texts:
Those are the passengers who are going to get on board at 9PM.
Those are the passengers going to get on board at 9PM.

I heard that it's wrong to remove "who are" from sentence 1, so sentence 2 is wrong, but I really don't understand why 2 is wrong. Can we think "who are" is implied between "the passengers" and "going"? Could you please explain why?

Is it because there is a difference in meaning between 1 and 2 if "who are" is omitted or because we don't know whether "who were" or "who are" is omitted in sentence 2?

Q1) Is this because sentence 2 can be read in two ways as below?

A. Those are the passengers (who are) going to get on board at 9PM

B. Those are the passengers (who were) going to get on board at 9PM

If my guess is correct, depending on situation, can 2 be correct as well if people are in a situation where sentence 2 is only read as A?

Q2) But why is it correct to omit "who are" from sentence 1 if other verbs such as moving or intending are used instead of "going"?


texts: Our forebears gathered in forests or the forests?

texts:
The sentence is:

Our forebears gathered in forests and hunted on the savannas.

I was wondering can we use the article "the" before the word "forests" or alternatively, avoid using it before the word "savannas"? In the other words, are these sentences correct and natural?

Our forebears gathered in the forests and hunted on the savannas.
Our forebears gathered in forests and hunted on savannas.


texts: What do you call a robotic joint that allows a robot to move its arm in any direction unlike the human arm? Is there a name to such joints? I am thinking there might be several types that would allow such freedom of movement, so just pick one.


texts: What is the difference between "put back" and "put away"?

texts:
Is there any difference between put back and put away? For example:

  After you finish reading, please put the books back/away.


texts: "Hitting two birds with one stone" Can I use "by" instead?

texts: I know that the idiom states "hitting two birds with one stone" but I'm just wondering is it grammatically right to say "hitting two birds by one stone"?


texts: Can the suffix -hood be applied to any noun? Is loverhood possible that way? If not, what's the term?

texts:
I'm quite aware of the suffix -hood forming nouns.

  -hood - Denoting a condition or quality.

As we all are aware of, parenthood means the state of being a parent. And so sisterhood, childhood and brotherhood and the list goes on. Well, each definition either refers to being in that state, relationship between the similar group, or the responsibility involving a person in that -hood.

But then, is loverhood possible? The state of being in love, or relationship between lovers (as sisters in sisterhood) or being a responsible (?) lover (which sets me an example in loverhood -as it is possible in parenthood).

My homework: Urban Dictionary and Wikitionary mentions it. The former one emphasizes more on females, the latter one sounds okay but it's Wikitionary -you and I can edit it! Also, those are not the sources we generally consider as authentic as OED, M-W, Collins and McM, which all results nothing for that search word.

I also checked the list of words ending with -hood (puppyhood was surprising!) but there as well, I don't find loverhood.

If not, what's the term (and not a phrase).


texts:
I'll be straightforward. What do you call a test for someone who missed the actual test date/schedule? For example, one should have taken the test last Monday, but he missed it. Then he got another chance to take the test on Wednesday. Let's pray he doesn't miss that one. What do you call that test on Wednesday? I tried googling and the closest I can find was "late test". Any ideas would be helpful.
Thanks.


texts: Multiple after in "After X minutes after doing something"?

texts:
Let's say

1) X should do do A
2) After N minutes
3) After doing B

So if X needs to do A, X needs do B first. When N minutes have passed after doing B, then he can do A.

Can I use multiple 'after's in one sentence? Like, "X should do A after N minutes after doing B?"


texts: The present perfect & the phrase "As far as I understand"

texts:
Can anyone tell me why is not the Present Perfect tense used in the phrase "as far as I understand / understood" (I guess both are possible, correct me if I am wrong)?

This phrase means that I understood something in the past, and I still understand it now, so it refers to an interval of time up to now.
The fact that someone understood something is much more important than when or where it was done.
It has strong connection to the present: something, happening at the moment of speech, probably depends on whether someone understood / understands something or not.

And yet it seems that nobody says "as far as I have understood". Why?


texts: Differences between "my sister's house"/"the house of my sister"/"a house of my sister's"

texts:
1. My sister's house

2. The house of my sister.

3. A house of my sister's.

Am I right when assuming that the phrase 1 and 2 indicate that my sister owns or lives just in one house whilst the third with double genitive contains the possibility of more houses? – Is there any semantic difference between "my sister's house" and "the house of my sister"?


texts:
I am just a beginner in English and want to know why is "were" used in the first sentence:

  The least proportion of men were detained.

  The number of men in the party was high.

Number (in sentence 1) and proportion (in sentence 2) both are singular. So why are we using "were" in the first sentence but was is used in the second?


texts:
'Once they passed the exam, they worked in a national hospital and received more
training.'

I can't understand the correct meaning of this sentence.

I know a sentence like 'Once they pass the exam, they will work in a hospital.' is correct. So, I wonder 'passed' in the first sentence should be 'had passed'.

Please explain to me the meaning of the first sentence and using of 'passed'.
Thank you.


texts:
suppose I am coming out of a cinema hall just after watching a film. Someone asks me, "how was the movie? I reply "oh! That was a great movie. I have/had never seen a movie like this before." 'have' or 'had': Which one should I choose?

I can also reply "oh! That was a great movie. It is/was the best movie I have/had ever seen."

Again the same problem, which one should I choose?


texts: question about highlighted parts of this passage

texts:
So imagine my surprise, my joy, when I suddenly got a father doll as a gift! My uncle had bought it for me on a business trip to Bulgaria. It was a beautiful doll, just the right size, a little shorter than the mother and the grandmother but taller than the kid. It had a hard body and a face made of soft, squeezable plastic, painted in masculine shades of brown . Brown eyes, brown lips, brown nostrils. Brown hair made out of some very hairlike material. A perpetual warm brown smile. It was dressed in what appeared to be a Bulgarian national costume of felt hat and boots, rumpled cotton pants, embroidered shirt, and a leather belt. This was exactly how I imagined an ideal father would look.
The father doll had only one imperfection—a bad hip. His left leg wouldn’t stay in place. It kept detaching from his torso and dangling in his pants. But I loved the doll so much that I didn’t see even this as a shortcoming until Tania pointed it out.

I would like to translate this text into my mother language, could you simplify painted in masculine shades of brown and squeezable ? It is difficult to understand for me.

Does the word "squeezable" mean able ti be squeezed?

Does painted in masculine shades of brown mean lines of brown that provokes a feeling of being a male ?


texts: Is car adjective or noun in this context?

texts:
I would like to know whether car is an adjective or noun in this context below? If it is a noun, why it is not plural 'used cars dealers'?

Used car dealers are now trying to buy as many used vehicles as they can, although the economy still looks shaky.


texts: How to identify a matrix clause (a clause with an embedded subordinate clause)?

texts:
I am trying to understand matrix clauses. Today at the lecture, two sentences were discussed, of which one contains a matrix clause and one does not. I'm going to post them here:

  He knew immediately that in some way he had erred.
  He wondered whether the suggestion was worth trying.

I was told the first sentence consists of only one clause, whereas the second one consists of two clauses. I am puzzled as to how it is possible. Can anyone explain the difference between the two? As I see it, both contain two finite verbs, so I would classify them the same.

Oh, and a matrix clause means that a clause has a subordinate clause embedded within it.


texts: They must have realized they have/had no money with them

texts:
Context:

  A: Why do Sally and Emma look embarrassed?
  B: They must have realized they have no money with them.

Shouldn't it be:

  B: They must have realized they had no money with them.

The ILI English Series, Intermediate 2 Workbook, Page 29


texts:
Doest it mean "from"? The writer wants to conclude that human brain is asymmetrical from the outset of existence:

  The part of the brain responsible for control and movement is located in the left hemisphere, and the findings above suggest that the human brain was already asymmetrical not long after 3 million years ago.


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

  dump it to the garbage

Is it idiomatic to use "the garbage" to refer to "trash can"?

it might also be that she mispronounced or I misheard.


texts:
Definite articles are used for something already mentioned.

  Did you see Frozen 2? I liked the movie.

Is a definite article necessary in the following case?

  I form five groups. The leaders of the groups are active.

As the first sentence mentions "five groups," the may be necessary.

Question 1: Is The necessary even though I mention "leaders" for the first time?

Question 2: Is The necessary because followed by "of the groups?"


texts:
(1) How do you go to ABC Park?

(2) How do you get to ABC Park?

Can I use "go to" and "get to" interchangeably in these questions?

If not, how do you know when to say which one?


texts: "The" before noun phrases which contain relative clauses

texts:
Consider the following sentence:

  After introducing some anchors by the user, the range of nodes which are affected by a single anchor or a group of anchors should be specified.

Due to the "which", I used "the" before the "range", but should I use "the" before the "nodes" too?

I mean:

  ...the range of the nodes which are affected by a single anchor or a group of anchors should be specified.

Does "which" has any effect on "nodes", I mean in general for such phrases?


texts: I understand that in "3-year period", "3-year" is hyphenated.  But what about "3 year limitation period"? I once read that if the noun has more than one adjective, no hyphen is correct.  Is this true?


texts: Does ‘took a long time to send them’ express ‘he didn’t send them’？

texts:
I see a sentence in my book:

Editors of newspapers and magazines often go to extremes to provide their readers with unimportant facts and statistics. Last year a journalist had been instructed by a well-known magazine to write an article on the president's palace in a new African republic. When the article arrived, the editor read the first sentence and then refused to publish it. The article began: 'Hundreds of steps lead to the high wall which surrounds the president's palace.' The editor at once sent the journalist a telegram instructing him to find out the exact number of steps and the height of the wall.

The journalist immediately set out to obtain these important facts, but he took a long time to send them. Meanwhile, the editor was getting impatient, for the magazine would soon go to press. He sent the journalist two more faxes, but received no reply. He sent yet another fax informing the journalist that if he did not reply soon he would be fired. When the journalist again failed to reply, the editor reluctantly published the article as it had originally been written. A week later, the editor at last received a telegram from the journalist. Not only had the poor man been arrested, but he had been sent to prison as well. However, he had at last been allowed to send a fax in which he informed the editor that he had been arrested while counting the 1,084 steps leading to the fifteen-foot wall which surrounded the president's palace.

