texts:
Ah, had I but the strength of my hands,
And could for one hour win out of here,
For one winter hour, then I with this host-!
But around me lie iron bonds,
The fetter's chain rides on me...
Found this in 'A critical history of English literature' by David Daiches.
I can't understand the sentence structure of second, third and fourth line.
Is it just a poetic way of writing in which we arrange the whole sentence differently than standard grammar rule (sub+ verb+Object/complement...or there is still certain grammar rule behind it like Inversion(putting verb before subject) or any other rule?
The second sentence should be written as,in my view, And could win out of here for one hour
I didn't get the meaning of third line and the usage of punctuation marks( exclamation after dash) at all.
In the 4th line, it should be written as But Iron bounds lie around me.
Overal I can't understand why they place sometime 'preposition+ object' at the start of sentence, and things which I have already questioned above. So please tell me how to use it and when to use it.


texts: How to properly write down an enumeration? No consensus in the literature

texts:
I doubt what is a proper, and suitable for in an academic text, way to give an enumeration. I used Google to see how other people (mainly in papers) do it, but there is not a consensus.

The reason why I ask this question is because I first gave an enumeration like this:

  I group the separate UMP announcements by the Fed into 6 QE programme dummies for two reasons. Firstly, including separate dummies for each UMP announcements by the Fed raises the possibility of multimodality in the likelihood of the GARCH estimation (Doornik and Ooms, 2003). And secondly, because it improves the economic interpretation of the results.

So after I announce that there are two reasons, there is a point (no colon), and then I begin with "Firstly,..." etc. However, someone noticed that due to this method, the sentence after "Secondly, [..] of the results" is not a complete sentence. I think that this is because it is not entirely clear where ''it'' refers to. Would this not a problem if someone gives the enumeration like this:

  I group the separate UMP announcements by the Fed into 6 QE programme dummies for two reasons: firstly, because including separate dummies for each UMP announcements by the Fed raises the possibility of multimodality in the likelihood of the GARCH estimation (Doornik and Ooms, 2003), and secondly  because it improves the economic interpretation of the results.

Is it true that in this way I can use "it" in the "and secondly" part, because it is now one sentence and clear where I refer to?

There are also people who use a semicolon (;) instead of the comma before secondly. What is preferable to do? And is it advisable to use ''because'' after Firstly and Secondly? Or should one leave it away? Moreover, when using the comma, should one also use the comma before "because" in the part of:

  and secondly  because it improves the [...]

A lot of questions, but this is really confusing to me.


texts:
I want to make sentence with charge.
but I'm not sure as to sentence structure with charge.

For example.
Is something just charge of something?
Can I make like this?
If I wrong please let me know about it.

And I want to know the case of sample without 'of' at above example.

UPDATE:
If I want to ask as to who's responsibillty? How do I do?


texts:
One of the common problems that a language learner often faces is searching for a word knowing only the pronunciation. Usually it is possible to guess the correct spelling, but sometimes not.

How should one go about searching for a word, knowing only the pronunciation?


texts: Is this use of the word "concomitant" natural? What other words can be used?

texts:
From a clinical trial synopsis (Boehringer Ingelheim 1239.1):

  Dose: Starting dose of 150 mg b.i.d. (twice daily) BIBF 1120, followed by dose escalation of 50 mg for successive cohorts, up to a maximum of 250 mg b.i.d. (concomitant with BIBW 2992)

BIBF 1120 and BIBW 2992 are names of drugs. Is the word "concomitant" felicitous here, or is it better to use simultaneously with? What other naturally-sounding alternatives could there be?

I thought that we use "concomitant" when something happens by itself, but here the study authors chose to use this combination of drugs.


texts:
From the last one month each of us has been working on the same project.

My book says use for in place of from.
Why not from? And in which case we use from in past perfect tense?

Please help.


texts: What meaning of FOR is used in "stumped for an answer", "lost for words", etc.?

texts:
What meaning of FOR in "stumped for an answer", "lost for words", etc.
I've gone through the OED looking for the right meaning to no avail, as well as other major dictionaries.
https://www.oed.com/oed2/00087678


texts: Is "Bring to bear something" grammatically acceptable?

texts:
I assume that this sentence is correct:

  They brought the full force of the law to bear on anyone who criticized the government.

But is this one correct as well?

  They brought to bear the full force of the law on anyone who criticized the government.

I couldn't find the latter usage in the dictionaries, but I found one on this page. What's more interesting to me is to know whether we should follow the dictionaries or we can be creative with the order of "something"/"somebody" in similar phrases.


texts: Is it correct to say 'get to the conclusion' as proper English?

texts:
When I googled it I saw that some people used this collocation but Google ngram couldn't find it.
So I am confused if it is proper English to say :

  Even though they use different formulas to calculate GDP, they get to almost the same conclusion.

  After I scrutinized both paintings, I get to the conclusion that the left one was counterfeit.


texts: Can I say I will be there 2.00pm at the latest? Or for the latest

texts: Is it grammatically correct to say "2.00 pm at the latest" or "2.00 pm for the latest"?


texts:
In Dawn of the Dead (1978), Frannie says this one word to Stephen.

  SPAM

Actually, Stephen and Frannie are hiding in the mall from zombies.

What does spam mean here?


texts: how to discernin between "cause" and " reason"?

texts:
I know somehow the word reason deals with justification
explanation, and cause. In other words, although the word reason, considering the text, could mean each of the bold ones,  I am wondering what is the difference between A and B?

A."the main reasons for immigration"

B. "the main causes for immigration"

Any comment would greatly be appreciated


texts:
As I know, we can't use must in past tense.
But I remember someone has been talked to me. That they can using.
I don't remember exact may be some thing like below:

I came your room yesterday.
I didn't see you at room.
I knew, you must be somewhere

"I knew, you must be somewhere" is it correct?


texts: "If the concentration of the drug in the (a?) sample does not exceed.." - an article usage question

texts:
The very first sentence in a document section titled "Preparation of Solutions":

  If the concentration of the drug in a (the?) sample does not exceed 1.0 mg/ml, transfer 500 µl of the sample into a 1.5 ml microtube, add 200 µl of sample dilution solution 7 and mix (test solution).

Should one use a or the with sample? I think that since the implied meaning is "the sample that you have chosen for the preparation of your test solution", it should be the.

But maybe a is also acceptable? It might be read as "in any sample that you choose for the preparation of your test solution".

The sample was not mentioned previously in the document.


texts: get something stuck / to stick / sticking

texts:
The verb stick can mean "to become fixed in one position and impossible to move."
But there is the adjective stuck, which means "unable to move or to be moved."
I'd like to know what difference, if any, exists among the following sentences:

  a. John got the drawer stuck.

  b. John got the drawer to stick.

  c. John got the drawer sticking.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts:
My father and I have been discussing whether it is possible to concatenate the semi-modal verb "be going to" with modal verbs "must" or "cannot". In our opinion, which we both agreed on, this combination is likely possible:

She must be going to tell him the truth. - meaning "There is a high probabily that she is going to tell him the truth"
He can't be going to skip classes today. - meaning "I don't believe that he is going to skip classes today"

What do you native speakers think of this?


texts: "inspired >of< heaven" - what does "of" mean here?

texts:
King Alcinous, whose counsels were inspired of heaven, was now reigning.

What does this "of" mean?


texts: What does 'subjunctive recrimination' mean in this sentence?

texts:
The following is from 'The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival' by John Vaillant

  The father did not cry and barely spoke, but in that silence, hooped
  and bound, he weathered a torrent of subjunctive recrimination
  that would only intensify with time.

What does 'subjunctive' here mean? I know what 'subjunctive mood' is in grammar so I am guessing 'subjunctive' here is along the lines of 'hypothetical', something to do with the father's guilt. Am I getting this right?


texts: Is "he will be come around 1pm" or "he will come around 1pm" more formal?

texts: I would like to know which sentence is more formal in "he will be come around 1pm on tomorrow afternoon" and "he will come around 1pm on tomorrow afternoon"


texts:
I have this sentence on a paraphrasing exercise

  I'll ask Peter to help me move the furniture

I have to use the word give in this sentence

  I will have Peter __________ moving the furniture

I did not know how to complete it, it turned out the answer was

  I will have Peter give me  a hand moving the furniture

I am confused about this type of future

my first thought was that give should be actually given (I will have Peter given me a hand) as part of the future perfect, but apparently is not that type of future, and I was not able to do this exercise - I left it blank.

What is the grammar behind this ?

edit: I just have discovered there's this other Stack exchange site https://ell.stackexchange.com/ - if you consider this questions belongs there, please feel free to flag it


texts: "Do you have English?" and "Do you know English?"

texts:
Are these questions natural?

"Do you have English?"

"Do you know English?"

In this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXhDlYREJyo at 0:26, the subtitles read "Do you have Irish". Is that structure used only in Ireland?

I also remember hearing an American person who is not uneducated say "Do you know English" to an Italian person.


texts:
I’ve just read this sentence;
„The one whose photos gets picked should quit“.

but I don’t understand, why the verb is in the singular, altough it refers to „photos“.


texts: Confusion about the constituents of sentences

texts: I am confused about whether in the pattern "tell sb about sth", the part "sb" is regarded as indirect object or direct object.


texts: Why does "a comma" exist between "to+infinitive clause" and "a relative clause" in this sentence?

texts:
In the link https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript, it is written

We hold these truths to be self-evident , that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

To catch your attention, I made the first comma between "self-evident" and "that all men.." bold and would like to ask a question about it.
There is surely a list here consisting of "that-relative clauses(defining)" in a row and that's why there are commas. However, I can't understand why the first comma exists. Putting the first comma there means "to be self-evident" is the first item of the list, however, I'm pretty unsure if we can create a list consisting of both relative clauses and infinitive clauses.
I don't think that "to be self-evident" can be the first unit of the list because it is not something with the same type as relative clauses. If it can, well we should be able to change the place of "to be self-evident" and put it there as the third or fourth element of that list, which probably doesn't make sense and is ungrammatical.
Therefore, I suggest removing the first comma.
What do you think?


texts:
They are fetishising men paying the bill in heterosexual
  couples.

