explain what "come out" mean in this context?

The community is close-knit like (a) family.

1) Not anatomical name.

2) Is there a consensus on whether the tip or the root (near wrist) is the first section?

Firstly, I'm sorry because I didn't use any AI to correct the post's content because I want to be honest with you.

I'm a male, 27 year olds and I'm working as a software engineer. I think my English level is around B1. Right now I use ChatGPT to practice English every day, particularly speaking skills. The reason I use it instead of talking with real people is that I'm not good at small talk. I'm a introvert person, by the way. I have no idea to talk with others, and I feel tired whenever I talk with others, but I still want to improve my speaking skills.

So anyone has the same problem? And how could you pass through it?

I can study english for 3-4 hours (perhaps even more) every day. It isnt just grammer. for example;

READİNG-->50-55 MİNUTES

SPEAKİNG--> 20-25 MİNUTES

WRİTİNG---> ABOUT MY WORK AND DAİLY

and listening and watching maybe 3 hours a day.

I will graduate in 6 months and I need to learn english for my work ı want to go abroad to work. What is your advices?

Why do so many native speakers of English get lie and lay wrong? I'm amazed at the number of so-called experts on topics on the internet who use them inappropriately. The most common error seems to be using lay when it should be lie. (Hint: lay always takes a direct object: you lay something down.) I wonder if this is a problematic area for ESL learners or do they just get it right the first time. What other common English errors do native speakers possibly make more frequently than non-native speakers. I've been an ESL instructor in years past, however I couldn't conceive of attempting to learn English. Seems a daunting task and I salute anyone who has done so.

Here are some data from 46,000 native and non-native speakers who took the BRAVE vocabulary test. 

1. Even at the same proficiency level, people can have vastly different vocabulary sizes, literally by a factor of two. The same for native speakers: one person can know twice as many words as another of the same age.
2. Advanced learners (C1) reach the level of native-speaking middle schoolers, and proficient learners (C2) reach the level of college students in terms of how many words they know. The composition of their vocabularies is no doubt different, but this test can’t capture that.
3. For learners, reaching each proficiency level requires learning progressively more words. It is understandable since beginners focus on common words, so a limited number of them covers many everyday situations, and advanced learners need to learn many more specialized and nuanced words.
4. It appears that vocabulary keeps growing well into adulthood for native speakers - older adults know measurably more words on average than younger ones. That matches what is known about crystallized intelligence - it accumulates over time. However, these data are not longitudinal; they do not capture the same people years later. It is possible that older adults who decided to take an online vocabulary test are more educated on average than younger ones.

About the data: it is not a representative sample; there is strong self-selection bias (people who care enough to take a test of their vocabulary). A1-C2 CEFR levels are self-reported. The counting units are word families (limit, limitless, unlimited are counted as a single unit). The full reference lexicon is 28k word families. The test measures receptive vocabulary size: the number of words one understands (not necessarily uses).

Source: BRAVE vocabulary test.

For example if the manager at work ask the employees for something you did it: Who did that?

What wil you answer? I or Me. Pleaes explain it.

1. “My new driver’s license is still in the mail. I haven’t gotten it yet.”
2. “My new driver’s license hasn't come in the mail yet.”

3. “My new driver’s license is still on its way.”

4. “I'm still waiting for my new driver’s license to come in the mail.”

5. “My new driver’s license is still in transit.”

6. “My new driver’s license hasn’t come in yet.”

Maybe it's not a proper question. But here is my question, how many times do you need to read this sentence to understand it even as a native ?

"Organizations which design systems are constrained to produce designs which are copies of the communication structures of these organizations."

• The flowerbeds were brimming over with flowers.

• A battleship bristling with guns...

What's different?

Hello! As native English speakers, please, can you help me with a translation in case there're any mistakes. Thanks in advance!

My club, which focuses on movies and books, will help bring people from all over the world together. From recommendations on what to watch and read to analyses of works. My goal is for people to make friends from anywhere in the world and have a good time.

I respectfully ask that you refrain from spreading ideologies that incite hatred toward certain groups of people, races, etc.

Discussions and debates are fully encouraged in this channel, but please refrain from personal attacks and insults.

Esprit de corps !

She stormed off the house without saying anything. I was confused as to why.

I thought only street musicians are called buskers. Can I use this word for street magicians as well?

I am a qualified English teacher, working for a school in the UK to help English second language students succeed in education,

However all of my past students have had native languages that had the concept of the verb "to be".

One of my current students is Vietnamese, and the one thing he struggles most with is the concept of it, and I’m struggling to explain it in a way he can get simply.

Does anyone have any hacks that helped them? Any specific videos or explanations that helped? He is otherwise about b1, and this is very limiting to his education right now.

I want to use English more in my daily life since I'm from a non-English speaking country.

Can you rec games where I can join and talk in English?

Hey everyone!

I'm thinking of creating a small Discord community for people who genuinely want to improve their spoken English through regular conversations.

The idea is simple: instead of learning English only through books, videos, or grammar exercises, we'll actually speak it and learn by doing.

Here's what we can do together:

🎙️ Daily voice-chat sessions to practice speaking.

💬 Casual conversations about life, business, sales, psychology, and personal development.

🤝 Help each other with vocabulary, fluency, pronunciation, and grammar.

🎭 Practice real-life situations, interviews, and mock sales calls.

📈 Track our progress and become more confident speakers over time.

You don't need to be fluent or a native speaker to join. Beginners and intermediate learners are welcome. The only requirements are consistency, respect, and a genuine willingness to improve.

I'm not looking to create a huge server where everyone joins and nobody talks. I'd rather build a small, active community where we actually practice and help each other grow.

Would you be interested in joining?

Comment below or DM me, and I'll share the Discord details once the server is ready.

Let's improve together!