I often find that foreign speakers of English speak so much better than we natives, I guess for the reasons you state. I often dumb down my correct grammar because I think it makes me sound like pretentious, but then I feel like I shouldn't.
I often find that foreign speakers of English speak so much better than we natives, I guess for the reasons you state. I often dumb down my correct grammar because I think it makes me sound like pretentious, but then I feel like I shouldn't.
Yep, that's the thing - I also feel rather pretentious (when I'm using words like rather, for example) speaking way too correctly. 😀 Ok, there's the social setting aspect always to take into consideration, and actually we always adjust our language to the 'conventions' of each social circle, unknowingly; but I'd rather we people eased up a bit on this all. So don't dumb it down, when you don't feel like. Stay awesomely posh as you are!
I'm gonna use that as a tagline - Cams Campbell, awesomely posh!