texts:
What does 'its casual association with fun and sun' mean? I assume surfing is linked with fun and probably sun, not moon, but what does 'casual' mean in this context? I've looked up the word in the dictionaries, but I couldn't match it up with the right definition.

  For some, it’s a serious sport. For others, just a way to let loose.
  But despite its casual association with fun and sun, surfing has a
  richer and deeper history than many realize. What we today call
  surfing originated in the Polynesian islands of the Pacific Ocean. We
  know from various accounts that wave riding was done throughout the
  Polynesian Pacific, as well as in West Africa and Peru.

source : The complicated history of surfing - Scott Laderman
https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-complicated-history-of-surfing-scott-laderman


texts:
The sentence is:

  The thieves stole some of Beauval Zoo’s most valued members—seven golden lion tamarins and ten silvery marmosets.

On khan academy they said that "seven golden lion tamarins and ten silvery marmosets" is an dependent clause. However, from what I read, a dependent clause requires verbs which this doesn't.

Thanks!


texts: Simple versus continuous tense in sentences

texts:
What is the difference between "When the teacher entered, the boys were all looking out the window." and "When the teacher entered, the boys all looked out the window."? Can someone please explain it?

Thanks


texts: Vowels in the pronunciation of the word literally

texts:
According to the Cambridge dictionary,I have three questions about the pronunciation of the word "literally":

according to the voice on the web,as if the first vowel letter i in UK English is pronounced as a long vowel /i/,is it right?
/ˈlɪt̬·ər·ə·li/,the second vowel is weakened.So in US English it is pronounced as a non-retro-flex,and in UK English it will be ignored?
why the second is weakened,not the third one?How is the rule?


texts: Which tense is better in a timeline? "2001: establishment of an R&D center" vs. "2001: establishing an R&D center"

texts:
Imagine that we have a corporate website with a timeline of the company's history:

  2003: Construction of a finished dosage forms plant
  2004: Establishment of an R&D center at the Moscow Genetics University
  2005: Launch of an original drug product for combination therapy of   urogenital infections

My main question is: would it be okay to use the gerund-participle form? Like this:

  2003: Constructing a finished dosage forms plant
  2004: Establishing an R&D center at the Moscow Genetics University
  2005: Launching an original drug product for combination therapy of urogenital infections

P.S.

While I was writing the question, I thought - maybe it is better to use the form "COMPANY does something"?

  2003: Company launches new finished dosage forms plant
  2004: Company establishes an R&D center at the Moscow Genetics University
  2005: Company launches an original drug product for combination therapy of   urogenital infections


texts:
Here is the situation.. I need to tell my friend that if he doesn't eat the food that he got from home by noon then the following happens...

If you don't eat by noon then it will be wasted.
If you don't eat by noon it will get wasted..

If the second sentence is correct , please explain in detail why it is correct..


texts:
A weekday is a day of the week other than Saturday or Sunday.

What is a day in the week called?


texts:
Here is the sentence I am struggling to make sure it is correct.  What pronoun is correct- changing them to themselves or as written?

  But my friends love being them, and I love them being them, but I still love being me!


texts: Is it correct and natural to say "my finger tips are stinging with cold"?

texts:
Could you tell me if it is correct and natural to say "my hands are stinging with cold"? For example:

I've been outside for too long and now my finger tips are stinging with cold.

If doesn't sound good what would be a more natural way to say that you feel this stinging pain caused by the cold?


texts: What is the strap on the bottle that says "water" called? Is it called a banner or a strap?


texts:
I have a text as follows:
At the Post Office
Consuela Rodrigues: Good morning. I’d like to send this package to Mexico.
Clerk: I’ll need you to fill in a customs form, please.
Consuela Rodrigues:  Sure. Business papers – no, Contents in detail, um, sweater. Yes, it’s a gift. Value – um, fifty dollars… weight – oh, I don’t know the weight.
Clerk: put it on the scale.
...
What does  “Business papers” mean in the above context? I guess it means “stocks” but I am not sure.


texts: Why is the following sentence in inversion style wrong?

texts:
1- Hadn’t he seen the car coming?
  2- Hadn’t he seen the car coming, he would have been killed.
  3- Had he not seen the car coming, he would have been killed.

Why is the sentence number 2, in inversion-condition sentence, wrong?

page number 4(point 7)


texts:
Whenever somebody resigns, or does something out of the ordinary, the president at our institution always sends out an email that begins

  It is with extremely mixed emotions that I announce the resignation of so-and-so.  He's leaving to go do another job Z at institute W.

I am kind of confused by this kind of statement from a higher up.  What does it mean?

I imagine one of the following:

"I didn't really like him, so it's kinda good he left. Anyway best of luck to him."
"Always hated him".

Why do people phrase resignation announcements like this, and what are the goals with the ambiguity (in writing "mixed emotions", but without elaborating)?


texts: Is it acceptable to use a singular countable noun without a determiner?

texts:
I have learned for the countable nouns I should use either a determiner or quantifier or use them plural, then I guess the following phrases are incorrect:

DOM tree  --> the DOM tree
in depth-first manner  --> in the depth-first manner
in top-down manner --> in the top-down manner
in hierarchical fashion --> in a hierarchical fashion
from usability point of view --> from a usability point of view or from the usability point of view

Yet, I see these phrases in the web, can I assume most of them are used by mistake?


texts:
Across as adverb cited from OALD:

1 from one side to the other side
It's too wide. We can't swim across.
The yard measures about 50 feet across.
2 in a particular direction towards or at somebody/something
When my name was called, he looked across at me.
3 across from opposite
There's a school just across from our house.

I'm trying to rewrite them into:

It's too wide. We can't swim over.
The yard measures about 50 feet over.
When my name was called, he looked (over / away) at me.
There's a school just over our house.

Are these adapted sentences idiomatic? Any nuances between them and the original ones?


texts: Could you tell me If I can use the words “more strict” and “Most strict” instead of stricter and strictest?

texts:
I got confused with “ stricter and more strict”, strictest and most strict”. What is the rule about this or both are correct?  Let me make a sentence with stricter

  Dan is stricter than Ryan about productivity.

  Trump is more strict than Obama about illegal immigration.


texts:
When we say,"No other mountain is higher than Mt. Everest", I have a question, why should I use "No other + a singular noun..."

"No other" means "Not any other"?


texts:
I was reading a game of thrones and got an ambiguous understanding of two words: fast and quick
It looks like the author is describing two characters whose characteristics are quite opposite.
Is there any subtle difference?


texts:
Console means to comfort someone at a time of grief or disappointment. I wrote a sentence in one of the paragraphs

  Everybody knew it was written by Sam and they came to him turn by turn to console.

Is this usage correct?


texts: Why is the past perfect used in this sentence?

texts:
Within minutes of receiving the bomb threat, we had evacuated the building.

Could anybody readily tell me the reason why the "past perfect" has been used?


texts: I have some questions about the sentence

texts:
The focal point of the magazine's efforts in this respect came with the rise of Marcus Garvey, the gifted Jamaican leader whose "Back-to-Africa" movement, as it was popularly called, was founded on the premise, according to Du Bois, that " a black skin was in itself a sort of patent to nobility".

I thought that the main sentence of this sentence is "the focal point came with the rise". But one video I saw told me that the verb of the main sentence was "was founded". What exactly is the main sentence here? Could you please answer me?
Here comes another question. What exactly does the phrase "according to Du Bois" describe? In my opinion, it describes probably the opinion that "Back-to-Africa" was founded on the premise that blabla..., however, the google translator tells me that it describes the opinion that the focal point came with the rise of .....(the whole sentence).

I'm so sorry for my poor expression. Could anybody help me? Thank you so much.


texts: What’s the difference between We need someone to take ownership of the issue. and We need someone to take ‘the’ ownership of the issue?

texts: What does having ‘the’ before ownership in the second sentence indicate? When to use ‘the’ if I want to use ‘the’ before ownership?


texts: Statements used as questions in casual speech

texts:
I see people say statement as question while speaking by raising their voice at the of it to mean it's a question.

For example consider followings.

  You want to stay here? ==> Is used to mean "Do you want to stay here?"
  You guys spoke to anyone? ==> Is used to mean "Did you guys speak to anyone?"

Are these really used by native speaker in casual speech? And can I write them in the same way while writing them as dialogue by putting them between quotes? Are there any special grammar rules for these kind of questions?


texts:
I was talking with a friend of mine when she said, "I had better eat something and get some sleep." I thought she was saying it was better if she ate something earlier, but that was not what she meant.

Why is the past tense used to say something somebody is going to do? What is the difference between "I had better eat something" and "I am going to eat something"?


texts: The difference between "the battery charge time" and "the battery charging time"

texts:
What is the difference between the phrases below?

The battery charging time

The battery charge time


texts:
The bag where I buy at the shop is missing.
The bag where I bought at the shop is missing.
Which one is correct?


texts:
Everyone wants to be a student of this university because its good reputation is helpful in landing a job when graduating.

When the adjective(helpful) is possitive, seems like the Adjctive+ Preposition Verbing pattern would flow properly.

  Nobody wants to be a student of this university because its bad reputation is difficult in landing a job when graduating.

But when the adjective is negative (difficult) , seems like the Adjective + Preposition Verbing pattern is considered incorrect.

The above two sentences have two similar structures, but why is one correct and one is not and what is the reason behind that?


texts: Can this words be used in this sentence?

texts:
I am writing literature review and I've wrote that sentence:

  Arguing that there is insufficient suitable software that allows for collaborative browsing, the author’s team conducts the research to discover numerous issues that have to be fixed in their new system called PlayByPlay.

I an not sure if I use bolded words correctly.

Firstly I wanted to write not enough instead of insufficient, but it is illegal in this type of review.

Secondly I am not sure if it's correct to write conduct the research.

Thirdly, how can I substitute the word "fix" in that sentence? I think it's like "not enough" cannot be used in this type of work

Thanx for your attention.


texts:
Clooney must've been eager, after helping to shape such acid anti-imperialist movies as "Syriana" to make a hopeful, positive war picture with a lighthearted marching drum and woodwind score but he plays everything so safe. He doesn't linger on the contrast between timeless masterpieces and the chaos and obscenity of war.

