Marcio_Osorio

Karen

Easy, and well written Marcio. If they became specific in their promises, they would eliminate the 'to be' verb. Give me an example of a promise made by your esteemed president and I will present it to you in e-prime.

How is that for a score

Marcio_Osorio

K, thank you for your time and response. Often the speeches of my president come loaded with "is" of predication.

In his undeterred wish to quench people's hunger he solemnly promised that "Project Zero Hunger is going to alleviate the 'horrors' of famine" and that "everything will be taken care of to ensure healthcare, with more hospital facilities [...]" He also promised to stop endemic or rampant violence with an inaugural speech that began, "I'm going to stop violence [...]" And he may have tried to stop it, only it seems to have gotten out of hand.

I just want to make a long story short. As assertively as I can point it out, politicians have long resorted to long winded, lengthy political speeches laden with often impractical promises. In Latin America at least.

Karen

So possibly you can help your president by identifying the ways that Project Zero Hunger will alleviate the horrors of famine and as a result this action will ensure health care with more hospital facilities. He could have started his 'Stop Violence' speech with the steps he intends to take that will reduce violence altogether. The more transparent he becomes with how he intends to take action, the better his results. Look at Guilliani in New York. He made a similar speech on cleaning up the streets of NY when he represented NY, and he walked his talk. Today people feel a lot safer walking the streets of NY. I believe people need transparency for no other reason than it builds deep trust.

Marcio_Osorio

Thank you for suggesting transparency. I like former NYC mayor Giuliani's "walk the talk" policy. Of all the politicians in my country, only a minority will indeed make sound speeches while purging them of all the unnecessary bells and whistles (read "empty promises").

Yet I would like to see how a politician would make a speech without the to be crutch. This I will unfortunately never see!

Karen

Never is a long time......

Marcio_Osorio

Can't think of an EP equivalent to "Never is a long time..."

Karen

Now, I could easily give you an answer to this Marcio, but then you would have my answer and not your own. Don't give up. What do you interpret as the subject of this statement? Start from that point and build your sentence.

Marcio_Osorio

Never say never?

Karen

Try again Marcio. 'Never say never' does not mean the same thing as, 'never is a long time'. Remember the subject, 'time'. Keep at it.

Marcio_Osorio

K, I have not heard of a single politician that has delivered speeches in EP. I will die a very old man if one of them resolves to deliver it in EP.

Karen

We would not want you to die, even as a very old man, so best your politicians keep their speeches in standard English It saddens me that so few people have taken an interest in e-prime and have not joined in on conversations where they could get practice.

After all, practice is where we perfect our ability to learn.

Marcio_Osorio

Karen, thank you once again for responding. The other forum members, it seems to me, apparently have not built up enough interest to come out and play with us.

"Ask not what your forum can do for you but what you can do for your forum" and may God bless the members.

On your "After all, practice is where we perfect our ability to learn."

Practice makes perfect.

Karen

So good to hear from you Marcio, I thought everyone had abandoned ship. People want to know about e-prime, but they don't want to take out time to practice a skill that would further their employability. I have had so many participants in my training programs that have learned this skill and found out soon afterwards that their bosses promoted them to higher positions, just because their business writing skills had improved remarkably.

To learn more is to earn more........Karen

Marcio_Osorio

The more you learn, the more you earn.

I cannot think of anything to say right now. I appreciate your telling me it feels good to hear from me, however. Thank you for putting up with me and my ideas so far, anyway.

That is not politically correct. I'm still struggling behind the concept of non-aggressive language.

Marcio_Osorio

My last post on this thread predates yours by some 56 hours. (Please note that every post contains and shows the date and time in which the writer published it. The date and the time appears on top of every post, toward the left.)

I only wish my statesmen, the president of my country (Brazil) included, would make their speeches without using the verb to be. If one of them ever succeeds in doing it, then I will vote for him.

I have not voted for any of them since 1989.

Karen

Sounds like you would really enjoy taking part in the voting process. Maybe you can write a speech for your president. You never know until you try. Pass it through me so I too can help you write this speech. Lets get your vote out there..........Remember, a no vote, acts as a vote to whomever wins.

Chinmay

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Chinmay

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Marcio_Osorio

My country has a reputation for having a system around which gravitate or orbit many corrupt politicians. They lavishly use the verb to be in everything they say. write and promise. If they started using Portuguese-Prime in their promises, they'd have a hard time concocting lies.

The media also lavishly uses the verb to be in everything they advertise. If the media wrote its reports and news in PP, then we would probably never miss the details nor the truth behind carefully conducted (inter)views. (The adoption of PP in 60 minute type shows would draw more TV watchers, and PP-speaking movie actors would decidedly make films much more interesting to watch, to name a few of the advantages of PP.)

Last but not least, PP would probably eradicate illiteracy faster. Just don't ask me how right now.

@Karen, I could have drawn up a speech entirely in Port-Prime for my president, but his "999" secretaries would probably intervene and render my speech useless.

Chinmay

In Portuguese, 'to be' appears when translated as 'ser' doesn't it Marcio?
I seem fascinated by languages and I looked up "Brazilian Portuguese".I came across the basics.
Onde está?
O que é que é?

Irregular
verb infinitive/
gerund/
participle present imperfect preterite future* SER
(to be)
sendo
sido sou
é
somos
são era

era
éramos

eram fui

foi
fomos

foram serei

será
seremos

serão I also found this table!So now let's see how we can replace 'to be'.

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Karen

Marcio, tell me about 999 in e-prime language. I loved how Chinmay took out time to learn a bit about your language.

Chinmay

What did you mean, Karen?

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Karen