texts:
In equity, however, in proceedings seeking a general adjustment of the co-owners' rights in the property when the co-ownership comes to an end, a co-owner may be given credit for improvements and lasting repairs he or she has made to the property, if the other co-owners would benefit unfairly were no credit to be given.

Two questions:

Why is there a comma before if?
I guessing that "were no credit to be given" is same as "if no credit is given", but I am unfamiliar with this usage of the word "were". Can someone enlighten me as to what the relevant grammar rule is?


texts: "So I [had/have/would have] something to give"

texts:
If i bought that book, it would be so i had something to give to you on
  your birthday.

  If i bought that book, it would be so i have something to give to you
  on your birthday

  If i bought that book, it would be so i would have something to give
  to you on your birthday.

What are the differences in the meanings of these sentences?


texts: Difference between "advance for" and "advance by"

texts:
He is advanced for his years.
The visit of viru has been advanced by two days .


texts:
From Harper Lee's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird:

  Atticus had urged them to accept the state’s generosity in allowing them to plead Guilty to second-degree murder and escape with their lives, but they were Haverfords, in Maycomb County a name synonymous with jackass.

There is no to before escape, but isn't with the usage of and, verb should have the same form before and after it?

So it seems more appropriate to be like this:

  to plead Guilty and to escape with lives.

Instead of the original context:

  to plead Guilty and (no to here) escape with lives.

So to use to here or not?


texts:
A peron was travelling on a cab. Later (by mistake) a person payed more than he had to pay,so what would be a natural way to express this idea:

  He paid extra cash to the driver.

  He paid extra to the driver.

Can "cash" be dropped? And will it sound okay if I add "a little " as well:

  He paid a little extra cash to the driver.

  He paid a little extra to the driver.


texts:
Which one(s) is/are correct?
a. You need to practise speaking English in order not to be rusty.
b. You need to practise speaking English in order to not be rusty.
c. You need to practise speaking English in order to be not rusty.
d. all of them are correct.


texts: What is the difference in meaning: "tried singing" vs "tried to sing"

texts:
For me the following sentences seems identical. But I am not sure.
Would you please explain the differences, if any?

  She tried singing.

  She tried to sing.


texts: Is "It sounds like she started cooking" a complex sentence?

texts:
It sounds like that she started cooking

versus

  It sounds like she started cooking.

1- Are these the same or different?
2- Are they complex sentences?


texts: How to distinguish if all three tenses are spelt the same?

texts:
I came across this sentence:

  Knowing that I hurt you is breaking my heart.

but I couldn't understand whether the word hurt is present form or past because all its three tenses are spelt same. How do I distinguish them?


texts: What is "women scrapes." ? explain please

texts:
He was only twenty-two then but had already been in two or three of what were spoken of in Winesburg as "women scrapes."

Source


texts:
Women hold up half the sky.

This is an old Chinese saying. I wonder what hold up mean here. hold up is a phrasal verb, meaning *to remain strong or successful. Nevertheless, in the example, this sense does not seem to work. Perhaps we do not have a phrasal verb here. What does the sentence mean exactly?

P.S.

In Macmillan Dictionary, there are five senses for hold up:

hold something high
prevent someone/something from falling
cause a delay
steal by threat of violence
stay in good condition

I think in this context the sense prevent someone/something from falling works flawlessly.


texts:
When a user buy a software and enter a serial number, it is registered to the user? right?

If yes, what is the proposition for the Register

  This program is registered with/to/for XXX company.


texts: Is "from" also okay to use instead of "of" in "The children broke off large pieces of the house."

texts:
I would like to know whether 'from' can also be used instead of 'of' in the below sentence.

  The children broke off large pieces of the house.

I mean what differences are made if I change that sentence into

  The children broke off large pieces from the house.

That sentence is from a fairy tale - Hansel and Gretel.
The house is made of chocolate so the children try to eat it, breaking it off.


texts: Why is it not "paddleboarding positions"?

texts:
According to Merriam Webster, paddleboard refers to the board itself. The activity, as Wikipedia suggests, is paddlebarding. Why do these sentences use paddleboard safety, paddleboard positions, instead of paddleboarding safety, paddleboarding positions?

  The commission has been looking at paddleboard safety since early last year, focusing on rental companies, the panel's chairman, Bill Kenney, said. (LA Times)

  As part of the lesson, Berlett guided me through useful paddleboard positions. (Journal Sentinel)

  The weekend includes nine running, standup paddleboard, and triathlon races that draw everyone from kids as young as 8 to triathlon’s top pros. (Sunset)


texts: What does "not for ages yet" mean in this context?

texts:
A: "When's your holiday?"

  B: "Oh, not for ages yet."

I've seen this example in the dictionary on my phone -- under the definition of the word 'yet'. But I don't quite understand the phrase "not for ages yet" in this context. What does it mean?


texts:
Which of the following is the Correct English tense?
1. Had you have lunch?
2. Have you had lunch?
Are these both different English tenses or they mean the same?


texts: What is grammatically correct, "had told" or "told"?

texts:
Here is the sentence from the book,

  ...Forty years ago, a doctor had told him the same thing. And he had lived to raise a family of five children. He had done as much hard work in those years as any man.

Now, could this sentence be written like this?

  Forty years ago, a doctor told him the same thing. And/But he lived to raise a family of five children. He did as much hard work in those years as any man

My question is, what's the difference in both these sentences? And why the second sentence is probably wrong and first one is correct? Anyone here who could possibly explain the rule?


texts:
I have never heard people say or write like 'People say Edison had failed 9,999 times.'
Is it a correct sentence?

I think it should be 'People say Edison failed 9,999 times.' or 'Edison is said to have failed 9,999 times.'


texts: Can I say, ‘The boat had slowed down much.’?

texts:
Can I say, ‘The boat had slowed down much.’ ?
Can I say, ‘The boat had slowed down very much.’ ?


texts: Does 'Down below' mean the same thing as 'Bottom'?

texts:
Let's say I am looking for X, and I ask my friend for it. He says pointing at the cupboard

It is at the shelf down below in the cupboard.
It is at the bottom shelf in the cupboard.

Do down below and bottom mean the same thing?


texts: Do we say "walk 2 blocks to the XYZ street" in British and American English?

texts:
As shown in the above picture, I am on ACB street and I want to go to XYZ street and turn left.
Do American people say "walk 2 blocks to XYZ street then turn left"?
It seems British people don't say "block".
What is the equivalent expression of the above sentence in British English?


texts:
You have to admit wrongdoing.
You have to admit to wrongdoing.
You have to admit your wrongdoing.
You have to admit to your wrongdoing.


texts: Which part of the sentence does "still" and "almost" modify? How to judge them?

texts:
She was still beautiful at the age of forty.

Does the adverb "still" modify "was" or "beautiful" ? And why?

  The effect is almost impossible to describe.

Does the adverb "almost" modify "is" or "impossible"? How to judge it?

Which adverbs can modify predicate verb?


texts: When can we use more than one dot (period?)?

texts:
Which one is correct?

  The latest research says that the number of mobile Internet users will increase by three times in 2015. Read more... (Note the three dots after the word 'more'.)

  The latest research says that the number of mobile Internet users will increase by three times in 2015. Read more.... (Note the four dots after the word 'more'.)

The questions:

1) Under which circumstances can we put more than one dot ('.') within a sentence?

2) Under which circumstances can we put more than one dot ('.') at the end of the sentence?

3) Is there any rule that talks about the number of dots to be put?

Microsoft Word suggests the exact number i.e. 3 dots (...) and shows an error when I put more than 3 dots (.....) in the above mentioned Read more... case.


texts: Are "rather than" and "instead of" exchangeable?

texts:
i am learning this Stanford course

the professor is saying

  x-ray in the hospital is a digital image rather than a physical piece
  of film

it seems that "rather than" could be substituted by "instead of" in this sentence.

are "rather than" and "instead of" exchangeable?


texts: Does "21st century living" sound natural?

texts:
In this article,

The headline is

  "Modern phobias: The new fears caused by pressures of 21st century
  living"

Can you say the pressures of 21st century living? That sounds utterly unnatural to me. Shouldn't it be the pressures of living in the 21st century?


texts: The usage of articles with nouns modified by an adjective

texts:
Please help.

1) "I sat into a car. Having sat into a nice car I started home"

2) "I sat into a car. Having sat into the nice car I started home"

3) "I saw a car. A nice car was very clean and shiny"

4) "I saw a car. The nice car was very clean and shiny"

Can they both be used for the second mention?
If yes, what is the difference in meaning?

P.s. The way I see it - saying "a nice car" is appropriate in 1 and 3, like a way of saying "what was a nice car (referring to the car already introduced)..." or it can also be the first mention of another car.

Saying "the nice car" in 2 and 4 - "what was the only nice car within context" or it can have another meaning - just the second mention of that car, that is not nessessary the only one.

But all of the above are just my guesses and I'd be glad if you could clarify it. Thanks.


texts:
He simply told her that he worked for the Corporation.
He told her that he worked for the corporation simply.

What is the difference between these two sentences?


texts:
Is the structure of the bold phrase in the following expression grammatically right?

In conclusion, having considered the aforementioned reasons and examples into account, I do believe that ... .

If it is right, what structure does " having considered ... Into account" follow?
If it is not true, what can be a perfect alternative for that?


texts: "have widely been used" OR "have been widely used"?

texts:
Which word order is correct:

  "Psychological measurement tools have widely been  used in previous studies"

or

  "Psychological measurement tools have been widely used in previous studies "

I always used to suppose that only the first one was  grammatically correct, but now I am hesitant.


texts:
Which is correct?

  Lying in the corner was the huge lion.

  Lying at the corner was the huge lion.

Is there any different in meaning?


texts:
I would be most appreciative if someone could answer about this sentence. I found this sentence in an agreement letter.

  Under no circumstances shall the waiter look to the Client as his/her employer, or as a partner, agent, or principal.

