texts: Is "a 30 percent representation of either gender" correct?

texts:
If I'm putting together a work group, where at least 30 percent of the members should be female and at least 30 percent should be male, would it be correct to say

The group should have a 30 percent representation of either gender.

If not, what would be the correct way to say this?


texts:
This would have been a lot easier taking her in the house.

What could be the complete form of this sentence?

Context: A few hired men are going to kidnap a girl from her school so one of them is saying this sentence becaue the school option is not the easy one it is hard but they are going to do it anyway

So what I am asking is that can we reduce the sentence-1 into the sentence-2 ?

Sentence-1 :"This would have been a lot easier if we had taken her in the house."

Sentence-2 :"This would have been a lot easier taking her in the house."


texts: "Last night at 9 PM, I ate dinner" -- Does this sentence mean that it began at 9 or finished at 9?

texts:
This sentence "Last night at 9 PM, I ate dinner" means that the action began at 9 or finished at 9?

Does it mean that I started eating at 9?


texts: "Financial limitation" or "financial capacity"

texts:
Is it correct if I say in this way to express the reason why I can not attend an activity:

  Due to the financial limitation I couldn’t attend this training.


texts: He is honest (9 out of 10). How to construct a phrase in which a person's honesty is scored on a scale?

texts:
I'd like to describe a person that he is a honest person and add how honest he is but couldn't figure out. How can I say this?

  He is honest on the scale of 9 out of 10.

Is this correct? Or is there any shorter form that native speakers say?


texts: What does 'downwind' mean, in relation to humans?

texts:
At around the 24 mins and 15 secs of Season 3, Episode 7, of the TV series Strike Back, Lt Col Philip Locke (portrayed by Robson Greene) says:

  If you do find him, approach from downwind. If he sees you first, you've lost him.

Here, because 'him' refers to another human suspect and 'you' to British Army Major Rachel Dalton (portrayed by Rhona Mitra), http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/downwind doesn't make sense and is out of context. What does it mean then?


texts:
What is the difference between "coalesce" and "merge"?
In my native language, I get a similar translation of these words.
For example:

I coalesce the code

I merge the code


texts: "Forgive me about it" vs "Forgive me for it"

texts:
If I suspected someone and eventually I found that it wasn't right. The I want to sorry and ask him to forgive me. Then what's of the following common in use?

  "Forgive me about it"

or

  "Forgive me for it"


texts: A sentence that uses the past tense of two verbs one after another

texts:
Is the following sentence grammatical? The phrase "appeared formulated" sounds strange to me, as it involves the past tense two times.

Later, the statement appeared formulated with other notions.

Probably, is the following reformulation a better way to say it?

Later, the statement appeared in terms of other notions.


texts:
I've seen doesn't work + on/in/with. Which one is correct?

  This solution doesn't work __ me.
  This USB doesn't work __ my PC.


texts: Is the phrase "Because so" grammatically allowed?

texts:
Gary was a man knowledgeable about basic hygiene. Because so, he was always thorough when washing his hands.

Would the above phrase "because so" be grammatically allowed?

According to the logic in my head, it should be allowed because:

  A). The phrase "And so" and "And thus" are interchangeable. Therefore, "so" and "thus" can have similar meaning.

  B). The phrase "Because of that" and "Because of thus" are interchangeable. Therefore, "that" and "thus" can have similar meaning.

  C). If above A). and B). are true, then "that" and "so" should be interchangeable in the phrase "Because of that", resulting in "Because of so" being grammatically allowed.

  D). Since "Because of so" is, for a lack of a better description, 'wordy' in the mouth especially when phrased as "and because of so", the shorter phrase "because so" should be an acceptable substitute.

At this point, I honestly can't tell if my logic is correct or if I'm doing logical gymnastics, especially when it comes to D). And so, I would really appreciate any help in figuring out if my logic is flawed or not and whether "because so" is or is not grammatically allowed.


texts: What is the business term equivalent to 'wait my turn' or 'wait in a queue'?

texts:
I am looking for a short and effective term to express the behavior of 'waiting for his business'. I would like to use it in business organizational contexts like below:

The administrators often request the engineers for taking a look at a systems glitch but they always end up suffering from the 'waiting for their turn'.


texts: "Generalize on/to/for" in mathematical texts?

texts:
Suppose I have the following piece of mathematical text:

Theorem 1. All natural numbers satisfy ABC.

The following theorem generalizes Theorem 1 to the real numbers:

Theorem 2. All real numbers satisfy ABC.

I'm lost with the preposition "to", I mean, I'm not sure if it's correct in the case or if another one should be used.


texts: A word for someone who pathologically snoops through people's things

texts: Is there a word for someone who doesn't necessarily steal anything but would compulsively snoop through someone's things if left alone, similar to kleptomaniac (someone who would compulsively steal things)?


texts:
However, as long as the learning benefit of the games are clear, adults will enjoy them just as much, with the competitive aspect of a game perhaps adding to their engagement.

In the above sentence, is it correct to say "are clear", to my ear it should be "is clear". Is the subject "(learning) benefit" and as such take is as the form of to be?


texts: How to indicate the activity that a professor is required to do under the rules of the University?

texts:
I'm translating a sentence from Russian:

In summary, if full-time professors or researchers are engaged by Company for consultations, such activities may be either free of any restrictions or require prior university authorization, based on the prescribed activity.

Would this "prescribed activity" mean "the activity that such professors/researchers are prescribed to perform under the rules of their respective universities"? Or would it be confusing for the reader?
I'm looking for a word or a short phrase that may replace prescribed. Maybe "titular"?
P.S. The original Russian sentence:

Подводя итог, можно сказать, что в случае привлечения Компанией для консультаций штатных профессоров или научных сотрудников, такая деятельность может быть свободной от каких-либо ограничений или требовать предварительного разрешения на основании предписанного вида деятельности.


texts: Do I need a comma when using multiple adverbs?

texts:
These are two adverbs used together....actually three.

  They were raised very closely together.

Do I need a comma to separate "together"?

  They were raised very closely, together.

The first sentence just does not sound right to my ear. But I am not a native speaker, so I thought it best to ask. Thank you.


texts:
This is from a lesson at the Englishtown website.

The stove should be positioned so a person using it doesn't have their back facing a doorway.

Why in the above sentence there is "their" instead of "he" or "she"?


texts:
I have a dobt that which one is correct

  he is in the chair

  he is on the chair

Which one is right and why?


texts:
What's the difference between the two sentences?

  The singer has a nice voice.
  The singer had a nice voice.


texts: What is the word when someone go beyond the limit of a mobile phone subscription

texts:
I was looking for a way to call the fact when someone for instance call too much or use too much data and go beyond the limit, we can say:

  "He did a ......"

But I'm looking for this particular word, wich mean the user will pay more than the montly fee.

edit: the context is: Someone call a foreign country but without a international mobile phone subscription


texts: The second “that” could be removed from the clause?

texts:
there:

I have a sentence. I'd like to know the second "that" could be removed?

The accident resulted from an outside sudden cause that the driver had no control and (that) occured without any warning signals, thus the accident was inevitable.

This sentence comes from two separate sentences. The first is: The accident resulted from an outside sudden cause that the driver had no control. The second is: The cause occurred without any warning signals.

I combined the two sentences together, but I am not sure whether the second "that" should be removed or not? I am often confused by this problem; anybody can give me a general rule?

Thanks!


texts: "In countries where X" or "In countries which X"?

texts:
I am preparing for IELTS using the following book, "CAMBRIDGE Action Plan for IELTS". On page 75 of the text, there is a sentence

  "In countries where water seems to be readily available, people may, at first, be reluctant to reduce their water consumption".

My question is why the relative pronoun where, not which is used in the sentence.

I thought the relative pronoun should be which because in the sentence there is "in" at the beginning of it and, as far as I know, the relative pronoun where is equal to in/at/on which.


texts:
What does David Mitchell say here?

I hear

  To remind me why a lot of other people don't watch mikes television.

Did a horse break David Mitchell's selfie stick? - Would I Lie To You: Series 11 Episode 5 - BBC One (YouTube)


texts: What does "no more Dutch" mean? "No more words"?

texts:
"Red Dead: Redemption"

  No more Dutch, and no more you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zvPMrrps6o

12:15 / 11:40:13


texts: Do I use "I" or "We" when I am in a group of otherwise unconnected people?

texts:
Is it correct to say "I landed at the airport," instead of "We landed at the airport"?

There are many people on a plane, and unless you're a pilot and the only one on a plane, then isn't it more appropriate to say "we landed"?


texts: Can an adjective be used in a plural form

texts:
As we know, an adjective modifies a noun and sometimes a noun also modifies a noun and works as an adjective. But my question is, can an adjective or a noun be used in a plural form to modify a noun in English. I have asked this as I read it on a news website.

  On the news website:

  "These women will also look for younger men. And then you start seeing
  men in the streets fighting."

  As per my opinion it should have been used:

  "These women will also look for younger men. And then you start seeing
  men in the street fighting."


texts:
I wonder whether "relieved when she.." can be written as "relieved as she..." without affecting the meaning. It seems not but I can't tell why.
==================

A 54-year-old woman presented with palpitations that were relieved when she passed gas or had a bowel movement. Computed tomography revealed the presence of the transverse colon within the pericardial cavity.

Source: NEJM


texts:
I read this sentence and I am curious what subject is on 'After' clause.

The infamous Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft

I understand like this.

A group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts was claimed to be possessed by the devil.
The infamous Salem witch trials accused a group of young girls of witchcraft.

I can't understand this sentence. Who is she to be possessed by the devil, and Who accused several local women of witchcraft?


texts: Which is correct, "three only apples" or "only three apples"?

texts:
I wonder which one is correct:

  three only apples
  only three apples

If "only three apples" is correct, which does "only" modify? Does it modify "three"  or "three apples"? Why?


texts: does this sentence "chase the iphone version made me exhausted" make any sense?

texts:
This is from my thought:

  iphone keeps releasing new versions every year. In order to be cool, I
  want to use the latest version. However, change the new iphone every
  year made me exhausted.

So is it ok to say "change the iphone version made me exhausted"?


texts:
Is there a synonym for checked?

I am writing about the implementation process of my app and I would like to know whether there is a synonym for the word checked that I can use in other sentences.