So, we can guess that the journalist didn’t send important facts to the editor. But why took a long time to send them expresses as didn’t send them？
If I want to express that I took a long time and finally sent them, what should I write？


texts:
I have some difficulty to understand when to use the 4 words: anybody, somebody, anyone, someone.
For example: “I would like to ask if someone can help me” is it right?
And if I want to start the quote with one of these words, it can be: “Anyone can help?”
I’m confused.


texts: Is "up" in phrase "cut up" required or optional? If "up" is required, what is the difference between "cut up" and "cut"?

texts:
I read the definition of ground beef on Cambridge just now

  meat, usually beef, that has been cut up into very small pieces, often using a special machine

Then I realized that there are lots of verbs followed by "up", such as "cut up", "wash up".

Is "up" in this kind of phrases required or optional?

It seems that getting rid of up does affect the meaning at all,
for example

  ground beef is a kind of beef that has been cut into very small pieces.

Note: this post is NOT about general phrasal verb, such as stand up, turn up.

If "cut up" and "cut" have different meaning, please explain in detail, some other combination like "stand up", "wake up", cannot help me distinguish "cut up" and "cut".


texts:
It says, "The next day, Hem and Haw returned with tools. Hem held the chisel, while Haw banged on the hammer until they made a hole in the wall."

I don't really get why it says "...Haw banged on the hammer..."

I would understand this part as saying that Haw hit the hammer with something.

Shouldn't this be "...Haw banged on it with the hammer..." with "it" referring to the chisel?


texts: "the challenge to do X" vs "the challenge of doing X"

texts:
I wonder which form(s) are correct amongst the following:

the challenge to do X
the challenge of doing X

Example:

  The models in the literature tend to employ different strategies to encode the input, leading to the challenge to determine the best input encoding scheme for this problem.


texts:
I was suggested using the term "hiking" instead of "go climb a mountain" when trying to describe a tour in which we go to a mountain and climb up for exercises.

As I understand, hiking is the activity of taking long walks.

what term can be used to serve as the sense, where you go on a travel to climb a mountain for fun/exercises?


texts:
What is the best way to say what I am trying to say:

Let’s decide the number of which we are going to change the sign.
Let's decide the number whose sign is going to be changed.
Let's decide the number which we are going to change the sign of.

Why one is correct or not? What is the most natural one?


texts:
I have the two sentences:

Original sentences:

"I baked an apple pie, but I forgot to put cinnamon in it."

"Sonia speaks English but does not write it."

My questions:

Can I write: I baked an apple pie, but forgot to put cinnamon in it.
(I removed "I" after "but")? Is it correct?
Is is it correct to write: "Sonia speaks English but she does not write it."?
What is the rule to omit pronoun after "but"? Please explain this
using the original sentences.

Related:
Is it always necessary to repeat the pronoun before each verb?


texts: Using literary present when there's a sequence of events

texts:
I heard that when describing a piece of literature in writing, we should always use the literary present tense.
I am encountering a special situation, where an event takes place after a different event.

(a)

  Tobe continues to stay with Miss Emily even after she murdered Homer
  Barron and slept with his corpse.

(b)

  Tobe continues to stay with Miss Emily even after she murders Homer
  Barron and sleeps with his corpse.

I am not sure which sentence above demonstrates the correct use of literary present.


texts: Which preposition should I use: BY or WITH

texts:
I'm writing a text and I'm not sure which preposition I should use in the following sentence:

  I should get married by 30

or

  I should get married with 30


texts:
Should I use can or could in the following context? Are they both correct? Please explain.

Here's the context:

John, you have been told not to roam in bare feet outside the house. It is winter and you can/could catch a cold if you do so.


texts:
SOURCE (Oxford Learner's Dictionary - see entry 3)

To read:

  [intransitive, transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) to
  discover or find out about somebody/something by reading

  read about/of something  I read about the accident in the local paper.

  read that…  I read that he had resigned.

  read something  Don't believe everything you read in the papers.

So, we are not allowed to use progressive tenses with "read about / of".

However, this native conversation says "I'm reading about proper etiquette while I'm there."

So, is that saying "I am reading about..." wrong?

Note: no other senses of "read" have "to read about". We only have "to read about" in that sense (to discover or find out about somebody/something by reading)


texts:
I once read an article and encountered a word which I only remember its meaning is backward rewarding. One example is that one works hard and s/he will not be rewarded immediately but once s/he is promoted or his/her salary is raised the previous hard-work would be rewarded backward.
I have searched some reverse search engines like https://reversedictionary.org/, but I cannot find it.


texts: What is the difference between account and profile?

texts: English isn't my first language, and I'm very into website programming and this has been bugging me for a pretty long time: what's the difference between "account" and "profile"?


texts: "I lived in" vs. "I have lived in" in context

texts:
Let's say I lived in the US two years ago and I want to mention the fact that I have the experience of living there without mentioning when I did it. Do I say I lived in the US or I've lived in the US? For example:

Person A: I'm going to the US next summer.
Person B: Wow! You'll have quite the experience. I lived there./I've lived there.

If both are possible in the context, what is the difference in meaning?


texts:
A girl said that she had learnt a chapter and wanted to speak it out to actually find out how she's actually learnt. So the teacher tells another girl to listen to the chapter.

So she says:

  Hear the chapter from her.

I know it dosen't sound natural, but what is the natural way to describe it?

And what will be a natural way to express this idea: speaking something out so that other person can listen to it, like a teacher asks a child to speak out a particular answer that he or she has learnt to find out whether she's or he's actually been able to learn it?


texts: Would you say "She had nothing to do except spending money"?

texts:
From two sentences I've written below, the first one is positively correct as it's cited from Longman dictionary. The grammatical validity of the second one, however, seems rather dubious knowing the other sentence already proved valid (if I didn't know that the first sentence is correct, I would say that the second one makes more sense to me and so it'd be the only correct version). Please let me know if the second sentence is correct.

She had nothing to do except spend money.
She had nothing to do except spending money.


texts: "so much like" in the non-predicative position

texts:
I came across the expression "I like riding bicycle so much like you" by a non-native speaker (a child who meant "...as much as you"). And it grated on my ear. But I concede he might have learnt this cliche in his English study and could be misusing it.

Wouldn't "so much as you" fit better if any with "so" is pertinent here at all?


texts: What should be the correct preposition after "out of keeping"

texts:
I saw a special slogan in a library,

  Loud talk's out of keeping in this library.

I have looked it up in the online cambridge dictionary, and I can see that they use the preposition, "with" in the two given example sentences.
Does this mean that the use of "in" in the slogan is wrong?
Or both are correct?

Thank you


texts:
"You are lying in wait here trying to kill that man? Ha! You will sooner get killed by another man who wants you dead! Stop that!"
BY SAMUEL WHITE (WAR ZONE)

I have a feeling that this usage of "sooner" sounds ungrammatical.
If not, does it mean "you will get killed by someone before you can kill the man you want dead?" Is this a poetic usage of "sooner?"


texts: Difference between "long happy life" and "long merry life"

texts:
What's the difference between

  "I wish you a long happy life."

and

  "I wish you a long merry life."

I am especially interested about the cases when these adjectives are applied to a long period of time.


texts:
I just learned that I should not say:

I could buy it yesterday.

but rather use “was able” or “could have”.

At the same time, I have just seen a sentence:
He could help me but he did not.
That is correct?


texts:
London(CNN) - If allied leaders had hoped that US President Donald Trump's presence at a summit in the London area marking the 70th anniversary of the alliance this week would promote unity among old friends they probably left disappointed.

Where is the end of if clause?
Which is the subject of "would"?
Why the clause "they probably left disappointed" can be placed at the end of the sentence just like that without a conjunction?


texts: "you are?" vs "are you?" when asking for confirmation

texts:
I've just realized, for the nth time, that after someone says

  ...I'm past it

the interlocutor replies

  You are?

I hope I'm right in saying that this is, strictly speaking, wrong, as the question should have verb and subject reversed:

  Are you?

However I notice that in many spoken contexts the former is used.

My question is, given the two forms are exactly the same length, and take roughly the same time to be pronounced, why is the latter used at all? I mean, isn't having this two forms just redundant (beside the latter being wrong)?

From a non-native english speaker who's been living in UK for barely a year, I'm still far from being able to make any hypothesis on the reason why the You are? might have found it's place in the spoken language against the same-lengh, correct form Are you?.


texts:
Yesterday, when I talked with my friends in English, I found a slightly odd sentence in the conversation.

  Me: What is your idea about what restaurant we should go for dinner in this shopping street？

  Tom：I think McDonald's is the best choice, isn't it？

In effect, I have never seen the subject of the independent sentence not as the same as the pronoun in tag questions, but I'm not sure whether his tag question is wrong. After all, his usage seems to have some logic…

So, can I use the sentence like his？


texts: Help me to combine these sentences to make a big sentence

texts:
"My uncle sent in a picture. And in that picture my little cousin had marked his calendar, that said sports day."
My English is not good. And I'm afraid to make mistakes. People would laugh at me. :/


texts: "unless" vs. "without": "the company would go bankrupt ___ cutting costs drastically"

texts:
the sentence is

  During his meeting at the corporate headquarters, Mr. Breeding stated that the company would go bankrupt _____ cutting costs drastically.

(A) unless
(B) without

An answer is (B) because "without" is used for preposition

But i think that (A) also might be an answer

if "unless" is an answer, I think that unless "cutting costs drastically" is

used for conjuction and participial construction abbreviation


texts:
Do you say "2 Byte" or "2 Bytes"? Which one is correct? If both is possible, when to use what?