What's the meaning of "as"? Does it mean the movie is just "Syriana"? Or a movie like "Syriana"?


texts:
I want you to feel better
I want you  feel better

That was the right thing to do
That was the right thing  do

when somebody challenges you to dance
when somebody challenges you  dance

I'm not telling you to go around
I'm not telling you  go around

you are trying  to make us not practice
you are trying   make us not practice

just try to  relax and breath
just try   relax and breath

What does to point to in the sentences? Is it OK if I remove to in the above sentences?


texts: What does "reached down into the barrel" and "claim to notoriety" mean?

texts:
Please consider the following sentence (from the book Edward Albee: A Casebook):

  When their early and best choices (a Nobel Prize winner included) for the society’s 231st meeting could not make the speaking engagement, the Host committee reached down into the barrel and came up with Himself, whose only claim to notoriety was the fact that he had made headlines and enjoyed intense media attention for a short while—with all the immediate rewards that come with newsworthy eccentricity—by having suddenly developed a third arm.

1) What does the expression "reached down into the barrel" mean?

2) Does the expression "claim to notoriety", in this text, signify that the character "Himself" is proud of his notoriety?


texts:
Which one is better if I mean 'to make a [tele]phone call'?

  Tomorrow I have to call my doctor.

or

  Tomorrow I have to call to my doctor.

Are there any suggestions for a better way to express "to telephone" in this example?


texts:
Aesthetics are also very important to the roof of a house.
  Aesthetics is also very important to the roof of a house.

Is aesthecics plural? And which one is right here?


texts:
In Mank (2020), Orson Welles speaks to Mank, who living near sun-bleached sewer:

Orson Welles: If anyone should ask, tell 'em you're adapting.
Mank: Oh, you don't know this sun-bleached sewer here, my friend.
Break wind at Hollywood and Vine, and a producer in Santa Monica
reports a ruptured main.

What does "Break Wind" mean in context of location?


texts: “I have tested positive…” or “I have ‘been’ tested positive…”?

texts:
I have tested positive for the COVID-19.
I have been tested positive for the COVID-19.

Which one is correct here?


texts: "Were you able to" and "are you able to", when to use which?

texts:
I am aware that "be able to" means "If you are able to do something, you have enough freedom, power, time, or money to do it".

An ELL post("Could you...?" vs. "Were you able to...?") gives an example

  Were you able to attend the meeting yesterday?

I cannot understand in what kind of context a guy would say that, could someone make up a scenario?


texts: Word meaning start (beginning) of military service

texts: Is there a special word or proverb meaning the beginning of military service? Maybe something like "to put on the uniform"?


texts:
How do you differentiate between

He is playing in the field.

He is playing on, in the field.

Edit:I had seen most actually 'Virat playing on ,in the field' below an image.


texts: Is it correct to say that this car moves by electricity?

texts: I know it could also be said by "This car moves with electricity." or "Electricity moves this car." What do you think of this?


texts:
What do you call the entire mechanical system that makes a bicycle rotate?

This is a bicycle and in the bottom left you have the mechanical system that makes the back wheel rotate. I am not just talking about the pedal, but the whole mechanical system, of which the pedal is just a part. Is there a name for the system (drive chain, pedal, etc.)?


texts:
Can one say

a. No one knows something is wrong here.

b. No one knows anything is wrong here.

c. No one thinks something is wrong here.

d. No one thinks anything is wrong here.

e. Does anyone know that something is wrong here?

f. Does anyone know that anything is wrong here?

?

Many thanks.


texts: Making someone tired vs. Tiring someone out

texts:
What is the exact difference between

Making someone tired
Getting someone tired
Having someone tired
Tiring someone out

1,2, and 3 are used when you are doing something to or on someone against their will
but I am confused about 4th one, tiring someone out is also something that is against the will of someone I mean no body wants to feel tired willingly.
So what is the exact difference between these sentences?


texts: Does "Have a bearing on" also mean "impact"?

texts:
Almost all definitions which I've found about this phrase describes it as a way to say that something is related to something else but the more I search the more I believe that it more often means "impact" or "Influence" rather than "relation".

Could someone please help me to understand this phrase?


texts: Man's indication OR invasion of many planets?

texts:
I am confused between 2 choices in the following questions:

As we are living in the age of technology, man's ............. of many planets is remarkable.

a) invention

b) indication

c) invasion

d) inspiration

In the answers it is c) invasion, but unless we are in 2439 or something, shouldn't it be b) indication or there is actually something wrong with the sentence itself ?


texts:
Suppose someone said:

  "Why don't we go camping this year?"

Would it be correct to say:

  She suggested that we could go camping that summer.

I can't say:

  She suggested going camping that summer.

My answer was brought about by unacceptable using of two Gerunds whereas saying "going for a camping" isn't idiomatic according to the research done by me some minutes ago. I am right, aren't I? Or there exist some alternative ways of solving this issue.


texts: What is the natural way to say your salary expectations on the phone?

texts: As a job seeker in Australia, when a recruiter or job agency ask me about my minimum expected salary, I wonder how to express the salary figure in a natural way. For example if I look for $120,000 per year should I say: "one hundred twenty K", "one twenty thousand" or  ...? should I always say the currency (dollar) or it's not required as certainly I mean Australian Dollar?


texts: The meaning of "into whose orbit had now projected itself......"

texts:
My umbrella pursued its career, undecidedly but continuously. Then one
  of the little juggernauts—if that be the word—began to weep. The other
  followed. . . . And then? Then, Monsieur, that Falloux—that practical
  and logical atheist, who believes reason is the source of all leapt
  into the breach, crying: “But they are attached! Stand still, and I
  will detach you.” But that they would not do. My perambulating mosque
  of an umbrella resumed command. Its handle, see, tripped and slid over
  the stone floor like the pointed foot of a danseuse. This, with the
  natural elasticity of the ribs, furnished all the motifs of the
  ballet. As Falloux stooped to the rim of its circumference—being
  short-sighted in all respects—one side elevated itself, and the point
  of a rib caught him in the beard beneath the chin. It appeared then
  that he could not disengage. He made several gestures. Then he cried:
  “But it is I who am also attached! Stand still, you misbegotten little
  brats, till I detach myself!” And he laboured with his hands in the
  thickets of his beard like a suicide who has no time to lose. But he
  remained—he rested there—conforming with yelps of agony to the agonies
  of the rival circus, into whose orbit had now projected itself, at
  their own level, the head of their abominated preceptor, distorted and
  menacing. . . .

This is from "Miracle of Saint Jubanus" by Rudyard Kipling.

I can't understand the meaning of the sentence below.
I am glad if someone would kindly teach me or give me some suggestions.

, into whose orbit had now projected itself, at their own level, the head of their abominated preceptor, distorted and menacing. . . .


texts: present perfect in this case because the time indicated is not finished

texts:
We have just discovered  today after the workers left ,that  there is a water leak, some   water  is falling from the ceiling in the kitchen. As the workers  had already left we could not speak to them and  ask  them what was happening. We  have put two  buckets  found  near the washing machine.

I used present perfect for discover because  when I discovered the leak the day was not finished yet  . Can I  also use  present perfect for put because both actions are quite simultaneus and still in the present
or should I have used past simple for discovered and present perfect for have put I don't think so because of today.


texts:
What is the difference of "to reach the end" and "to finish", when used transitively? Example:

I have finished (my) lunch.
I have reached the end of my lunch.

I know the latter is much less usual, but I'm only concerned with the difference of meaning here. I have been told recently that the latter does not imply that I have finished lunch (for instance, I could be in the last course of the meal). Is that true?


texts: What’s the difference between ‘from the sofa’ and ‘on the sofa’?

texts:
What is the difference between

I turned on the TV from the sofa

and

I turned on the TV on the sofa

?


texts: I read the phrase 'you should be able to eat your way to a healthy hearth' and I don't get the meaning of this. What is the meaning of 'eat your way to health'?


texts: Looking for a word similar to 'supervise' but for inanimate objects

texts:
The sentence in question is "The solar panels in this region are supervised by XXX." The word 'supervision' obviously doesn't fit, but I can't think of any suitable alternatives.

'Operate' seems strange since there is only monitoring and maintenance involved, no active operation.

'Manage' is a bit too vague.

Is there a good word for situations like this? Or is there another short and concise way to express what is said in the sentence?


texts:
I can't get a good definition of this word:

  There are some countries that have a subconscious divide in terms of social status.

I think this pertains to social discrimination but they don't say it in so many words/directly to you, as something that categorizes people. Is this correct/ does this word exist?


texts: Is the concept "free of charge social services" correct

texts:
In french we use "gratuité social" which literary says "free of charge social services ".

We use this expression to talk about things like roads, hospital, health insurance, collective goods, and everything we don't pay personally, but collectively.

Context: I want to use it in a sentence that will say "the concept of 'free social' is not easy to understand, it requires high responsibilities skills and is hard to achieve".

The difficulty is to show that those services and goods look free of charge, but they are not.


texts:
She may not be Anil's sister.
She might not be Anil's sister.

What's the difference?


texts:
A : B, you have to be on the pill! Because of ...

  B:Point taken.

So, What If It was between two close friends, like ;

  Hey John! You must take your pills regularly. Otherwise...

  Point taken!

Would It be grammatically correct? Even so , is it way too formal for an informal conversation? Could someone enlighten me with some examples? Appreciate it.


texts: Do I need "will" in "After I'm done working I will have no plans"?

texts:
buddies! I wonder which one is preferable:

  After I'm done working I will have no plans, too. - or-
  After I'm done working I have no plans, too.

Do I need a will word? Thanks :)


texts: Convoluted relative pronoun sentece structure

texts:
sentence:
  There is a common European myth to which both authors referred subconsciously in the books in question.

How can I split this sentence into two? There is a common European myth. Both authors referred subconsciously to in the books in question. I don't understand this sentence structure.


texts:
The original sentence is
"This leads to constant bickering between the brothers, neither of whom wants to be called unfilial."

Regardless of the meaning of the sentence, could we use "who" in the clause instead of "whom" if getting rid of "neither of"?


texts:
I'm looking for a verb for making something unnecessary. Unnecessitate does not sound right. Alternatives?

