Thread: HAVE YOU EVER.... ?

Here is a game to practice English/Russian and get to know others on the forum better!
HAVE YOU EVER.....?

Please elaborate a bit so the answers become more interesting!
Answer in English or Russian depending on what you want to practice, and if you make any mistakes a native speaker can correct you.

I will try to translatate these questions into Russian later.... But right now it just feels too hard!

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HAVE YOU EVER......

Grown your own vegetables?

Fixed a broken car that wouldn't start?

Fainted?

Been robbed (mugged) on the street?

Crossed the International Date Line?

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it?

Been awake for 48 hours without any sleep?

Been on a serious hiking/camping trip in the wilderness?

Fired a [real, potentially lethal] weapon?

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest?

Made your own applesauce or similar, from scratch?

Been in Church for an Easter or Christmas Service?

Visited Kazakhstan?

Lived in a house that did not have electricity/and or running water?

Been inside a Mosque?

Been to the funeral of a close family member?

Built a computer from separate components?

Been in the military?

Travelled without paying on public transport?

Visited Texas?

Been on TV?

Passed out from too much booze?

Been arrested by the police?

Travelled on the Transiberian Railway?

Bought a VERY EXPENSIVE piece of clothing that you NEVER used?

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now?

Kept a blog or a diary for over a year?

Had your house broken into?

Studied a foreign language other than Russian/English?

Painted a room yourself?

Made a dress / skirt / trousers / top yourself that you use often?

Won a big competition?

Been attacked by a hooligan?

Won in a lottery?

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If you think my questions are lame, please add some of your own! That's all I could think of right now....

HAVE YOU EVER......

Grown your own vegetables?
Yes, as when I was very young my family had a vegetable garden?

Fixed a broken car that wouldn't start?
No, lol - I can't even drive! I keep failing the darn test and I don't *need* a car in London.

Fainted?
Yes a few times and it's actually quite interesting...

Been robbed (mugged) on the street?
No

Crossed the International Date Line?
No

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it?
No, not personally but I've helped skinning a few animals (moose, deer, rabbit, birds) that others have shot. I have to admit I find it a bit unpleasant... In Sweden its not common that women participate in the actual hunt unless its for birds.

Been awake for 48 hours without any sleep?
Yes, at school and university for cramming and general naugthiness. When flying to East Asia from Europe, in order to avoid jetlag.

Been on a serious hiking/camping trip in the wilderness?
Yes a few, in Northern Sweden / Finland. Canoeing and hiking with my youth group.

Fired a [real, potentially lethal] weapon?
No but I would like to very much!

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest?
Yes, many times, but not since moving to England.

Made your own applesauce or similar, from scratch?
Yes many of my relatives have apple, pear trees and give the fruits away. Not much else to do with them...

Been in Church for an Easter or Christmas Service?
Yes to both. Not every year, but quite often.

Visited Kazakhstan?
No, but I would like to!

Lived in a house that did not have electricity/and or running water?
Yes, my family had a cottage in the countryside when I was a kid. It had no running water. But it had electricity.

Been inside a Mosque?
No, just seen some beautiful ones from the outside.

Been to the funeral of a close family member?
Yes my mother.

Built a computer from separate components?
Yes, I work in IT - it's what separates the men from the boys (although i'm neither, lol)

Been in the military?
No

Travelled without paying on public transport?
Erm, countless times....

Visited Texas
No and I don't think I'd consider it until I had a driving licence.

Been on TV?
No

Passed out from too much booze?
Yes but it was a very long time ago.

Been arrested by the police?
Yes, unfortunately... The one and only time I tried to buy some Afghan export products if you know what I mean... Of the milder kind. Gosh that was unpleasant.

Travelled on the Transiberian Railway?
No, but I'd like to!

Bought a VERY EXPENSIVE piece of clothing that you NEVER used?
Many times....

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now?
Yes, right now I live in a different country. My dad lived in lots of different countries and I used to go visit him on my school holidays. I never know whether to count the countries that he lived in, or no...

Kept a blog or a diary for over a year?
Never for as long as a year....

Had your house broken into?
No, thank goodness!

Studied a foreign language other than Russian/English?
Yes; French and Spanish

Painted a room yourself?
Yes, a few times

Made a dress / skirt / trousers / top yourself that you use often?
Yes a few! Only from sewing though, I'm not very good at knitting or crocheting.
It's very handy if you have very long legs like I do - that way you get the right length of skirts and trousers.

Won a big competition?
No, but I wish I had! I once won the girls' regional chess championship in the county where I went to school. Unfortunately the male youth champion later beat me.