I came across this sentence in a stand-up show. I wonder if it is grammatically correct?

I think this one is better since the first one might give the impression that "they" are fetishising "men" who pay the bill in heterosexual couples. I think what the comedian is talking about is the concept that is imposed on men that they should always pay the bill.

  They are fetishising men's paying the bill in heterosexual
  couples.

Source


texts: which is more common between 1 sentense and 2 sentense; 3 and 4?

texts:
The police were given the information.
The information were given to the police.
It is alleged that he hit the policeman.
He is alleged to have hit the policeman.


texts:
To emphasise a particular information in a sentence we put a what clause followed by the appropriate form of the verb be:

  We are looking for volunteers.
  » What we are looking for is volunteers.
  I really like action films.
  » What I really like is action films.

Is this a formal way by using is instead of are? Or is it because if we used two are at the end would it be redundant?


texts: Is the comma here necessary, obligatory, or should it not be included?

texts:
Jack smiles, takes out his phone, and hands it to her.
In this particular sentence, is the second comma necessary, obligatory, or should it not be included?


texts: "Take your guess, spurious at best": what does it mean?

texts:
It's a part of the song Take Your Guess by Tom Rosenthal (lyrics:  https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tomrosenthal/takeyourguessalternativeversion.html)
I don't understand this part of the lyrics (I'm not a native English speaker): "take your guess, spurious at best, can't you see it's all just chaos."
Who is supposed to 'guess', and what to guess? And does it say "it's best if your guess is spurious/fake"? It doesn't make sense!


texts:
Which is correct?

He stopped to work or he stopped to works?

I know he works and I work is correct but I am not sure for case above.

(Clarification of context from OP in a now-deleted "answer", registered under a different UserID to that of the original ELU question)

  If someone has worked for the previous three years on some project, but not anymore.


texts:
Which one is correct go or come ?

For example:

A: B come with me!.

B: No I won't go with you / come with you.


texts:
I never understood the difference between

I prove 1+1=2
I prove that 1+1=2

Likewise umpty more similar sentence pairs.
When is "that" mandatory, when is it only a matter of style, and which style is preferable?


texts: What do you call something that happens on a cyclical basis?

texts: What do you call something that happens on a cyclical basis or something that keeps on repeating? For example, wars keeps on happening. What do you call such things that keeps on happening? I thought of the adjective cyclical, but it's an adjective and not a noun, and I thought about cycle, but cycle is not an event, but a period of time that's longer than an event that keeps on happening, so it's not quite the word I am looking for.


texts: Usage of "forte" for "skill to be built"

texts:
Can we use "forte" in following sentence:

I am looking forward to building my forte in Biotechnology.
I am looking forward to building my forte as Biotechnologist.


texts:
Does "how weight is it" equal to "What weight is it"?

When I want to ask about something (e.g. egg) what is its weight, I have other options such as:

  "How weight is it"

  "What weight is it"

Googling shows results to both of them, should I conclude that they are both correct?

In addition, I'd like to know what is the way to ask a person (as a caregiver) about his weight. (these are the options that I thought about, but I'm not sure: what is your weight? How weight are you? How weight you are? what weight are you?)


texts:
There is a sentence:

  If you really want to achieve the accomplishment like mine, you would have to accept the hardship and have experienced it for twenty years.

I want to know the usage of "would have to accept" and "have experienced." And what does this sentence mean?

The context is: There is a person. After many years of experiencing hardships, he has achieved some accomplishment. Later when someone ask him, "how should we do to achieve the accomplishment like yours?" Then this person answers this way.


texts:
The pay cuts proposed by the management caused an (outrage) among the workers.
Choose the word that means the same as the word in parentheses
a) anger
B) shame
C) disappointment
I can say the answer is option a but it may be option c since it is fromcthe management to the workers so if the workers were anger it is not a problem for the manager.


texts: Is it possible to change the position of "otherwise" in "you wouldn't have otherwise had"

texts:
The sentence is :

  It gives you opportunity you would not have otherwise had.

1- The role of "otherwise" is conj. Now my question is if we bring the "otherwise" before "you" or put it at the end of sentence, the meaning of the whole sentence changes?

2- why in the above sentence the "otherwise" is placed between "have" and "had"?


texts: "Head to" vs. "head down to". What is the difference?

texts:
I have a sentence in a book:

  During the summers, Noel and the children headed down to Boca Raton, Florida, where Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle owned a condo with a beautiful view of the Intracoastal Waterway

Why this phrasal verb is used here? Why just headed to (without down) is not enough?


texts:
I want to know whether the following sentence is complex or compound.

  We must not be late, else we will miss the train.


texts: "when" and "before" in past perfect tense

texts:
In these two sentences, do "when" and "before" mean the same? Can they be used interchangeably?

  I had worked for that company when I left.

  I had worked for that company before I left.


texts: scout for/scour for/hunt for investment opportunities

texts:
Investors hunt for/scout for/scour for investment opportunities.

Are there any subtle differences between these 3 expressions.

  Hunt: to search for something or someone very carefully and thoroughly

  http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/hunt

  Scout:

  to search an area or place for something or someone
  to explore (an area) in order to find information about it
  to watch or look at (someone or something) in order to decide if that person or thing is suited for a particular job or purpose

  http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/scout

  Scour: to search (something) carefully and thoroughly
  http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/scour

Here is my take.

"Hunt" implies there is a possibility that you won't find the opportunities.

I am not sure about "scout".  Does it imply you look at a company for a long time to decide whether it is worth the investment?

I think "scour" implies that you are searching a wider area.  But how can I interpret it in my sentence?


texts:
Is it correct to say:

  I will be available Friday from 10 am.

I'm actually looking for the english equivalent of

  Je serai disponible vendredi à partir de 10h.


texts: Is it correct to say voluntary work when referring to the work that is being done by volunteers?


texts:
Consumers?
That’s something they’re not used to wrestling with. It’s the same with B2B companies. There’s more consumerization in terms of access, so it’s no longer just about the salesperson’s relationship with the person on the other side. There’s a lot more access and more ways to get in touch with them. So I think loyalty naturally pops up as a topic they start thinking about.
Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/customer-loyalty-the-new-generation


texts:
Since the final year project is for a year, I kept putting
  it off for handling my more urgent school projects.

Is the above sentence grammatical?

I am talking about final year project during the time of my university.

I use is, since the final year project is still for a year now at 2015.
I use kept, since it is an event in the past.

From comment: For my context, I am talking about the final year project during my undergraduate time (it is like 10 years [ago]). The final project is a project that lasts for 1 year (two semesters), e.g., 1 Aug 2010 - 1 Aug 2011. Therefore "the final year project is for a year" I am talking about a fact in the university that I have attended before. In such context, does it still look unnatural or ambiguous?


texts: "To do something, it's required to do something else" - Is this construction correct?

texts:
I have a technical document with the following sentence:

Exception: To assign a_very_special_variable, use a separate line.
Exception: To assign a_very_special_variable, it’s required to use a separate line.

I want to avoid the word "exception" and—for this reason—it seems I need to use the second version of the sentences and not the first.
However, I'm not really sure that the second version is really grammatically correct. I tried to find such sentences over the Internet and I have found nothing.

The following part was added after the conversation with BadZen in comments

The document is a style guide for AutoHotkey programming language. There is a following section:

Comma-separated expressions
Use them only if it really makes sense to do so.
FirstName := "John", LastName := "Doe"
Age := 20

Warning
To assign CliboardAll, use a separate line.
; OK
Clipboard := "Foo"
PseudoClipboard := ClipboardAll
Clipboard := PseudoClipboard
MsgBox,,, % Clipboard  ; => `Foo`

; Wrong
Clipboard := "Foo", PseudoClipboard := ClipboardAll, Clipboard := PseudoClipboard
MsgBox,,, % Clipboard  ; => An empty string

The first rule is just a matter of taste.
The second (that is, the one inside "Warning") is mandatory; if you break it, you get an error.


texts: I will give you that vs I have to hand it to you

texts:
In the last episode of the Vikings, one of the characters said:

  You are smart. I will give you that.

But would it not be more suitable "I have to hand it to you"? I thought that "I will give you that" is used when I admit that someone is partially right, for example.
How would the meaning change if the other was used there?


texts:
Which preposition to use to describe the following:

1-Countries which are weak will become on top .

2-Countries which are weak will become on the top.

3- Counntries which are weak will become at the top.


texts:
Is this sentence correct?
How about "I have some suggestions for you"
does either of these sound condescending? Are there any better alternatives to make suggestions/advise to someone?


texts:
What is the use & correct meaning of fell short in English, I confused where should I use it.
I have used it in one context

  You tried well but fell short showing your proper requirement.

is it correct? or what other situations I can use it.


texts: Difference between "Trip", "Travel", and "Journey"

texts:
Are there any significant differences between words trip, travel, and journey (nouns)?

Are those interchangeable words or are there any specific expressions which uses one of them but not another?


texts:
I couldn't think a thing but that he would be coming to get his water again.

(excerpted from the collection of Alice Munro, the part "How I met my husband")

Have I correctly rephrased the bold part?

  […]but(for) I could think that he would be coming[…]


texts: what part of speech are deep and purple in the following sentence: she dyed her hair deep purple

texts:
Which part of the speech are the words deep and purple in the following sentence?

She dyed her hair deep purple.


texts: How can one live happily vs How one can live happily?

texts:
How can one live happily
How one can live happily

What is grammatically correct from the above two sentences and also let me know meaning for both the sentences.


texts: What is difference between 'going to' and 'about to' in the given sentences?

texts:
I am going to buy a house.

I am about to buy a house.