When i search in Google, Under no circumstances means never do like this and look to means to hope to get help. If so, does this sentence mean the waiter should not expect to get any help from Client as his/her employer, or as a partner, agent, or principal?? I don't understand the usage of as in this sentence.


texts: What is the colloquial way to say one will log into one of those famous streaming video services to choose any TV show to watch?

texts:
I am not sure whether "put on" is the right one as I am getting anything inside a DVD player or any other device. Nor I do believe the verb play is suitable in this particular case.
Here are two examples.
Hey dad! Let's play Monk on Netflyx
Hey meemaw! Let's put on Monk on Amason Brime.
And what if it was something I have to do before doing something else?
Here is the example: I have to put on/play Monk on my mother's television for her to watch it before I go to work.
Thank you!


texts: is it grammatically correct to use "Go" as a noun?

texts:
I saw this sentence "So we are a go?". I understand what he meant by that, but is it a correct English  or some informal usage ?

as mention here How can I make a noun out of a verb? "Go"

"Go" use as a verb. Example: I go to school.

"Go" use as a noun. Example: "I have a go" or "It's my go."

So "go" is used both as a verb and noun.


texts: A tense problem about an auto reply model

texts:
I want to set an auto reply model when I'm holding an online chat room and dealing with some other things.
Which of the following is correct:

If I didn't say hi, it means I am working.
If I haven't said hi, it means I am working.
If I don't say hi, it means I am working.


texts: What does it mean when someone says "Let's Talk Consistency"

texts: What does it mean when someone says, "Let's Talk Consistency" Does it mean talk in harmony? I've just spotted that and would like to learn it and implement it in my day to day vocabulary. I will appreciate if some examples are given. I already checked a few dictionaries to no avail.


texts: Word for something that is true only at a specific period in time

texts:
I am writing a paper about fair division. When we divide, say, a piece of land among us, the division may be fair in the time of division, but may seem unfair at a later time, for example, if oil is found in one of the land-plots.

I am looking for a single word (a noun) that emphasizes the fact that a division is fair only in a specific point in time. Using Google translate, I found "momentariness", "instantaneity", "temporariness", but, I don't which of these words, if any, fits the context.

An example paragraph: "Our third assumption is _____________. This means that, when we check the fairness of a certain division procedure, we only check that the division is fair at the time it is made. We do not require that it remains fair forever."


texts:
From TED (Start from 1:42:

But novel, the second thing, is that nobody had to have said it.

How to understand the structure "had to have done"?
I think it sounds better to me without the "had to" : but novel, the second thing, is that nobody had said it.


texts:
Here is the whole paragraph. I am very confused that what does the "bother" here mean. Does that mean "we" are very unhappy to treat

  The second quality of big data is its embrace of messiness. Looking at
  vastly  more data permits us to loosen up our desire for exactitude.
  Remember,  when we only quantified a little, we had to treat what we
  did bother to  measure as precisely as possible. In contrast, big
  data is often messy and of  varying quality


texts: what does "for all" mean in this context

texts:
This is the sentence:

  The enormous room on the ground floor faced towards the north. Cold for all the summer beyond the panes, for all the tropical heat of the room itself, a harsh thin light glared through the windows, hungrily seeking some draped lay figure, some pallid shape of academic goose-flesh, but finding only the glass and nickel and bleakly shining porcelain of a laboratory.

Well, I  highly think that for all in that context is an expression, I'm not sure because I  couldn't understand the meaning of the sentence.

Could you help please ?


texts:
I am confused with the syntactic structure of the sentence in bold, especially the last part. Can anyone help explain?

  An intention to do something wrong or against the law is rarely considered as bad as when the intention gets fulfilled. If we could be prosecuted solely for our intentions, however distant from success, we should almost all have criminal records. A comparison may be made with those religious doctrines which seem to collapse psychological states, including ones even more remote from actions than intentions, into the actions which would typically result. Following the New Testament, an American president, Jimmy Carter, accepted that lusting in one’s heart for a woman other than one’s wife is morally the same as the act of adultery. More recently, some extreme feminists have bizarrely claimed that watching the portrayal of rape is the same as raping.
  ——the big think book


texts: What is the meaning of dot words in cards game?

texts:
In The Bug's Life, Dot & his friends playing cards game with bug which is recovering from leg injury.

In Middle of the Game, dot say this words to Bug.

  Ah-ah-ah. Read 'em and weep.

What does it means?


texts: Have you been drinking? vs Have you drunk?

texts:
What's the difference?
One day, I returned from dinner with my coworkers.
Before I came home, I drank several beers. When I entered the living room, my wife asked me:

  Have you been drinking?

  Did you drink?

  Have you drunk?

Is there any slight difference?
Which of the three is best ?  Could anyone tell the difference ?


texts:
Mr. Trump called the leaking of information disgraceful comparing it to something that Nazi Germany would have done.

Could I change the above sentence to Nazi Germany would do dropping have?

Will it change the meaning?


texts:
According Grammar books, we should use simple past tense for a past action happened at a specific time in the past.

Ex: I was there 2 days ago.

Anh present perfect tense can be used with "just". Ex: I have just seen that film

But googling "has just finished a few days ago" returns 141000 results

So, "it has just finished a few days ago" or "it just finished a few days ago"? which one is correct?


texts: Is that the grammatically right sentence?

texts: I want to know that the sentence that describe below is grammatically right or wrong. the sentence is " How fantastic cycling going is!"


texts:
I would like to know which is correct form to write this sentences and the reason for that.
Examples:

Do we stay in hotels?
Are we stay in hotels?

Do I need shoes?
Am I need shoes?

I need to understand the differences and know which one is the correct form.


texts: How can I use the word "both" correctly?

texts:
I would like to use both in my sentence. However, I do not know whether I used it correctly or not.

Here is my sentence:

For both the bivariate and multivariate model, the new model shows a significant performance.

Is this correct? I think I cannot use the after both.


texts: How to describe the instantaneous speed of an object

texts:
Consider that car X has a certain speed at the instant when passing point Y and that Formula Z calculates the speed.

I would like to know which of the sentences listed below I created is the best to describe the situation.

  Formula Z calculates the speed of car X at the instant when it passes point
  Y.
  Formula Z calculates the speed of car X that appears at the instant when the car passes point Y.
  Formula Z calculates the speed of car X passing point Y.

I think the first one has the possibility of being misunderstood that Formula Z calculates at the instant when...

I think the second one is the best, but may be awkward.

I am not sure whether the third one makes sense.


texts: Are "in writing" and "at speaking" commonly used?

texts:
On other language SEs, I often have to talk about spoken language vs written language. Those phrases can be a little heavy, and I'm looking for shorter alternatives.

There's a very convenient and short way to say this in my language so I checked for a translation, and my searches (1) (2) returned "at speaking" and "in writing" but they don't seem to fit.

My typical use case is this:

  [Word A] is almost never used [in writing], but is very common [at speaking]. On the other hand, [a synonym for word A] can be used both [at speaking] and [in writing].

I'm almost sure that's not the right way to say that, how you would say it?


texts: Why are 'a weakness' and 'strength' in the following passage?

texts:
The first person who followed a morality based on reason was Socrates.
  Socrates said that ‘No man is voluntarily wicked’, that one is wicked
  through ignorance of the good, that furthermore, the good is neither
  pleasure nor power and that one cannot be master of anything, whatever
  it is, unless one is first master of oneself. He used to say that the
  good is to keep one’s soul free from all impurity, from all attacks of
  passion. Evil is always a weakness, and virtue is always strength,
  even if things appear to be quite the opposite (a tyrant, and men
  tortured by a tyrant). A tyrant is, although he does not know it,
  weaker than the person who, fully aware of what is happening, allows
  himself to be killed by tyrants. Socrates, if we can believe Plato’s
  dialogues, used to set forth his ideas in myths. The highest principle
  is clearly: ‘Know yourself’, since evil is defined as self-ignorance.

                           - 'Lectures on Philosophy' By Simone Weil

The usage of the indefinite article 'a' evades me. 'a weakness' means to me that 'a thing that is weak'. But what about 'strength'? Is it a kind of ellipsis?


texts: It occurs to me when I want to say I am gonna go out to some place. Can I say I'm gonna go away to some place? Do these two phrasal verbs make the same meaning?


texts: present perfect continuous and "all day"?

texts:
I am confused about the use of the present perfect continuous and "all day". If I say:

"I have been working all day and I am really tired now", to me it can mean both that I am still working or that I have recently stopped working for the day.

I have read that the expression can only be used to convey that I have stopped working for the day and can't be used if I am still working. In that case I would have to say "I have been working for hours" or "since this morning", for example.

Is this true?


texts: The meaning of "handle the uncertainty of not being convinced that they know everything they ought to do and say"

texts:
I'm studying English and I'm reading a book how to improve your English. The writer said that those who study English should approach foreigners to improve English. After that, he write:

  Most students do not dare to approach foreigner at all, often because they are afraid to look like an idiot. Their confidence is too low to handle the uncertainty of not being convinced that they know everything they ought to do and say, and they have such low regard for themselves. However, it is much better to take action and risk looking like an idiot with a chance of improving your English than not to take action and clearly demonstrate that you are an idiot with no chance of improving your English.

I know "uncertain" means "not sure", and "convinced" means "completely sure about something",but I still don't understand the sentence, especially the expression "handle the uncertainty of not being convinced that". Can you help me? Thank!


texts:
Which one is correct?

I am interested in applying to Master´s degree program in X

I am interested in applying for Master´s degree program in X

I am interested in applying in Master´s degree program in


texts:
Is this sentence construction grammatically correct?

  Let me know when you were free.


texts:
as you know in in-text citation, we use this format to cite a reference of more than two authors. For example, if the first author's name is X, we write:

  As stated in X et al. [1], ...

