texts:
Could one use the definite article with 9/11?

This is an example sentence composed by me:

  The author traces the origins of modern terrorism back to the late 19th century, but he admits that (the) 9/11 was an important event in this long history.

It seems that 9/11 works like a proper noun, but I find some examples of it being used with the, although they seem to have been penned by non-native speakers of English:

  In this regard, global media reporting on the 9/11 was as much a battling field for the definition of shared values of democracy around the globe as it was a spectacular stage for the local political and public elites to portion the field for ... (Tomasc Pludowski)

Will "the 9/11" sound strange to native speakers of English, or will it look like a minor error or just like a variation, an author's choice of article?

Could one view the 9/11 as an elliptical variant of "the 9/11 attacks"?


texts: "I don't think he will leave" vs. "I don't think he would leave"

texts:
What is the difference between will and would in the following context?

  John: Hey Subha, did you know Lionel Messi has got a huge offer from PSG to join them? What do you think about the proposal?
  Me: Thanks for the news. No, I did not know about it. Messi has been with FCB for almost 12 years and has good relations with the club. I don't think he will/would leave FCB.

Yesterday I asked another question related to will and would. Here is the link. It always difficult for me to understand the rule.

Can anyone who is a teacher or an expert please answer this?


texts:
Which of the three variants is correct and why are the other two not?

If you say that something should have happened, you mean that it had not happened, but that you wish it had.
If you say that something should have happened, you mean that it did not happen, but that you wish it had.
If you say that something should have happened, you mean that it did not happen, but that you wish it did.


texts: Proving for someone that "Clothes don't present me"?

texts:
I want to defend my dress by saying that clothes (in general) don't present me, but after that, I want to support that sentence by adding one of these two:

I'm a lot bigger than a piece of cloth to show it.

OR

I have a lot in myself for a piece of cloth to show it.

Which one of those two is the better one for showing the real meaning that I intend?

Note: I'm not advanced at English, that's why I can't tell which one better presents what I want.


texts: Are "motionless" and "uncovered" fitting words here?

texts:
Brad enters the room to find Jerry standing motionless in a corner with his back to the room. Completely uncovered.
(Jerry is trying to hide)
Brad: God, you're bad at this game.
Is "motionless" a fitting word here to tell that he's not moving and not making any sound? Or will "still" be better?
Is "Uncovered" the best word to use here to tell that he's not hiding behind anything and therefore is very much exposed to being seen?


texts: What is the right option for this sentence?

texts:
The following multiple choice question is from a competitive exam.

  Q: You are fortunate ________  having an intelligent and obedient son.

  a) For
  b) Of
  c) In
  d) To

I opted for as the correct option, but they say the answer is in.

What is the correct option, and why is (only?) that one correct?


texts: Are the 4 sentences interchangeable enough that I can use whatever I want? - in which / when / in which to / to

texts:
I like to go singing at karaoke with my friends.

It's a perfect time to let my hair down.

It's a perfect time in which to let my hair down.

It's a perfect time where I can let my hair down.

It's a perfect time in which I can let my hair down.

Are the 4 sentences interchangeable enough that I can use whichever I want?


texts:
You were supposed to ask me something?

Could you please correct the above sentence? Can we use sentence like this ?


texts:
France could be entering a new age of deep political instability.

  Thousands of jihadists could be entering Tunisia, and this would be the greatest force of instability in the North African country.

Can we just say "could enter" instead of "could be entering"? What is the difference?


texts:
I found this sentence in Cambridge Collocation in Use:

  It’s got a spacious living room which has a wonderful view of the
  park, and a cosy study where we can both work.

So please what is the meaning of cosy study? Which room is it?


texts: The answer "I don't think so" to the question "How is he?"

texts:
Haram finds a person who lies down on the street.

Haram looks the person over if he's fine as Linda comes up to him and says,

  "How is he?"

  "I don't think so."  Haram answered.

Do you think as the answer to "How is he?", I don't think so sounds natural?

I've heard this dialogue in a certain movie.

I wonder if this is just the actor's mistake in the movie dialogue or something?

I think the dialogue should be as follws :

  A: How is he? good? (or He'd be fine, right?)

  B: I don't think so.

or

  A: How is he?

  B: I don't think he's alive(fine).

ADDITIONAL information.
It was from Alive, 1993 film. It is a situation right after an airplane crash. I uploaded the video clip. The person lying on the floor was not dead. He barely survives in the end.

I am curious to even know about the line "Maybe it's just as well. His mother's dead." Does he mean to say 'he will be very sad if he knows his mother was dead so it's just as well that he's dead with his mother at the same time"?


texts:
A teacher said what the present perfect continuous talks about has to be ongoing NOW. I don't think so.

For instance, I started to work on a report at 8 o'clock AM this morning. I continued to work on it all the morning. Two minutes ago, I finished it. Now I say: "I've been working on this report since 8 o'clock. Now it's finished." I think this sentence is fine. Can't find any problem with it.

If it has to be ongoing at this moment, then it will inevitably continue into the future. But present perfect continuous does not mean something started in the past and continues to the FUTURE.

What do you think?


texts: Phrase "Up in the stacks". What would this phrase mean?

texts:
A textbook which introduces vocabularies that could appear on the day of the test (TOEFL) gives me a below sentence.

  It sounds like the staff at the circulation desk knows you pretty well. These days I'm mainly using the reserve desk and the reference section. My biology professor puts a lot of articles on reserve, and then there're these big reference volumes -- like The Encyclopedia Of Biology -- in the reference room that he wants us to read. You can't check those out. So I usually take them to a quiet desk up in the stacks and read them there.

I "conquered" several parts which are easy to native speakers, but I finally gave up when I came across the bold part. (Googling didn't help). Could you please help me what up in the stacks mean, in (probably) this context?


texts:
I thought you would have eaten when we arrived.

=>I thought you would eat before we arrived

I thought you would eat when we arrived.

=>I thought you would eat after we arrived.

Am I right to think this way?


texts: Question about meaning of "having being said" in this context

texts:
Do the two paragraphs below mean the same thing, assuming that having being said to is the passive of somebody said to you

Having being said to that you are becoming a mother while you are at your husband birthday party would be a great thing.
In my opinion, it is a great thing if somebody, no matter who, ( it could be your mother in law, a friend or an stranger that has just read your blood test ) tells you at your husband birthday oarty that you are becoming a mother.


texts:
Henry says, ‘The Emperor, two or three years back when he was in
  Germany, did he not have an evil humour in his thigh? They say the
  weather didn't suit him. But then his dominions offer a change of
  climate. Whereas from one part of my kingdom to the next there is no
  change to be found.’

  — Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Does "an evil humour" mean some kind of rheumatism or pain in his thigh?


texts:
Do natives say something like:

  We usually use indefinite article when ...

The phrase "usually use" seems a little funny to me)


texts: When do we say "move it" and When do we say "move out of the way"?

texts:
This was the context I saw.

A kid has been attending in an English speaking school in Vietnam (a non-English country) since the 1st grade. I am pretty sure that he can speak Vietnamese very well. His English seemed very fluent.

And, when he saw a girl blocking his way, he said "move it" to ask her to move out of his way.

Did he say correctly?

According to many dictionaries

  move it (especially in orders)

  (informal) to do something more quickly because there is not much time

  Move it! We’re going to be late!

Dictionaries also say

  out of the way

  no longer stopping somebody from moving or doing something

  I moved my legs out of the way so that she could get past.

  I didn't say anything until Dad was out of the way.

So, I think regardless of bad manner, "move / get out of the way" is more accurate than "move it". "Move it" is way too ambiguous.

However, some native speakers (maybe from the United States) say we can use "move it" to ask someone to let us go by or go past, but it is very rude (quora question). They were also sure that "move it" is more popular than "move/get out of the way" in this situation regardless of manner.

I am confused.

Which is correct?


texts:
In

  "No Chinese emperor was more resplendently arrayed. As for the cigarette that he holds out, half smoked, to be taken and deposited by his valet, a whole civilization--urbane, authoritative, preposterous, and doomed--resides in that single gesture."

It is difficult for me to discern what is what. What is the grammatical function of half smoked? Is it an adjective (adjectival[?]) phrase placing information on a noun, cigarette?

  "No Chinese emperor was more resplendently arrayed. As for the cigarette that he holds out, half smoked, to be taken and deposited by his valet, a whole civilization--urbane, authoritative, preposterous, and doomed--resides in that single gesture."

As for the cigarette that he holds out(,[?]) to be taken and deposited by his valet, what is the grammatical function of this? Is it a dependent phrase?

  "No Chinese emperor was more resplendently arrayed. As for the cigarette that he holds out, half smoked, to be taken and deposited by his valet, a whole civilization--urbane, authoritative, preposterous, and doomed--resides in that single gesture."

Is this an adjectival apposition?

I am guessing that a whole civilization resides in that single gesture is the  main clause here? or is it a dependent clause?


texts: "What are you thinking" vs "What are you thinking about"

texts:
Someone's very quiet and sitting alone. I go over and ask them,

  You look very quiet. What are you thinking?

Is this correct? Or should I say instead,

  What are you thinking about?

Or are both correct and can be used interchangeably?


texts: Is this sentence correct "The reason is actually because of another issue #176"?

texts:
I found an issue of a software, and finally I found the root cause if another issue, so I tell others:

  The reason is actually because of another issue #176

But I'm not sure if that's a valid or native English expression.


texts: To what extent is a tense mismatch allowed?

texts:
A tree stood in the middle of the plain, around which the children play.

  A tree stood in the middle of the plain around which the children played.

I thought these two are near synonymous, with the first one meaning that the children play there to this day on a recurrent basis, and the other meaning that they used to play there, but no longer.

So are these two sentences grammatically correct, and more importantly the first one with a tense mismatch correct?

I don't know why, but someone told me there shouldn't be a tense mismatch in the same sentence. I don't think this is true.


texts:
He leans forward in the saddle, removing his hat as he speaks to the
  king. ‘We can go before our time to Basing House, let me send a fast
  man to warn William Paulet. Then, so as not to burden him, to Elvetham
  for a day?

  Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

What does 'before our time' mean here?  It seems like 'before it gets dark'. Am I guessing it right?


texts: Why isn't "course selection advice" written as "course-selection advice"?

texts:
I thought the phrase needed an hyphen just like, say, class-centered methods. But Google proved me wrong.

Why is this? Maybe the hyphenated version and non-hypenated version are both valid?


texts: Is it not ambiguous to say "the child is crying for Mom"?

texts:
I remember that people often say "don't cry for me" when "I" have some problem or I hurt and people feel sorry for "me" so they "cry for me".
Let's say a child cries because Mom is not with him/her and the child wants mom to come to him/her.
Is it clear and not ambiguous to say "the child is crying for Mom" because it could mean "Mom" hurts and the child cries when he sees that?


texts: Which one(s) of “up”, “above”, “over”, “on” and “upon” is (or are) correct for this sentence?

texts:
Could you please put the pen over the book?
Could you please put the pen on the book?
Could you please put the pen upon the book?
Could you please put the pen above the book?
Could you please put the pen up the book?

Which of these sentences is/are correct?

For the incorrect ones, I hope you add extra information like, “This word (‘over’, ‘on’, etc.) cannot be used that way, but it could be used this way:” and give an example.


texts: Sentences beginning with verbs in -ing and -ed forms

texts:
I'm confused with these sentences. Can you point out what's wrong and what's correct for me?

  Heard the voice, he responded immediately.
  Hearing the voice, he responded immediately.


texts: Discriminating between "in doing so", "in this way", "so that"

texts:
Would anybody tell me if the following phrases are the same? Ff not, when they are? When they are not? I am too confused to discriminate between these.

in doing so
in this way
so that

Or, when couldn't we use in doing so instead of so that or in a way that?

Any help would be appreciated


texts: "Number of requests it responds per second" vs "Number of requests it responds to per second"?

texts:
Which one of the following is grammatically correct?

Number of requests it responds per second

or

Number of requests it responds to per second

Here I am talking about computer servers. These servers respond to each and every request they receive. Honestly both the sentences sound wrong to me.
Note: request and respond are technical terms and so I can't replace them with any other word.


texts:
Please consider the following sentences:

I worked in China last year.= simple past
I was working in China last year.=past continuous.

As I understand it, the simple past is used to describe an action that started and ended at specific times. Since it started at point A and ended at point Z then isn't the intervening time between A and Z continuous? In which case, how would a learner know which of the two sentences to use since they both appear to serve the same function.

I've noticed that some books, including Michael Swann's Practical English usage book, suggest that simple past is used to indicate a short duration whereas a continuous form is used to imply a longer period of time. I personally cant see this.

Any thoughts?


texts: I've met a few of teachers who use **guess** a lot. why do they do that?

texts:
It sounds like the video is saying (link with a time stamp corresponds the following)

  Let's look at the first sentence, which is an example. "The bill was split between Frank
  and Mark." guess We have two people,

most of words comes from the official transcript except for one, the word guess which is added by me.

I've met a few of teachers who use guess a lot. why do they do that?


texts: "Take a break from" vs. "take a break with"

texts:
Could you tell me if there is any difference in meaning between take a break from and take a break with? For example:

I'm going to take a break from/with studying.
It's time to take a break from/with word.


texts:
This is from 'Mothers and Sons' by Colm Toibin.

  I met a whole load of fellows, they were after being in the pub.

I've never seen this kind before. I googled and looked up different dictionaries and found one in Merriam-Webster  that seems to explain this.

I am trying to make a normal(?) sentence out of this.

  I met a whole load of fellows, they had just been in the pub.

Is this right?


texts: I thought about writing the sentence "She underwent surgery at 4 year old.", but I thought it sounded weird without seeming technically wrong, but is it? I definitively think "She underwent surgery at age 3" sounds better, but I would like to know why the former is wrong if it is.


texts: Meaning of: You can’t beat a bite on a biscuit for a quick and easy sweet treat

texts:
Can someone help me to understand this sentence (I made it bold):

You can’t beat a bite on a biscuit for a quick and easy sweet treat. They make me feel good – as long as I don’t eat too many!

The text is from BBC 6 minute English
Is it a proverb? or is there an idiom inside it?


texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences:

If you do this exercise badly, that would be a violation.

Versus:

If you do this exercise badly, it is a violation.


texts: Which preposition to use: At Earth or On Earth?

texts:
We have Extreme temperatures on the Moon, but why do we not experience such extreme temperatures on the Earth? The reason is at Earth we have our atmosphere...

Is using "at" here correct? Or should I use "on"?


texts: Subject-complement agreement - we regard them as a resident of the UK

texts:
As stated at INTM162020-30, customers will occasionally ask HMRC for confirmation that we regard them as a resident of the UK for purposes other than claiming relief from foreign taxes under the terms of a Double Taxation Agreement.  https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/international-manual/intm162140

To paraphrase, the phrase in question shall be read as we regard customers as a resident of the UK. Do 'customers' and 'a resident' agree with each other in that case?


texts: oily or fatty when talk about a meat dish

texts:
I like German dishes, but for me it have a bit too much oil.
How can I express that?

What comes up to my mind was:

  "I like German dishes, but it's a bit oily/fatty."

I'm not sure which word is good for the food. Maybe both wrong?


texts:
Is there any difference between 'a minimum of only' and 'a minimum of'?
Here is an example:
'She did not tell him that it would give her a minimum of only three points'.
Is it enough for her or she'd prefer to get more than three points? Or she thinks she can get more than three points?
Thanks!


texts: Can "expertises" as a plural form be used?

texts:
I've seen here that there is no plural of expertise, so what should I do in the following sentence?

  the different expertise is/are complementary.

To put into context, we have a multidisciplinary consortium with partners of different "expertise" (or maybe skills is a better word)

Stated more generally, can a "mass noun" be a subject? If yes, can I put the verb in plural to show that it is used as a plural?

From your answers, it looks like I should completely reformulate my sentence. Should I really avoid this?


texts: Why the writer did not put an article in the following sentence?

texts:
"I will take him as ward, if you wish"

Why the writer didn't use an article before ward?


texts: What does this phrase mean: "the way writing does for me"?

texts:
"You know," I ventured, "when I saw you perform, I got the feeling that singing lets you jump over the fences of your life the way writing does for me."

Please notice the end of that sentence.

How is "the way writing does for me" related to the other parts of the sentence? And what does it meaning?
If 'does' (in "...does for me") acts as a verb, what is its subject? How do I find its subject?
What is the common name (as a grammatical term) for the phrase "the way writing does for me."


texts: "What","when" and "that" - are they conjunctions?

texts:
It was no strain on the voice, and I guessed that Miss Glaser knew
  what she was doing when she chose it.

What parts of speech are "what", "when" and "that"?

I assume they are subordinating conjunctions but they may  be pronouns or adverbs.


texts: What do we call English with dots and dashes?

texts:
In our native languages, pronunciations of the words are different if we write it in normal English. For that reason, we have a different set of alphabet. Such writing helps us speak correct pronunciation. This specially happens in writing language like Sanskrit in English.

What do we call that English? Here is the example:


texts: Is the sentence 'I have eaten lunch since I was really young.' grammatically right?

texts:
Is the sentence grammatically right?

  I have eaten lunch since I was really young.

Can this sentence directly/indirectly mean 'I ate lunch everyday'?


texts:
The address is written on the back of the namecard.

  The address was written on the back of the namecard.

Do we use simple tense or past tense in sentences above?


texts:
I have a question about choice of using this phrases.
What different between "Some words" and "a few words"?
What I need to use?


texts: meaning of "leave home" in different areas

texts:
From Cambridge Dictionary

  If you leave home, you stop living in your parents’ home.

leave the house or leave home? verifies this usage.

whereas, go to work at a specific time uses "leave home" this way

  Unless there is further context, "go to work at 8" would normally mean the time when you leave home.

I understand the meanings of all the sentences above clearly, I would just like to know if the usage of "leave home" varies in different areas. For example, in some area, "leave home" only means "stop living in parents’ home" while in some other area "leave home" could also mean "go out of house for something".

Is my understanding right? If yes, what are those areas?


texts: More appropriate expression for “B is half-of-A greater than A.”

texts:
Let A and B be whole numbers such that B = A + A ÷ 2.

Assuming I need to express it as greater than, I could say:

  B is half-of-A greater than A.

But I want to get rid of the hyphens. I want to know the alternative way to express how much one is greater than another one, in one complete sentence. How do I do it?

Also how do I express B = A + C ÷ 2 with greater than and no hyphens, in a natural way if possible?


texts: Expired passports are .... so that they cannot be used

texts:
Which is the correct answer for the following test question.

  Expired passports are ..... so that they cannot be used.

1.Invalidated

2.Nullified

I saw both words can be used on the Internet.So I want to ask if  this question legitimate? If it is , what is the reason to pick out one another.

Only thing I spot on the internet that maybe

Expired passports are invalidated but Stolen/ Lost passports are nullified.


texts: Did we able to solve your problems / Were we able to solve your problems

texts:
"Did we able to solve your problems?"

"Were we able to solve your problems?"

Here "Did" and "Were" have replaced each other, do they both say and mean the same?


texts: is this parallelism grammatically correct?

texts: does this sentence make sense "One of the reasons why spoken English teaching in China seems to be not really successful is not only because students lack of enthusiasm, but their teachers as well" when it comes to parallelism?


texts: Is it natural to use "last for a long time" to describe a meeting?

texts:
I was having a phone call with one of my friends.

Friend: How about we hang out together this Saturday?

I: Sunday is better, because I have a meeting in Saturday morning which will probably last for a long time.