  Next, the value of the flag variable is checked to know when the system has to delete the related data from the database.


texts:
Let's say you and your siblings haven't watched a film for ages, due to your different busy working lives. And you say:

  As I remember, the last time we did it was when we were still in college, about 10 years ago, we haven't done it again since we landed our own different jobs, as our work schedules are hectic.

Are the bold letters correctly phrased?

The bold letters make me a bit unsure due to the "again" before "since"...
Also, the "our own different jobs" thing. --grammar books don't teach these.


texts:
The sentence below is an example for the word sheeple offered by BBC Learning English:

  My brother's one of those sheeple who has to follow the latest fashions.

I suppose who refers to one so it is followed by a singular verb (has). Yet I've been taught that relative pronouns must come right after antecedents so why doesn't who refer to sheeple? Then it would become:

  My brother's one of those sheeple who have to follow the latest fashions.

Is the second sentence correct? If so, what's the difference between the two? Are there any rules that relative pronouns must stand right after antecedents?


texts: How to express "to draw or write messily" idiomatically?

texts:
My kid "drew or wrote messily" on the paper (look at the picture)

  all over the place (British English also all over the shop) (US
  English also all over the lot) (informal)

  1-everywhere

  New restaurants are appearing all over the place.

  2-not neat or tidy; not well organized

  Your calculations are all over the place (= completely wrong).

I am thinking about "to write or draw all over the place", but not sure if it is idiomatic.


texts: “Neither... and neither” VS. “Neither.... nor”?

texts:
Ted talks: 1:18-19

When I was watching Ted Talks, I came across the sentence been used by the the speaker.

  Neither can I, and neither can you,

Well,  in normal usage, I would have expected her to say:

  Neither can I, nor can you,

What is the reason behind this?


texts:
Is this sentence grammatically correct?

  It might be breeding resentment to give irrelevant answers to the questions by your boss while you both are taking part in such an important convention, next week.


texts: Should I say "He had been crying in 'this' / 'those' time?"

texts:
When I'm talking about the past time that in the past there was someone that he had been crying, what is the right way to express it in the words "in this time" (in the past)?

Is it better to "In those time" because this time we don't see / it's far away from us. Or it doesn't matter whether using of "in this time" or "in those time" in our issue.


texts:
What is the difference between "cost for" and "cost"?

For example:

  1) Building a sophisticated website costs $100 for me.

  2) Building a sophistacated website costs me $100.

Put another way, what is the difference between:

  How much does it cost for you?

and:

  How much does it cost you?


texts: "Do you mind me asking" vs. "Do you mind my asking"?

texts:
A: "I read your annual sales report, but it's missing some information.

B: "Oh, I didn't realize that. Do you mind my/me asking what exactly I missed?"

Should the correct response be "Do you mind my asking what exactly I missed?" or, "Do you mind me asking what exactly I missed?"

Which one is correct and why?


texts: Plural for words borrowed directly from Russian

texts:
In Russian most plurals are formed by adding the “-i” sound to the end of the word. Since English has a tradition of borrowing the plural forms from other languages, I wonder whether it can be used with Russian.

For example, there is a Russuan dish “пельмени” (pel'meni) which usually is used in the plural form (because the dish usually consists of several pieces), but the singular for it is “пельмень” (pel'men'). I wonder if it would be correct in English to use the words “pelmen” for singular and “pelmeni” for plural? Or should I use “pelmens”? Or maybe “pelmeni” should stand for singular and “pelmenis” for plural?

A similar question applies to other Russian words; for example, the “strelets” is a Russian shooter from the 16th century. How would you pluralize it in English?


texts: Past perfect to emphasize the completed actions

texts:
Now some people say that this sort of story has to have a happy ending, and insist that a hunter happened  to be passing at that very moment (as they often do in fairy stories), and being a quick-witted sort of chap,had opened up the wolf and had rescued both the unfortunate victims before you could say 'Jack Robinson'.

http://random-idea-english.blogspot.fr/2011/05/narrative-tenses-practice.html

I was wondering if past simple would fit opened up and rescued  because past perfect only emphasize that both actions were fully finished or completed  but before also indicates this (that both action were completed)
Am I right?


texts:
Are word "humankind" and "well-off" formal or not?
Can I use, for instance, in academic writing so:

Humankind has all possibilities to make all people well-off

And are there any web sites when I can check either some words are formal or not?
(Sometimes "Cambridge Dictionary" provides this information, but not in any cases.)


texts: How to use "make" and/or "make for" in this sense?

texts:
Which of the following sentences are grammatically correct? Which ones are formal, idiomatic and proper to use in writing an essay?

What makes for a good job?
What makes a good job?
What does make a good job?
What does make for a good job?


texts:
Can I use "such as" and "like" interchangeably in my sentence and do you use "have" or "celebrate" when you talk about celebrations?

"My country has many public holidays such as/like New Year, Christmas, Men's Day, and Woman's Day, etc".

"We have or celebrate Woman's Day."

"1st May is a holiday or a day off."

"9th May is a Victory Day."

"People have holidays in May."

"I mean public holidays."


texts: Chances of Being killed vs chances to be killed vs chances of killing

texts:
Here are four sentences with different sentence structures:

  what are the chances of being killed by a falling tree?

  what are the chances to be killed by a falling tree?

  what are the chances of killing by a falling tree?

  what are the chances of dying in a war ?

Are all these sentences grammatically correct and their meanings are the same ?

OR,

  What is the risk of being killed in a war?

  what is the risk to be killed in a war ?

  what is the risk of killing in a war?

  Is there a risk to be killed in a war ?

Are these four sentences grammatically correct and their meanings are same ?


texts: Please explain the meaning of below sentece

texts:
His death has deprived our country of true seer.

Here I did't understand what is "of true seer".


texts: May I use "belong" with "is / was" in active sentences?

texts:
I am confused of uses of belong in sentences. I know belong is intransitive verb so it should not be used in passive sentence.

But still I can see it is used with "is" and "was" like below examples a)
Can we use "Belong" to tell status of something like below examples?

Examples

a) This property is/was belongs/belong to us

b) This property belongs/belong to us

c) This property has/had belonged to us

Please help me to understand correct use of belong in English sentences


texts:
I want to tell someone that I have a feeling that started as of the beginning of February and I still have it, so which one is correct and why.

  I was having this feeling from/since the very first day of February

  I have been having this feeling from/since the very first day of February


texts:
I think these sentences are most idiomatic in the sense that these show the specified time sequence by using past perfect.

Until you called me, I had been studying for about 3 hours.

Before you called me, I'd visited a store and bought some foods

But how about these?

Until you called me, I was studying for about 3 hours.

Before you called me, I visited a store and bought some foods

I remember seeing this kind of sentences before so I think these are also possible.
Q. In this situation can we use whichever we want to? which one would you prefer to use?


texts: Is an expression like "How long does this letter take to arrive at London" unnatural?

texts:
(Excuse for my broken English) I am a Japanese student studying English.

The other day, my classmate was asked to translate the below Japanese sentence into English by the teacher:

  この手紙がロンドンに着くまで、どのくらい時間がかかりますか？

The teacher showed the answer like this:

  How long does it take a letter to reach London?

But my classmate had translated it into this:

  How long does this letter take to arrive at London?

Is this sentence #3 unnatural?

No one who was in the class can answer whether this sentence is natural or unnatural. If this sentence is unnatural, what is it that makes it unnatural?


texts: "His job is a teacher" Looking for a correct way to express this thought

texts:
His job is a teacher.

Is this expression appropriate? If not, how I could express this?


texts: Appropriate verbs to describe future goals

texts:
When I want to describe my future goals such as short-term and long-term goals, which verb would be the most appropriate verb? TO BE or WOULD?

1- My short-term goal after graduation would be to relaunch my current business.

2- My short-term goal after graduation is to relaunch my current business.

3- My short-term goal after graduation will be to relaunch my current business.


texts: What's the difference between 'bluffing', 'bragging' and 'showing off'

texts:
I think 'bragging' and 'showing off' are the same. But is 'bluffing' also the same thing? And if 'bragging' and 'showing off' have the same meaning, which one is more commonly used?

Here's the explanations(the similar ones).

Bluff, pretend that your position is stronger than it really is.

e.p. His bluff succeeded in getting him accepted.

Brag, to talk too proudly about what you have done, what you own etc.

e.p. Ben's always bragging about his success with women.

show off,  display proudly, act ostentatiously or pretentiously

So when you say someone is showing off/bragging/bluffing, does it means he's actually telling the truth but just too proudly, or he's just telling lies only to make other people admire him?

And which one is more common?


texts: "My aunt is coming to tea tomorrow." (idiom "to come to tea"?)

texts:
My mother has decided to make a cake today since my aunt is coming to tea tomorrow.

Source: my English grammar book.

Google gives little results involving the given expression "to come to tea".

Is it some kind of an idiom (I understand the meaning, so don't explain it)?

Or is it just something that follows a particular grammar rule?

It really does look unusual when it is looked at from the grammar point of view (no one just "goes directly to tea"; they "go somewhere for tea" instead, i.e. they "go somewhere to get some tea").

So how could you explain the grammar of this? As I said in my last paragraph, the grammar looks unusual, and I want to understand the grammar aspects of this.

I've posted the question “My aunt is coming to dinner tomorrow” (grammar of 'to dinner') on EL&U because I would like to have an answer that show some sources that explain the grammar of this sort of phrase.


texts: What is the right meaning of this sentence? ( I have ever made this.)

texts:
In our country, we learned that present perfect means past experience at school.
But I saw native speaker say that right meaning of present perfect is unspecified past.
When we saw the sentence like:

  I have ever made this.

how can I  accept the meaning of the sentence?
'I have the experience of making this.' or 'I made this but I don't know the exact time'?


texts: What are the transcripts at 0:27, 0:44, 0:54 of this BuzzFeed Video "Things Everybody Does But Doesn't Talk About ft. President Obama"?

texts:
What are the transcripts at 0:27, 0:44, 0:54 of this BuzzFeed Video "Things Everybody Does But Doesn't Talk About ft. President Obama" (https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1631492713658271&permPage=1)?

What I get are:
1.Prum??
2.Like any other Wednesday.
3.The ??? you can get health insurance for less than a hundred dollars a month.

And at 1:28 the man says "6 left in the game, down by 1", does he mean "the game only left 6 seconds, and his team still lagged behind one point"?