I think both are planned actions that will happen in future.
Is there any difference in the above sentences? Explain to me the correct meaning of above sentences and explain to me the correct usage of going to and about to in a sentence.


texts:
Which one of the following is correct?

1.The black and the white cat are my cats.
2.The black and the white cats are my cats.

I mean I have one black cat and one white cat.
Could you explain it to me? Thank you very much!


texts:
Now, I encountered a sentence in a text book, saying

  Many fish are specially adapted to live only in certain places.

I know that plural of the word fish can be fish as Merriam says

But wouldn't it someway or somewhat sound unusual or "too unique"?

Is it only to me?


texts: Build into it meaning in the given context

texts:
You don't say the joke right away, you build into it, and then you say it.

Is the above sentence grammatically correct?

What does build into it mean here?


texts:
A: You've changed.
B: No, it's you who has/have changed.
I'm not sure about whether we use the 'singular' or 'plural' in this type of sentence.
More example sentences:
"It's you who is/are different."
"It's you who need/needs us."


texts: The Use of superlatives at the end of the phrase

texts:
I have heard this phrase below from a native speaker

  "Italians appreciate Team sports the most."

Is it correct? Why "the most" was put at the end of the sentence?


texts: Unavailable in X OR Y vs. Unavailable in X and Y

texts:
What is the difference these two statements:

It is unavailable in X or Y.

It is unavailable in X and Y.

Is 2) the same as saying:

It is neither available in X nor Y.

Lastly, are all three statements grammatically correct?


texts: Is "If he had come tomorrow, I would have gone." grammatically correct

texts:
Is this sentence grammatically correct?

  If he had come tomorrow, I would have gone.

I am trying to convey that

He will not come and I can't go. Does it convey the same meaning?

Can  "If +had perfect+ would have" be used to express something in future?


texts:
I was wondering if 'how' can be used after 'because of'?

Is this redundant or entirely wrong? While I don't think it's correct I am not certain either.


texts:
In a long text about a foraging ant, would it be correct to refer to the ant always as "she" instead of "it"? For example,

  She wanders aimlessly until she finds a pheromone trail.

A foraging ant is always a female, so technically it would be correct. However, wouldn't that seem odd to the layperson?

The ant in question is not anthropomorphized at all.


texts:
What does "move on" mean and who "moves on"

  I thought that I've been hurt before
  But no one's ever left me quite this sore
  Your words cut deeper than a knife
  Now I need someone to breathe me back to life

  Got a feeling that I'm going under
  But I know that I'll make it out alive
  If I quit calling you my lover
  Move on


texts: How can I classify the following conditional sentences?

texts:
I was watching this video. It classifies conditionals as follows:

I see that these variations are missing:

(Present → Past) If I say something, I destroyed everything.
(Present Perfect → Present Perfect) If I have done it, I have done it for you.
(Present Perfect → Future) If I have done it, I will do it again.
(Present → Present perfect) If I eat pizza, I have also eaten cheese.
(Past → Past) If I bought anything, I bought that with my own money.
(Past → Past Perfect) If I did it last year, I had done it perfectly.
(Past Perfect → Past Perfect) If I had done that, I had done that for you.
(Past Future → Past future) If I would eat meat, I would not be a vegan anymore.
(Future → Future) If I will do it, I will do it myself.
(Future → Present) If I will tell him, I tell him on his face.

Are these sentences grammatically correct?

How can I classify these conditional sentences into 0th, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd conditionals?


texts: Grammar of "How came false Aegisthus to kill so far better a man than himself?"

texts:
From Samuel Butler's translation of The Odyssey:

  And how came false Aegisthus to kill so far better a man than himself?

What is the structure of this sentence?


texts: How to describe this sentence correctly?

texts:
Mr. A assigned Mr.B(the factory worker) to operate the xxx machine in accordance with the processing program-related documents which consisted of:

design drawings;
a checklist of the processing procedure;

In this case, I'm asking whether "consisted of" above can used to refer "as follows" or should I use the latter for the sake of simplicity?

Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Can "that" be dropped from: "It was __ that I __"?

texts:
In the book that I am learning, It taught me the sentence 'it is __ that __.'

For example, there is

  I saw Mary at the station yesterday.

I've heard that it can be changed to something like

  it was Mary that I saw at the station yesterday.'

I know that with relative pronouns such as "that, I can drop "that" if it is in the objective case.

If I drop "that" in the sentence, can the meaning be changed?


texts: Is this mathematical explanation of "except" and "other than" right?

texts:
This question is derived from this one.

Assume "not including" and "including" have two mutually exclusive meanings. It is impossible "not including" and "including" at the same time.

The Oxford dict gives this example of except.

  They work every day except Sunday

In the form of set (math), we have 2 sets in there

on set_1 = {Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday} they work
on set_2 = {Sunday} they don't work

set_1 is not including Sunday, this is what "except" does mean, "other than" has the same meaning. Is my understanding right?


texts: "Sweets are not necessary for surviving but bread and water are." is a correct sentence?

texts:
I have a question about the following sentence:

  "Sweets are not necessary for surviving but bread and water are."

I would like to know if I can end this sentence with "are" (without extension of "are necessary for surviving".


texts: how to say that the food is done but not fired

texts:
my context is:
i am cooking eggs and they are about to be done.
by done i mean they are eatable and not fired.
by fired i mean they are not eatable.
i know it is hard to understand because i am searching for the correct word.
so please how do i say that the food is done good and not fired. so it is nicely red and eatable.
i searched and they only word i found is "cooked" but that is not what i need. cooked means transferred from row material to something that is digestible.


texts:
Which of the sentences below is correct? Please explain why.

  The kids all go to school on the same bus
  All the kids go to school on the same bus


texts:
Two girls making a toast.

First said: “We, my friend, are having a true girls’ night.To finally having a girl around, I don’t want to smash in the teeth with a shovel.”

Second girl: "To us!"

Can someone help me with the meaning of the phrase about teeth?

Ok! Source: Book I'm reading. Demons from J.L. Drake


texts:
I've practised IELTS listening and encountered the following passage:

STUDENT:    Okay, thanks. And to clarify, what exactly is due in the
first phase?
PROFESSOR: Before the October deadline, I want your group to have
compiled resources and then to provide some initial data analysis to
support your claims.
STUDENT:    Okay, so data analysis is due the 10th of October, and
then the um, the
PROFESSOR: - Presentation? Yes. The final phase is simply giving the
presentation on the 5th of November.

Then there were two fields to complete:

Schedule of items due:
First phase: _________
Final phase: Group _________

As I've understood from the heading 'Schedule of items due', the answers have to be connected with time. So I wrote down:

Schedule of items due:
First phase: October 10th
Final phase: Group November 5

However, the correct answer is:

Schedule of items due:
First phase: data analysis
Final phase: Group presentation

Why is it so? In 'Schedule of items due' heading doesn't 'due' suggest having a particular date, as in the sentence 'Final results are due Wednesday night' for example?


texts: "I always make grammatical errors" VERSUS "I'm always making grammatical errors" what is the difference?

texts:
I'm brushing up on my grammar using Cambridge's English Grammar in Use, and in the present continuous and present simple unit, it mentioned when to use "always do" and "always doing".

I never picked up on the difference between the two, but the textbook says that when you always do something, that it's present simple for something you do frequently, while when you're "always doing" something, it has a negative connotation to it; like, you're doing it too much.

And yet, i hear people say "I always eat at restaurant A" with them sounding happy about it. I also hear people use the present simple, the "I always do", when they talk about something negatively; like, "I always lose my glasses".

I don't get the difference between "I always do A" and "I'm always doing A".


texts:
The bus left an hour ago.
  It has been an hour since the bus left/had left.

Could ‘had left’ be used instead of ‘left’ in thre second transformed sentence?


texts: "Paul's neighbours were terrible so his brother's friends went round to have a word"

texts:
I have the following sentence that i need to punctuate

  Paul's neighbours were terrible so his brother's friends went round
  to have a word

From my knowledge a semicolon must be used between two independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunction;so this must be the punctuation:

  Paul's neighbours were terrible;so his brother's friends went round
  to have a word

But here in question 6 it says that a comma is needed before the coordinating conjunction hence the sentence is

  Paul's neighbours were terrible, so his brother's friends went round
  to have a word.

Where am i wrong?


texts: That vs Which and comma usage in this sentence

texts:
A1. The dogs, which barked in the night-time, did not recognize the thief.
A2. The dogs which barked in the night-time did not recognize the thief.
B1. The dogs, that barked in the night-time, did not recognize the thief.
B2. The dogs that barked in the night-time did not recognize the thief.

As far as I know, both A1 and A2 are "standard" English and the their meaning, as one can notice, is rather different.
Could one replace which with that in both A1 and A2 cases without infringing the rules of grammar? Could the absence or the presence of punctuation (please, note the parenthetical commas) interfere with or impede in any way this replacement?


texts:
I read this post so I understood why we need an article in the sentence

  What do you do for a living?

My question is why we use a living not the living, since we are asking certain somebody, shouldn't we use the instead of a?


texts:
This is the context:

  It seems to be one of the fundamental features of nature that fundamental physical laws are
  described in terms of mathematical theory of great beauty and power, needing quite a high standard
  of mathematics for one to understand it. You may wonder: Why is nature constructed along these
  lines? One can only answer that our present knowledge seems to show that it is so constructed. We
  simply have to accept it. One could perhaps describe the situation by saying that God is a
  mathematician of a very high order, and He used very advanced mathematics in constructing the
  universe. Our feeble attempts at mathematics enable us to understand a bit of the universe, and as
  we proceed to develop higher and higher mathematics we can hope to understand the universe
  better.