Is my response clear and natural? I meant if the meeting will be finished in one hour, we can hang out on Saturday. But the meeting is probably longer than that and it's inappropriate to have my friend wait me for that long.
Are there any other expressions more natural I could use in the context?


texts: Difference between the verbs 'jolt and jerk' in this context

texts:
Leaving aside all the meanings the words jolt and jerk have, I'd like to concentrate on their use when intransitive and performed by a person who is caught by surprise or horror as in the sentence:

  She jerked/jolted in horror.

Do these words imply a single jump from the shock or a more continuous motion in a certain a direction? Is there a difference, in this context, between the two?


texts: The meaning of already (before and completion)

texts:
I had already parked my bike near xyz when I saw the no parking sign.

Do I really need past perfect because of "already". Already mean 2 things first the parking came before the seeing(it is obvious) and that the first action is completed before the second happens. So if already mean these  2 things there is no need for  past perfect . Am I right?


texts: what does *when* refer to in the following sentence?

texts:
what does "when" refer to in the following sentence: "this problem" or "stock market crash"? (emphasis added)

  This problem had already surfaced several months before the stock market crash, when commercial banks with deposits of more than $80 million
  suspended payments.


texts:
I know that "help" is often used with the preposition "with". However, the preposition "on" can be used sometimes as well.

I googled some examples:

  He came over from time to time for a little help on his homework from the developing geometricians.
  The files you requested, my dear. Would you like some help on these files or some company for a while?
  Where can volunteers help on the project?

Is there any difference between help with / on the homework / files / project etc.? When is "on" more appropriate?


texts:
"His writing is so confusing that it’s difficult to make out what it is he is trying to express."

How to understand "it is" in "what it is he is trying to express"? Does "he is trying to express" a relative clause to modify "it"?

Thank you in advance!


texts: I'd like to talk about Korean drinking culture and I'd like to know which sentences are possible

texts:
I'd like to talk about Korean drinking culture. So,
First, Koreans drink a lot. There's a research saying that Korea is the country who consumes more alcohol than any other country does.

And another feature that Korea has regarding how to drink is that...

And another characteristic that Korea has about drinking culture is that...

And another characteristic of Korean drinking culture is that...

And another side of Korean drinking culture is that...

...we usually drink sitting on a chair, not like other countries where many people drink standing or moving.
Which one is the one that I can use?


texts:
I understand that ‘since’ is used to refer a point in the past till now. However I have a doubt on the below example. Please tell me which one is the correct?

  I have been working here since 2 years.
  I have been working here since 2 years ago.


texts:
Regarding the following construction

  Lengthy literature survey is mainly caused for this extension.

I would like to ask:

Do I correctly use "cause" in above sentence?
What is the general rule when using "cause"?


texts: Word for describing 'water accumulated on roads'

texts:
I was making a phone conversation with one of my client. I had promised him to do a meeting at a certain place. But I wanted to cancel that meeting because most of the roads on my route had accumulated rain water and it was raining heavily. For that I used the phrase

  'road are blocked because of heavy rains'

Can you let me know a key word that could describe the road condition.


texts: Difference between "Administrator" and "Moderator"?

texts:
Why do we call people who manage the Stack Exchange community "moderators" instead of "administrators"? How is a "site mod" diffferent from a "site admin"? I don't quite understand the difference between these words in this specific case.

Please note that this question is asked on ELL.SE, not Meta.SE.


texts: Is “has not been coming” or “he is not coming” correct?

texts:
If a person is supposed to come but not showing up for the last two days, then which sentence is grammatically correct:

  He has not been coming for the last two days.

or

  He is not coming for the last two days.


texts:
There is cue card section in IELTS where the test-taker has to speak at length about any given topic. While talking about future in past events I am confused what we have to say:
I told him that I am going to send the money very soon.
I told him that I was going to send the money very soon.
It's not in writing so I am asking just about speaking.
This situation happens with words like : said, told, informed etcetera.


texts:
From NPR:

  She's been doing a project called Wordless News every day for about a year now and next week she's going to be doing drawings based on stories she hears right here on MORNING EDITION.

Is there any difference if I substitute "going to do" for "going to be doing"? Thanks.


texts:
I'm correcting a film review by one my ESL students and she has written the following sentence as the first one in one of the paragraphs:

Starring, Joaquin Phoenix, with incredible acting that makes it hard for the audience to difference himself from the actual characters.

It is wrong on several levels, but I'm mainly interested in knowing why the beginning of the sentence and the use of commas sounds so terrible. Do any of you know the reasoning behind the ungrammaticality of this sentence?


texts: Which word should be use when talking about gathering for a language corner meetup

texts:
We have a monthly language corner gathering(not sure if use gathering is appropriate). And so when talking about gathering together for that event, can I use something like :

We're going to have our next language corner "meeting" or "gathering" on next Friday?

Another word that I know is "meetup", but not sure if it's a real word. Or it's coming from the site: Meetup


texts: Is there something like "infinite perfect tense"?

texts:
Normally 'they' say "Make your tenses agree!" OK, but I read the following first-person description:

“Alex had explained, and I am content because of it.”

The “I am” should be “I was” by the above rule – but no: she became content, is content, and forever will be because of the explanation. The sense wasn't just that she is currently content, but that it would span the future as well.

What is this form called? It's not past-, present- or future-perfect: is there infinite-perfect?


texts: "Number points" in a test - How to say that?

texts: What is the best way to talk about the number points indicated in a test to give a note like 12/20 ? In France, we say "barème".


texts: Generic "the" used in other places in a sentence, maybe not as a subject?

texts:
I know "the" can be used to refer to a thing in general, which works like a noun in its plural form.
For examples,
(1) The lion is big and hunts other animals for food.
(2) The organization decides to put the lion on the list of endangered species.
(3) I want to understand the lion in detail.

First question:
The (2) and (3) are also generic use of "the", right?
Second question:
We can see the generic "the" used in subjects often.
And I am pretty sure the generic "the" can be used in other parts of a sentence like, maybe as the article of an object like (2) and (3) to refer to that thing in a general sense, or used in other parts of a sentence to give the noun after "the" a general tone.... yes, I think you understand what I mean.
But why do we seldom see the generic "the" used with objects (like (2) and (3)) or used in other parts of a sentence?


texts:
Some dictionaries say the IPA of the word "you" is "yu", some say the IPA is "ju", which is the correct consonant?
"y" or "j"?
Dictionary.com says it's "yu", cambridge dictionary says it's "ju"


texts: Connotation behind "forking possibilites"

texts:
"Every time you make a choice, a decision, the reality forks off into a new possibility. " - The OA

What would you imagine under those words?

Does "forking" connote rather

with the process of [a path] splitting into two (a world in which a new reality arises whenever you make a decision)?

with the state of a path having a junction (a world in which the universe just leads you from a decision to a decision)?


texts: What part of speech is "tranquilized" after keep?

texts:
I read the following sentence in a comic book:

keep her tranquilized

What will be tranquilized here? Is it a past participle or is it something else?


texts: standing WITH / IN / AT a 45-degree angle

texts:
Which one below would be correct when explaining the way something stands ?

  1) It was standing with a 45-degree angle.

  2) It was standing a 45-degree angled.

  3) It was standing in a 45-degree angled way.

  4) It was standing in a manner angled to 45 degree.

  5) It was standing in a manner with a 45-degree angle.


texts:
Does "wouldn't" work in the second sentence as 'do' works in the first one:

I hope you don't mind that I've opened the door.

I hope you wouldn't mind that I've opened the door.

I think it works and they mean the same here without any difference in formality or politeness degree.


texts: What do you call the small tube with ink in a pen?

texts:
What would you say in everyday life if you wanted to buy them?

We need to buy some ______.

pen ink holders
ink reservoirs
pen shanks
pen rods
small tubes with ink?


texts: Is the phrase "with flying colours" informal

texts:
As suggested in the title, I wonder if i can use it in my thesis?

I'm discussing the education of spoken English in China, I just thought about the phrase just now, probably I'll be using it like university students pass reading examinations with fly colours, however, with regards to their performance of speaking..

This is the first time me doing a thesis so I'm basically unaware of the whole thing.


texts: Valid line breaks in adverbs "...ly" in US English?

texts:
According to Merriam-Webster and Oxford online dictionaries for AmE, the right way to hyphenate "mathematically" is "math·e·mat·i·cal·ly". However, some style guides for AmE insist on never leaving two letters on the second line alone (e.g., http://www.k12reader.com/punctuation/hyphenation_in_line_breaks.pdf). Applying this rule, the only hyphenation points would be "math·e·mat·i·cally".

Is this a contradiction or do I misunderstand something? What's the general rule for breaking adverbs of the form "...ly"?


texts:
I want to put an add for my property on a sharing website.
Is my sentence ok :

You can have your everyday run on X Bridge.

This bridge is very popular in my city and many people are going there for a run or cycling.


texts: "residents of the building" or "the residents of the building"

texts:
Shouldn't there be the definite article before "residents of the notorious Sierra Ridge Apartments" in the following sentence?

  Residents of the notorious Sierra Ridge Apartments in Northwest Atlanta started to panic Friday after dozens received a notice on their door: they must move out in 30 days. (Source)

When I say "residents of this building are not happy", should there always be the definite article before "residents", because apparently the "of" structure specifies which "residents"?


texts: Is it right to use "how important" as a subject in this sentence? And what does it mean?

texts:
I wonder if it's correct to use “how + adj.” as a subject in a sentence, just the way I saw in the following sentence :

  “Everybody stay where you are. Chill out,” Quill said, slowly circling
  around, trying to make eye contact with his teammates and these recent
  possible-adversaries. Turning to face Tony, he addressed him as Tony
  raised his faceplate. “I’m gonna ask you this one time: Where’s
  Gamora?”

  Tony scoffed. He’d never heard of a “Gamora” but he could tell she was
  someone of importance. How important would give him the knowledge he
  needed to take control of the situation. “Yeah,” he challenged.
  “I’ll do you one better: Who’s Gamora?”

  The Avengers 3

The context is:

Quill and Tony met for the first time on the planet of Titan, and they mistook each other for enemies and got into a fight.