Because this citation can be divided into multiple lines some times, I need to know if the sentence is one or multiple words? Because if it is one word, then I need to use the hyphen - if the word is broken into multiple lines. Otherwise, there is no need for the hyphenation.


texts: The meaning of "that is neither here nor there."

texts:
And Paul said to me: “Serve Caesar. You are not canvas I can cut to advantage at present. But if you serve Caesar you will be obeying at least some sort of law.”

  He talked as though I were a barbarian. Weak as I was, I could have
  snapped his back with my bare hands. I told him so. “I don’t doubt
  it,” he said. “But that is neither here nor there. If you take
  refuge under Caesar at sea, you may have time to think. Then I may
  meet you again, and we can go on with our talks. But that is as The
  God wills. What concerns you now is that, by taking service, you will
  be free from the fear that has ridden you all your life.”’

This is from "The Manner of Men" by Rudyard Kipling.
https://www.telelib.com/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/LimitsRenewals/mannermen.html

I do not understand the meaning of
But that is neither here nor there.

What did Paul intend to say by that?

I am glad if some one would  kindly teach me.


texts:
The Merlion, a statue with a lion's head and the body of a fish, is a major tourist attraction. Here, visitors get a breathtaking view of Sentosa, the city skyline and the surrounding islands from two viewing decks.

What does "here" refer to?


texts: What does the word "evening-in" mean here?

texts:
Please help me figure out the meaning of the word "evening-in" in the following sentence from the description of the game Golf Clash:

  Mark Twain described golf as “a good walk spoiled”, but you should
  think of Golf Clash as an evening-in enhanced.

I could not find a single entry of the word "evening-in" in dictionaries.

For some context, here is a brief description of the game from a different source:

  In the game, players compete against each other in real-time,
  turn-based golf matches of about 4-5 minutes that feel like contests
  of Golden Tee, the classic bar room arcade game.

Thank you for your time.


texts: How to understand "bobbed out into the middle of the lake"?

texts:
He, Ron, and Hermione left the castle together on Saturday and set off through the cold, wet grounds toward the gates. As they passed the Durmstrang ship moored in the lake, they saw Viktor Krum emerge onto the deck, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. He was very skinny indeed, but apparently a lot tougher than he looked, because he climbed up onto the side of the ship, stretched out his arms, and dived, right into the lake.

  “He's mad!” said Harry, staring at Krum's dark head as it bobbed out
  into the middle of the lake. “It must be freezing, it's January!”

The word 'bob' means to move or cause to move up and down repeatedly, as while floating in water. But I don't understand the phrase "bob out into". It doesn't seem to make much sense to me. How should we understand the phrase here?


texts: A third-grade teacher/student! Does it speak of her quality or designation?

texts:
Whilst we all know that grade also refers to the intensity/degree of quality, I got this doubt looking at Jim's comment here. Although, looking at his sentence, it's clear that he's talking about the teacher teaching students of Grade IV.

In India, standard is more common as compared to grade for schooling. And it does not create ambiguity because if the thing is of top quality, it's of standard quality but then if it is not, it's substandard and not second, third or fourth standard. If you put adjective first, second, third... and the like to the word standard, it always refers to schooling.

The ambiguity rises when we use grade. If I call someone A third grade often in anger or sarcasm as in here - it simply means **dumb, manner-less, awkward* person. So, if I want to refer to some teacher/pupil as a wicked person with third grade quality, how do I do it?


texts:
In American English, are "mightn't have" and "might not have" both often used in speaking and writing?

How about "couldn't have" and "could not have"?

How about in British English? Thanks!


texts: What is the main theme for this context?

texts:
Source can be found here. Here is the excerpt I am concerning about.

  In surveying nearly two centuries of this relationship, it is wise to
  keep in mind an exiom of professional historians-that we should be
  careful not to view the past in terms of our own times, and make
  judgements accordignly. Certail parallels often become obvious, to be
  sure, but to assert what an individual president should or should not
  have done, by president standardds, is to violate historical context.

In the first two line, I understand the meaning but I am confused with these lines. Could anyone help me to comprehend the meaning of this context.

  Certail parallels often become obvious, to be sure, but to assert what
  an individual president should or should not have done, by president
  standardds, is to violate historical context.


texts: "at the time of", it should be at the end or at the beginning of the sentence

texts:
I'm not a native english speaker, so I have this doubt.
For example I have these two sentences:

  At the time of taking the family picture she was next to her father

Or:

  She was next to her father at the time of taking the family picture

or I could write it both ways


texts:
How long + past simple, present perfect or present perfect continuous.
How the meaning will be changed after using each of these tenses ?
I don't know if I got it right, so I want to share the way I understand it and to be corrected if got something wrong.
For example how the meaning will be different with this sentence: how long (work) for them.

  Past simple:

    How long did David work for them

  would mean that David worked for them previously but doesn't work for them anymore.

  Present perfect:

    How long has David worked for them

  would mean that David works for them generally and I'm asking how long does he do it?

  Present perfect continuous:

    How long has David been working for them

  would mean that David works for them at the time of speaking?

I have doubts about the Present perfect and the Present perfect continuous. I think didn't understand them correctly.


texts: What's the difference of “I'm find that …” and “I find that …” and other variations?

texts:
What are the differences between the following?

  I'm find that ...
  I find that ...
  I found that...
  I have found that...

Also, is "I'm find that ..." a correct way to begin a sentence?

Can you explain to me in example that exact meaning (and differences) of these phrases?


texts: I am not sure about the meaning of: "I went and came with Lorin’s."

texts:
I am not sure about the meaning of "with Lorin’s" in the two entries below written by Bishop Milton Wright, the father of Orville and Wilbur Wright, in his diary.
What I know is that Lorin was an elder brother of the two inventors. He was married, lived in Dayton, had children and possible a car.

• Monday, May 23, 1904
It rained early in the morning.  Went out to
Simm’s Station to see the brothers attempt to fly. Too little wind.
Went and came with Lorin’s. Encountered rain on our return.
• Wednesday, May 25, 1904
At 2:30, we were at Huffman’s farm at Simm’s
station to see an aëronautical flight, but a rain came up & hindered.
Many were disappointed. I went and came with Lorin’s.

What did he mean by "Lorin's"? The members of his family? By car with Lorin Wright as a driver (it is unlikely he drove a primitive automobile of 1904 at the age of over 75)?

The entries of May 23-25 as they appear in Bishop Milton Wright's diary


texts: Objects in the sentence "He provided him money for his friend"

texts:
I am really confused about direct and indirect objects.There are many Examples are given on internet But they only deal with two objects.

Can someone tell me which are direct and indirect objects in the following sentence?

UPDATE

  The audience gave the soprano a standing ovation for her performance.

I think there are three objects. the soprano ,a standing ovation and her performance,

1.But how to decide which are direct and indirect ?

2.how many maximum objects one sentence can have ?


texts: Is it right to say "to correct" exercises?

texts: Is it right for a teacher to say to their students in class: "Now let's correct the exercises." Is "to correct" the right verb to use?


texts: Complex WH-questions: grammaticality and long-distance movement

texts:
The more I'm reading about syntax, the more I'm starting to doubt my ability to judge the grammaticality of English sentences correctly... so I need some help with that. I'm a non-native speaker of English and I suspect I'm influenced by my mother-tongue (German) when assessing the grammaticality of English sentences.

Here's two complex WH-questions:

1) Where did he say he hid the treasure?

2) *Where might she ask he has been?

I'm fairly certain the first sentence is correct. If the first sentence is indeed correct, however, I fail to understand why the second sentence would be considered ill-formed (as indicated in the textbook I got the second example from; Radford: 2009). To me, their structure appears to be same.

For those acquainted with syntactic analysis:

As far as I can tell, example 1) has the underlying structure of:

  [CP Where [C did [TP he [VP say [CP ̶w̶h̶e̶r̶e̶  [C ∅ [TP he [VP hid the treasure  ̶w̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ]

The wh-question marker originates in the lower VP as a complement to the verb, moves up to the lower CP boundary and then leaves the lower clause for the specifier position of the higher CP. (Movement is indicated by strikethrough. I purposely left out the other types of movement (S-Aux, VPISH) going on.)

Whereas example 2) would have the underlying structure of:

  [CP Where [C might [TP she [VP ask [CP ̶w̶h̶e̶r̶e̶  [C ∅ [TP he [T has [VP been ̶w̶h̶e̶r̶e̶  ]

Again, the WH-question marker originates in the lower VP as a complement to the verb and first moves up to the lower CP boundary. It then leaves the lower clause for the specifier position of the higher CP. Radford posits that the WH-marker cannot move to the higher CP because the covert interrogative complementiser ∅ "freezes" it in place, thus producing only:

3) She might ask where he has been.

I can't see how this is the case here but not in other cases such as 1). Even if for whatever reason 1) turns out to be ungrammatical, other constructions such as 4) definitely allow long-distance WH-movement (also taken from Radford).

4) What might he think she is hiding?

  [CP What [C might [TP he [VP think [CP  ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶  [C ∅ [TP she [T is [VP hiding  ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ]

Am I wrong assuming that 1) is grammatical at all? What exactly is wrong with 2)?

Any help is appreciated!

Source:

Andrew Radford, 2009: An Introduction to English Sentence Structure. Chapter 5.7, pages 174-182.


texts:
My teacher says that it's not correct to answer the test
"How long (rain) yesterday?"
as "How long did it rain yesterday?"

She says there is only one way to do the problem with "how long" in the past tense with the Past Perfect Continuous.
That is

  How long had it been raining yesterday?

I think it's possible in a context where there is the point in the past which the Past perfect continuous relates to. But here without the context, I think the only right way is

  How long did it rain yesterday?


texts:
What is a correct question to this answer?

  We have our Spanish lessons in the center.

A: Where do you have got Spanish lessons?

B: Where have you got Spanish lessons?

Notice: considering that (have got = study)


texts:
When there's no other verb which indicates the tense in a sentence like

  I could eat it.

, not like

  I did all I could.

, then does the could-phrase always have present or future tense?

In other words, when the "could+V" is the only verb in a sentence, can this have any meaning related to some past event?