The same question would come to my mind for my own language: German. So, there has to be a technical answer.


texts: What does "Ayy girl, are you death? 'Cause I want you to take me by surprise." mean?

texts:
So, the other day I was watching TV and someone made a joke (I assume).
The joke was

  Ayy girl, are you death?
  'Cause I want you to take me by surprise.

What does the joke mean?
And if he'd used 'Cause I want you to take me, would it make any difference?


texts: Is this structure "It is adjective to verb" idiomatic?

texts:
I'd like to know if clauses such as "It is hard to judge." are idiomatic, so that I can say it's an example of intransitive use of "judge."
Additionally, it'd be great if you could tell me what this type of structure is called.


texts:
Having trouble for what should be a simple thing:
I want to refer to recently found information regarding the context of specific songs: when they were created, who first sang them, where, etc
Is the expression "new (or additional) elements of context" correct?
It does not seem to be used that much.
Would "contextual material" be better?  Any other suggestion?
Thanks


texts:
Does spend down means simply spend or runs

I couldn't found this phrasal verb from the dictionary.

  The neocon defense intellectuals, as well as being in or around the actual Pentagon, are at the center of a metaphorical "pentagon" of the Israel lobby and the religious right, plus conservative think tanks, foundations and media empires. Think tanks such as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) provide homes for neocon "in-and-outers" when they are out of government (Perle is a fellow at AEI). The money comes not so much from corporations as from decades-old conservative foundations, such as the Bradley and Olin foundations, which spend down the estates of long-dead tycoons. Neoconservative foreign policy does not reflect business interests in any direct way. The neocons are ideologues, not opportunists.

Extra Ref http://www.antiwar.com/orig/lind1.html


texts: Is the usage of "good fit" correct, in these sentences?

texts:
Some of faculties’ research interests are interdisciplinary and diverse which are a good fit for my research interests.

I hope that the admission committee finds my background and strengths a good fit to the requirements of PhD program in Management Science and Systems.


texts: Avoiding subject repetition in the body of a business letter

texts:
I've been attending translation courses, and our business writing teacher has been drilling us to avoid the repetition of subject nouns referring to the sender (a company, as a rule) - not in some clauses constituting a sentence, but across different sentences:

  Dear Sirs,
  We thank you for your proposal. [...] We would like to place an order for the following items: Item 1 (20 units), Item 2 (10 units). [...] If the products meet our approval, we shall place a larger order. We look forward to doing business with you.
  Faithfully yours,
  CopperKettle,
  Manager
  (mind that there are other sentences in the text, which I omitted, indicating them with [...])

According to the teacher, the text above is a no-no due to the repetition of "we". So every pupil has to remodel his or her letter in the following way, in order to refer to the company using different nouns and pronouns each time:

  Dear Sirs,
  Our company thanks you for your proposal. [...] We would like to place an order for the following items: Item 1 (20 units), Item 2 (10 units). [...] If the products meet our approval, the management shall place a larger order. Our firm looks forward to doing business with you.
  Faithfully yours,
  CopperKettle,
  Manager

Is there really, or was there really, such a rule? Or does letter 1 look okay?


texts: Should a comma be placed before or after the conjunction 'and'?

texts:
Originating from a comment on one of the SE sites.
Which one is correctly punctuated?

"Nothing personal and, welcome to *.SE"
"Nothing personal, and welcome to *.SE"

My understanding is that we use the comma wherever we have to pause, in speech and to help with connecting related phrases together. I was dumbfounded, because both sentences seemed equally cool (yes, I was trying to sound cool in the comment). I am willing to accept omission of the comma entirely as well, if 'and' is not followed by a comma.


texts: Is it common to say "nothing ever good really is"?

texts:
While I was listening to this song, I came across the following sentence:

Nothing ever good really is.

What does this sentence mean? Is this construction common?


texts: after retired or after retiring or after retirement?

texts:
I am preparing a speech about the life after retire. But not sure which one is correct below.

  After retire, I want to be a happy person.
  After retirement, I want to be a happy person.
  After retired, I want to be a happy person.
  After retiring, I want to be a happy person.

I searched in internet, it seems "After retired" is a correct expression because retired can be an adj.


texts:
We will swim next Monday.
We are going to swim next Monday.
We will go swimming next Monday.

Which one is correct?
What's the difference between "will swim" and "going to swim"?


texts: How to understand "And from this it follows that where we meet resistance" in this context

texts:
Your point about wizard dominance being FOR THE MUGGLES' OWN GOOD - this, I think, is the crucial point. Yes, we have been given power and, yes, that power gives us the right to rule, but it also gives us responsibilities over the ruled. We must stress this point, it will be the foundation stone upon which we build. Where we are opposed, as we surely will be, this must be the basis of all our counter-arguments. We seize control FOR THE GREATER GOOD. And from this it follows that where we meet resistance, we must use only the force that is necessary and no more. (This was your mistake at Durmstrang! But I do not complain, because if you had not been expelled, we would never have met.)

  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I don't quite get "And from this it follows that where we meet resistance". It seems that there is no conjunction to link the two clauses: "And from this it follows that where we meet resistance", "we must use only the force that is necessary and no more".

How should we understand the sentence?


texts: "How old do you think Steve is?" vs. "How old do you think is Steve?"

texts:
Which one is correct and why ?

  How old do you think Steve is?
  How old do you think is Steve?


texts:
Are the following sentences grammatically correct?

Filter column A by AM series batch numbers.

Filter column A to show AM series batch numbers.

Filter on column A to show AM series batch numbers.


texts:
Why we can ask the question
"Who baked the cake?"
when we should use did link verb?


texts: What is the difference in the meaning between "busy in studying" and "busy studying"?

texts:
What is the difference in the meaning between two sentences,

  1) He was busy in studying.

  2) He was busy studying.

Does "1) He was busy in studying" mean "He was busy when he was studying"(for example, When he was studying, his mother called him and his friends called him etc.) ?

Does "2)He was busy studying" mean "He was studying very hard" ?


texts: Can I always use "To what extent" as "How much"?

texts:
I was studying for the IELTS exams and found the question

  To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

With some search, I see that "To what extent" in this case is another way to say "How much".

My question is, can I always make this substitution ("How much" => "To what extent") or is it a idiom?

For example, can I say, "To what extent money do you have?"


texts: In grammar, can particle be placed in mid position?

texts:
Initial: Up he goes.
Final: He goes up.
Mid: He up goes. It seems like there's no rule which says not.


texts:
I had a question,
Does "take someone up on something " mean only to accept an offer ? Can it mean to accept a suggestion

In most of the dictionaries like Cambridge  and Macmillan had this definition:to accept an offer. But in Idoceonline ,it had a few sentences which I couldn't guess the meaning of:
https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/take-up-on

  •You don't take me up on anything - you just repeat it in a different order.

  • At least six thousand Mennonites took her up on it.

  • I offered myself up to be corrupted, but nobody took me up on it.

  • Might take her up on it.

  • What if I should take you up on it?

P.S. An offer can be something like: She offered me a movie ticket. (Or any other offer,maybe do something) and suggestion is sort of an advice or something like: you could do it this way (or something like telling someone to do something).

What is it actually used for in America? And what exactly do those sentences mean?


texts: Confusion with past tense and present tense

texts:
Anthropology is a science dealing with man and his origins. In this strategy, however, I'll conveniently redefine anthropology as "being interested, without judgment, in the way other people choose to live and behave." This strategy is geared toward developing your compassion, as well as a way of becoming more patient.

I believe the "is geared" is in present tense. But why is geared in past tense? what part of speech is geared?

Whenever a court is called upon to enforce a contract in which the price was never actually set, and where it finds that the parties intended to be bound by the open price agreement, the court is faced with the task of providing a price term.

I believe the "is called" is in the present tense. But why is "called" in past tense? When do I need to use those when writing? Than you!


texts:
I was calling you yesterday; you didn’t answer.

or

I called you yesterday but you didn’t answer.


texts:
Is it correct to say “i was surprised to learn your age”
Or “I was surprised when I learned your age was X/you were X years old "
If not can you explain why and propose an alternative that means more or less the same, thanks!


texts:
"Enchufado" or "enchufe" is a colloquial way of saying that a person got a job because a friend or relative gave it to him, instead of earning it themselves.

I thought about the word "appointed" but that is too formal and I don't think it conveys quite the same meaning (you could be appointed and still have earned the job).


texts:
“You get shit figured out?”

  “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I did. I’m just gonna hit the showers. I’ll be
  back in a few,”

The person "I" hit the "showers", why does use the plural of "shower"?


texts: Is would necessary in "... when I got paid I would leave my office..."?

texts:
Every month when I got paid I would leave my office and go to the bookshop and spend a little fortune.

"Would" is here to indicate that the action was done many times. I was wondering if "would" was necessary since "every month" was written in the beginning of the sentence and make us understand that the author went at least  more than one time. Maybe every month is only related to the salary.


texts: "Products of unique structure" vs. "Products of _a_ unique structure"

texts:
In 3D printing, successive layers of material are applied under computer control in order to create a particular shape. This technology allows us to make products of a unique internal and external structure.

Should there be a here?

I wrote the text without the article, but a native speaker corrected me. Would both variations be grammatical?


texts:
Our eyes have remained the same size.

In this sentence, I can't think what is
the role of 'the same size' ?
is it object of remained or
is it a complement ?
Please explain this to me briefly.


texts: How do you replace "spend X day" in an indirect form (e.g. with a pronoun)?

texts:
This is a bit hard to explain but here's an example:

  I wanted to spend Christmas with him, but he said he had __ with his family in Ireland this year.

What to fill in the blank (a phrase that doesn't include spend)?

Initially, I wrote to do it but a native English speaker said it wasn't quite correct.


texts:
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/09/26/the-kremlin-doesnt-have-a-blank-check-from-russians-for-its-ukraine-policy/

  This development does not necessarily mean that civic elements of Russian national identity are more salient than ethno-cultural ones.  A majority of Russians have long supported, in some variant, the idea of “Russia for [ethnic] Russians.”

