texts: Could you please suggest the correct article usage here?

texts:
In the following sentence, do I need an article before "external influence"?

The juvenile being more vulnerable to (an?) external influence such as numerous marketing campaigns tend to be captured by their materialistic longings.

If the article is needed, could you please explain the reason? I'm a bit confused with determining whether "influence" is countable or uncountable here.


texts: Using "have been" with a date in the past

texts:
Here is the text that contains the problematic expression:

  ...The board was a microcosm of the dysfunction: it split into two
  factions, one of them was led by Perkins... At 73 years old in 2005,
  Perkins may as well have been a time-traveling visitor from a bygone
  age of optimism: he thought that...

My question is about the bold text: Why did the author use "have been"? Why didn't he say something like "Perkinske seemed then like a time-traveling"? Is it correct what the author wrote?


texts: Can "these" be used before a number? -- "All these eight years..."

texts:
Is it correct to say "All these eight years"? I mean, I know that it is pretty common to say "all these years" but what about mentioning the number of years?

"All these eight years, I was sick of sharks, collecting any piece of information about the great white shark in magazines and books."


texts: Looking for the right word - expelling pills from a canister

texts:
I would appreciate if someone could teach me the appropriate word for what I am trying to say.

It must be a verb
The meaning is the action that happens when for example a pill or tablet is expelled from a canister automatically from a machine

Please don't read below this before thinking of a word. (I don't want to influence or interfere your train of thoughts). I am thinking of the word

  "dispense"

(mouse over box to see word)

but I am not sure if it is correct. I would be happy for other alternatives.


texts:
Could you complete the sentence and explain? I don't know the correct answer. I encountered this question at the British Council test but they did not provide any answer end of the test.

Last year, Joanna bought two ... coats in New York

a. long, black, leather
b. black, long, leather
c. leather, black, long


texts: Why do you need to say 'something new', but not 'new something'?

texts: Why you can't put 'new' in front of 'something' to use 'new' as adjective to describe 'something'?


texts: Should I say Where Have You Been To or Where Have You Been In?

texts:
If I want to ask someone how many places he/she has visited before. Should I say in or to?

What if I want to restrict the place in a country, like the US. How should I ask then?

For example, which is correct of these two sentences:
...
Where have you been to in the US?
or
Where have you been in the US?
...

Thanks


texts:
I wrote:

  MD simulations can help [to] gain molecular-level insights into the behavior of solutes in a specific biphasic system.

I'm not sure if it is "help gain" or "help to gain", or maybe "help gaining"; the second sounds more natural to me. I know we can say "help me find/gain/etc." but saying "help find/gain/etc." sounds odd to me. Could you please say what is the rule for these cases (with and without an object)


texts:
Which Tense is correct to use with world Realised ?

e.g..

a ) I realized that I had been cheated by my friend.

b ) I realized that I was cheated by my friend.

For me both sentence construction seems correct as per context.


texts: I can make sense of verbs like turn (the TV) on and take (a tooth) out, as the on and out parts mean working and outside respectively. However, the contribution of the preposition/adverb to the overall meaning of the phrasal verb is not always obvious. For example, he came off as unconcerned. What meaning and role does off play towards the meaning appear ?


texts:
I just want to check what is there any something wrong sentence in the following.

I'm looking for good opportunity to make grow up with my career.
so I'd like to apply to open position.


texts: Which verb should I use with None: Singular or Plural verb?

texts:
When none means "not one," it takes a singular verb, but it can also take plural. In that case, can I write the following sentence as it is, or should I change it to "remembers"? Are both options grammatically appropriate here?

  "You all got drunk, and none of you remember what happened that night?" asked the officer.


texts:
What is the common term to express "your shorts are so sagging that people can almost see your butt"?

My little child is wearing shorts & the rubber band of the shorts is so weak that it can not hold the shorts up.

So the shorts are a little sagging on my child butt & everyone can almost see his butt.

Can I say "you are wearing sagging shorts with butt up" or some common term that native people often say to express that situation.?


texts: One of the elements is/are not skyscrapers

texts:
One of the elements for measuring development is/are not skyscrapers.

Should I use is here which influences one, or are which influences skyscrapers?


texts: Which preposition to use with "access"? "To" or "of"?

texts:
I read a sentence which was:

Social differences among men and women were increased because of the difference in access of resources or property.

Personally, I don't think "of" should be used there. Am I right? I also wanted to ask if "of" can be used with it in some or other context.


texts:
"I hadn't any idea about the vast application of programming language until I knew about it, joining online programming courses."

-- is it a correct sentence? I am especially worried whether I should use the comma before " joining online..." section.

I wanted to express in one sentence that I have learned about the vast application of programming language joining online programming courses and I had no prior idea about it.

May I also write in the following manner? -

"I hadn't any idea about the vast application of programming language until joining online programming courses, I knew about it."


texts:
Which one us correct?

  Jane studied the lawyer's face carefully before she answered him.
  Jane had studied the lawyer's face carefully before she answered him.


texts: A native speaker says "So I puke out the window" in a film. Could you explain the preposition "out" in this case?

texts:
A native speaker said "So I puke out the window" in the film "6 Balloons" (see the script).

Why didn't he say "so I puke through the window" or "so I puke out of the window"?

It is very strange to use "out" like this, which is not often seen in textbooks.

Could you explain the preposition "out" in this case?


texts: "dead for five minutes" vs "dead five minutes"

texts:
I came across this sentence in my dictionary:

  He hadn’t been dead five minutes before those vultures from the media were after his widow.

I am wondering why the prep for is not used there.

I also see these sentences:

  Her mother had been dead for ten years.

  "You're a widow?"—"Yes. My husband's been dead a year now."

It seems to me that for is optional. So, are there any differences in those sentences with or without for?


texts:
I have some question about the usage of "through" and "outside of".  Consider these sentences:

  1a. He made transactions through Amazon Payments.
  2a. He made sales through Ebay.
  3a. He made wire transfers through Bank Of America.