In my guess, the sentence means:

The degree of her importance/ would give him the knowledge/ he
needed / to take control of the situation.

Am I right? Could anyone please help me understand the meaning of the sentence?


texts:
I've recently read that oxygen might be poisonous

  I recently read that oxygen might be poisonous

It's a sentence I'd like to use in common conversation with a friend.
Which one is correct grammatically and how to recognize that? I think the perfect would be better because I don't mean specified time and I don't give any details, but the past simple might be correct as well

Same question with

  I've thought this might be interesting. That's why I've brought it here.

  I thought this might be interesting. That's why I brought it here


texts:
What's the difference between "replication" and "duplication"?

According to Cambridge dictionary:

duplication (n): the act or process of making an exact copy of something.

replicate (v. but the same definition for noun):  to make or do something again in exactly the same way.

I really don't find any difference between them in the following context for example: when having two keys that they're really the same 100%. The can I say "These keys are duplications / replications".


texts:
If facebook will now allow you to bother your friends for a fee, what won't it do?

What does the latter part of this sentence mean?


texts: Definite article "the" introducing the subject of a sentence

texts:
In a tutorial on Qt Quick I have the following line in a paragraph describing the main screen:

ItemDelegate wrapper contains all fields on the main screen and the detail screen.

My question is: is this correct ?  Or do I need to put "The" before ItemDelegate.


texts: countable noun after "distribution of" [plural or singular]

texts:
I want to know whether a noun after "distribution of" should be plural or singular. For example,

  The distribution of height

  The distribution of heights

It is possible that "height" is not a good example of countable noun. I am not interested in the specific example. To form a distribution, there should be multiple things, so intuitively, it should be plural to me. For the above example, I see many use "height" rather than "heights" and I want some explanation for that too. Please also consider below.

  The distribution of height measurement

  The distribution of height measurements


texts: patrolling in toxic areas or patrolling toxic areas

texts:
Robots are used for patrolling in toxic areas .
Robots are used for patrolling toxic areas .
Which is correct ? I found both usages in google .


texts: the strings are rusty and the mitt is dusty -- what does that mean?

texts:
Source: Sams Teach Yourself Apache 2 in 24 Hours

Example:

  Ian Kallen is a senior software engineer and product team lead with Covalent
  Technologies developing enterprise-class management tools for the Apache Web server. Prior to joining Covalent, Ian managed the software and network operations at Salon.com and GameSpot.com. Ian is an instructor at San Francisco State University’s Multimedia Studies program, and has been an invited speaker at the O’Reilly Open Source Convention, ApacheCon, and other technology events. In his spare time, Ian plays blues guitar and softball, but he hasn’t had any spare time, so the strings are rusty and the mitt is dusty.


texts: I know the meaning of the all of the words but I struggle to understand the meaning of the sentence as a whole

texts:
Sometimes some sentences are really strange. I know the meaning of the all of the words in the following sentence but I really struggle to understand the meaning of the sentence as a whole:  "Some of this history
reflects unresolved differences being papered over by any evidence that
can be brought to hand" ( emphasis added)

  WDRs have not had a distinguished history of handling
  empirical evidence; too often bad—or simply incredible—evidence is presented
  along with useful and interesting new findings. Some of this history
  reflects unresolved differences being papered over by any evidence that
  can be brought to hand.


texts: Frequency adverbs: Is this ordering correct?

texts:
I'm trying to ascertain whether the ordering of these frequency adverbs, in this link, is correct?

Always 100%
Usually 90%
Often 70%
Sometimes 50%
Occasionally 30%
Seldomly 10%
Hardly ever 5%
Never 0%

My main doubt is in stating that seldomly is for more frequent actions than hardly ever... I would have assumed that rarely also meant hardly ever.
P.S.: I wasn't expecting users to take the numbers to heart. Please, consider them only as a guideline in the ordering of the words... They are not to be taken literally.


texts:
This work pulled me more to the world of economy, and I liked every moment of it.

Should I use an exclamation mark at the end of this sentence? It is a formal letter.


texts: Which punctuation marks are correctly used in this type of question/phrase

texts:
I was asking a question and while formulating the content, I made the following sentence/phrase:

  What I am facing trouble with, is; referencing....

Is my usage of comma(,) and semi-colon(;) correct? Or is (one of?) the following usage correct:

  What I am facing trouble with is; referencing    ## No comma after what
  What I am facing trouble with; is; referencing    ## Semicolon after what and is
  What I am facing trouble with, is, referencing    ## Comma after what and is

The entire sentence(currently) is

  What I am facing trouble with, is; referencing the subfid field in
  bsmsgs to new id values in buynsell correctly referencing and stored
  in bns_id of replies table.

Here is the link to actual question.


texts: Conditional in the past -- "If Vietnam *would* fall..."

texts:
President Eisenhower had a strategic vision, the Domino Theory.
  If Vietnam would fall, other countries in Southeast Asia would fall too.

A lecturer (native speaker) said it on a lesson. Using would confuses me. For me it should be at least "If Vietnam were to fall." And in the orthodox way it should be "If Vietnam had fallen, other countries would have fallen too."


texts:
Source: IPv6—Theory, Protocol, and Practice, 2nd Edition by Peter Loshin (2004)

Example:

  Some experts prefer to call IPv6 a revision or update or upgrade of IPv4, with the implication being that it is still IP no matter what version, and it still works the same way (more or less). That position is at best disingenuous. Version numbers to the contrary, IPv6 really is a different protocol from IPv4; it’s got a different address space, a different header format, a different set of rules on how to handle packets, and much more.

I'm not completely sure what exactly they're trying to say.


texts:
Here is an example sentence from http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/elation

  There's a sense of elation at having completed a race of such length.

Is the part of this sentence “at having completed a race” a gerund working as noun?

Can't I just say “There's a sense of elation at completing a race of such length”?


texts: How to learn to understand the Newfoundland accent?

texts:
Recently I watched a video with Newfoundland accent:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXLmCJG9USw

Apparently it is English :) However my colleagues and I find it literally impossible to understand except maybe a few separate words. As native speakers do you understand it? If it not to much trouble maybe you could write a transcription for us?


texts: politely ask someone not to do something

texts:
I want to very politely ask someone (my professor) not to do something anymore, and I've been searching about how I should do it for more than 2 two hours, yet I could not find any useful answer.
To give you more context, I have a timing issue with one of my classes at university, and my professor is working on the issue. However, I want to ask him not to work on it anymore and tell him I'll figure something out myself, but I don't want it to sound rude or sarcastic. How could I ask him? Are any of the following options appropriate?
1 - I kindly ask you not to work on this issue anymore.
2 - Please don't devote your time to working on this issue anymore.
3 - I just wanted to respectfully/politely ask you not to work on this issue anymore.
4 - I'd be grateful if you'd stop working on this issue. (I think it's not appropriate to say "stop doing that", though. To me, it sounds like I'm annoyed and I'm asking him to stop annoying me, but I'm not a native speaker of English, so I'm not sure.)
More generally, how can I ask someone not to do something without being rude/sarcastic or without implying that I'm annoyed?


texts: I’ve ever seen in the middle of the sentence

texts:
There is the sentence:

  One of the most impressive films I’ve ever seen is 12 Angry Men.

But the grammar checker says it doesn’t right, and I should put commas before and after “I’ve ever seen”.

  One of the most impressive films, I’ve ever seen, is 12 Angry Men.

But the Corpus shows next examples of these structure:

  One of the most impressive films I’ve ever seen, is 12 Angry Men.

And without commas

  One of the most impressive films I’ve ever seen is 12 Angry Men.

Which one is right?

P.S. I know about more simple structure, but don’t want put “be” at the beginning of the sentence, that is:

  12 Angry Men is the most impressive films I’ve ever seen.


texts: When someone is pointing angrily to your face (rudeness)

texts:
Let's say someone has got something to say about you to your face. As you know, in many cultures, it is rude to refer to someone with the forefinger (especially when it comes to anger or an argument!) Now, let's imagine you're from such a culture and a person is referring to you with their index fingers in a very angry way!
How would you warn them?
I have made up some sentences and I wonder which one sounds natural to you to be said to such a situation?
If none of them works here, then I would appreciate it if you let me know about the most natural way to say that.

  Don't point at me.
  Don't point to me.
  Don't point at me with your finger.
  Don't point to me with your finger.


texts:
"Guys did anyone of you have found my pencil box today in our class?"

Is that example grammatical?


texts: To have the test "in" something or "on" something?

texts:
When do we use in and on with the word test/exam if it comes to school subject or scope?

I mean the sentences such as:

  I am having a test on irregular verbs (Can I also say in irregular verbs?)
  I am having a test in Maths. (Can I also say on Maths?)


texts: Can "who" be used to refer more than one person, in the following sentence?

texts:
I was trying to explain an Italian saying, and I used the following sentence:

  It is said for who pretend not to hear what you are telling them.

Can who be used to refer more than one person, in that sentence?


texts:
I am wondering when to use "way" and when to use "in a way".

For example,

1: I told you we should have done it my way!

2: They grinned at her in a friendly way.

3: Do it in the right way.

4: Do it the teacher's way.

Thank you very much!


texts:
I received a name card from a client that reads as below:

  "Senior Sea Export Customer Service Executive"

Kindly advise if there's any mistake on it because it just doesn't feel right to me.


texts:
If you wish further suggestions for changes, we appreciate for that.

Should this be "for it" or "for that" or nothing?


texts: "the only one" with noun immediately following

texts:
Is it correct to say (or write) "the only one" with a following noun, e.g.

  It is the only one car that has such speed.

or

  I promise it's the only one soldier who can do this.

Are those sentences correct?


texts: Is "as though" exactly the same as "as if" when expressing a subjunctive mood?

texts:
For example:

  After the operation, their dog walked around on all four legs, as if nothing had happened to it!

Can "as though" be used to replace "as if" in the sentence?