Many thanks


texts: How to pronounce P, T and K after an "s" in certain words?

texts:
I have been taught that the pronunciation the letters after /s/ should be changed.
e.g.

school:  ch reads /g/ (as in grow)
stay:    t reads /d/ (as in day)

But I'm not sure these words:

describe:  the c after des, /k/ or /g/?
discrete:  the c after dis, /k/ or /g/?
system:    the t after sys, /t/ or /d/?
execute:   the c after  exe, /k/ or /g/?

Which is the correct pronunciation, and when shall I change, when not?

UPDATE:
Matt asked me why not get them in dictionary, but the changed pronunciation won't present in dictionary. See:

stay    /stei/, it's t, not d
school  /sku:l/, it's k, not g


texts:
Twelve steeds unmatch’d in fleetness and in force,
And still victorious in the dusty course;
(Rich were the man whose ample stores exceed
The prizes purchased by their winged speed;)

Extract from Pope's translation of the Iliad.
Have I correctly identified the bold verb as a subjunctive?


texts: "feint toward" or "feint to", "to" vs "toward"

texts:
Consider:

They were duped by Allies feint to the south leaving the way open for Normandy invasion.
They were duped by Allies feint toward the south leaving the way open for Normandy invasion.

I have two questions:

Which one of them is correct?

(I searched in Google. Both of "feint toward" and "feint to" are common.)

If both of the sentences are correct, in general, are the prepositions "toward" and "to" interchangeable?


texts:
Situation is: a Brazilian woman come to a American young lady.

B: I've come, like you say, Jack Alden.

A: Jack Alden? Oh, you mean John Alden?

B: That's the fellow. I have a message for you. An invitation from a charming young man.

It's from a movie. There's no character called Alden in it. I feel it's some kind of idiom, but Google gives me absolutely no clue what "I've come John Alden" could mean.


texts:
Why Does a Strawberry Have Seeds On the Outside?

Can we omit the preposition "on the" in the sentence above?
Is it necessarily?


texts: This 'that' is a relative pronoun or a pronoun?

texts:
I want to know if 'that' of 'that identified with ~' is a relative pronoun or a pronoun in the next sentence. And the exact meaning of 'identify with', too.

....The problem was that the part involved was that identified with "musical skill."...


texts: My eye hurts me. Is it natural to your ears?

texts:
She says that her eye hurts her.

My eye hurts me.

Does it make sense? Is it natural to your ears?


texts:
Is "synchronize X with someone" idiomatic? I am not sure how idiomatic it is, because this phrase is not seen often, but I feel it might be possibly correct, because semantically it seems to be correct.

For example:

  You were trying to synchronize your jumps with your wife during the
  race.

Saying wife's instead of wife looks weird. Am I wrong to say that?


texts: present continuous or going to in that case

texts:
I made an order through the net to reserve a record then in the comment place I wrote "I m not going to cancel this order  as I  did last time with the previous one" would it be possible to write" I am not cancelling it as I  did last time with the previous one".

Which form is the best in this case ?

I think the going to is better but as I am hundred per cent sure of not cancelling but  it is not an arrangment so


texts:
Spirit Animal Meanings: Fox, Owl, Wolf, Bear and Hawk

In this picture with the words "A gentlemen is simply a patient wolf.", I can't decide what the animal "wolf" refers. I also found a link mentioned above.
Can I follow it? Let me know your points of views.
Thanks in advance.


texts: Does this sentence convey the idea and sound natural?

texts:
I am translating a text, and I am struggling with this sentence. Does it sound natural and convey the idea?

'You can drive up to one meter close to the tables'

---> with the meaning that you can drive so close to the tables that there is one meter distance between the car and the tables.


texts: My lady, Your honour, Your grace, how to decide whether to use "my" or "your"?

texts:
After watching some period dramas and courtroom dramas, I'm really confused of whether to use "my" or "your" when speak to someone with respect.

Are there some rules for these statements or are these just fixed patterns?


texts:
I have made up two sentences below.

  Jack came back at 3pm before I did.
  Tom came back before I did at 7pm.

In (1), I mean, Jack came back at 3pm. I came back after him.
In (2), I mean, Tom came back first. Then, I came back at 7pm.

Is it OK to have a specific time modifier used with "before" in (1) and (2)?


texts: Why is adverb "why" used in this sentence "It's why I love you"?

texts: I've read on YouTube "It's why I love you" What was the reason adverb "why" was used after "it's"?


texts: Climate Change May Be Causing **Smaller** American Birds

texts:
This is the name of the article:

  "Study: Climate Change May Be Causing Smaller American Birds."

What means: Climate change could reduce the size of American birds. I can not understand why comparative adjective Smaller means - reduce the size of.
Is it question of grammar or style or collocation "Causing Smaller"


texts:
In a dictionary

  overseas (adv): to or in a foreign country, especially those separated from your country by the sea or ocean

  to live/work/go overseas

  The product is sold both at home and overseas.

  He was working overseas for an oil company.

There is no sea between Norway & Sweden.

So, Could we say "I went overseas when I went from Norway to Sweden"?

or "go abroad & go overseas" are almost the the same & it doesn't matter whether we have to fly over a sea or not?


texts: What is the meaning of "T-up opportunity"?

texts:
I come across the following words in a mail:

......
Sorry for late reply which partially due to interviews for a potential T-up opportunity.
......

What is the meaning of T-up opportunity here? I can't find explanations from google.


texts:
Would you please kindly tell me about what the words in bold do mean?

  ... he argued May's Brexit plans amounted to "a suicide vest around the British constitution".

  Baker, who quit in July over Chequers,  said at least ...

  Boris has to make a decision - I think he's sort of made it.  He is either a journalist or a(?) he's a politician.

from the Guardian.

Many thanks in advance.


texts:
After developing an idea and expressing the reasons for that, I want to make an example for it. I want to use the "An example can drive this notion home" before the example. Is this expression right and formal? Am I using it in a right way?

Some developments... . An example can drive this notion home. ... the example ... .


texts: I got a stomach flu or I got the stomach flu or I got stomach flu?

texts:
When I googled stomach flu, there were many questions and statements like

  How do you get the stomach flu?

Or

  Difference between a stomach flu and food poisoning

Or

  Six facts about stomach flu

When do you use the, a or nothing? And which should I use for a sentence like "I got a stomach flu from someone" ?


texts: Is it correct and natural to say "think the same about something" in the sense of having the same opinion on somethin as on something?

texts:
Let's say someone asks this question.

  What do you think of this phone?

And I want to say that I have the same opinion on that phone as I have on the other phones. Can I say the following?

  I think the same about that phone as I think about the other phones.

If it doesn't sound natural, what would native English speakers say?


texts: What's the opposite of "out loud"? I mean, "out loud" as in "singing out loud", what's the opposite of that? Like instead of singing for real, you do it in your head? What's the best way to say it? I am trying to find a better way to say "Sing inside your head".


texts:
Can I talk about my mother if somebody requests me to describe a relative who I am like? I wonder if a relative refers to my aunt, uncle or cousin, or it's just a member in my family such as my mom, dad, etc.

I've looked this word in Cambridge Dictionary and it says

  a member of your family


texts: Grammaticality: 'neither "but" nor "yet" make apt conjunction'

texts:
[Source:] It's also worth noting that the corrected version doesn't use but, but but then. The then is a key word that makes the sentence sensible; it indicates when Joey realized his wallet was at home – after they had reached the head of the line. Without that word, neither but nor yet make apt conjunction.

1. The correlative conjunction 'neither ... nor' is singular, and but and yet here are singular subjects, so should make be makeS?

2. apt conjunction as the predicate looks wrong, but I can't pinpoint why. Should this be an apt conjunction or apt conjunctionS ? Why or why not?


texts: "(many fewer/a lot of fewer/little fewer/much fewer) people than usual"

texts:
There are (many fewer/a lot of fewer/little fewer/much fewer) people than usual in the street.

How do I know the difference between them?


texts: Past and present participles grammar rules

texts:
Do past and present participles
always have to have an auxiliary
verb?


texts:
In the sentence "I expect his end is likely to come at the hands of his own people", I cannot understand what the author tries to say. I have a serious problem with the below expression:

  ... to come at the hands of  ...

Would you please tell me what it means?


texts: Word Usage: But... None/Nevertheless vs None/Nevertheless itself?

texts:
I'm in doubt because I don't know what's the difference between "But...None/nevertheless" and just the Nonetheless/Nevertheless itself.

Example:

  He is busy.Nevertheless, he still calls me.

That is an example I've found on the internet. But what would the difference be if I used the expression "but nevertheless" instead?

  He's always busy. But nevertheless, he still calls me.

What are the difference between these 2 sentences? And, what are the differences between "but never/nonetheless" and just those adverbs itself?


texts: "I can wait until when you have time." Does this sound weird?

texts:
"I can wait until when you have time."

I mean I can wait for you, until whenever you have time for me. Is that the right way to say it?


texts:
My life is spent in accordance with capitalist doctrine.
  My life is being spent in accordance with capitalist doctrine.

Are there any differences between the sentences above? If there are, could you please explain them to me? Thanks in advance.


texts:
How do I say pressing something by foot in simple (spoken) English.

eg:

Press someone else leg by foot
Press a piece of paper by foot
Press a banana by foot so that you will slip.

EDIT

to make more clear..

above is some situation which I need to speak out. for eg. how to say "if you press banana by foot, your will slip" ? How would I say it correctly?


texts: Is 'aerial view/map/painting' the right term for a map/painting drawn/painted from a bird's-eye view?

texts:
It was an aerial view of the city.
It was an aerial map of the city.
It was an aerial painting of the city.

Any other ways to say this?


texts:
Mechanical rock-cutting systems are certainly nothing new to us.
  Mechanical rock-cutting systems are certainly nothing new for us

Which preposition is proper?
Are there other alternatives?


texts: I haven’t slept or I haven’t been sleeping for two days

texts:
I’m just wondering what is the difference between the following two sentences:

  I haven’t slept for two days.

and

  I haven’t been sleeping for two days.

The context is about someone regrets about a mistake he has made.


texts: What is 'as' and its meaning in this sentence?

texts:
As I live with three dogs, I am very happy to let my dogs run around and safely play with other dogs from the neighborhood.

As what meaning can I interpret the word "as" here?


texts:
This is a rewriting question :

If his solicitor hadn't advised him, he wouldn't have made a serious mistake.

