texts: What does "to risk the unthinkable" mean?

texts:
The meanings of "to risk" and "unthinkable" are clear, but I cannot get the ponint  in the phrase below:

  To tell them was to
  risk the unthinkable: it was to risk learning that they already knew.

The fuller text is here:

  I OPENED AUDREY ’S MESSAGE. It was written in one long paragraph, with little
  punctuation and many spelling errors, and at first I fixated on these
  grammatical irregularities as a way to mute the text. But the words would
  not be hushed; they shouted at me from the screen.
  Audrey said she should have stopped Shawn many years ago, before he
  could do to me what he’d done to her. She said that when she was young,
  she’d wanted to tell Mother, to ask for help, but she’d thought Mother
  wouldn’t believe her. She’d been right. Before her wedding, she’d
  experienced nightmares and flashbacks, and she’d told Mother about them.
  Mother had said the memories were false, impossible. I should have helpedbelieving myself.*1
  It was a mistake she was going to correct. I believe God will hold me
  accountable if I don’t stop Shawn from hurting anyone else, she wrote. She
  was going to confront him, and our parents, and she was asking me to
  stand with her. I am doing this with or without you. But without you, I
  will probably lose.
  I sat in the dark for a long time. I resented her for writing me. I felt she
  had torn me from one world, one life, where I was happy, and dragged me
  back into another.
  I typed a response. I told her she was right, that of course we should stop
  Shawn, but I asked her to do nothing until I could return to Idaho. I don’t
  know why I asked her to wait, what benefit I thought time would yield. I
  don’t know what I thought would happen when we talked to our parents,
  but I understood instinctively what was at stake. As long as we had never
  asked, it was possible to believe that they would help. To tell them was to
  risk the unthinkable: it was to risk learning that they already knew.

Educated by Tarawestover


texts:
Which one of the following (or maybe another one that you know) is the strongest answer for someone that sent me a lot of thanks and hearts for a favor that I did to him?

Obviously, I know the answer "you are welcome" but it seems to me too casual or banal and I'm looking for something else if there is such.

In the meantime, thanks to thesaurus.com (here), I found the following options:

Forget it
Don't mention it
It's nothing
My pleasure
No problem
No worries
Not at all
You are welcome


texts:
In my English book for Russian students, I have found a confusing sentence:

A second conference will be held tomorrow morning and Brigg's agent said that an interview ________ (give) by the actor over the coming days.

The key says that the answer is will be given but I don't really understand why not would be given. Isn't it a reported speech sentence with the future clause where we need to replace will with would?

Really need your explanation:( Thanks.


texts: I would like to know when to use have and has in a sentence talking about a country

texts:
Jamaica has or have snakes?
Which is correct?
Explain


texts:
Alow for the below sentence:

  In the middle of the day, for example, for every person, we, here, have to provide some drinks.

I know that my sentence is a mess. But sometimes I face with sentences that initiate with some prepositions in papers. My sentence is not from paper, but I tried to put forward an example like them. Then my questions are:
1- we can set just one "," after all prepositional phrases, like:

"In the middle of the day for example for every person, we, here, have to provide some drinks."
OR
after each prepositional phrase one "," should be used?

2- The usage of punctuation is respected?
3- It is possible to reduce the number of punctuations without hurting the meaning (in the formal text)?


texts: What does translating them to Big Business and Big Tech mean here?

texts:
Cooperate with Facebook, Apple, Microsoft...?
Harris—unlike Bernstein, who is generally well-liked in D.C. and known for his jovial nature and dad jokes, and Boushey—is often viewed as the “silent architect” or the most behind-the-scenes member of Biden’s economic policy team. His role consists of taking policy recommendations and wishes and translating them to Big Business and Big Tech, eventually working to come to a deal that pleases all palates.
Source: https://fortune.com/2020/11/07/biden-economic-advisors-recession-unemployment-coronavirus/


texts:
Could you help me?

Are these sentences correct or should I  change them somehow? I'm particularly curiuos if I can say "My favourite hobby is playing football" or if I must write: "My favourite hobby is football." Can I use "verb+ing" after hobby? Is playing football all right or awkward?

  My favourite hobby is playing football.

  My favourite hobby is horse riding.

  My favourite hobby is swimming.

  My favourite hobby is painting.

  My favourite hobby is reading.

  My favourite hobby is dancing.

  My favourite hobby is listening to music.

  My favourite hobby is cooking.

  My favourite hobby is playing games.


texts: "marry his daughter" vs. "married his daughter"

texts:
Why did the rich man let John marry his daughter?

vs

  Why did the rich man let John married his daughter?

What the different in meaning between these 2 questions?


texts: About the passive: "...polluted by chemicals wastes" vs. "polluted because of chemicals wastes"

texts:
I don't  know if the difference between 2 sentences :

The rivers in this region are polluted because of chemicals wastes from factories.

...and the second one :

The rivers in this region are polluted by chemicals wastes from factories.

I wonder which of them is correct answer and do they have any difference?


texts: "Albeit" pronunciation - does any one say it like 'al-bite'?

texts:
This is most likely just a case of me "learning" to pronounce 'albeit' wrong, before I ever heard the word spoken by a native speaker.
Had similar issues with other words in the past, so...
I thought it was pronounced 'al-bite'. It there a chance this pronunciation is actually used somewhere by native speakers or is it just pure nonsense?


texts: What's meaning of "the leading edge of edgy"

texts:
I read a sentence that made me confused when I studied a new word: 'edge'.

The brand new W hotel Paris-Opera is on the leading edge of edgy in
Paris.

Article: http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20120907-business-trip-paris

What I am confused is a phrase: 'leading edge of edgy'?
'leading edge' means advantage, 'edgy' may means cutting-edge there.

I think cutting-edge include advantage meaning, so, is 'leading edge'
unnecessary?
And, the word follows 'of' should be a noun., right? But 'edgy' is a adj.?!


texts: what's the meaning of good at in this sentence?

texts:
He inserted an ad in a few towns with a coupon, good at any store for a package of the new-style product.
He inserted an ad in a few towns with a coupon, good at any store for a package of the new-style product.
I don't undrestand the meaning of "good at" in that sentence.It would be more appreciated if you could give a full explanation of the above sentence.


texts:
We are looking forward in knowing you, helping you achieve the best oral health ever.

Why did they put 'in' here instead of 'to'?


texts: Phrase for "a person who cares much more about other people's business than their own"

texts:
In the Persian/Farsi language there exists a phrase "a bowl which is hotter than the soup", which means:

  A person who cares ridiculously about others' business more than
  his/her own business.

I only know the above expression, a translation from Persian to English which is equal to this but it doesn't work because I want an English expression, term or adjective to express this character.

Could you please help me to create it?


texts: Meaning of "drones save on productivity for our maintenance personnel"

texts:
From an article:

  “Drones save us downtime, save cost, save on productivity for our maintenance personnel,” Bardin said. “They eliminate having to put a person in that potentially hazardous environment.”

It's hard to understand the meaning of the phrase in bold. Does it mean "the drones save the money that would have been spent on paying to the maintenance personnel"?

But there's the word "productivity" that usually means the efficacy of work. The whole phase feels hazy.

Drones improve the overall maintenance productivity and the overall maintenance costs go down?


texts:
What do you call a very small apartment including just one single room having one bathroom, a restroom (the might be combined) and a kitchen area? In my experience the following two words would work, but in accordance with the Cambridge explanations, I have my doubt now which one is the proper word here! I have been thinking so far that only suite works here. But now, I cannot distinguish between them. Please have a look on the following definitions:

  Studio apartment
  an apartment with only one room, a bathroom, and a kitchen area.

and

  Suite
  a set of connected rooms, especially in a hotel.

Added: In many countries I met people who were renting their apartments (called a suite) which according to what I expected included only one single room (without any other room) and a kitchen area and only a toilet and bathroom together. This is what made me doubt about the proper definitions of them.


texts: Please explain the uses of 'be + used to' and 'used to'

texts:
He was used to sitting there.
  He used to sit there.

Do they have the same meaning? If not, please explain it to me.


texts: Where should we use phrase "wouldn't be a shabby"?

texts:
I have heard multiple times that one says something and end it with "wouldn't be a shabby".

Can you explain what does this exactly mean? Is it common and OK to use this in daily conversations?(U.S.A)


texts:
Is ceiling and roof similar?

What is the difference?

Does a cave have ceiling or roof? because there sometimes are holes.


texts: "grip the bar closely" or "grip the bar with your hand close to each other"?

texts:
Tell me please what is the most natuaral way to say that I want someone to grab a barbell with hands close to each. Here are exaples:

  Grip the bar closely to activate your triceps before doing a close-grip barbell barbell bench press!

  Grip the bar with your hand close to each other to activate your triceps before doing a close-grip barbell press.

The second varian is wordy, so I would like to know a shorter natural version of saying that in a less short fasion.


texts: Using "was" even though it still is the case

texts:
Is it okay to say was even though it still is the case?

  He had his xray this morning and it was normal.

  He had his xray this morning and it’s normal.


texts: Phrases to express recommendations - 'have to', 'had better' or 'should' ?

texts:
Should I use "have to", "had better", or "should" to formulate recommendations to other people?
I don't know the exact difference between them.

For example, I'd like to write the following answer on Chinese Stack Exchange:

«果 means "fruit" or "result". When the meaning is "fruit", it equals to 水果.
When the meaning is "result", it equals to 結果. Both 水果 and 結果 can be
abbreviated to 果. You (have to / had better / should) look at the context.»


texts:
He is so angry as to react to his emotion through retaliation.

I would like to know whether the above sentence is grammatically correct.
Is this an equative rather than an infinitive construction?


texts: How to understand the use of 'this' in this context

texts:
It took another hour to empty it completely, throw away the useless items and sort the remainder in piles according to whether or not he would need them from now on. His school and Quidditch robes, cauldron, parchment, quills and most of his textbooks were piled in a corner, to be left behind. He wondered what his aunt and uncle would do with them; burn them in the dead of night, probably, as if they were the evidence of some dreadful crime. His Muggle clothing, Invisibility Cloak, potion-making kit, certain books, the photograph album Hagrid had once given him, a stack of letters and his wand had been repacked into an old rucksack. In a front pocket were the Marauder's Map and the locket with the note signed "R.A.B" inside it. The locket was accorded this place of honour not because it was valuable - in all usual senses it was worthless - but because of what it had cost to attain it.

