Me again with specific writing questions...

[learningchayse]

Writing in a foreign language is so hard! I have tons of questions every time I write! This time is no exception!

As a choosy English learner, I had been seeking, as my learning material, a book in both printed and audio versions. I also wanted it to be a narrative, since it is the genre I myself am exploring, and I needed something to learn from.
With this in mind, I got down to my book hunt on the Ximalaya app, given that audiobooks were not as easy to find as ebooks or printed books and therefore should be prioritized while searching.

1. The word "choosy" was originally "picky". Which fits better here?
2. Is the tense switch(the bold ones--is, am) in the first paragraph right?
3. "I myself is exploring" or "I myself am exploring"?
4. "on the Ximalaya app" or "on Ximalaya app". (FYI, it is an app of audiobooks)
5. Does the bold sentence in the second paragraph make sense to you? Any errors? What I want to say is that my book searching started with the audiobook first because audiobooks are hard to find and printed ones much easier.
6. Can I use "hard copy" to refer to the printed version of the book as well?

I would be very grateful if you could help me with any of the above questions! Thanks a lot!

[Querneus]

1. The word "choosy" was originally "picky". Which fits better here?

Both work, it depends on what you mean.

"Choosy" is an emotionally-neutral term that simply means that you're careful when choosing something, that you take your time when choosing.

"Picky" is a more emotional word meaning something similar to "difficult to please". This word is also a lot more common than "choosy". It is often used negatively ("don't be so picky when it comes to this!") or for a type of self-deprecation ("I know I'm picky, so bear with me").

2. Is the tense switch(the bold ones--is, am) in the first paragraph right?
3. "I myself is exploring" or "I myself am exploring"?

Your choices are correct. "I myself am exploring."

4. "on the Ximalaya app" or "on Ximalaya app". (FYI, it is an app of audiobooks)

You can say either "on the Ximalaya app" or (if your audience is familiar with the app) "on Ximalaya". Saying "on Ximalaya app" would be wrong.

5. Does the bold sentence in the second paragraph make sense to you? Any errors? What I want to say is that my book searching started with the audiobook first because audiobooks are hard to find and printed ones much easier.

Yeah. I think I would've preferred to say "when searching" instead of "while", but it probably doesn't matter.

By the way, since you are apparently happy obsessing over little details like I am, I'd correct the last sentence in this question point as: "What I want to say is that my book search started with audiobooks first because audiobooks are hard to find. It's so much easier to find printed books."

- I think "my book searching" is actually correct too, just... less common than "book search". This isn't really a correction.
- If you say "the audiobook" it sounds like you were searching for one specific audiobook, but I don't think you were.

6. Can I use "hard copy" to refer to the printed version of the book as well?

Yes.

[golyplot]

1. The word "choosy" was originally "picky". Which fits better here?

Both are acceptable, but choosy sounds better to me. Neither feels quite right to me, but I can't think of a better way to say it. Other potential alternatives are "discerning", "demanding", or "selective", but those all sound more formal.

2. Is the tense switch(the bold ones--is, am) in the first paragraph right?

The bolded part is correct. However, "I had been seeking" should probably be "I have been seeking". You only use the past perfect tense if you are talking about something that happened before something else in the past.

Also, "it is the genre" should be "that is the genre".

3. "I myself is exploring" or "I myself am exploring"?

The first one is completely wrong. The second one is acceptable, although the word "myself" seems unnecessary. Personally, I'd just say "I am exploring" here. You could also say "I've been exploring" if you don't want to switch tenses. Either one sounds fine to me.

4. "on the Ximalaya app" or "on Ximalaya app". (FYI, it is an app of audiobooks)

First one. I'd prefer "in the Ximalaya app" to "on the Ximalaya app" though.

5. Does the bold sentence in the second paragraph make sense to you? Any errors? What I want to say is that my book searching started with the audiobook first because audiobooks are hard to find and printed ones much easier.

It makes sense, but you should say "given that audiobooks are not as easy to find", assuming that it is something that is still true. If you use the past tense, it implies that it was true at the time you were looking but might not be true now.

6. Can I use "hard copy" to refer to the printed version of the book as well?

Yes


Anyway, overall you are doing very well. These are all minor issues that a native English speaker might not even notice unless they look closely, and some of them are a matter of preference in word choice rather than outright mistakes. I wish I could speak other languages as well as you can write in English.