-> Had it not been for the advice of his solicitor.

Please explain the grammar and the answer above. I just don't understand anything.


texts: Could some help analyze the structure of this sentence "Sleet is *rain and snow mixed together*"?

texts:
Consider this sentence

  Sleet is rain and snow mixed together.

I guess it is in the form of

subject + be (predicate) + object

I cannot understand the object part, namely, rain and snow mixed together.

Could some help analyze the structure of it?


texts:
Hello there~ I have a question and I am confused about it. So, help please~
Here is the question:

  (1)"I want to travel around so that I can write where I will go and what I will do in my blog."

  (2)"I want to travel around so that I can write where I went and what I did in my blog."

Are they correct?? I used different tenses in these two sentences. Which one is correct?

and how about this one:

  (1)"I want to do an internship so that I can write what I'll do through the experience on my resume."

  (2)"I want to do an internship so that I can write what I did through the experience on my resume."

The question: Which one is correct?

and this one:

  (1)"He is going to write a book next year, and he will give me the book which he will write."

  (2)"He is going to write a book next year, and he will give me the book which he wrote."

which one is correct?

When it comes this case(seeing things from the future), how to use the tense in clauses correctly??
And, if you guys can explain how to use the tense in these kinds of sentences, it will be great!

From my point of view, I think those sentences labeled as (1) sound more correct to me, but I am not sure about it.

Below, I explain how I think of English tenses. Could you tell me whether my thought is correct??

  I think the tenses of English language are all relative to the present (the moment i speak).
  That means things we want to talk about need to be compared with the present in order to know which tense we should use. Dispite the fact that past perfect can be relative to the past, it is also relative to the present,if not, it would be just past tense(if our datum mark is the time in the past). Um~ I mean because datum mark is the present(the moment i speak), past perfect can be used as past perfect. It is a little hard to explain my thought, but i believe you guys can get my idea.


texts:
When I was in trouble he borrowed me money.
  When I was in trouble he lent me money.

What is the difference between them?
Which one is correct?


texts: The form of 'subject' in indirect speech

texts:
Look at these examples below:

"Let me come in", He said.

If we change it in the indirect speech which of the options is correct and why?

  a) He requested that he might be allowed to come in.

  b) He requested that I might be allowed to come in.

My doubt is what to choose as the subject (he/ I) for this type sentence?

Additionally, correct me if I am wrong in case of imperative sentence , when we receive word based on 'objective case' in direct speech we change that with that form only in indirect sentence, like

He said, " Let us go there "

He suggested that we should go there.

And if this rule is correct then it should be 'I' in the mentioned question. Isn't it?


texts: Is "school" a preposition in "The School day never goes too slowly"?

texts: Is School a preposition in this sentence?: The School day never goes too slowly. If it is not what part of speech is it?


texts:
In the following sentence (from the book A Force More Powerful by Peter Ackerman and Jack Duvall, page 31):

  They also killed a few officials whom the gravediggers would not bury as part of the boycott.

Does this sentence mean the following?

  They also killed a few officials whom the gravediggers never buried as part of the boycott.


texts:
In the pilot episode of Breaking Bad, in one scene one character (Hank) says that:

  Glock 22, that's my daily carry okay? I mean, unless you're talking, what, plus P plus loads, you can forget the nine mil, alright?

I couldn't quiet understand what he's saying. "What" is a conjugative word here but I don't get what place it does put "plus p plus loads" in.


texts: What is the difference between saying "what is it that..." and "Whatever..."

texts:
What is it that makes people happy?
Whatever makes people happy?

Do these two sentences both mean the same thing?

Are both sentences correct grammatically?


texts: "Congress" vs "the Congress": Is the definite article needed before "Congress"?

texts:
Both "the Congress" and "Congress" appear in Google searches. Which one of the sentences below is correct/ more common? Why?

  The president really had poor relations with Congress.

or

  The president really had poor relations with the Congress.


texts:
What is the appropriate word for "to fart" regarding babies?

As "to fart" is declared as impolite in the most dictionaries there needs to be another word for it regarding babies? Like "pupsen" vs. "furzen" in German.


texts:
In case of uncountables, the large amount expressed by much like in

  much water, much money, much sand

can be increased by prepending very like in

  very much water, very much money, very much sand

But in case of countables, the large amount expressed by many like in

  many trees, many people, many children

can not be increased by prepending very? So, the following is wrong?

  very many trees, very many people, very many children

Is there a comprehensible explanation for this difference?

And what is/are the correct expression(s) to increase many?


texts: Am I using the semicolon correctly here or should a period be more appropriate?

texts:
In this sentence, can I use a semicolon, or is a period more appropriate?

  When she was a child, she wanted to be an explorer; now she can't even leave her own house.


texts: What are you doing/going-to-do this evening?

texts:
In Grammar and Vocabulary for First Certificate (Prodromou, 2005), Chapter 2 covers "the future", "be going to", "present continuous", and "present simple". I put three of the End-Of-Chapter questions below with the corresponding back-of-the-book answers.  My concern is with Question #1 only. (I wrote #2 and #3 for context.)

  Put the verb in brackets into the most suitable form of the future.

  "What ________ you __________ this evening?" (do) 'Nothing.' [Answer: are ... doing]
  "Well, _______ we ___________ to that new pizzeria?" (go) [Answer: shall ... go]
  In 2004 the Olympic Games _________ in Athens. (take place) [Answer: will take place]

For Question #1, the only answer in the back-of-the-book answer is the present continuous: "What are you doing this evening?"  This has effectively ruled-out the possibility of using 'be going to' to complete the sentence. In other words, I think what he is saying is that "What are you going to do this evening?" is incorrect.

Do you think he is right?


texts: Is there an expression like "to use [something] in full"?

texts:
Here is the context:

  I got Schengen visa to attend a meetup in Berlin this Saturday. It's a multi-entrance visa that expires April 24th. Figured I have to use it in full. What IT conferences in Europe would you advise to visit in the nearest future?

I.e. the meaning is that I'm going to use the visa as much as possible. Does it sound OK? Or there is no such expression? How would you say the same?


texts:
What does reader mean here? I simply can't find a proper meaning for this anywhere in dictionaries.

  There was something about Jerry's face that worried me. As if I had seen him before, but not very lately, or in a newspaper photo.
  ...
  "I've seen him somewhere. Maybe on a reader."

From Raymond Chandler's "The man who liked dogs" (1936)


texts:
This is the phrase I have:

Direct speech: The world laughed when I told what I had seen.

Indirect Speech: He said that the world had laughed when he (had) told what he had seen.

The question regarding the reported speech is, do I have to use "told" or "had told"?


texts:
Inspired by this question of mine and that @BenKovitz suggested that I should ask a new question, I attempt to do so. Here goes:

  The Persian Wikipedia (Persian: ویکی‌پدیا، دانشنامهٔ آزاد Vikipedia, Daneshnameye Azad / "Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia") is the Persian language version of Wikipedia, spelled Vikipedia. The Persian version of Wikipedia was started in December 2003. It passed 1,000 articles on December 16, 2004 and 200,000 articles on July 10, 2012.The article about Persian wikipedia

"Spelled vikipedia"? I'm a native Persian speaker and I can tell you that we don't even write "vikipedia", since we've got our own alphabet. We pronounce it that way: The w is pronounced \v\ instead of \w\ , and that must have been the point wikipedia wanted to make. This would've been very very idiotic if it was a mistake. So, it seems that there might have been another sense for "spell" than what I believed.

Could "spell" mean "pronounce" or something similar in any ways?


texts: What does the phrase "arranging the coloured triangles of floating three-dimensional geometric figures" mean here?

texts:
Please help me understand the meaning of the phrase "coloured triangles of floating three-dimensional geometric figures" in the following sentence (not available online):

In the game, your task involves arranging the coloured triangles of floating three-dimensional geometric figures in order to match the completed design shown at the top of the screen.

The sentence is from the description of the game TRIZ. You can watch the gameplay here.

Does the phrase mean that triangles are made of geometric figures?

Thank you for your time.


texts: My dad and Share a birthday. Can I say “It’s my and my dad’s birthday?”

texts: An investigation for my and my dad’s birthday party


texts: The Poor Farmer or A Poor Farmer? What fits best?

texts:
[The] well salaried workaholic who is never home to strengthen the relationship with his wife and kids is likely to be less happier than [the] poor farmer in Thailand who spends half his day tending to his fields and the other half with his family.

The use of the definite article here doesn't refer to one specific person in both cases. Is that true that the reason to use the definite article here is to refer to this specific kind of person in general? Like this: The lion is a great animal
Not one specific well salaried workaholic and not one specific poor farmer but the whole class of these people in general, right? And using an indefinite article wouldn't change much.


texts: Error correction: should it be "farmers" or "farming"?

texts:
This is from an exam question:

  The main problem concerning farming is that the income earned by farmers is not adequate to meet their consumption needs.

Is the farming used here correct? Concerning means worrying, causing anxiety so isn't it better to use farmers instead of farming?

Also can the consumption be omitted from the sentence?


texts:
I'm asking on behalf of a friend who's learning English.

Consider the following sentences:

A: "Isn't anyone coming to class?" and
B: "Is not anyone coming to class"

A sounds correct and natural to me but B sounds very unnatural, perhaps even invalid. Do others agree?

If this is the case why is it so? "Isn't" is merely the contracted form of "Is not" after all.

Similarly,
"Won't anyone come to class?" sounds correct but "Will not anyone come to class?" sounds wrong.

Thank you.


texts: "Whatever you say" and "Whatever you may say"

texts:
I would like to ask a question on the usage of "whatever you may say".

Let's suppose I would like to say something like:

"Whatever you may say, I cannot stop now."

I would like to convey the meaning that regardless of what you might say, I cannot stop now.

In this case, which expression of following three is grammatical?

  "Whatever you say,"
  "Whatever you may say"
  "Whatever you might(would) say"


texts:
I stumbled onto this word in commentaries in some of Onegin and Nabokov's works. I can't find any definition of it in any dictionary.

  This "sustained" comparison between music and champagne, with its disparaging closule,
  does not really differ much from the "suspended" one between cham- pagne and  "this and that,"

-- Onegin

  And finally, the lovely closule:

  Had it lived long it would have been
  Lilies without, roses within

  contains in our lady's French not only a solecism but also that kind of illegal run-on which a translator is guilty of, when passing a stop sign:

  Il aurait été, s'il eut longtemps
  Vécu, lys dehors, roses dedans.

