[General] I'm just trying to help matters.

[Silverobama]

In my chatroom a freelancer was commenting on the books of the late author Jin Yong. Jin is very famous and many people read his books about Chinese martial arts. This man really disrepect him and said no one reads his books today. I was a bit offended not because I like Jin's works but I think one shouldn't dis a dead person like that. Then this man verbally attacked me and I explained to him "I'm just trying to help matters".

Is my italic sentence natural?

 

[emsr2d2]

Not really, no. I would use simply "I'm just trying to help". We do use "help matters" but usually in the negative sense. You'll hear native speakers say "You're really not helping matters!"

 

[teechar]

In my chatroom, a freelancer was commenting on the books of the late author Jin Yong.

Are you an administrator or the owner of that chatroom? What do you mean by "freelancer"?

Jin is very famous, and many people read his books about Chinese martial arts. This man really disrespects him and said no one reads his books today. I was a bit offended not because I like Jin's works but I think one shouldn't disrespect a dead person like that. Then this man verbally attacked me, [STRIKE]and[/STRIKE] so I [STRIKE]explained[/STRIKE] said to him "I'm just trying to help matters".
Is my italic sentence natural?

No. I also don't think "I'm just trying to help here" is appropriate. I might possibly say something like "I'm trying to keep things civil here", but it really depends on the dialogue between you and that man.

 

[Silverobama]

Are you an administrator or the owner of that chatroom? What do you mean by "freelancer"?

I'm a moderator of the chatroom. I should have said "a freelance writer".

I also don't think "I'm just trying to help here" is appropriate. I might possibly say something like "I'm trying to keep things civil here", but it really depends on the dialogue between you and that man.

Sorry I forgot something actually. This man always says that Chinese is a better language than English and he says that in Chinese (Chinese is allowed but English is preferred because we are learning the language) and I think both languages have its appeal. Today he said he wrote some books then he began to comment on Jin Yong's writing skills, which he thinks are old-fashioned because someone mentioned Jin Yong's writing style and skills. He also said that nowadays, young people don't know who Jin Yong is. He kept saying something which are a bit rude to a dead person so I stopped him. Then he argued with me. I think you're just an obscure writer and wrote two books and you dared to criticize an respectable writer? Then I argued with him and suggested that he should stop commenting on the skills of Jin Yong. Finally I added "I was just trying to help matters". (I was just trying to help and tell you not to be radical.)

 

[jutfrank]

It's not clear to me in what way exactly you were trying to help. Who were you helping? With what? To what end?

 

[Silverobama]

It's not clear to me in what way exactly you were trying to help. Who were you helping? With what? To what end?

The man (let's call him A) was always saying that Chinese is better than English and this afternoon, he began to question the writing skills of Jin Yong simply because B (someone else) mentioned Jin Yong's writing style and skills which this A doesn't like and doesn't think that it's creative or something. I don't remember clearly. Then he began to say things about Jin Yong. Many people who were born after 1980 grew up on Jin Yong's books and the movies adapted from his books.

Imagine that, someone who's not a native speaker comments on your English skills and say that your English is outdated or something. I will just talk back to this person because I respect you. I was trying to help him to know that he should be careful not to go overboard because he can't achieve what Jin Yong achieved. This is a matter of opinion.

Anyway, let's forget about it. Emsr2d2 and teechar have answered my question.

 

[GoesStation]

I don't think it's worth engaging with someone who asserts that one language is "better" than another.

 

[Silverobama]

I don't think it's worth engaging with someone who asserts that one language is "better" than another.

I agree. That's why I stopped arguing with him. I love both languages.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Not really, no. I would use simply "I'm just trying to help". We do use "help matters" but usually in the negative sense. You'll hear native speakers say "You're really not helping matters!"

In the US, we wouldn't often use it that way, either. We'd usually just say, "You're really not helping."

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

The man, "Jake," was always saying that Chinese is better than English, and this afternoon, he began to question the writing skills of Jin Yong simply because "Annie" mentioned Jin Yong's writing style and skills, which Jake doesn't like and doesn't think are creative [STRIKE]or something[/STRIKE]. I don't remember clearly. Then he began to say things about Jin Yong. Many people who were born after 1980 grew up on Jin Yong's books and the movies adapted from his books.

Imagine that[STRIKE],[/STRIKE] someone who's not a native speaker comments on your English skills and say that your English is outdated or something. I would just answer this person because I respect you. I was trying to help him to know that he should be careful not to go overboard because he can't achieve what Jin Yong achieved. This is a matter of opinion.

Anyway, let's forget about it. Emsr2d2 and teechar have answered my question.

Hi, Silver!

In writing, when we give people or organizations substitute names to hide their identities, we don't usually give them letters or numbers. It's not natural. Our custom is to use a different name.

There are several ways to do this. For example:

- The man, "Jake," doesn't like Jin Yong. I think Jake is being unfair. [Notice that the first time, we use quotation marks. After that, we don't]

- The man — I'll call him Jake — doesn't like Jin Yong.

- Jake (not his real name) doesn't like Jin Yong.​

- The man, Jake, doesn't like Jin Yong. [You're not writing for publication, so the name doesn't matter. You can use any name. We'll never know — or care.]​

Avoid over-using expressions like or something. (And never write "and stuff like that"!)