[General] How can one distinguish people with a motive at an English club?

[Silverobama]

I've been hosting some English clubs for a few years. Since 2019, I got report from some female participants that they were harrassed by some male participants at my English clubs. These men tried to date them and cheated them out of money or take sexual advantage of them. I decide to give a talk in Chinese about how to avoid and recognize such people. The topic's name is:

How can one distinguish people with a motive at an English club?

Is my question natural?

 

[Tdol]

How can one catch someone with an ulterior motive at an English club?

 

[tzfujimino]

If I were you, I'd report those cases to the police first.
I'd also encourage those victims to do the same.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I've been hosting some English clubs for a few years. . . .

Again: You've been hosting English club MEETINGS!

 

[emsr2d2]

I have to admit I'm not quite as fussed as Charlie about using "meeting" every time. Each individual meeting is, of course, a meeting but the club itself is a club. If you have been the host of several different clubs over the last few years, then there's nothing wrong with your sentence (for me). So if you used to be a host of/for "The Tokyo English Club" for a couple of years, then you left and became a host of "English Club for Beginners" for a year, then left and became a host of/for "Intermediate English Club" and you still do it, then your claim to have been the host of some clubs is fine.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I. . . How can I spot people with ulterior motives at [STRIKE]an[/STRIKE] English club meetings?

Is my question natural?

You started with the plural "people," so "motive" should be pluralized, too. If you're not talking in general and not about just one meeting, then "meeting" should be pluralized, too.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I have to admit I'm not quite as fussed as Charlie about using "meeting" every time. Each individual meeting is, of course, a meeting but the club itself is a club. If you have been the host of several different clubs over the last few years, then there's nothing wrong with your sentence (for me). So if you used to be a host of/for "The Tokyo English Club" for a couple of years, then you left and became a host of "English Club for Beginners" for a year, then left and became a host of/for "Intermediate English Club" and you still do it, then your claim to have been the host of some clubs is fine.

Clubs is fine with me if there are several English clubs.

But a meeting isn't a club.

However, Silver, Ems is a teacher, and I'm not. You now know that it's okay with some people and not with others. Let your common sense be your guide.

 

[Silverobama]

If I were you, I'd report those cases to the police first.
I'd also encourage those victims to do the same.

I did.

However, Silver, Ems is a teacher, and I'm not. You now know that it's okay with some people and not with others. Let your common sense be your guide.

Hmm, GS told me several times to use "meeting" and I did until one day I used "English club meeting" to ask a question on WR's Language Lab, a very nice native speaker like you misunderstood that. I decided to explain with "meeting" but stick to "English club" when talking about the place where a group of people are together chatting with each other in English.

Again, I appreciate your help and effort.

 

[emsr2d2]

Hmm, GS told me several times to use "meeting" and I did until one day I used "English club meeting" to ask a question on WR's Language Lab, a very nice native speaker like you misunderstood that. I decided to explain with "meeting" but stick to "English club" when talking about the place where a group of people are together chatting with each other in English.

I fall on both sides of the fence on this. For me, all of the following answers are possible to the question "Where were you on Friday evening?":

- I was at English Club. (Note the capitalisation of "Club" because, in this context, it's the actual title of the club.)
- I was at my English club. (No capitalisation necessary. "My" indicates that it's the club you belong to, not that you own it.)
- I was at my English club meeting.
- I was at an English club meeting.