  -- Nabokov's Pale Fire.

Sources :

http://www.24grammata.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Nabokov-Pale-Fire-24grammata.com_.pdf Page 143

https://books.google.ru/books?id=l00OTAOKbesC&pg=RA1-PA298&lpg=RA1-PA298&dq=This+%22sustained%22+comparison+between+music+and+champagne,+with+its+disparaging+closule&source=bl&ots=BB2BwcTh95&sig=mk8k3yRjGmovO0w-GBh8DTsuft0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi_p5iy543UAhVGEiwKHZAYBj4Q6AEIMDAB#v=onepage&q=closule&f=false

Page 298


texts: In the (7) blank the answer is " Deliver " but can we use " Send " instead?


texts: How Understand "A stage usually referred to as runtime"?

texts:
I know A stage is subject, but my question:

What is the predicate? as or refer?

What is the object? Maybe runtime?

Edit:

I paste whole sentence here:

  Code written using the .NET Framework is managed when it is executed
  (a stage usually referred to as runtime).


texts:
can the above structure be used for anything apart from "there's nothing to fear about death"?

I started with this structure, and then noticed I couldn't fit an animal into it:

There's nothing to fear of/about/in/from [dogs/whales/etc]

it doesn't sound quite right.

Should I just fall back on "you shouldn't be afraid of..." or are there any other better suggestions?

thx


texts: How to refer to multiple actions using a gerund?

texts:
If I check something 3 times, how may I refer to them using a gerund?
Are these sentences ok?

  a. All 3 checkings found some problems.
  b. All 3 checking found some problems.

And how about other verbs like eating, walking, or beating?
Can we say eatings, walkings, or beatings?

Are there any rules when we can put "s" to a gerund and when we cannot?


texts: Can i use present tense with past tense sentences?

texts:
(a) What made me sad is that he didn't say anything.

(b) What made me sad was that he didn't say anything.

In this sentence, are both (a) and (b) possible for the main verb position?
Or is only (b) permitted ?
If both are possible, how are they different in meaning?


texts: Which one is correct between 'I have interest in which is' and 'I have interest which is'?

texts:
I not sure about the following sentence whether correct or not.

  "I have interest in which is a developing your plan."

Also what if I remove the 'in' from above sentence, Is that also correct as the same meaning?


texts:
I have known that grammatically it is impossible to omit Subject Relative Pronouns.

By the way, in the following sentence (Intelligence sources indicate a rogue organization is undermining XCOM field operations=Intelligence sources indicate a rogue organization that is undermining XCOM field operations), I saw that people said that the sentence with omitting the Subject Relative Pronoun is a right sentence. (Source: "That" seems to be omitted.)

  Intelligence sources indicate a rogue organization is undermining
  XCOM field operations. Some activity is happening right now that is
  undermining field operations. Intelligence sources indicate a rogue
  organization that is undermining XCOM field operations. The rogue
  organization's purpose is undermining operations, but we aren't really
  commenting necessarily on any current activity.

If so, Is it possible to omit the Subject Relative Pronouns in some cases?

If so, does "harmful insects indicate a rogue insect is undermining trees" mean "harmful insects indicate a rogue insect that is undermining trees" ?


texts:
"Hassan speaks Cantonese, not Mandarin."

I don't know how "not Mandarin." is working here.

Is it a parenthetical element? I think ellipsis may occur after comma, but I am not sure. Are there any ellipsis? If no ellipsis occurs here, please tell me how to understand where ellipsis occurs.

I think that this types of words can work for different purpose, depending upon different factors. But I am not sure. If my this statement is true, kindly explain different situations.

Thanks to all.


texts: Present Continuous or Future Simple for future?

texts:
What is the difference between sentences

"How are you getting home after party tomorrow?"

and

"How will you get home after party tomorrow?".

Can we use here future simple? or not? Why? In the book  the first sentence is correct . but i can't understand why. Please, help


texts: I was thinking, if you are/were interested, you could

texts:
I was thinking, if you are / were interested, you could come over to dinner tomorrow.

Could someone please tell me if are and were are both natural here?


texts: Perturbed/disconcerted - meaning and usage

texts:
The presence of the apparition disconcerted/pertrubed me.
Disconcerted/perturbed by all that is happening around them, they choose leave the town.
They feel disconcerted/perturbed by loss the of their friend.
Do these words mean the same thing?
If either of the two words was used in these three sentences, would the sentences be grammatically correct? And do we use the word feel with either perturbed and disconcerted like in the last sentence?


texts:
Consider the sentence below.

  We shouldn't say that we dislike things that we haven't lived.

The way it was pronounced, it sounded more as follows, though.

  We shouldn't say... that we dislike things... that we haven't lived.

Am I correct to see an ambiguity here?

One interpretation would be that things which we have not experienced and lived through are not a subject that we should pass an opinion of in regard to how we appreciate those.

The second is that we should not mention disapproving views nor speak of things that we have not been through ourselves.

Since it was difficult to distinguish the spoken pause, I'm not able to provide more input other than there was a hang time (since I noticed it) but it wasn't very obvious (since I have to ask here).

edit (due to comments)

The second interpretation might be denoted as follows.

  We shouldn't say: that "we dislike things", that "we haven't lived".


texts: meaning of the preposition "over" in context

texts:
Here is the piece:

  A correct squat perfectly balances all the forces around the knees and the hips, using these muscles in exactly the way the skeletal biomechanics are designed for them to be used, over their full range of motion.


texts: schwa sound /mən/ sounds like /mæn/ in some dialects?

texts:
Most of the dictionaries online pronounce the word fireman the way I expected, but one of them's American pronunciation sounds like /ˈfaɪə(r)mæn/ even though the IPA is still /ˈfaɪə(r)mən/.

Is possible that it's a peculiarity in some American dialects?


texts: What is the difference between 'should' and 'if'?

texts:
Should you be lucky to invite the Seoul,
  If you are lucky to invite the Seoul,

What is the difference between the two sentences in meaning?
And what is the reason we change the order from 'you should' into 'should you'?


texts: Is ‘five for ten’ the same as ‘five out of ten’?

texts:
I’ve heard the phrase 5 for 10 several times in a tv show in contexts where I would have used 5 out of 10 (of course different numbers work as well).
I searched for it but found not a single page mentioning such a usage of the word “for”.
So my question is, is that a common used expression and if so, does it have the exact same meaning as 5 out of 10?


texts:
why is for not used in this sentence :

The number of persons jobless (for) 15 to 26 weeks declined by 188,000 to 1.2 million


texts: Past continuous vs Present Perfect Continuous vs Past Simple

texts:
Past continuous tells us about an action in progress in the particular time of the past, right? And Present Perfect Continuous - about actions that started in the past, continued some time and still happening now/or it's just stopped. We usually use it with also particular time.But, something is not clear for me. For example:
There are two friends talking, and one asks:
- You don't look very well. Bad sleeping?
The other says:
- Oh, I didn't sleep at all,  I was dreaming all night long.
Isn't the last one more present perfect continuous? Because we have the result ( the friend doesn't look good) and duration ( dreaming as a process, all night long)

Also, this one:
In 1994 he was working in a small town in Poland.
It' s more like a fact, isn't it? Should it be in the past simple?


texts: How to dissect/parse 'no sooner X than Y'?

texts:
I ask not about the meaning, but about its derivation:

  no sooner F than S {phrases} =   [Please check my additions of F and S
  1. Used to convey that the second event S mentioned happens immediately after the first F:

Please explain how soon (on the same ODO page) effects/implies/induces the above meaning?

  soon {adverb} = 2. Used to indicate one’s preference in a particular matter:

My guess: 3. 'I sooner breakfasted than lunched' => 4. I breakfasted before lunching.
Does 4 already mean 1? So why must 'no' precede 'sooner'?
What would happen if I omitted no?


texts: Complicated sentence in “To Kill a Mockingbird”: Meaning of "lest", and is "might" omitted?

texts:
I have another question about the complicated sentence in To Kill a Mockingbird. The complicated sentence is in the paragraph below.

  Being Southerners, it was a source of shame to some members of the family that we had no recorded ancestors on either side of the Battle of Hastings. All we had was Simon Finch, a fur-trapping apothecary from Cornwall whose piety was exceeded only by his stinginess. In England, Simon was irritated by the persecution of those who called themselves Methodists at the hands of their more liberal brethren, and as Simon called himself a Methodist, he worked his way across the Atlantic to Philadelphia, thence to Jamaica, thence to Mobile, and up the Saint Stephens. Mindful of John Wesley’s strictures on the use of many words in buying and selling, Simon made a pile practicing medicine, but in this pursuit he was unhappy lest he be tempted into doing what he knew was not for the glory of God, as the putting on of gold and costly apparel. So Simon, having forgotten his teacher’s dictum on the possession of human chattels, bought three slaves and with their aid established a homestead on the banks of the Alabama River some forty miles above Saint Stephens. He returned to Saint Stephens only once, to find a wife, and with her established a line that ran high to daughters. Simon lived to an impressive age and died rich.

(The complicated sentence is "Mindful of John Wesley’s strictures on the use of many words in buying and selling, Simon made a pile practicing medicine, but in this pursuit he was unhappy lest he be tempted into doing what he knew was not for the glory of God, as the putting on of gold and costly apparel".)

Does the word lest mean "in order to make sure that something will not happen" in the sentence "but in this pursuit he was unhappy lest he be tempted into doing what he knew was not for the glory of God, as the putting on of gold and costly apparel"?

Is the word might omitted in the sentence "lest he be tempted into doing what he knew was not for the glory of God"?


texts: Putin's vice like grip -- what does "vice" mean here?

texts:
Example with a context (Putin's Holy War And The Disintegration Of The 'Russian World'):

  The issue is not so much church governance, but a desire for greater political autonomy from the Kremlin in light of Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, a fact that both Belarussian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who is trying to distance himself from Putin’s vice like grip, and Vladimir Putin, both understand well.

I'm not sure how to interpret that part.


texts:
At 5:42 of the following video

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/rambunctious-devoted-meet-philadelphia-eagles-fans-52810084

What is the reporter saying?
Is she saying like "do you think cold-wall(?) something at all(?)"?


texts:
What do you recommend me to choose between these two?

I believe they are both correct but I want to make sure and also to know which of them is more often used.