According to some google searches, the opposite of the above sentences is not formed by inserting "not" before "through" like these:

  1b. He made transactions not through Amazon Payments.
  2b. He made sales not through Ebay.
  3b. He made wire transfers not through Bank Of America.

but by replacing "through" with "outside of":

  1c. He made transactions outside of Amazon Payments.
  2c. He made sales outside of Ebay.
  3c. He made wire transfers outside of Bank Of America.

Yet, for this context (Amazon Payments, Ebay, Bank Of America), the dictionary definition of "through" is not really a perfect opposite of the dictionary definition of "outside of".  "Through" means "by using".  And "outside of" does not quite mean "by not using".  Could there be another meaning of "outside of" not found in mainstream dictionaries that would fit the current context?


texts: What is the possessive pronoun for a person whose gender we don't know?

texts:
If I speak about a neutral sex person, what can I say to exprime a possession ?

Example: The student will use his or her pen to write.

Is it better to write every time his or her or is there a correct sentence about it ?


texts:
I like strolling around cities that I travel to.

Vs

I like strolling around in the cities that I travel to.

Is in necessary here or is strolling around itself self sufficient ?


texts: The meaning of "Actually" at the beginning of a sentence followed by an imperative

texts:
What is the exact meaning of "actually" at the beginning of a sentence, followed by an imperative, like:
Actually write down the rules.

Edit:
More context: The writer who has written this sentence has previously said that writing down rules is important.


texts: Are double contractions formal? Eg: "couldn't've" for "could not have"

texts:
Are double contractions, such as following, formal (ie allowed in formal documents/papers)?

it'll've for "it shall have" or "it will have"
mightn't've for "might not have"

How about multiple contractions such as y'all'd've for "you all would have" ?


texts:
If you don't define a default or parameter-less Constructor for your class the C# compiler creates one for it. You're not going to see it, but it will be in the IL or Intermediate Language code that will be result of the compilation.

I saw this sentence in a programming teaching video, I'm wondering why there is no definite article before result, I've Googled around for use cases of zero article but find nothing related to this situation.
The video is here


texts:
I always stuck on this.

  Withania somnifera has proven itself in treating depression and anxiety. OVER   Withania somnifera has proved itself in ...

Whether to use past participle is confusing in such cases. Both seem okay. Another such case is light-weight software that opens fast and light-weighted software that opens fast.


texts: I wonder about the "and in compounds numeral adjectives: should I say "a five-hundred-AND-forty-six-metre-tall/high tower" or should I remove the AND? Do I correctly place the hyphens?


texts: What happens if object of a verb refers to the passive subject?

texts:
I have a sentence:

  In this regard, two hypotheses were picked to study.

by which I mean selection of two hypotheses was done to study [the two hypotheses again]. As shown, study refers to hypotheses again. Is the statement above grammatically sound or should it be reworded to something like the following:

  In this regard, two hypotheses were picked for study.

? Any additional underlying grammatical comments would highly be appreciated.


texts:
Things have moved on since Freud’s day. His emphasis on violent urges and sexual repression as the roots of dreaming now looks old-fashioned. Instead, the premise is that dreams reflect a dreamer’s quotidian experience—either because they are an epiphenomenon of the consolidation of memories or because they are a mental testing ground for ideas the dreamer may have to put into practice when awake. This resemblance between dreams and reality is dubbed the continuity hypothesis by psychologists. Data supporting it, however, are sparse. Such as exist come from clinical studies rather than examinations of people with healthy minds. And the numbers of participants involved tend to be small.

Is "exist" a verb here? This structure: "such as " plus the original form of a verb. Doesn't it look odd? Is it acceptable and normal?

article link ：https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/09/05/do-dreams-reflect-reality


texts:
Here is a song lyric:

  At the starting of the week
  At summit talks you'll hear them speak (DJ SHADOW_SİX DAYS)

I am wondering if the following sentences have the same meaning:

  At the starting of the week
  At summit talks you'll hear them speak

  At the start of the week
  At summit talks you'll hear them speak

which is the most correct usage: start or starting ?


texts:
In the construction below, which preposition is grammatically correct: by or from (or perhaps something else)?

  As the process particularly runs over the objects extracted
  by second constraint, a circular objects detected by third constraint is not affected.

or

  As the process particularly runs over the objects extracted
  from second constraint, a circular objects detected by third constraint is not affected.


texts: Parallelism test question: "By having a budget and (we stuck to it)"

texts:
By having a budget and we stuck to it, we had enough money to try a three star Michelin restaurant.

A. NO CHANGE
B. stuck to it
C. having it stick
D. sticking to it

Question number 15 is testing parallelism. So based on the pattern, having + noun, I marked C. It sounds little awkward. However, the correct answer is D. What am I suppose to do with such situations?


texts: Is it a natural way to say, "we accept credit card payment" when payment is used in this way

texts:
I saw a notice in a local restaurant,

  "we accept credit card payment".

I am wondering if it would be better if the restaurant wrote,

  we accept payment by credit card.


texts: Is there any alternative way to say something you 'used to [infinitive]'?

texts:
I'm talking about the use of 'used to' to mean something you did (regularly?) in your past. English has alternative ways to say something in most of the cases but here, I'm finding it very difficult.

I seek your help to find an alternative way to say this (without adding any ambiguity)

  I used to play golf.   I used to love her.  I used to live in Australia.

I'm keeping these sentences short with no further detail because I want an alternate sentence for such construction only. You may understand that I need an alternative for 'I used to ...infinitive'.


texts: Where does this come from? Why do soldiers talk about their color(s?) instead of their flag (like in capture the flag).


texts: does "in the island of Jamaica" refer to "her life had been.."?

texts:
does "in the island of Jamaica" refer to "her life had been.." in the following context?

Her earth name had been Morgan, and King was rather the
general title of a certain class of spirits than an ordinary name. Her life
had been spent two hundred years before, in the reign of Charles the
Second, in the island of Jamaica.


texts:
Today,when my English teacher helped me and my classmates to scan through the chapter one in the volume one of Harry Potter,she asked us to write a composition. However,the topic she wrote was a little odd to me.