Thanks in advance!


texts:
I wrote this sentence

  In some cases,such as surfing the articles of an
  encyclopedia or when archiving a news article for ofﬂine reading,
  it is convenient to get rid of such irrelevant fragments

Do I need "the" before "articles"? Actually I am confused about using "the" in of-phrases, as most the time I have seen them with "the".


texts: 'Even so, the ... incentives ... all but guarantee that accountants will fail ... needs.' - 2014 US

texts:
[Source:  Dec 13th 2014 | NEW YORK | The Economist print edition, About 45% down the page]

  Although auditors cannot hope to verify more than a tiny fraction of
  the millions of transactions their clients conduct, in order to comply
  with the standards they physically count inventories, match invoices
  with shipments and bank statements, and consult experts on the
  plausibility of management’s estimates. Most firms’ records are at
  least tweaked during the process. And even though private businesses
  do not have to undergo audits, most mid-size firms buy one anyway,
  because banks rarely lend to unaudited borrowers. The recent spate of
  frauds in China, where auditing practices are far laxer, shows that
  markets are right to assign a premium to companies that receive a
  Western accountant’s approval.

  Those conflicts of interest
  Even so, the misaligned incentives
  built into auditing all but guarantee that accountants will fall short
  of investors’ needs. The beneficiaries of the service—current and
  prospective shareholders—pay for it indirectly or not at all, while
  the purchasers buy it only because they are required to. As a result,
  companies tend to select auditors who will provide a clean opinion as
  cheaply and quickly as possible. Similarly, accountants who discover
  irregularities may be better off asking management to make minor
  adjustments, rather than blowing the whistle on a mis-statement that
  could embroil their firm in costly litigation.

Maybe a problem involves my persisting dread with all but, but how do you analyse/decompose the bolded? I tried to rewrite by overlooking the ancillary phrases (What are better terms for them?) I write in regular style words unchanged from the original above, and italicise those that I changed.

1. Even so, the ... incentives ...  all except guarantee that accountants will fail ... needs.

2.  Even so, the ... incentives ...  does not guarantee that accountants will fail ... needs.

3.  Even so, the ... incentives ...  may allow that accountants will fail ... needs.


texts:
what's the meaning of "comes some way down the list" below?

  JAN SWAFFORD’S new book, “Language of the Spirit”, is a self-guided tour. “When a piece [of music] or a composer grabs you, go out and
  look for more on your own,” he says. And he has plenty of suggestions
  to get you started on streaming services such as Spotify or YouTube.

  The “classical” genre on Spotify comes some way down the list, and
  classical buffs have been fretting for ages that audiences are getting
  greyer and smaller. Even so, many people have at least a passing
  acquaintance with some of the superstars of the classical repertoire:
  Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, say, or Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik”,
  or Handel’s “Messiah”. If that has made them wonder how to put these
  works into context, this introduction to classical music is just what
  they need.

SOURCE: An elegant primer Classical music, made easy


texts: Is this sentence correct "Now that I am looking at it closely, I can see it's not that special."

texts:
Is this sentence correct?
I'm confused about the use of 'that'in the sentence.
Can you please guide me?


texts: "came through for me" or "has come through for me"?

texts:
To everyone that has come through for me, thank you.

To everyone that came through for me, thank you.

I am of the opinion that the 'has' in the first sentence is redundant and that the second sentence is better. Secondly, does the first sentence have a different meaning?


texts: Looking forward to talk to you or looking forward to talking to you. Which is correct?

texts:
I always use Looking forward to talk to you. But I kind of have the feeling it is not correct.

Which of the following is the correct way to use?

  Looking forward to talk to you

or

  Looking forward to talking to you.


texts: confused about present perfect and simple past uses

texts:
I always read that we should use the present perfect with actions started in the past and finished and has some influence in the present. And also we can't use the present perfect with finished time like yesterday, last year, or this morning(if the morning is finished).

consider the following situation.

I have stomach ache and my friend asks me about the reason of it.

what should I use

1- I have eaten expired cheese this morning(the morning is finished)
2- I ate expired cheese this morning(the morning is finished)

I'm sorry, I know there is millions of questions about present perfect and past simple. but every website or book I have read tells different set of rules and sometimes confusing ones. some of them just say use the present perfect if you don't mention the time. I don't know which one is correct.


texts:
When you are asking someone to change the locations of the points on the coordinate system, which sentence is correct?

Please change the location of the points
Please change the locations of the points

I have been using #2, but I feel like #1 is correct.


texts: I'd like to discern if the Infinitive complement is nominal or adjectival as in "I want you to go there."

texts:
Would you tell me If the infinitive complement is nominal or adjectival as in

  I want you to go there

I thought "you to go there" is the object of the verb "want". i.e., the infinitive complement is nominal.

  I (S) + want (V) + you to go there (O)

But, my googling, role of infinitive tells me ...The catenative complement is "to go there", not "you to go there", for the latter is not a constituent, but a sequence of direct object + complement.

If so, is it grammatically correct for me to get that the infinitive complement, "to go there" is adjectival, post-modifying "you"?

  I (S) + want (V) + you (O) + to go there (Objective Complement)


texts:
Is it a correct sentence:

  What do you think has happened with her?

it looks like both parts - "you think" and "has happened" require the same word - "what" but here is only one "what". If we give this "what" to "you think" then "has happened" will have no noun. If we will do conversely by giving "what" to "has happened" then "you think" will be left without this "what". Or it can be for both of them having only one "what", not two and so on?


texts:
What is the meaning of "get warmer and weaker" in the following sentences,

  William Shafner, MD, medical director of the National Infectious
  Diseases Foundation, said in an interview with Fox News: “You must
  also be aware of the possibility that Corona 19 will remain a flu-like
  infection.” It is early. ”

  “Assuming that Corona 19 is a respiratory virus and reacts like other
  respiratory viruses like the flu, we can expect the weather to get
  warmer and weaker,” he said. It may be. ”

(Source: Corona19, will it remain infectious forever? -Comedy.com )

Does "we can expect the weather to get warmer and weaker" mean "We can expect the wether to get warmer and we can expect the Corona 19  to get weaker"? or does "we can expect the weather to get warmer and weaker" mean "We can expect the weather to get warmer and we can expect the weather to get weaker" ?


texts: situations for "I have nothing to do for now"

texts:
From an ELL post

  I have nothing to do for now.

I guess I understand the meaning of the sentence and the explanation in that post.

I would just like to figure out in what situations the quoted sentence would be used in real life.

One situation I could imagine is something like this, Ronald is calling his friend Anthony,

  Ronald: "Anthony, how are you doing today"

  Anthony: "Hey, buddy, I have nothing to do for now."

Does it make sense in real life?

Another situation where that sentence should not be used is in the office, where the boss asks "Anthony, how are you doing today"

  Anthony: "Hey, boss, I have nothing to do for now."

Is my understanding correct?


texts:
I have difficulty understanding the exact difference between these two adjectives, semantically. This is quote from a native English speaker:

  Parasite single? I guess an embittered parent wrote that one.

Why has the author written embittered instead of bitter? Is a different adjective used for a human and an object?


texts: Why is Zika capitalized and chikungunya and yellow fever are not?

texts:
I noticed the usage on the CDC website.  I don't understand why Zika is capitalized while the other two were in lower cases.

  There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat chikungunya virus infection.

  There is no specific treatment for yellow fever; care is based on symptoms.

  Zika virus disease (Zika) is a disease caused by Zika virus that is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito.


texts:
Why has "to have been" been used in the following sentence? Can we replace it with "to be"? Would there be any change in the meaning if we change it to "to be"?

  Interview was at 10 am and I was not even interviewed even after 3 pm, Human resource team seems to have been employed right from a Govt office.


texts: Improve clarity of speech without losing my foreign accent

texts:
I believe that as long as a foreign accent is understandable it can even be used as an asset, instead of liability. Problem is, every time I'm being taught to speak more clearly I'm being taught to remove or minimize my accent. I don't want that. I want to be able to speak as clearly as possible, yet keeping my foreign accent as much as possible. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a very good example of what I'm talking about.

Keep accent, improve clarity of speech, how?


texts:
This image comes from a post where the original image is a video gif.

How do I refer to this thing in this particular situation?

  image xx shows a heatmap

or

  image xx shows some heatmaps

when to which?


texts: Singular or plural usage for 'face' in the sentence

texts:
We should wash our face with clean water.
  We should wash our faces with clean water.

Which is more natural, 'face' or 'faces'?

Does the plural subject 'we' require a plural noun in the object?


texts: Is this sentence correct? How to parse it?

texts:
"Even a small bird has many more bones in its neck than in a tall giraffe. "

The sentence structure is quite weird, how to parse it?


texts: "In Thursday's ruling" Could you simplify it?

texts:
I'm having trouble understanding what "in Thursday's ruling" means here. Here is the extract:

  Sollecito was given 25 years and US ex-girlfriend Amanda Knox 28 years and six months in Thursday's ruling.

Can you simplify it, without shortening it?

Here is the passage:

  Italian Raffaele Sollecito has been stopped by police near the Austrian border following the reinstatement of his guilty verdict for the murder of Briton Meredith Kercher in 2007. Sollecito was stopped between Udine and Tarvisio, near the Slovenia and Austria borders, Italy's Rai News said.A travel ban was part of the verdict handed down on Sollecito. Sollecito was given 25 years and US ex-girlfriend Amanda Knox 28 years and six months in Thursday's ruling.


texts: Word request: electronic public weighing scale

texts: In Thailand, we have an electronic public weighing scale where you have to pay 1฿ (which equates to about 3 cents) before using the machine. Because Thai girls (and boys, maybe) care a lot about their weight, we have this kind of scale in various places such as in front of convenient stores and inside big shopping malls. Does English have a word for this? Or could I describe it in few, say, not more than six words?


texts:
Is the following sentence ok with whichever?

Mr. Morrison would like an employee to help customers whichever one enters the restaurant (first).