Been attacked by a hooligan?
I was attacked by a group of hooligan girls in Manchester once, who wanted to rob me. But I ran away from them. I guess I was lucky that it was girls. They had knives though.

Won in a lottery?
Alas no! But then, I never buy any tickets, so I could hardly expect to win!
Oh but I win the Nigierian state lottery almost every day according to my emails....

Grown your own vegetables?
Yes. And my family still does it, even after my lections “Why we wouldn’t”. I grown up in my grandmother home, and I know very well this work, but I hate it now. The land isn’t my destiny.

Fixed a broken car that wouldn't start?
No. I can't drive.

Fainted?
Never.

Been robbed (mugged) on the street?
Never.

Crossed the International Date Line?
No

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it?
No. And I never eat a game.

Been awake for 48 hours without any sleep?
I think, sleep is a gift of gods. It carries peace and soul healing. I can break a daily routine, however I do not neglect a sleep without very seriously reason.

Been on a serious hiking/camping trip in the wilderness?
No.

Fired a [real, potentially lethal] weapon?
Yes. It did not impress me much.

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest?
Yes, when was a child. However “forest” associates with “village life” for me, and I do not like it in present.

Made your own applesauce or similar, from scratch?
No, however my relatives do it every three-four years, when our apple trees bears fruits.

Been in Church for an Easter or Christmas Service?
No, no and no. For me Church is an ideological enemy, the temple of a grief, a death and spiritual slavery. “Every man and every woman is a star. <…> Come forth, o children, under the stars, and take your fill of love! I am above you and in you. My ecstasy is in yours. My joy is to see your joy. <…> I give unimaginable joys on earth: certainty, not faith, while in life, upon death; peace unutterable, rest, ecstasy; nor do I demand aught in sacrifice”.

Visited Kazakhstan?
No.

Lived in a house that did not have electricity/and or running water?
No, never. And I’m not sure I can.

Been inside a Mosque?
No.

Been to the funeral of a close family member?
Yes my granddad. It’s one of turning points of my life .

Built a computer from separate components?
Yes, of cause. Do exist people, who don’t?

Been in the military?
In the literal sense of the word — No.

Traveled without paying on public transport?
It happened some times. However now — No.

Visited Texas
It’ so far… And for what? No, did not.

Been on TV?
No

Passed out from too much booze?
No. Call me insane or something else, but I see into it spiritual sickness, trauma and hidden internal weakness.

Been arrested by the police?
No.

Travelled on the Transiberian Railway?
No. I have nothing in Siberia.

Bought a VERY EXPENSIVE piece of clothing that you NEVER used?
LOL, no. For what, if I will never use it?

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now?
No, but I whish (maybe). My horoscope said me that here my dream will not come true. However, if to be frank, I feel indistinct fear of alien lands.

Kept a blog or a diary for over a year?
No. My things and feelings are an internal wealth, not for other eyes.

Had your house broken into?
No.

Studied a foreign language other than Russian/English?
Mmm… No.

Painted a room yourself?
Depends on what you mean. If you mean a using of paint -- No. However, if you mean a renovation -- yes.

Made a dress / skirt / trousers / top yourself that you use often?
No.

Won a big competition?
Big? What is a criterion? However, it happened long ago and “is not true”, like one proverb says.

Been attacked by a hooligan?
No.

Won in a lottery?
No.

Originally Posted by Johanna

HAVE YOU EVER......

Grown your own vegetables?
Yes, but only in my childhood. I was often helping my parents and my grandmother on their dacha gardens.

Fixed a broken car that wouldn't start?
I was owned LADA 2105 during 7 years and went on it about 300 000 km... you can imagine rest . I even did comlete engine and gearbox repair by myself. But it was (fortunately ) rather long time ago and now I'm afraid I'v lost these skills.

Fainted?
Er.. no (at least while being sober).

Been robbed (mugged) on the street?
Yes, once. I was about 10 than and the boys who rob me were couple of years older. They took my key-pendant that I liked very much .

Crossed the International Date Line?
No.

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it?
Yes, on duck hunting.

Been awake for 48 hours without any sleep?
Yes, during exams at university.

Been on a serious hiking/camping trip in the wilderness?
Serious? I think no. I don't count living in the tent during several days having a car standing nearby.

Fired a [real, potentially lethal] weapon?
Yes. AK-47, PM pistol and several others.

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest?
Yes, many times. Last time about a month ago.

Made your own applesauce or similar, from scratch?
No. Only helped my grandmother with it than I was a kid.

Been in Church for an Easter or Christmas Service?
Yes, several times.

Visited Kazakhstan?
No.