Is "as though" exactly the same as "as if" in all circumstances?


texts: What does "more generally" in this context mean?

texts:
He and the other lawyers had been talking about middle-aged
depression, which was becoming increasingly common around them, as it
was in society more generally.

Here is my interpretation: "more generally" mean "to be more common", the sentence means "it is increasing so much that it became a part (more common) of the society." is it correct?


texts:
Peel off vs chip off any difference?

I checked the Internet, but it doesn't seem to have the answer.


texts:
In the movie Michael Clayton, a conversation takes place between Michael Clayton, lawyer, and his cop friend.

  Cop: Now I owe this scumbag and his wife who's a complete piece of shit in my unit. Now I owe them both my balls.

  Michael: I'm sorry. You know I am.

  Cop (imitating Michael): "Nobody will know it's me." You know what happens they don't bury this, that I gave you this?

  Michael: It's bad. I know it.

  Cop: I'm 18 months away from my 20. You just put my pension in jeopardy.

It appears 20 here means retirement. I know 20 is a slang word meaning location, but what does it mean here?


texts:
I have an exercise requesting me to cross out a word in each sentence if it is redundant. There is a sentence in that exercise:

  I’m writing to tell you that I can’t come and stay with you the next weekend.

Is ‘the’ necessary here? Can I cross out it? I ask this question because sometimes people use the right before next:

  We had a big argument, but he called me the next day (= the day after) to apologize. Cambridge dictionary

However, there are still some cases they don’t use the:

  The doctor will call next week to check on your progress.


texts:
Hi I just want to make sure if this is correct

She neither goes out every night nor will she ever go out with you.

I know I can just rephrase it but I want to know if that's acceptable or grammatically correct.


texts: "Intercept" my report card before it's too late?

texts:
Since I got bad scores in my final (maybe straight D's, again), I have to do that. I'm not very sure about how to say/write it idiomatically.

These are my attempts:

  I have to "hijack" my report card before it arrives at the mailbox.

  I have to intercept my report card before it arrives at the mailbox.

Please let me know if you know a better one! Thanks!


texts: How to tell patrons to ask their waitress about the compostion of the "Traveler's Dinner" offer?

texts:
I'm the owner of "Traveler's Coffee" Café in Russia. We make an ad for our new offer – "Traveler's Dinner” – for fixed price. The composition of the offer will change every week. We have many foreign guests and usually translate the ad in English, too.

What phrase should I use to say, that the patrons should ask the waitress to know the composition of special offer, actual this week?

Current version:
ask the composition by the waiter


texts: When ads are unecessary for buying a product because you already know the product yourself

texts:
We have a very popular proverb which says:

  A good product is not the sales person who recommends that you to buy it and compliments a lot about it. A good product has a high quality and the buyer would not need any compliments to buy it. They would choose these products themselves without any suggestions or specific advertisements.

We even use this proverb when we are talking about a person's qualities. For example, imagine two colleagues talking about a company's new member who they have heard lots of good things about him/her. One of them says:

  Tom (his/her direct manager who has hired the new member) said that he/she is a real talent.

The other one says:

  [the proverb in question]

Question: I was wondering if someone could let me know what do the AmE speakers say in such a situation and is there any equivalent saying or particular proverb for that concept in AE at all?

Apparently, there are some translations which can convey the message, but I have no idea if they work in AmE or not.  I have no idea if they are contemporary, or how well known they are or if they are considered old-fashioned.

  A good car doesn’t need a salesman, it sells itself.
  A good wine needs no buss.


texts: What's the meaning in context of «it got to keep»?

texts:
I'm reading a book about how to introduce healthy food choices in everyday life. Here, the author is talking about healthy food choices in american elementary schools.

  We later learned that three of the town’s elementary schools had
  replaced fund-raisers involving candy sales with “walking marathons”
  in which kids got donations for participating. One school raised
  $20,000—every penny of which it got to keep.

I don't understand the meaning of the last part of the sentence.


texts: Is "What better time..." in this sentence grammatically correct?

texts:
What better time than one in which nothing makes any sense to revive the ancient dream of knowing everything?

Shouldn't it be:

  What is a time than one in which nothing makes any sense to revive the ancient dream of knowing everything?


texts: The usage of the preposition "to" in this sentence

texts:
Hill grows from having to teach herself new makeup trends and translating them to her viewers. (source)

I find the use of "to" in this sentence somewhat strange. Wouldn't "for" be a better choice of word?

If the downvote is because I didn't put up enough information or the assumption that I didn't do my homework, I'd like to say that I did a lot of research but couldn't find a way to put together content in a relevant and succinct manner. What I saw as relevant was simply the fact that it was difficult to find examples to support this usage in Google hits save a handful.

Further information from my own comment:

I hit Google Books for examples. What gave me pause is that most of the Google-sourced examples are from the 19th century or even earlier and that it appeared to me the figurative use of the word is more likely in the form of "translate A to/into B" in which B is an end result so to speak.


texts: Is it appropriate to say "I seek a PhD supervisor" to mean "I try to find a researcher who agrees to accept me as PhD student"?

texts:
Can I say "I seek a PhD supervisor" to mean "I try to find a principal investigator of some research group who agrees to accept me as her/his PhD student to supervise my PhD thesis"?

I read from The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/seek

  In modern English, you never say that someone seeks a person or an
  object. You say that they look for the person or object.

But I also saw therein "seek" can mean "to try to obtain or acquire". And I do use "seek" in "I seek a PhD supervisor" to mean this, not mean "to look for a definite person".

So does saying "I seek a PhD supervisor" in this circumstance OK?


texts: "found him brighter than during our meeting" – unmatched comparison with 'than'

texts:
Contrary to earlier reports I found him brighter than during our meeting.

I read this sentence in a Google Books library of a author Thorpe Edgar, don't know if he is a native speaker or not. Also I couldn't find answer to this question in those pages which were accessible by Google Books preview but I googled for the sentence and found two results. One says replace brighter than with bright, and the other says it's a No Error sentence, but I think it's not an error free sentence as than (a comparative) has been used in the sentence but the clause/subject/object with which comparison is to be made is not present. So what should be the correction? Replacing brighter than with bright?


texts:
From Crispin: At the Edge of the World By Avi:

  The man set the mazers down and dropped the bread. (on the table)
  ........... .............

  "I say you're an informer!" cried the man. “A traitor to the
  brotherhood!” He turned then, and with a broad stroke of his hand and
  arm, swept bowls and bread away, sending all aground.

I looked up the dictionary and know the meaning of 'aground' to be 'to become stuck'.
Then, how should I interpret the bold phrase here?


texts: Does this sentence make it seem like my grandparents are part of Porbandar?

texts:
I have to make the following sentence less ambiguous

  I stay with my family in a small house in Porbandar which includes my grandparents.

My attempt is:

  I stay with my family which includes my grandparents in a small house in Porbandar.

Have I corrected the right part? Does the original sentence make it ambiguous as to what includes my grandparents?


texts:
this is from an American drama "How I met your mother"

  When I say "suit up", I wish you 'd put on a suit.

But, what would be different if I say like the following?

  When I say "suit up", I wish you put on a suit.

ps. he isn't wearing a suit


texts: Can I use the auxiliary "will" twice in a sentence that starts with "when"?

texts:
Can I use the word "will" in two clauses of the same sentence that starts with "when"?
I've already checked all questions in this forum about the use of "will" twice in a sentence, but none of them specifically mentioned this case. Here's an example:

When the angel of death will come, none will be able to evade
him.

The person who says this is clearly making a prediction about the coming of the angel. However, I'm not sure whether the sentence should be:

When the angel of death comes, none will be able to evade him.

Are both sentences correct? If so, do they have the same meaning?


texts:
As a researcher, I recently received a review with a sentence that I do not fully understand.
The reviewer writes:

This seems not a research study rather than just a suggestion for solving a problem of simple question.

(Let us let aside the fact that the review is not particularly positive.)
What does "a problem of simple question" mean?

A (not necessarily simple) problem, together with a question which is described with simple words?
An utterly simple problem? (I favor this.)
Anything else?

Before answering, I want to be 100% sure of the meaning.
I tried to find occurrences of this form in the Internet, with only 1-2 matches.
Side question: does this form look natural to a native speaker?


texts:
Neil Gaiman in his book "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains" writes (this is a character speaking):

  “And here was I, repaying ill with good, for I made you food and a
  fire. I am a hard man to lose, Calum MacInnes, and it ill becomes a
  guide to do as you did today. Now, take your dirk from my throat and
  let me sleep.”

What does this exactly mean: "I am a hard man to lose, Calum MacInnes, and it ill becomes a guide to do as you did today." - could you please rewrite it in simpler terms? It would be very helpful if you also could re-interpret completely 1st and 2nd sentences.


texts: "at the fringes of the haute intelligentsia"

texts:
His milieu was one of great social and cultural privilege. Wassily Kandinsky was his uncle, and the entire family circulated at the fringes of the haute intelligentsia.

This passage is supposed to show that the man came from the high society. But in my opinion the phrase "the entire family circulated at the fringes of the haute intelligentsia" doubts this assertions. The phrase has for me a negative connotation. To be at the fringes means after all not to belong to the center, to be somewhat out. How do you interpret the passage? Does it contradict the first part of the clause or confirm it?


texts:
My father lost his life during the great storm of 1987.

I’m not familiar with the structure ‘the ... of (time)’. I would say a great storm in 1987. Does the great storm of 1987 refer to a particular storm that everybody knows or is it similar to a great storm in 1987? Can I say the great storm in 1987? What is the difference?


texts: Is "give somebody a black look" idiomatic?

texts:
This often happens at school in Asia where teachers or school supervisors sometimes roll their eyes towards one side (to the left or right) to look at their students with anger, probably the students are doing something bad.
Or we often see that in kindergarten, for example, a child is trying to sneakily take some candies in a box and the teacher gives that kind of look to him/her.
Is it idiomatic and common to say "to give somebody a black look" or "to give a black look to/at somebody" to express the idea of to roll your eyes towards one side and look at somebody with anger/ jealousy or any negative attitude"?
For example,

"The teacher gave a black look at / to him as he was trying to sneakily take some candies in the box"

Note: I am not sure I should use "at" or "to" because we have the structure "to give something to somebody" but "to have a look at somebody")
Also, can we use "look askance" for example,

"She looked askance at him when he began to eat before everybody else."

but I am not sure this phrase is common or not.


texts:
According to this dictionary, Americans use "spoiled" past tense and past participle, whereas British people use either "spoilt" or "spoiled."