  The Evolution of the Physicist's Picture of Nature By Paul Dirac

What is the meaning of "of" in this context? Is it just a simple preposition? Or does it mean "that have"? Or something else? I am not a native speaker so I'm sorry if this question is trivial.


texts: Why do I find the word "which" in non-independent clauses?

texts:
The general rule for choosing between "which" and "that" is that the first should be used only for independent clauses.(see for instance these three sources 1, 2, 3) Yet, especially in old books, I often come across the word "which" in clauses that are not independent.
For instance, I'm reading a book by an English scholar who seems to use ONLY the word which. Here a few examples:

  "The Greek hero-legends are full of myths which have this ritual
  origin."

  "On the other hand, the king is still regarded by others as a mere
  depositary of social authority—a temporary embodiment of a power which
  existed before him."

  "In the mortal soul we find again the same combination of blood and
  mana which composed the sympathetic continuum of primary magic."

I really could go on forever with examples. This book is ridden with this use of "which". Can anyone tell me why? Is perhaps this use more archaic or literary?


texts: "know you are not alone" Or "know that you are not alone"

texts:
know you are not alone..."
know that you are not alone..."

If I use the line in a poetic way, does the first sentence sounds non-grammatical without that?


texts: Why is the past simple used in one narration tenses example, and the past perfect is used in the other?

texts:
Last year, I spent  my winter holidays in Paris at Aunt Sandra's house. I have never visited  Paris with a tour guide like her. It was very interesting. I saw  the Monet exhibition. What a wonderful artist! . We took  buses and crowded tubes to cross town. 5. The weather was fine, so we  walked along the Seine where there were a lot of bookshops. My aunt showed me a boat where she lived  for several years.

(Source: Narration Tenses on ToLearnEnglish.com)

Here no need for past perfect we can obviously understand from the context that the aunt lived in the boat a long time ago before the visit of her nephew

Please have a look at this quite similar example:

  An hour or so later, when I was having  lunch with my family at home, my father asked me about the film. I then mentioned at I had been looking  at toys in a department store when a store detective accused me of shoplifting and searched me in the middle of the shop. My father made me repeat what I had said, and then immediately  jumped up from the table. Without either of us having finished our lunch, he made me get into the car. I had never seen my father so angry! He drove quickly to the store, parked outside, and took me to where the incident had taken place place

(Source: Completed exercise on narrative tenses in http://ingleseoi.es/c1/EF/G3A.pdf part2 )

Why in this case past perfect is used? Because it is obvious that the incident from the context happened before, is it because both events are very close the incident and the returning. So it is better to use past perfect to make a strict  difference between them.


texts:
A study-aid book says

"may[might] as well - use when there is no reason no to do this.",

so I have in trouble in understanding the difference "may as well" and "might as well".

Those two means really the same?

Can they be replaced each other all the time?

For example

I finished cleaning up my room earlier, so I may as well wash the dishes,too.

I finished cleaning up my room earlier, so I might as well wash the dishes,too.


texts:
Which one is grammatical?

  "Wow! Nice! I smelled you baking cake!"
  "Wow! Nice! I smelled your baking cake!"

Both of them are acceptable, maybe?


texts:
Superficial differences between the special problems and techniques of the physical sciences and those of the biological sciences are sometimes cited as evidence for the autonomy of biology and for the claim that the methods of physics are therefore not adequate to biological inquiry.
Superficial differences between the special problems and techniques of the physical science and those of the biological science are sometimes cited as evidence for the autonomy of biology and for the claim that the methods of physics are therefore not adequate to biological inquiry.

Which is the correct form of science, singular or plural?


texts: Should I use "with" or "regarding" in this context?

texts:
Which one is more appropriate?

  I'll contact him and I'll keep you updated with the arrangements status.

or

  I'll contact him and I'll keep you updated regarding the arrangements status.

Which one should I use? "Regarding" or "with"?


texts: The suitable tense for a sentence used along "I would not have otherwise had"

texts:
If I want to use a sentence before "I would not have otherwise had", which tense is more suitable to be applied?

  1-Studying has given me a self-confidence I would not have otherwise had.   or,
  2- Studying gives me a self-confidence I would not have otherwise had.


texts: Which one is right? "at their forties" or "in their forties". If both are right, what are the differences?

texts:
I mean the people whose age are 40 to 49. Do I have to use "the people at their forties" or "the people in their forties"? I googled the "in their forties" and found this. In the example, there's a sentence "They stopped smoking in their forties." I also tried "at their forties" and could find sentences that use the expression.

Which one is right? If both are right, what are the differences between them?


texts:
Ok, in dictionary, where /wer/ Source

& 're  /ɚ/ Source

So, where're will be pronounced as  /werɚ/, right?


texts:
I suggest the new leadership be needed.

I learned subjunctive mood recently and now I know you could parse this as such, "I suggest the new leadership should be needed." However, now I got confused all the more for the present tense like this one below.

  I suggest the new leadership is needed.

It's like, to me, the whole sentence should have subjunctive mood according to the situation in which the speaker is. But still, it's just in the normal and present tense... how? What could be the differences between the sentences each above?


texts:
Which of these sentences is correct?

  1- We often go to visit our friends in Cambridge, which is not far from London.
  2- We often go to visit our friends in Cambridge, where is not far from London.

I've learnt in grammar books that when you are talking about places in relative clauses, you should use "where" to give some information about that place, I know in the above question the first sentence is correct, but why? Cambridge is a place, isn't it?


texts: What is the function of "but" in this sentence?

texts:
Who should I meet there but Nancy?

Is that but the same as "Excuse me, but could you tell me the way to the station?" or "I have nothing but this one"?


texts:
I saw this sentence while I was using HiNative:

  hey ，could u pronounce (a sentence) for me?

'U' is pronounced like 'you'. Is 'u' the same as 'you'?


texts: What are the subtle differences between all these phonemes regarding the letter or sound "a"?

texts:
I'm a Spanish native speaker and to me, all these phonemes sound quite similar.
What are the little details that make these sounds different?


texts: Term used to describe someone who explicitly follows directions when they know that doing so will result in a negative effect

texts: I know I've seen this word somewhere before. It's when a subordinate follows instructions exactly as given when the subordinate knows that the instructions will result in a negative effect (damage to systems, broken processes, etc).


texts: Is 'guts' singular or plural? Like, which is correct: "Guts are required for this" or "Guts is required for this"?


texts: "Did you come", or "did you coming" in continuous?

texts:
I had an English exam days ago and a question was written like this:

  In what year did you ____ to the United States?

  A. come
  B. coming

So I chose A, but the teacher insisted that it was B, because it was continuous. What do you think?


texts:
Should it be...
Using heavy whipping cream will make the ice cream’s texture creamier
                            OR
Using heavy whipping cream will make the ice cream texture creamier.

Is there another way to word this?


texts: How should I use the word next in this sentence?

texts:
English ain't my first language, so I'm getting confused on how I should use the word "next" in this sentence.

Which one is correct?

"Should I resign next from the Student Organisation?"

or

"Should I resign from the Student Organisation next?"

Thank you for your answers


texts: Is "I saw this being used by you" (odd sentence) the correct way of phrasing this? The word in question is being which I don't know why it is correct. I asked a very similar question some time ago but the answer referred to the other meanings of the verb "see" as its explanation whereas it got its main meaning here. Of course I could avoid the passive altogether and definitely should here (I saw you use...) but I want to know regardless.


texts:
We can also use will be+verb-ing to make a prediction about something we believed to be the case now.

You can't interrupt her now. She will be getting ready to go on stage, won't she?

.....

I can not understand the concept of the following: In addition what is the alternative to use instead of will be verb-ing in such situations? Think

make a prediction about something we believed to be the case now.


texts: Could anybody explain this sentence - The movies gathered here are those that the authors feel to have had the most seismic impact

texts:
Why does the author use "to have had" instead of "have had"? Why did he choose to use an infinitive? What grammatical rule is implied here?
The full sentence goes

The movies gathered here are those that the authors feel, in the imprecise way of these things, to have had the most seismic impact on both cinema and the world.


texts: Is it possible to say "a first and a second layer"?

texts:
In patent context, you put "the" only for the things which have been described previously.

I encountered "the first and a second insulating layers" which should have been as "the first insulating layer and a second insulating layer". However, I can't use the second phrase.

So, is it possible to write "a first and a second layer" ?
and if so, should I put -s after the "layer" and put plural verb?

such as .. "a first and a second layer have~"


texts:
Joey got nearly bitten by shark while swimming, Actually Families of Dave & Joey are on vacation, so Joey & Dave having dinner together with their families.

  Joey: Dave, I was in a car accident once, okay? And it was really
  scary, I had nightmares. But when...

  Dave: I've been in a car accident, too. Have you ever been bit by a
  shark?

  Joey: I was never bit by a shark. I'm just saying that I understand.
  My...

  Dave: Say it again.

  Joey: I was in a car accident.

  Dave: No, say the last part.

  Joey: I was never bit by a shark.

  Dave: That's it! Then you shouldn't talk about it. And I'm not gonna sit
  here and try to explain myself to a bunch of black and white suburban
  trash who don't know a damn thing about the ocean.

What does it mean by "suburban trash" ?


texts:
I was recently reading a text on YouTube channel. The sentence written was

It was a great pleasure to apoear on Roqe media this week and be interviwed by Mr.James, talking about our YouTube channel.

How this sentence starts with a past form and contunue with a passive form after a conjenction. Please advise what is the meaning of "Be interviewed by" can we use only "interviewed" instead of "be interviewed"?


texts: "I remember locking the door" vs "I remember the locking of the door"

texts:
I remember locking the door

vs

I remember the locking of the door

I remember the door being locked that night
What is the difference among these three meaningwise, and how to make gerund phrases negative in the given sentences... One more Question  His being insulted hurts me or Insulting him hurts me ...i am very confused...


texts: A winner's attitude IS, says Lao Tzu, YOU... (sentence style)

texts:
In this statement:

  A winner's attitude is, says Lao Tzu, a philosopher, ''you have to know when to fight and when not to fight.''(I've made this up)

For me it sounds a bit weird to sepearate the ''is-you'' in this sentence. Do you find this as a weak, normal, or an advanced sentence construction?


texts: Subject of imperatives starting with 'let'?

texts:
[Source 1:] When a pronoun follows "let" in a mild exhortation, we use the object form of the pronoun.