  This left a sizeable stack of newspapers sitting on the desk beside his snowy owl, Hedwig: one for each of the days Harry had spent at Privet Drive this summer.

  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I don't understand the usage of 'this' in this context. What does it refer to?


texts: Meaning - paced to the time of the music

texts:
I found this sentence today -

  Billy sang another hymn. He shoveled and paced to the time of the music.

Context -

Billy was confined in darkness in the mine. He was shoveling musk in a coal mine, at a section where no one was around. While doing his work, suddenly his safety lamp went out. He was in complete darkness. He didn't know the way to go back, and most scary he couldn't see due to such darkness. So he started to feel scared. And in order to cheer him up, he started to think Jesus was around to take care of him. And he started to sing, the hymn.

I can't understand the meaning of the bold part of the sentence. Pleas help me.


texts: Homophonous words to pronounce differently

texts:
We have a nice Scottish native speaker at the university who is constantly smiling and she is not pretending it. She is always up for some lovely chat but last time I met her I felt so down that I did not even smile back.

Next time we meet in the morning, I want to say something to let her know that I am not impolite but down.

Here is my idea:

  Instead of saying Good morning, I want to say (in a funny way) Good mourning.

How should I put it (given that these two are homophonous) so that she understands what I mean?

I know this is a silly question but spare my life, please.


texts: Which phonetic alphabet represents the this sound?

texts: Which phonetic alphabets represents the sound of 'u' in words like 'truck'? My real name includes written 'sam' but it is read as 'sum'. So I want to know what could I write between s _ m to make it clear?


texts:
In this trailer of Frozen 2, there's this line:

  00:46 OLAF: I’m gonna blow!

  00:47 KRISTOFF: I got you.

It sounds to me more like "I've got you" but the subtitles say it's "I got you."

Regardless of what he actually said, are both possible in this type of context? If "I got you", but not "I've got you", is possible here, what's the reasoning for that?


texts: Practicing or devout... the better choice?

texts:
I was watching a video in which the host used the word 'devout'... for those who say their prayers regularly. When I see the dictionary I found this:

(of a person) believing strongly in a particular religion and obeying its laws and practices

  a devout Christian/Muslim

===========================

Link is: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/devout?q=DEVOUT

My question is, shouldn't this be 'practicing'?


texts: "is just a recommended minimum" vs. "is just the recommended minimum"

texts:
From a guideline document:

  At least two orthogonal studies should be performed to establish comparability. However, this number is just the recommended minimum, and is not optimal.

Since the first sentence makes the recommendation, I think that it is okay to use the.

  At least two orthogonal studies should be performed to establish comparability. However, this number is just a recommended minimum, and is not optimal.

However, since the first sentence does not use the word "recommendation/recommend", I think it is also okay to use a. But would not this a be confusing, implying that there are more than one recommended minimums?

In the end, I'm not sure which article is better to use here.


texts:
"Will the new plane be heavier? I wish it weren't. "

or

  "Will the new plane be heavier? I wish it won't. "

Thank you.


texts:
Read the following sentence and wondered if "front" also means "before" or "prior to", but there was no such meaning in a dictionary.

  A noun usually has to have a determiner in front of it:
   the drum, Our children

and next page in the same place:

  Place what and such in front of a or an in exclamations:
    What an awful day.
    I've never seen such a crowd.

Doesn't it actually mean "before" in the mentioned contexts?


texts:
I saw this news headline:

Japan defeat Scotland to progress to RWC Quarter Final

Can country names be treated as plural nouns? This dictionary says it is a singular noun.


texts: A girl who there was at hospital or A girl who was at hospital

texts:
1.There was a girl with him.
      2.I remember her.

In adjective clauses,which are use to describe 'a girl' here,what structure should we use?

     (a) (I remember a girl) who there was with him. or
     (b) (I remember a girl) who was with him.


texts: Is there any equivalent of "whose" for "what" or "which"?

texts:
If I want to refer to a woman who has blue eyes, I can say "The woman whose eyes are blue". Is there a similar way to refer to a house, for example, that has blue door? "The house ?? door is blue".

I know there are some other ways to refer to the house, for example, "The house with the blue door", I am specifically curious about that particular way.


texts: Proper usage of "having given birth" in this sentence

texts:
Recently, I came across a question that asks whether a given sentence is correct. If not, we're required to select an option that corrects the error.

Question: Having given birth to six kittens, my friend, Neha anxiously watched her exhausted cat.
(a) My friend, Neha anxiously watched her exhausted cat having given
birth to six kittens.
(b) Having given birth to six kittens, my friend, Neha anxiously
watched the exhausted cat.
(c) My friend, anxiously watched Neha, her exhausted cat having given
birth to six kittens.
(d) Having given birth to six kittens, my friend Neha watched
anxiously her exhausted cat.

I'm told by my friend that (d) is supposed to be the correct option. However, (d) seems to imply that it was Neha who gave birth to the six kittens, not the cat. Further, "watched anxiously her exhausted cat" seems to be wrong.


texts: What is difference between people and peoples?

texts:
Would anyone like to comprehensively explain? I am not sure peoples word exist or not. Kindly request to you all please explain about this.

Thanks.


texts: "when they are not?" vs. "when are they not?"

texts:
When are such acts ethical? When they are not?
  When are such acts ethical? When are they not?

Which of 1 and 2 is correct? Or maybe both incorrect?


texts:
Does the word "really" in the phrase "The battle really between all these vaccines is going to" sound odd to you? Should it be removed?

And more of the vaccine may be available sooner, relative to other jabs. AstraZeneca estimates that it will have 200 million doses ready worldwide by the end of 2020 and capacity to produce 100 million to 200 million doses per month once production is ramped up, according to Pam Cheng, vice-president for operations and information technology at AstraZeneca.

“The battle really between all these vaccines is going to be really a logistical one,” says Vandenberghe. “We will be able to use every dose that becomes available.”

Source:  Nature    Why Oxford’s positive COVID vaccine results are puzzling scientists


texts: Sentence with the word loyalty [meaning]

texts:
I came across a sentence the meaning of I couldn't even guess:

  The Bocchicchio Family was unique in that, once a particularly
  ferocious branch of the Mafia in Sicily, it had become an instrument
  of peace in America. Once a group of men who earned their living by a
  savage determination, they now earned their living in what perhaps
  could be called a saintly fashion. The Bocchicchios' one asset was
  a closely knit structure of blood relationships, a family loyalty
  severe even for a society where family loyalty came before loyalty to
  a wife.

Have no idea about the final sentence in the paragraph. I would say that they are very tough even to themselves, but that's a lousy guess. And what about "came before loyalty to a wife"?


texts: How to be specific when saying "every full hour"

texts:
Say that the doors will open only at 9 o'clock, 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock etc. How do I phrase the following sentence correctly?

  Make sure to be there every full hour.

Is the word "full" correct here? I want to emphasize that it is not just every hour (since that could also be 09:30 and 10:30 and 11:30 and 12:30 etc. because they are one hour apart), but specifically every time the hour reaches 00 minutes.


texts: What does "The culture is lit and I had a ball" mean in a Lana Del Rey song?

texts:
I'm listening to Lana Del Rey's song, the greatest, and she says:

The culture is lit and I had a ball.

What does she mean?


texts:
-- I think we are running out of butter.

-- I will be doing some shopping later in the day I can buy some.
(3 hours later)
-- Have you bought butter?/Have you bought the butter?

Which one is more correct?


texts:
Consider a group of 10 friends (Jack, Mike, Harry, Peter, Ian, Ted, Stoney, Julie, Maria, and Samantha) named 'Spartans' in some residence colony. They have collected money and bought a brand new car.

Is this structure possible?

  Wow, what a sexy car that is   Yeah! That's Spartans'   Spartans'?  Ah, I mean Jack, Mike, Harry, Peter etc's.   Oh! Are they Spartans? I did not know.

Or it should be ...

  Ah, I mean Jack's, Mike's, Harry's, Peter's and etc. or  Ah, I mean Jack, Mike, Harry, Peter's and etc.

I referred to lots of examples and found that etc. is generally applied to the nouns, verbs and almost anything but found no instance where it's used for the noun's possession.


texts:
We use "might/may" to indicate probability:

Example 1:
This trip might be dangerous

We use "can" for something certain, for an objective possibility:

Example 2:
Who knows, it can go either way

Then what is the difference between the following sentences:

Example 3:

a) You can get lost in it

b) You might/may get lost in it

Thank you in advance!


texts:
Could it be read like this: Thirty-eight caliber gun?

Could I use it in the following example: The inspector took his thirty-eight caliber gun?

Thank you for your help.


texts: "a" or "the" when specifying a number/parameter/factor

texts:
Please clarify me on the following. When I specify a number, parameter, factor and so on, what is the right article to be used? For example, "the or a factor of 5 ... / the or a ratio of 4 to 3 .../ the or an angle of 90 ../.

Since the number is specified I though that "the" should be used as opposed to the cases: a proportion around/ close to 2/ so on. But there are also many cases when a particular number is specified, but nevertheless "a" is used as if there is some uncertainty. "An angle with a measure of 90". Please help me with this rule. Thank you a lot, Sincerely yours, Alexander


texts: Could you help me understand what the expression "as a proportion of" means?

texts:
I was reading a book called Enlightenment and found a sentence that I didn't fully understand. The sentence reads as follows:
"How many people are victims of violence as a proportion of the number of people alive?"
By "as a proportion of", does the author mean "compared to"? I would be glad if you could help me out.


texts: Difference between "contrived" and "stilted"

texts: There can be many reasons due to which anything can seem artificial.Consider a case of movie.When can we say that movie is contrived and, when stilted?


texts:
In the words of Margaret Mead, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." To feel that you are not alone, you don't need a whole crowd to join you. Research shows that in business and government organizations,  just having one friend is enough to significantly decrease loneliness.