Lived in a house that did not have electricity/and or running water?
You mean constantly living? Than no. But stayed for several days. My dacha cottage has running water only during summer (the waterpipe lies above the ground), and I have to use well in winter. Also my mother-in-law still lives in the house without running water.

Been inside a Mosque?
No.

Been to the funeral of a close family member?
Yes. My father.

Built a computer from separate components?
Yes. This even was some kind of buisness for me than I was a student.

Been in the military?
No (I don't count the military faculty at the university).

Travelled without paying on public transport?
Almost never paid while I was a student.

Visited Texas?
No.

Been on TV?
No. Wait, I remember, once I was stopped on the street by my town' local TV reporter and asked several stupid questions. Someone, like, even saw me on the local TV!

Passed out from too much booze?
Err.. yes .

Been arrested by the police?
Yes, several times than I was "young and stupid". For drinking vodka in public places .

Travelled on the Transiberian Railway?
No.

Bought a VERY EXPENSIVE piece of clothing that you NEVER used?
No.

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now?
No. I don't count spending summer holidays in Belorussia. Especially it wasn't a different country at that time.

Kept a blog or a diary for over a year?
No. And don't want to.

Had your house broken into?
No. But my car was. several times.

Studied a foreign language other than Russian/English?
No.

Painted a room yourself?
Yes. I was forced by my wife.

Made a dress / skirt / trousers / top yourself that you use often?
No.

Won a big competition?
No.

Been attacked by a hooligan?
Several times than I was a kid. About one of the cases I already told above.

Won in a lottery?
Only "one ruble" wins in USSR times.

Ok, I try to do it with my lame english.
HAVE YOU EVER......

Grown your own vegetables?
Yes. Many people in ex-USSR have such a place named dacha where they can grown their own vegetables.

Fixed a broken car that wouldn't start?
Many times But only along with my father or elder brother. The car named "Volga"

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it?
No animals, only fish. Once we have fishing and cooking right in the boat . It was gorgeous fishing and delicious meal

Been awake for 48 hours without any sleep?
Yes, when I was sysop.

Been on a serious hiking/camping trip in the wilderness?
No, but I would.

Fired a [real, potentially lethal] weapon?
Yes. I fired from Kalashnikov when I finished university.

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest?
I piked mushrooms both in the forest and steppe.

Visited Kazakhstan?
Certainly. I'm originally from former capital of Kazakhstan.

Built a computer from separate components?
Yes. I'm programmer and system administrator.

Been in the military?
No, but I finished military courses (военная кафедра)

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now?
Yes, currently I live in Russia.

Studied a foreign language other than Russian/English?
When I was at school I have learned Kazakh.

Been attacked by a hooligan?
Nothing serious. Just teenage accidents.

Originally Posted by Johanna

Here is a game to practice English/Russian and get to know others on the forum better!
HAVE YOU EVER.....?

Please elaborate a bit so the answers become more interesting!
Answer in English or Russian depending on what you want to practice, and if you make any mistakes a native speaker can correct you.

I will try to translatate these questions into Russian later.... But right now it just feels too hard!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HAVE YOU EVER......

Grown your own vegetables?
Yes, I used to spent a lot of time in my grandma's garden.

Fixed a broken car that wouldn't start?
Yes, regularly. My first car was one of those

Fainted?
Yes, once in the metro after a visit to a dentist.

Been robbed (mugged) on the street?
Yes, when I was a kid, some bullies stopped me and took my watch.

Crossed the International Date Line?
No.

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it?
Yes, I used to hunt ducks. And I ate them.

Been awake for 48 hours without any sleep?
58 hours is my record.

Been on a serious hiking/camping trip in the wilderness?
Yes, I have. It was a horse route that lasted for 5 days in the Altai mountains. It was my first and last experience of this kind. I'm a city dweller.

Fired a [real, potentially lethal] weapon?
Yes, in the army. PM and AK-74

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest?
Yes, many times (and I ate them).

Made your own applesauce or similar, from scratch?
No, I think I have not.

Been in Church for an Easter or Christmas Service?
Yes I have.

Visited Kazakhstan?
No.

Lived in a house that did not have electricity/and or running water?
Yes. Well, technically, there was tap water but it was outside the house. The electricity was out for half a month.

Been inside a Mosque?
No.

Been to the funeral of a close family member?
Yes.

Built a computer from separate components?
Lots of them. In fact, all my computers are built this way (except for the current notebook).

Been in the military?
Yes

Travelled without paying on public transport?
Yes, a lot of times when I was young and I had to choose either to catch a tram or walk to school.

Visited Texas?
Yes, I've been there.