Suppose Mr. Morrison was the owner of a restaurant, and none of his employees has arrived yet. It was 11:30 in the morning, and his restaurant was already full of people. He wished his employees would show up and serve the customers. It didn't matter which of his employees would show up; just anyone would do.


texts: Will I see you before the evening/night?

texts:
Is it right to say that to the person I live with or there are other expressions in this case?

Will I see you before the evening?

Will I see you before the night?


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

texts:
I checked a lot of dictionaries and I couldn't  find a suitable definition.
Here's the sentence:
Enterprising humans, animals, heroes, or gods will make a habit of acquiring the first fire from some divine source.

Source: Miscellaneous Myths: Rainbow Crow at 0:28 seconds.

Thank you in advance.

Edit: I think I got it myself! I thought it was a verb but it's an adjective


texts:
"I live" instead of "I am living" is not impossible when talking about temporary situations. However most books say the progressive not the simple present is used to talk about temporary situations.
If I am talking about my home. Can I say "I am living"? Grammar books have taught me to use the simple present for facts and the progressive for temporary actions but in movies and literature I often see these tenses are used interchangeably.


texts: Could you help me with the word "ahead" in this context?

texts:
They met ahead of the conference.

Does it mean before or after? Dictionary says it is about before the conference, but I think it happened after the conference


texts: Difference between "Fine by me." and "It is fine with me."

texts:
I learned this idiom "Fine by me." recently. I also read another webpage This is fine with / by / for me. So I wondered whether there was any difference between them.

  "It is fine with me."

I looked up OALD.

I guessed that the meaning of the word "with" is of #7

7, used when considering one fact in relation to another

Though #6 was a possible choice at first for me.

  Fine by me

What is the meaning of the word "by" here?

  What is the difference between "Fine by me." and "It is fine with me." in terms of meaning or usage?

Thanks for your reading.


texts:
Could the present perfect be used as a RT for another earlier event?

"What you have just written about the time line and the interruptions
of the past perfect, I had already made it into a chart"

If not, I mean if the above sentence is incorrect, would this be fine?

"What you have just written about the time line and the interruptions
of the past perfect, I already made it into a chart"

Finally, I think I could write the first sentence as follow:

"What you have just written about the time line and the interruptions
of the past perfect, I had already made it into a chart before you brought it up"

The RT in the last example is "brought it up" but I would like to know if I could use the first example as it is written above.
From the quick Google search I did using "present perfect as reference time", I think the answer is probably wrong because I got nothing! But who knows, it might be a matter of wording.
The question came up on this page: Alluding to already Narrated Past Simple events in Past Perfect
Update:
The first time I wanted to write to DT I wrote it like below but then the questions above arose. What do you think of it too? Thanks DT for your comments below.

"What you have just written about the time line and the interruptions
of the past perfect, I have already made it into a chart"

Update 2
I'll check StoneyB's link when I get some time. Currently I'm busy with studying Conditionals. However, meanwhile I am leaving the conversation & the text below for future reference.

NEAL-CONAN: Mark, how's it going?
MARK: Things have been going much better now since I have gotten off
active duty. My wife and I have actually had a son, and I think we're
better now than we were. Well, I know we're better than we were. So
it's - we did a complete 180, and, you know, I couldn't be happier
with it.
NEAL-CONAN: Thanks very much for the call, glad to hear it.
MARK: Thank you.

Source: Cycle Of Deployment Strains Military Marriage 2012, NPR_TalkNat via COCA Corpus

It’s been a while since I have shared a video. It’s also been a while since I have seen a video worth sharing. The following
video is both funny and poignant. It can remind us to take a little
perspective in our lives and be thankful that most of our problems are
not real problems but annoyances. Enjoy!

source: here


texts: Are sentences like "He's somebody I hate the personality of" grammatical?

texts:
Are the sentences like the ones below grammatical?

1) He's somebody I hate the personality of.
2) It's a song I hate the lyrics of.
3) She can't date someone she doesn't like the appearance of.
4) She is a beautiful girl I hate the pictures of.

Description: In the first one, I am giving my opinion on somebody by saying that I hate his personality.

In the second one, I'm giving my opinion on a song by saying that I hate the lyrics of that song.

In the third one, I'm saying that she cannot date a person if she doesn't like his appearance.

In the forth one, I'm saying that she is beautiful but I hate pictures of her.


texts: Move one seat right or Move to one seat right or Move one seat to right

texts:
Let say you are in a cinema and you would like to say to a couple that you can just move to the next seat so that they could sit but I couldnt figure out which one is correct form.

I can move one seat to right
I can move one seat right
I can move to the one seat right

I know I can use ‘move to the next seat’ but my intention is to find out the form I can use with 2 seats or 3 seats with the direction as well


texts: Interpretation of a short sentence from an older story

texts:
The very first sentence of Bierce's story “Haita The Shepherd” reads as follows:

In the heart of Haita the illusions of youth had not been supplanted
by those of age and experience.

While the sentence is basically easy to understand per se, I am not sure how to interpret it, what is the actual meaning. Perhaps the "illusion" is meant in a way that I am not familiar with?
When I rephrase it, I still am not sure what the writer wanted to express:

In his heart the illusions (deceptions?) of youth had not been
replaced by the illusions of age and experience.


texts:
1.Explain about what you usually do from the moment you wake up and to the moment you go to sleep.
2.Explain about what you usually do after you wake up and until you go to sleep.

my humble personal opinion is that from the moment = after / to the moment = until
But I'm not sure if I can use whichever I want to in any situations. Am I right to think this way?


texts:
Simply, I just want to know antonym of "causative factor"

Below is the background the reason I wonder.

Normally, cell is connected with collagen.

When cell is detached from collagen, cell will be dead.
-> In this case, cell detachment is a causative factor of cell death.
Reversly, when cell is dead, cell will be detached from collagen.
-> In this case, cell detachment result from cell death.

Here is my question.

To determine whether cell detachment is a causative factor or "____ factor" of cell death.

What word should I use?


texts: How do you describe it when someone suddenly starts to do something with great enthusiasm?

texts: How do you describe it when someone suddenly starts to do something with great enthusiasm, not necessarily displaying rational thinking? I need a verb that precedes a more specific infinitive or gerund. Like 'take to doing something'. Please offer a variety of options.


texts: when present perfect or future in that case

texts:
Please let me know when you have received the book or is it better to write
let me know when you will receive it

Is it grammatically correct because in that case the when clause is not a time clause so the  future should be needed


texts:
does "a less mercenary man" means "a man who is not mercenary"?

She was absolutely determined that
Home should have the money and be her heir. A less mercenary man
never lived, and he begged her again and again to think of her relatives,
to which she answered that the money was her own to do what she
pleased with, and that no relatives were dependent upon it.


texts: Meaning of 'more than average' in the context of pretty/rather/quite/fairly

texts:
I have found that adverbs such as 'pretty', 'fairly',
'quite', and 'rather' imply the same meaning as 'more than average' or 'to some extent' when these adverbs are used with gradable adjectives. But I'm very confused because I'm not understanding What 'more than average' means.

Please clarify its meanings with examples.


texts:
I'm looking for a single word (noun), rather informal, that would fit here:

  The team is getting a lot of … for losing the last two matches`


texts:
Which is right:

  "I'm fed up with this weather. I wish it wasn't so hot."

or:

  "I'm fed up with this weather. I wish it weren't so hot."


texts:
If I want to say
I will be "look for" + "neither her nor them"
Should I separate the "look for"?
I will look neither for her nor them
or write it together
I will look for neither her nor them


texts:
I know we should say "on the test" meaning performance wise, but does using "in the test" go as well or has another meaning?

Do we say:

  So the kids are able to do their best on the test.

or

  So the kids are able to do their best in the test.


texts: What does "Let's be in touch {TIME}" mean?

texts:
In a job hunt email a person said that is not looking for someone right now, Let's be in touch summer 2017.

What does he mean and how can I say to him that I would like to speak more closely to the date?


texts:
I think he is kind.
I think he was kind.

I thought he is kind.
I thought he was kind.

Which do you usually use or not?


texts: GRE 6-choose-2 question: How can "orientation" be synonymous with "bias"?

texts:
This question is asking you to choose two synonyms from a list to fill in the blank: (source)

  Despite the general ______ of Roman archaeological studies toward the major cities and their monuments, archaeology has contributed much to a better understanding of rural developments in Roman territory.

  A. openness
  B. indifference
  C. hostility
  D. animus
  E. bias
  F. orientation

An unofficial answer is E/F, but after referring to the dictionary, I can't see why "orientation" is a synonym of "bias".

Meanwhile, I think C/D is also reasonable （contrary to their good understanding of rural developments）.


texts: Schools of thought in English Grammar and Usage?

texts:
Having read many posts here (ELL), and some at EL&U, it appears to me that many cases of English grammar (and usage) are debatable. It is likely that there are multiple authoritative sources on English grammar. These sources seem not to absolutely agree with one another on every matter. Otherwise, those problematic questions in ELL and EL&U would always have a definitive answer.

This is very frustrating. How can those who learn English as a second language know "which" grammar they could rely on?

Grammar books written for intermediate English language learners are useful. But as the learners become more advanced, they would naturally want to reach almost native-like level of proficiency, and soon they will run into those delicate matters that student grammar books are insufficient.

It would be greatly helpful, if I can find a comprehensive list of authoritative sources for English grammar. I searched for it, hard, but I couldn't find it.

Out of my frustration, I would like to ask,
Is there such a list?
And, if there is, what are those authoritative sources (or schools of thought)?


texts: Is the tense of my sentence correct? "I __locked__ (lock) my house and went to my office.”

texts:
What will be the correct tense form of the verb in the sentence, "I _______ (lock) my house and went to my office."
I believe the answer should be locked. If it were had locked, the sentence would have been- I had locked my house and went to my office.


texts:
The time was the beginning of the morning,
  And up the sun was mounting with those stars
  That with him were, what time the Love Divine
  At first in motion set those beauteous things...

Dante (Longfellow's translation)


texts:
I found this sentence in a practice test:

  ABC company is famous for its quality product and customer satisfaction.

Supposedly, there's an error in the sentence somewhere. Do you think I should change quality product to product quality? I feel confused because I've seen both of those expressions on the internet, so I don't know why that would make the sentence wrong.


texts:
That is from this article.