What does it mean here?
To me, a small group seems to indicate "it". Right?
What is omitted after has?
I think thst the original form is "has changed"
But I am not sure


texts: If ... when ... then clause and Present Perfect/ Present simple

texts:
One father wants to say to his little baby something like:

If you work very hard when you grow up then you will achieve success.
If you work very hard when you have grown up then you will achieve success.

Is the difference between the meanings of the sentences?


texts: Is it logical to say "English is a balance"?

texts:
An American tutorial says

  English is a perfect balance between the long
  versus short, the high versus low, the stressed versus the effortless ...

It seems to be a little bit illogical to say "English is a balance".

How about this one?

  ... there is a perfect balance in English ...


texts: Are "within a radius of 10 meter" and "in a radius of 10 meter" synonymous? I was told that "within a radius" meant everyone within the circle, and "in the radius" meant everyone on the border of the circle, but is it true? Most people use "in a radius" to mean "within a radius".


texts: Is the idiom 'speaks volumes about' valid in a formal context?

texts:
Looking on how to improve my essays, I've just come across the idiom 'speaks volumes about'. For example:

  The unsightly yard and unpainted house speaks volumes about what kind of people live there.

However, all the examples I've seen use it in kind of informal way. Would it be valid to be included in a formal essay?

PS: One example of a formal use would be writing to your college director to do some proposal to improve building's installations:

  The anual asset from the magazine has given an outstanding review of the college, which speaks volumes about it. However...


texts: Gaps in Unbounded Dependency Construction/ Immediate Subject

texts:
Excerpt from Pullum’s grammar book:
With immediate subjects we can have a gap in Type IB construction (with external antecedent) but not in type IA (with prenuclear antecedent).
Compare:
c. This is the copy [that [____ is defective].
d. This is the copy [which is defective].
e. Who signed the letter?
If I strictly follow the above rule and use a gap in the RC with external antecedent, I should assume that the below sentence (a) is correct, but it is not, whereas (b) sounds correct.
a.*I want a car [____ is safe].
b.  I want a car [that____ is safe].

I do not venture to doubt the rule stated by Pullum, but it seems to be incomplete. Should I assume that «we can have a gap in Type IB construction (with external antecedent) and subordinator – that»

What if pronoun "which" is used as an anticedent of an immediate subject?

Could you please direct me to a specific rule or give some explanation as to when immediate subjects in RC can be extracted and realized by gap.

Thank you for any support!


texts: "All of these things are not beneficial and (they) do not help her"

texts:
Should I mention the pronoun again in this case?

  "All of these things are not beneficial and (they?) do not
  help her"

I know that there is already answer about the question "if it's needed to repeat on the pronoun in case that they are in the same position of grammar tense". But in this case it's different because the question deals with case of two different  tenses (in bold).


texts: Is it acceptable to use "will be late for five minutes"?

texts:
I was asked today whether we could use the phrase:

"The bus will be late for five minutes."

Or whether we should always use:

"The bus will be five minutes late."

The latter phrase is the one that I would always use, but I wasn't sure whether the top phrase was used in some regions.

I also wasn't sure how to explain why we use "five minutes late" in this way.

Many thanks in advance.


texts:
In The Kissing Booth 2 (2020), Rachel ready to go to school with Elle:

Elle: What's up, foxy lady?
Rachel: Yeah, right. As if.

What's the meaning of independent "as if"?
My question is different from this one here discuss about "as if" in middle of the phrase.


texts: "I'm born and brought up in India" - I don't want to use the 'past' tense here

texts:
I read this question here and this one is different because the second clause is in present tense.

I'm born and brought up in India. - too commonly practiced in India.

I was born in India is correct over I'm born in India. I am pretty clear on that, but then if I want to include brought up which is still effective (present), how do I say that?

I was born and brought up in India. - does not relate the sentence to the present time then. As both are in past
I was born in India + I was brought up in India. - no. I AM brought up in India, I'm still here.


texts:
There are two sentences that have slightly different meaning.

I have three daughters who became nurses.
I have three daughters, who became nurses.

But when we speak the two sentences, How can we speak the two sentences differently? (How can we express the comma when we speak?)

Could you tell me the difference?


texts:
From the movie Wanted:

A woman accosts a man at a pharmacy.

  Woman: I knew your father.

  Man: My father left the week I was born, so ...

  Woman: Your father died yesterday on the rooftop of the Metropolitan Building. Sorry.

  Man: (scoffs) Look, the liquor rounds are just over there, so ...

I first through he's talking about "rounds of liquor", but it appears here he is referring to a liquor store. What is "liquor rounds"? It doesn't appear idiomatic with my limited Google-fu.


texts: "...and say something like "touch base," "engagement targets," or "content node."" what is implied here?

texts:
Offices can be pretty stressful. It might all seem fine, but at any moment, someone could walk up to you and say something like "touch base," "engagement targets," or "content node." All of a sudden your brow is furrowed, and beads of sweat form as you expend previously unimaginable amounts of energy attempting to turn yourself into a human fireball of rage and indignation (and fire).

From: Where Is My Hammer? is a free game about destruction (PC Gamer)

I don't know what these expressions in bold mean, and why they would make someone angry. It looks like "to touch base" is "to contact someone" and "content node" is some kind of an IT term, but I'm not sure. What "engagement targets" mean I can only guess


texts:
Looking for a synonym of 'to get by on", I came across "to make do with" and immediately started wondering what the past form of the latter could be. "Make did", "made do", made did" - they all sound weird — but one of them may be the right usage as soon as any other suggestions seem to me just crazy guesses.

Of course I wouldn't use it in the past tense other than in the sentence with "could make do with". It's an idiom, but it's also a verb, and there must be a rule for the cases like this, I believe.

If there is the rule, what is it?

Could you give a couple of examples of the like verbs/verb collocations (I'm not sure about the term)?


texts:
When should one use the word "obnoxious"  , with what intension one should use it and how offensive this word is?

My question is when to use this word and by this I mean to whom I can say this word can I say this to my cousin how is making fun of me or being hard on me or just annoying me for couple of hour . Is it OK to say him/her obnoxious or is it too offensive statement to make.


texts: Can we change "I’d rather have someone enjoy it" to "I {wanted/want} someone to enjoy it..." without changing the meaning?

texts:
I was going to give something away for free so I said:

I’d rather have someone enjoy it, than to waste it.

I wanted to say that I decided to give it to someone to enjoy it, instead of wasting it.
Firstly, is 'to' correct, being used in the sentence above?
Secondly, can I say:

I wanted someone to enjoy it, than to waste it.

or

I want someone to enjoy it, than to waste it.

instead of the first sentence?


texts: "I would leave tommorow" - is it grammatical?

texts:
Let's say that I utter the following:

I will leave tomorrow.

Would it be ungrammatical to say the following the next day:

I would leave tomorrow.

I know that the following are grammatical and felicitous:

(1) I was going to leave tommorow.
(2) I was leaving tomorrow.

Interestingly, the past simple counterpart of (2) is ungrammatical.

*I left tomorrow.

What do you think?


texts: I felt like I had/was having the time of my life

texts:
Having spent the whole day listening to the English lectures, focused on many interesting topics, I felt like I had (teacher: past continuous only - was having))the time of my life. I got totally swept up in them and wished there were more to come.

Here my teacher suggests that I use past continuous and says the past simple would be wrong. I agree that past continuous is a better choice here. But, as far as I know, I could use the past simple as well if I looked at the "situation" as a fact?


texts: Should I use “cool” to talk about up-to-date data?

texts:
I’m working on a REST project, so the “fraicheur” of data is quite important.

I know that the translation of “frais” is “cool”. Should I use this word in an IT technical environment (not only for REST project, this problematic also exists with sessions, caching, cookies, ...)?


texts:
Objective: Fill in the blanks for the sentence.

The sound advice given by the eleventh-century medical scholar Trotula in her writings on women's health ------- some of our assumptions about the inadequacy of medieval medicine.

(A)   belies
(B) bypasses
your answer(C)    elucidates
(D) compounds
(E) camouflages

The correct answer is A. but I think C. because the Trotula explains the assumptions to clarify any misconceptions on the medicine.


texts:
I know anaphora, antecedents or relative pronouns; what bothers me most is the placement of relative clauses in a sentence. The structure of the complex sentence or compound sentence is such that I have to write the relative clause distanced from the antecedent. For example:

Open at page ten of your history book prescribed by your school which carries a picture of an octopus.

Now the question is:-

Who carries the picture? Page ten, History book or the school?
Is the meaning self evident?
Should I require a comma before "which" to make it meaningful?

I have searched internet but found contradictory opinions or repertoires at logger heads with one another. A decisive, comprehensive answer is sought for.


texts: "Touch the Heart" vs "Touch the Soul" How are they different?

texts:
I've never thought deeply about what "heart" and "soul" really mean, but in the sense of touching, I feel "touch the heart" and "touch the soul" are interchangeable. In the below quote from this webpage, however, the two phrases are used distinctly in a different way.

Disney movies touch the heart but Studio Ghibli films touch the soul.

In the webpage, the writer greatly praises Studio Ghibli's films. In that sense, I feel like the degree of admiration implied by "touch the soul" is somewhat greater than that implied by "touch the heart". But it shouldn't be true because heart is heart, and soul is soul. It's not a matter of which is greater or not.
Could someone please rephrase the sentence to make it clear for me? It would be even more appreciative if you could also explain how the two are different from "touch the mind".


texts:
In The 'death' of Windows Nano Server, I see "Dude, were you wrong":

  For about a year before Nano’s release in the Tech Preview builds of Server 2016, it was completely embraced by Microsoft as the ultimate small-footprint and low-patch version of their kernel. Jeffrey Snover even remarked that it would be “the future of the Windows Server OS.”
  (Dude, were you wrong.)

IMHO right is "you were wrong". If it is not a question. But no '?', so it's not a question. How will be right?


texts:
As we know, people in current society are more in to the word shit when they get frustrated over something. The real meaning of this word is solid waste from a person's or animal's body according to a dictionary I referred. So I find this word bit awkward to use in daily routine.

Is there any better (less offensive) word to use instead of this when we get frustrated?


texts: "I learned X from" vs "I have learned X from."

texts:
What's the correct option?

Example sentence:

  I (have) learned that word from books.