So, my question is:

Can I say "a spoiled child" when I'm in the United States, instead of "a spoilt child"? Or maybe it's not possible because, in that particular example "a spoilt child" is a fixed term understood in American and British English.

"A spoilt child is rarely popular with other children.
Oh, that child. He's so spoiled."

my afterthought:

I've just realized that I thought "a spoilt child" is a fixed term with a particular meaning and I have never thought that American people don't use "spoilt." I also thought that "spoilt" appeared as an adjective in both languages, which is not true.

Even Wikipedia used that term!


texts: Can I say "Look, the bus comes" to mean "Look, here comes the bus"?

texts: I know if I add the word "here" at the end as "Look, the bus comes here", it won't sound right, but what if I simply say "Look, the bus comes"? Does it mean the same as "Look, here comes the bus"? Does it sound natural?


texts:
everything feels so right
everything seems so right

I don't know what kind of different nuances.
what's the difference between these two?


texts:
But at these words of Uncle Vernon’s, Harry’s exhausted brain ground back into action. Why had the dementors come to Little Whinging? How could it be coincidence that they had arrived in the alleyway where Harry was? Had they been sent? Had the Ministry of Magic lost control of the dementors, had they deserted Azkaban and joined Voldemort, as Dumbledore had predicted they would? “These demembers guard some weirdos’ prison?” said Uncle Vernon, lumbering in the wake of Harry’s train of thought.

Does it mean those words of Uncle Vernon was turned into kind of slow-mo way as a result(compared to) of the fast thinking in Harry head?

in the wake of
1.(idiomatic) Following
2.(idiomatic) As a result of
3.In the noticeable disturbance of water behind (a maritime vessel).
—wiktionary


texts: "On" vs. "at" vs. "to" in this sentence?

texts:
Please write to me on/at/to this address.

I think at would be more apt. But I'm not sure. My friend told me to. Please correct my doubt.


texts:
When you model something does it have to be a scientific model?

To make or construct a descriptive or representational model of: computer programs that model climate change.

I am wondering what's the simplest model you can have. Would drawing a circle be considered a model? The circle would be a representation of a ball. Would then drawing a ball be the same as "modelling a ball"? Or is the simplest model either a Venn diagram or a Cartesian graph? Also, is a Venn diagram or a Cartesian graph a scientific model or just a model?
I am not completely sure when to use the verb model because of that.


texts:
In Russian we can easily invert comparative sentences but I'm having doubts about whether it is possible in English.

In Russian this works due to different comparatives "Чем" и "Тем".

  Чем выше ты взлетаешь, тем больнее падать.
  Падать тем больнее, чем выше ты взлетаешь.

We place the second part in the beginning and place the verb (or noun) before the comparative.

I doubt that inverting in such a way is possible in English.

The higher you fly, the more painful it is to fall.

What technique should I use to place "the more painful it is to fall" in the beginning?


texts: "As if it is": why indicative and not subjunctive?

texts:
Please take a look at the following quotation:

  My view is that multiculturalism was ALWAYS the wrong policy. It's the wrong policy because it promotes all foreign cultures while simultaneously denigrating/diluting/replacing the native culture as if it is somehow inferior.

I'm wondering why the author used the simple present after as if. If I were to say the same thing in my language I would use the subjunctive to convey the idea of an hypothetical situation lest it be regarded as an acknowledgement. How about in English? What would be your suggestion?


texts: suspend implementation for a week -- why no article?

texts:
Usage example with a context:

  Tusk said the EU would go ahead anyway with new sanctions against 19 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and nine entities next week, despite having agreed on Monday to suspend implementation for a week to boost the chances of success of the Minsk talks.

Why is it not "the implementation" since we know what implementation he's talking about? I know that often in English nouns that are used to describe processes do not require an article in font of them. Is this such a case? Is this something similar to how execution is used in "Use this command to stop execution of your code"?

I really am trying to deeply understand how this works. So, after a lot of thinking I have come up with the following line of reasoning (tell me if you find it wrong): if we substitute the noun in question for a gerund form like so "despite having agreed on Monday to suspend implementing new sanctions for a week" and if it still makes perfect grammatical sense (it may sound slightly grammatically awkward though), then we probably don't need an article. Am I on the right track with this, people?


texts:
Last night I was watching the movie in which I heard this phrase

  "I am home"

Actually, I am looking for explanations.
How can it be possible to say, I am home?

Is it the same like

  I am at home

Please explain it to me in details.


texts: Word usage of 'ON' in "On they flew through the gathering darkness"

texts:
On they flew through the gathering darkness; Harry's face felt stiff and cold, his legs numb from gripping the Thestral's sides so tightly, but he did not dare shift his position lest he slip ... he was deaf from the thundering rush of air in his ears, and his mouth was dry and frozen from the cold night wind.

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I don't quite understand the use of 'ON' in the clause above. Is it an adverb or prep.? I feel it's saying while on the way they flew through the gathering darkness. Is my understanding correct?


texts: What are the difference between simple tense+simple tense and simple tense+progressive tense?

texts:
What are the difference between:

I drank my liquor when I ate my meal.
I drank my liquor when I was eating my meal.


texts: Is this 'nor' a short form of 'nor knowing'?

texts:
A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley... He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter -- the boy who lived!"
  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Is nor the short form of "nor knowing"?


texts: Is the 'inflated abdomen' of a pregnant woman referred as an abdomen or it has a specific name?

texts:
Is the casual 'inflated abdomen' of a pregnant woman still referred as an abdomen or it has a specific name? (formally rather than slang). I couldn't find information about that, but it seems that some times it referred as a uterus or womb. Isn't it?

  I  think that it's not appropriate for a stranger to touch [a ---?]
  of a pregnant woman, even-though in some of the culture it's considered normal.

N.b. Now I found here that it's referred as 'belly'. That's a slang or formal English?


texts:
The toddler is holding a lego on his hand.
  The toddler is grasping a lego on his hand.

Which word is more commonly used if a toddler is taking a lego (small piece) in his hand?


texts: A problem regarding superfluous constructions

texts:
There is a sentence that I found in an editorial.

  Victory in Baghouz will also mean the IS’s territorial caliphate is shattered.

According to cambridge dictionary meaning of caliphate is

  an Islamic state, especially one ruled by a single religious and political leader.

 My question is when caliphate itself means an state or area why is it qualified by adjective territorial?

Thanks in advance.......


texts: "What a beautiful are your works" vs "How beautiful are your works"

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

a) "What a beautiful are your works!"

b) "How beautiful are your works!"

The context: I see my friend in his exposition of his paintings and I want to compliment him.


texts: How much more polite does the word "please" make a request?

texts:
When I learnt "could you possibly" pattern, my friend said to me this is very polite form to use when I make a request.I said 'how about if I use the please also with it" and he said ' it is a bit too polite that almost in a begging manner'. I can understand that but what I would like to ask  that there are other ways of making request.For example :

  Would you open the window

or

  Could you open the window

But in these forms it is ok if I do not use the word please?

Does its politeness degree change depending on where to use the please?

For example :

  Could you please open the window

or

  Could you open the window
  please?

Which one is more idiomatic or more polite ?

And at last but not least which one is more polite?

"Would you please open the window"
"Could you please open the window"
"Could you possibly open the window"
"Could you possibly open the window please"
"Would you mind opening the window"
"Would you mind opening the window please"


texts: Present Perfect vs. Present Perfect Continuous

texts:
I've wondered/been wondering...
Which one is correct? My teacher supposes that 'wonder' is a stative verb.  But I've seen several times in texts the usage of 'been wondering'. So what does it mean? Is it always used like that?
Some examples:
' I've been wondering how you were.'
' I've been wondering about her strange behaviour .'


texts: "What is the point" or "What is the purpose"

texts:
I am wondering what is the exact difference between "What is the point" and "What is the purpose" ?
I was answering to a question on an other SE forum and I just told "What is the point of this ?", now I am wondering if isn't sort of "more agressive" than "What is the purpose of this ?"


texts: Can we really use lap as an intransitive verb?

texts:
She lapped with a flat tongue from top to bottom, over and over again
lathering it with her saliva.

I would personally say "lapped it with", but it seems we can use the verb as an intransitive. It seems odd though, because we see in the definition itself "something" referring to the direct object.

To wind around or enfold something. (Your Dictionary)

The same definition has a transitive form, which is weird to me.

To wrap or wind around (something); encircle. (Your Dictionary)

So can we use it in the intransitive form, or is it an error?
It also seems like the fourth definition is similar to the third, but it doesn't have an intransitive form. Why is that?
We can say:

Those are the models who were lapped in expensive furs.

As well as:

The men lapped the models in expensive furs.

However, we cannot say:

The men lapped in expensive furs as the models undressed themselves.


texts:
When speaking about bones and body parts what is the difference between a crippled body part/bone and a broken body part/bone?

A crippled leg
A broken arm


texts: What is the name of the box which keeps software CD?

texts:
I don't know its exact name or how do you call this box in English:
The CDs inside the box are essential and required to be installed before the paid hardware can fully function.

I don't own this box. I found it somewhere on the Internet. I came up with the question, so I typed in some keyword on Google and then I found some photos about boxes that keep software CDs.

Update:

Thank you, @Usernew and @CookieMonster, for your prompt help.
I am sorry that my question is confusing to most of you. Please let me explain it some more. Say, I bought a sound card of ABC company some time ago, and the sound card was packed in a square cardboard box, and when I opened the square cardboard box, I found a software CD that came with the sound card.