I don't understand what "civic elements of Russian national identity" means.


texts: What's the grammar and meaning of the sentence "We're make it example on that one!"?

texts:
The source of the sentence "We're make it example on that one!":

https://cnc.gamepedia.com/Twinblade

One of the unit's quote


texts: Rearrange the words to make meaningful sentence

texts:
I have a hard time rearranging these words (kind of sentence to be made is indicated in the brackets):

1) Magnanimous her how our all ignore of to weaknesses (Exclamatory)

2) to the agent did plan tour the itinerary satisfaction your (Interrogative)


texts: 'in' or 'at': I'm expecting life in/at university

texts:
Is at university more common than in university?

I wish to convey a meaning that I am expecting life in/at university, which one shall I use?


texts: Is the passive form of the word "theme" correct in this sentence?

texts: Recently we were given the task to promote the upcomong conference at our university, so I wrote the twitter post: "getting excited for this year´s conference themed Terrorism" Is it gramatically correct?


texts: ", therefore," and usage in this context

texts:
The strategic control of knowledge is a crucial element in the control of discourse understanding and, therefore, of discourse access and the criti- cal counterpower of oppositional reading and understanding.

I have two questions according to the usage of “therefore” in the text.

  what is the meaning that therefore convoys in the context.
  why is therefore set between two commas. Shouldn’t be like. ( ; therefore....../ . therefore.....


texts:
Although I almost know what in doing so means, actually, I am wondering whether or not by doing this/that et cetera, could mean the same meaning as the former.

Thanks in advance


texts: Word for "Put them apart from each other" (for humans)?

texts:
Is there a synonym for "put them apart from each other" when referring to people?

Here's an example:

  My child is sitting next to a troublemaker in the class. I want to tell his teacher to put them apart from each other.

What is the most suitable word for such a scenario?


texts:
When the sun sets, the farmer decides to eat food.

  If you go outside you will feel fresh air.

  If I walk, I will become fit.

  If I sing, my practice becomes more efficient.

  If I laugh, I will be happy always.

  If I care for you, I will become a responsible citizen.

  If you work hard, you will get a pass in the examination.
      If you sing songs, you will practice efficiently.

  If you worked hard, you would get a pass pass in the examination.
      If you sung songs, you would practice efficiently.

  If you had worked hard,you would have passed the examination.
      If you had sung song,you would have practice efficiently.

I have learned some conditional clauses and after noticing various types and their examples, I decided to make sentences on my own (don't judge me on different types of clauses). Are these sentence grammatically correct?

Q I want you to notice in these sentences that Are these dependent clauses depends on the main clause and Are these sentence grammatically correct? (Don't understand, cannot correct.)


texts: Difference between " The vase was sold at 300 dollars." vs " The vase was sold for 300 dollars."

texts:
To me, the first sentence seems to mean the vase was sold at an auction whreas the second sentence was sold at a store.

As a non-native speaker,
it's so confusing which preposition is more appropriate for the price.

Also, I think the second sentence  more likely to be used  than the first one.

Am I right?
Is there any subtle difference between these two?


texts: Does "We couldn't have heard it better" mean a possibility too?

texts:
We couldn't have heard it better.

What does the sentence mean?
I think, it means that
either we DID NOT hear it so well in the past (subjunctive) OR
we might have heard it so well (possibility).

Did I understand it correctly?  Could you help me clarify it?  Thank you always.


texts:
Which are correct?

Who do you think was the murderer in the story?

1) I think Ben would be the murderer.

2) I think Ben would have been the murderer.

3) Ben would be the murderer.

4) Ben would have been the murderer.

I feel puzzled with the tense problem of modal verbs. Could you please help me out?


texts: I can't really see any difference in meaning between "hence" and "thus". To me they seem to be interchangeable, in every context I've encountered either of them the other one would have also fitted. So, are they truly synonyms?


texts: Grammatically correct to use 'the' before 'school' in this sentence?

texts:
I read a sentence in an English Textbook. In the sentence, is it grammatically correct to use 'the' before the word 'school'? Please explain to me.

  Her school is near her home. The school starts at 9:00 in the morning and finishes at 3:00 in the afternoon.


texts:
I'd like to know whether the following sentence is okay in the present perfect:

  Some people buy lots of medical supplies in case an epidemic has broken out.

There are sentences where "in case" occurs with the present perfect. If the above sentence doesn't work, what distinguishes it from well-formed instances?

I'd appreciate your help.


texts:
My new phone has a much longer battery life.

The sentence is copied from Cambridge dictionary. Why they have used “a” with uncountable noun "life"?

Also can we write "a much"? We use much with uncountable noun, and "a" is only used with singular countable noun.  There must be some mistake.


texts: What does "...asking for the sun, the moon and stars" mean?

texts:
I watched a video and encountered an unfamiliar idiom.

0:50 It's not like we're asking for the sun, the moon and stars.

This is a comment made by union worker who is negotiation with his employer.
I think it is a metaphor for excessive demands in this context. However I'm not confident because it is hard to associate 'the sun, the moon and stars' literally with 'excessive demands'.
It would be appreciated if someone answers what this means.


texts: Why was 'the tangible' used instead of 'tangibles'?

texts:
Does the tangible have the same meaning as tangibles? Why was the tangible used instead of tangibles? Is it related to 'the + adjective = plural noun'? If so, the verb is doesn't make sense.

  Digital technology accelerates dematerialization by hastening the
  migration from products to services. The liquid nature of services
  means they don’t have to be bound to materials. But dematerialization
  is not just about digital goods. The reason even solid physical
  goods―like a soda can―can deliver more benefits while inhabiting less
  material is because their heavy atoms are substituted by weightless
  bits. The tangible is replaced by intangibles―intangibles like
  better design, innovative processes, smart chips, and eventually
  online connectivity―that do the work that more aluminum atoms used to
  do. Soft things, like intelligence, are thus embedded into hard
  things, like aluminum, that make hard things behave more like
  software. Material goods infused with bits increasingly act as if they
  were intangible services. Nouns morph to verbs. Hardware behaves like
  software. In Silicon Valley they say it like this: “Software eats
  everything.”

The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape


texts: What does the sentence "What do you understand about your business that other companies in it just don't get" mean?

texts:
A startup investor says the following:

  What do you understand about your business that other companies in it just don't get?

I don't understand.  What do they mean? What does it mean? What is don't get in the sentence?


texts: Is there any idiom similar to "some things are better left unsaid"?

texts: I am trying to look for similar idioms to "some things are better left unsaid", because there's already an idiom that has this meaning, I suppose there are at least a couple others that have similar meanings. It doesn't have to be an idiom and can be a slang phrase or something that flows well in a casual, informal conversation.


texts: Can I reply "I am good" to imply " no, thanks" when the context is not about eating or drinking?

texts:
Today someone offered me to join them for a card game, but I was heading out for something. I turned and said

  "I am good, thanks"

and left them because I was in such a hurry that I had to leave the building as soon as possible.

I am using this response a lot when I am full and someone offers food or drink. I honestly think this can only be used in the context of talking about foods and drinks!

Was that line of response idiomatic or even correct?


texts: What's the meaning of "play in someone’s backyard"?

texts:
The sentence comes from here:

  ''The best thing about being a statistician,'' Mr. Tukey once told a colleague, ''is that you get to play in everyone's backyard.''


texts:
What does "shielding of A" mean?

1) Protection from A

2) Protection of A from something else

Examples from web:

  1) EMF 70 is a premium precious metal window film for shielding of windows and glass surfaces from high-frequency radiation (HF).

  2) NEW-DAYLITE™ from Swiss-Shield® is a highly-transparent Trevira® fabric for the shielding of high-frequency electromagnetic fields (HF).

Are both correct?


texts: How to understand the preposition “for” in “She is Miss Asia for 2006”

texts:
How should I understand the preposition “for” in “She is Miss Asia for 2006”?

Why not say “She is Miss Asia in 2006”? What’s the usage of “for” here?


texts:
Context:

  Shetland is a windswept, barren archipelago a hundred or so miles
  northeast of mainland Scotland’s northernmost tip. I fell in love with
  Shetland when I was 16. I had gone there to photograph otters and I’ve
  been visiting it regularly ever since. It’s very windy a lot of the
  time and if it’s not raining it’s usually cloudy. However, when the
  wind settles and the sun comes out, few places on Earth can beat it
  for beauty. I took this photograph of my friend Henry on just one of
  those days. Henry had offered to take me out on his boat around the
  back of the island of Vaila to do a spot of fishing. It was flat
  calm out at sea and that gave us the chance to go through this arch.

Question:

What does "to do a spot of fishing" mean?

Thank you.


texts: Meaning of "struggling is neither okay nor normal, but second thoughts on her part might be"

texts:
A female is not going to make the decision to date with a male based on thinking, because in the heat of the moment, her emotions run the show. She will not think about it, she will feel about it[...]This is why some resistance or hesitation on the woman’s part is both normal and expected. Obviously, struggling is neither okay nor normal, but second thoughts on her part might be. The fact that she is married, engaged, or has a boyfriend might all of a sudden surface, or she will realize that she is about to do something that is considered “naughty”.

I couldn't understand the meaning of the sentence in the bold text. I understand the meaning of every word, but the way the sentence was written still confused me. So can you explain it, or better, can rewrite it to be easier to understand?


texts:
Trying to find the meaning of the adventurous in the dictionary, I came across the sentence I couldn't understand:

  She wanted to get away from here, and she wasn't very adventurous.

The sentence is from the examples from the dictionary I referred to. So, almost all in the sentence is pretty clear except the meaning of adventurous.

Was that the reason for wanting to get away that she was not very adventurous? Can I say that adveturous here is something similar to showing enthusiasm of being there where she was?


texts: What do they mean with "Hi, how are you doing"?

texts:
When I was in New York the workers at the counter (in a shop) always said

  Hi, how are you doing?

I was, and still am very confused if they just mean "hello", or actually want to know how I feel.