Maybe there's something funny with this sentence? Maybe you can  learn a word only from one book? I'm assuming this based on this Google search.


texts: Is the verb "span" right in this sentence?

texts:
If I want the sentence below to mean "There were doors all around the room", is the verb "span" right to convey this information? It has multiple meanings, and I'm a little confused if it would work in this case.

  Doors span all around the room.

I feel the impression that the doors might be "coming out of nowhere" when using to span.


texts:
'Twas General Janus, the first to arrive,

  In snow-shoes and gaiters,

  Escorted by skaters,

  And looking quite blue with the cold of his drive,

  See him come in, with his footman Aquarius,

  Who presents his Ah-kishes,

  That's to say, his best wishes,

  A choice of fresh colds, and compliments various.

This is part of the nursery poem from Walter Crane's book.
(https://archive.org/details/Crane1/page/n83/mode/2up)

I have two questions from this.

Does 'looking quite blue with the cold of his drive' mean, 'looking pale because he got a cold from the drive'?
Then does 'Ah-kishes' express the sound of coughing?


texts: How should I connect the final sentences?

texts:
"Endowed with the true blessings of the world, I can only strive forward to become a more lenient, more open-minded, and more inquisitive person. But before all that, I need to perfect the art of making pizzas."

My question is how I can effectively transition between the sentences. "But before
all that" is noted as "inappropriate colloquialism" by Grammarly. I don't intend to use an overly formal transition here, since the tone is changing to a lighthearted one. How can I accomplish this?

Also, for the first sentence, is it a good idea to use parallelism like that? Suggestions are appreciated.


texts: Is "Putting something in practice is good to bring out doubts" correct?

texts:
I think one good way of learning is by practicing because is during the practice, for example, in English, when you speak... it's that moment when the doubts arrive. I was wondering if the phrase below is ok, for Spanish people like me, dealing with phrasal verbs is complicated:

  Putting something in practice is good to bring out doubts.

(I want to emphasize that doubts arrive all of a sudden.)


texts:
I encountered the sentence

  'An ongoing debate is whether a high amount of energy raises a nation
  or region's gross national product (GNP) or whether rising GNP
  increases the consumption of energy.'

Can I replace 'ongoing' with 'enduring' yet without giving rise to any different meaning?
I feel that the difference between ongoing and enduring involves the present moment. Is my understanding right?

By the way, could the word 'durative' be also used as an adjective here?  (in the meaning 'ongoing' or 'enduring' beyond its nominal use)


texts: Difference between past simple and past perfect in mixed conditionals

texts:
Is that second sentence wrong ? If it is wrong , why?

If you remembered to bring a map ,we wouldn't be lost now

If you had remembered to bring a map ,we wouldn't be lost now

Can we use both of these ? What is the difference ?

If he hadn't driven too fast ,he wouldn't be in trouble with the police

If he didn't drive too fast ,he wouldn't be in trouble with the police


texts: How to indicate you've sleep-lack in AmE

texts:
How a AmE native speaker would indicate that they have slept less than usual / needed hours and they had to sleep more, but for some reasons they didn't do that?
I have some offers here; could you possibly let me know if they work naturally:

  I slept less than usual.
  I have lack of sleep.
  I have sleep-lack.

The latter two sentences are direct translations and exactly what we say in our language.
For me, they all sound grammatically and idiomatically correct, but what makes me fall into doubt is Google Ngram null result.


texts: About, tag questions, "She likes nobody, does she?" or "She likes nobody, doesn't she?"

texts:
This site says

Statements using "Nobody, none, nothing..." are treated as negative sentences.

Ex: Nobody likes her, do they?

That is when "nobody" is the subject.

What bout when "nobody" is the object.

"She likes nobody, does she?" or "She likes nobody, doesn't she?"

Note: things are much easier if we use "anybody"

She doesn't like anybody, does she?


texts: a verb meaning 'envy hypothetical yourself /daydream arousing negative feelings'

texts:
Yesterday my uncle, who is a travel agent, offered me a free ticket to Hawaii, but I couldn't take it since I'm having an exam this week which makes me stay.

  Now I'm staying home and [the verb/verb phrase].

My first thought was envy and regret but envy is a transitive verb and you envy someone but there is no one else involved here. Regret on the other doesn't fit here, I think, since you had no choice and if you could get back in time, you would choose to stay.

So I'm looking for a word which basically means envy hypothetical yourself if you could've done something but you couldn't so now you feel sad.

Edit: I mean something like daydreaming but it does not bear any pleasant feeling since you missed the opportunity that could bring or could have brought the pleasant outcomes. On the other hand, you had no choice so you can't really regret it because regret implies that you did something wrong or you wish you had done something differently, but here in my context I couldn't really do anytging otherwise. Then completely aware of the fact that you couldn't take the chance anyway, you think of what would've happened if you could and feel kind of sad.


texts: "The cat cannot be seen easily.": Is "seen" the object or part of the verb?

texts:
I have problems to parse this sentence:

  The cat cannot be seen easily.

I can't decide if "seen" is part of the verb and the sentence has no object or if it is the object. Or if it is a phrase (in combination with the "be") and functioning in this way as the object?

Or is both possible?


texts: shall I use speak or say in this sentence?

texts: from where you get that quote, you use to speak during the class? Is  this sentence grammatically correct? or we use say or. said instead of speak?


texts: Differentiating between prefer to do and prefer doing

texts:
What time do you prefer going to bed?
What time do you prefer to go to bed?

Which of these would you rather use when writing or speaking?


texts:
I read:

AMR has sent six ambulances. Three are on scene and three are still en route. Updated triage. We have that one critical that’s already been transported and six black. Update: Total of seven. Six black. One red that has been transported.

What does "red" mean in the context of a crime scene? Covered with blood? Face turned red? Something else?


texts: The difference between "listen" and "hear"

texts:
I saw this answer that says that we use hear for sounds that come to our ears, without us necessarily trying to hear them, and we use listen to describe paying attention to sounds that are going on.

Now does that mean that I can use "hear" also for music if I don't want it? (For example: "I heard music there" (=I didn't want it) Vs. "I listened to music." (I wanted it).

Also I noticed that always when people communicating through phones, they very often say "I hear you" or "I can't hear you". Now, based on this answer both (hear and listen) are possible for use, depending on the context. Isn't it?


texts: What is the meaning of "call on the river"?

texts:
The following text is related to groundwater rights compromised between the city of Ft. Collins and North Poudre Irrigation Co. It discusses how much right each one has for taking groundwater.

  This depletion would normally give rise to a “call on the river” whereby the North
  Poudre Irrigation Co. is required by the Office of the Colorado State Engineer to cease
  groundwater pumping operations since they are damaging the senior surface water rights
  owned by the City of Ft. Collins.

What is the meaning of "Call on the river" as stressed?


texts: Term to describe events sacrificing the system performance?

texts:
Cache misses are one of the most well-known performance-losing events.

To provide some background, cache misses are one of the main causes of computer system slowdowns, obstructing computers from consuming cycles in useful computation work. What I mean by performance-losing is that cache misses are the kinds of events that slow down the computer, but I think the losing one is computers, not events. I considered terms like performance-stealing or performance-weakening, but I have no idea whether these terms are commonly used or seem natural. Could anyone recommend the term to describe this?


texts:
What is the meaning of "as" in "as written by"?

(I've searched every where like in many dictionaries or Googled it but there isn't the slightest sign on what that "as" exactly means and I thought no definition for "as" was proper in this situation.)

Is " written by" a shortened form of "as written by", like it is always literally "as written by", but sometimes we shorten it in just "written by", what is the difference?
which one is better to use in this sentence?

  my prescription information pamphlets "as written by" my father (or just plain "written by" ... ).


texts: Is it natural to say "put an adverb in between a phrasal verb"?

texts:
When I write the post What types of adverbs could be put between a phrasal verb?, I have difficulty making a choice between the following options.

put an adverb between a phrasal verb
put an adverb in between a phrasal verb

According to "In between" or "between"?, both of them are correct, as words could be considered some kind of physical entities.
The question is which one is more natural?
Is it more natural to use "in" for speaking while less natural to use "in" for writing?


texts: What is the meaning of for new trade barriers to a free market?

texts:
The current strength of the dollar, which is causing so much
  difficulty for some of your industries, creates obvious pressures for
  special cases, for new trade barriers to a free market. I am certain
  that your Administration is right to resist such pressures. To give in
  to them would betray the millions in the developing world, to say
  nothing of the strains on your other trading partners. The developing
  countries need our markets as we need theirs, and we cannot preach
  economic adjustment to them and refuse to practise it at home.

The above text is in Margaret Thatcher's Speech to Congress, I am not very clear about the phrase "for new trade barriers to a free market.” I think this phrase is the same as "for special cases"， which served as the indirect object of "creates". Is that right? However, if so, the meaning seems not clear. What does "The current strength of the dollar creates obvious pressures for new trade barriers to a free market." mean? Does it mean that the strength of the dollar creates pressures for not building new trade barriers to a free market?

I really need your help.


texts: What is the meaning of "they contained of value" in this text?

texts:
The following were the terms of peace to which Jovian consented. First, the five provinces east of the Tigris, which had been ceded to Rome by Narses, the grandfather of Sapor, after his defeat by Galerius, were to be given back to Persia, with their fortifications, their inhabitants, and all that they contained of value.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/16167/16167-h/16167-h.htm


texts: Is "draw something you think it can represent an apple" or "draw something you think that can represent an apple" correct?

texts:
I want to ask my students to draw something on paper.

So I say

Please draw something you think it can represent an apple.
Please draw something you think that can represent an apple.
Please draw something you think can represent an apple.

Which one is correct?


texts:
So we can say

"Do you think (that) he'll come?"

(in other words, we can omit THAT in conversation)

But what about with a sentence like

"Did he deny （that） he went to Thailand?"

Can "that" also be omitted like in the sentence above?


texts:
Are the following three phrases synonymous?

The battery charging ...

Charging the battery ...

The battery charge ...

I will write a academic text. Please help me.


texts:
I see the expression "some of the time" being used quite often. For instance;

"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." - Abraham Lincoln

I wonder if "some of the time" is exactly the same as "sometime" or is there any difference between the two?