  The overclaiming measure, that assessment of bragging which taps saying you know about something that you don’t, was tested with questionnaires that gave them items from popular culture that have never happened.


texts: A better way to say "masters of translation"

texts:
What is the best and native way to use words master and translators to denote a "group of highly skilled translators"?
I am stuck with initial "M" letter, as it is used in the brand name and logo, so the first word has to start with "M" and I cannot use a simple option like "expert translators"...

Masters of translation seems to be misleading, as if referring to an academic degree.

So far, I thought of using adjectives:

1) master translators,

2) masterful translators,

...and similar looking words:

3) maestros of translation,

4) translation meisters.

Please, vote or tell, which is the better option.


texts:
The following day, as twilight was falling, she stood at the window overlooking the Yard.

Would you tell me if this sentence has an ambiguity?

I think it does. Is she overlooking, or is the window overlooking?


texts:
You are on a call, when suddenly another comes in. You want to tell the first caller that another caller is trying to reach you.

What do we call the second caller?

I know this service is called "call waiting", but I want to know if there is a word (or phrase) for describing the second caller?


texts:
Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases consisting of verb+adverb or verb+preposition.

Like many other verbs, phrasal verbs often have more than one meaning.

For instance:

Back up means reverse:

  You'll have to back up your car so that I can get out.

Back up means support:

  My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job.

Can we switch the word order?

  You'll have to back your car up so that I can get out.

  My wife backed up me over my decision to quit my job.

Is there any hard and fast rule about the usage of phrasal verbs?


texts:
I want to tell two ideas within a sentence. for that I am trying to use whereas;

Not sure, how the construction would be.

  The recognition of canopies is well advanced in the forest regions,
  whereas the extraction of the canopies located in the urban areas is
  still a challenge.
  The recognition of canopies is well advanced in the forest regions,
  whereas the extraction of the canopies located in the urban areas, it
  is still a challenge.

I am not sure I can write this is both ways as above. thanks


texts: Prepositional phrase and What it modifies

texts:
This is a sentence from Cambridge dictionary

  I was rather quiet as I didn't feel I had much wisdom to impart on the subject.

Does "on the subject" function as an adverb to modify the verb "impart" or it functions as an adjective to modify "wisdom"

By the way, can I rephrase it to:

  I was rather quiet as I didn't feel I had much wisdom which I can impart on the subject.

If the paraphrase is grammatically correct, can the sentence be looked at this way?

  I can impart wisdom on the subject.

Then, does "on the subject" still function as an adverb to modify the verb "impart" or it functions as an adjective to modify "wisdom"


texts: How to express a scenario more likely than the other clearly and concisely?

texts:
I just replied a comments in a post, then I realized that this expression may need some improvement.

  A book using "we'll provide" makes more likely as if I am sitting in a
  classroom than "we provide"

By "sitting in a classroom", I mean something like person to person, face to face, lively.

what I want to suggest is the first scenario has higher probability to have me Imagine I am sitting in a classroom than the 2nd scenario(expression)

how to express the meaning above clearly and concisely?


texts: Aren't my cars, bikes and other estates 'real' when I'm dying?

texts:
I have two Bantleys, three Bugatis, two dwellings and a land.

  estate - All the money and property owned by a particular person, especially at death.   real estate - Property consisting of land or buildings

I know shares, stock, debentures are not real estate. Aren't above mentioned things are real in terms of estate? Well, consider me on my deathbed.


texts: Is it correct to use comma in this sentence?

texts:
Along the coast of northern California grow huge, towering trees.
Why the comma is between huge and towering?


texts: Why in this sentence the writer used past perfect instead of past simple?

texts:
I am reading a story nowadays and I have noticed this sentence today the writer used past perfect and as I learned it should be in past simple because he/she gave the time yesterday.
The sentence:

I had missed school yesterday because of a doctor's appointment so of course I had no idea what had happened.


texts: Can you say «they make me scared» in English?

texts:
Can you say

  They make me scared

My English teacher said that we cannot say it so I looked for it on the Internet.

That in a test, the set point was "Traduisez les phrases en anglais (Translate the sentences in English)" and the sentence was "Je déteste les films d'horreur, ils me font peur." and I translated:

  "I hate horror movie, they make me scared."


texts: How can we say our field of study in English?

texts:
For example

  I am learning computer engineering in university.

Is it right to say "I am majoring in computer engineering" or is there more precise term?


texts: I'll think of something / I'll make something up

texts:
My brother's sneaking out to a party and before leaving he asks me what I'm going to tell our parents when they ask where he is. I say:

I'll make something up.
I'll think of something.

Do both the expressions mean the same thing?


texts:
Maybe it is standard English, but "I've seen them worse." does not sound like it to me. There is something peculiar about it but I cannot seem to get a fix on why or how it is different.

Does it have to do with them, worse or maybe both?

  Minnie May has croup all right; she's pretty bad, but I've seen them worse.

Source: Anne of the Green Gables: Chapter XVIII -- Anne to the Rescue


texts:
I wrote this sentence

  These rules basically treat all the DOM nodes the same way. In this regard, there is no difference between features defined for a node in the footer and a node in the sidebar.

Vs.

  These rules basically treat all the DOM nodes the same way. There is no difference, in this regard,  between features defined for a node in the footer and a node in the sidebar.

In such a sentence, putting the adverb at the first of sentence is natural in my native language, but I have seen English sentence tend to use adverbs before main verb or somewhere within the sentence.

Which sentence is correct or more natural?

What is the general rule? for another example when an adverb like "Actually" goes to the first of the sentence and when before the verb.


texts: Does the Oxford comma also apply to three or more clauses?

texts:
The way I understand it, you use the oxford comma when separating 3+ "items" in a list. Items, I assumes, are nouns. For instance, I bought a bat, a mat and a hat. Usually there would be a comma between "mat" and the following "and" but when using Oxford comma, there is none.

However, what if I was linking three clauses: I jumped, I hit my head and I cried. Should there be a comma between "head" and the following "and"?

Whether you say yes or no, are you guessing or do you have any reference to the rule? I have had no success finding any information on linking 3+ clauses.
Thanks.


texts: He helps people on his fifth grade education

texts:
A person was just educated up to fifth grade,  but now he helps a lot of people,  is it okay to say:

  He helps others on his fifth grade education.

Is the use of "on" natural?


texts: "Many discuss the topic {that/of/on} whether medicine..." - which word should I use?

texts:
1a. Many discuss the topic that whether medicine has true benefit on our society.

1b. Many discuss the topic of whether medicine has true benefit on our society.

1c. Many discuss the topic on whether medicine has true benefit on our society.

Which one is correct?

I am writing to express my view on the topic that/of/on whether ...

and which one should I use for this sentence?

Can I use for all the three for the sentences I gave? Is there any difference for the first (I mean the "correct" sentence for 1) and 2?


texts: The word "Scepter'd Isle" Kindly confirm

texts:
I encountered this word at an article and after googling I have come to know this word is Shakepear's play origin.

And I found this site., and I found another site, which was explaining that the 'd means the past form of the verb scepter, whose definition is below by Merriam.

  or British scep·tre
  scep·tered or British scep·tred; sceptered or British sceptred; scep·ter·ing or British scep·tring; scep·ters or British scep·tres
  1
  :  to endow with the scepter :  invest with royal authority
  2
  :  to ratify by touching with the scepter

So would this (probably) old word, scepter'd isle, be some kind of a noun prasing the royal family and their reign in Britain and consequently be the synonym of praise to the England?

Or ultimately saying, this word would mean the "island under ( (blessed) the U.K's royal family's sovereignty? " Kindly confirm. Thank you.


texts: Does it mean what I am trying to make it mean?

texts:
"He asked me why I did it and was dumbstruck for a second."

What I am trying to say is that he was dumbstruck for a second after asking me why I did this. But I see that there is a possibility of people interpreting this sentence as saying that why I did this and was dumbstruck for a second was the question he asked. So, is this a correct sentence and contains the meaning I am intending to have, or is it somehow just inevitably interpreted as the second meaning?

P.S.

Searching around, I found a possible solution to this. Putting a comma seemed to be a good idea.

"He asked me why I did it, and was dumbstruck for a second."

Now, does it mean what I make it mean?


texts: ...the man "in which" OR "in who" the implant was integrated?

texts:
Since, nowadays, "which" and "who" are more interchangeably used than formal Oxford English would suggest, (such as using "It was the company who...") which of the below option sounds more correct?

A) Jeff was the man, in WHO the implant was integrated.
B) Jeff was the man, in WHICH the implant was integrated.

Thank you!
J


texts:
I can't find a definition of "cue in to" that explains the following sentences (from Google Books and dictionaries). The phrase, if it is an idiomatic phrase, seems to mean "pay attention to" or "listen to". But I just can't seem to find a fitting definition from a credible source.

  It takes a trained and sensitive therapist to cue in to your personal needs.

  Once this is understood, caregivers can be taught to cue in to the infant's social overload by introducing only one stimulus at a time.

  The key to successful training at Level IV intensities is to cue in to the body's signals for lactate accumulation.

  I also ask my listeners to cue in to certain specific areas which I have questions/concerns about.

"Cue in" is a different story, and it means "give signal to" or "fill someone in". Neither seems relevant to these sentences.


texts: What does "add it at the end of the lecture" mean?

texts:
The lecturer is saying

  we will use this tool for interactive questions during the lecture
  and we will also use it to track attendance. I'll add it at the end of
  the lecture

what the lecturer would add? the attendance? I don't find anything about that at the end of this lecture.


texts: What's the difference between "at its time" or "of its time"?

texts:
It's far more popular than the books published at its time.

  It's far more popular than the books published of its time.

Could you please tell me the difference between the two, and the correct usage?


texts: Is it idiomatic to say "He doesn't drink much water at school"?

texts:
In my another post ("Have you done a poo?" vs. "Did you poo?") I said

  He doesn't drink much water at school.

Is it idiomatic? Does that sound natural? How about other possibilities?

  He doesn't remember to drink much water at school.

  He usually forget to drink much water at school.

Which one is clearer? Are there other expression appropriate here?


texts:
What is the difference between these sentences below in terms of meaning?