Been on TV?
A long time ago there was a TV-show that was called 'Великолепная семёрка' (The great seven) It was a standard 'answer the question' show and a friend of mine was an administrator there. He invited us to watch so technically I was on TV (I was on the stands applauding and cheering on command). It was wasted 5 boring hours just to appear once or twice on the screen in a 40 minutes stupid show.

Passed out from too much booze?

If I answer no you wouldn't believe me, would you?

Been arrested by the police?
Not arrested, but detained for several hours, yes.

Travelled on the Transiberian Railway?
No.

Bought a VERY EXPENSIVE piece of clothing that you NEVER used?
No, but my wife has Women are like that or so I am told.

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now?
No. Tourism cannot be called 'living' right?

Kept a blog or a diary for over a year?
No.

Had your house broken into?
Thanks god no.

Studied a foreign language other than Russian/English?
Yes, I've been studying German at school for 6 years. These are two things that I can say in German: Wir haben ein zimmer reserviert fur ... and Zwei bier bitte.

Painted a room yourself?
Yes.

Made a dress / skirt / trousers / top yourself that you use often?
No.

Won a big competition?
No.

Been attacked by a hooligan?
Yes. There was time that it happenned quite regularly. And sometimes I even won.

Won in a lottery?
I won 1 rouble once (a soviet full weight rouble - you could buy 5 ice creams for it or make 20 trips on public transport).
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HAVE YOU EVER......

Grown your own vegetables?

Yes, at least took part in this process.

Fixed a broken car that wouldn't start?

No. I can not drive and have no driving license.

Fainted?

I was fainted several times: once because of the road accident and later in a hospital. Beside that I am not sure. Sometimes one can not be sure if he has been fainted of not.

Been robbed (mugged) on the street?

No.

Crossed the International Date Line?

No.

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it?

No.

Been awake for 48 hours without any sleep?

No. Hey, here is one situation you can not be sure if you have been fainted!

Been on a serious hiking/camping trip in the wilderness?

Yes. Well it was in childhood, it was a kind of (boy/girl)scout club. Not so serious though.

Fired a [real, potentially lethal] weapon?

Mmmm... Once, in school, it was a rifle very little caliber (3 mm?). But potentially lethal, yes.

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest?

Yes. Many times.

Made your own applesauce or similar, from scratch?

I did not understand this.

Been in Church for an Easter or Christmas Service?

No.

Visited Kazakhstan?

No.

Lived in a house that did not have electricity/and or running water?

No water - yes. No electricity... Besides hiking camps etc. sometimes there were blackouts. Maximum for 2-3 days, I think.

Been inside a Mosque?

Yes.

Been to the funeral of a close family member?

Yes.

Built a computer from separate components?

I have never mounted a motherboard myself. All other assembling operations I did perform.

Been in the military?

No. I am strongly myopic.

Travelled without paying on public transport?

Yes. In 90-s.

Visited Texas?

No.

Been on TV?

I don't remember exactly. Maybe in the background on local TV.

Passed out from too much booze?

Once I tried as an experiment but unfortunately did not passed out until got some medical procedures.

Been arrested by the police?

No.

Travelled on the Transiberian Railway?

No.

Bought a VERY EXPENSIVE piece of clothing that you NEVER used?

No.

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now?

USSR, Russia and Italy.

Kept a blog or a diary for over a year?

Yes, something like that but irregularly.

Had your house broken into?

No.

Studied a foreign language other than Russian/English?

Ukrainian and Tajik. Did not take any official courses in other languages.

Painted a room yourself?

Took part.

Made a dress / skirt / trousers / top yourself that you use often?

No.

Won a big competition?

You mean BIG? No.

Been attacked by a hooligan?

Only in childhood.

Won in a lottery?

No.

Originally Posted by it-ogo

Originally Posted by Johanna

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now?

USSR, Russia and Italy.

Well, if you put it this way then yes, I think we all have lived in a different country (USSR) than the one we live in now (Russia). These two coutries are quite different.


[video:1locesd6]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XEkUuQSh9s[/video:1locesd6]

Originally Posted by Звездочёт

Grown your own vegetables?
Yes. And my family still does it, even after my lections “Why we wouldn’t”. I [shcixupz]grown[/shcixupz] grew up in my grandmother's home, and I know very well this work, but I hate it now. The land isn’t my destiny.

Звездочёт, the word "lections" I have the meaning of it as "reading of scripture" and given your other answers and your use in sentence, (stating "my" before it) I am not certain if this is the word you want and if not, what word you do want here?... sorry.