(except the negative form or could+have+pp form or any other special(?) verbs such as "hear","smell")


texts: Using "since" or "because" in a question

texts:
In the following question, I think that it is wrong to use "because," and instead the word "since" must be used, but I want to check with other native speakers.

  Can I go with you, because I finished my homework?

Am I right? Either way, can you explain to me why this is or isn't correct?

(I asked a similar question before, but I think I've found some clarity and wanted to rephrase my question here.)


texts:
I would like to ask which sentences would a native speaker use for the following scenarios :

You have been running for an hour and then you bump into your friends.You both keeps on running without any stop in the same direction now.

  Your friend : hey, how are you doing?

  You : Good, I am running for one hour and I feel exhausted now.

  Good , I have been running for one hour and I feel exhausted now.

You have been running for an hour and then you decide to sit down on a bench in the park. While you are resting you come across your friend.So you are not running now but it did not past for a long time after you had sat down.

  Your friend : hey, how are you doing? ( you look tired)

  You :
  Good, I have been running for one hour and I feel exhausted
  now.

  Good, I have run for one hour and I feel exhausted now.

  Good, I ran for one hour and I feel exhausted now.


texts: What are the differences between "the pen as a sword" and "pen as sword"?

texts:
I've seen people omit the articles for whatever reason, so I was wondering why it was done, and if "the pen as a sword" is or can be equivalent to the phrase "pen as sword".

The issue is that "pen as sword" can mean a number of thing due to the lack of articles.

It can mean "a pen as a sword", "the pen as a sword", "a pen as the sword" and "the pen as the sword".


texts: past perfect for the event that happened on the same day

texts:
This is frustrating for me.

I read this sentence:

  On Central Avenue they came to a small inexpensive hotel, the Atlantic House. As they had done at all the other hotels, they asked the clerk if they could see his registration book.They turned first to Friday, September 28, 1894, the day that Holmes, while already in possession of Alice, had picked up Nellie and Howard from their St. Louis home.

(The Devil in the White City: A Saga of Magic and Murder at the Fair that Changed America, by Erik Larson).

The detectives are trying to find this murderer who allegedly killed three children after taking them away from their mother, and the detectives are tracing him.

This past perfect use shows us that Holmes's picking up the children should have had some important relation to the past reference point.

It is possible to theorize that Holmes's action had relation to the detectives' turning first to Friday (by making the day that detectives turned to Friday the past reference point), but it seems too distant.

I think that the past reference point is the point at which Holmes signed in after picking the children up on the same day, but in the context, it is not yet revealed that Holmes actually checked in, even though by the nuance of it we can pretty much figure it out. Also, the past reference point is never mentioned directly,but only implied slightly.

Is it valid use of "had"? Is it fine to use past perfect with so slight an implication for the past reference point?


texts:
What does this sentence mean?⬇

"Your teachers coming to our schools would fulfil the contract."

Especially "Your teachers coming to our schools..."

I do not really know how to understand this.


texts:
This question might seem a bit stupid, but I was writing a letter and didn't know how to write it down. Here is the sentence:

  "On March 15th Mr. Johnson told me that he has talked to Mr. Kawai and Mr. Kawai has told him that he needs clarification from us."

Is that above example a good sentence? If not, how could I improve it?


texts: When saying fractions in English, is it necessary to include ‘of’

texts:
I am writing an article where I am using fractions for comparison. Should I include the word ‘of’ between the fraction and the things fractioned? To me, both sound correct, but I do not know whether a) it’s wrong, or b) there’s a difference between 1) formal writing, 2) informal writing or 3) colloquial English.

Example 1:

  … almost ¹⁄₃ the prisoners were born in cities, and more than ⁵⁄₆ were enumerated in one of those cities …

  … almost ¹⁄₃ of the prisoners were born in cities, and more than ⁵⁄₆ were enumerated
  in one of those cities …

Example 2:

  …  disregarding the Penitentiary, they still accounted for almost ²⁄₃ the prisoners.

  …  disregarding the Penitentiary, they still accounted for almost ²⁄₃ of the prisoners.

The first examples, I read as ‘one third the prisoners were’ and ‘they still accounted for almost two thirds the prisoners’. Also, if an explanation of the grammar for whichever solution is considered the best could be included, that would be much appreciated.


texts: Why 'more' used in "pulled a torn piece of parchment from between more books"

texts:
He picked up a quill from a packed table at his elbow, and pulled a torn piece of parchment from between more books.

  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I don't understand 'more' here. It seems to me that pulled a torn piece of parchment from between books is ok. Why do we need 'more' here?


texts: Is " to make some criminals to be punished " a valid construction?

texts:
Can you help me to check this sentences,i am not sure if this sentence is right.

  I think we should use the prison to make some criminals be punished for the crimes that they have done.

Do you think "to make to be punished" is a valid way to say "to make them feel remorseful?"


texts: What are the terms for the process of closing a business or a company?

texts: Can one say "I am closing my business" ? or how can one phrase it ?


texts: The sentence needs to the word "were", doesn't it?

texts:
I've come across the sentence below:

  Indiana is one of a few states where students who attend schools
  separated by county lines, no more than a few miles apart, spend seven
  months a year living in different time zones.

I think the sentence "students who attend schools separated by county lines" needs the word were (before the word "separated").

I think "students" is the object, but maybe "schools" is the object. I am not sure.

Could you please explain it to me?


texts:
I get ready for school.

Does it mean:

  I get ready and I am going to go to school.

or

  I get ready for going to school.   It means that I make preparation for going to school.

Which one is correct?


texts:
When using the idiom "A way with", can I add a verb after it if it's a gerund?

For example,

She has a way with playing cards.
The school has a way with accepting only good candidates.


texts: How do I instruct my daughter to drink water from a bottle from 'up'!

texts:
In our region, we see this as manners. Suppose there is only one bottle of water and we are four people including my daughter.

And she has a habit of drinking it by touching the bottle with her lips... like this

But then, others are also there. So, I advise her not to drink that way.

I advise her that you must drink without touching your lips... like this -

How do I advise her in good English?

I use...

  Drink water from up!

Is it funny? or proper?


texts:
Should I use "doctor's bills" or "doctors' bills" in the following?

  All the money went on doctor’s bills.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: Is it correct to say "to leave on the bus"

texts:
Is it correct to say

to leave on the bus

I have heard to get off the bus or to leave the bus but have not heard to leave on the bus.


texts: Should I use past or present because the birthday doesn't change?

texts:
It was last Sunday.

Should I say, "When was your birthday?" or "When is your birthday?" to make a question for this sentence?


texts: Word or phrase to describe the process to arrange some disorganized information so as to get a more thorough understanding?

texts:
Think about these cases:

  1) A detective have found out a bunch of clues in the last three months. Now, he needs to spend two or three days to arrange/ summarize / absorb these clues to draw a conclusion.

  2) A student spent a whole day in the school. That night at home he decided to arrange / summarize / absorb / digest what he learned that day.

What's the best word (or phrase) to describe the process to arrange some disorganized information to get a more thorough and deeper understanding?


texts: Which is correct, would you or you would?

texts:
What is one question would you like to ask a time traveler from 1000 years in the future?

or

What is one question you would like to ask a time traveler from 1000 years in the future?


texts: Can you please help me understand the sentence given below from the pagagraph?

texts:
I couldn't make the sense out of it.
“And too, because within the capitol building of a big, industrial state, one sees every day the face of a nation in constant conversation: inner-city mothers and corn and bean farmers, immigrant day laborers alongside suburban investment bankers—all jostling to be heard, all ready to tell their stories.”
Excerpt From: Barack Obama. “Dreams from My Father.”


texts: What do "flirtation" , " fringes", and "scale" in this context mean?

texts:
Both could be rude, but with Gates—who early in his career seemed to have a typical geek’s flirtation with the fringes of the Asperger’s scale—the cutting behavior tended to be less personal, based more on intellectual incisiveness than emotional callousness.

  (Quote from Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson)

In this sentence what do "flirtation" , " fringes", and "scale" in this context mean?

Overall, what does "typical geek’s flirtation with the fringes of the Asperger’s scale" mean?

Here are what I found in my dictionary:

To flirt

1
: to behave in a way that shows a sexual attraction for someone but is not meant to be taken seriously

2
: to think about something or become involved in something in a way that is usually not very serious — + with

3
: to come close to reaching or experiencing something — + with

fringe:

1
a border made of hanging threads used to decorate the edge of something (such as clothing, rugs, and curtains)
a lampshade with a fringe

2
a narrow area along the edge of something

3
an area of activity that is related to but not part of whatever is central or most widely accepted

scale:

1
a series of musical notes that go up or down in pitch

2
 a line on a map or chart that shows a specific unit of measure (such as an inch) used to represent a larger unit (such as a mile) : the relationship between the distances on a map and the actual distances

3
a range of numbers that is used to show the size, strength, or quality of something — usually singular

4
a range of levels of something from lowest to highest

And as for scale I think the sense 4 suits the context... Am I correct?


texts: can we use use "all day" in all aspects of past tense?

texts:
Look at the following sentences:

  It rained all day yesterday so I stayed indoors
  It was raining all day yesterday so I stayed indoors
  It had been raining all day yesterday so I stayed indoors

Are all the sentences correct? If yes, what is the difference in meaning?

What are the possible expressions with "all day" in other tenses?


texts:
A letter written in Spanish addressed to a person who doesn’t read Spanish can’t be considered communication until it’s translated into a language the person does read and understand.

Shouldn't it be "into the language" here? Because we're talking a specific language: the one the receiving person understands.


texts: Difference between "happy birthday" vs "happiest birthday"

texts: I have heard people saying "happy birthday" but "happiest birthday" sounds a little weird to me as it is the superlative form. Which would mean that only the recent birthday to be the happiest only, no? I'm confused :/ could someone please explain the logic behind this?


texts: What is the difference between "Fly in a city" and "Fly to a city"?

texts:
What is the difference between fly in and fly to when talking about planes going somewhere? For example:

  The plain has just flown in New-York.