  We say "Let us go then," but we're apt to slip in the subject form, especially when the pronouns are compounded:
  ✘ "And now, let you and I take the first step toward reconciliation." ✘
  It should read "let you and me … "
  And in the Biblical admonition, we read ✘ "Let he who is without guilt cast the first stone." ✘
  It should read "Let him who is without guilt cast the first stone."

  [Source 2:] First person plural imperatives (cohortatives) are used mainly for suggesting an action to be performed together by the speaker and the addressee (and possibly other people): "Let's go to Barbados this year"; "Let us pray". Third person imperatives (jussives) are used to suggest or order that a third party or parties be permitted or made to do something: "Let them eat cake"; "Let him be executed".

1. What are the reasons behind the first sentence  of this post (that I italicised)?

2. 1 implies that the object pronouns are all direct objects in these imperative clauses, so what or who is the subject in these imperative clauses?


texts: What does the expression "then on" mean in this case?

texts:
She says that she knows that moments are rare
  I suppose that it's true
  Then on she goes to say I don't care and she knows that I do

"Then on" means that she said he doesn't care immediately after she saying that she knows that moments are rare? Or we cant't define when she said that he doesn't care?


texts:
Is "in an instant way" good to your ears?
I want to say:

  This method takes away the ability of students to think in the target language instantaneously.

Is it possible to replace the last word with "in an instant way"?
Google comes up with some results but I'm not sure whether those pages are written by the natives.


texts: meaning of the adjective "singular" in context

texts:
It is from Crash Course World History. It is at 55 second. Here it goes:

  The first European visitors to the Americas had never seen a tomato or a catfish; native americans had never seen a horse, and by making our planet biologically singular, the Columbian exchange completely remade the population of animals, particularly humans.

I cannot get from the context whether the presenter meant biologically very good or biologically less diverse.


texts:
So I recently got confused when comparing a set of plurals. I know normally when you compare singular you add a +s to the verb and you don't with plurals, but then I came across this while trying to help a non-English native:

  Its advantages outweighs its disadvantages"

Now to my brain this sounds correct, but the rule as I know it doesn't support it. I know their are other exceptions to this rule, like when I say "I outrun you", but I can't think of a reason as to why these plurals are acting like singulars. Anyone have any ideas?


texts:
The context is explaining how Photoshop tool "Sharpen Tool" works.

  This tool makes areas sharpen

Is it ok to say that? I mean to use sharpen there?


texts: What is the meaning of 'like' in this sentence?

texts:
I think that 'like' in this sentence means 'about'.
Then, what is the difference between 'like' and 'about'?


texts:
There are several places where we might ask someone to sit down, such as when we extend that invitation to a friend in our home, or to a business associate in a conference room.

Of these two (which are heard rather often):

Have a seat.
Please sit down.

is one of them more appropriate than the other to ask people whom you do not know too well to sit and have a talk? Would one of them be more appropriate than the other in a more formal setting?


texts:
Why Merriam-Webster dictionary has multiple categories to define the meaning of a word, as I think the meaning can't change w.r.t the audience. For eg., if you search the meaning of "less", then there are separate categories for the students/ kids, general meaning and for English learners? It appears that for the learners, they are not giving emphasis to grammar; for example, for them, they have not mentioned that "less" is a comparative form. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/less

The most surprising thing is that the general definition of "less" as an adjective has one extra meaning as compared to its meaning defined for students as follows: of lower rank, degree, or importance no less a person than the president himself

I know this question is more specific on Merriam-Webster website. I tried to search for the rationale behind these categories, but couldn't find it. I just want to know whether a general definition can vary from a definition of a word when one is addressing the students. Which definition should one consider when he has to understand the meaning of this word?


texts: "Networks must maintain data on 'its' users..." Grammatical mistake by BBC News?

texts:
Has BBC News made a mistake in this article?

  It includes measures to ensure that bloggers cannot remain anonymous, and states that social networks must maintain six months of data on its users.

Networks is plural, so instead of its it should be their.


texts:
Sometimes, I see sentences like the following, using two structures that, as far as my knowledge goes, aren't supposed to be together.

I should've been somebody by now.
You should've known it by now

What does this structure want to say?


texts: Is "on how to use" grammatically correct?

texts:
Here is my sentence. I feel that "on how to" seems incorrect.

Additionally, my technical skills were helpful in training customers on how to use the company's software.


texts: "I'd like to ask + wh questions" pattern

texts:
Which sentence is correct if I add a "wh question" after I said "I'd like to ask...".

For example:

  I'd like to ask how much expensive is product A than product B

  or

  I'd like to ask how much is product A expensive than product B.

  I'd like to ask how much these words overlap each other.

  or

  I'd like to ask how much do these words overlap each other.

  I'd like to ask how different these words are

  or

  I'd like to ask how are these words different


texts:
I was reading a chapter about Partition of British India. And, in it, there was a section which was titled as:

  A momentous marker

I wasn't sure what the word "marker" exactly meant here. And when I checked its translation in the Hindi version of my book, marker was translated to 'मोड़' which means 'turn'. So, what exactly is the meaning of "marker" in this context? Does it mean that "the thing being described as marker" marks a moment in history apart?


texts:
Are any of these grammatically incorrect?

‡The wallet which was stolen is mine.
‡The stolen wallet is mine.
‡‡The wallet stolen is mine.

the one I quoted with ‡‡ is the sentence that my university teacher stated was  grammatically correct ... but I still have my doubts.


texts:
I am writing this in the context of writing to a university:

  The [name] university is well known in the scientific community and its courses are of very respected academic value.

I would like to know if the construct “are of very” is grammatically correct.


texts: Can you paraphrase the highlighted part of this paragraph please?

texts:
It says she remembered them before? Before what? Before when? It is actually hard to understand this paragraph. Should be read it backward?  The women had passed close to girls and Cecilia remembered that they were at the other side of touchline? Is that inversion? How is it common in literature?

  The two women who were watching the hockey were on the other touchline, directly opposite where Cecilia, with Daisy and Amanda, was watching it, too, since attendance at home matches was compulsory. Cecilia remembered the women being on the touchline before, because when the hockey ended they’d passed close to where she and Daisy and Amanda were looking for Amanda’s watch, which had slipped from her wrist without her noticing. “Someone’ll stand on it!” Amanda was wailing and the two women had hesitated as if about to look for the watch, too. Daisy found it, undamaged, on the grass, and the women went on. But when they hesitated they’d stared at Cecilia in a way that was quite disconcerting.

Taken from “The Women” by William Trevor


texts: Does "takes no account" mean that something is ignored on purpose?

texts:
I believe I have a good understanding of the phrase. But I need to be sure that I am correct.

"Takes no account of" can mean to disregard something or to not consider something. But I can't find a definition in a dictionary apart from Free dictionary that says, To not think about, consider, or pay attention to someone or something.

The Guardian has some examples:

The measure takes no account of leisure time, meaning that two countries might have equal GDP but one has workers toiling for 12 hour days and the other only eight.

GDP includes rough estimates for the value of drugs and prostitution, yet fails to take account of unpaid work in the home.

I need to say that something (e.g., the computation of GDP) knowingly and purposefully takes no account of something else (e.g., living standards, happiness, leisure time). "Disregard" is perhaps the right word.

It is quite different than saying John went out without his raincoat. He took no account of the fact that it would be pouring today. Here, John might have simply made a mistake and forgotten about the raincoat. He did not purposefully do that.


texts: Can I convert "Although I called him" >> "In spite of calling him"?

texts:
Although I called him, he gave me no answer.

If I rewrite it as "In spite of calling him, he gave me no answer", does it mean exactly the same as the original post? Thanks.


texts: Mindful of competition for the loyalty of its ally

texts:
"Americans,increasingly consumed by fears that China poses a commercial and military threat, should be mindful of competition for the loyalties of its oldest ally." [Economist]

The context was that not only European should be conscious of China's investments in the EU that caused Greece or Czech Republic supported China, but also Americans.

My question is if this understanding is correct that "Americans should be mindful of competition for showing loyalties to China by the EU".


texts:
Should I "as well as I" or "as well as me" in the following sentence?

  John  visited the party last night as well as I/as well as me.


texts: Expression similar to 'as always' in this context?

texts:
For these expressions

As always I am feeling nervous before my speech.
As always X player scored more than half of his team's points but still lost.

Can anyone suggest to me any phrase which I can use instead of As always in this context.


texts:
Q: I found following explanation in some forum site but somebody argued that "I envy you your car." form is used usually, too. Is that right? Which opinion is right?

Envy, is rarely used with a direct and indirect object - "I envy you your car."; it is usually, "I am envious of your car." or "I envy your car."


texts: Question about use and meaning of "want to" and "going to" in really informal English

texts:
So today we want to talk about passing rules. And the first thing is that passing should always be done in the left lane. We should never pass a car to the right. It should always be done to the left. And the first thing we want to do if we want to make a good, safe pass is to put our indicator on and let the vehicles behind us know that we want to make this action of passing to the left.
The second thing is you can never pass over a solid line. So if you’re in a situation where you’re on a highway or in a situation where the line is solid, a pass is not allowed over a solid line. It has to be a staggered line. So we want to wait for that part of the highway where our line is staggered, and that’s when we can make our pass. You can’t pass over a solid line.
So you’re going to put your indicator on and then you’re going to start to look. You’re going to start to make sure it’s safe to make the pass. The first thing might be to check your mirrors. So you want to check your side view mirror to make sure it’s safe. Then you want to quickly turn your head. Make sure there isn’t any other car in our space of which we want to pass. And then we want to move our car into the lane and pass the vehicle on our right side.