Regards,


texts:
I'm studying English, and I have a problem with present perfect. One of the rules of this tense says that "This tense is used to talk about an action that happened in the past but has it's result now" and "A past action that remains in present"

Ok I can understand the second one but the first one that says about the result is pretty wierd, because every past action has it's result no matter what, if it's result that remains now or little bit further.

The main problem with this tense is when I don't have time reference (since,for etc.)

I've found in forums that it can emphasize the present and the past simple can emphasize the past action but that's incorrect.

Of course there can be some context but to give some informations it must be clear to understand. So it's wierd for me that it can be that difficult to understand.

Here are some examples to show what I understand, if you can add something it would be nice.

Tony has done his part of job (he did his job and nowe we can use it)
Tony did his part of job (he did his job, that's all even when now we can use it we just inform that he did his job)
He has stolen my watch !!! Catch him ! (he stole the watch, and he still has it  so the action of stealling is still ongoing)
He stole my watch !!! Catch him (he stole the watch,  maybe he ran away, and he is doing with this watch something else, and now the guy who said that doesn't have the watch now)
I have reinforced the wall (he reinforced the wall, even now)
I reinforced the wall (he informs that he reinforced the wall but who know what is going on now with this reinforce)

I always have this question like. Why ..... why the autor use this tense.

Of course here is the link I've found some information, if somebody is curious where is this "result" topic [14:53 time]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ190KHbgPQ

Thanks for any comment and help.
I'm looking for any advice !


texts: Is this way of rewriting the sentence "This is the first time I've ...." correct?

texts:
If we start with the sentence:

  "This is the first time I've touched a dolphin."

It can be rewritten in these ways.

  1) This is my first time to touch a dolphin.

  2) This is my first time touching a dolphin.

Some textbooks say that sentence 1) is wrong, but I see this kind of sentence a lot in textbooks in my country. Also I don't see sentence 2) very often. I'd like to know if I can use either or both of these two sentences instead of the original sentence.


texts: What does "it" refers to and what does the metaphor mean?

texts:
" For all the EU’s flaws, she does not treat it as a
  punchbag, but rather as a pillar of peace and prosperity."

This sentence is extracted from the economist, and the link is attached below.

I cannot understand whether "it" refers to "all" or "flaws". If it refers to "flaws", why not use “them”. I remember that my teacher told me when there is an "all", whether using a single verb or a plural verb depends on the following word of "all" which, in this case, is "flaws". If it refers to "all", could you please tell my the reason?

Another question is what the meaning of the metaphor of "punchbag" here? Why flaws can be treated as a punchbag? Does it mean Merkel didn't treat the metaphor as a difficulty?

This is the whole paragraph:

  Her personal qualities count for much, too. She has defended Germany’s
  interests without losing sight of Europe’s; she has risked German
  money to save the euro, while keeping sceptical Germans onside; and
  she has earned the respect of her fellow leaders even after bruising
  fights with them. Most impressively (and alone among centre-right
  leaders in Europe), she has done this without pandering to anti-EU and
  anti-immigrant populists. For all the EU’s flaws, she does not treat
  it as a punchbag, but rather as a pillar of peace and prosperity.

The link of the artical is http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21677643-angela-merkel-faces-her-most-serious-political-challenge-yet-europe-needs-her-more


texts: Can the word 'excruciating' be used with positive meaning

texts:
I came across few sentences on the internet which are

He was excruciatingly funny.
He had an excruciating sense of humor.
The seconds ticked by excruciatingly fast.
He typed the letter with excruciatingly fast speed.
Excruciating Beauty

Names of few books

Excruciating bliss
Excruciatingly Perfect Weddings
The Fine and excruciating construction of the world

I am confused if some of the things above are meant as a complement.

I couldn't find any posisitve meanings attached to this word. So could you please explain if this word can be used with positive meaning. For example, in compliments etc


texts:
I came across this sentence on Cambridge Dictionary

  The central office sets the parameters that guide policy at the local level.

The example comes with a translation in a different language, but I got confused by it.

The translation implies that it is the central office that guides policy at the local level instead of the parameters.

I thought "that guide policy at the local level" modifies parameters instead of central office, so it should be the Parameters that do the guiding, not central office .

So,
Is the translation wrong or my understanding of the sentence is incorrect?


texts: Have you ever heard of crash-bang wallop? What does it mean? Found this in my homework text and looks like it's not a translatable one... I've tried finding it but that's just a hopeless try...


texts:
Reading this article, there is a line,

In 2020, when the program launched, many businesses reported being shut out of the first waves of funding when hundreds of billions of dollars were allocated within days and better connected businesses – that had previous relationships with bigger banks – were able to get approved before other businesses had had their applications considered.

whichi, simply I don't understand at all.
Question 1
"for" in replace of "and"?
when hundreds of billions of dollars were allocated within days and better connected businesses – that had previous relationships with bigger banks
Wouldn' this "and" be rather "for"? Meaning, in 2020 this prohram was launched it was small businesses which had had previously good relationship with bigger banks, were subject to the first funding.
Question 2
What does this last line mean?

were able to get approved before other businesses had had their applications considered.

Is this line trying to say same with above?
Thank you for the help in advance(m_m).


texts:
Is it possible to say something like

  The employees were obligated to work in the previous weekend.

I deliberately didn't use have to in the sentence. So, is it?


texts: Is "kindly" correctly used in "I kindly request to apply in your company"

texts:
I kindly request to apply in your company.

Is the usage of "kindly" correct here? I am writing a message to a company I am applying for.


texts:
Does this sentence

  "You do not have experience in every area we are looking for."

mean

"You have experience in some areas, but you lack experience in some other areas. "?

If the sentence is changed to

  "You do not have experience in any area we are looking for."

Does it mean that you are not good at anything?


texts: What does "You lie a piece more uphill and you'll lie more natural" mean in this story?

texts:
'Trees aren't messy.' Una rose on her elbow. 'And what about firewood?
  I don't like coal.'

  'Eh?  You lie a piece more uphill and you'll lie more natural,' said Mr Dudeney, with his provoking deaf smile.  'Now press your face down and smell to the turf.  That's Southdown thyme which makes our Southdown mutton beyond compare, and, my mother told me, 'twill cure anything except broken necks, or hearts.  I forget which.'

  They sniffed, and somehow forgot to lift their cheeks from the soft thymy cushions.

This is from "Rewards and Fairies" "The Knife and Naked Chalk Hill"
http://pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/digi300.pdf

I can't understand the meaning  below
 "You lie a piece more uphill and you'll lie more natural,' "

Does it mean that  she lies unnaturally?

I am glad if  some one kindly teach me.


texts: Is 'Good Luck & Bad Luck' same as 'Lucky and Unlucky'?

texts:
Is 'Good Luck & Bad Luck' same as 'Lucky and Unlucky' example:

I have a very bad luck as i always fall down & i am unlucky as i always fall down?


texts: Rhyme scheme when words are the same and when words don't rhyme at all?

texts:
How do you identify the rhyme scheme between the lines of a poem when they end with the same word? For example:

  I like to think chess is a courteous game,
  I play it with family and friends.
  I like to think chess is a peaceful game,
  Nobody gets hurt when it ends.

Is the rhyme scheme simply ABAB in this case?

And how about the rhyme scheme when the words don't rhyme at all?

  I never distract my opponent,
  I don't want to act like a pest.
  I hope they behave in the very same way,
  So both of us play at our best.

Is it XAXA or ABCB?

Overall, is a rhyme scheme separate for each stanza or the poem on the whole? What are the relevant rules? (Relevant to the question, that is.)


texts: What does "appetite" means when talking about an organization?

texts:
ERM ensures there is a process in place to set objectives and get them aligned to organization’s mission.
This should be consistent with organization’s risk:
- appetite
- tolerance

Does "appetite" means the organization's willing?


texts: Correct placement of "not" next to "to" disambiguating a sentence

texts:
I asked a question on another site and got corrected by someone. Them being NSE and me not, I appreciated the improvement except in one regard - placement of the negation. So I asked about it and as it turns out, they wasn't certain neither and we decided to ask here.

  I'd also prefer to not use a method valid in an older version of PS, although working, if there's a more convenient approach in a later one.

I've been taught that it's incorrect to place not after the infinite marker to, so the original wording was hence like this.

  I'm also concerned not to use a method valid in an older version of PS, although working, if there's a more convenient approach in a later one.

Partially, we're not entirely certain which is correct. Partially, they indicated that the construction might be ambiguous and difficult to interpret, even if it'd be grammatically correct.

Which formulation is correct?
Is the sentence ambiguous?

I believe this answer covers the matter of grammatical correctness and colloquial frequency. Although, it doesn't address the issue of ambiguity.

The indented meaning is intentionally left at the very end to avoid unconsciously influencing the reader. The point was that I prefer to use modern approach. It's possible that the same effect may be reached using different command patterns (one older - widely spread, and one newer - not well known yet but improved in terms of syntax, features etc.). Me being less experienced in the area, can't reliably decide whether it's the case. So, while inclined to using newer methodology, I raise no demand on the modernity, still wishing to mention the preference.


texts:
I am confused about when a complement of a verb is a gerund.
For instance
He is going to school.
here "going" is the complement of verb "is" yet not a gerund
He is playing for Australia.
Here "playing" is a complement of verb "is" and not a gerund.
I don't understand what's different in the two cases


texts: How can I transform to reported speech this: "As soon as it shall have been perfected, we would be pleased to receive it."?

texts:
G. L. Gillespie, “Letter to R. M. Nevin”, Washington, DC, January 24,
1905.
From: War Department, Board of Ordnance & Fortification.
To: Hon. R. M. Nevin, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.
My dear Sir:- ...
It appears from the letter of Messrs. Wilbur and
Orville Wright that their machine has not yet been brought to the
stage of practical operation, but as soon as it shall have been
perfected, this Board would be pleased to receive further
representations from them, in regard to it.
Very respectfully, G. L. Gillespie, Major General, General Staff,
President of the Board.