  The plain has just flown to New-York.

I have also heard people say fly out not fly from. What is the difference between these two. For example:

  The plain flies out/from New-York at 11.


texts: Which is the correct statement? (article usage)

texts:
I wish she becomes Principal of the school next.
I wish she becomes the Principal of the school next.


texts:
In a video I heard someone talking about very thick books.

So I thought if thick book was correct to say
or is fat book correct?


texts:
Place of available in sentence confused me . I wrote some sentences by using avaliable in different places. Are all sentences same meaning or changing place makes meaning diffrent ?

  I have available 25 packs of pen.

  I have 25 packs available of pen.

  I have 25 packs of pen available.


texts:
The left side of the junction is N type and the right side of the junction is P type.

Is the bold part an adjective phrase and optional?


texts: What is the difference between "I see a need" and "I see the need"?

texts:
I always use I see the need, but looking at the COCA corpus, I noticed it contains four sentences using I see a need.

  It is my favorite quote that Tatz told me. So whenever I see a need, I must do something to help.

  I want to see it implemented within 48 hours. If I see a need, I want to do something about it.

  I trust you to follow my instructions, avoid the media, to avoid talking about this with anybody else, and I have no plans to sequester you. But if I see a need to do so at any point, I'll do it."

  Well, you don't, of course. But I think you can see that I am a businessman. I see a need, I fulfill that need -- for a price. Your needs are considerably more apparent than you seem to realize.
  In my head, I see the need was like I see the necessity, so I always preferred using the in the phrase.

Compared, there are 8 sentence in COCA containing I see the need. Some of those sentences are the following ones.

  "I see the need for more versus less in Atlanta," Kelly said. He said some new routes could be to western cities not served by AirTran, "And on those routes in particular you'll see fares lower" by as much as 50 percent.

  She will eat lamb, duck and raw fish. I eat cows, pigs and chickens. I will put bacon on anything and eat it. She can make a variety of different sauces, while I see the need for only two, brown gravy and cream gravy. I believe that if something is worth eating, it is worth putting cream gravy on.

  "By all means make that point explicit in the language of the order, to help the men understand its promulgation is, among other things, a matter of practical necessity." "You've thought a step farther ahead than I did," Marshall admitted. "Put that way, I see the need for what you have asked of me."

  I was never very athletic, but it feels good to take a walk after work. I love the yoga; my mom is all bent over, and I see the need to do it. Best of all, the group therapy has allowed us to go deeper into our feelings, and it's improved our relationship.

Is I see a need correct? If it is, what is the difference between I see the need and I see a need?


texts: What sentence should I use when I want to know if what I explained was understood or not?

texts:
I explained something in English, for example about the history of my hometown, without any preparation. I'm not sure if they understood what I said or not.
In order to make sure, which sentence should I use? I think that "Do you understand it?" sounds very rude, because the problem is my English. How about "Did I make myself understood?" Does it make sense? Could you tell me the polite sentences I can use in these situations?


texts:
How to analyze this question:

  What time is it?

my question is:  What is the original sentence that forms  the above question?

let's say:

  the time is 7:00 o'clock.

then Yes/No question should be:

  Is the time 7:00 o'clock?

if we want to ask about object, so the question should be:

  What is the time?


texts: How to distinguish subjunctive mood and common mood

texts:
Subjunctive mood usually starts with if.
It seems:
If you are happy/if you were happy (both are right)
If you were me (right) / if you are me (wrong)
If you want to learn English / if you wanted to learn English (which is right?)
Which is subjunctive mood?


texts:
The goldsmith Cornelys has not been paid for the cradle he made for
  the king's last child, the one that never saw the light; he claims for
  twenty shillings disbursed to Hans for painting Adam and Eve on the
  cradle, and he is owed for white satin, gold tassels and fringes, and
  the silver for modelling the apples in the garden of Eden.

  — Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Does the "modelling" here mean "to give a three-dimensional appearance to, as by shading or highlighting" as in # 5  of The Free Dictionary?


texts: When a horse/cow/sheep/buffalo, etc [freaks out]

texts: Is there a word for an animal when it freaks out? Stampede is a good word but it seems it's used for a group of animals based on LDOCE. I need a word with the same reaction from the animal but applied to one. Think of this: your horse starts neighing, jumping up and down or running around and you don't know why maybe it heard a gunshot or saw a lion or something.


texts: What does 'share squat' mean in this context?

texts:
I came across the sentence in a comment from this news story.

  The investigators are sharing squat. But I bet they know a whole a lot.

What does 'sharing squat' mean here?


texts: Singular or plural verb when subject is plural but subject complement is single?

texts: Should the verb be singular or plural in this sentence: "The 1830s were a time" versus "The 1830s was a time"?


texts:
Cast as eavesdropper and voyeur by Iago, Othello imagines and thus constitutes a sexual encounter and pleasure that excludes him, and a Desdemona as whore instead of fair angel.

Does the sentence mean that "Othello imagines and thus constitutes"
a) a sexual counter and pleasure that excludes him AND
b) a Desdemona as whore instead of fair angel"?
But then "Othello ... constitutes a Desdemona as whore instead of fair angel" sounds awkward.


texts: Do you know what they mean/meant by this?

texts:
I'm trying to ask the other person to clarify what he just said as he asked me about the size of a material.
His question:"What materials require the tools needed to move the 3 pallet sizes?"
He wanted to know which materials are 3-pallet large and thus would require the special equipment.
Please critique these sentences.

Do you know what they mean by 3 pallet sizes?

Do you know what they meant by 3 pallet sizes?

Any other suggestions?


texts:
What's the meaning of "pop on a plane"?

In the context "did you pop on a plane for an hour?" I looked it up on idioms and other sites but I got nowhere. Does it mean "did you stay/travel in/with the plane for an hour"?


texts: Who will do it: "your team or us" vs "your team or we"

texts:
Just would like to know which is correct?

  Who will do it, your team or us?
  Who will do it, your team or we?

Any other way to ask the question above more efficiently (and professionally)?


texts: What is the usage of "this" in this one time?

texts:
His name is Adolf?
  L-Like Adolf Hitler?
  Oh, cool, you know .
  I-I know of him. I thought he died, like, years ago.
  Nah, he faked that. Yeah. He's been hiding in Argentina since, like, the '40s. I know he's got a weird rep, and people think he's sketchy or whatever, but in person, he's actually pretty cool. Like, this one time we did karaoke.

In the last sentence, he started to talk about his experience saying "this one time."

I know "this" is pronoun used to indicate a person, thing, idea, state, event, time, remark, etc.

How "this" can be used here?


texts: What does the expression "jocks and jockesses" mean?

texts:
I am watching Fraggle Rock Ep303.
In this episode, Red says she's organizing an exhibit on athletic excellence for the annual Jock and Jockesses Picnic.
I am wondering the meaning of "jocks and jockesses".
Is it a humorous expression for sports athletes?


texts: A human being will not mean.. or Being a human will not mean

texts:
"A human being will not mean till he is educated and intelligent."

I copied this sentence from a magazine.this had been written as motto.My questions are,
1. can't I use 'being a human' instead of 'a human being'?. for example,
Being a human will not mean till he is educated and intelligent.

2.Here,Is  the gerund clause 'a human being' similar to 'being a human"?


texts: Can I say "May I have a Nescafe or a water?"

texts: I know we can say I ordered a coffee meaning a cup of coffee but can I say the same with Nescafe or water or any other drink?


texts: Are any of the choices are correct in this exam question: '...and while {a,this,that,the} two groups sometimes...'?

texts:
In my exam, I had a task.

  The settlers moved onto the Indians' land, and while _____  two groups sometimes got along, they fought when food became scarce.

and the options were - "a, this, that, the".

But I think neither of them is right; my answer is "those two groups". Am I right?


texts: Can anyone explain Hazel's dad's dialogue

texts:
When Augustus calls up and Hazel's dad picks up the phone and says that Hazel's asleep

Hazel says I know what you're thinking.

863 00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:00,439 It's not fair to him.

864 00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:02,041 It's not.

00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:04,079 He doesn't need this in his life.

866 00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:05,599 Nobody does.

867 00:43:05,600 --> 00:43:07,929 A lot more trouble than it's worth.

868 00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:09,971 No, you're right.

Hazel's Dad: 869 00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:12,879 Your mom and I were just saying the same thing.

870 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:16,324 I mean, it could be time we tossed you out on the street.

871 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:20,483 Drop you off in an orphanage somewhere, make you their problem.

Can someone explain Hazel's dad's part as English is not my native language so I didn't quite understand this one


texts:
Hot weather makes me feel tired.

What is the passive voice of the above sentence?

  I am made feel tired by hot weather.

Is it correct?

Should we use "the" with "hot weather"?


texts: That’s another story vs That’s a different story

texts:
That’s another story. That’s a different story.
They seem the same to me. But I hear they have different meanings. What’s the difference?


texts:
A portion of the information is generated to guarantee the error free provision of the website. Other data MAY BE USED to analyse your user patterns.
What does the sentence mean with MAY BE USED? What would it mean with CAN BE USED, WILL BE USED, IS USED?


texts: Phrases that express "afraid of wife" in English

texts:
Are there any English idioms that are used to describe a man being afraid of wife?

In Chinese there are lots of ways to express it, formal ways, condescending, or colorful. Please describe the situations to use them when giving your suggestions.


texts: B devours itself as a shadowed figure {returns / returning}

texts:
Why is the simple present used in the following sentence (describing League of Legends)?

  Bilgewater devours itself as a shadowed figure returns amidst the fire. (source)

Shouldn't it be like the following?

  Bilgewater devours itself as a shadowed figure returning amidst the fire.


texts: Is "I'll be waiting for your call" polite in a professional setting?

texts: Someone says: "I'll call you later." What is a polite way to say "I'll be by my phone when you call, so that I won't miss it." Some people suggests that "I'll be waiting for your call" sounds a bit urgent. Is is true? If so, then what is a polite way?


texts:
Is one of this sentence wrong?