  He lives by himself.
  He lives on his own

If you ask me, the first sentence connotes that he doesn't have a housemate/wife, like being alone at home .The second sentence connotes that he doesn't have girlfriend/boyfriend or friends/family who support him when he needs, like feeling lonely.


texts:
Can I 're-write' the sentence,

"If I finish my homework, I can go out at the weekend."

as,

"I can't go out at the weekend before I finish my homework."


texts: Which of these is correct, “She doesn't has” or “She doesn't have”? And why?

texts:
She doesn't has a book.
She doesn't have a book.

Why is the first sentence wrong? We use 'has' with singular, and 'she' is singular.


texts:
What does "in the best sense of the word" mean here? What is that "word"?

  All the members of the Eagle Group put something of themselves into the new computer.

  Individual efforts went well beyond the job, supported by a unique way of life that encouraged each person to commit to doing something of significance. Their deep commitment and unwavering spirit jelled in the ritual of signing up. Both were then intensified and expanded by diversity, exceptional leaders, common language, stories, rituals, ceremonies, play, and humor. In the best sense of the word, the Eagle Group was a team, and the efforts of the individual members were interwoven by symbolic fibers.

  Cultural elements were the heart and soul of the group’s success.

From:
Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership

By Lee G. Bolman, Terrence E. Deal


texts: What's the meaning of " on to a major tool"?

texts:
What's the meaning of " on to a major tool" in following sentence?

'So, on to a major tool I would like to start by speaking.'


texts: Past tense: I got/was given. Which is correct

texts: When I encountered him I didn’t care to take a picture until the next day when I got/was given another chance and he was [...]


texts:
Do we have such expression in English? (I don't remember where I saw it, but I'm sure I did)

  Let's head in!


texts:
The basic meaning of overhead is "above one's head"

However, in business field, usually An overhead cost or expense.
‘overheads, such as lighting, equipment, and any little extras, are paid for out of a centralized fund’
Overhead (business) - WikipediaOverhead (business) - Wikipedia

In computing field,
In computer science, overhead is any combination of excess or indirect computation time, memory, bandwidth, or other resources that are required to perform a specific task.Overhead (computing) - Wikipedia

So the key extending meaning is 'indirect and excess'.

I really unable to relate the meaning to "above one's head"?
What can I discern might be 'dangerous', 'pressing', 'important' above one's head?

Is there a fable or a proverb about this?


texts: "As you wish" - "Up to you", are both polite?

texts:
As you wish.

  Up to you.

Which one is the more polite expression?


texts: Can I say 'it will be hard for the society to make any progress'?

texts:
Ambition is indispensable for both individuals and the society.
  Without the ambition of pursuing success, people may feel empty and
  meaningless in their lives, and it will be hard for the society to
  make any progress.

Is

  ... it will be hard for the society to make any progress

correct?

I am not sure whether it is because society is not a person, so I am not sure whether I can use make progress after it.

Thank you!


texts: “Getting something down” in this context

texts:
I know getting something down has many different meanings in different contexts. I think I am familiar will most of them, if not all.

What does it mean in this context?

  I told him where he should place his foot, but the rest is all down to him. He has got it down to a tee

Reference article : https://www.goal.com/en-in/news/messi-ronaldo-maradona-di-stefano-best-player-history/1fuo0t9cdjpv31jwx6xu1469wb

This is not the first time I have come across this phrasal verb being used in this context. Although I could figure out the meaning from the context (that the said soccer player has perfected his ability), I want to know what Get something down in this context means.

I tried looking it up in many reputed online dictionaries, but none of the explanations seemed to match the meaning of Get sth down in this context. If possible, please refer to how an online dictionary explains the meaning of this phrasal verb in this context. Thanks


texts:
In this sentence, is “taken” adjective?

The imitation process begins when the collection of fashions is presented by models on catwalk through some of photos taken and sent to manufacturers.


texts: Past Tense or Past Continuous Tense with precise time

texts:
There's a sentence like:

  I ____ television at 7pm last night.
  a) was watching
  b) watched
  c) watch

Can we use a) and b) to complete the sentence?

Some friends here said a) because there's 7pm to indicate what was happening. And others said b) because there last night there, and I am in a group who choosed a) and b) as it depends on what is intended by a writer (depends on situation / action / question are given).


texts:
First of all, thank you for your help in advance.

I am listening this now and suddenly from the very start it looks like there is a bump ahead of me.

I think she, the narrator is saying ( from 0:00 )

  We are going to take a look at paper this morning and the old-fashioned notebook. It looked like it was hitting the dial of the rotary phone but no books are actually back in bow.

Could someone tell me what the phrase "back in bow" means or is it just purely my mislistening?

And I have one more question.

Do you think this narrator is an african american woman? ( To me, she has some kind of "unique" tone ( with no racism, jut out of curiosity. ))

I am sorry and thank you in advance again.


texts:
I have a sentence like:

  Using both class-oriented and subject-oriented schemes enables us to compare the results with other methods in this subject.

I want to say that using two approaches I can compare my method with other methods of same topic.

I'm not sure whether it's correct or I should use on this subject.

I googled it and I found sentences with both of them.


texts: Word for a song with defamatory content, written and spread to mock the one or what the song is about?

texts:
In Norwegian we got the word "nidvise" ("nid"-song) for a song with "defamatory content, written and spread to mock the one or what the song is about".  Is there a word for such a song in English?  I suppose it's sort of satire, but that doesn't quite cover it...
Examples: If Jesse Don't Like It, about former Senator Jesse Helms.


texts: Grammatical function of "ever" in "His influence is greater than ever."

texts:
What does the adverb ever in the sentence:

  His influence is greater than ever.

modify exactly?


texts: Meaning of: "I kinda hit it and quit it and left ya'll hanging"

texts:
Today, while I was listening to a song (Fort Minor - Welcome), I heard the following sentence:

  I kinda hit it and quit it and left ya'll hanging

One of the meanings I found w/ Google translator:

  Golpear un poco y lo pararon e izquierda le cuelga.

I don't know if that's the correct meaning.


texts: "the idea of consequence" or "the idea of a consequence"?

texts:
I came across a sentence in an online dictionary:

  [R]ather, it should be used to convey the idea of powerful, dramatic consequence.

Why is it not the idea of a powerful, dramatic consequence? According to Macmillan Dictionary, consequence is a count noun. Shouldn't it be preceded by an indefinite article?


texts: How can I say that someone is taking too long?

texts:
What should I use when I want to say that someone is taking too long?
I have seen different ways and I don't know which of these I should use.

At the moment of speaking

  What takes you so long?

  Why does it take you so long?

 Past action

  What took you so long?

  Why did it take you so long?

So can I say:

  Why do girls take so long to get ready?
  or
  What takes girls so long to get ready?

Sorry but I couldn't come up with better examples.
It will be great if you can help me. Thank you!


texts: How do you call a check procedure that checks "all" and "every" part?

texts: Would it be called a "General check"? " A wholesome check" "Integral Check"?


texts: Two ing-verbs in a row: "while keeping doing something". Is it awkward to you?

texts:
I was about to write following sentence: "to send information back while keeping regulating the position of the actuator", but I always feel awkward about using two ing-verbs in a row. So I ask you.
Perhaps is there an elegant alternative that means exactly the same, but I would also be interested in knowing how "keeping doing" sounds for native anglophones.
My question is somewhat similar to the following, but there wasn't a satisfactory answer in my view.
"Prevent keep seeing it" or "prevent keeping seeing it"?
Thank you in advance!


texts: Phrase meaning "constantly judged" or "criticized"

texts:
I'm looking for a word or phrase which means constantly being judged or viewed mockingly or with a sense of stereotype/criticism.
For example,

The company I founded was viewed with a sense of ______

I am the founder of the company. We are being judged because of our values. People think we should be more cunning while our culture is against
Wall Street cut-throating. I'm writing an essay on that. Thus we are being judged, mocked and criticized.


texts:
To take away can mean: to get a particular message or piece of information from something you read or are told.

Example:

  What I took away from his talk is that going to university is definitely worth it.

My question is that whether normally people use "take away" or just "take" without "away"?

Because I know that both simple and phrasal verbs are used in this sense, but I doubt if one of them is more common or somehow more informal...

i.e. in my provided example above, substituting the sentence with the following sentence will change the message?

  What I took from his talk is that going to university is definitely worth it.

For me, both of the sentences convey the same meaage.

Please let me know about them.


texts: What is the meaning of this analogy about mountains and lakes?

texts:
Francis Galton once said in his Natural Inheritance, 1890:

  It is difficult to understand why statisticians commonly limit their
  inquiries to Averages and do not revel in more comprehensive views.
  Their souls seem as dull to the charm of variety as that of a native
  of one of our flat English counties, whose retrospect of Switzerland
  was that, if the mountains could be thrown into its lakes, two
  nuisances would be got rid of at once.

Even though I have looked up and understood every single word, I still cannot get the meaning of the bolded part. Any ideas?


texts: What to use in the sentence: 'ability' or 'abilities'?

texts:
There is no school teacher in this department who does not have his abilities to do classroom management.
  There is no school  teacher in this department who does not have his  ability to  do classroom management.

Which is suitable, "ability" or "abilities"?


texts: "The bass drop is so sick!..." - What does it mean?

texts:
Being a fan of a dubstep music, I often see comments like this:

  "Looooove this tune! The bass drop is so sick!..."

To my understanding, sick has negative connotation. Merriam-Webster defines this word as "affected with a disease or disorder", either physically or mentally.

However, the phrase above looks rather positive (even if followed with something like "...my ears were bleeding").

What's the point?


texts: What is the adj. describing something for those who don't know or have forgotten?

texts:
I'm trying to recall this one adjectives. It's often used to describe courses for people who need to return to the basics of Mathematics or English, for instance.

We might also assure a class that "using the writing center is not only for students who need __ help."


texts:
In my high school English class, I learned that "where", "when", "how" can be used to replace "something+preposition+which" depending on the context. But I sometimes see sentences like

  New York is where I came from.

I asked my teacher, and she said it's equivalent to

  New York is the place from which I came from.