[StringerBell]

As a choosy English learner, I had been seeking, as my learning material, a book in both printed and audio versions. I also wanted it to be a narrative, since it is the genre I myself am exploring, and I needed something to learn from.
With this in mind, I got down to my book hunt on the Ximalaya app, given that audiobooks were not as easy to find as ebooks or printed books and therefore should be prioritized while searching.

3. "I myself is exploring" or "I myself am exploring"?

This is a very minor correction, but if you are using "myself" in this way, technically it should be between commas: I, myself, am exploring.

This link explains the reason why the commas are needed with "myself" in this situation.

I noticed that all the other verbs in your paragraph were in the past tense, which means that the verb here should also be in the past tense (or at least not in the simple present), so it really should be: I, myself, had been exploring (<<< this matches "As a choosy English learner, I had been seeking..."

If I were writing this, I would leave the "myself" out because it doesn't feel necessary to emphasize that it was you doing the exploring. So, it would be: ...since it is the genre I had been been exploring. But, using "had been" implies that you are no longer exploring the genre, I'm not sure if that's what you intended. If you are still exploring the genre, then you could say: ...since it is the genre I have been been exploring.

Here's how I would phrase this:

As a discerning English learner, I had been seeking, as my learning material, a book in both printed and audio versions. I also wanted it to be a narrative, since it is the genre I have been exploring, and I needed something to learn from.

I agree with the other feedback you got, and I think Ser explained the difference between picky and choosy well. Basically, picky = choosy, but picky has a slightly negative connotation, and choosy has a slightly positive connotation. Sometimes they are used interchangeably, but other times they imply something good or bad about the person. Here are two very common examples of how they are often used:

"Picky" is often used to describe children who won't eat most of the food their parents try to feed them:
She's so picky, she won't eat any vegetables, meat, or anything that's yellow!
Usually, when someone is picky, it's really annoying everyone else around that person.

"Choosy" is often used to describe adults who have high standards. There was a well-known commercial for a brand of peanut butter called Jif where the announcer said: "Choosy moms choose Jif" (implying that they will only feed the very best peanut butter to their kids, not the other brands, which are junk.) Choosy is also often used to refer to women who are very selective about the people they date.

********

BTW, your writing is good and your mistakes are really minor. The more you read and are exposed to the language, the more you will have a sense for what "feels right".

[learningchayse]

By the way, since you are apparently happy obsessing over little details like I am, I'd correct the last sentence in this question point as: "What I want to say is that my book search started with audiobooks first because audiobooks are hard to find. It's so much easier to find printed books."

Thanks a lot for your detailed reply! I am so grateful. And thanks for correcting, which is something I really need!

Good to know that you are also obsessed with wording and stuff. I've realized that I tend to fuss too much when writing, to the extent that I sometimes want to literally vomit, but I just can't stop fussing. Weirdly though, I rarely give a REDACTED when writing in my mother tongue.

5. Does the bold sentence in the second paragraph make sense to you? Any errors? What I want to say is that my book searching started with the audiobook first because audiobooks are hard to find and printed ones much easier.

Yeah. I think I would've preferred to say "when searching" instead of "while", but it probably doesn't matter..

One more thing to fuss about: Are "when" and "while" interchangeable? Why your first thought was"when"? When do you use "while" instead of "when?"

[learningchayse]

1. The word "choosy" was originally "picky". Which fits better here?

Both are acceptable, but choosy sounds better to me. Neither feels quite right to me, but I can't think of a better way to say it. Other potential alternatives are "discerning", "demanding", or "selective", but those all sound more formal.

2. Is the tense switch(the bold ones--is, am) in the first paragraph right?

The bolded part is correct. However, "I had been seeking" should probably be "I have been seeking". You only use the past perfect tense if you are talking about something that happened before something else in the past.

Also, "it is the genre" should be "that is the genre".

3. "I myself is exploring" or "I myself am exploring"?

The first one is completely wrong. The second one is acceptable, although the word "myself" seems unnecessary. Personally, I'd just say "I am exploring" here. You could also say "I've been exploring" if you don't want to switch tenses. Either one sounds fine to me.