  This situation creates either arguments for and arguments against putting animals behind bars.

  This situation creates either arguments for and against putting animals behind bars.

This first example looks somehow better to me, but I don't know if second "arguments" isn't redundant.


texts: Is it correct to say "a lot of kinds of fruits"?

texts:
Some non-native English speakers use words in a very strange way.

One said "a lot of kinds of fruits".

It sounds pretty strange to me.

Do we have to say "many kinds of ...." all the times?


texts:
I find these two structures in the same book:

the figure/percentage/total, etc. FOR a group or category
Ex: If we compare the percentages FOR skilled and unskilled workers...

But on a different page, it has sentences like this

The chart shows the percentage OF households with more than one car.
The percentage OF students with blue eyes is 25%.

So, what is the difference here? Is it possible to write: "If we compare the percentages OF skilled and unskilled workers"? Please help me, thank you.


texts:
I am making a test where I am asked to add the missing words.

  You can buy this shirt and [...] one. Which [...] would you like?

I would have added the other and other thinking that the sentence is talking about buying two shirts and one more.

The correct answer is adding another and other, since the sentence is talking about buying two shirts: one sure and one to choose.

Can both the answers be correct, or I am completely wrong?


texts:
I want to get admitted into Cambridge University.

  I want to get myself admitted into Cambridge University.

I can't get admitted there. Is the sentence grammatical or acceptable if I don't use myself?  This is my question. Which sentence is acceptable here?


texts:
I encountered one of instances of the phrase, and it appears to be some kind of idiom.

Douglas′ Proposals for a National Dividend: A Logical Successor to the Wage
Why Donald Trump Is Obama’s Logical Successor
Is the CFO a Logical Successor to the CEO?

I can somewhat vaguely grasp the idea, but what does the phrase exactly mean? A due successor? A de facto successor? A theoretical successor? Or some other ways to understand?


texts:
Which one is the grammatically correct sentence?
1) watch the television.
2) watch television.


texts: Do sentences in present perfect tense have multiple possible interpretations?

texts:
As a native Czech speaker I have always been puzzled about the present perfect tense in English, since we don't really have any similar language phenomenon in our language and thus it's very hard to draw any conclusions or parallels in some cases.
While going through some exercises I encountered the following sentence.

Are you going to the dinner on Saturday? A lot of my other friends were invited / have been invited and I know they'd love to meet you.

The task is obviously to chose the correct form of the sentence, but the way I think about this, the present perfect tense should be only used when regarding states that started in the past and have continuation into present, but since I have no information whether the invitation process has already ended, how am I supposed to decide this?
Another example that pops into mind is a conversation between two relatives going as follows:

A: How many times has aunt May been to London?
B: She was in London 3 times.

Now, should A immediately say something like "I'm sorry, what happened?" because B is obviously implying that either London ceased to exist unbeknownst to A or that aunt May may no longer visit London due to her own inability.


texts:
Sentence in question :

  Claims about harmful effects of the genetic alteration of vegetables are more speculation than documented fact.

Should the nouns speculation and fact be plural because they refer to the plural claims?


texts:
From the Cambridge Dictionary

work out: to be successful or develop in a particular way

I hope your new job works out.

work out: to have a particular result or type of result

It works out cheaper to have the books printed in India.

I am aware that "work out" also has other meanings in the Cambridge Dictionary, though these two is close to what it means in the following example.

Although I’ve never had a problem finding work (even if it was in a factory or shearing sheds),   I do know what a struggle it can be to work out what you actually want to be or do, or worse, when you get so far down a certain path and then realise it’s not for you.

From "Get The Job You Love Work Book by Nicole Coggan"

However, the quotation doesn't seem to fit the example well.
To me, it seems more like the meaning of "figure out", "to understand or solve something"

... to figure out what you actually want to be or do ...

Is my understanding correct? Do they mean the same thing?

Note: I've also gone through the post work out meaning in context, which seems to make a complete list of all the meanings of "work out".
This post is just to discuss whether "figure out" and "work out" are interchangeable in this particular situation.


texts: An economical problem or an economic problem?

texts:
The confusion occurred as both are adjectives. Months back, one of the native speakers here corrected me when I said...

  I asked about the economical economic problems of the nation.

I think it's fine using 'adjective' economical, isn't it? As I often hear, His financial condition is not good NOT His finance condition is not good.

Your views please.


texts: The meaning of "to" in these two sentences

texts:
To my surprise, he made it.
To my mind, recent events have only underlined the need for the United Nations.

What is the meaning of "to " in each sentence?

How to understand the preposition "to"?


texts:
Give me blood and I will give you freedom.
Be industrious and you will succeed in life.

I am reading a grammar book in which the clause Give me blood in the first sentence is classified as a sub-ordinate(adverbial) clause. The reason given is that this clause implies a condition. If that be the case, the first sentence has to be a complex sentence(not explicitly mentioned in the book) .
But in the same book, the second  sentence is classified as a compound sentence. This implies that the clause Be industrious  has to be a co-ordinate clause; this to me, is contradictory to the reasoning made for the first sentence.
Is the book correctly classifying these two sentences? Both these sentences and both the aforementioned clauses seem similar to me. Are there any subtle differences between them I am unaware of?


texts:
To wish someone good health (or just to be polite) after they sneeze we say "gesundheit".

Is there any word or phrase to say after someone coughs?


texts:
Everybody knew that her real name was Merry, but she kept telling everyone that her name was Mariot.

Now, 176 years later, I am writing memoirs and mention her in them:

  "Merry (or Mariot, as she insisted her name was) was a very funny
  girl..."

Can I really say here "as she insisted her name was" or it sounds weird in English? Should it be like "as she insisted on how she was to be called" or, perhaps, just "as she insisted"?

Also, do I need to put Mariot in quotation marks?


texts:
What are other ways of saying "getting/coming" out of poverty? More formal and concise?
I want to express the idea that progress in economy help people "come out of poverty" after a severe economic downturn.


texts: What is the actual meaning of would here?

texts:
I am little bit confused about the usage of would.

Sometimes we use would to describe Past's habit as,

When he was a child then he would like to eat ice cream.

2) We use it in reported speech as,

He told me that he would come the next day.

3) But in this sentence i am not getting the usage of would ,

Since the binary numeral 100 represents the value four, it would be confusing to refer to the numeral as one hundred.

Thanks


texts:
I have met many people in the past few days.

I met many people in the past few days.

What is the difference between 1) and 2)? What is the time duration that in the past few days implies in each case?


texts: how to say "everything done before has become vain now"?

texts:
Suppose that I have scheduled a lot of things and devoted a lot time to preparing a resume for a company , but they didn't accept it.
How should I express this?
"All the scheduling is wasted"
"All the scheduling has become vain"
I think both sentences I wrote are incorrect.

I want it to be in a very formal form. (I'm writing this in an article)
Thanks!


texts:
I know that we say: there/ this is a dog but there are dogs, but recently I heard following sentences:

  There is wolves in the forest (Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings)

and

  This is the Stations of the Cross (BBC Modern Masters 2/4 Matisse).

Shouldn’t it rather be: There are wolves in the forest. Is this a kind of stylistic treatment of showing different ways of people talking? This was a sentence said by one of the brothers of the Night’s watch, so many of them weren’t educated. And I know that variety of styles is used in the book.

I probably wouldn’t bother at all with this construction if it hadn’t been for the second sentence which is said by highly educated, well-known BBC presenter.

I don’t think so that in his case it is a kind of stylistic treatment. Is the phrase the Stations of the Cross treated as something singular? Can we also say This are the Stations of the Cross?

So to sum up:
Is it correct to say There is wolves in the forest?

Which one is better to say: This is the Station of the Cross or This are the Stations of the Cross? Or both are OK? Or only the first one?


texts: Is "freaking" considered at least a little offensive?

texts:
Check out this video

There the red hair women(Aubrey) asked about how many "freaking" kids does another women(Teresa) have? Is it just an offensive way for someone to use "freaking" when they are talking about someone kids? I found no resentment after the question is asked, and i don't know if i am too sensitive.

edit:updated the link


texts: All I want to do is talk (infinitive +simple verb)

texts:
So there's this weird grammar structure I came across in a series, As far as grammar is concerned the following statement

  All I want to/wanna do is talk

Whereas in the standard English it should be either of these

  All I want to/wanna do is to talk

  All I want to/wanna do is talking

Thus I was wondering what grammar structure precisely it follows. Some other friend of mine said to me "talk here's a noun" where I was like "so is talking in my example, therefore it has to be something else involved in".

Could anyone explain what grammar it follows here?


texts: Order among a participle, article and noun & about “for”

texts:
Reading my logic textbook, I faced the following two sentences, of which I’m kind of confused.

  (1) For given a formula A in Γ, take n so large that …

  (2) ... in which P1 takes the value i(P1). For let Δ be a finite subset of Γ. Then ...

In (1), I thought it should have been “for a given formula ...” Isn’t this a normal order for such constructions? Any reason for that?

In (2), I don’t get it what that “for” is for. Was it used as a conjunction, by any chance?

P.S. I’m not sure if I have to put these questions in separate posts. Please let me know, then I’ll follow.

Edit: I attach the page.


texts:
We have a thing #1. Then we take the thing #1 and replace it with the thing #2.

What do you call the thing #1: replaced or replacing?

I feel, that the replaced one refers to the thing #1, because we replaced it with the other one, and the replacing one refers to the thing #2 because we use it to replace the other one.

P.S. In case you need my original sentence, that I had the trouble with, it talks about OOP, where a child class overrides its parent's method using the words "overridden" (3rd form) and "overriding" (v-ing) referring to the base and the derived methods in some way.

  the method parameter of the overriding method must be a supertype of the method parameter of the overridden method, and the return type a subtype of the overridden method's one.