(A source for this is Passing Rule for Driving).
I am really confused about use of you want to in the coach's speech. Could you tell me please if you want to and you are going to have any fixed usage in very informal speech or not.
I am pretty sure that the first we want to has its completely usual meaning of having an intention or willing, so I did not highlight it. But other want to's in the rest of the transcript perhaps have other meanings, don't they?
And please do not tell me that this is not perfect or correct English; I know that is real English but so informal. And perhaps it must have a meaning?
Do you want to  and you are going to here mean you should? And if so, is it fixed meaning in slang? In informal and every day speaking?
A million thanks in advance.


texts:
I saw her crying, helped me understand the matter"

As i know comma before main verb is grammatically wrong, isn't helped
main verb here?


texts:
Towns turn into motels, people in nomadic surges from place to place, following the moon tides, living tonight in the room where you slept this noon and I the night before.

  (Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, p.75)

Is the author referring to the alternate rising and falling of the sea, and that these people are following the tide - I guess as it ebbs out? I know that tides are mostly influenced by the moon, but is there another reason the author is emphasizing this?


texts: It was raining last night or It had rained last night

texts:
In an short story- which tense suits better? Will my writing in the next line depend on which one I choose? For ex.
It was raining last night. Now a little girl was walking along the street....
It had rained last night. Now a little girl walked along the street...


texts: Talking about my soul. Use he, she or it?

texts:
When I'm talking about my soul (in the "paranormal" way), the correct use of the pronoun is he she or it?

See the example:

  My soul is lost. He/She/It is lost forever.

I'm asking it 'cause I always chosen the "he/she" for people and "it" for things, animals and objects. My soul is definitely not a person, but is not a thing or animal, right?

What should I use?


texts:
...,  there is no simple causal relationship of dependency or determination, either way, between morality and law. We would rather approach both morality and law as ideological, in that they are manifestations of, and seek to explain and justify, particular social and economic relationships. This essentially materialist approach to a degree explains the tensions between the competing ideologies of law and morality and explains why they sometimes conflict and why they change, albeit asynchronously, as underlying social relations change.

Source: p 2, The English Legal System 2012-2013, Gary Slapper

"Morality and law as ideological",  aren't 'material possessions and physical comfort', as required by definition 1. So which definition is consistent with the context here? Sadly, I know little about philosophy.


texts:
Consider this sentence:

  It was a subject, however, in which she often indulged with her fair friend, from whom she received every possible encouragement to continue to think of him; and his impression on her fancy was not suffered therefore to weaken.

I am very much confused by the emphasized part, I can kind of gather what it is supposed to mean from context, but I am nowhere near properly understanding it.

The source is Northanger Abbey (1803).


texts: "Bad play" or "bad playing" to negatively describe someone's playing of a musical instrument?

texts:
When someone's playing of a musical instrument is praised, we can write:

  They praised her playing.

  They praised her piano playing.

But in a sentence like this one, where the playing as an activity is being negatively described, it is grammatically correct to write this:

  Whenever she looked at her new neighbor, she was reminded of bad guitar playing.


texts: Should I say something (plural) were v+ed with something (singular)?

texts:
Is this sentence correct, which I want to express that all praising expressions were spoken in a fast way.

Praising expressions were spoken with a relatively fast speaking rate.


texts:
The 10th and last round of negotiations between Iran and the six world powers was held in Vienna in a bid to strike a final deal. However, after the sides failed to agree on a final deal they decided to extend the negotiations until / by July 1, 2015.

In the original text the preposition until has been written. I am, however, wondering if we could use by instead, if so, is there any difference semantically?

Any help would be greatly appreciated


texts:
I live on 7th Street and 8th avenue.

What does it mean?
How can you live on two streets?


texts: Meaning of “The Present tense would be syntactically best described as non-past”?

texts:
I'm reading "Meaning and the English Verb" by Geoffrey Leech and in the paragraph §113 on page 71 he states the following:

§113:

  First, the ways of referring to the future dealt with in this chapter illustrate the point made in §5: that the Present Tense, from the semantic point of view as well as syntactically, would be best described as 'non-past'. We have seen that all these future-referring constructions are variations on the Present Tense, with the very minor exception of the future subordinate use of the Past (see §102c) - even including the 'non-past' modal auxiliaries will / shall, to which we turn again in the next chapter. In other words, the Present Tense, in a broad sense, encompasses both present and future domains of time.

§5:

  However, in English the major formal distinction of Present and Past tenses can be associated with two major TIME ZONES, 'past' and 'non-past', so that future time is subsumed under 'non-past'. This helps to explain why English, which does not have a Future tense as such, uses Present tense to express future time.

I know what he means by "from the semantic point of view", but I do not understand what he means by "syntactically" in this context.

So what does it mean when he says that "The Present tense would be syntactically best described as 'non-past'"?


texts: joining two sentences by using the relative pronoun

texts:
Nowadays domestic robots perform simple tasks such as vacuum cleaning and grass cutting.
  They are now available.

If the two sentences are joined by using the relative pronoun,

  Nowadays domestic robots that perform simple tasks such as vacuum cleaning and grass cutting are now available.

Is the new sentence correct? If not, please explain it to me.


texts:
If a group consists of 5 members and the group is jumping, why should all of 5 members be jumping to express the group is jumping? I mean 'group' is a singular so can't I say 'a group is jumping' even though only one member of the group is jumping?
For more example, there's group A and A consists of A, B and C. A and B eats bread but C doesn't. Though 'group A eats bread' is grammatical?


texts: Did I use "only" appropriately in my sentence?

texts:
I was wondering if I have to only book appointment on Fridays for the rest of my treatment.

Is only used appropriately in this sentence?


texts: Can we use the modal verb "could" in the present and future to show possibilities?

texts:
I have some basic knowledge of English grammar (this is what I think!!!).  I have a question about the modal verbs can and could. Let me share what I know about these modal verbs. I have explained both the modal verbs below to make you understand what knowledge I have about them:

  Can:

  It can be used to show abilities, opportunities, possibilities and
  take permissions and requests  (only in the present time).

  Could:

  It can be used in the past and present times. It can be used
  to show abilities, opportunities, possibilities (in the past as it is
  the past form of can), but it can also be used to take permissions and
  requests (in the present).

My question is can we use could in the present and future  to show possibilities?


texts: Why the subject is written twice in "I wish I found some better sounds"?

texts: My question is that, because in the theory of English that I am following it says: wish + present simple is used to express that we want a situation in the present to be different. And the present simple is in this case find, so why is it wrong to say "I wish find"? And does the verb wish belong to a type of group that needs the subject twice?


texts:
I'm currently writing a academic paper draft (in computer vision, if it helps), and I'd like to know if "weed out", in the sense of "eliminate", or "remove" is considered informal ?

Edit: adding an example

  To avoid unnecessary processing, we try to weed out these poor quality images as soon as possible.


texts:
I am having trouble with confirming the use of the phrase "...not...but instead..." when it comes to verbs in different grammar tenses. Could you help me with confirming the relevance of the sentences below?

He should not repeat the same methods to solve this social problem, but instead focus on finding new ways to deal with the situation.
He doesn't like watching movies but instead reads books.
We didn't want to harm the person, but instead helped him.

Thank you.


texts:
Which sounds more natural in this sentence:

  Names have power which you can summon.

or

  Names have power that you can summon.

Or maybe there's a difference in meaning or usage context that I can't seem to understand, because I'm not native English speaker. Either way, I need help with this one.


texts: May I check if the sentence "Utilities Hotline 93892851 is resumed currently." is this correct grammatically? In particular, should the verb be "resume" or "resumed"?


texts:
And then the Milliner — and the Man
Of the Appalling Trade —
To take the measure of the House —
There'll be that Dark Parade —

Meaning:
What you might not know—but Dickinson probably did—is that "appalling" comes from the Latin word for "to make pale," as the undertaker was responsible for preparing the body right there in the home.
Could anyone please show me what is the concept or meaning of the italic part?
(Source)


texts: Does "culture and languages" agree with "is"?

texts:
I have been writing and rewriting a text which now contains the following sentence:

"I have mainly studied Economics, but culture and languages is something I really enjoy; Today I fluently speak Spanish, Italian, French and I have good knowledge of English."

At the same time that, for some reason, it sounds right to me; because of "culture and languages" not agreeing with "is", it makes me believe that this sentence is wrong. It it right or wrong? Why is it so?


texts: Dissatisfaction with/at - which one is correct?

texts:
I am writing to express my complete dissatisfaction with the meal
  I was served last night.

  I am writing to express my complete dissatisfaction at the meal I
  was served last night.

Which one is correct? It seems to me that the first sentence is correct and the second is wrong, but according to Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary it's correct to use at:

  She expressed deep dissatisfaction at the way the interview had been conducted.

I'm not a native speaker of English so I'm asking the natives what they think about it.Is "at" the replacement of "with"?


texts:
What is the difference between expend and spend. Both words have quite similar dictionary meanings

Expend:

  spend or use up (a resource such as money or energy)

When to use which?


texts: What to say to a dog to make it go away?

texts: What should I say to a dog when I want to make him or her go away (e.g. when I'm jogging in the park)? What name should I call him or her? I thought to say "Hi dog, go away", but it would be strange to say. Anyone has a good idea?


texts:
What is the right option? Feel free to elaborate.

If bernie Sanders hadn't dropped out I would have been voting/vote/have voted for him in the upcoming elections.


texts: Remove, release, or cancel which sounds most natural when used with the word "state"?

texts:
This button is used to remove/release/cancel the locked state of the door.

I would like to know which of remove, release, and cancel is suitable for the sentence above I created.

I think "This button is used to unlock the door" may be better, but I would like answers to my question.


texts: What is the difference in meaning between the following sentences?

texts:
The author ended his story by saying "life is short."
The author ended his story saying "life is short."

