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Q: How to define "good command of English"?
Does that mean understand long sentences by using lots of clauses ( e.g. ...that..../....., which.../....of what .... ) in one sentence?Cause I seldom write English article.
11 years 38 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - China
Be Native.......... simple. just copy them . you are in china . do as Chinese do . be a copy cat. you will have a good opportunities coming to your door. Learn Chinese instead of making your English perfect.
chill out ...........
No, it just means being able to make conversation fluently on most any subject.
I do want to be fluent in speaking/reading/writing in English. Coz I find English is a much more powerful language than Chinese.But it is so hard. So many words need to know. So many knowledge I‘ve never heard about it. So many books need to read. OMG! Anyway, thanks. I have been thrown into unemployment recently. Hope strong English can help me get another job quickly.
If you think your English is not strong then I'm in real trouble
Depends on whether you mean English in everyday usage or for IELTS / TOEFL.
If you mean everyday usage then I will agree with mArtiAn.
If however you mean for IELTS / TOEFL then yes you need complex structures so multiple clauses and complex grammar structures etc. Personally I think that is a flaw in the IELTS marking system, in that it encourages overly complicated speech patterns that in reality can make a speaker MORE difficult to understand.
Depends on what a "good command" refers to, because there are levels to it.
Personally, I believe that you have a good enough command, as someone learning a new language, if you can perform one or more of the following:
- Have enough familiarity and vocabulary to speak fluidly
- Hold an informal discussion/debate on a topic
- Keep a diary of your day (with good grammar, spelling and even the odd figure of speech or idiom)
- Read literature such as novels or blogs
- Understand a variety of accents
That should put you--considering how my generation quits reading books after high school, chatting & texting destroy spelling & grammar, good ol' ignorance runs rampant and hardly anyone makes regular use of a dictionary or thesaurus--at virtually native level.
Not by ones ability to use amplitudinous words that no mortal can comprehend in an egotistic endeavor to make onesself appear sophisticated or intelligent.
If I understand what you are saying and you understand what I am saying, then you have a good command of English (or Spanish).
GuilinRaf:
Well, in my case it does, since those are the only languages I am fluent in. Havent spoken French since my father passed away more than 20 years, so I have forgotten it.
However, I would assume that the same would apply to all languages in the world. If you speak Swahili (or any other language for that matter) and the person you are speaking to understands you and you understand him/her, then you do indeed have a good command of the language. And so does he/she.
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
William Shakespeare
When you are into reading Bill; when u truly get it, and when u totally dig it.
In my opinion it means being able to:
- read a newspaper article with no issues understanding
- listen to someone talking and not need to ask them to repeat anything
- write well enough that your meaning is very clear and not any strain for people to understand
- hold a conversation where you can make your meaning clearly understood
nevermind:
I think it's also different depending on the person. If I were interviewing a bunch of native speakers my opinion of a good command would be different than if I were interviewing people who did not speak it as a first language.
In the former's case a good command would mean an excellent vocabulary and ability to express oneself in an articulate way. In the latter's case it would be the ability to get your point across in a timely manner and to understand others without having to ask them to repeat themselves all the time.
Am not suitable to answer this one for the simple reason that my english is that bad and am a native english speaker proundly said here though,
If it's good and not great than you could probably say you know a lot of English in order to let's say get a B or communicate with other foreigners. If you had a great command of English than you'd be more knowledgeable and could probably communicate with people with the same degree of knowledge on the English language.
Definition of COMMAND
transitive verb
1
: to direct authoritatively : order
2
: to exercise a dominating influence over : have command of: as
a: to have at one's immediate disposal <commands many resources>
b: to demand or receive as one's due <commands a high fee>
c: to overlook or dominate from or as if from a strategic position <a hill that commands the city>
d: to have military command of as senior officer <command a regiment>
3
obsolete: to order or request to be given
intransitive verb
1
: to have or exercise direct authority : govern
2
: to give orders
3
: to be commander
4
: to dominate as if from an elevated place
Then there's commando, which has two meanings.
I listen NPR every night recently. The broadcaster's voice is good. But instead of improving my listening and comprehension, it often give me a good sleep
I hab a gud cammand ob engrish! Asc me! 
happywanderer:
Ya know what I'll just say it here - if you want to see something well written look at some of Samsara's posts. He is eloquent. Samsara if you're reading this I hope you post more.