(c)src


texts:
I wrote the following sentences:

  Our paper reviews flight scheduling, aircraft-path assignment, and gate assignment. Fig. 1 shows these activities.

After editing, somebody suggested the following sentence:

  Our paper reviews flight scheduling, aircraft-path assignment, and gate assignment, with Fig. 1 representing these activities.

Is it correct or not? And is the edited version an improvement?


texts: 'The Russia-Ukraine border' v. 'the Russia-Ukrainian border' v. 'the Russian-Ukrainian border'

texts: Is it, for example, 'the Russia-Ukraine border', or 'the Russia-Ukrainian border', or 'the Russian-Ukrainian border'? How do I specify what countries it separates? Also, is there any rule or convention on which country goes first (i.e. 'the Russian-Ukrainian border' or 'the Ukrainian-Russian border')?


texts:
There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, […]
  (Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird)

Is with bound to be there. or can we avoid using with?


texts:
Is “the fire consumed everything on its way” correct?

I thought "on its way" and "in its way" were pretty much equivalent in English and meant pretty much the same thing except in very rare cases. Am I wrong? How do you know which one you should use?


texts:
Today I answered this question on ELU and included as my suggestion of the correct answer the following line (taken from the OP's own example):

  To his amusement, Jason realized that 'Madam Curie' is an anagram of 'Radium Came'

This was queried by another user, specifically my use of the present tense "is an anagram" as they felt the tense should match the tense of the comparison, i.e. "...was an anagram..."

In my explanation I replied:

  Because 'Madame Curie' is an anagram of 'Radium Came' throughout the continuum of time. Jason only realised it in the past.

However I am not sure of my ground here and perhaps I am incorrect, so I have since scoured ELU to try and find a grammatical rule for handling this and I was unable to.

Am I using the correct tense (and for the right reasons)? Is there a rule for this?

Edit: Not a duplicate of She is/was going to the cinema because that refers to a finite event in the past that does not continue into the present. I refer to something that was true then and is still true now, leading to the confusion about tenses.


texts:
I alredy read “All X” vs. “all of X” vs. “all the X”,  “All rooms” versus “all the rooms”,  and Difference between 'all' and 'all the', but I still don't understand what are the similarities and differences in more complex syntax? Please elucidate and elaborate?

Ngrams shows that all the reasons why dominates over all reasons why. Yet on p 165, Postwestern Cultures: Literature, Theory, Space, English Prof Susan Kollin, PhD uses all reasons why:

  All reasons why queer public space—like a truly visible, thriving
  center—starts to matter deeply.


texts: Using articles when referring to maths objects

texts:
Say I want to present a formula for computing a set of even numbers:

S = { x | x is even };

Now, in my research paper I want to tell the readers that they should create such a set for the purpose of further calculations that follow in my algorithm. Which statement is correct from the articles-usage point of view?

(1) Create set S.
(2) Create a set S.
(3) Create an S set.
(4) Create the set S.
(5) Create S.
(6) [other] ... ?

And later on, if I want the reader to, say, remove number 2 from this set, how should I write this?

(1) Remove number 2 from set S.
(2...) [again all the possibilities]

?


texts: What is a single word such that it is not too deserted and it conveys the meaning of "desiredly"?

texts:
I am after a word that is not too unknown and that can convey the meaning of "desiredly? Here "desiredly" is only used to make a point; I did some search and am under the impression that there is no such a word as "desiredly". So I would like to have a word that could be a suitable proxy for that.

An example would be:

  If you finish that sufficiently soon, then you will get paid "desiredly" soon.

(Here "desiredly" is to describe how soon this "you" specified ex ante; it is to be understood as "as desired".)

Just in case I have not made myself clear; the situation is like this: Suppose I employ someone and set the rule "Write down how long after you finished this job you would like to get paid; then I will set the time duration for you to finish it". It is in this sense I am trying to say "if you finish the job sufficiently soon, then you will get paid "desiredly" soon".


texts: This is to inform that... vs This is to inform you that

texts: This second sentence looks fine to me. In the first sentence (This is to inform that...) I believe a pronoun is missing. But I need an expert opinion on this. Is the first sentence grammatically wrong?


texts: What word do I use when in the situation that a student no longer needs to submit a homework?

texts: For example, a student got really sick and the teacher assigned a homework, but because of this disease he no longer needs to do it. I thought about "exempted".


texts:
I just came across a passage about Sir Winston Churchill on the Internet.

  He was to spend most of the next four years of his life with the
  Regiment in Bangalore and the North West Frontier in India.

I have never been taught about this usage before, putting 'to' right after 'be'.

Anyone can explain the grammar involved, meaning and some examples?


texts: "ListView", but "summary of new entries" (not "new entry summary")?

texts: I had a discussion with my programmer colleague about the word order and prepositions in English. The discussion started when he named one website "new entry summary". That sounded wrong to me and I suggested "summary of new entries". I broke it down by parts of speech, showing that it's unnatural to put together two nouns like that. His counterargument was that many programming components are named this way, for example "ListView". I told him that I have a feeling that it's something different, but couldn't justify why preposition seems out of place here, but necessary in "new entry summary". Am I wrong? If not, what's the difference and how could I try to explain it?


texts:
A guy said to me:

  You are a hoot, girl; a mess, a handful.

What does it mean, please? Is it a good or a bad? What is its meaning in context?


texts:
This question wants you to choose the correct aspect based on the (supposedly funny) cartoon.
Oddly enough, I don't have a problem answering it, I just don't understand what it's asking!

Where is the joke?


texts: To make it easier to do or to make doing easier

texts:
Successive governments have passed modest reforms to make doing business cleanly a little easier.

  Successive governments have passed modest reforms to make it a little easier to do business cleanly.

Is there any difference between to make it eaiser to do and to make doing business ? Would it mean the same or different when I say these sentences?


texts:
1-All you need is do your homework .

2-All you need is to do your homework .

3-All you need is that do your homework .

Are all of these sentences grammatically correct and do they mean the same thing ?


texts: “you are referring to” vs “are you referring to”?

texts:
Which one of the followings is correct?

  Which one you are referring to?

  Which one are you referring to?


texts:
Can someone explain to me, the difference between "Seeing" and "On seeing"?
Is "Seeing"  a gerund?
On seeing him, he moved faster.
Seeing him, he moved faster.
Are these two sentences both grammatically and semantically perfect?


texts: How far calling an 'actress' an 'actor' is valid or acceptable?

texts:
I almost don't hear the word actress anymore from the mouths of anchors or hosts. The female actress has become an actor.

Is it currently practiced everywhere? To natives - have you every called them actress or they are just actors and not even female actors?

If I use a female actor, will it sound normal? If I prefer only actress, is that okay?


texts:
Although obviously steeped in history and tradition, common law has
  seldom been studied in relation to its development, as one theorist
  proposes that it be understood.

What does the bold part means?


texts: Difference between "asked" and "were to ask" in conditional sentences?

texts:
What is the difference in the meanings of the following sentences:

  If you asked me, I would say no.

  If you were to ask me, I would say no.

I know that these sentences express imagination of the speaker. But they look similar to me. I don't know which one is correct to use depending on the different context. Which sentence expresses more possibility of your asking ?
 I think that 'were to'  could also express the meaning 'by chance' or happen to' for example:
1."If you were to ask me (If you happened to ask me or by chance) I would say no."
Am I correct here ?

My question is about difference between these two sentences and which one is correct to use depending on different context.
 I'm expecting an helpfull answer.
Thank you very much in advance.


texts: TOEFL: Cambridge tests vs Barron's tests (reading section)

texts:
Yesterday I took TOEFL trial test in a testing centre and got 18/30 from reading section. It was a "Cambridge preparation for TOEFL test". Before that I had taken several "Barron's TOEFL iBT" tests at home and had always gotten minimum 25/30 from reading section. Now my question is whether the real TOEFL reading sections are close to Cambridge's tests or Barron's tests or maybe there is no rule?

Thanks!


texts: the company has signed or the company signed?

texts:
Why is it "this year the company has signed contracts to equip two large factories" and not "this year the company signed contracts to equip large factories"
So you say has signed contracts because the contracts signed still affect the present?
I thought though, that "this year the company signed" is right because the signing is already done.


texts:
Blockquote
  Delusion, addiction, obsession _ these are all the mind's desperate
  and compulsive attempts at generating hope one neurotic tic or
  obsessive craving at a time.

I can not understand the relationship between the phrase before "one" and the phrase after it,   so I can not get the meaning of the sentence.

So could you please explain it to me?

The fuller text is:

  "Hopelessness is the root of anxiety, mental illness, and depression.
  It is the source of all misery and the cause of all addition...Chronic
  anxiety is a crisis of hope.   It is the fear of a failed future.
  Depression is a crisis of hope.  It is the belief in a meaningless
  future.  Delusion, addiction, obsession - these are all the mind's
  desperate and compulsive attempts at generating hope one neurotic tic
  or obsessive craving at a time."

  Every Thing Is Fcked* A Book About Hope,  Mark Manson


texts: Meaning of "play something out" in context

texts:
I've come across it in the 11th episode of the 6th season of the Walking Dead. The context is a guy leads Rick and his friends to his camp. But, on the road they see a car crashed, which makes Rick suspicious of the guy's intentions.

Rick: If it's a trick, it won't end well for you.
The guy: My people are in trouble. They are... We don't have a lot of fighters. I know how it looks, but I'll play it out.


texts: Which is a subject? (this kind of error)

texts:
This kind of error, where results are always on one side of the real value, is called “bias.”
I wonder what could be "subject". kind or error


texts: How can I detect the CEFR level of an English resource?

texts:
Suppose, I have an English text (poem book, storybook, novel, article, etc.) or an audio or a video in my hand. I want to use it in my lesson plan.
How can I detect the CEFR level of this English resource which I am planning to use?


texts: The meaning of "I never saw you as forgiving"

texts: Does it mean the same as "I never thought you were a forgiving person"?


texts:
When to use I didn't have and I had no?

E.g.