She wrote：

  Tell one thing that Ms.Dursley was afraid of the Potters.

To be honest,I knew what she wanted to say was 「tell one of the reasons Ms.Dursley was afraid of the Potters」.
Thus,I really believed its structure had a grammatical error.
And then,I told her that she should correct it to the sentence "tell one thing that Ms.Dursley was afraid of the Potters for ".
Notwithstanding,she said she didn't understand why the sentence needed "for" at the end.
So, isn't there the error in her sentence?Why or why not?

If it had errors,how to correct it in the best way?


texts: What's a word to refer to "school homework" and "take-home work"?

texts:
So, we have homework that they give you in high school and university. Then we have take-home work which they give your in an office or any workplace.

Is there a word that you can use to refer to these two types of home assignments?


texts: Why is using only one "a" enough in this sentence?

texts:
[...] Leonardo da Vinci became renowned for his multiple talents: he was a painter, architect, engineer, mathematician and inventor.

In the above sentence, why has only one "a" been used, even for words that begin with a vowel?


texts: Using Past Simple (verb to be) for Unreal (Counterfactual) Past Situations

texts:
In this post (Using just Past Simple in the Third conditional) Michael Swan says:

  262 if (7): other structures found in spoken English

  4 mixed tenses
  Sometimes a simple past tense is used with if where a past perfect would be normal. This is more common in American English.
      If I knew you were coming I'd have baked a cake.
      If I had the money with me I would have bought you one.
      If I didn't have my walking boots on I think I would have really hurt my foot.

However, Swan does not give examples for the verb to be case. I wonder if American speakers -informally- also use the past simple for verb to be too in counterfactual (unreal) past situations.

It seems that this thought is possible in theory. There is this quote for an Australian speaker on Yahoo News

  It's likely a police officer who was shot at a Sydney hospital would
  have died if he wasn't in the emergency ward at the time.


texts:
What is the meaning of largeish in below text:

I'd like to book a largeish group of students from York High School into the barns for a few nights in July.


texts: usage of procure in [procure a movie contract, a deal, a good price, data and a loan]

texts:
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to procure means to get possession of something or to get something by particular care and effort.
I have made up the sentences below.
(1) As a new actor, I find it difficult to procure my first movie contract.
(2) I have been losing money in my business. I'm hoping to procure a deal soon before I have to close it permanently.
(3) Houses are very expensive these days. I have been looking at houses and comparing their prices. With a limited budget, I have not been able to procure a good price.
(4) Scientists have procured large amounts of data related to global warming.
(5) I didn't have much success in procuring a bank loan last year.
If the way I used the verb was wrong, how do you use it?


texts:
Can we use "could" to express future events?

How could we recover this much amount from him in future, if he will not earned any income?
How we could manage our time for tomorrow's program?

Without context what would be the meaning of below sentence? Is it for future, present or future?

I could do it for you.


texts: What's the difference between “maybe I'll go”, “I might go”, and “I may go”?

texts:
Maybe I'll go to London.

I might go to London.

I may go to London.


texts: What is the difference between "in the day", "on the day" and "during the day" in context?

texts:
Tell me please the difference between the following sentences.

  February 11 was really hectic, so I had to do a ton on the day.

  February 11 was really hectic, so I had to do a ton in the day.

  February 11 was really hectic, so I had to do a ton during the day.

I am are that "in the day" may mean a specific stretch of time of 24 hours, and "on the day" may mean a specific date. But don't they basically mean the same in my sentences?


texts: Is it correct that vouch is only to claim something true without proof, while attest is to prove something true?


texts: I'll never be marrying / I'll be never marrying / I'll never marry

texts:
Which out of the 3 options given in title is correct to replace the bold part of below given sentence ?

  I'll never be marrying anyone, but will be a dancer.

I guess the structure/tense  before and after but should be same so according to this is I'll be never  marrying correct ?

This is an error spotting question asked in exam. The question structure was like this : I will never be marrying (A) anyone, but (b) will be a dancer. (C) No error (D)
I had to choose one out of four options A, B, C and D.


texts: What is the difference between "Do I go?" and "Am I going?"

texts: I have doubt of this difference. Please help me, what is the major difference is therebetween the two?


texts:
"My father will go through an operation on his ear."

This is the sentence. Is this correct?


texts: 'Are they something' and 'they are something'

texts:
Which of these sentences is correct?

Are they apples or they are bananas?

Are they apples or are they bananas?


texts: A tariff moves the economy closer to the no-trade equilibrium and, like most taxes, has deadweight losses.


texts:
"Self-schemas are to an individual’s total self–concept as a hypothesis is to a theory, or a book is to a library."  (source: Social Psychology by Steven Fein)

Subject is/are to Noun.  I could not figure out the meaning of "be to noun" so I looked it up but could not find the meaning.  What does the preposition "to" here mean?  It cannot be "about or applied to".

In other words, analogy or another example to say the same thing etc, that I understood already. What I meant was I did not understand that "Self-schemas {are to} an individual’s total self–concept." Be to a verb is the idiom I understand but not this idiom in the bracket { }. (e.g. I understand that my hobbies are to read books, and to watch educational documentaries.)
Could you help me clarify it?


texts: My English professor corrected me when I wrote the following sentence: "What's so laughable?". Obviously I wanted to convey that something seemed laughable and I wanted to know what, but he answered that "laughable" is a noun, and he gave me this option: "What's something that you can laugh at?" I'm totally bewildered because in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary it appears only as and adjective. Thank you in advance.


texts: more congestion than Marshall's sinuses -- what are they talking about?

texts:
Source: TCP/IP For Dummies, 6th Edition by Candace Leiden and Marshall Wilensky (2009)

Example:

  First of all, we don’t recommend setting up a host to be both a client and
  server. Just because something is possible doesn’t mean you should do it. A
  computer that tries to do everything has more congestion than Marshall's
  sinuses.