Could someone please tell me if this is just an empty phrase or if the speaker is genuinely interested.


texts: I`m wondering why it is being used the infinitive verb form with the 'to' in the folowing sentence

texts:
He to show hundred earthquake victims the home.
I was questioned about the infinitive form 'to show' in this case and its usage. It sounds really a bit awkward, being not a native English speaker.

I would stress the sentence is a title of a news topic, so I can suppose that 'is' has been simply omitted, but not sure about that.

Please, advise if my guess is correct.


texts: What do you call someone who misuses facts (scientific or otherwise) to support their opinions?

texts:
Basically I'm looking for a word that describes someone who takes facts or things people have said and twists them around to support whatever it is they believe.

The actual scenario: Someone I know is taking scientific facts on our limited knowledge of how the human brain works and is slightly twisting them to support an off the wall theory about how we perceive certain things like animate and inanimate objects.


texts: Would (have) + Had/If (were/would/would have)

texts:
I've looked through various sources and can't really understand which are correct and which are not:

  I would do it had I been him.
  I would have done it had I been him.
  I would do it if I were him.
  I would have done it if I were him.
  I would do it would I be him.
  I would have done it would I be him.
  I would do it would I have been him.
  I would have done it would I have been him.
  I would do it if I would be him.
  I would have done it if I would be him.
  I would do it if I would have been him.
  I would have done it if I would have been him.


texts: "for this context" vs. "in this context"

texts:
It is common to specify a context when talking about the usage of some words.

In some posts, such as (Which tense does "just now" correspond to, past simple or present perfect?), the preposition "in" is used.

  In this context, which tense should I use ...

In some other posts, the preposition "for" is used. That sentence could have been rewritten as

  For this context, which tense should I use ...

Google Ngram implies the former is more common

When refer to a context, which preposition should I use, "in" or "for"?


texts:
What is it about the Great Pyramid that makes it so amazing today?
The source and also mentioned here.

What is it that makes the Great Pyramid so amazing today?

I'd like to know if sentences 1 and 2 are the same.
If they're not the same, I'd also like to know the difference.


texts: Voted approved-is it grammatically correct?

texts:
The plan was voted approved.

This sentence rings a strange note in my head. Is this sentence acceptable? I came up with the sentence, but I am not sure how I can use vote in a passive manner and still maintain the point that it was not voted against, but for.


texts: Past tense and simultaneous events: do you use two Past Progressive or two Past Simple?

texts:
I was told that for two simultaneous events occurring in the past, you should use Past Progressive, such as:

  "While I was setting the table, she was cooking dinner."

But that two Past Simple events was acceptable colloquially, such as:

  "While I set the table, she cooked dinner."

But I don't understand why one is preferred over the other (and why the second one would be considered colloquial) and feel like there is a difference in meaning between the two that would make the Past Simple version preferable in some contexts.

What is the difference in usage between these two examples? When would one be preferred other the other, if at all?


texts: How should I consider the word "scenery"

texts:
I think "scenery" is uncountable and the dictionary says it is.

Nevertheless the sentence "What a beautiful scenery!" sounds correct to me.

Should I rather say: "What some beautiful scenery!"

Which one is correct?


texts: "we will have a fairly better governance system BY/WITH an improved campaign financing system"

texts:
I think we will have a fairly better governance system by an
  improved campaign financing system.

I heard this sentence on the radio.
I don't know what programme but it was uttered by a native speaker.

Is this usage of "by" correct?
I think it should be "with."


texts:
The judge and jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr very
  aptly summed up the way such development works in his book The Common Law (1881). He
  noted:

    The life of the law has not been logic: it has been experience. The felt necessities
    of the time, the prevalent moral and political theories, intuitions of public policy,
    avowed or unconscious, even the prejudices which judges share with their fellowmen,
    have had a good deal more to do than the syllogism in determining the rules
    by which men should be governed.

Source: P131, How the Law Works, Gary Slapper

I recognise the form of a syllogism from my math studies, but I'm guessing that the meaning here should be Definition 1.1? Yet I doubt this, because deduction doesn't always determine 'the rules ...'?


texts: Will a native speaker notice if I say compare to instead of compare with?

texts:
Will a native speaker notice if I say compare to instead of compare with and vice-versa?
For example, saying:

1 It's much easier compared to last time.

instead of:

2 It's much easier compared with last time.

I'm asking this because after doing some research I found out that according to:
"https://www.dailywritingtips.com/compared-to-or-compared-with/#:~:text=To%20compare%20to%20is%20to,essentially%20of%20the%20same%20order."
"To compare to is to point out or imply resemblances between objects regarded as essentially of a different order;
to compare with is mainly to point out differences between objects regarded as essentially of the same order."


texts: Changing the meaning of present perfect tense with context

texts:
If I have this sentence:

  I have lived in Canada for 5 years

It suggests that "I am still living in Canada for five years."

Can I change the meaning by saying the following?

  I am living in France now but I have lived in Canada for 5 years.

The reason I am asking this question is because I have seen that the context changes the meaning in the following sentences if you add these italicized sentences:

  I am in bed. I have been sick since Tuesday. (I am still stick)

  I am feeling better. I have been sick since Tuesday. (I am okay)

Please suggest if all the given sentences are right or not.


texts: How to Grammatically Discern This Phrase, Conjunction, or Adverbial?

texts:
“Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies.”
  ― Edward Bulwer-Lytton

I may not get what to read once admitted to the soul like. May once here seem a conjunction and if it may seem like that I guess I may read it like maybe a conditional phrase something like if? Or may once here seem like an adverb and maybe an adverbial phrase placing information on when?


texts: Should hypothetical situations always be written in the past tense?

texts:
Example sentence:

  I could follow her to find out what she does, but I risked coming off as a stalker.

I think I heard somewhere that hypothetical situations should always be written in the past tense.

Does this mean writing something like this is wrong?

  I could follow her to find out what she does, but I risk coming off as a stalker.

Note: the speaker is speaking in the present tense.


texts: what does ''too blessed to be stressed'' meaning?

texts:
what does "too blessed to be stressed" meaning?

Is it he/she trying to say too blessed, there is nothing to be stressed?


texts: Personal pronoun (when the sex is unspecified)

texts:
Trade allows each person to specialize in the activities she does
     best.

Why exactly she (and not he)? Don't we use they in such cases (unspecified sex)?


texts: "Respected Sir" - is it correct to use in emails?

texts: My English teacher said it's not correct to use "Respected Sir" in mail or application because "Sir" itself means respected person. I have been using it since time immemorial. Please give your opinion and let me tell you I am not a native speaker of English but I am very much eager to learn it.


texts:
I was so stunned by her sudden change of mood that I couldn’t process her words. I just stood there staring at her. She swung her schoolbag as if she were about to hit me on the head with it, but changed her mind and ran off toward her entrance. I went home, crying.  I cried on and off for the rest of the day . My grandmother and then my mother kept asking me what was wrong, but I wouldn’t say. I didn’t really understand it myself. Perhaps what I was feeling was shame—not just the mortification of having made the wrong assumption about Tania’s father but the deeper,  sickening humiliation of ** being excluded from the **élite group of children who had fathers.

  (from Katania, published in The New Yorker).

What does it mean I couldn't process her words ?
What does it mean cry on and off ?
What does it mean sickening humiliation of , I mean what does sickening here mean?
What is an élite group ?


texts: How can we identify the structure of a sentence with the verb "ask" and how can we use it correctly?

texts:
I'm studying infinitives and gerunds now, and I found out that the verb "ask" can have a direct object.
For example:

I asked to go to the park.
I asked my parents to go to the park. (I know that you cannot use "I
asked to go to the park to my parents")

But, when we say He asked me for the watch, which is the direct object and the indirect object? AFAIK, the direct object is "for the watch", and the indirect object is "me" as "me" receives the action.
Moreover, I know the difference between reporting:

He asked her to leave (1)

and

He asked to leave. (2)

However, if we want to indicate to whom he asked to leave (2), not to whom he "ordered" to leave (1), how can we do that?
Maybe, saying: He asked to leave to him. (But as I previously said we cannot use "to" with the verb ask).
Also, when I say: I ask her to leave. Do we just have one object(her) that is the IO, right?
Maybe, I'm very mistaken or the question is not clear, so let me know to edit my question, please.


texts: What does "it" indicate in these sentences?

texts:
It drives me crazy whenever you tell me about that
  It will be okay if he comes to me.

"it" seems like indicating "whenever you tell me about that" and "If he comes to me" in each sentence.

Is my thinking correct?


texts:
I want to parse "your shoes are out here" in the following passage:

  Bob and Jim lived in the same town. One day Jim borrowed ten dollars from Bob. A few days later Jim went to work in another town, so he didn't give back the money．
     Later Bob knew from a friend where Jim was, and he got to Jim's room. He knocked at the door, but there was no answer.
     Bob saw Jim's shoes near the door. "Well, he must be in," he thought. He knocked again and said, "I know you are in, Jim. Your shoes are out here."
     After a while, Jim opened the door.

I don't know how to parse "out here". What does "out" modify? What does "here" modify?


texts: What’s the word (synonymous to “pour”) for describing the pouring of a solid substance?

texts:
We pour “liquid” into a container. But what’s the word that should be used in place of “pour” when we are referring to the pouring of a solid substance such as a sugar cube, and not liquid (I am pretty sure “pour” is commonly used for liquids):

He poured ___ sugar cubes into the container.

?


texts:
A luge /ˈluːʒ/ is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine (face up) and feet-first.... Luge is also the name of an Olympic sport. Lugers can reach speeds of 140 km per hour (87 mph).

from Wikipedia

How is this "luger" pronounced?


texts: When someone takes somebody's place, what does he say?

texts: When someone took somebody's else place and the guilty person realizes what she has done, what does she say? Is something like "oh, sorry, I didn't know you were sitting here" okay? Or "You sat here?"?


texts:
I'm seeing sentences using have/has been done, is It Present Perfect? Because Present Perfect is formed [has/have + past participle].