  I have a pain in my leg (or shoulder, eye, ear, etc) when I walk (move my hand, blink, listen to music).

or

  My leg hurts when I walk.

(This one sounds a bit strange for me, because I think it makes some actions and kicks somebody when I walk...)

Thanks a lot!


texts:
When "could" is used as a modal meaning "possibility in the past", what does its negative form, i.e. "couldn't have done", mean? Is it means something is impossible or something is possibly not true?

For example, " I couldn't have been more than six years old when the accident happened."
Does it mean "When the accident happened, it was impossible that I was less than six years old " or "When the accident happened, it was possibly that I was less than six years old"?


texts:
Soon, I worked my thumb into the middle to create a mouth, shaping the
  sides up in a curve.

Is the 'up' the part of a phrasal verb or an adverb?


texts:
Regardless of the direction the entrepreneur decides to take the business in, it's important to note, it's not a permanent decision.
Can someone explain this? I find it odd to see one part of the sentence ends with  preposition. ( bold )
I think it's grammatically correct, but when to use it?


texts:
I want to express there are two things with unique characteristics. I know it's an oxymoron, so I'll be glad if you suggest me a better formulation. I would express it either like:

  a) Christianity, Islam and Buddhism are three of the few religions
  which draw from the older religions.

  b) Christianity, Islam and Buddhism are ones of the few religions
  which draw from the older religions.

  c) Christianity, Islam and Buddhism are some of the few religions
  which draw from the older religions.

The sentences are just examples that popped in my mind.


texts:
I think, serving only “in-restaurant” food is a great idea.
My restaurant would only be offering foods in the restaurant.

Are these two sentences grammatically correct?
Is "in-restaurant" a valid phrasal verb?


texts: What does "how is that!" mean in this context?

texts:
In the 1995 comedy musical movie "Cannibal! The Musical", there is a song called "That's All I'm Askin' For!". Part of the song goes like this:

  It ain't a lot to ask.
  I'm sure we'll get it fast.
  A friend of mine was mining and he made a lot of cash.
  He made a gazillion dollars, how is that!
  That's all I'm askin' for!

Emphasis mine.

Full lyrics: https://www.allmusicals.com/lyrics/cannibal/thatsallimaskingfor.htm

Video clip of the part I quoted: https://youtu.be/xkmHnswr0yk?t=98

I have two theories:

It could mean that he's using "how is that!" as a "question", as in "How is that, huh? Pretty large amount of money, isn't it?!" to basically brag and encourage the others to go along with the journey.
It could also mean that he's saying "how is that!" as in "how did he make a gazillion dollars, huh? We can, too!". That is, he is using the "fact" that his friend made a "gazillion" dollars as a reason for them to also make that amount.

Maybe I didn't describe the two different meanings too well, but there's at least a slight difference between them.

So which one is it? A lot of expressions like this are very ambiguous to me as a non-native English speaker.


texts: How do you say "which each" or "who each"?

texts:
I speak in Persian, sometimes as I translate a sentence from my native language to English, I doubt if its structure is correct.

I want to say (for example)

"I have some children who each have a responsibility".

"There are some objects which each does something"..

Are they grammatical sentences? what should I say instead?


texts: Using word "clip" to refer to a short video

texts:
For some reason Russians often insist on using English word "clip" to refer to a "short video", especially a "music video" on TV. I know that what Russians would call a "clip" is actually called "music video" by English native speakers. And I know that to "clip" is a verb rather than a noun. Does anybody use word "clip" to refer to some video or piece of video in English?

My Russian colleagues try to convince me that we should call videos "clips" on our site because that's how people would search them on Google.


texts: Why use "as tall as" rather than "such a tall person that"?

texts:
She told herself that she could actually become as tall as she wanted.

Why use " as tall as" rather than " such a tall person that"?


texts:
If a toy can help you learn French, does it have a French-teaching function, a French-learning function, a French-teaching facility, or a French-learning facility?

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: Confusion about is/are in the subordinate clause

texts:
Which of the following sentences is/are correct?

  Is it just me or you guys too who are getting the notifications from WWE?

  Is it just me or you guys too who is getting the notifications from WWE?

  Is it just me or you guys too getting the notifications from WWE?


texts:
Two questions about this sentence

  Only now could he see what a terrible decision he had made.

The inversion should happen in the main clause and not in the adverbial clause, isn't it?

The combination of 'could' (past) and now (strict present) is very confusing. Is it common? Is it correct?


texts: When I want to say someone passed away because of a certain reason (cancer, accidents etc), which one would sound more natural between "pass away from" and "pass away of"?


texts: "I hope he tells" vs. "I hope he will tell"

texts:
I saw these two phrase and I was wondering which one is correct?

  I hope he tells me the truth
  I hope he will tell me the truth


texts: What is the meaning of "[to] butterfly "?

texts:
What is the meaning of "[to] butterfly <something>"?
This quote is from the first post of a thread on an alternate history forum:

  If Jesus was never born, this would obviously butterfly Christianity, which may in turn butterfly Islam as well. Judaism would still be the dominant religion in the MidEast, but they would only have to contend with Roman paganism

By reading the context, it seems like "to butterfly" means "to not let happen".


texts:
Which of the following questions is/are correct?

Who on the picture do you think doesn't have children?
Who on the picture do you know?
Who do you know on the picture?
Who on the picture do you know who doesn't like cats?
Who do you know on the picture who doesn't like cats?

Here is a sentence: "I know that this man on the picture doesn't like cats."
Somebody wants to know what I know. What somebody's question would be?
Maybe "who on the picture do you know to not like cats?" ?


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

texts:
The Parsonses's flat was bigger than Winston's (...). Everything had a battered, trampled-on look, as though the place had just been visited by some large violent animal. Games impedimenta - hockey sticks, boxing gloves (...) - lay all over the floor (...).

If "impedimenta" are things that impede, then "games impedimenta" are things that impede to play games, right? But this logic doesn't seem to be working here.

PS Shouldn't there be a comma after "large" in "large violent animal"?


texts: Confusion present perfect and simple past

texts:
I have an argument with my girlfriend about this sentence :

"I have not drunk enough water today"

But I would rather say :

"I have not drank enough water today"

What do you think? We're struggling with a grammar book and can't find the answer


texts: Idiosyncracy is the way I've always spelt this, but 'idiosyncrasy' appears to be all but ubiquitous. Is this a UK-USA difference, or is the -cracy ending really incorrect?


texts:
Definition 11 for "from" in this dictionary has this example:

  They were weak from hunger.

Does that mean that I could write:

They were strong from good nutrition.

?


texts:
I came across the following sentence in a workbook:

  There was a possibility of ... (he) going to England.

The book says the answer is his, not him.

Would him be grammatically incorrect? If so, why?


texts:
This is a statement about Switzerland that I have read somewhere in this site:

  Not all countries are as small and as filled with impassable mountains. A seaborne assault on Switzerland is quite difficult.

I searched dictionaries for assault and found it is one synonym of attack, but not as general as attack is:

The Free Dictionary:

  A violent physical or verbal attack.

  2.

  a. A military attack, such as one launched against a fortified area or place.

  b. The concluding stage of an attack in which close combat occurs with the enemy.

  3.
  law:

  a. An unlawful threat or attempt to do bodily injury to another.

  b. The act or an instance of unlawfully threatening or attempting to injure another.

  4.

  a. Law Sexual assault.

  b. The crime of rape.

Is assault the the most natural choice for this context? If not, why not, and which word would native readers of English prefer instead?


texts: What does "on the Y" modify in a sentence like "He saw the X on the Y"

texts:
He see a fly on his leg.
He saw a lady on the crosswalk.
He saw the lady on the crosswalk.

In #1, 'on his leg' modifies 'a fly'? Am I right? Can 'on his leg' modify 'see'?
What about #2? Does 'on the crosswalk' modify 'a lady'? Or does 'on the crosswalk' modify the verb saw? What is the difference between these two sentences? What is the difference between #2 and #3? Does #2 mean there may be more than two ladies and he saw one lady? Does #3 mean that there was only one lady on the street?


texts: What if an abbreviation is formed of different letters, not the first letters

texts:
I have encountered a very confusing abbreviation form.

ex) an electrical vehicle charging apparatus (EVSE).

I've searched on Google and have found out that the EVSE stands for "electrical vehicle supply equipment." But, in the material I have, the EVSE appeared as an abbreviated form for "electrical vehicle charging apparatus."

I think that maybe the writer used the EVSE for the charging apparatus because the EVSE has a similar function as the charging apparatus.

However, I still think that using EVSE for the charging apparatus is wrong because every first letter should be used to make an abbreviation form and the EVSE in the context I have does not use the first letters of "
electrical vehicle charging apparatus" (in my opinion, I think it should be "EVCA.")

To sum up, is it okay to write "electrical vehicle charging apparatus (EVSE)" when the EVSE is an abbreviation form of the electrical vehicle supply equipment?

Grammatical answer would be really grateful. Have a nice day.


texts: can I use the phrase On the house in any place?

texts: Am I only allowed to use the phrase on the house in a bar or Can I use it in any other place? like if I' m working in a grocery store, and a old customer comes in and buy a bunch of stuffs , and I want to give him/her something for free, can I use the phrase on the house?


texts:
I read a sentence in a book. In the sentence, 'you' and 'is' have been used together. Can I rewrite it with 'are'?

  The real you is inside of you.


texts:
I'm substituting for her while she's on holiday.

  I'm substituting for her while she's on a holiday.

Are these sentences both correct?
Are there any differences?

To me, both are the exactly the same....

I would like to know the difference of "on holiday" vs "on a holiday". If you add "a" in front of "holiday", does it make any difference?


texts: Why is this sentence in the past tense but includes a 'for'?

texts:
I have this sentence:

  Samantha lived in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she
  was living there when the Berlin Wall came down.

I think because there is "for more than two years" in the sentence it should be: "Samantha has lived".

Why is this sentence used in the simple past?


texts:
This really looks bad.

vs.

  This surely looks bad.

What is the difference between the adverbs surely and really?

Don’t they both lay emphasis on certainity?

Also:

  You surely do know how to make me happy.

vs.

  You really do know how to make me happy.

Here, why does the use of word surely sound a bit unnatural?


texts:
However, high data volume and multiple data sets with poor linkages continued to frustrate their efforts to identify key issues drivers.