What is this in reference to?


texts: 'Alert whomever may read' - should it be 'whoever'?

texts:
I read this morning :

  ... words which leap from the second verse and alert whomever may read the epistle ... to the fact that ...

I am not clear with what exactly is going on with 'alert whomever may read'. Is 'whomever' the grammatical object of 'alert' or is it the grammatical subject of 'may read' ? Or is it both ?

So should it be 'whoever' ?


texts: What is this strange usage of this idiom?

texts:
Put your back in the task.

I found this but my dictionary says "put ones back into ..."

But here in the sentence "In" is used. Is it possible to change "into" into "in"?


texts:
I am wondering whether the following phrase should contain a or not?

Although I have worked with many students in my role as a teacher, I can remember her easily because she was in the top 10% of my class.


texts: Is this sentence a run on, if it is how could I fix it?

texts: This is just the very first time that the reader sees Eckleburg’s eyes, and it is a very well documented moment, which affirms that it is a very important part of the symbolism of the book.


texts:
Is it always possible to just use 'to' instead of 'in order to'?

What is actually the additional information provided by 'in order to'?

I understand in order to as meaning that the aforementioned action comes first (in order) and thus enables the subsequently mentioned action.

So we have the order: 1st action allows 2nd action.

But isn't this always the case, even when using 'to' in order to describe a following action that requires the aforementioned action?

I find it quite difficult to explain what I mean, particularly because I do not know what clauses that begin with 'in order to' are called. Cause/reason clauses, or something like that?


texts: What is the reference of "an hour-long attraction" in this paragraph?

texts:
In this paragraph:

The demise of cine-variety and the decline in weekly attendances from
110 to 60 million between 1930 and 1933 prompted the decision to add
an hour-long attraction to the cartoons, newsreels and shorts already
supporting the big picture in order to offer value for money to
matinee patrons who often preferred quantity to quality.

As I understand, demise of cine-variety and decline attendances has caused somebody (or a system) adds an hour-long attraction to the cartoons, newsreels and shorts. But I can't understand what is exactly this "an hour-long attraction".


texts: past simple and then past perfect for the same suggestion

texts:
The past tense is silent with respect to whether the past assertion is now true. There is no implication that it is or may be no longer valid. "I suggested that the word zeitgeist was of German origin" is simply a statement of what was suggested, without reference to the present. You do not have to change was to is if your intention is to recount or relate what you had suggested.

This is a comment to a question done by MrTROMANO I just would like to know why he used "had suggested" , why did he use past perfect , seems strange as in the other sentence he used past simple , is it to emphasize the suggestion or does it mean you had suggested before you asked the question


texts: Usage of "same" as an adverb or adjective

texts:
Could I take this usage of "same" as an adverbial phrase?

To save on expenses, we moved into a shared office unit with another company the same size as ourselves.

Originally this sentence is from here. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/move+in+with+(someone+or+something)


texts:
Mark spends time with Veronika on his own as he is attracted to her,
  and she prefers his company over Simon's, even though she says she may
  like Simon more than he likes himself.

I didn't understand What Veronica trying to say about her relation with Simon in this sentence.


texts: are anniversary vs. commemoration equal on sad events - esp pertaining family member's passing

texts:
What would be a "better" noun to use in commemoration of a family member's passing - anniversary, commemoration, memorial ? Or are "anniversary" and "commemoration" 100% exchangeable ?

A similar discussion was posted and answered before -
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/145069/is-it-correct-to-use-anniversary-to-commemorate-a-sad-event-or-is-it-better-to

and it partially addressed (a) anniversary vs memorial and (b) the issue that the noun anniversary brings with it a connotation that results from the frequent association of "anniversary" to events worthy of "celebration".

In line of the association in (b) for anniversary, is commemoration a better term, especially for an event to remember a passing family member ? Is "memorial" acceptable if the annual memorial event does not take place on the exact day of the member's passing.


texts:
Why author changes conventional word order, I think like that - 'His life had been with only one tragedy'?

  His had been a life with only one tragedy—the simultaneous death of his young wife and the stillborn child who would have been a sister
  to the one-year-old Charles.

THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT’S WOMAN
by John Fowles


texts: "Denoting A the set" or "denoting by A the set"

texts:
In mathematical language one often uses the phrase

  Denote by A the set with whatever properties.

and similar uses of the word "denote". (See for example Is it correct to use an expression "we denote something by x"?.) Let us accept this usage as correct.

Can the word "by" be omitted? The sentence would then read

  Denote A the set with whatever properties.


texts:
I was reading the FATF recommendation and its title was

  INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS  ON COMBATING MONEY LAUNDERING  AND THE FINANCING  OF TERRORISM & PROLIFERATION

I understand every thing other than "proliferation" in above sentence.  In my dictionary it means growing rapidly or multiplying rapidly, but this meaning don't make sense in here I think!  So what's the correct definition?!


texts:
Let's say A=10%, B=15%. How can I express how much higher B is than A.
I can not say "B is 5% higher than A", because that means B=(1+5%)*A.


texts:
It's from A Little Java, a Few Patterns:

  Do not rush through this book. Allow seven sittings, at least. Read
  carefully. Mark up the book or take notes; valuable hints are
  scattered throughout the text. Work through the examples, don't scan
  them. Keep in mind the motto "Think first, experiment later."

So, what is the meaning of Allow seven sittings in given context?


texts:
Which form is corect in English:

  Back to the 1995.

OR

  Back to 1995.


texts:
The sentence I am stuck with:

  The specimen to be tested is injected into an environmental chamber through which a constant flow of air passes.

I paraphrase it in my mind:

  The specimen which will be tested is injected into an environmental chamber through which a constant flow of air passes.

After reducing the sentence I paraphrased:

  The specimen tested is injected into an environmental chamber through which a constant flow of air passes.

To me, to be is redundant in The specimen to be tested is...