This is my try for reported speech but I am highly unsure about it:
Major General G. L. Gillespie answered that it appeared from the letter of the Wright brothers that their machine had not yet been brought to the stage of practical operation, but as soon as it would have been
perfected (was perfected, had been perfected), the Board would have been pleased (would be pleased) to receive further representations from them, in regard to it.


texts:
In the Financial Times article titled 'Now it can be told' (old, therefore not behind a paywall), the author and celebrated historian Simon Schama writes:

  J H Plumb, who had been my professor at Cambridge, was its editor and he thought I was the person to finish it. I couldn’t say no, although I remembered the words of the wintry-wise preacher of Ecclesiastes: "My sonne ... of the making of many books there is no end and much studie wearies the flesh."

What does 'wintry-wise' mean?

I thought '-wise' could only be affixed to a noun. Is that not true in general?


texts: Usage of did while describing the subject

texts:
If you're using did followed by a description of the subject, will the verb that follows be in present or past?

For example, should it be

  Did the person you choose have the key?

or

  Did the person you chose have the key?

Second example

  Did the book you pick make sense?

vs

  Did the book you picked make sense?

Third example

  Did the school he goes to

vs

  Did the school he went to


texts:
"The portrait is believed to have been painted by him"

I changed the sentence and made it like this:

"It's believed that he (has painted/painted) the portrait"

I'm not sure which tense I should use because I heard a rule that said with 'that-clause' the verb  has to be in a tense prior to the main verb or something like that I'm not sure can you explain me that?


texts: In spoken, is 'with' droppable in "I won't let you through with this"

texts:
I won't let you through with this.

I've heard the sentence in an American TV show. The scene is in a security check point. A man carried something that was suspected to be a bomb, so the security staff said it.

But to my ear, the guy who said the sentence didn't seem to pronounce the word 'with'. It sounds much like:

  I won't let you through this.

So, I'm wondering if the 'with' is droppable in spoken?

By the way, the man probably spoke the African American English, but I'm not exactly sure.


texts: Is there any phrase to describe the situation when you try to do something but it always fails?

texts:
I would like to ask how  to describe a situation when you always try to do sth but it always fails. You always turn things upside down, is "I am just so in luck" enough?

Edit:
for instance whenever you buy a new car you have car accident , you buy new laptopt it will be damaged quickly .


texts: 'Have you been crying' or 'have you cried'?

texts:
I know that the present perfect suggests that something happened a short time ago, like

  I have just arrived home.

but I read on the Internet that the present perfect continuous refers to the same thing. The example is

  Why is your eyes red? Have you been crying?

So, what's the difference between "Have you been crying?" and "Have you cried?"

Please, if you see any grammatical mistakes, let me know about it.


texts: Is it gramatically correct to say 'She said that she hadn't got any money?

texts:
In MyGrammarLab Elementary A1/A2 by Mark Foley and Diane Hall Pearson 2012 I came across the following example sentence in the unit covering Reported Speech statements: 'I haven't got any money.' - She said she hadn't got any money.

In all the texbooks I have ever read they say that we form the negative past simple of any verb with the auxiliary did for all persons and the particle 'not'. Somehow it is not the case here. And they also teach us that the form of 'to have got' in the past simple tense is 'had' NOT 'had got'. So, my question is: is it grammatically correct (because I am interested whether such a sentence would be penalised at any EFL exam a student might take) to make the above changes or not?

The task of the exersice I am citing here is the following: Complete the reported statements with verbs, pronouns or possessives.

In my opinion it is rather unreasonable to give such a controversial example sentence at such a level bearing in mind that students have been exposed to Reported Speech for the first time.


texts: When you remind someone, what is the best verb for what you are doing with the reminder? Provide it? Give it? Supply it? Something else?

texts:
I would like to put the following sentence in a report sent to a customer of mine:

"We would just briefly like to [dispatch] a reminder about [something]."

I cannot come up with the proper/optimal word for the "[dispatch]" part in this sentence though, so my question is: What is the best word(s) to use in this sentence in place of [dispatch]?

It should be both optimally polite and optimally "correct and normal English".

I can NOT use the word "send", because this sentence covers just one topic out of many in this report (rather than being, say, a dedicated email for the topic in question), so "send" doesn't sound right at all in this context in my opinion.

The following are the closest ones I can think of, but none of them sound quite right to me:

"We would just briefly like to give a reminder about ."

"We would just briefly like to provide a reminder about ."

"We would just briefly like to supply a reminder about ."

What are the other (hopefully better) alternative words?

Clarification:
No matter if other complete rephrasings/reformulations of the entire sentence may be more elegant or good (which I'm sure there are a bunch, and I am thankful to the people who have already pointed this out!), the question is still about which verbs that can be best used together with the noun "reminder", to convey that the reminder is being "delivered". The reason for keeping the question specific to this word is that I could not think of, nor google up, any such word, and it got me curious.


texts: I have a solid / strong foundation / background in this field

texts:
Which sentence sounds better to you:

(A) I have a strong foundation in this field.
(B) I have a solid foundation in this field.
(C) I have a strong background in this field.
(D) I have a solid background in this field.

I need to know which one would be the most common choice of an American?
I know well that these all are used and sound idiomatic for every English native speaker everywhere in the world because I read them all somewhere in some documents written by the natives. In other words, I need to know which combinations are used more; e.g. I need to discover that which one of the words "strong" or "solid" is used with the word "background" or "foundation".


texts: "Eventually, by being unemployed they would not be able to cope with their living expenses."

texts:
Could I say the sentence below?
"Eventually, by being unemployed they would not be able to cope with their living costs"
or should I use "could not" instead of "would not be able to"
Does it make sense at all?


texts: What do you call the fact you were baptized as a Christian?

texts:
I am not sure you can use the word "baptism" like this:

  I celebrated my baptism (the fact I was baptized) every year since I was baptized.

  I used my baptism (the fact I was baptized) to get close to other Christians to convert them to
  other religions.

So what do you call the fact you were baptized as a Christian?


texts: what does "politicians are still politicians, but in Scandinavia they are perhaps more principled"

texts:
politicians are still politicians, but in Scandinavia they are perhaps more principled

What does this mean?


texts: Future meaning: "I'm seeing" vs " I'll see"

texts:
Could you please explain to me why they use the Simple Future "I'll see" in Sentence 8? (in the attached picture).

I answered "I'm seeing" because i thought that "the meeting is set (tomorrow) and they have already planned it". And for arranged actions, we use Present continuous"

Please help me clarify this case. Thank you so much!


texts:
Jane and John had an argument about money.
 Jane's sister Ann heared the quarrel and the family friend gardener came to help their landscaping work.
Gardener : I heard you might be in need of landscaping work.
 Ann: Pretty much always. You can ***settle up with*** Jane or John.
In this context what means of settle up  with Jane or John?
Is it some kind of joke?


texts: Can I use the verb pass with another verb

texts:
Which one of the following sentences grammatically to correct?

  I saw a man who passed in the front of house by running.

  I saw a man who passed running in front of the house.

or I can only use an adverb as in the following.

  I saw man who passed very fast in  front of the house .


texts: Shouldn't it be “…garbage is dumped” instead of “are’?

texts:
Garbage is singular and I don't think quantity has something to do here.

  Woman: Talk dirty to me!
  Man: 14 billion pounds of garbage are dumped into the ocean every year. Most of it is plastic.


texts: what does ""diminishing importance with a decreasing budget""

texts:
For some CIOs, the changing landscape forces
  them to act as a manager of a cost center of
  diminishing importance with a decreasing
  budget, narrowly focused on driving efficiencies
  and reducing costs. For others, it means
  unprecedented opportunity, increased salary, and
  a critical ascent into a more strategic leadership
  position for their organizations. In this eBook,
  we explore these changes and how CIOs can
  leverage their expertise to help their organizations
  succeed in the rapidly evolving landscape.


texts: Same words, arranged differently - is there a difference in meaning?

texts:
I refer specifically to

'Nothing is Impossible' as frequently used

vs

'Impossible is Nothing' a quote by Muhammed Ali - therefore no doubt a boast!

But is there any difference in meaning?


texts:
Could you explain why in bold is necessary to use Past Continuous, not Past Simple. Because of "to get ready" and "to joke" are always processes or why?

Sorry I’m late. My phone rang three times while I was getting ready to go out.

Sorry I’m late. My phone rang three times while I got ready to go out. (Is it not correct?)

When I first told Tom what happened, he didn’t believe me. He thought that I was joking.

When I first told Tom what happened, he didn’t believe me. He thought that I joked. (Is it not correct?)

TIA


texts: How to understand: "felony aggravated indecent assault" in this context?

texts:
The scene outside the court was quite a spectacle, but inside, Cosby was given some relatively good news. While his conviction on three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault had the potential to carry a 30-year sentence — with a maximum of 10 years each — Judge Steven O’Neill said that Cosby will be sentenced for just one count.

As I understand, 'felony' and "aggravated indecent assault" are in apposition. Basically, they describe the same thing('felony', that is, "aggravated indecent assault"). But I'm not quite sure about it because usually we might add commas for appositives.

Have I gotten it wrongly?

The full source.


texts: "How are they different?" vs "How different are they?"

texts:
I wonder in what context would people ask "How are they different?" and "How different are they?" respectively?

Such as asking about American english and British english.

And what are the likely answers to both questions?


texts: Is there anything like I shouldn't say "Good afternoon" in corporate world but instead should use Good Morning and Good Evening only

texts: I was told that the greetings "Good Afternoon" and "Good Night" should not be used while first looking at someone for the day, in a corporate world. Is that true?


texts: Question about “Which vs and it(or he) is”

texts:
I often get confused about which one to choose when I speak English. Please help me.

Ex) The thing that I was talking about is this one which is item number 3.

Ex) the thing that I was talking about is this one, and it is item number 3.

They look all the same to me and so I just use them without distinction. Can you let me know which one is better in which case especially in terms of speaking?


texts: Tense of the past progressive with always

texts:
Hi^^ I'm a student learning English. I learned in a class that either present or past progressive can be used to express a negative reaction to a situation.
The explanations on the lecture note professor gave are written like

The present progressive is often used with always to express a negative reaction to a situation.

  He's always calling me "Sweetie." I hate that name.

The past progressive with always can also be used to criticize actions we feel are annoying, or which we wish to exaggerate.

  At school, he was always getting into trouble.

