Seven language questions - a "wiki" project

Here is the podcast

Are there a limited number of universal language questions that kind of summarize what we need to learn in languages? I am off to Japan tomorrow but on my return I intend to start a series of conversations about English. I, and another person, will simply talk about English with reference to seven questions. We will try to minimize grammar terms and explanations. Instead we will talk about how we say things in English when faced with certain questions.

I am hoping that other members of the LingQ community will come forward to do the same for the other languages that we have at LIngQ. I want these conversations to be natural and spontaneous.

As usual, we will provide the transcripts and pay 1000 points for each podcast. If this works, these will be a sort of Intermediate podcast, to go with our scripted Beginner podcasts, and the conversational podcasts on different subjects which will all be considered "Advanced."

Here is my fist draft of the seven questions. The idea is that at each 10 minute podcast we will talk about one of these questions. The podcasts will then be put into our store and sorted by the question involved. The notes below are just to help us get into the conversation which we hope will be interesting and even a little funny, in any case natural and spontaneous.

Our intent is to create content that learners will listen to and read. What is more important, I hope learners will save words and phrases from these podcasts which should create a lot of additional examples from their other listening and reading.

I have no idea how this will work. I intend to start upon my return on June 6.

I look forward to your comments. Please feel free to suggest changes, deletions and additions.

1) Who,  what and which?

Youand me, and him and her and them. These are personal subjects andobjects.  I give to you. You give to me. I give it to her. I introducemy friend to you.

In some languages the forms of these who words change depending on who is giving to whom.

Evenin English "whom" is different from "who". Although today many peopledo not make the difference between who and whom anyway.

In English we use words like from, by, to to help us understand what is happening

In English we always name the "who" who is doing something. In some languages the "who" can be left out.

Andrelated to "who" is the idea of "whose". To whom do things belong.Whose is it? Is it her book? Is it hers?, or my book in other wordsmine? Is the big man's house in that row of houses, houses of theworkers.

Things of course are "what", but work the same way.

Insome languages the form of words change to show possession or dependingon the role of the noun or pronoun. And to make it morecomplicated, in some languages, the things can have gender, masculine,feminine and sometimes neuter.

What kind of ? What colour. How big. Is it bigger or smaller or just as big as?

Which one? The one which I gave you. Which person? The lady whom you saw at the door.

Nouns, Pronouns, possessive pronouns, relative pronouns, prepositions, cases, adjectives, comparisons


2) When ?

Whendo we do things. Words of time and tenses help us figure this out. Wecan do things yesterday, or tomorrow,or always, never, sometimes,earlier, afterwards, next  year or as soon as they do something else,or just before they do something else.

Sometimes we do things for a long period of time, or since last year oruntil next summer. Sometimes it s a specific time like three o'clock oreleven thirty, or a quarter to four in the morning.

In some languages these time words are all we need to know when things are happening.

But in other languages we are faced with changing forms of the verbsfor different tenses. In English the tenses are quitecomplicated,although there are not as many endings as in some otherlanguages.

verbs, time words, seasons, hours of the day etc.

3) How?

How do you do? How are you? How is it going? How are you feeling today? Greetings.

How did you get here? Questions in general.

How is your new car? It is green and fast. How well do you play tennis? I play very well. .did

How fast? How much? How many? Faster or slower than something.

adverbs, comparisons, phrases with different prepositions,or where applicable in some languages  cases, quantity,

4) Why?
Inevery language we need to ask why, and the answer is usually because orsince, or in order to. But in some languages because is expressed as asuffix of the verb.

Although, despite the fact that, since...nevertheless, therefore.

prepositions and postpositions, cases

5) Where?
Ask where things are. Ask for instructions. Words of place, in front of, behind etc.

Where are you and where are you going?

prepositions, cases,

6) What if?
Sometimes things are not going to happen, but they might, or we hope or expect them to.

If...then. Various tenses If I had, then I would. If if I can then I will. Conditional.

Other expressions of uncertainty or desire with subjunctive where applicable.

I wish, It seems

Please do something

Let's  do something

7) May I?
All manner of polite questions and polite language generally.

Introducing your own ideas. In my view, I am of the opinion, it would appear

May I disagree..but, however, regardless of what you say, whatever you say, I disagree etc.