If the sentence is correct, what is my mistake?


texts: Difference between "having" and "having had"

texts:
Often, I've seen 'having' with verb 3form but it doesn't make sense to me at all

  Having done work, I went home",

Does this mean "I did work first with myself then I went home"?  or anything else?

  Having had the work done, I went home?

Does it mean here, "First I got work done with other people, then I went home"?


texts: Gerund: Usage and meaning of "preposition +Being+past participle"

texts:
I've read in BBC that we use use "being" as a verb-ing. BBC has listed two kinds of usage. What I want to learn here is about the "preposition+verb-ing" form of usage. It has been said that "being+past particle" here is functioning as a noun. But I don't know what kind of meanings it would convey. So, the following are two examples from BBC:

  I look forward to being interviewed on the current affairs programme. (What does "being interviewed" mean?)
  She was afraid of being accused of a crime which she did not commit.
  (Does it mean: She was afraid of that she was accused of a crime,...)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv197.shtml

I think the following are also the examples of "preposition+verb-ing":

  John talks about being helped by a stranger.
  (Does it mean: john talks about that he was helped by a stranger.)

  Before being moved to an apartment, he lived in a hostel.
  (Does it mean: "Before he was moved to...")

  Despite being helped by nurse, he slipped and fell.
  (Does it mean: despite he was helped by nurse ,...)

  What is the risk of being killed in war?
  (Does it mean: what is the risk of killing in a war?)

  What are the chances of being killed by a falling tree?
  (Does it mean: what are the chances of killing in a war?)
  Share your experiences of being helped by a teacher.

  (Does it mean: share your experiences when you were helped by a stranger?)

Please explain to me the meaning and usage of "being+past particle" when we use it with a "preposition".


texts:
For example,

It is of no great bulk.

It is of no use whatever.

This book is of elegant format.

and so on.

I don't understand why don't use 'is' but 'is + preposition'? especially 'is of'

And what is difference between them?


texts:
https://www.lingq.com/cs/lesson/lesson-11-breaking-up-431403/

It has to be face to face, a phone call, text message or 'Dear John'' letter are cowardly ways out, and it should be somewhere private.

I found that "way-out" means "unusual". But I could not find anything about the phrase "ways out". What does "ways out" mean in the above context?


texts: Can you really use "leisure centre" in this context?

texts:
What do you call the activity/place that kids go to after school while their parents are at work? Like a day-care centre, only for slightly older kids? A friend suggested "leisure centre", but to me, that's not the same thing at all... Or am I wrong about this? Would you use leisure centre for this? If not, what would you use?
Thank you!


texts: Replacing a simple past in passive voice with "past perfect"

texts:
Please help me with changing the sentence below into past perfect tense.

  Of course they didn't fly. because planes weren't invented yet.

Is this correct :

  Of course they didn't fly. because the plane hadn't been invented yet.

Thanks in advance.


texts: What's the meaning of "bottom third" here?

texts: If you sleep on your back: "Back sleepers need thinner pillows, so their head is not thrown too far forward," Bernard says. Also look for a pillow with extra loft in the bottom third of the pillow to cradle your neck.


texts:
What's the difference between:

They are not your friends if you had to change for them.

They are not your friends if you have to change for them.

Context: 1 2 3  are are a group of friends, 4 considers them as his friends and wants to join them, the three friends tell him that he should change
 his look  to show that he's worthy of being their friend and hang out with them.

4 goes to his friend (5) and tells him what the group of friends said, 5 says : Forget them they are not your friends if you had to change for them. or They are not your friends if you have to change them.


texts: How to say "Stay where you are" in this context?

texts:
I'm writing a kind of a little senario. A child was running. There was a stone in the road so he felt. His leg hurt. A doctor was passing by and said:

  You will be okay. You just need to sit here and have a little rest for
  a few minutes.

I'm not sure if the doctor should say: You need to stay sitting here. As the boy is already sitting on the ground because of his leg hurting. Is the word rest good? or Is it should be used in situations like an athlete who has been training for a long time for example? Does the sentence, in general, mean that the boy shouldn't move and stay where he is for a few minutes.

I know that this is not good medical advice but it has its purpose :D


texts:
Don’t get me wrong. Interstellar is a magnificent film, true to the richest traditions of science fiction, visually and auditorily astounding. See past the necessary silliness and you will find a moving exploration of parenthood, separation and ageing.
  Source: Interstellar: magnificent film, insane fantasy | George Monbiot | Comment is free | The Guardian

Could you please explain to me the phrase See past the necessary silliness. Does it mean that regardless of the necessary silliness (collateral damage) the movie is great?


texts: What is the difference between "a lot of friends" and "lots of friends"?

texts:
I am wondering whether there are differences in meanings between following two expressions.

  I used to have a lot of friends 5 years ago.

  I used to have lots of friends 5 years ago.

As a non-native English speaker, I cannot find any difference between these two.
Please enlighten me if there are differences in nuances.


texts:
I'm afraid I'm talking about my favourite topic, consciousness, wrong. Can you please check which of these cases of my trying to use the word on Reddit are correct?

  "Quantum wave form collapses after every interaction. So you don't need an observer and you don't need a consciousness to explain quantum physics."
  "But yeah, all possibilities might be true if parallel universes exist. The question is whether we can suppose that other consciousnesses in other universes are as conscious as we are - because we can't be sure those universes actually "exist" unless we ourselves experience them."
  "If you look into the polls, most philosophers think there's actually no "threshold" - in the sense that there can be a lot and a little of consciousness."
  "I think utilitarianism can be broaden to maximizing happiness for the maximum number of consciousnesses."


texts:
What is the meaning of reeling in flight?

  He has destroyed host and sent the lords of Trident reeling in flight.

Thanks.


texts:
What is difference between "on a diet" and "in a diet"?

I know that "on a diet" is correct expression.

But, I want to know the cause that "in a diet" is not correct.

And I wonder why "in a hurry" is correct and "on a hurry" is not correct.