And my question is, what is the name of that cardboard box which keeps that software CD and the sound card?


texts: What's the meaning of "get the behavior"?

texts:
I've come across with the line below:

  When we choose the wrong measurement, we get the wrong behavior.

As you know "get" is a mulitiple meaning word [1]:

RECEIVE
OBTAIN
BRING
BUY
MONEY
HAVE A FEELING/IDEA
HAVE/EXPERIENCE
ACHIEVE

...

I don't understand which one is the proper meaning.
So could you please tell me what the meaning of "get the behavior" is?

The full text is:

  The dark side of tracking a particular behavior is that we become
  driven by the number rather than the purpose behind it. If your
  success is measured by quarterly earnings, you will optimize sales,
  revenue, and accounting for quarterly earnings. If your success is
  measured by a lower number on the scale, you will optimize for a lower
  number on the scale, even if that means embracing crash diets, juice
  cleanses, and fat-loss pills. The human mind wants to “win” whatever
  game is being played. This pitfall is evident in many areas of life.
  We focus on working long hours instead of getting meaningful work
  done. We care more about getting ten thousand steps than we do about
  being healthy. We teach for standardized tests instead of emphasizing
  learning, curiosity, and critical thinking. In short, we optimize for
  what we measure. When we choose the wrong measurement, we get the
  wrong behavior. This is sometimes referred to as Goodhart’s Law.
  Named after the economist Charles Goodhart, the principle states,
  “When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.”

Atonic Habits by James clear

[1] https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/get


texts: Can someone tell me what "douchebaggy "means?

texts:
What does 'Captain douche baggy' mean?

For example "The captain douchebaggy is coming''


texts: "Neither of the twin brothers paid attention to their (his?) studies"

texts:
Neither of the twin brothers paid attention to their studies.
Neither of the twin brothers paid attention to his studies.
I'm confused with the use of their or his in the above sentences. Are both correct? Please explain it to me. Thanks a lot.


texts:
Your friend telling that guy is stingy and now you know it.

  I just know that he is stingy.

  Just now I know he is stingy.

Can we put the "just now" in the front?


texts:
I know after linking verb, Adjective and noun should be used,
Do 'should be, will be' serve as a linking verb or helping verbs in the following sentences?

John should be here by 2:00 PM.

You should stop eating fast food.

I will not be late

I will be waiting outside


texts:
From Cambridge Dictionary

  Our conversation came to an abrupt end when George burst into the room.

Assume this is what Ronald is saying to tell me what he had been through yesterday. He was talking with Christopher in a room, which is referred to as "our conversation" above. All of a sudden, George burst into that room, which caused that conversation came to an abrupt end.

When Ronald is telling me the story, I was not in that conversation whereas he uses "our conversation", where "our" obviously does not include me. Is it a use of "our/we"? When it would confuse anybody, it is safe to use it.

In contrast, if a young lady talks to me "we had a baby", although that doesn't confuse me, it might mislead someone else, so I will say immediately response "I never did anything to you".

Is there any other typical situations regarded as safe?


texts: what is the meaning of "an unbranded greeting"?

texts:
This is a kind of greeting a staff of the customer support section in a company is asked to use when he/she answers a call from their customer who needs support from them.
And there is an "unbranded close" at the end of a call.

I'm not sure what that is...
Can anyone please explain this for me?


texts:
I make documentation of a project, and I have a question.

Is final value or value final

In the sentence

This will have final value
This will have a value final


texts: Using "nakedly" instead of "with nothing on"

texts:
I need to know whether it is possible to substitute the following bold part with the adveb "nakedly" in a manner that it doesn't change the meaning and doesn't make it  ambiguous:

  She went to street with nothing on in broad daylight and people were shocked looking at her!

Is it natural to say:

  She went to street nakedly in broad daylight and people were shocked looking at her!

I've rearely faced people use the word "nakedly" and this is why I doubt if somehow to a native speaker's ears it sounds a bit weird!


texts:
Triangles ABC and A'B'C' are similar.
Given: m' > m.
How to pronounce ' (штрих in Russian)?


texts: Differences among the sentences starting with 'it is better' , 'it will be better' or it would have been better

texts:
In my office I wrote an application, part of which reads

  'it is better if you take a look at my loan papers'

This happened twice. are the sentences incorrect? I could have written

  'It will be better/it would be better

  'if you take a look at my loan papers'

which of the three sentences are correct and appropriate? or I could have written

  'it would have been better if you had taken  a look at my loan papers"

But There was no uproar.

I think there is no need to change the original sentence-'It is better if you take a look at my loan papers" THE TELEGRAPH daily English news paper of KOLKATA, INDIA published two articles not very long ago which endorses my view.                 If we use colloquial English in construction of sentences, it is  down voted because ,  in such sentences  inappropriate tags[1]Grammar [2]Grammatically ,  were used,  but not down voted in tags like [1]Usage
I request you reconsider my this very question, which is edited.Many non- native speakers translate their own language into English,  if they have to speak or  write hastily.


texts:
These are lines from the movie Dumb and Dumber:

  This is the Hotel Danbury Presidential Suite, gentlemen, normally reserved for royalty, visiting dignitaries, illustrious stars of stage and screen. We have shortly coming the Emperor and Empress of Japan, and of course, Princess Charles and Di when they were together used to frequent the hotel constantly. (YouTube clip)

I can't seem to parse "We have shortly coming ..." While the meaning of the entire sentence appears clear, what does "have shortly coming" mean? How should the sentence be parsed? I can't even make out phrases in that part of the sentence.


texts: Should I use "turning to X" or "turning into X" in the following case?

texts:
The primary fuel of the human body is slowly turning to/into fast
  food.

Should I use to or into? And why?


texts: How to choose the meaning of words from many meanings to prepare for tests

texts:
To increase my vocabulary i collect word from my daily study and then find them into Cambridge dictionary. But one word has many meaning. It is sometimes hard to memorize all of them and it is also time consuming. But i don't understand which meaning have to chose.So how i will understand that which meaning is more important and i have to memories.

I was preparing for GRE. I have quit long time on my hand. I have read a book named " Barron's Essential Words for GRE". There words given with their meaning. I have also read another book named "Barron's Essential Words for TOEFL". Both of the two books have listed some words with their meaning.These book have given one or two meaning. But when i have searched those words in dictionary, i have found many meanings rather than the meaning they have listed. Then i got confused.


texts:
I have a problem with the words "having" and "with" in the following context:

  The computer is a machine having different parts.
  The computer is a machine with different parts.

Do these sentences mean the same thing or they have different meanings?


texts: What's the meaning of "ship your foot", in 'The Office' S2E12?

texts:
In American TV show "The Office" S2E12, Michael stepped onto his grill and burned his foot. Jim asked Michael "Where are you shipping your foot?"

What did Jim mean? What's the meaning of "ship foot"?


texts: The reference issued for the continuing "in" OR "on" master degree?

texts:
I do not know which version is correct. Should I use article "on" or "in"?

The reference issued for the continuing in master degree

OR

The reference issued for the continuing on master degree?


texts: What is the meaning of "I read the catcher the signal"?

texts:
What is the meaning of "I read the catcher the signal" ?

Does "I read the catcher the signal" mean "I read the catcher's signal" ? Or does it mean "I read the singal and I give the signal to the catcher" ?


texts: Which sentence sounds more natural "unique and distinct items" or "distinct items with unique personality"?

texts:
We are attracted to unique and distinct items that only I can enjoy and experience rather than items that are commonly seen and easily available around us.
We are attracted to distinct items with unique personality that only I can enjoy and experience rather than items that are commonly seen and easily available around us.
Could anyone tell me which sounds more natural and if they mean the same?


texts:
My understanding of adverbs is right?

The deer ran really quickly.

Really describes the adverb quickly (quickly describes the verb ran hence is an adverb that's why I said so) hence really is an adverb.


texts:
A tutorial gives this example to demonstrate the use of "the".

  The manager told us more about plan for the New Year's party.

narrator says

  ... it can’t stay like it is. we say that the manager told us more.
  That means you already knew something about this plan. That means you can use "the".

I understand the meaning of that clearly. I'd just like to know the usage of like this and like it is. In other words, does the following mean the same thing as the one above?

  ... it can’t stay like this ...

Both "like it is" and "like this" refer to use "plan" without any articles, shown by the first quotation.


texts: Difference between "was to . . ." and "was to have"

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

  John was to have picked strawberries yesterday but the downpour made the field too muddy.
  John was to pick strawberries yesterday but the downpour made the field too muddy.

(Source: modified example from BBC)

I've read in Learn English BBC that the form "was to" and "was to have" is used for past plan which wasn't fullfiled.
 But What  I haven't understood is that these form look similar to me. I'm in a dillema which one (was to, or was to have) is used for past plan and which one is for unfullfilled past plan.

So, what is the differences between the construction was/were to ...  and was/were to have + past participle?


texts: What is the difference between these questions "Could you tell me how renting this flat works?"or "How does it work to rent this flat"?

texts:
If I want to ask someone how does it work to rent a flat which one of the sentences below Could I use?

  Could you tell me how renting this flat works?
  How does it work to rent this flat?

If both they are wrong, then what is the difference between 1 and 2?


texts:
Do the sentences below sound natural?

  I have a brother and a sister. He's 16 and she's 14.

Or should you say, 'My brother is 16 and my sister is 14.'?


texts: about 'Ask + PREPOSITION + something' and 'Ask something'

texts:
What's difference between

  I am writing to ask for some information about courses.

and

  I am writing to ask some information about courses.

cf.

Can I ask a favour of you?
Why don't you ask his advice?


texts:
Which ones are correct?

I have never thought of getting married until now.
I never thought of getting married until now.
I had never thought of getting married until now.
I have never visited Italy until this week.
I had never visited Italy until this week.


texts:
As far as I know we can't use an adverb before the objects. Like that.

I painted carefully the house [incorrect]
I carefully painted the house [correct]
I painted the house carefully [correct]

But in case of continuously I saw these following examples on the Cambridge dictionary.