Like:

  This has been done in America, but only at practices with a patient-list of 50,000 or more.

There's two past participle.


texts: Is there a word that means "walk away disregarding"?

texts:
John turns and walks away, disregarding Mike's response.

Is there a word (verb) that means "walk away disregarding"? Is there any word that means "walk in upset or sad"?


texts: "need + verb-ing" vs "need + [to be] + verb-ed"

texts:
1 That sofa needs cleaning again.
2 That sofa needs to be cleaned again.

Which of the above senteces sounds more natural? And, is "to be" always needed in structures like 2, as, for example, in:

2/a You need your head examined.
2/b You need your head to be examined.


texts:
I have this question: Should we use the to-infinitive after should in this case?

Should he (to) take his offer seriously, we will have to reconsider our proposal.

When should we and should not use 'to-infinitive' after should in such constructions?


texts: Why doesn't 'half' only modify countable nouns? According to the definition, isn't 'half' also number?


texts: What is the word for "leaving something running, but not changing/touching it"

texts: Like some system or software, if you decide to make no more changes to it and just leave it alone, but still operationing, what is that called?


texts:
Amidst the callousness and exploitation, moments of compassion are few and far between, although perhaps all the more significant for being so rare.

"because they (moments of compassion) are so rare".

I am wondering what is the difference between the bold part semantically or emotionally? What do you feel when it comes to differentiating?

Thanks

...........................

Excerpted from the answer that Damkerng T.(a member of this forum) has just provided.

And , the link is the following:
enter link description here


texts: How would a native speaker formulate this request?

texts:
We went to a pet hospital because my dog was scratching her ears and they looked infected. I got a pill for my dog to take every day. And it worked.

So we continued to give her the pills until gone. I then returned for more pills.

They were out so we got a creme instead. But we had paid for the pill first and that was more expensive than the creme we got so they told me that I would get the money back the next time I come. And I went to that hospital again and wanted to ask for the money back.

But as you can see above my English is very childish and informal.

How would you make such a request clearly, simply and formally?


texts: which understanding is correct,the translation from a reference book or my understanding?

texts:
I'm preparing for IELTS test. And there is one sentence in the listening tape I don't quite understand. Below is the tapescript:

  And one of the first-year students I interviewed wanted reassurance that no names would be traceable from the answers. I was so surprised, because they think nothing of telling you about themselves and their opinions in seminar groups!

I understand the first sentence, which means that specific student is very cautious. However, as to the second sentence in bold, the reference book translates this sentence into Chinese like

  they are reluctant to say anything about themselves

However, I check several dictionaries on google about the meaning of "think nothing of ",and they say that this phrase means

find it easy to do something
Give little consideration to

So, in my opinion, the meaning of the second sentence should be something like

  they are willing to tell you about themselves and their opinions

which understanding is correct? Really look forward to seeing your reply!


texts:
He was made to feel guilty.

or

He is made to be felt guilty.

What is the difference between these two sentences. I'b appreciated if someone could explain me how to use "made to be..." phrase.


texts:
I read a sentence in The Hindu which was:

  BRICS has proved its naysayers wrong since the idea of grouping the world’s “five emerging economies” was coined by a consultant two decades ago (BRICS was formed in 2006).

Going by the context I have read the word "coin" in, I don't think an idea is coined. It is usually a term or phrase or word. So is that wrong?


texts:
A: Is David still here?

  B: No, I'm afraid he isn't. He went out about ten minutes ago.

This dialogue is from Murphy's Grammar book. When I was doing this exercise I was pretty sure that the correct version is "he's gone", because "ten minutes ago" indicates present perfect. He just left. Why is it right to use the simple past tense here?


texts:
This is the same book that I lost last year.
This is the book which/that I lost last year.

What is the difference b/w these sentences. Book says we can't use "which" in case of 1 sentence. why so?


texts:
Later, some knew it as a place that bred malefic spirits. Spring
  starvation showed skully heads, knobbed joints beneath flesh. What
  desperate work to stay alive, to scrob and claw through hard times.
  The alchemist sea changed fishermen into wet bones, sent boats to
  drift among the cod, cast them on the landwash.

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

What is the meaning of 'wet bones' here? It sounds like 'coward'. Am I right?


texts:
Given the text below:

  Erik believes that personality development is a series of turning points, which he described in terms of the tension between desirable qualities and dangers.

I am confused about the usage of the verb "describe". In other words, which of the following sentences is correct?

  which he described it in terms of ...

  which he described in terms of ...


texts: I saw the expression in the American television food show. The menu is Chunk'd tots(Korean beef + potato tots). I know tots is a kind of fried potato but what is chunk'd means?


texts:
I was talking to a person on chat. Yesterday he asked me a question. Today I replied, then added:

  Did I answer your question?

Now that I think about it I should have probably phrased it like so:

  Have I answered your question?

Is that so? I tried to find a rule that governs it, but failed. Let's take these ones, for example. The closest is probably "change over time" item. But the examples there are far from being similar to the question at hand.

Are there conditions under which "did I answer" question can be employed?


texts:
Her bulge slithered to one side blanket.

Can "bulge" in this care interpreted as "the protuberance created by her"? Or it can only mean "the protuberance inside her clothes"?


texts: Are "small" and "little" interchangeable here

texts:
There will be little/small rains about noon.
Are "little" and "small" interchangeable here?


texts: Having an officer fake a German accent and request a girl...?

texts:
the source

  Having an officer fake a German accent and request a girl for the night — it was entrapment; what would they think of next?

Could we paraphrase it this way:

[Having an officer fake] [a German accent] and [having an officer a request] [which is a girl] for the night.

Request noun = girl

And does “it was entrapment” refer or modify the whole sentence above, mentioned before?


texts: Meaning of "I'll take a look at your septic tank, see if I can get her humming again."

texts:
What is the meaning of this sentence? I know every word in the sentence but can't figure out the meaning of it.

Flander: Homer, I'm in a rhubarb of a pickle of a jam here. I was all set to go
off on vacation when I get called up for jury duty. Oh, it's a corker
of a case. Seems a man drove up onto a traffic island and hit a
decorative rowboat full of geraniums. Now they're trying it as a
maritime offense. So, anyhoo, how'd you like to use my beach house,
free of charge?
Homer: I only get two weeks of vacation a year and you want
me to spend it in your lousy beach house?
Flander: Well, if it'll seal the deal
I'll take a look at your septic tank, see if I can get her humming
again.

Source: The Simpsons S07E25
http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?episode=s07e25


texts:
I've made a sentence but I'm not sure where I need to place 'enough' here.

I need to get high enough a score that I can pass this exam.

I need to get a high score enough that I can pass this exam.

I need to get high enough scores that I can pass this exam.


texts: Proper Use of "Had" and "Have" in Past Tense?

texts:
I know I've seen articles on this, but I can't find any.  I'm trying to get a rule or explanation for when to use "have" or "had" when describing something that happened in the past.  My understanding was that "Have" or "had" connotes continuing events (or the similar).  I find that people n my profession (legal) use "have" and "had" very frequently when it only adds additional words.

For example (since I'm a lawyer, I'll use lawyer examples):

The parties agreed to . . .
or
The parties have agreed to . . .

The Court found that . . .
or
The Court has found that . . . .

No one objected to . . . .
or
No one has objected to . . .

Plaintiff investigated the facts . . .
or
Plaintiff has investigated the facts . . .


texts: Correct usage of professionals' versus professionals

texts:
Which is the correct sentence?

  "...through our extensive professionals’ network..."

or

  "...through our extensive network of professionals"


texts: Cannot understand usage of present perfect continuous in the sentence

texts:
I know that I cannot say like this:
I would love to be living in the 19th century
because this is not a real oppotunity and you can't live in the past.
I spoke with my American friend and he suggested this variant:
I would love to have been living in the 19th century
But I don't understand why it is correct. I think that saying "have been living" implies that action have been lasting for some period and finished recently or still continues. But it cannot be with the 19th century because it wasn't recently, it was more than 100 years ago.
Is there any rule or grammar which could clarify the present perfect continuous tense usage in this sentence?


texts:
I am a bit confused as for what is the difference here:

  He could not be in the meeting, he is on a business trip.

  He can't have been in the meeting, he is on a business trip.

To me, both express an opinion about a past event.


texts:
As you know, "ratio" is a relationship between two groups or amounts that expresses how much bigger one is than the other. While "proportion" is the number or amount of a group or part of something when compared to the whole.

I know it may sound quite distinguishable to you native speakers, but it is somehow vague to me as a non-native individual. I wonder if you do me a favor and let me know what structure is used in each sentence below:

  Everyone can spend money ........ his/her income.

a. in proportion to
b. in ratio of

  The .......... of men to women in the conference was 10 to 1.

a. proportion
b. ratio

  The income you earn in this job is in direct ........... to the effort you put in.

a. proportion
b. ratio

  His feet are small in .......... to his weight.

a. proportion
b. ratio


texts: Do I need the article "the" in this example

texts:
I am going to buy this record of the clash "london calling" through mailorder but as I have already a previous order of the same mailorder on hold, I'd like both orders to be sent together to save on postage or on the postage

I would say on postage sounds better but it is not postage in general it is postage for these 2 orders


texts: I didn’t get the meaning of “an informal sleep over bang up bash for any who wanted to stay“please can anyone. explain?

texts:
Explanation of “an informal sleep over bang up bash for any who wanted to stay”

The exact quote is

  After my wedding I was ill and missed most of my reception, an informal sleep over bang up bash for any who wanted to stay. When I felt well enough to join the party it was over. The only ones still awake, waiting to warm over the dinner I had missed that they saved for me, was my new Mama and Papa.

Source


texts: To hear someone describe it as '16 triangles,' from '1 triangle,' what should I say? I guess, 'how many triangles are there more exactly or more specifically?'


texts: Is the phrase "the new staff at Tech company" correct?

texts:
An IELTS helper post says

  I'm currently the new staff at Tech company with a specialty in IT

Is that correct? Does it need a article in between "at Tech company"?