Is it acceptable to use two plurals side by side?


texts: If it is "it wasn't me" then is it "it wasn't us"?

texts:
I've many times heard this phrase:

  It wasn't me

Here the case of me is accusative.  In that case should we say

  It wasn't us

if the agent is plural?


texts:
Is it OK not to use a verb after "no matter" like in sentences 2 and 3?

1) No matter how hard your life is you need to go on.

2) No matter how hard your life you need to go on.

3) You need to go on no matter how hard your life

4) You need to go on no matter how hard your life is.

I know that using "no matter" without a verb is possible, for example,

No matter the outcome I will do it.

No matter the weather we will go there.

But it's not clear for me whether it's possible only in some set-phrases like "no matter weather" or it is possible also in sentences like sentences 2 and 3.


texts:
The sentence I want to talk about is:

  "I watched them playing with my basketball"

Don't these kind of sentences have two meanings? Doesn't this sentence mean either

"I watched them while they were playing with my basketball"

or

"I watched them while I was playing with my basketball"?

To not cause any ambiguity, I would say "I watched them play basketball" to mean "I watched them while they were playing basketball", and I would use "I watched them playing with my basketball" to mean
"I watched them while I was playing with my basketball"


texts:
I still remember to have met you in shimla last year

Vs

  I still remember meeting you in shimla last year

what is the difference in meaning of these two sentences


texts: What does sympathetic mean in this context?

texts:
"This paper is alive with sympathetic insight into Shakespeare"

I don't quite understand what sympathetic is supposed to mean in this context. I had initially thought it meant 'favorable' but that seems a little off as I interpret true insight to be objective. I settled on interpreting sympathetic to be similar to 'sensitive' or 'nuanced' but I wasn't ultimately sure.

Thanks!


texts: Which adjectives can be used to say to people they dressed nicely in a formal way?

texts:
Which adjectives can be used to say to someone, like a colleague, lecturer or boss, in a formal or semi-formal way without sounding flirty, that they are dressed nicely? I am looking for a simple compliment.

I think there are some adjectives that can be used both for men and women, but there are some also that only can be used for men or women.

These are some adjectives I know in this sense but I don't know how informal/formal they are or whether they're appropriate for both men and women: Smart (mostly UK), decent, dapper, chic.


texts:
He must have called the police.

OR

  He must have called police.

I think we use the first one when we know about a specific group of police officers which we have called and the second one, when, we talk about any police group which we don't specifically know.

Am I correct?


texts:
I get a little confused with which verb tense to use after "Thought" is anyone able to help me.
I thought you had been at home.
I thought you were at home.
I thought you've been to Portugal.
I thought you had been to Portugal.


texts:
I've just heard a native English speaker saying this:

  "North.5"

which means:

  0.5

I mean seriously?! What kind of number is that? I may have misheard him but in mathematics, I've never heard of this one before, so it must be regional. Please clarify.


texts:
Everything that leaves the pass has my name on it, so I’m always making sure my staff stay on their toes and perform at the top of their ability.

It's a quote from Gordon Ramsay (https://www.scribd.com/doc/8166720/Gordon-Ramsay), and what does "leave the pass" mean here? Does it mean just "pass"?

Additionally, what does "stay on their toe" mean? Does it mean to "stay sharp"?


texts: How should I parse "I was going to wait until ..."?

texts:
I found myself parse this sentence differently on different occasions,

(a) (I was going to wait) until (we had finished eating), but my thoughts burst from my mouth: ...
(b) I was going to (wait until we had finished eating), but my thoughts burst from my mouth: ...

Knowing that "be going to" could be used for future events, as if it were a tense (is it really a tense?), I think I should parse it as in (a). However, sometimes glancing through it quickly made me parse it as in (b), which in my opinion is a rather logical way to parse.
Perhaps my parsing as in (b) might be influenced from a similar construct, such as:

(c) Her parents had asked her (not to have a boyfriend until she finished the fourth year) and she was still in the third.

Parsing it either way results in a similar meaning, but I wonder.
Should I stick with (a) or (b), or both alternatives are equally acceptable?


texts: I suspect in someone or I suspect someone (without in)?

texts:
What is the right way to say that I suspect (in) someone?

question: "Who took it from here?"

1) I suspect in Jon.

b) I suspect Jon.


texts: Should I use past tense of the verb in the following sentence?

texts: I thought my personality would change when I reached/ reach the age of twenty.


texts: Third person singular 's' in question formation

texts:
A co-worker of mine took an ELL test for her job and she had to compose a question.
She wrote:

  "Does she plays?"

I know that in a statement rather than a question, the third person singular subject is in effect necessitating the 's' on the end of play.

But what is the rule in questions that makes the 's' not needed? I don't know how to explain why we don't do this in a question.


texts: How do English-speaking kids loudly request something?

texts:
Yesterday, I was teaching my daughter English. She didn't want to study. She just spoke loudly, and said, in Chinese:

  "I strongly demand an ice cream stick!"

I told her, if she could say this sentence in English I would buy one for her, but even I couldn't compose this sentence in English.

So, how do English kids speak of that?

(I'm not sure what these are called in English.)


texts: what’s the difference between the two terminologies ‘concept’ and ‘prototype’ in the semantic sense?

texts:
Both terms, concept and prototype occur in semantic texts roughly in the sense a mental object denoted by a word. There should be some difference in definition between the two. Could anyone tell?

I read the following in an elementary text in semantics:

  The concepts that we use as word-senses are defined in terms of clear, typical, central, cases (called prototypes), but their boundaries are left unclear.

Yet the relation between the two terminologies concept and prototype still appears very unclear to me.

p.s. My question is about technical sense, precisely in the sense of semantics, not that in everyday language.


texts: If you are trying to tell someone on an email about the fact that you are sending them too many emails, do you say "Lots of" Email or "A lot of" Emails?


texts: Confused between past simple and past continious

texts:
The situation is that I am talking to some friends about an event that happened earlier:

  When I was packing my clothes my dog was watching me.

  When I was packing my clothes my dog watched me.

  When I was packing my clothes my dog sat down and watched me.

  When I was packing my clothes my dog sat down and was watching me.

Which of these sentences are correct please? I know when to use the continious tense in simple sentences, but when there is broader background I get confused.


texts: "How do you know what to say yes to" strange construction

texts:
"How do you know what to say yes to"

What is this strange little phrase? I know what it means but how to understand it grammatically?


texts:
They made their wishes watching the sunrise.
They made their wishes watching sunrise.

Which one is correct? Do we have to put 'the' before 'sunrise' or not?


texts: meaning of "Japan is about as far as you could get from Roseburg, Oregon"

texts:
What is the meaning of the following sentence?

  Japan is about as far as you could get from Roseburg, Oregon, the farm town where she was born.


texts: "I'd rather she were..." or "I'd rather she be..."?

texts:
In the 21st episode of the 8th episode of The Office Ryan said the following.

Ryan: Maybe we weren’t right together, but… it’s weird. I’d rather she be alone than with somebody. Is that love?

I'd rather she be alone is that standard grammar? Shouldn't it be I'd rather she were we alone


texts: Meaning of "no less than" in a specific sentence

texts:
For the monument to Newton’s pebble-collecting child is no less than
  the modern world.

This sentence is extracted from the Economist.
I googled and found that A is no less than B means A and B are both in a high importance or they are both in a high quantity. And usually A can compare with B because they are in a same or a similar catalog.

However, in this sentence, I don't see the monument is a similar thing with the modern world. And I found it is meaningless if this sentence means that the monument and the modern world is in a same importance to Newton's pebble-collecting. Given the context, I thought that it means the whole modern world is one of the most important monument of Newton’s pebble-collecting child. Am I correct? If so, how to understand the meaning of no less than?

The whole paragragh is

  Does it all matter, a cynic might ask? Will humans really be better
  off for knowing such things? The answer, written on the tomb, in St
  Paul’s Cathedral, of Newton’s contemporary, Sir Christopher Wren, is:
  “If you seek his monument, look around you.” For the monument to
  Newton’s pebble-collecting child is no less than the modern world.

This is the link of the article.


texts:
“You know what I like about people?” he asks, staring into the camera. “They stack so well.” He’s been reading newspaper coverage of the carnage he’s created.
-- www.hollywoodreporter.com

Does he really mean people physically stack so well in a photo or something else?


texts:
If you compared two objects that have a few commonalities but are essentially incomparable, would you call the comparison a false equivalence or a false equivalency? Like would you say comparing apples to oranges is an example of a false equivalence or false equivalency?
Or do they mean the same thing, and either is fine?


texts: How do I go back east if I've never been to the east? It does not make sense to return to a place you've never been.


texts:
We have your house surrounded. You can't escape. So what happens/is going to happen/will happen is one of two things. Either you come out here with your hands up or we're going to come in there and drag you out ourselves.
What is the natural way to phrase this?


texts: I want to know a word for a kid's bedroom just like a women's bedroom is called a boudoir.


texts: "Consider me in", about the phrase and its negation

texts:
I have wanted to ask about the proper negation of the phrase "Consider me in", but as I have found nearly no result when I searched it on Google, I need to know first if it is common and correct. I'm sure I have come across it multiple times.

An example  (written by me):

  Well, if that's the case, then consider me in.

I found only this sentence with the phrase, but in is written between double quotes, which raises the question "why"? (It is the first sentence on the website)

About the second part of my question -if the phrase happened to be a normal, correct phrase- Is its proper negation "Don't consider me in" or "Consider me out"?

As in this example (written by me):

  Unless you want to talk about computers, consider me out.

I assume "consider me in" means "consider me included in that particular activity".


texts: Pick a number between one and ten. Someone familiar with US practices would know that one and ten are included. A visitor to the US might think the range is two through nine, being between one and ten. What would be the best way to word the offer, so the visitor would not be at an unfair advantage in case the number to choose is one or ten?


texts:
What is the correct sentence :

  What did you say?

or

  What did you said?

The second sentence seems correct, but I am not certain.


texts:
I've read some essays in order to improve my english but I am confused about the first sentences whetever or not to be right.

"Media should stop these crime like acts."

or

"Media should stop these crimes like acts."

"The information they give about the renowned people are neither useful nor entertaining."

or

"The information they give about the renowned people is neither useful nor entertaining.

Which are the right versions?


texts: Is this use of "Whenever" ... "So" correct?

texts:
I wrote this myself, and I am not sure about the usage of "Whenever ... So ...". Do I need to make any changes to make my sentences grammatical?