I confused because the explanation about past progressive shows that we use past progressive to criticize actions we feel(present) are annoying.
Does past progressive with always have the same tense with the present progressive with always?


texts: What is the difference in meaning between "paper review" and "review of paper"?

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning between "paper review" and "review of paper"?

what difference does it make when we add of between two noun?

Example 1: I want to send my paper to someone for a review, in email subject should it be "paper review" or "review of paper"?

Example 2: When I give the name of a particular book to someone, should I say, here is "the name of the book" that I promised, or here is "the book name" that I promised?


texts: Which is grammatically correct, "I'm no Lord Ram" or "I'm not Lord Ram"? Why?

texts: I'm reading "Immortals of Meluha" and while reading I encounter a sentence that was delivered by Shiva, he said "I'm no Lord Ram". What I'm thinking is that he should have said "I'm not Lord Ram". Correct me if I'm wrong.


texts:
I often read books by different authors and each one has their own way of using verbs and the sentence-structures are often very strange. I was just wondering if from the point of view of Modern English grammar both variants of "Then the King came in" are correct:

Then in came the King.
Then came in the King.

I think it's only used in poetic English and is very old-fashioned. I can't say whether or not it is correct English but it sounds amazing.


texts:
I came across this on the Internet:

  Thing is, it doesn't take long for the romantic version of frugality I'd imagined for myself to dissipate.

Why is there no article before "thing"?

Shouldn't it be:

  The thing is...?

Or is this usage OK in oral conversations or informal writing? And if you will, could you please explain in what situations one may omit the article even when grammar requires it? I know news headings do not usually carry articles. Thank you so much.


texts: What is the the difference between floor and tier?

texts: I checked synonyms of floor - ground, storey, tier, deck, mezzanine. Upon checking the meaning of each one I detected that only tier I am not able to use in sentence where the meaning is floor. I know tier as grade. Please advise if you can give me an example of tier as floor.


texts:
Sentence "I am on receiving end of death" it is to mean that I am close to death, it possible any time.

Is this correct, it sounds strange a little.
Can I use after "of" any verb??


texts: Is "at the edge of" natural in the context?

texts:
The cemetery is located at the edge of the city.

Is "at the edge of" natural in this context? Or are there other options that would be more natural?


texts: How is Lenny Kravitz pronuncing this sentence?

texts:
Maybe, this is a strange question. Maybe not the place...

In the song titled "Are you gonna go my way", you can find the same sentence being pronounced too fast for me. I think I know how to pronounce that sentence, but I can not match it to the song. I mean, he speaks something like "either go my way", but that is not what people say he says...

Well, could somebody, please, explain to me how we go from "are you gonna go my way" to something like "either go my way"?

Here a link to youtube, find it at 1:05.

EDIT: I finally got it thanks to both of you and this link. It helped a lot to be able to see his mouth with a careful explanation of the pronunciation. Also, I slowed it down 50% and then back to normal speed. Thanks again!


texts:
I'll bring you to your mother's

  I'll take you to your mother's

I am a bit confuse of these.

Should it bring or take?


texts: What does "hail with obvious relief the appearance of a friend" mean?

texts:
This sentence is from the first chapter of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde:

  No doubt the feat was easy to Mr. Utterson; for he was undemonstrative at the best, and even his friendship seemed to be founded in a similar catholicity of good-nature. It is the mark of a modest man to accept his friendly circle ready-made from the hands of opportunity; and that was the lawyer’s way. His friends were those of his own blood or those whom he had known the longest; his affections, like ivy, were the growth of time, they implied no aptness in the object. Hence, no doubt the bond that united him to Mr. Richard Enfield, his distant kinsman, the well-known man about town. It was a nut to crack for many, what these two could see in each other, or what subject they could find in common. It was reported by those who encountered them in their Sunday walks, that they said nothing, looked singularly dull and would hail with obvious relief the appearance of a friend. For all that, the two men put the greatest store by these excursions, counted them the chief jewel of each week, and not only set aside occasions of pleasure, but even resisted the calls of business, that they might enjoy them uninterrupted.

How do they hail the appearance of a friend if they say nothing? Or am I completely misinterpreting the phrase?


texts: let's give him a big round of applause. (what's the round?)

texts:
We hear a lot people say "Let's give sb a big round of applause."
'round' means around or every round like in a boxing match. It also means not rectangular nor square.
What's the meaning of 'round' in a phrase"a big round of applause"?


texts: What's the meaning of "shield of feathers"?

texts:
The title of chapter 10 of Educated (by Tara Westover) is: shield of feathers.

I could n't find any relationship between the title and the text itself.

Does "shield of feathers" have an idiomatic meaning?

Or it simply means some feathers which attached to a shield, like an Aztec shield of feathers.

The last part of chapter 10 may be significant.

  My own
  memory of Shawn begins in the kitchen, perhaps two months after the
  second accident. I am making corn chowder. The door squeaks and I
  twist at the waist to see who’s come in, then twist back to chop an
  onion.

  “You gonna be a walking Popsicle stick forever?” Shawn says.

  “Nope.”

  “You need a chiropractor,” he says.

  “Mom’ll fix it.”

  “You need
  a chiropractor,” he says again.

  The family eats, then disperses. I
  start the dishes. My hands are in the hot, soapy water when I hear a
  step behind me and feel thick, callused hands wrap around my skull.
  Before I can react, he jerks my head with a swift, savage motion.
  CRACK! It’s so loud, I’m sure my head has come off and he’s holding
  it. My body folds, I collapse. Everything is black but somehow
  spinning. When I open my eyes moments later, his hands are under my
  arms and he’s holding me upright.

  “Might be a while before you can
  stand,” he says. “But when you can, I need to do the other side.”

  I
  was too dizzy, too nauseous, for the effect to be immediate. But
  throughout the evening I observed small changes. I could look at the
  ceiling. I could cock my head to tease Richard. Seated on the couch, I
  could turn to smile at the person next to me. That person was Shawn,
  and I was looking at him but I wasn’t seeing him. I don’t know what I
  saw—what creature I conjured from that violent, compassionate act—but
  I think it was my father, or perhaps my father as I wished he were,
  some longed-for defender, some fanciful champion, one who wouldn’t
  fling me into a storm, and who, if I was hurt, would make me whole.


texts:
I'm looking for idiom like "catch on fast".

How else can you say a quick learner and a short learning curve?


texts:
We generally use the present progressive to talk about personal arrangements and fixed plans, especially when the time and place has been decided. But we use going to structure to express our intentions. So, why do we use the pr. prog. in the following sentence?

  What are we having for dinner?

That has nothing to do with fixed plans or personal arrangements. I think we asking about previous decision, so going to looks better to me. Is it correct?


texts:
In Information Technology, there is a technical word ol in html code,

Why is numbered list written as ol? What does the letter o stand for?


texts: What do "value of a patent" & "the road less traveled" in following context mean?

texts:
I like to be outdoors, pick on people my size, and read books. I'm a patent lawyer, and relatively good-looking for a nerd. I love Ironman triathlons, but usually come in near last in my age group. I can fly a single-engine plane.
I like a man with a big brain (not head) and strong legs. Ideally, someone who understands "the road less traveled," and the value of a patent. If you also happen to have a fast bicycle (not the motorized kind), dabble in swordfighting, or have mastered cartography, then you are my man.

In the second paragraph what does she mean by saying  that she likes a man who understands "the road less traveled" and the value of a patent ?


texts:
Which one is correct?

I can't stand it when I lose things.

I can't stand when I lose things.

I have come across the case when "it" is possible but I still doubt which of the above is correct.


texts:
I came across the following sentence in chapter ten of "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep:

  "They looked shocked, as if not believing that all of this could happen to them. I could not help remembering what fine houses and mansions had once been there, and ..."

I have a problem with "could happen" in this context. I believe it should be "could have happened".

Here is an example sentence that I found in a similar context, and it is from a reliable source: BBC Home:

  "Later in the evening small groups of older folk wandered around not quite believing that this could have happened in their own town.

Here's a related link.


texts:
Source: Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company [1892], judgement of Bowen LJ

  A further argument for the defendants was that this was a nudum pactum - that there was no consideration for the promise — that taking the influenza was only a condition, and that the using the smoke ball was only a condition, and that there was no consideration at all; in fact, that there was no request, express or implied, to use the smoke ball. Now, I will not enter into an elaborate discussion upon the law as to requests in this kind of contracts. I will simply refer to Victors v Davies[8] and Serjeant Manning's note to Fisher v Pyne,[9] which everybody ought to read who wishes to embark in this controversy. The short answer, to abstain from academical discussion, is, it seems to me, that there is here a request to use involved in the offer.

'this controversy' isn't physical, so why in? Should the preposition be on/upon instead?


texts:
When an insect lands on one of them, the leaf snaps shut***,***trapping the creature inside like a prisoner behind bars.
Why does put the comma before trapping?


texts: What is a difference between "Make X smile." and "Make X smiley."?

texts:
My approximate recognition is

Make X smile.

Mr. Yamada who is my friend always says Japanese joke, which makes everybody smile.

A state that X laughs at something.
Make X smiley.

A gift from Santa Claus makes my son smiley.

A state the X is with a smile.

Is my recognition correct?


texts: I'd like to ask is the question "Have you ever been to Africa?" correct? I mean shouldn't we ask "Have you ever been in Africa" instead?


texts: "before increasing" or "before increased"

texts:
which sentence is correct : (I'm writing about a graph)
• Flour consumption had a little drop  in mid 30s before increasing again in 1940
• Flour consumption had a little drop  in mid 30s before increased again in 1940
Also, what if I want to change "again" to "along with ..." ?
• Flour consumption had a little drop  in mid 30s before ________ (increased/increasing) along with cereal consumption in 1940


texts: Tell me about the expression 'shoot something to sunshine'

texts:
shot to sunshine

  worn out, ruined, gone bad

  My privacy's been shot to sunshine, what with all these reporters.

  This carpet's been shot to sunshine.

  (UD)

I couldn't find the expression 'shoot something to sunshine' anywhere except the Urban Dictionary (according to it, it basically means "ruin [a plan etc.]"). Does it mean it's very slangy, rare, or it's not an idiom at all? Where does it even come from (optional question)?


texts:
The background is that the program structures have four kinds: sequential, compositional, conditional, loop. If two programs say both using sequential program structure, then they have the same program structure(s).
May I know which of the following is grammatical?