Both "on" and "in" have as meaning of state, don't they?


texts:
As if living on a different planet, students complain that the cost of
  tuition — averaging $6,500 a year in 2016-17 — is so high that it may
  never pay off, especially in the gig economy, where jobs are
  precarious.

Yes, post-secondary education makes you rich, but that may not be the best part

What does the 'gig economy' mean? I looked up a few dictionaries for the word 'gig' before I posted this question but couldn't wrap my head around it when it came with the word 'economy.'


texts: Is "The first place he went to was to his bed." a wrong sentence?

texts:
The first place he went to was to his bed.

My point is, is the second "to" superfluous in the sentence?


texts: "After {I have learned/learning} English for three months..." - which is the better choice?

texts:
After I have learned English for three months, I met an American on a street.
After learning English for three months, I met an American on a street.

Which one is right in grammar, or more accurate?


texts:
I am really  wondering what is the difference between the two:

A. Men managers

B. Man managers

Thanks in advance


texts:
Use spaces liberally throughout your code. “When in doubt, space it out.”

In the above sentence, what does "space it out" mean?

Source: https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/best-practices/coding-standards/javascript/#spacing


texts:
I'm reading a story in English: it's not my native language. Two friends have fun together and make pancakes. Friends throw up pancakes in the air during cooking and have a contest: whose pancake will be higher.

  “This means I win.”

  “It does not! My pancake clearly went way higher than yours.”

  “It had to land back in the pan, Chris.”

  “Says who?”

  “Logic.”

  “Nu-uh, you don’t get to pull that -”

  “Well then get the damn thing off the ceiling fan then!”

I don't understand what does you don’t get to pull that mean here?


texts:
hope: want something to happen and think that it is possible
  (1) I hope (that) you’re okay.
  (2) Detectives are hoping (that) witnesses will come forward. (OALD)

It seems that ‘hope’ is used in both the possibilities, future and present. That is, (1) can denote that ‘I hope you are okay now’ or ‘I hope you will be okay in the future’ In the same line, (2) can be rephrased like this: ‘Detectives are hoping witnesses come forward.’

Are my imagination permitted in English word, hope?


texts:
I've got troubles perceiving the difference in meaning between these terms. They have different Latin roots which means they have to be different (efficacy—efficacia, efficiency—efficientia). These nouns also have different derived adjectives (efficacy—efficacious, efficiency—efficient).
I will try to swap these terms and you say whether the sentences sound correct?

There is little information on the efficiency of this treatment.
Greater energy efficacy.


texts: How to ask a wondering question to make a listener deduce the answer

texts:
How can someone ask a wondering question to make a listener deduce the answer?

Here are a couple of examples to demonstrate what I mean:

  A: Is he sad because he lost 1 Bitcoin?
  B: He was extremely sad because he lost a couple of dollars yesterday so how would a Bitcoin be?! (or what about a Bitcoin?!)

Second example:

  A: Did son gave his mother an expensive present?
  B: Last week, he gave a friend a very valuable present so how about his beloved mother?!

I'd like to ask those questions Colloquially (not formal) and a U.S. answer is preferable. Forgive me if I wrote a completely wrong question words. I don't know the right ones.


texts: Articles (A / an / the) How do you understand difference between 'all things of that kind' and 'all the things referred to by a noun'?

texts:
How do you understand difference between 'all things of that kind' and 'all the things referred to by a noun'?

quote:

We use a/an with a singular noun to say something about all things of that kind:
A man needs friends. (= All men need friends)
A dog likes to eat meat. (= All dogs like to eat meat)

We use the definite article to say something about all the things referred to by a noun:
The wolf is not really a dangerous animal (= Wolves are not really dangerous animals)


texts:
Below is a paragraph I've come across on BBC. Is the first sentence dangling?

The paragraph is introduced earlier in the article as part of a section in which business leaders "share their plans or thoughts on running a business in 2017".

  Include a regular slot in the working day or week for staff to work out together or alone, followed by a healthy communal lunch. This is a great way of bringing staff together socially, whilst improving their physical and mental health. This leads to a happier, more productive and collaborative workforce.

Should the first word be including?

From http://www.bbc.com/news/business-38287871


texts:
I have some questions about pronunciation. I've never had an experience of talking to a native English speaker, so these questions might be silly.
1) I have troubles with pronouncing the 'r' letter in the plural forms of some nouns. For example, I pronounce 'user' without 'r' at the end, but I find it very difficult to pronounce 'users' without 'r' (same with 'sinner' and 'sinners') so I pronounce them as in American English. On the other hand, I do pronounce 'cars' without 'r' and I think there are plenty of other examples, but I can't recall them now.
2) Usually, I pronounce words as if I'm speaking British English, but I'm very used to pronouncing some words as in American English. For example, I pronounce 'schedule' as 'skedʒuːl', 'privacy' with 'praɪ' at the beginning.

Is it critical to change my pronunciation? I don't think I can speak American English since I'm used to British English, so it would be more rational to choose British English as my goal, but it would be also very hard to get rid of these Americanisms. Would it sound funny or stupid if I talked to someone?


texts: What is the indirect meaning to this dialogue in Baywatch (2017)?

texts:
Mitch said this dialogue to Victoria leeds.

  Mitch: I heard you were a head-turner. What an understatement that is.

  Victoria: And I heard you were a charmer. Guess that's an
  understatement, too.

Does it means Victoria is not beautiful in Mitch dialogue?


texts: Word request - What is the word to describe a line or sentence that you can sing

texts:
I wonder if there is any words in English to describe a line which you can sing.

The line (or sentence) doesn't come from a song. So for example, saying "a line from a song" is not correct.


texts: She IS a two-time Academy Award nominee vs He WAS the champion of 2015 competition

texts:
I was strolling on the Wikipedia page and saw phrases like

  She is a two-time Academy Award nominee. Source

and

  He was the champion of 2015 competition.

I would like to know which one is correct? and why? Sometimes, I am confused with when to use is and when to use was.


texts:
Could you tell me what "would" function" here?