Originally Posted by Звездочёт

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it?
No. And I have never eaten [shcixupz]a[/shcixupz] game

Been awake for 48 hours without any sleep?
I think, sleep is a gift of the gods. It carries peace and soul healing. I can break a daily routine, however I do not neglect [shcixupz]a[/shcixupz] sleep without a very seriously reason.

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest?
Yes, when was a child. However “forest” is associated with “village life” for me, and I do not like it [shcixupz]in[/shcixupz] presently.

Been in Church for an Easter or Christmas Service?
No, no and no. For me Church is an ideological enemy, the temple of [shcixupz]a[/shcixupz] grief, [shcixupz]a[/shcixupz] death and spiritual slavery.

Been to the funeral of a close family member?
Yes my granddad. It’s one of the turning points of my life .

Built a computer from separate components?
Yes, of [shcixupz]cause[/shcixupz] course. Do [shcixupz]exist people[/shcixupz] people exist, who don’t?

Traveled without paying on public transport?
It happened sometimes. However now — No.

Visited Texas
It’ so far… And for what? No, [shcixupz]did[/shcixupz] have not.

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now?
No, but I w[shcixupz]h[/shcixupz]ish (maybe). My horoscope said [shcixupz]me[/shcixupz] that here my dream will not come true. However, if to be frank, I feel indistinct fear of alien lands.

Originally Posted by Basil77

Originally Posted by Johanna

HAVE YOU EVER......

Fixed a broken car that wouldn't start?
I [s:13qtj39m]was[/s:13qtj39m] owned a LADA 2105 [s:13qtj39m]during[/s:13qtj39m] for 7 years and [s:13qtj39m]went on it[/s:13qtj39m] it had about 300 000 km... you can imagine rest . I even did complete engine and gearbox repair by myself. But it was (fortunately ) rather a long time ago and now I'm afraid I've lost these skills.

Been robbed (mugged) on the street?
Yes, once. I was about 10 [s:13qtj39m]than[/s:13qtj39m] then and the boys who robbed me were a couple of years older. They took my key-pendant that I liked very much .

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it?
Yes, [s:13qtj39m]on[/s:13qtj39m] duck hunting. (either complete the sentence "on a duck hunting trip" or get delete the "on".)

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest?
Yes, many times. Last time was about a month ago.

Made your own applesauce or similar, from scratch?
No. Only helped my grandmother with it [s:13qtj39m]than[/s:13qtj39m] when I was a kid.

Lived in a house that did not have electricity/and or running water?
You mean constantly living? [s:13qtj39m]Than[/s:13qtj39m] Then no. But stayed for several days. My dacha cottage has running water only during summer (the waterpipe lies above the ground), and I have to use well in winter. Also my mother-in-law still lives in [s:13qtj39m]the[/s:13qtj39m] a house without running water.

Built a computer from separate components?
Yes. This even was some kind of buisness for me [s:13qtj39m]than[/s:13qtj39m] when I was a student.

Been arrested by the police?
Yes, several times [s:13qtj39m]than[/s:13qtj39m] when I was "young and stupid". For drinking vodka in public places .

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now?
No. I don't count spending summer holidays in Belorussia. Especially as it wasn't a different country at that time.

Been attacked by a hooligan?
Several times [s:13qtj39m]than[/s:13qtj39m] when I was a kid. About one of the cases I already told (mentioned) above.

Originally Posted by Иван

Ok, I try to do it with my lame english. (not too bad!)
HAVE YOU EVER......

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it?
No animals, only fish. Once we [s:3lsxnw0v]have[/s:3lsxnw0v] went fishing and cook[s:3lsxnw0v]ing[/s:3lsxnw0v]ed right in the boat . It was gorgeous fishing and a delicious meal

Been on a serious hiking/camping trip in the wilderness?
No, but I would like to.

Fired a [real, potentially lethal] weapon?
Yes. I fired [s:3lsxnw0v]from[/s:3lsxnw0v] a Kalashnikov when I finished university.

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest?
I picked mushrooms both in the forest and steppe. (something new for me "Steppe," would you write more about this in a thread? Post some photos??If you want, you can use this thread viewtopic.php?f=43&t=17326)

Studied a foreign language other than Russian/English?
When I was at school I [s:3lsxnw0v]have[/s:3lsxnw0v] had to learned Kazakh.

Been attacked by a hooligan?
Nothing serious. Just teenage accidents. (accidents or incidents)

Originally Posted by it-ogo

HAVE YOU EVER......

Fixed a broken car that wouldn't start?

No. I cannot drive and have no driving license. (American's would say "and I don't have a driver's license.")

[quote:yc141z8b]Fainted?