You can't work continuously for six hours without a break!
The teachers speak continuously throughout the class.

What is the difference between continuously and other adverbs??


texts:
How is it like to live in Helsinki?

What is it like to live in Helsinki?

How is living in Helsinki?

What are the differences between these three sentences and what is the common way to ask someone for their opinion about the city they live in?


texts:
I am having a problem whether to use adjective or noun after the word "being". Can I use both after "being". For example:

You're being perverted.

= You are being a pervert.

You're being ignorant.

= You're being an ignoramus.


texts:
Can anyone show me how to put a question to the bold part of the following sentence?

  "There are two days left."

I've come up with one question and it is “How many days left are there”. Is it correct?
By the way, why do we say “How many days do you have left?” rather than “How many days left do you have?”


texts: Negative form of "it is all about" + NOUN

texts:
Consider the following sentence:

It is all about being lucky.

meaning that being lucky is the main point, reason or factor.
How would you put it in a negative form?

It is NOT all about being lucky.
It is all NOT about being lucky.
Both can be correct, depending on the context or meaning.

I mean to say that there are other factors to be considered apart from being lucky, or that being lucky is not the main point.


texts: What does "something doesn't start for an hour" mean?

texts:
In the Big Bang Theory,

  You are early. The movie doesn't start for an hour.

Is he saying the movie doesn't start in an hour? Is the preposition "for" correct?


texts: Use of the word "behind" in this context

texts:
I think John tried to tell me something behind his smile.
This advertisement seems to tell us something perverse behind its
apparent comicality.

Is this a correct use of the word "behind", associated with the verb "tell"? Does it sound natural?


texts: Which part of the sentence gives the main idea. Before "so" or after "so"

texts:
"Splitting water into
oxygen and hydrogen makes spacecraft fuel, so
ice-rich asteroids could become interplanetary
refuelling stations."

What is the main idea of the sentence (before so) "Splitting water makes fuel" or (after so) "Asteroids could become stations"?


texts: There used to be, what is its interrogative form?

texts:
I have had this question since I learned about there to be (which was a long time ago), and I know there used to be means something that used to exist, i.e, it no longer exists, for instance: There used to be a house across my apartment = One house used to exist, but no longer does, it's something that existed in the past, but not anymore. So, based on the facts that were mentioned, every there to be has a negative form and interrogative, therefore, what's there used to be's ?

My question has been identified as a possible duplicate of another one, but the one suggered isn't the same as mine, I'm talking about the verb there to be, the other question is about the verb "used to", both questions are different from each other.


texts: the use of "one of the" for more than one subject

texts: How do you say that John and Marie are "one of the representatives" of this company? Is it correct since you have John and Marie as both representatives?


texts:
What do “and of” meaning in the following sentence?

Recognition of a particular asset or liability is appropriate if it provides not only relevant information, but also a faithful representation of that asset or liability and of any resulting income, expenses or changes in equity.


texts: I'm not sure; but I guess the result was somewhat acceptable / acceptable (to some extent / to an extent)

texts:
Let's suppose the following scenario; do the sentences bellow mean the same?

  How was the meeting Gary?

  a) I'm not sure; but I guess the result was somewhat acceptable.

  b) I'm not sure; but I guess the result was acceptable to some extent.

  c) I'm not sure; but I guess the result was acceptable to an extent.


texts: Isn't it redundant to say "X could conceivably ..."?

texts:
I was reading a letter from Warren Weaver to Norbert Wiener (1949), and this sentence drew my attention:

  One naturally wonders if the problem of translation could
  conceivably be treated as a problem in cryptography.

What's the point of adding conceivably? E.g. couldn't we simply say:

  One naturally wonders if the problem of translation could be treated as a problem in cryptography.

Definition of conceivably:

  Use the adverb conceivably when you're talking about something that is believable or possible. You could say, for example, that you'll conceivably still be on time to work after oversleeping, especially if you skip breakfast.

Doesn't "could" already convey this meaning of possibility, making the expression "X could conceivably ..." redundant? Or is it a valid way to emphasize on the possibility aspect of the claim?


texts: Adjective for when skills are not improving and I'm depressed about it

texts:
What's the adjective I can use when my English skills  (or other skills I've been working on for quite a long time) are not improving and depressed about it? For example:

  Lately, I've been feeling adjective because I feel like my English is not improving.

What I want to say is something like depressed or exhausted, kind of feeling you have when you doubt about yourself and you're stuck at the same level, but none of those words seem natural.

I've also looked up some synonyms, but sad or gloomy seems too strong and I'm not sure about low or down. Are those right words?

I wanted to ask for a proper word I can use in this context.


texts: How to interpret the phrase: (some name) + dynasty?

texts:
Let's take the Han dynasty in China's history, ruled by the House of Liu.
Is Han the name of the dynasty? If so, what was the name of their country/empire? I thought Han is the name of the country/empire.
Can dynasty be a synonym for country/empire?


texts:
Which one is correct?

A. Those viewers who do not understand this language well and they
want to learn the lesson should see the subtitles.
B. Those viewers who do not understand this language well and want to
learn the lesson should see the subtitles.

Do we need the pronoun 'they' after 'and'? I think we don't. Am I right? Which one is the grammatical?


texts: I am trying to understand three sentences within this text.

texts:
I am having difficulty understanding the "sense" of three sentences from an older book.

The text comes from Elements of Psychology: A Critical Examination of Locke's Essay on the Human Understanding, and in Additional Pieces (Cousin, 1864).  **(Note: the prior link will go straight to the page with the three sentences highlighted in yellow.)

Here are each of the three sentences.  The sentence structure is very difficult for me to understand. The original sentence is presented first, followed by my understanding:

Sentence 1:

  ORIGINAL: When you say, when you think, that the fire is the cause of the fluidity of the wax, I put it to you, whether you merely understand that the phenomenon of fluidity succeeds the phenomenon of the contact of fire?

  My Understanding: You understand only that the phenomenon of fluidity succeeds the phenomenon of the contact of fire?

Sentence 2:

  ORIGINAL: I put it to you whether you do not believe, whether the whole human race do not helieve, that there is in the fire an incomprehensible, an unknown something, which it is not our object here to determine, but to which you refer the production of the phenomenon of fluidity in the wax.

  My Understanding: You don't accept that there is something special in the fire that causes the melting?

Sentence 3:

  ORIGINAL: I put it to you, whether the conception of a phenomenon appearing after another phenomenon, is not one thing ; and the conception of a certain property in a phenomenon which produces the modification tested by the senses in the phenomenon that follows, another thing.

  My Understanding: You think "a phenomenon appearing after another one" and "something special in the fire causing the melting are the same thing?


texts: When it's rude to refer to a location with your index finger

texts:
Edited:

Please imagine two close friends have taken a trip to another country. One of them is familiar with the local culture and the other one is not.
Now, let's say showing a location with finger is considered as rude there. How shall the aware person let the unaware one know about it in a natural way?

  Here, it's rude to point something with finger.
  Here, it's rude to point something out with finger.
  Here, it's rude to point at something with finger.


texts:
In the following sentence

  “I have other plans so have decided to move on. The CAC was anyway meeting once in a year or one in two years so I did not understand the conflict,” Ms. Rangaswamy told PTI.

 Link

I have never seen such usage one in two years. I think it should be once


texts: What is the difference between "pupil" and "people"?

texts:
Many times we heard that: Hall was packed with people. My question is can we say like this:
Hall was packed with pupils or several pupil.


texts: Do we normally "itch" or "rub" while feeling itch in the back?

texts:
Sometimes it happens to be that people feel some itch in the back. They may ask their friend / spouse to itch or to rub the place where they feel itch. What is normally this action called in English, to itch, to rub or maybe something else?

I've checked both definitions in Cambridge dictionary and it confuses me a little bit, because the definition by itself makes these two words allegedly like synonyms for this context. Isn't it?

  Itch (v): to have or cause an uncomfortable feeling on the skin that makes you want to rub it with your nails:


texts: When to use "What is the..' vs 'Which is the ...' in a sentence?

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Which is the correct usage?

  What is the best book for learning English grammar?
  Which is the best book for learning English grammar?

Also, can you give other examples where we could use either?


texts: Is it a present progressive(continuous) tense?

texts:
"He must be starving"

Is it a present progressive (continuous) tense?If your answer is yes then tell me where is "am/is/are".We all know present continuous tense has auxiliary verbs:am,is,are.


texts: Should I use present continuous or present simple tense here to describe an action in a video?

texts:
I'm trying to describe how does the guy juggle his football

  At 1:19, he's holding the ball, and then drop it freely down to his foot

Should I use present continuous or present simple tense here?


texts:
Is there any grammatical problem using 'hope' as a plural noun? Can't we say:

All hopes are gone

I wrote in a sentence but the Grammar software marked it incorrect. It says it has to be:

All hope is gone.

I heard the plural case in an English movie.


texts:
I am curious about how native speakers of English interpret the movement as in "The skier went over a bump and flew one meter into the air."

Was the movement vertical, i.e. was the skier one meter above the ground or other place where the flying action began? or horizontal, i.e. did the skier fly a forward distance of one meter from point A to point B?

I'd appreciate your help


texts:
We use can to talk about future actions which we will be able to do because of present ability, present circumstances, present decisions etc.

  • She can win the race tomorrow if she tries really hard.

  In other cases we prefer other structures, for example will be able to.

  • I'll be able to speak French at the end of this course. (NOT I can speak French ...)

  Practical English Usage, Swan, p. 99.

I don't understand how the first sentence is different than the second one! I simply don't get the point. Should the second sentence be more specific, so we can use can in it? Something like,

  If I keep taking French classes like I am now, I can speak French at the end of the course.


texts: some other reason vs some reason, is the meaning the same?

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I would like to know whether the following sentences convey the very same meaning ("strong some"):

  There must be some reason/way.
   There must be some other reason/way.

I mean, the first one is an obvious case of the "strong some" use. But does it also apply for the other one?