Does there need to be a comma after "story" in the second sentence? If so, why?


texts: What is the use of take in take precautions?

texts:
That's a question from my friend who has been doing research about the verb take recently. He uses Cambridge Dictionary and they list 17 uses in total (for only the verb). [link] (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/take#british-1-1-3)

I read all 17 uses but couldn't figure out which use it is. I thought it was need or accept.

I also ran into this link which says that the meaning of take depends on the words that go with it in some specific expressions. So, if I cannot find an exact use of take, which meaning should I refer to? I just thought about accept.


texts:
I guess that the first meaning of "rope" is something like a "cable", but in this context, is "rope" the wooden structure of this bed?
I think that this bed has a birch-wooden decoration on its structure, is it correct?


texts:
I'm reading On writing Well by William Zinsser. In Chapter Three: Clutter, he takes Alexander Haig for example and says:

  Before Haig nobody had thought of saying “at this juncture of
  maturization” to mean “now.” He told the American people that
  terrorism could be fought with “meaningful sanctionary teeth” and that
  intermediate nuclear missiles were “at the vortex of cruciality.” As
  for any worries that the public might harbor, his message was “leave
  it to Al,” though what he actually said was: “We must push this to a
  lower decibel of public fixation. I don’t think there’s much of a
  learning curve to be achieved in this area of content.”

I'm confused about several things in this paragraph:

I can't find "maturization" in the dictionary. Is it the same as "maturation"?
I can't find "sanctionary" in the dictionary, either. What does "meaningful sanctionary teeth" refer to?
About the last sentence, I suppose "We must push this to a lower decibel of public fixation" simply means that "the public should not be so worried". But then I don't understand what "I don’t think there’s much of a learning curve to be achieved in this area of content" means.

I know those are cluttered language that we should not learn. But I still want to know what they mean. Can anybody explain the ideas for me?


texts:
Look at this American conversation

  Isabel: Hi Vicky, this is Isabel. I'm the company's travel coordinator.
  Vicky: Hi Isabel. Is there a problem?
  Isabel: No. I see that you take quite a few business trips a month.
  Vicky: Yes, I do.
  Isabel: I noticed that you are not signed up for frequent flier miles.
  Vicky: No, I haven't signed up yet.
  Isabel: Please sign up before your next trip. You can earn miles and get a free trip anywhere in the country.
  Vicky: I didn't know that.
  Isabel: It's easy to sign up. You can do it online.
  Vicky: I will do that today since I have another business trip at the end of the week.

What does "a month" mean in "I see that you take quite a few business trips a month."?

I know that American people often omit prepositions before Mondays, mornings.

Example "Do you work Saturdays?"="Do you work on Saturdays?"

I am not sure whether they omit "in" in "in a month".


texts: What does integrity mean in these sentences?

texts:
According to Hernandez, some streamers see live-streaming as a form of self-improvement, even without an audience. Many use it as a way to
feel more comfortable with the idea of broadcasting and sharing their
ideas, but do you believe this emphasis on being watched and behaving
as though you are being watched takes away from the integrity of the
gameplay?

... You have protected the integrity of our democracy.

I was thinking integrity would mean honesty, but not too sure how that definition fits in these examples.


texts:
Source

  I began to think whether there might not be a movement, as it were, in a circle.

What confuses me in this sentence is usage of as it were. In this sentence, does  it refer to the movement or the idiomatic meaning of as it were?


texts:
Can say different phrase instead of cash on delivery as is the case with sentence below. I am asking if it is correct or not grammatically. As I am not a native speaker sometimes I couldn’t find correct phrase. For example  , Today I said this to an American native speaker and he understood me.

  He sent me package by cargo with payment that will be made by receiver.


texts: "People leave their premises permanently when they are old."

texts:
Dictionaries define retire as "to leave your job or stop working because of old age."

Can I rephrase it like below by saying "leaving a workplace forever"?

  People leave their premises permanently when they are old.


texts:
I heard the word "stingy" which was pronounced with the "g" like in the word "ground" in context of some soreness in mouth or so (caused by some chemicals) - is it the different word from "stingy" person? Stingy person we say "steenjee", not stingy with G of "ground".

Thanks.

UPD
Can someone answer the question? I see a lot of comments but no one wants to answer.
Let me ask it in a simpler way -  does this word "stingy" with hard g exists? I did not find any such transcription in any dictionary.


texts: Does that sentence sound natural "I'm working my way into becoming an English instructor"?

texts:
If I'm studying to be an English instructor, can I say "I'm working my way into becoming an English instructor"?
I have searched for the presence of that expression in the language but I could only find "work my way up to"


texts: Punctuation in "wrappers in this language"

texts:
I wrote:

  We offer an algorithm to apply wrappers in this language to web pages.

I guess the bold part is a reduced relative clause, right? if not what is it?

  We offer an algorithm to apply wrappers [that are] in this language to web pages

What is the required punctuation for that part, do I need comma?
Moreover, do I need "the" before "wrappers"?


texts:
What's the most natural way to say(USA) we want to wait for the traffic become lighter? I can think of following but neither sounds good to my ear.

Wait till traffic becomes lighter.
Wait till traffic loosen up.
Wait till traffic goes away.


texts:
Is there a difference between life changing and life altering?
I searched in a dictionary but it gives the same meaning .


texts:
"Gimme" means "give me", so "Gimme them gold coins" means "Give me them gold coins'- here we get both "me" and "them" as objects. Does it mean "Give me gold coins and give them gold coins"?  It is confusing to me.

Light of my life, fire of my loins
Be a good baby, do what I want
Light of my life, fire of my loins
Gimme them gold coins, gimme them coins

Source: Lyrics   My old man is a bad man


texts: What is the difference between descriptive language and informative language?

texts: My teacher told me that descriptive languages were used to describe things, and the example he gave was this: He is in a red cloth, he has blond hair, etc. And he said informative languages were used to inform people something, and the corresponding example was this: He was born in New York, he left the US in 1970 for his study in London. But I still can't discriminate them quite well. The examples here are both trying to describe something and inform something.


texts: Word that would describe someone who is uncomfortably scrupulous towards others

texts: I'm looking for and adjective which would describe someone who cares something about deeply, say grammar, and therefore is irritated by every little mistake when you write some text together. Something like "excessively prudent".


texts: "an uncertain error" in this sentence is correct?

texts:
Here is a hypothetical situation.
You're trying to write a post along with an image on a website.
So you added an image file while writing, and clicked the submit button.
But the image doesn't show and you don't get why it doesn't show.
Here, is the sentence below correct to describe this error you are not sure of?

  The image was not uploaded due to an uncertain error.

I am uncertain whether the use of uncertain is correct in the above sentence,
because the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary covers the adj. uncertain as follows.

[not before noun] uncertain (about/of something) feeling doubt about something; not sure
likely to change, especially in a negative or unpleasant way
not definite or decided
not confident

(You can see multiple example sentences for each meaning in the link. For conciseness, I only added meaning definitions.)

It seems to me that the first meaning is the one that matches this context. But, it says it cannot be used before a noun, meaning the sentence is incorrect. What is the truth?


texts: Which of these two sentences mean the same as the highlighted one

texts:
He looked at me like I was a kid.
He looked at me like he was a kid.

Which of the above sentences would you take to mean the same as this sentence: "He looked at me like a kid." And why?


texts:
I have never heard that we could use "when" with Perfect tenses especially with Present Perfect before. We use Past Simple when we are talking about the time. But today I have found one example:

  When has your brother visited you?

Is it correct? I have seen it at a native resource.


texts:
Should I use "that (pronouns) were" instead of "(pronoun)" in the following example?

John, who was in a blind fit of rage when he found out that the organization had killed his parents, saw them dead (in his imagination).

This sounds unnatural, but these participles seem absolutely normal.

Even though I told him to stop, I still see him eating.
When I was sneaking through the streets, I saw him sleeping.

Are these correct? When is it necessary to put "that ____ were"?


texts:
A: Which one of these sweaters do you like?

  B: I like the green one. It looks warmer.

Does it mean: Among the group of the sweaters, the green one seems to produce more warmth?

The dictionary lists friendly as a synonym for warm, could that be the case?


texts: Why is "own self" separated into two parts but similar words like "yourself" aren't?

texts:
Why is "own self" separated into two words, while other reflexive pronouns like "yourself" aren't?

Here is an example:

I am at war with my own self and it has become a constant struggle to wake up and face the day.


texts: Please help me to understand these 2 conversations

texts:
please kindly help me to interpret these 2 conversations:
1)

Who gets fired on a day off?
No!
It's because I don't have any skills.
True that.
You sure told her.
I did.
--> You sure told her (sarcastic tone) does it mean you just proved to her that you don't have skills?

How can you create a dating app for Christian singles when you are still single? Baby, you need to stop bein' so picky and swipe left for yourself!
Actually, it's up.

--> Swipe left, does it mean to swipe left as a yes or reject? And I'm not sure the meaning of it's up here.


texts: meaning of "staff" in the title "senior staff software engineer"

texts:
What's meaning of the word staff when it is used in a person's title called senior staff software engineer?

The dictionary definition for this word is the group of people who work for an organization, but it is just one person here. So apparently, it doesn't make sense here.


texts: "After his writing" vs. "after he has written"

texts:
Read after his finishing homework.
Read after he has finished homework.

Are these sentences correct? What's the difference between them?


texts:
be worth something can be used as--

  The Taj Mahal is worth a visit.

  The idea is worth our attention.

In this kind of sentences either an article or a determiner is used after worth . But in the sentence.

  To reign is worth ambition.

No article or determiner is used. Is it correct?
I think it must be

  To reign is worth an ambition.


texts: Should "food" be considered many items or a single item in the following sentence?

texts:
Speaker A: I'll go buy some food at 7-Eleven.

  Speaker B: Wait what about those/the one I bought? (sushi, rice balls,
  and instant noodles)

In this case, should food be considered a single item (as in the food)? Or many items (sushi, rice balls, and instant noodles)?