I [s:yc141z8b]was[/s:yc141z8b] have fainted several times: once because of [s:yc141z8b]the[/s:yc141z8b] a (car ?) road accident and later in a hospital (if it was because of the same accident, you would say "and AGAIN later in THE hospital"). Beside that I am not sure. Sometimes one cannot be sure if he has [s:yc141z8b]been[/s:yc141z8b] fainted of not.

Been awake for 48 hours without any sleep?

No. Hey, here is one situation you cannot be sure if you have [s:yc141z8b]been[/s:yc141z8b] fainted!

Made your own applesauce or similar, from scratch?

I did not understand this. (okay.. have you made any jams, fruit spreads or such at home? Not store bought. Applesauce is when you take sweet fresh apples, cook them, mash them up and add cinnamon. It can be chunky style or smooth http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_sauce )

[/quote:yc141z8b]

Rockzmom, thanks a lot. You are right, the word "lections" is a mistake. I meant “lectures”.
Why the word “gods” is using with “the”; is it an exception?

HAVE YOU EVER......

Grown your own vegetables?
No, I have a black thumb. I do have one house plant that has survived for many years.

Fixed a broken car that wouldn't start?
Yes, many times and with several different cars.

Fainted?
Nope.

Been robbed (mugged) on the street?
Nope. But, I have had my office and my car broken into and things stolen from both.

Crossed the International Date Line?
Nope.

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it?
Crabs (remember, I'm near the Chesapeake Bay)

Been awake for 48 hours without any sleep?
Too old to remember those types of things.

Been on a serious hiking/camping trip in the wilderness?
Not a SERIOUS trip but I have been hiking and camping.

Fired a [real, potentially lethal] weapon?
Yup.

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest?
Would not know which ones would kill me!

Made your own applesauce or similar, from scratch?
Yup! Made it with my girls. Also made peach jam several times with my mom as a kid.

Visited Kazakhstan?
Nope.

Lived in a house that did not have electricity/and or running water?
More like a long visit (3 weeks or so). My mother-in-law and other in-laws do not have running water and the electricity often goes out.

Been to the funeral of a close family member?
Yup.

Built a computer from separate components?
Ummm... nope. But I have built a camera.

Travelled without paying on public transport?
Not on purpose.

Visited Texas?
Yup.

Been on TV?
Yup. The last time was on "The Wire."

Travelled on the Transiberian Railway?
Nope. But I've been on a L-O-N-G road trip. I drove from California to Maryland and that is a little bit more than 1/3 of the length of the Railway. About 3,700 km and change.

Bought a VERY EXPENSIVE piece of clothing that you NEVER used?
Nope. I'm too frugal. I don't even think I have for the girls.

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now?
Nope.

Kept a blog or a diary for over a year?
I kept a photo diary. I took two photos each week of my younger daughter starting at birth until she was one year old and then switched to once a month and then to once a year.

Had your house broken into?
Yup, twice. The second time they caught the @#$%!* boys.

Painted a room yourself?
Yup. I even painted cartoon & literature characters (like Snow White and the 7 dwarfs & Heidi) directly on the walls in the girl's room.

Made a dress / skirt / trousers / top yourself that you use often?
I break sewing machines just by looking at them .

Won a big competition?
Yup.

Been attacked by a hooligan?
Nope.

Won in a lottery?
Yup. Maryland State Lottery and the School System Lottery (twice) so that our girls could go to magnet schools. (of course I could also get real sappy and say when I had two healthy wonderful girls or when I met my hubby )

Originally Posted by Johanna

Here is a game to practice English/Russian and get to know others on the forum better!
HAVE YOU EVER.....?

Please elaborate a bit so the answers become more interesting!
Answer in English or Russian depending on what you want to practice, and if you make any mistakes a native speaker can correct you.

I will try to translatate these questions into Russian later.... But right now it just feels too hard!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HAVE YOU EVER......

Grown your own vegetables? As a young teen I grew garden plants for a while, but never vegetables.

Fixed a broken car that wouldn't start? I don't drive.

Fainted? Twice. The first time after getting up too quickly from bed when in hospital, the second when I was being beaten up. Probably I'm not good at bearing pain.

Been robbed (mugged) on the street? He took small change but left me with my watch.

Crossed the International Date Line? No.

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it? I'm a vegetarian.

Been awake for 48 hours without any sleep? My record is 24 hours. I drank coke, which contains caffeine, to help me stay up. That was in the days when I wasn't health conscious.

Been on a serious hiking/camping trip in the wilderness? No.

Fired a [real, potentially lethal] weapon? No.

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest? No.

Made your own applesauce or similar, from scratch? My mother taught me how to cook, so I can take care of myself in that department. I have made things like banana wine.