  I'm currently the new staff at a Tech company with a specialty in IT

Is it because of "the new staff"?


texts:
I have learned there is generally no article before history, unless we're talking about a specific one. But what about sentences where history doesn't mean neither what has happened nor the story of humanity but the past (since there is only one past)?

I feel like both

  This is the best way two people contacted in the history.

and

  This is the best way two people have contacted in history.

could be correct. Am I right?


texts: Can we say "issues are not an obstacle"?

texts:
I just read an answer on Stack Exchange containing the following sentence.

  If these issues are not an obstacle, then […].

Is this grammatically correct? I think it should be rewritten as follows:

  If these issues are not obstacles, then […]."


texts:
My university has registered with an online e-book website. But, the e-book I downloaded was password protected. The enquiry that I wrote is :

"I want to know where can I find passwords for e-books that I have downloaded."

Is this statement polite? How can it be re-framed so as to be more coherent?


texts:
What is the meaning of this phrase in describing a person's face?

  He looks at me, and sees me looking. He has a French face, lean,
  whimsical, all planes and angles, with creases around the mouth where
  he smiles.


texts: Difference between corroborate and prove

texts:
Here is the definition of corroborate in my dictionary:

  to provide information that supports or helps to prove someone else’s statement, idea etc

It seems that it has the similar meaning with prove. So, what would be the difference between corroborate and prove?


texts:
As shocking as Steven Avery’s case is to Netflix viewers, his wrongful imprisonment for 18 years is not an isolated incident in the troubled US criminal justice system.

In my previous post "As shocking as Steven Avery’s case is to Netflix viewers" I asked question regarding the above sentence. I wrongly thought that the phrase "as…as" indicates the comparative there. I was informed that this phrase in my sentence means the concessive clause. Because I was not able to find this type of the concessive clause anywhere on the internet I was given a link on the article on this matter. There is discussed many types of the concessive clause but the only type which is similar to my exemplary sentence and which uses the pattern with "as" is: Old as he was, he ran fast.  Can you explain to me the difference? Why is in the concessive sentence from The Guardian one "as" in addition?


texts:
The sentence I'm wondering about is:
His approval would be a dubious proposition at best

The meaning I've realized about this one is something like this:

Some guy would not approve something, and actually totally does not agree or against of the dialog's context.

Could you provide some similar examples with the word at best.


texts: During the elections.. "on June 20 in 2016"?

texts:
How can I correctly use a precise date to complete this sentence?

"During the elections on June 20 in 2016, the GB decided, ..."


texts: How to understand different usages of "across"?

texts:
I always have a problem understanding different usages of the word. I have a naive idea that across a road or a river means from one side to the other side. But sometimes it is not clear what it means, for example - "The light from across the summit is clear; but the shadows are slanting and deep on the slope of the dark valley."
What does across mean here? Could you also please provide other instances of the word being used so as to clarify the meaning to me?


texts: Is there a polite way to ask about one's ethnicity?

texts:
Suppose I'm talking to a person who is an American citizen but obviously has some "Asian roots" (either they immigrated to the US at early age or their parents were immigrants). Is there a polite way to ask about their ethnicity (if that's the right word)? If I just ask "Where are you from?", they will definitely say they are from the States since they grew up here.

I'm neither American nor Asian, and I don't quite understand why such questions are thought of as being rude by default. The scenario I can think of does not have any negative connotation. For example, if I live or lived for a long time in say Korea or have a Korean spouse and if I suspect that someone I'm talking to (in the US) is of Korean descent, then knowing the latter may help find us some topics for discussion in which we are both interested.


texts: Can a tube with a bottom (a closed end) can be expressed as a " bottomed tube"?

texts: I am searching for a simple word for describing a tube having one closed end and one open end, such as a test tube. After googled, I found the expression "bottomed tube", but it seems this is usually used by non-natives. I would like to know if this is correct (although it may sound strange).


texts:
M's use of the exemption.221 In funding its production company, Legion M had already raised over $400,000 from accredited investors before opening up the offering to the general public.222 Legion M then raised the permitted $1 million from over 3,000 investors and became the first " fan-owned entertainment company. " 223 The media grabbed onto Legion M's story, and it has received a notable amount of good press and notoriety.224 Further, once Legion M begins producing movies, it will have an army of investors with a stake in each film's success that will undoubtedly function as a kind of grassroots marketing team. Essentially, the cost of SEC compliance becomes an investment for companies or filmmakers like Legion M, who can leverage their use of the equity crowdfunding exemption

When i use present perfect has become instead of both became and becomes, what is the difference?
To me, there seems no difference.

I edited the question  with the sentences in the context to narrow down my confusion


texts: Should 'cause have a left or right curly quote?

texts:
I tried to verify this with this Markdown converter:

https://dillinger.io/

However, it doesn't convert the single quote into a curly quote:

  'cause

Should 'cause be written as ‘cause or ’cause?

(I'm not sure how to confirm this with Google.)


texts: "part of the time", but "a good part of the day"?

texts:
Citation from Definition of "part" noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

We spent part of the time in the museum.

We spent a good part of the day rehearsing.

Question
Are there some reasons why an article "a" is used in the second sentence but the first sentence?
Or is it optional to use "a" for these sentences?
Related posts on StackExchange:
I found several related posts, but I think they don't directly answer my question.

difference between “part” and “a part”

“A part” or “parts”?
When to use “a part”, “part”, and “parts”


texts: Does ''Blurt out'' mean to say something unintentional?

texts: Like to say something bad,offensive,embarrassing,etc to somebody you didn't you mean to say


texts:
I once came across an English saying that says Satan's ultimate power or trick is that he is hidden or cannot be seen (the saying might have the word conceal-not sure though). I could not find that saying.
What is that saying?


texts:
From the movie Nightcrawler (2014)

Example:

  I want you running my second van. Two crews. Half the area to cover. Now, I know what you're thinking. Half the money, right? You should be thinking, twice the sales. Because we're going to be the first at every scene. Why compete when we can work together? You can share my press cards. Puppy dog off my police connections. This is the big move, the next level. We can corner this whole thing.

What do you think that actually means?


texts: What's the meaning of "orbit" in this context?

texts:
The term is used in the following passage from this article:

  A lot of lives came into my orbit when I was a server, drawing me in at moments that were joyous, sorrowful, nerve-wracking and all the more delightful or harrowing for occurring so publicly.

Does orbit here means definition #2 from Dictionary.com?:

  2.
  the usual course of one's life or range of one's activities.


texts:
I have read in http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/figure-out
 that Figure out contains two meanings:

  1.to think about a problem or situation until you find the answer or understand what has happened.
  figure out how/what/why etc
   Can you figure out how to do it?
   If I have a map, I can figure it out.
   Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out (=find a way to solve the problem).

  2.to understand why someone behaves in the way they do SYN  work out
   Women. I just can’t figure them out

According to http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/figure-sth-sb-out figure out contains one meaning:

  1.to finally understand something or someone, or find the solution to a problem after a lot of thought:
  [ + question word ] I can't figure out why he did it.
  I find him really odd - I can't figure him out at all.
  Can you figure out the answer to question 5?

According to
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figure%20out Figure out means:

  1.discover, determine

  2.solve, fathom

According to https://www.google.com.np/amp/www.macmillandictionary.com/license/amp/dictionary/british/figure-out
Figure out contains two meanings they are:

  1.to be able to understand something or to solve a problem**

  We had to figure out the connection between the two events.
  figure out how/what/who etc: I couldn’t figure out what the teacher was talking about.

  2.figure someone out to understand what someone is like and why they behave in the way that they do.

So,What's the actual meaning of 'Figure out'and how many meanings does it contain?


texts:
The closing-in walls are about to crush us!

The ____ walls are about to crush us!

I was thinking about encroaching, but it implies more than just "closing in", is there a good adjective for this?


texts: In what cases can we or had we better omit "please" when you use an imperative sentence to a stranger?

texts:
I always find it difficult to use the word "please".
When you use an imperative sentence politely to a stranger, it is generally safe to use "please".
For example, "Please don't smoke here."
Of course, when you demand a stranger to do something, you usually don't use it. For example, "Get out!"

However, it seems to me there are cases in which you can or better omit "please" even if you mean to say it politely.
For example, when you say "Feel free to do something".
Am I right?
If yes, what cases are they? Are there some general rules with which we can decide whether to use "please" or not?
I think this is an interesting problem of the English language.
Do you have any book recommendation on this subject?

Edit

Since some people seem to misunderstand my question, I will add some other examples.

Steve Jobs said in his speech at Stanford university, "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."
It seems to me "Please stay hungry and foolish" is acceptable but awkward.

"Have a nice weekend."

"Watch out!"

"Sleep tight."

"Take care."

Edit

I searched COCA(Corpus of Contemporary American English):

Please feel free to: 50

Feel free to: 967


texts: Is it correct to say "I wasn't finished"?

texts:
I can realize that (was/were + p.p) is simple past passive ,But in this case (I wasn't finished) I can't realize to be the object ,How can I be finished , What does that mean ?

When I studied simple past passive, objects were things that the verbs can be done on it , like : apples can be eaten (The apple was eaten by someone) ,Or keys can be stolen (The key was stolen by someone).

I heard this sentence in term of that you have been interrupted ,and you haven't finished yet.

Can anyone explain this ?


texts: Is a preposition necessary here: "It is irritating (to) me."?

texts:
It is irritating me.
It is irritating to me.

Which one is correct?
Does the word "irritating " work as an adjective in my second sentence?


texts:
Can anyone please help me with this one?

I don't understand the difference between "court" and "pitch". I know that they are different words used for different sports, but I don't know if there is a rule to know when I should use each of them.

Maybe it is just something I have to memorize, but I'm not sure about it.

I think that maybe pitch it is used for grass sports (like football) and court is used with sports that are played on a cement floor... But what about beach volleyball?