I don't believe this is correct! But I'm not sure. Is this correct? Can "where" be used as "from which" in this context? If not, what is the appropriate replacement for the "where" in the first sentence?


texts: Would it be wrong to say: "I am wrong!"?

texts:
Should I say: "I am wrong!" or "I am mistaken!"?

I, as a person, am not wrong for sure! What I did/tell/do could be 'wrong'! Please, explain!


texts: Should I use "As of" or "Up to" or "Until"?

texts:
Which of these form can I use to submit presentation?

  This is the presentation as of Jun 30, 2018.
  This is the presentation until Jun 30, 3018.
  This is the presentation up to Jun 30, 2018.

I want to send presentation by email to my manager, and here is the sentence:

  Dear ____, I would like to submit the presentation for R project until June 30, 2018. I hope you like it.


texts:
Pick the correct sentence:

There were many more difficult problems than we were thought possible.
There were much more difficult problems than we were thought possible.

I think both are correct. The first sentence talks about the amount of problems,
many more problems, while the second sentence talks about difficulty, the problems were much more difficult.

Is my reasoning correct? If so, is one of the sentences more correct than the other, e.g. is one of the two more formal than the other?


texts:
First of all, let me apologize that my response is coming just up to now.

I would like to ask a native speaker whether the sentence makes sense, especially the bolded part. I would like to express that my reaction is coming too late and that the addressee had to wait.


texts:
"I watch sitcoms whenever I feel sad."

Can this sentence can be paraphrased as: "I watch sitcoms for feeling sad"?


texts: Is there a verb or word that means "mixing in coughs with your words as you speak"?

texts:
I mean a verb(word?) to describe the action of intentionally coughing as you speaking. (Shown as 'ahem' or 'cough' in dialogue.)

For example:

  I cannot forget what she said, mixing in coughs with her words:

  "There used to be before ... [cough] but not [cough] anymore."

(I've used [cough] to only show what I mean. I won't actually be writing it in the dialogue.)

EDIT: Can I say "I cannot forget what she said, interspersing her words with coughs." instead?


texts:
How can I learn the English sounds that don't exist in my mother tongue? I have troubles with distingushing between the long and short sounds, but also it's very hard for me to get the difference between rug and rag and bold and bald and so on.

I know I should practice. And I do - I watch movies and I talk a lot at work. But I would be grateful for any practical tips or books which cover the topic very well.


texts: Can we use "taking advantage of" in a good sense?

texts:
Please check the way I've used "Taking advantage of" in the sentence below?

  How do you take advantage of these characteristics of colors in your
  paintings?

Or should I use "exploit" or "make use of" instead of it?


texts: making sure that things work, period, ... -- I don't understand what "period" means here

texts:
When you create more complex Web applications, it’s generally a good idea to have a
  design of some kind in mind, rather than just attacking the problem using brute force. In
  addition to making sure that things work, period, the most important consideration when
  you’re building applications is making sure that they’re easy to maintain. There’s nothing
  worse than going back and looking at an application a few months after it was written
  and realizing that you have no idea how it works.

I don't understand what the word period means in that sentence.


texts: What's the difference between "think of" and "make of"?

texts:
For example:
"What do you think of this book?" and "What do you make of this book?"
"I don't know what to think of him?" and "I don't know what to make of him?"


texts: What is the meaning of "but he lives it too" in the following context?

texts:
I don't get the meaning of "but he lives it too" in the context below?

  One day he overheard her talking about him with a friend. Lucile was saying: "other men live in things and events and emotions and the future. but he seems to know that living is something else...."

  What else? This friend interrupted curiously.

  "Well, of course every one knows, really. But he lives it too."

  "l am not good enough for her," Bellard thought, and tried his best to
  prove that he was.


texts: Is "that" pointing "lives" in this sentence?

texts:
There are some people who are trying to make their boring lives interesting by criticizing others that they have due to wasting most of their time criticizing others.

Is "that" indicating the "lives" in this first sentence?
((And can I replace "criticizing others" with "doing so"?))

Or, I have to write like this

  There are some people trying to make their boring lives interesting, what boring lives they have because they have wasted most of their time criticizing others.

Or,

  There are some people trying to make their boring lives interesting, what boring lives they have due to wasting most of their time criticizing others.

Or,

  There are some people trying to make their boring lives interesting, boring lives they have because they have wasted most of their time criticizing others.

If I replace "criticizing others" with "doing so", would my sentences still be correct?

Can you tell me any other word that I can use instead of "interesting" in my sentences?


texts: I saw such usages many times(including one in this blog post I saw just now) especially when we are writing on the blackboard, but I don't know why between is simplified as b/w. It seems very strange to a non-native speaker when it meets the eye. Should logic be shelved in such casual cases? Any similar simplifications?


texts:
What does "man of sensitive honour" mean?

(...).. the entire loss of his fortune and good name pressing hard and close upon him ; the man of sensitive honour , whose difficulties have forced him within sight of (...)

https://books.google.com/books?id=j0QZAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA351&lpg=PA351&dq=sensitivehonour&source=bl&ots=Q3hI6eSd5_&sig=ACfU3U0W_RtW3k3UGuqzo1aBeV5MWsJIRA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjSn9q8-abqAhUPsKQKHVd8A64Q6AEwAHoECAsQAQ#v=onepage&q=sensitivehonour&f=false


texts: How could it be that a noun (aircraft and ship) can get a pronoun of "she"?

texts:
I saw a national geographic video and the announcer said (39:25) on the ship building that "the super-tanker is not what she was a few months ago... Now she's painted".

The same thing I saw in a national geographic video (0:03) on aircraft: "she is the latest model.."

Therefor I am wondering why this ship or aircraft get the pronoun "she"?


texts:
What does "in as little as 4 days" mean? Does it mean within 4 days or at least 4 days?

Would anyone please show me if the following are interchangeable, if yes, when? when not? Meanwhile, would you show me a source to teach me such a subtle? I am really confused.

at least

as  little as


texts: Distinguishing between subject and object of sentence when the clause seems ambiguous

texts:
Looking past the literal meaning of the sentence; I'm struggling to identify which is the true subject and object in the following sentence.

"The mother beats up her daughter because she was drunk."
Q: Who is drunk?

Anyone able to help me break this down, please?


texts:
I wonder if it is possible to use a noun as a verb in a casual conversation. This is very common in my native language and when I was doing my research I found a text about it. I sounded like a neologism to me. Would it be weird to use it in a casual conversation? I have seen people use people's names as verbs too, as in "You Britta'd it."
I'm positive I have seen in some TV series someone say something like "You can thing the thing." or "that thingy thing"
The meaning we use in my language is when we do not know or forgot a word, we use thing instead, e.g. Bring me that thing (points to thing). "I forgot to thing the cushion."
Would it be weird to say "my camera is thinged"? Maybe spelled "thing'd"?
This is the full text I found where thing was used as a verb:
https://philosophyisnotaluxury.com/2011/03/to-thing-a-new-verb/#:~:text=Thing%20(v).%20to%20thing,is%20the%20ability%20to%20thing.
This is an excerpt from the text using thing as a verb:
"One of the greatest human skills is the ability to thing. We are thinging beings. We thing all the time. We started by thinging the natural world. We saw a tall plant and we defined that kind of a plant as a 'tree.' We thinged it."
Thanks,


texts:
Is use of "linearly " in the following sentences correct grammatically and conceptually?

  Takao et al. [5] experimentally investigated Wells turbines with
  linearly variable thickness blades.

My means regarding to "linearly" is the following figure:(pleas see the figure)

This is non-linearly:

the following sentences is OK?

  They experimentally investigated the turbines with variable thickness
  blades. The improved turbines under this investigation are created by
  linearly growing blade thickness with radius.


texts: Are the highlighted past participles acting as adjectives or passive voice in these examples?

texts:
The park was covered with snow.

  Mr. Smith is known to everyone in this town.

  The legislator participates in the delegation and is involved in sweeping reforms.

  English is spoken in the UK.

In these sentences, are the highlighted past participles acting as adjectives or passive voice?


texts:
OK, I get the message – I’m going!
OK, I got the message – I’m going!
OK, I've got the message – I’m going!

The sentence 1 is a sentence from Longman Dictionary, but it seems to me grammatically inappropriate. I think it should be in form of the sentence 2 or 3. Because they don't get the message in simple present or even present continuous, are they?


texts:
The dictionary says that it means: "despite the fact that", but I also thought it could also mean "forget about that". Is it the case or I was just mistaken?

I thought about an example like this:

  Is my sister with you? Is she ok?

  Do you want to speak to her? She's next to me.

  Never mind that, instead tell me if you bought the presents for Christmas.


texts: Is the use of "am" in this sentence correct?

texts:
Can I use am as written in this sentence below?

I am certain that I can make a positive contribution to the
Medical Enterprise Center at the Downers Hospital, given my diverse background, and
am sure that a rich exchange will take place.


texts: From your mind or By your mind, correct preposition

texts:
I`m new to this site.

Could you please let me know the correct way of using it in English ?

Think from your mind and work ?

OR

Think by your mind and work ?


texts: can you guys show me the most considerable differences between the meaning/usage of excuse me and I'm sorry?


texts: What words are usually used to describe the units at middle level of a college?

texts: I only know the word "department", such as Foreign Languages Department, but I was told that in some colleges such units are also known as "school" or "college" (a college within a college). If it is a unit of research, it could also be named "center" or "institute". What are the proper words for such units at middle level of a college(or university)?


texts: Why did the speaker say 'noble callings' and 'empower' here?

texts:
There is an old promise, perhaps the boldest promise a people have ever made. It states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all are created equal.” On different corners of this campus today there are many convocations, the law school, the government school, the business school -- each of these noble callings have taken their turn in working to fulfill this most ambitious promise. The law school brought us brown v board, the Kennedy school brought us the civil rights legislation and school choice. The business school brought technological breakthroughs that have empowered the middle class to make it possible for more kids to have access to more ideas, and those have all been indispensable advances that brought us to where we stand today.

Does 'these noble callings' here mean the law school, the government school, the business school? But I don't understand why the speaker expressed it as 'noble callings'. Does that mean what all those shools have done(achieved) are noble and great?