Questioner: hello. I've got a doubt concerning a statement to talk about the future: do we say the best student will win a prize or The best student is winning a prize?

Answer: The correct fom here WOULD be "will win". You WOULD say  "is winning" when you are describing the present - i.e. when you are watching the prize-giving ceremony


texts: Do people read, for example, "Bears' 20-12 loss" as "Bears' twenty to twelve loss" or "Bears' twenty twelve loss"？


texts:
I was listening to Fluorescent Adolescent, and I wondered if the it is pronounced in the first two verses.

You used to get it in your fishnets
Now you only get it in your night dress

If I search for these verses without the it I do find some references. So, I'm not sure if the singer pronounced them and I didn't get, or he didn't pronounce.


texts: Meaning of "by the year" and "year - year" format in business

texts:
If I would say now

  I will finish my work by the year 2020.

Does it mean I have to finish the work before the year 2020? Last day 31.12.2019

Or it includes even days in 2020? So last day is 31.12.2020.

Also in business strategy plan it says:

  [2015-2020]

  We will do this and this and this.

So they have time to do those things between 1.1.2015 and 31.12.2019.

Or it's between 1.1.2015 and 31.12.2020?

Thank you.


texts: as hard as you can vs as hard as you could

texts:
(1) You are not working as hard as you can to learn how to ski.

I think there is nothing with (1). I will change the modal verb, can, to its past tense.

(2) You are not working as hard as you could to learn how to ski.

Besides the tense difference, how does the past tense, could, change the meaning of the first sentence in which "can" is used?


texts: Grammar and meaning of: Give back to someone for something

texts:
I'm writing a letter and I came up with the following sentence:

I want to give back to the community for what it has been giving me my whole life.

I'm struggling with its meaning and grammatical correctness.

When I researched the first part of the sentence with "give back to", I only found examples that end the sentence with "give back to community." but never continue with "for what...". Does such combination even make sense in English? And if it does, is it perceived in a positive way or in a negative way? For example, is it perceived as if I'm thankful for what they've been giving me or it's rather perceived in a way that I want to punish them?
Is it correct to say "the community ... for what it has been" or it's better to say "the community ... for what they have been"?
Is it correct to say "for what it has been giving me my whole life" or it's better to say "for what it has been giving me through/throughout my whole life"


texts:
We have been received the certificate from the sony company.

Can we use the company in this sentence?


texts:
Consider this sentence, please:

Your child might do better with a different teacher.

Can I paraphrase "might" with "it is possible that...would..."? For example:

It is possible that Your child would do better with a different teacher.


texts: Does 'trip' only mean 'the travelling' or does it include 'the tour'?

texts:
I'm still confused after reading the dictionary explanation. I think the word 'trip' normally emphasise 'the way from A to B', but does it include or mean 'a tour' as well?

For example, “I won a trip to Paris.” Does that mean I won a one-way ticket to Paris, or a round trip ticket, or a round trip ticket plus the sightseeing tickets etc.?

In other words, is there any chance that 'trip' means 'a tour'?


texts: What's the meaning of "undercurrents" here?

texts:
I'm translating a text into Spanish and I don't fully understand this sentence (undercurrents):

A guy has just returned from a travel. But in fact he's plotting against the government and his journey had to do with that, although the doctor doesn't know anything about it (the others do, though).

  "We've thought we'd come over for dinner, to catch up. I'm sure that he's brought all kinds of exciting news from there", the doctor went on to say, cheerfully oblivious to the undercurrents.

Undercurrents = oblivious to what his words were really implying?

Undercurrents = oblivious to what was really happening?

Could you please help me?

Thank you in advance.


texts:
Bobby Seale, national chairman of the Black Panther Party and eighth defendant, says to Tom, one of the Chicago 7 group:

Bobby: The seven of you, you've all got the same father, right? You
all got the same father, right? "Cut your hair…don't be a fag, respect
authority, respect America, respect me." Your life, it's a "fuck you"
to your father, right? A little?
Tom Hayden: Maybe.
Bobby: And you can see how that's different from a rope on a tree?
Tom Hayden: Yeah.

What does "a rope on a tree" mean?
Source: The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)


texts: meaning of the phrase "though it may be"?

texts:
It is from Crash Course World History. It is at around 5 minute and 8 second. Here is the context:

  Human beings, regrettable though it may be, are inherently vicious, and have to be restrained from their viciousness.

Would it mean the same if the host said it this way?

  Human beings, though it is regrettable, are inherently vicious, and have to restrained from their vicikusness.

If he could, then why did he use may be?


texts: What's the second meaning of "blue" here?

texts:
A Reddit 'Shower thoughts' post:

  If you borrow someone's newly bought blue cheese, you would have something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue all in one item.

  You could go to a wedding with that one item!

I'm guessing there's some pun or other non-obvious meaning behind 'blue' here, likely some contrast to 'borrowed' but I don't think I've ever encountered it in such context. What's so special about 'blue' that it got included here that the post raked up 17,500 upvotes?


texts: Why does the sentence have the indefinite article?

texts:
The WA premier Colin Barnett will appeal to Tony Abbott to help save
  his state from a proposed 549-million dollar funding cut. (ABC
  News)

Why does the sentence select not 'the' but 'a'? : I guess the WA's appeal must have connected a specific proposition.


texts: Can we use intransitive verbs with passive voice?

texts:
I asked a question about passive voice “The attack happened” or “The attack was happened”

And the answer was:

  We only use the passive for transitive verbs, ones with an object ... but it doesn't work for intransitive verbs like happen ...

But, I noticed some people use passive voice with intransitive verbs.

  Police said the man was gone by the time cops arrived and officers didn’t find him nearby. The Suffolk Times
  Later on, Polanski was sincerely made his apologies in public against Samantha and saying that he regretted what was happened before. The classical arts
  The company's stock was fell as much as 14% on Thursday. Business Insider

Unless I the above are not a passive voice and I misunderstand it. When can we use intransitive verbs with passive voice?


texts: Why is it car exhaust fumes and not car's exhaust fumes? & What type of nouns are they?

texts:
I would like to know what type of nouns car exhaust fumes, car accident, school day, air quality... are because, many times, I write such nouns with apostrophes, like car's exhaust fumes, air's quality, and car's engine, then find out they are not written this way.