  Sorry, I didn't have any option but to change this.

  Sorry, I had no option but to change this.


texts:
What does her parents do?
  What do her parents do?

Which one is correct? Can you have does and do in the same sentence like the first one? Would it be incorrect because parents is plural so do must be used throughout?


texts:
I have to translate a national agency from my native language into English.

I have 3 options, as follows:

National Geological Agency

Geological Agency of country X

National Geology Agency

My question: Can "geology" be used as adjective, "geological"?


texts: Is "pre-Industrial-Revolution" spelled and hypenated correctly?

texts:
I found this quote online:

The hackish senses of "engine" are actually close to its original, pre-Industrial-Revolution sense of a skill, clever device, or instrument (the word is cognate to "ingenuity").
-- definition of engine on FOLDOC

Is "pre-Industrial-Revolution" capitalized, and are the hypens in the correct place?


texts: Is "this is questions" ever grammatical?

texts:
I know for a fact that you can use plural nouns after "there's", which is an existential construction. I encountered a post on Stack Overflow today which went like this:

  . . . this is questions.

Now, of course it was ungrammatical because what the poster actually meant was "these are questions", but that's not my concern.

Is there a context where "This is questions" would ever be grammatical? I'm thinking it should be a standalone sentence, "this" being its subject and "questions" or any other plural noun, its predicative complement.

I took a peek at the Wikipedia article on existential clauses but there was no mention of "this". Considering it's traditionally classified as a demonstrative pronoun, I would think it would've been listed there.


texts: What's the meaning of "that's you done" and what does "'s" stand for?

texts:
What does 's stand for in the bold sentence, and what's the meaning of "that's you done"? Could you also provide me with a reference?

  Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous. Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.
  "Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here -- another young man being fitted up just now, in fact. " In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on
  a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.
  "Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"
  "Yes," said Harry.
  "My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street
  looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then
  I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why
  first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting
  me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."
  Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.
  "Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.
  "No," said Harry.
  "Play Quidditch at all?"
  "No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.
  "I do -- Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my
  house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"
  "No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.
  "Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know
  I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been -- imagine being in
  Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" "Mmm," said Harry, wishing
  he could say something a bit more interesting.
  "I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the
  front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing
  at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.
  "That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't.
  "He works at Hogwarts."
  "Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't
  he?"
  "He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less
  every second.
  "Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage -- lives in a hut on the
  school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic,
  and ends up setting fire to his bed."
  "I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.
  "Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where
  are your parents?"
  "They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into
  the matter with this boy.
  "Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were
  our kind, weren't they?"
  "They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."
  "I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're
  just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some
  of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter,
  imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?
  But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy,
  hopped down from the footstool. "Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.


texts: Which to use: "have been" or "have become"?

texts:
Since the time I spent in LA, I've been a huge Lakers fan.

or

  Since the time I spent in LA, I've become a huge Lakers fan.

Also, would it be okay if I replaced the word 'time' with 'years'?


texts:
Which one is correct out of the following?
i. Perhaps he has done it.
ii.Perhaps he would have done it.
Can we use 'perhaps' with 'would have' for a thing that we speculate or doubt was done by someone? Or does the word 'perhaps' fulfill the need of speculation thus we simply use present perfect tense is situation like this?


texts:
This is a sentence I found that made me puzzled

  someone who had not yet read the book she had had ghostwritten

I understand the concept of had had with the second had being used instead of a verb, but how is the above sentence correct?


texts: A room serving the role of a tiny hospital

texts: What is the name of an entity - a room or a couple rooms, or a small detached building serving the role of a tiny hospital within a larger entity (military base, prison, or even a ship.) Essentially, a place where the sick of the enclosed entity are treated, either for milder cases where actual hospital is not necessary, or when access to a real hospital is unavailable.


texts:
A line by Meryl Streep's character Donna in the film Mamma Mia! grates:

  Sam: Look, I'll help. Let me have a look at this. (referring to a crack in the ground)

  Donna: No, that's all right, I can deal my own disasters. (source: YouTube)

Doesn't she mean to say: "I can deal with my own disasters"? Is the preposition omission colloquially kosher? I feel it is too obvious to be a slip-up. What does "deal" mean here then if not part of "deal with"?


texts:
Component services could behave differently after modifying by service providers.

Is modifying correct? Can we use modified here?


texts: How to describe the sound of the piano when its keys are pressed randomly

texts:
I'm describing a scene in which the father picks up the kid and puts her on the piano. While doing it, a random sound comes out of the piano because some keys were randomly pressed by the kid's body. Now I want to describe the sound and the context to the reader, and put it in the text you know like a script of a play where they put contextual cues within brackets.

  [The piano ........]

.... keys were randomly pressed? I don't think so. It's awkward.


texts:
Teacher) She ignores what I ask her through the class and often talks to other students when I'm teaching and distracts me. I have warned her several times so far, but she always overlooks my statements.
  Principal) Uh, I see Mr. Smith, but as far as I know, her parents are divorcing and she is struggling lots of family issues.
  Teacher) Oh my goodness! Really?
  Principal) Yes, and she is also a super sensitive girl. Try to treat her........................... while we can make a serious decision about her and her educational situation.

a. carefully
b. cautiously (or "in a cautious manner")

I see no difference between these two words here in above example. Please let me know the correct choice here and the reason behind your choice.


texts: Indirect questions with passive voice: "Could you tell me what time..."

texts:
There is the questions

  What time is breakfast served?

how should I create an indirect question?

  Could you tell me what time breakfast served?

or probably

  Could you tell me what time breakfast is served?

So I should omit verb to be, right?


texts:
1) I don't know if he will do it in the way we agreed before.

This sentence means that don't know if he will treat according to things that we agree on . For example I agree with my partner on offering to low price to my customer. Although we agreed ,he said he found the price very low and would increased the price.

  2) You must do it in the way I do

This sentence means that "you must do like I did." We are talking about way of doing something.

I wonder If my opinions are correct or not and "in the way" has two meanings


texts: There is vs there are in measurement units

texts:
There is 1.1 g NaCl in 1 mL

  There are 1.1 g NaCl in 1 mL

Which is right?


texts:
He insisted that she met with her lawyer before signing the final papers.
I found this in a test book, one of the words in italic is grammatically incorrect, which one is it?


texts: Hypothetical uses of "would", "would have" and "would like"

texts:
I would like to be lying on the beach right now.
I wish I had laid on the beach right now.
I would like to have laid on the beach right now.
I would have laid on the beach right now.

Do you think that the above sentences are correct?Do you think that they convey the extent of feelings/extent of desire of same degree?


texts: Can both terms be used? Dated and Scheduled

texts:
Is it okay to use both dated and scheduled when informing an event is to be held on a specific date?
ex)

The match is dated on 1st of February
The match is scheduled on 1st of February


texts: What is the difference between "This is" and "Here is"?

texts:
I mean, is there a difference in the meaning, or the contexts for these sentences?

When using the one or the other one?

My question is about every kind of words. Innert things, or beings, or any other cases.

For instance (but not limitative):

  "This/Here is my book."
  "This/Here is my cat."


texts: "Law" vs "Lawyer" pronunciation, why is the "law" part sometimes pronounced differently?

texts: So I've recently watched "Crazy Ex Girlfriend" (which is set in SoCal), and I've noticed everyone there pronounced "Law" and "Lawyer" differently, which was really interesting. To my ears, their pronunciation of "Lawyer" has a darker, probably more rounded sound. I checked on youglish and some speakers didn't make the difference. I don't know if this is specific to the cot-caught merger or Californian accents. I did notice before that surrounding sounds affect the quality of vowels even with the merge, but it's the same consonants so I'm not sure what's happening here.


texts: "Do you know who would have been a great couple?"

texts:
Is the following question grammatically correct? And if so, does it sound right/normal?

  Do you know who would have been a great couple?

I'm wondering mostly about the usage of who and if it's correct to also use it in a plural context. According to the following question, seems like indeed it is correct:

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/122330/should-i-use-who-or-whom-when-the-subject-is-plural

But my question is mostly to native speakers, even if that's grammatically correct, does is sound natural? Would a native speaker phrase it that way? In some of the replies to the question in the link I posted above, some people even suggested rephrasing. Suggesting things like all of whom instead of simply whom. Could something similar be done to the question I'm quoting above? Or is it perfectly fine?


texts:
In an everyday situation to address the very top of a mountain is better to say:

  at the top of the mountain

Or

  at the summit of the mountain

And again what's the difference between the two? In which situation you should use them?


texts: What does "That was like three seconds" mean?

texts:
I was watching the movie "Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind" when I heard the phrase "That was like three seconds" from Kate Winslet.

You can find this phrase at 01:14:25.

She and Jim Carrey were kidding and playing. She held a pillow tightly over his face, then he pretended to be dead (suffocated) in order to frighten her.

She was very scared, but when she found out that it was just a joke, she said:

  Oh, my God. That was terrible. That was like three seconds.

What did she mean? I searched the web, but none of the meanings that I found for "second" or "three seconds" makes sense in this context.


texts: Is there a significant difference between "rock" and "stone"?

texts:
I found this pretty good small research, but I am still concerned about "regular usage" in life, say, when I am talking in the office, especially because of this comment:

  To me: Stone is something you can pick up with one hand (for
  throwing). A rock takes two hands.

http://geologywriter.com/blog/stories-in-stone-blog/rock-or-stone-is-there-a-difference/


texts: Shouldn't it be "government or other institutions"?

texts:
I encountered a line in a dictionary in print:

  designed to overthrow government: intended or likely to undermine or overthrow a government or other institution

I find the usage of institution in the singular strange. Given that institution is a count noun in this sense, shouldn't it be: government or other institutions or a government or another institution? According to dictionaries, only one meaning of this word takes the form of mass noun, and this usage in the sentence doesn't apply.


texts: What's the meaning of "on the offended bus"?

texts:
Some people jump on the offended bus at every opportunity.

Is it an idiom? I couldn't find the expression in a dictionary.