Been in Church for an Easter or Christmas Service? Many times with my parents, but I am not religious myself.

Visited Kazakhstan? Someday, hopefully.

Lived in a house that did not have electricity/and or running water? No.

Been inside a Mosque? No.

Been to the funeral of a close family member? Cousins, but not close family.

Built a computer from separate components? No. I am not techy.

Been in the military? No.

Travelled without paying on public transport? Without paying the full fare.

Visited Texas? I've never been to America.

Been on TV? Playing the violin.

Passed out from too much booze? I don't drink.

Been arrested by the police? No.

Travelled on the Transiberian Railway? No.

Bought a VERY EXPENSIVE piece of clothing that you NEVER used? No.

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now? I went to university in the U.K.

Kept a blog or a diary for over a year? I like keeping diaries. My present one goes back to 2005.

Had your house broken into? Thankfully not.

Studied a foreign language other than Russian/English? Spanish at school which I have kept up and improved; my mother taught me basic Latin (she was a teacher of that subject); and lately I started Ancient Egyptian.

Painted a room yourself? Took part.

Made a dress / skirt / trousers / top yourself that you use often? No. Sounds like a useful skill. My grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother were seamstresses.

Won a big competition? I have done well in some chess tournaments but you couldn't call them big.

Been attacked by a hooligan? Yes, but I don't care to recall the details.

Won in a lottery? No.

----------------------------------------------------------------


If you think my questions are lame, please add some of your own! That's all I could think of right now....

Originally Posted by Звездочёт

Why the word “gods” is us[s:2vmjivwe]ing[/s:2vmjivwe]ed with “the”; is it an exception?

Nope, this is not an exception and it is common to say "the Gods." Even with Greek Mythology, you would say, "the Greek Gods."

In your sentence, it seems as though you want to use "gods" as more of a "common" plural count noun i.e. the common noun god denotes all deities. Additionally, "gods" are a noun that refer to something unique, so it is a Definite Noun. As such, the definite article "the," needs to be used.

Here is some more information about it...

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/540/01/

Using Articles
What is an article? Basically, an article is an adjective. Like adjectives, articles modify nouns.

English has two articles: the and a/an. The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns; a/an is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns. We call the the definite article and a/an the indefinite article.

the = definite article

a/an = indefinite article

For example, if I say, "Let's read the book," I mean a specific book. If I say, "Let's read a book," I mean any book rather than a specific book.

Here's another way to explain it: The is used to refer to a specific or particular member of a group. For example, "I just saw the most popular movie of the year." There are many movies, but only one particular movie is the most popular. Therefore, we use the.

"A/an" is used to refer to a non-specific or non-particular member of the group. For example, "I would like to go see a movie." Here, we're not talking about a specific movie. We're talking about any movie. There are many movies, and I want to see any movie. I don't have a specific one in mind.

And... http://faculty.deanza.edu/flemingjohn/s ... yReader$21

Originally Posted by Johanna

HAVE YOU EVER......

Grown your own vegetables?
Sort of. Not me personally, but my family did, and I helped, of course. Many people in Russian towns and cities used to have small garden plots outside the city boundaries where they grew their own veggies. Personally, I am not into vegetable farming, part time or otherwise, but I like fresh vegetables and fruit .

Fixed a broken car that wouldn't start?
Never, ever.

Fainted?
Nope. Been knocked out, yes. Was unconscious with high fever (just under 40 C), yes. But fainted as in just fainted, no.

Been robbed (mugged) on the street?
Not as an adult. But when I was a kid, I was "convinced" to part with my pocket money on a couple of occastions by bigger kids. When you are 10 or 11, it is hard to deal on your own with a group of 15 y.o. bullies

Crossed the International Date Line?
Hah I wish!

Shot/trapped an animal and later eaten it?
As a kid, I went hunting with my father on numerous occasions. I never managed to shoot anything. Not that I had much chance, because he only let me shoot a couple of times. I grew to hate hunting because of that. My dad had all the fun, shooting and all, and all I could do was just either follow him through the forest (which wasn't easy, because I was small and had a hard time keeping up with him) or sit alone in the car, which was very boring. But we often ate the game my dad shot, and he could also could cook very well.
And does fishing count as "trapping an animal"? If it does, I have most surely eaten fish I caught.

Been awake for 48 hours without any sleep?
Oh yes, oh yes, when I was a bit younger. Deadlines, deadlines. I can't pull it off anymore though. I'll need at least 2–3 hrs of sleep after the first 24 hours. Wel, I think still could stay awake for 48 hours straight, but I wouldn't be able to do any meaningful work without at least couple hours of sleep.