Or maybe it doesn't make much difference?


texts: How you felt when you got this toy? The moment or when I had it?

texts:
Explain how you felt when you got this toy?

This could be a question in an English oral test.

Is it asking how I felt in the first few days after I got the toy or in the period of time when I had the toy?

Thank you!


texts: Additional phrase to the main clause with different subject

texts:
The fictional character is the master, the writer his
  apprentice. (Jose Saramago)

What is the name of that phrase grammatically? Is it an absolute phrase or reduced relative cluase with different subject from the main cluase?

I think the meaning of the sentence I quoted is:

  The fictional character is the master and at the same time, the writer
  is his apprentice.

I have one more question, can I add "being" in that phrase?

  The fictional character is the master, the writer being his
  apprentice.


texts: If I'm angry, which word should I stress in "You just walked in without knocking!"?

texts: In the sentence "You just walked in without knocking!", if I want to emphasize that I'm ANGRY about someone NOT KNOCKING the door, Which word, "just", "without" or "knocking", should I stress


texts: Meaning of "What else have you up nights?"

texts:
This particular sentence I found someone speaking to a person worried about some problematic situations. I searched the web and got that nights = at night. And, up = A problem(could be).

So, Is she asking, "What were the other problems you faced at night?" OR the meaning is all different?

Note: The given question has been taken from 13 reasons why, ep. 4(at 18:18).

The scene goes like this:

  Hannah : I just couldn't sleep last night.

  Friend : Were you obsessed with history exam or something?

  Hannah: Oh, no!

  Friend : What else have you up nights?

  Hannah : I think someone was taking my pictures.


texts:
I came across a sentence bellow

  At what time does the next plane to London leave?

And I couldn't distinguish the difference from this statement

  At what time does the next plane leave to London?

Which one is more correct or both are the same?


texts:
When I want to confirm some statement, I shall put negative question at the end of the sentence.

  "He is tall, is not he?"

How to phrase this idiom with "anyone"?

  "Anyone can place an order, cannot anyone?"

sounds ugly to me.


texts:
I have learned that names can be without an article. This is from Wikipedia:

  The Volkswagen Golf Mk7 (also known as the Golf VII[4]) is a compact
  car

I would wrote this sentence with the zero article before Volkswagen. Is that ok?


texts:
I want to express that I haven't done programming for years and this project makes me to review my programming skill I learn during my graduation.
Is it correct to say "review my programming skill"?


texts:
Here are some definitions about "vehicle".

  wikipedia: A vehicle is a machine that transports people or cargo.

  Cambridge Dictionary: a machine, usually with wheels and an engine, used for transporting people or goods on land, especially on roads

Obviously, bicycles, cars, buses and trucks are vehicles.

How about this one, designed to break large rocks into smaller ones. I am aware that it could be called a machine.

It is not used for transporting people or goods. Should I still call it vehicle?

Could someone please give a hint? Thanks in advance.


texts:
I wrote an imaginary text in which I used all tenses (12 tenses) to familiarize with them. The tenses are:

  PAST: Past simple, Past perfect simple, Past continuous, Past perfect continuous.

  PRESENT: Present simple, Present perfect simple, Present continuous, Present perfect continuous.

  FUTURE: Future (will), Future perfect simple, Future continuous, Future perfect continuous.

Then what I ask here is: advice about my text, because me as a non-native english speaker I do not know if I am using the tenses correctly or not.

I got help from Cambridge Dictionary, where I got information about tenses in grammar section.

So, I will start with the text...:

  My diary:

  16/12/2019 - The crazy day:

  This is the most weird day that I have ever had (Present perfect simple). I had been walking (Past perfect continuous) to my friend's house when (=suddenly) I saw (Past simple) a bull in the street!. In that moment, I ran too fast to the opposite direcion meanwhile I was screaming (Past continuous) for help. I had experienced (Past perfect simple) a similar situation like that, but in a secure environment (with fences).

  I have (Present simple) a mix of feelings now. I am thinking (Present continuous) about before, I have been running (Present perfect continuous) too fast, I thought that the bull was near me after that race.

  The next year I will have been writting (Future perfect continuous) in this diary for 10 years, and this is the most weird fact that I have ever had.

  Now, what I want is: talk with my friend face-to-face about that moment, so, I think that I will go (Future: will) to his house tomorrow (I will be checking (Future continuous) well the path, because I could see other one again!)

  I will close this crazy day with the hope that for the next year I will not have lived (Future perfect simple) another day like this.

I add to my first question: Could you check the last sentence? Because I used the future perfect simple and I am doubting about its use in that sentence.


texts:
I've heard the usage those phrasals basically in two contexts:

  I straighten him out.

As far as I could understand from the dialog it meant to do something offensive to the person.

  We can straighten things out tonight

This I think may mean to settle some bussiness...

Also, I used the phrasal in the meaning of describe something:

I'm describing the problem in details, now telling them what actually I'm confused by and finishing the monologue by the phrase Couldn't you straighten the things out in the meaning of explaining the things so that I will be able to understand them.

Is that correct ways of using the phrasal?


texts: "one thousand feet" or "one thousand foot"

texts:
According to a post
Phoebe lives less than 1000' from the coffeehouse.
When speaking, should I pronounce one thousand feet or one thousand foot?


texts: Use of articles in software documentation

texts:
I have some questions about the use of articles in the documentation of the Laravel framework.

The chunk method breaks the collection into multiple, smaller collections of a given size

Why is used the definite article before 'collection'? Is it considered as the specific collection that the method should be applied to? Ok. Then why is used the indefinite article in other similar descriptions like this:

The collapse method collapses a collection of arrays into a single, flat collection

More examples:

The firstWhere method returns the first element in the collection with the given key / value pair

Here it is used the definite article before 'given key / value pair'. But in the sentence below:

The where method filters the collection by a given key / value pair

The indefinite one. Why?
The last question is from the description of the definite article:

We use the definite article in front of a noun when we believe the listener/reader knows exactly what we are referring to

Why is used the definite article before 'listener/reade'? Do we suppose that the listener and reader are the hypothetical particular persons who are talking about something?
I'm confused. The search doesn't help. Explain to me pls


texts: 'My source has video of the crash site' and why not 'my source has a video of the crash site'? Why the article ‘a’ cannot be used?

texts:
My source has video of the crash site. and why not my source has a video of the crash site?

Why the article a cannot be used?

Also there are other sentences like we had a video made of our wedding.

How is it different from the above question?

How to identify and use nouns that are both countable and countable nouns?


texts: Can an inverted sentence start with an adjective?

texts:
The following sentence is cited from "gone with the wind":

  A little aloof, as became an aristocrat, lay a black-spotted carriage
  dog, muzzle on paws, patiently waiting for the boys to go home to
  supper.

Can someone refer to me some material on why the sentence can be phrased like that?


texts:
Danny: You kicked me off the building?
  Ward: Of course I did.
  It's what you do when you see someone trying to break in.
  Danny: You are really pushing the limits of karma.

Source: Iron Fist, episode 4

What does "karma" mean?

I checked it in dictionary, but it doesn't fit the above context.

  karma: (in the Buddhist and Hindu religions) the force produced by a person's actions in one life that influences what happens to them in future lives. Cambridge Dictionary


texts:
(This is a situation where there is only one car in the parking lot.)
A. That car, which has a strip on its top, looks expensive.
B. That car which has a strip on its top looks expensive.
Is it at least possible to modify 'the/that/those+N' with a postmodifier even if the object is clear, since the car is at least a car which has a strip on its top?


texts: Using "just" with Present Perfect Continuos

texts:
We can say:

  We have already made the decision.
  We have already been learning English for a half of a year.

Thus, I may use "just" either with Present Perfect/Past Perfect and Present Perfect Continuos/Past Perfect Continuos? For instance:

  We have just talked about you.
  We have just been talking about you.

Futher to the above, is it necessary use "just" with Present Perfect Continuos or it is obviously that the actions is going on at the moment of saying this remark?


texts: Is this question "If we can't write a unit test then what is the closest solution?" grammatical?

texts:
I'd like to know whether the question

  If we can't write a unit test then what is the closest solution?

grammatical? Does it sound natural or may be you would ask that kind of a question some another way?


texts:
A man's man is

  a man who enjoys being with other men and doing sports and activities with them, and is popular with men rather than women.

and a ladies' man is

  a man who is popular with women and who likes to go out with a lot of different women.
  ---- Cited from Longman dictionary.

My questions are:

We usually use "men and women" or "ladies and gentlemen". But why we use "a man's man" and "a ladies' man", but not "a woman's man" or "a gentlemen's man"?
Can similar phrases be used to describe a woman? If yes, what are they, "She is a man's man", "She is a man's lady" or "She is a man's woman?"
Can "a man's man" be used to describe a boy or a girl? Which of the following saying do you prefer: "The boy is a man's man", "The boy is a man's boy", "The boy is a boys' man", or "The boy is a boys' boy"?
Why the word "man" is in single form in "a man's man", but the word "ladies" is in plural form in "a ladies' man"?


texts: How to solve a problem when a verb and a noun is the same?

texts:
One such word these days is : post!

In a natural flow, I told my friend...

  Yes, I'll post a post!

And, we both English language enthusiasts looked at each other rising eyebrows! It triggered me to put a question here.

How do you say that? It is easy when the post is something else and NOT text. Say...

  She posted a picture...

It's fine...but when it's plain text, we call it a 'post.' So, what if she posts a post? A plain text?

What are the options?

Edit: I just edited the example to sound better for the question.


texts: Is it possible to use simple past with "During the last week"?

texts:
I wanted to write a sentence about last/past week and I have doubts

  A1) During the last week I arrived home at 7

  A2) During the last week I was arriving at 7

  B1) During the past week I arrived home at 7

  B2) During the past week I arrived home at 7

Note that I want to talk about the whole week not a single day.

If none of the above senteces are right or natural, please give me the sentence that sound natural to you.