And one more, does that 'empowered' means 'financial support' here?


texts:
What is ‘relevance time’ in the chart below? And would you compare it with ‘narrative time’?

(Angela Downing, English Grammar: A University Course)

(StoneyB's answer in ELL)


texts: Do these various words for "writing something online" have any significant differences in meaning?

texts:
On websites and webforums I often see sentences like:

  "I wrote a post/entry/passage/message for [website]"

In the context, it means that they submitted a section of text to the website for publication.  But what is the difference between them? Are they interchangeable?


texts: Can I use past perfect in this response?

texts:
I would like to know if I can use past perfect in this response:

  Did not know that you would contact me again !!!

  I had tried to contact so many times and did not receive any answer that I completely forgot that I had made an order

Perhaps "tried" would be better but in this case, we wouldn't know if it happened  before or after "did not know" but maybe the meaning is  clear enough and  we would need this form only to emphasize the event, which is what I want to do.

So is it OK to use past perfect to emphasize this event, whether or not the timeline adds up?


texts: OTHERWISE meaning in "Pay owner twice the rental to which he/she is otherwise entitled"

texts:
In these sentences

  Advance token to the nearest Railroad and pay owner twice the rental to which he/she {he} is otherwise entitled. If Railroad is unowned, you may buy it from the Bank

General meaning is   'pay owner twice the rental amount which he/she is entitled to '
  But what is the meaning of otherwise in here and will anything significant happen if we remove it ?
Thank you for answering!


texts: "to who may have done this" vs. "to whom may have done this"

texts:
What should I use? Whom or Who in this sentence

  The Noble requests help from anyone with any clues as to whom may have done this.

or

  The Noble requests help from anyone with any clues as to who may have done this.


texts: "did a bit of googling" vs. "googled a few times"

texts:
According to Cambridge Dictionary, the verb "google" means

to search for something on the internet using the Google search engine (= computer program that finds information)

From a post

I did a bit of Googling and I seemed to find the kind of articles you are looking for by using the word "tips".

I guess it means the author googled a few times, such as, writing tips, writing articles tips, writing post tips, etc.
Consider the following two sentences.

the author did a bit of googling and ...

the author googled a few times and ...

I guess both of them pretty much mean the same thing and the former sounds more colloquial.
Is my understanding correct?


texts:
I’m a newbie here. I have got some reservations on the usage of the word both. To the best of my knowledge, it is followed by are. But in a website I just came across this sentence:

  TESOL Canada board exam is required of both native or non-native graduates with or without teaching experience.

Now in this sentence, I personally think the word both should be followed by the conjunction and in lieu of or.
So I’d be grateful if you guys clear this doubt.


texts: Practical training, internship or practice?

texts:
I was in Technical Secondary School of Economics and I have worked in some companies but I don't know how should I say:
I have been on training practical/internship or practice?
Is there any difference between this words?


texts: Is the phrase "an I Can Read Book" correct?

texts:
I read this phrase on the top of the cover of a book:

  an I Can Read Book

I wonder whether "I Can Read" can be used as an adjective without a hyphen.


texts: Is "There won't be anything happen to ..." grammatically correct?

texts:
"There won't be anything happen to ..."

I saw this on an article. It sounds weird to me. I tried to search on Google with the exact phrase and saw lots of results. I wonder if it's correct. I think there should be "that" between "anything" and "happens" or maybe "something happening". Normally, I always use "nothing will happen" though.


texts: "...all the more deserved" meaning in this context

texts:
I read in a book:

Aesop embodies an epigram not uncommon in human history; his fame is all the more deserved because he never deserved it.

Being a learner I could not make out the meaning of the part of the sentence in bold.
What does it mean?
Thanks in advance.


texts: Confusion regarding “to doing something” vs. “to do something”

texts:
I am always confused with the form of “to doing something”, e.g.:

  I admitted to doing something.

vs.:

  I admitted to do something.


texts: Past perfect tense and definite time adverbs

texts:
Example:

Ken lives in city C. My mom and I live in city B.

    My mom:   Was Ken in city B when we left for city A on 2/15?

    my first response:    He had already arrived at the time.

    my second response:    He had already arrived by then.

    my third respone:    He had already arrived on 2/16.

Which response is grammatically ok?

Can I use a definite time adverb (like yesterday, last month, on 2/16, etc) with past perfect tense when I want to be more specific about what time a past event happened. (of course, on the condition that a past event has been established)


texts: She got an A for effort. (meaning of the sentence)

texts:
She got an A for effort.

She tried to get an A (made an effort to get an A, studied hard and really got it)
We don't know whether she got good grades or not, but the teacher gave her A because she showed an effort.

Which one is close to the example sentence?


texts: If someone asks me : what have you been doing this afternoon and I want to say that I have been reading the newspaper, emphasizing the activity, how I have been occupying myself, not the result, even though I have finished reading the entire paper, can I use the perfect progressive or do I have to use the present perfect: What have you been doing? I have read the paper/ I have been reading the paper?


texts:
Our nose, ears and throat are combined together. And if any one gets infected the other two parts also get affected. And if we need to describe it we say it like

  My ears, nose and throat are infected.

My question is that- is there one word for ear, nose and throat  together which can be used in such type of sentences.

If I am not wrong there is a biological word "pharynx" which describes the part through which these three organs are connected. But in normal conversation pharynx may not be used to describe such situation as it cannot be understood by everyone.

Kindly note that I am not looking for a medical terminology (i.e., otorhinolaryngology, ENT)


texts:
I am wondering can a complete sentence be an object.
Like:

I think she is right.
He says I am a good person.
She suggests we should go together.

These are very common. The grammar structure in the above sentences have two possibilities:

I(subject) think(verb) she is right(object).
I think(a complete clause) that she is right(another clause)

So, my question is whether a complete sentence can be an object or we unintentional omitted the 'that'.


texts: Which one is right "I have talked to him, and he gave me some advises" or "I have talked to him, he has given me some advises"

texts:
Which one is right:

  I have talked to him, and he gave me some advises.

or:

  I have talked to him, he has given me some advises.


texts:
I am not sure about the meaning of the word "warmth" in the following sentence:

  If you think that ML Enhance makes a sunset’s glow look too much like daylight,
  you can move the Temperature slider to the right to
  restore some warmth. (The sentence is not available online.)

Are the words "glow" and "warmth" synonyms here and do both of them simply mean "glowing effect" (sense 3 here) in this context?

Here is a brief description of the ML Enhance feature:

  The machine learning-powered ML Enhance intelligently fine-tunes 37
  individual color adjustments to give you the best starting point for
  making your own creative edits to a photo. Trained on over 20 million
  professional photos and integrated via Core ML 2, ML Enhance makes
  adjustments based on the actual contents of a photo, taking care of
  all the little details that go into a great photo, such as white
  balance, exposure, shadow, and highlight detail, and leaves the
  creative finishing touches to you.

Any suggestions or inputs?


texts:
My kid loves to watch this kind of videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzoH0yKN3hM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1qzWboZAFs
So how would a local say that tires are coming off? I'd like to stick to a phrase that I can use every day.

Tires falling off of the truck
Tires flying off of the truck
Tires taking off of the truck
Tires coming off of the truck

OR

Tires falling off the truck
Tires flying off the truck
Tires taking off the truck
Tires coming off the truck

Thank you.


texts: What's wrong with the phrase "...didn't even have any thought left"?

texts:
Example sentence:

  "She didn't feel anything anymore. She didn't even have any thought
  left.

I thought she second sentence was common. But when I searched for didn't even have any thought, I got 0 results.

What's wrong with that phrase? And what the correct wording?


texts: "5 weeks time span" or "5 week time span"

texts:
Q1: Which one is correct?

  We executed two experiments over 5 weeks time span

OR,

  We executed two experiments over 5 week time span

Q2: is it ok to write time span as two words?

Q3: is it ok to write 5 weeks or 5 week as two words?


texts: Does "have had to v1" mean "have got to v1"?

texts:
They've both had to take on night-watch duties in factories.

In the sentence, I don't understand the use have had to v1. Does it mean have got to v1? Please help me with this. Thanks a lot.


texts:
i have a one simple question.

This is the lyric from the movie 'tangled'.

"All those years outside looking in"

I'd like to know more about this phrase. "outside looking in"

Does that mean you're looking inside from the outside or just looking outside?
Is it "outside" an adj?


texts: Do native speakers pronounce "The" like "a"?

texts:
I don't know If I can hear native speakers correctly but I feel like they don't pronounce the word "the" properly when they speak fast or naturally.

For example:

The sentence "in the world" is pronounced like "inna world".

The sentence "When the waves" is pronounced like "Whenna waves", such as in this video (Mandisa, Stronger).

The sentence "Of the word" is pronounced like "ofa word".

Am I hearing it correctly? If yes, what is the rule? or When do you pronounce "the" like "a"?

If I would like to search about this rule on google what should I type? What is the name or the subject of the rule?

Is this pronunciation in American and British accents?


texts:
Which option fits best in the following sentence?

  As the sun ..... slowly in the west, one by one lights went on in the
  houses.

  dropped
  descended
  sank
  got down

For me 1,2 and 3 works and Ngram also shows up these options.


texts:
I found a sentence like below in my grammar book.

"Did you have problems finding our house?"

Don't you think there is supposed to be a preposition before "finding" ?

Like "Did you have any problems with finding our house?" or "Did you have any problems about finding our house?"

Thanks!


texts:
By the time of the Beowulf poet, Anglo-Saxon society in England was neither primitive nor uncultured.

Which of the sentences below best express  the information in the statement?

Society in Anglo-Saxon England both was advanced and cultured.
The society of the Anglo-Saxon was not primitive or cultured.


texts: What is "a very proper wife" referring to in this sentence?

texts:
She will make him a very proper wife -Pride218-

Does it mean she will become a proper wife? Or she will make him turn into a woman(wife)?

I think that the sentence above goes like this:

He quit smoking cold turkey.
This could mean he quit smoking + he was cold turkey.

So, cold turkey describes the man.

I guess also the given sentence in which "a very proper wife" is embedded has the same structure as the example I provided.

Are those right?