Been on a serious hiking/camping trip in the wilderness?
Hiking, no. My hiking trips with friends never tooke me farther than maybe 15-20 km from home. That's hardly serious, is it? But I did some outdoors camping with my dad and his friends. Sometimes roughing it for several days at a time. Living in tents, cooking on a campfire, the closest shop, post office and phone like 100 km or more away.


Fired a [real, potentially lethal] weapon?
Many times. A hunting shotgun, a 22-caliber rifle, a small-caliber training rifle, 2 varieties of Kalashnikov.

Picked berries or mushrooms in the forest?
You bet! Both berries and mushrooms. And ate them, too

Made your own applesauce or similar, from scratch?
No, never
Been in Church for an Easter or Christmas Service?
Never.

Visited Kazakhstan?
Lived there for more than 7 years.

Lived in a house that did not have electricity/and or running water?
Never.

Been inside a Mosque?
Nope.

Been to the funeral of a close family member?
Never.

Built a computer from separate components?
All my computers, except the very first one, are built by my own hands.

Been in the military?
Two years. I must say it wasn't the happiest time of my life

Travelled without paying on public transport?
(Suspiciously) And why are you asking???

Visited Texas?
No.

Been on TV?
Not that I know of.

Passed out from too much booze?
Not really. I always make it home and to my own bed before I let myself go.

Been arrested by the police?
On a number of occasions. No criminal record though .

Travelled on the Transiberian Railway?
Yes, although not all of it. The part of it that runs from Moscow to Chelyabinks follows pretty much the same route at the original Transsib (I believe), and I travelled over it many, many times.

Bought a VERY EXPENSIVE piece of clothing that you NEVER used?
Don't think so.

Lived in a different country than the one you live in now?
Well, I used to live in Kazakhstan, which is a different country now, but back then we all were the same country...

Kept a blog or a diary for over a year?
Kept as in written in it on a regular basis? I am not sure. I had periods when I wrote in my diary every day, but those periods never lasted longer than a few months at a time.

Had your house broken into?
No

Studied a foreign language other than Russian/English?
French, Spanish, and Japanese for a little while.

Painted a room yourself?
No.

Made a dress / skirt / trousers / top yourself that you use often?

Won a big competition?
No.

Been attacked by a hooligan?
Can you live in a big city for a long time and never be targeted by a hooligan? Of course I have. Nothing serious though. I always seem to be able to fight them off or run away, whichever seems the better option at the moment .

Won in a lottery?
Small amounts. I think my biggest win ever was 25 Soviet rubles.

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Originally Posted by Basil77

I [s:184rkynl]was[/s:184rkynl] owned a LADA 2105 [s:184rkynl]during[/s:184rkynl] for 7 years and [s:184rkynl]went on it[/s:184rkynl] it had about 300 000 km... you can imagine rest . I even did complete engine and gearbox repair by myself.

Thanks for corrections, Rockmom, but it seems to me that the one about a milage is not exactly express the meaning that I wanted to put in that phrase. I got that bucket with screw-nuts when it had about 100 000 km on hodometer and got rid of it when the number was above 400 000. (Frankly speaking the hodometer had only five-digits scale, so the first digit I had to keep in mind ).
P.S. I hate that "when-then-than" thing! I always confuse them!

Originally Posted by Basil77

Thanks for corrections, Rockmom, but it seems to me that the one about a milage is not exactly express the meaning that I wanted to put in that phrase. I got that bucket with screw-nuts when it had about 100 000 km on hodometer and got rid of it when the number was above 400 000. (Frankly speaking the hodometer had only five-digits scale, so the first digit I had to keep in mind ).
P.S. I hate that "when-then-than" thing! I always confuse them!

Okay.. so it would be like this..

I once owned a LADA 2105 for 7 years. When I bought the piece of cr@p it already had about 100,000 km on the odometer and by the time I was finished with it, it had about 400,000 km... you can imagine rest. I even did complete engine and gearbox repair by myself.

Is that better??

About the when-then-than, let's take that over to the English Common Mistakes thread...

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Originally Posted by Basil77

I once owned a LADA 2105 for 7 years. When I bought the piece of cr@p it already had about 100,000 km on the odometer and by the time I was finished with it, it had about 400,000 km... you can imagine rest. I even did complete engine and gearbox repair by myself.

Is that better??

Yes, but it's not quite true. My father gave me his old car (he bought a new one at that moment already), when I got a driving license ( I was eighteen then).

About the when-then-than, let's take that over to the English Common Mistakes thread...

If you say so . I know the meaning of each word but when I'm in hurry I can confuse them because they all sound rather similar for my Russian ear.