  I think she is a good friend and she has lots of information about everything. Whenever every person need help, she can help them because she want to learn everything that know about it to others. So I am happy because I have a good friend in my life. When I have any problem I can ask her and she guides me. I think good friend is very effective in personal life to everybody.


texts: "I thought he is/was a good boy." Which tense is correct?

texts:
"I think he is a good boy". If I convert this to the past tense, which one mentioned below would be the answer ?

I thought he is a good boy.
I thought he was a good boy.

Kindly explain why they are right/wrong (for both the sentences) ?


texts:
lyrics for a song.

or

  lyrics to a song.

or

  lyrics in a song.

Which does sound good?


texts:
As a musical experience, Eddie Howlloway Live at the Silver Lounge was
a jolt. Two songs, originals, were vehicles for Eddie to describe,
simply and sincerely, his enormous lovemaking abilities. These didn't
interest me except as examples of fine lyrics and vocal delivery.
Three other originals, however, provoked me in other ways. These not
only referred to me by name, but described my lifestyle ("dull as a
mole in his dark hole"), career ("he strikes a pose, this writer of
indifferent prose"), and way with women ("slick and insincere, don't
let him call you dear") in outrageous terms. Here then was another
artist who, like Kelly, was able and willing to insert personal notes
about me and girlfriend into his music, to make a point. But
while Kelly's personal references were true, as I myself had verified,
Eddie's were false as could be. Both artists, however, were true
song stylists who succeeded in making genuine music. I couldn't
overlook that, for all my personal involvement in their sounds.
The dangerous singers By Michael Fowler ( it's from one of my old magazines on English-learning, but sorry I couldn't find it on the Internet.)

Why false as could be, not as false as they could be? I've never come across such structure before. Is it an ellipsis?
Please help clarify it.


texts: Is it grammatically correct to ask 'what do you mean [word/phrase]?'?

texts: I often hear something like 'what do you mean "gone"?' I've been wondering whether the omission of the preposition 'by' ('what do you mean [by] "gone"?') complies with the grammar rules.


texts: Why is "won't" used instead of "doesn't" sometimes?

texts:
I've started noticing people using constructions like "something won't do something" as a present tense instead of "something doesn't do something".

For example, here is a piece from Eminem's song

  but he keeps on forgettin'

  What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud

  He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out

Is it ok to say like this and is there any specific rule that says in which situations one can use won't when they would normally use don't/doesn't?


texts:
it is a quote from the movie Ford v. Ferrari

Ken was going to find a normal job instead of racing cars, Molly is his wife.

  Ken: I'm 45 years old. Do you really think I'm gonna change? I'm never gonna get the good rides. I started too late.

  Molly: Because you fought in a bloody war(WW2)! If you stop you'd be bloody insufferable.

  Ken: It was quick going 'round the region. It's over.

What's the meaning of It was quick going 'round the region. here?


texts: I loved you because I knew you: still in love?

texts:
When I say:

  I loved you because I knew you

does it give any information on how I feel about this person now?

If I am still in love or not because I loved (past simple) is in the past, so we can understand that the person is not in love now. Am I right or not?


texts: ''Want" vs "Need" Which one would be correct?

texts:
Context:
'I don't need help from you' as I found at many places written this.
So, can I write this as I don't want your help?


texts:
Using commas in a lot of languages are indispensable, however in English language frequently commas are absolutely redundant because of word ordering. My native language frequently influences me to use commas before names. e.g.

Is it your letter, John?
Good morning, honey.
Dear, do you wanna to meet in evening?

and so on.

Is these commas incorrect, redundant, optional or necessary?


texts: Meaning of "in the same way as ~" in the following sentences?

texts:
What is the meaning of "in the same way as ~" in the following sentences,

Internal symmetries relate similar types of particles. For example,
isospin relates protons and neutrons, which have the same spin, and
about the same mass, but different charge. The proton and neutron form
a doublet that transform into each other, in the same way as the 2
spin states of a spin 1/2 particle, hence the name "isospin".

? (Source: http://insti.physics.sunysb.edu/~siegel/particle.html)
Does "~in the same way as the 2 spin states" mean "The proton and neutron form a doublet that transform into each other. Each other in the same way is the 2 spin states of a spin 1/2 particle" ?


texts: "House title", "title to the house", "title of the house"

texts:
I was wondering if someone could tell me which one of the listed choices of mine would be an AmE native speaker's choice to complete the self-made sentence below:

  I put .......... up as a collateral for a bank loan.

  a) the house title

  b) the title to the house

  c) the title of the house


texts:
Could you explain what "No, not Anna" means?
If I am right, "No" means that Anna can't go to the party but what about "not Anna"?

  Did you invite guests to our party on Saturday? ... Anna?
  No, not Anna. She said she didn’t like parties and couldn’t dance.

PS. Before Anna there was some phrases about another man. There is only "No".

  What about Stephen?
  No. He said he had a few days’ holiday and (he) was going to Italy.

I don't understand the difference.

TIA


texts: What do "cells" and "lifts" mean in the sentence?

texts:
Conventional sanitary landfills consist of cells and lifts with liners, drains, gas vents, leak detection systems with intermediate and final covers.

In the dictionary, cell means "the smallest basic unit of a plant or animal" or "a small room", and lift means "elevator". While, the literal meanings do not make sense.
As a non-native speaker, I often puzzle over the uncommon meaning of the word. Are there any methods to know the uncommon meanings of the words?


texts:
Are these sentences correct?

  This book really resonates with me.
  I really resonate with this book.

Also, are there any differences in meaning?


texts: difference between twice as ... as and twice more than

texts:
Do both of the following sentences have the same meaning?

  1- My salary is twice higher than yours.
  2- My salary is twice as high as yours.


texts:
Example:

  Whether our personal computers are faithful servants or imps, most of us soon realize there's much more going on inside those silent boxes than we really understand. PCs are secretive. Open their tightly sealed cases and you're confronted with poker-faced components. Few give any clues as to what they're about. Most of them consist of sphinx-like microchips that offer no more information about themselves than some obscure code printed on their impenetrable surfaces. The maze of circuit tracings etched on the boards is
  fascinating, but meaningless, hieroglyphics. Some crucial parts, such as the hard drive and power supply, are sealed with printed omens about the dangers of peeking inside-omens that put to shame the warnings on a pharaoh's tomb.

How do exactly you understand that phrase?


texts:
When we connect sentences and when we use clauses, should we omit the subject in the second sentence, or should we still use it?
For example, I'm not sure whether the following are correct:

  An object is taken as a water feature assuming that it (water feature) has a more irregular boundary.
  An object is taken as a water feature assuming that has a more irregular boundary.

I remember that when I was in primary class my English teacher said things like it is who he..... Can we do the same for my above case as I mentioned?


texts:
What does it mean "object of a preposition"?

Could you explain it by one or two example sentences?


texts: Acknowledging RSVP confirmation by someone for the upcoming dinner at a restaurant

texts: "Thank for confirming your attendance for the BoV dinner" or "at the BoV dinner"?


texts: If something is considered to be true, but something is not true, is sentence 'something is considered to be true' not true?


texts:
I wrote a sentence, and my teacher said something was wrong:

  Such an unfortunate man could surprisingly live to 73 years old 400 years ago.

She said that "surprisingly" was a submodifier, which couldn't be used to modify a verb but an adjective. I don't understand the reason behind. Is there any way to determine whether an adverb can describe a verb / an adjective / both?


texts: Do I use "I" or "me" in a compound subject?

texts:
I want to know the correct form:

  He and I will go there
  or
  He and me will go there.

Which is correct?


texts: Using "have" or "had" for an ongoing relationship

texts:
What would be the proper grammar for this sentence when using have and had? Which is correct (it's about relationship that is still existing for 28 years until now):

  It's the best relationship I ever have.
  It's the best relationship I ever had.


texts:
Our clients are not only surprised by how much savings we find, but where we find it.

OR

Our clients are not only surprised by how much savings we find, but where we find them.


texts: What does the phrase 'I speak the most Italian' mean and what's its structure?

texts: After re-watching the Inglorious Bastards for the 100th time, I stumbled upon this phrase said by Pitt's charachter: 'I speak the most Italian'. I understand what the phrase means, but I'm not sure about the structure of it. Is it 'the most Italian' or 'I speak the most' or what? Is there any other examples of usage?


texts: Indefinite article before uncountable "drink" nouns, e.g. "a water"

texts:
I have been reading Bad for You (a novel) for the last seven days. I have seen in the novel that the writer used the indefinite article a before a uncountable noun water.

  I glanced at Linc again. His grin was still in place, but he rolled
  his eyes as if he was amused with his dad.

  “Okay, well, thank you. It didn’t take me too long to get settled in
  though,” I said, feeling the need to say something. I wasn’t good with
  small talk.

  “Good. I’m glad you’re ready to dive in. Please, have a seat. Can Linc
  get you a water?”

However, I do not think that we can put the indefinite articles (a and an) before uncountable nouns (water, milk, wine). As per my opinion, the author should have said:

  “Good. I’m glad you’re ready to dive in. Please, have a seat. Can Linc
  get you a glass of water?”

  “Good. I’m glad you’re ready to dive in. Please, have a seat. Can Linc
  get you a bottle of water?”


texts: (Subject+verb+object) sentence after a preposition

texts:
Can a sentence (subject+verb+object) follow a preposition? There is an example sentence I think it’s wrong.

  XYZ showed how certain protein molecules repair DNA damaged by UV
  light. These discovery provided us insight into how the living cells
  work and the causes of cancer.

I think it should be

  XYZ showed how certain protein molecules repair DNA damaged by UV
  light. These discovery provided us insight into how the living cells being
  worked and the causes of cancer.

Am I wrong? Why? If I’m right why? I wonder because I see generally a sentence after preposition with being instead of am/is/are or verb.


texts: Can I use "carefully" and "cautiously" interchangeably in this context?

texts:
She carefully/cautiously stepped back to the body, grabbed the gun, and ran out of the room.

I can't figure out if I should use "carefully" or "cautiously" in this context. Are they interchangeably in this context?


texts:
A quote from GoodRead:

  “It's easy to be a good parents to a good child, but what makes you a good parents when you don't give up being parent to a challenging child” - "Beta" Metani' Marashi

Enlighten me please.