4. "on the Ximalaya app" or "on Ximalaya app". (FYI, it is an app of audiobooks)

First one. I'd prefer "in the Ximalaya app" to "on the Ximalaya app" though.

5. Does the bold sentence in the second paragraph make sense to you? Any errors? What I want to say is that my book searching started with the audiobook first because audiobooks are hard to find and printed ones much easier.

It makes sense, but you should say "given that audiobooks are not as easy to find", assuming that it is something that is still true. If you use the past tense, it implies that it was true at the time you were looking but might not be true now.

6. Can I use "hard copy" to refer to the printed version of the book as well?

Yes


Anyway, overall you are doing very well. These are all minor issues that a native English speaker might not even notice unless they look closely, and some of them are a matter of preference in word choice rather than outright mistakes. I wish I could speak other languages as well as you can write in English.

Thanks so much, golyplot. Very helpful and encouraging as well

[learningchayse]

Here's how I would phrase this:

As a discerning English learner, I had been seeking, as my learning material, a book in both printed and audio versions. I also wanted it to be a narrative, since it is the genre I have been exploring, and I needed something to learn from.

I agree with the other feedback you got, and I think Ser explained the difference between picky and choosy well. Basically, picky = choosy, but picky has a slightly negative connotation, and choosy has a slightly positive connotation. Sometimes they are used interchangeably, but other times they imply something good or bad about the person. Here are two very common examples of how they are often used:

"Picky" is often used to describe children who won't eat most of the food their parents try to feed them:
She's so picky, she won't eat any vegetables, meat, or anything that's yellow!
Usually, when someone is picky, it's really annoying everyone else around that person.

"Choosy" is often used to describe adults who have high standards. There was a well-known commercial for a brand of peanut butter called Jif where the announcer said: "Choosy moms choose Jif" (implying that they will only feed the very best peanut butter to their kids, not the other brands, which are junk.) Choosy is also often used to refer to women who are very selective about the people they date.

********

BTW, your writing is good and your mistakes are really minor. The more you read and are exposed to the language, the more you will have a sense for what "feels right".

Thanks a lot, StringerBell. The examples are so great!
I noticed that you used "discerning". Is it more formal and emotionally positive than "choosy"? The only existing sentence in my head about "discerning" is" to discern the vital few from the trivial many". I think it is a quite nice word.

And yes, I really need to read and be exposed to English more. I guess the reason I am fussing a lot about words and tenses right now is that I have not quite cultivated my "feel" for the target language (don't know the specific word for that..)

[golyplot]

Weirdly though, I rarely give a REDACTED when writing in my mother tongue.

One of the great things about writing in your native language is that by definition, whatever you say is correct usage. For example, I think noone should be one word and noone can stop me. If enough people come to their senses, then the spellcheckers will stop marking it wrong. (Sadly "arrove" instead of "arrived" is unlikely to catch on any time soon)

Also note that " REDACTED " is a very vulgar word. Which doesn't mean that people don't say it, but I figured I should warn you so you know how you are coming across.

[learningchayse]

Weirdly though, I rarely give a REDACTED when writing in my mother tongue.

One of the great things about writing in your native language is that by definition, whatever you say is correct usage. For example, I think noone should be one word and noone can stop me. If enough people come to their senses, then the spellcheckers will stop marking it wrong. (Sadly "arrove" instead of "arrived" is unlikely to catch on any time soon)

Also note that " REDACTED " is a very vulgar word. Which doesn't mean that people don't say it, but I figured I should warn you so you know how you are coming across.

Interesting point you just made. It reminds me of what I have been thinking lately.
Rules are for outsiders. Outsiders conform and fit in, whereas the host who writes the rule is privileged to seek to be different. It is by asking others to obey and by breaking the rule oneself that one demonstrates the power as a rule creator.

[golyplot]

I noticed that you used "discerning". Is it more formal and emotionally positive than "choosy"? The only existing sentence in my head about "discerning" is" to discern the vital few from the trivial many". I think it is a quite nice word.

Yes, discerning is more formal, as well as being more positive. It carries an air of refinement or sophistication about it. If Jiff was a luxury brand, they probably would have said "For the discerning mother" instead of "Choosy moms choose Jiff".