If program a and program b have the same program structure
If program
a and program b have the same program structures


texts: How to understand the "blessed" of "new things that have yet to be blessed" here?

texts:
The whole context (from Learning OpenCV Computer Vision in C++ with the OpenCV Library (Early Release)):

  Here are the current modules:

  ...

  contrib: This module contains new
  things that have yet to be blessed into the whole of the library.

  legacy: This module contains old things that have yet to be banished
  from the library altogether.

  ...

I can understand the sentence like "God bless you", but how to understand the code is blessed? who blessed the code? and what is the meaning of something blessed into something?


texts: What's the meaning of " you're being G.O. Sixteened."?

texts:
Some of the lines of the American drama Manifest that confused me:

It was said by a Policewoman boss to his subordinate

  Look, you're being G.O. Sixteened. Do you understand? They catch you lying, you get fired. Automatically.

I googled "G.O. Sixteened" couldn't find anything helpful...


texts: What does “to be last in someone's line” mean?

texts:
In a social media post, the following was written:

Dude, where are you?

At the hostel, studying dad
Where are you?

At the beer shop, I'm last in your line.
Buy two beers for me too.

 ok dad

I don't get this meme as I don't understand a part of it, what does being last in someone's line mean?

I didn't manage to find the answer on the internet too


texts: Word to describe something unlawful but immorally benefiting

texts:
Is there any archaic words in english (but still usable nowadays) to describe something which is unlawful and agaisnt the law, but has benefit even though it is wrong.
Heroin is ____, but unworthy of trying.
Corruption is ____, but agaisnt the moral.


texts:
I read from a book that "you and I" replaces "we" in a sentence, while "you and me" replaces "us".
Examples:

The professor wants to see you and me [us].

You and I [we] will go together.

Is this correct?
I was under the notion that "I" and "me" could be used interchangeably.


texts: Proper word to describe fool-style or super easy tool

texts:
In Chinese, there is a word 傻瓜(fool)式(style), usually use as 傻瓜(fool)式(style)安装(installation)包(package) and 傻瓜(fool)式(style)方法(method) .

傻瓜式 usually indicate a super easy procedure, can mean a way/method is so simple that even a fool can complete it easily (such as just click mouse once to complete installation of a software).

Google Translate 傻瓜式安装 to Fool-style installation .But I google fool-style, the results seem not much relevant.

What is the most proper word for 傻瓜式?


texts:
Example (A Russian Soldier Story):

  Mr. Volkov’s photographs that were not deleted are in stark contrast to his previous work, which showcased bruised faces and flying limbs. These photographs are subtle and quiet. The young men, ranging in age from 18 to 27, are solemn, baby-faced, and their expressions oscillate between fright, uncertainty and manufactured bravado that hides their fear.

What does that really mean?


texts: Can the word "More" be used in this context

texts:
We usually say:

  How far is London?

But suppose if I am along the way to London, and very tired.
Can I say:

  How more far is London?

I am not a native speaker.

Thank you.


texts:
Which is correct: "a html game" or "an html game"?
I think that "a html game" is correct, cause "a game" is definitely correct. But "a html" sounds somehow crooked.


texts:
From the Coach Carter movie:

  — That reminds me, Mr. Battle. Mr. Gesek tells me he doesn't see you
  in his classroom very often.

  — Yeah, we cool, though, me and him. Mr. Gesek is a big basketball
  fan.

  — Well, as of now, you're suspended. Oh, you can practice, but you
  can't play until Mr. Gesek tells me you're caught up in his class. And
  that's a shout out to the rest of you.

That was said while the coach was chastising the basketball team for bad academical. I was confused by the phrase shout out. The dictionary tells that it means to speak loudly. But that was said in a very calm way and couch didn't speak loud actually. So what does that mean?


texts: Is "he better get" never grammatical to use in any context?

texts:
He better get used to it.

He'd better get used to it.

Is it never correct to write "he better get" in any context? It should always be "he'd better get"?

Do native speakers ever pronounce the "he'd" or would they just say "he" if they were to say "he'd better get used to it"?


texts: What is the difference between "Image" and "picture"?

texts:
I mean, What kinds of meaning does "image" express, but not "picture"?

Furthermore, what kinds of meaning can "picture" express but not "image"?


texts: Would it be offensive to say "The Ormerod School educates handicapped children from South"? Should I use "Disabled children" instead?


texts:
When someone uses threats to compel someone else to do something, how do you describe it?

Specifically, what preposition should I use, should I use an article in the expression under the threat of death/eviction etc.? It sounds okay to me, I see nothing wrong with it, but Google News results don't seem reassuring.


texts: Difference between 'I got it' and 'you got it'?

texts:
Logically, 'I got it' should mean 'I understand you'. But in many conversations I heard people say you got it and based on the context it seems they want to say 'I understood'.

I am confused when I should say either.


texts:
Consider:

  I checked the car for signs of damage.
  They’re spraying for mosquitoes this weekend.

  -- Entry for check and spray in macmillan respectively

I think the second for means because of. It differs from the first for which means in order to get. Am I right?

Based on this sense of for, I made the following sentences:

  They are watering for the dry season next week.

  They are cleaning the mansion for the ceremony.

  They are blocking the streets for a car accident.

  She got a perfect job for a stroke of luck.

Are they all idiomatic for a native speaker? I presume any notional verb can be used with this sense of "for". It's not reserved for a limited number of verbs. Is it true?


texts: what is the verb for "to make something humorous"?

texts:
Initially I thought "to humor" means "to make something humorous". Per OED and Merriam-Webster, however, I learned that to humor means "to indulge", NOT "to make something humorous".

While "to humorize" does mean to make something humorous, [https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/humorize][1]
OED and Merriam-Webster have not accepted it as a standard English word. Thus, what would be the synonymous verbs for "to humorize" as applicable in the following scenario -

In a group message, someone mistook a particular female member as a man and called her out by addressing her with the title Mr. Another guy tried to "humorize" the situation and replied to the whole group with the following message "why did you call me out to do xyz" ?

Would "to pun" be able to replace "to humorize" in this scenario ?


texts: In case: How to use it correctly in the following sentence?

texts:
1) He was expecting a delivery, so he stayed at home in case it arrived.

In the above sentence, I feel some connectivity is missing between "so he stayed at home" and "in case it arrived" and there should be some words between the 2 double quoted phrases.

  2) He was expecting a delivery, so he stayed at home as it could arrive.

The above sentence is something I prefer to use.

So, I need to know if I'
m wrong in constructing the 2nd sentence. I want some clarity on the 1st sentence as well.


texts:
What does "Very confined” mean in this short news update?

  Shortly after news of the fire broke, Trump, who was in Washington,
  tweeted: “Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built
  building). Firemen (and women) did a great job.


texts: Is it correct to use the verb "delimit" with the preposition "into"?

texts:
I try to understand whether the verb "delimit" can be used with the preposition "into".
Below is an excerpt from my technical guide about naming files.

To delimit words, use underscores, not spaces. To delimit a file name into multiple parts, use one, two, or three hyphens.
shakespeare_william---a_midsummer_nights_dream---1595-1596.pdf

To my ears, it sounds good, but I'm a foreigner, and so I am not really sure that "delimit" can be used in such a way. I see a probability that it should be used in the following way instead:

To delimit words, use underscores, not spaces. To delimit different parts of a file name, use one, two, or three hyphens.
shakespeare_william---a_midsummer_nights_dream---1595-1596.pdf


texts: ON and For, What situations are the best for these words?

texts:
A lot of people swear their lives on it, while others can't stand it.
A lot of people swear their lives for it, while others can't stand it.

What's the difference between on and for in these sentences?


texts:
The following expression seems to be quite common:

without further ado

Despite “ado” is a word with its own meaning I do not hear native speakers use it much separately. Is it the word that is mostly used   only as a part of the phrase?


texts: How to avoid repeating "method A" in this sentence?

texts:
I try to say that the next example explain the idea my new method. However, I just repeat some words which make my sentence hard to follow.

Here is my try:

  To simplify the idea of method A, the following example shows how to build a new model using method A.

I repeat "method A". How can I write my sentence in a good way?

Thanks you so much


texts:
I have been wondering about this:

It's not so much as a problem to us as it is a burden.
It's not so much of a problem  to us as it is a burden.
It's not as much as a problem to us as it is a burden.
It's not as much of a problem to us as it is a burden.
It's not so much a problem to us as it is a burden.
It's not as much a problem to us as it is a burden.

Which are correct and what actual difference is there between the six options?

Edit: Yes, sorry, the first time I pulled the fragments out of context and it does make sense not to do it. Since now with the full sentences I think that all of them are actually correct. The options 1, 2, and 5 are probably old-fashioned and wouldn't likely be used in PDE but does that make make 'wrong'? The "of" part is probably less common then the "no preposition" or the "as" part, right?


texts:
What does "withdraw into" mean  in the following sentence?

  Many depressed people just withdraw into themselves.


texts:
Examples:

  hero, cheer, fear, searing, here, ...

Most dictionaries will cough up /ɪə/ or even short I for this vowel.

Unfortunately I cannot hear such a thing. Instead I hear /i/.

I am a native speaker (North American), and I also asked two other natives on what they hear. They said pretty much the same thing. I also compared that /ɪə/ sound to what I heard from other natives, and what they said either did not match up, or that my ears suck.

Is this an accent or dialect variation? Or that my ears suck at picking it up and replicating it?


texts:
The question is like

  I do my report on/in Word.

  I do xxx on/in Excel.

which is correct? use on or in.

Btw, I often use "I write my code on my computer." is it correct?


texts: Difference between past perfect and past simple with specified time

texts:
The rule of thumb that I know about Perfect is that when you use perfect, it doesn't matter when the action was done but what matters is that it was done - the effect.
So when I'm saying I've done my homework it doesn't matter WHEN I did my homework just the fact that I actually did it.

However, what happens in that case:

I've already done it last week
I already did it last week

In both sentences I mention that  I did it last week. Does it mean that the first sentence isn't correct? Or maybe that I should use the second sentence?