Thank you!


texts: Difference between "position" and "prepare"

texts:
If you position yourself in a particular way, or if something positions you in that way, you are prepared for a situation that you want to happen or
  think is
  going to happen (Longman Dictionary)

  https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/position

Sometimes I see “prepare” and “position” are used together.

  The purpose and benefits with TAP and TAP U! are to help institutions
  and individuals affordably evaluate, prove, prepare and position for
  employment.

  https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/category/news/talevation-launches-tap-u-careers-services-program-to-help-schools-and-students-identify-position-secure-and-develop-great-careers/

  We will set our research agenda and investment strategies accordingly.
  Disruptive change is a reality. We choose to prepare and position for
  it.

  https://investors-corner.bnpparibas-am.com/thought-leadership/investment-forum/bnppam-investment-forum-2019/

What is the semantic difference between “prepare” and “positon”? Take these two examples from the Longman dictionary.  Are they completely interchangeable?

It has been working to position itself as a seller of group health insurance to major corporations.
The company’s restructuring has positioned it to compete more effectively.


texts: "Passage linking that with this" vs "passage that links to this"

texts:
From our comprehension exercise book:

  In the breeding season the water-spider picks out the house of a likely-looking female and builds himself a cottage next door, and then presumably being of a romantic turn of mind, he builds a sort of secret passage linking his house with that of his lady-love.

There's a question that asks to explain the italicised text:

  What does the writer mean by 'being of a romantic turn of mind'?

In my answer, I write:

  When the water-spider chooses a mate, he builds a passage that links to his lady’s house.

which is a shorter version of that. Note that it's not the complete answer, just the first sentence. I had to remove some words and ideas that aren't needed for the answer to make sense, for two reasons. One, the answer needs to be short and to-the-point. Two, it's important to reword the original text as much as possible—otherwise, it would just be copying directly from the passage.

But, I've some concerns about the phrase in bold:

  Does "passage linking his house with that of his lady-love" equate to "a passage that links to his lady's house"?

"links X with Y" vs. "links to Y"
"his lady-love" vs. "his lady"


texts: Should I use past tense or present tense?

texts:
I have the problems with using past tense or present tense.
There are some instances.

When I see a cute girl

  I find/found you pretty cute.

When someone is explaining something to me, and I understand it

  Thank you, I understand/understood it.

Telling something that I'm gonna do

  I'll call you after I arrive/arrived there.

Please help me out.


texts:
I was in my hall and heard my brother's mobile phone ring, but as soon as he could come upstairs, the phone stopped ringing.

What term/phrase is used when the other person disconnects before you pick up the call?

I usually say

  The phone got cut

But I'm aware that this is wrong

I can't use disconnected either because it is normally used when the person is in the process of talking

  I was talking to my friend and the phone disconnected

So how do I tell this? I'd like a more formal way of saying it


texts:
I used this link but I couldn't decide which one to use: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/spark_1?q=spark+

"A spark for energy reform"

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/07/Mexico-could-emerge-as-a-surprise-winner-if-nafta-retooling-works-out.html


texts: "the soul they discussed" meaning in this context

texts:
"You alone know whether it will harm your soul to help an old man avoid pain and humiliation," said Dumbledore. "I ask this one, great favour of you, Severus, because death is coming for me as surely as the Chudley Cannons will finish bottom of this year's league. I confess I should prefer a quick, painless exit to the protracted and messy affair it will be if, for instance, Greyback is involved - I hear Voldemort has recruited him? Or dear Bellatrix, who likes to play with her food before she eats it."

  His tone was light but his blue eyes pierced Snape as they had frequently pierced Harry, as though the soul they discussed was visible to him. At last Snape gave another curt nod.

  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

"the soul they discussed" confused me. It seems to be a bit out of place. How should we understand it?


texts:
Which of the following sentence, do you recommend?

To restrict the places within the page where this context can appear, we can relate it to the contexts we have introduced previously.
To restrict where within the page this context can appear, we can relate it to the contexts we have introduced previously.

Can "where" be used as relativizer and object? Is the second sentence correct?
By the way, I don't like 'places' in the sentence, what is your suggestion?
Page here is a Web page.


texts: past verb vs has/have been when they are used?

texts:
I would like to use past sentences, however, I cannot figure the different between have/has been and the past verbs. We can write a past sentences using both (as I understand). For example, which one of the following sentences is correct?

1- The new method has been introduced in last chapter.

or

2- The new method was introduced in last chapter.

Could you please help me to understand the correct way to express my sentences.

Many thanks.


texts: 'Merry of soul', part of a sentence in one of Stevenson's poems: is it grammatically correct and why?

texts:
'Merry of soul'

I came across that phrase in a song called 'skye boat song', I have also learned that it's a quote from one of Stevenson's poems.

I understand that merry is an adjecctive that means happy ,and in all honesty that line sounds really beautiful to my ear, but isn't it wrong to say happy of soul shouldn't it be for instance with happiness of soul , with a happy spirit or happy in soul?

The whole stanza

'Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,

Say, could that lad be I?

Merry of soul he sailed on a day

Over the sea to Skye.'

Note1: I replaced merry with happy when giving examples because Im not used to using the word merry thus it's still a bit weird for me to use it.

Note2: I have already asked that question before on English Language And Usage Stack but for some reason the question was put on hold as off-topic. I think maybe because it is easy and should have been asked here so you will find me copying others comments from there thus seeming to answer my own question.


texts: How to say that one has some "time reserve"?

texts:
One can say:

  No hurry. We have plenty of time.

But this implies having lots of time.

What if I would like to say, that we have just some reserve of time — it's not plenty, so we can't relax and at the same time there is no need to hurry — just keep a regular tempo.

There is a word leeway, but I don't believe it's an answer to my question.

I found another word — sufficient time margin, but still doesn't sound like the best option.


texts:
Somebody took my things without asking me, without my knowledge and didn't return them back to me.

Is 'stolen' word appropriate to represent this situation? (e.g. He stole my things.) If not, what would be the proper word?

EDIT: What incident actually took place: In my absence, someone took the duster and marker pens and never returned them back to me. So I was looking for a suitable word. I googled for meaning of stolen, but I felt it wouldn't be proper to say so.


texts: "Life changes; memories don't." A comma would be better?

texts:
I came across this sentence on a blog.

  Life changes; memories don't.

The first time I read this sentence, I knew something was wrong.
If I'm not wrong, a semicolon is used between two independent clauses, but memories don't isn't an independent clause.

Now the correction could be

  Life changes, memories don't.

OR

  Life changes. Memories don't.

Have I analyzed the mistake properly? Could there be any other possible way of writing this sentence?


texts:
Say that you want to call someone, but you don't know his or her number.How would you ask his or her number?

May I know your phone number?
May I have your phone number?


texts: How should I ask a barber the fee of a haircut?

texts:
I'm struggling as to which one of these two sentences is right.  If neither, then what is the right sentence?

  How much is the fee for a haircut?
  How much do you charge for a haircut?


texts: The percentage of journeys made by public transport is 3%/3

texts:
Which is correct?

The percentage of journeys made by public transport is 3%.

or

The percentage of journeys made by public transport is 3


texts:
Is it right sentence:

  I had to leave just as the conversation was getting interest.

What is the 'interest' here? What does it mean?

If it's right, why don't say instead of it:

  I had to leave just as the conversation was getting interesting.


texts:
In either of the above ways morality is defined, why not take it as a social construction?
  In either of the above ways morality is defined, why not to take it
  as a social construction?

I want to say that "there are reasons not to take it as a social construction". Which of the above sentences means what I want?


texts:
As emerging economies continue to expand, their energy needs are set to grow dramatically

What is diffrences between this two sentence, have it the same meaning or not?

  The more emerging economies continue to expand, the more their energy needs are set to grow dramatically


texts: X months out of Y years or X months of Y years

texts:
I would like to know the difference between "X months out of Y years" vs "X months of Y years" in the following sentences.

For example:

1) Person A has spent only four months of the 10 years in which she has lived in country 1, living in country 2.

2) Person A has spent only four months out of 10 years in which she has lived in country 1, living in country 2.

2nd example: (suppose Person A doesn't live in either of the countries)

3) Person A lived in country 1 for 10 years, and she spent 4 months of the 10 years living in country 2.

4) Person A lived in country 1 for 10 years, and she spent 4 months out of the 10 years living in country 2.

3rd example:

A team scored 10 goals, and person A scored 4 of them.

5) Out of the 10 goals that were scored, Person A scored 4.

6) Person A scored 4 of the 10 goals that were scored.

Are all of them grammatically correct? Also, I'm not sure whether I should use appositives in these sentences or not.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.


texts:
Chelsea 1-1 Frankfurt: Hazard seals Europa League final spot after Kepa penalty heroics

The title is confusing. How can one seal the spot in a competition? What does to seal mean here? Is it to cover, or to close, or to mark? Any of its meanings doesn't seem to fit well. I googled for football expressions with seal but found only seal dribble, which is a different story.

Thank you in advance.


texts: What does "come to advance" really mean here? Does it simply mean "to achieve"?

texts: President Obama indicated that Secretary Kerry would continue discussions with Foreign Minister Lavrov, the government of  Ukraine, and other international partners in the days to come to advance those objectives.


texts:
Dynamic modality
This is expressed by such verb as intend, want, etc. As noted earlier, negation of medium modality tends to be interpreted more specifically as internal negation, e.g. I don’t want her to go as “I want her not to go”.
(The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, p208)

I understand I don’t want her to go as I don’t want the proposition that she goes. But the book seems to interpret it as I want she not goes. Does the book say that my understanding is wrong? What does the explanation mean?


texts: Is it OK to put a "?" after embedded questions?

texts:
I was wondering if it's OK to put a question mark after an embedded question?

Example sentences are below:

  I was wondering if he is from California?
  I'm not sure if that's the right solution?
  I'd like to know if it's OK to put a question mark after an embedded question?