For example:

  (bedroom, football, sunglasses...) = Compound nouns

  (high-spirited, long-lasting, never-ending...) = compound adjectives

  (car exhaust fumes, car accident, school day, air quality...) = ?

I know my question might sound silly but please bear with me.


texts: Why "coming up"? Why not simply "coming"?

texts:
I'd like to know the difference between the usage of coming up and coming.
For example, the Pink's song says: "I'm coming up so you better get this party started".

If someone removes the "up", would it change the meaning?


texts:
Please have a look on the following example and let me know which choice sounds correct:

  — Yet it was still an encouraging victory for Mourinho’s team and a difficult afternoon for Tottenham Hot spur was probably summed up by the moment Dele Alli, the .......... young player, scored three goals hand over first. [Source] (with a slight change.)

a. impudent
b. insolent
c. impertinent

Based on dictionary definitions, they all mean "rude" to me. But perhaps "impudent" (at least) can be used here properly. I doubt the other two can work either.

Dictionary definitions:

  Impudent: rude and not showing respect, especially towards someone who is older or in a more important position

  Impertinent: rude and not showing respect, especially towards someone older or in a higher position than you.

  Insolent: rude and not showing respect.

As you see, the definitions are so close that I have to be able to use them interchangeably.

Note: Please consider that the meaning in my question is something absolutely positive.


texts: The position of the conjunctions and adverbials

texts:
I have some location problems with sentences that have more than one prepositional phrase or conjunction.
Examples,

I decided to come there yesterday.

What does it mean? I decided it yesterday or I came there yesterday.

I have been working in order to have good life conditions since I graduated.

Is this correct? I think that "since I graduated" is too far away from "working", because "in order to.." separates them from each other. It seems confusing, what do you suggest? Thanks.


texts:
But behind the locked door at the top of the house, the picture of Dorian
  Gray grew older every year. The terrible face showed the dark secrets of his
  life.The heavy mouth, the yellow skin,the cruel eyes -- those told the
  real story. Again and again, Dorian Gray went secretly to the room looked
  first at the ugly and terrible face in the picture, then at the beautiful
  young face that laughed back at him from mirror

what does this phrase mean?: "heavy mouth"

Edit: this excerpt comes from "Picture of Dorian Gray", written by Oscar Wilde. thank to Catija.


texts:
... But she has a distinctive postmodern angularity and quirk; Suwichakornpong keeps you off balance with shroom-fuelled fantasy and Lynchian departures.

What is the meaning of this compound adjective, shroom-fuelled?


texts:
Is this sentence correct?
I am hesitant about the part of

  as a protein source - is it in the right place in the sentence?

And also about

  the production of which - How should i connect the second sentence with the first one?

The food industry is heavily reliant on arable crops, especially on South American soy import as a protein source - the production of which cannot be considered sustainable or environmentally responsible in the long term.

Thanks for the helps!


texts: What do you call a cloth reminiscent of a scarf but rectangular a little like a blanket? I can't remember the word for it, but I am pretty sure there's a specific word for it. I don't think it's worn like a scarf, but maybe I am wrong on this.


texts:
The lesson had comprised part of the reign of Charles I, and
  there were . . .

How do we read ‘Charles I’?


texts:
SOURCE

What is the meaning and grammatical structure of the bolded sentence?

In the final paragraphs of the Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein characterizes psychology as consisting of empirical methods and "conceptual confusion." The methods of psychology appear to provide it with a rigorous means for answering questions about the nature of psychological processes, but problem and methods "pass one another by" (PI, p. 232 e). This situation, and not the fact that psychology is a young science, explains the "barrenness" of psychology.
Wittgenstein foresaw that such conceptual confusion could be clarified through an investigation into the character of psychological concepts as such. The beginning of such an investigation was carried out in his remarks published together in the volume entitled Zettel and in the two-volume collection entitled Remarks on the philosophy of psychology.


texts: Using "an out of line train" to describe a train which is going out of rails

texts: I want to describe a train which is going out of rails. In Farsi/Persian language we say an "out of line train" but I am not sure about English. I found something about out of rails not out of line or lines. Also, there is a doubt that can I use it for broken trains too which are not in use anymore?


texts: A question about pronoun-antecedent agreement

texts:
According to a friend on mine, the pronoun HIM in the following sentence is Okay. Whereas, in my understanding it should have been THEM. Please let us know which one is according to the English grammar rule.

"When you get so used to being with someone, you will have no idea what to do without HIM/THEM."


texts: Is it correct to use that/which in the relative clause when it is referring to the place as an object pronoun?

texts:
I was teaching an ESL class and came across this sentence which confused me a lot:

"The Queen Alice is the place that I go to the most"
"Isn't that the place which kids under 12 can't enter?"

Are these 2 sentences correct? Shouldn't "where" be used for both sentences when it's referring to the place and replacing the object?


texts:
Given that "I paid the bill",
when I want to use "pay" as an noun, what should be the preposition that used with it?
"I made the payment for the bill",
"I made the payment of the bill",
"I made the payment of the food",
"I made the payment for the food".


texts: Can "It escaped (from) my eye" imply that we did not notice a typo in our writing?

texts:
How can we imply that we did not notice our typo on a writing like essay? Consider a friend of mine reads my writing and says "There is a spelling mistake on your essay.", so in this situation can I say

"Ahh, it escaped my eye. Thank you."

"Ahh, it escaped me. Thank you."

I think  "I couldn't notice it" seems like that it can be used for someone else's works.
For example I think we can say:

"I couldn't notice there is a logical mistake on the story."

and I think we say say also, if there is a sentence like that,

"It escaped my eye there was a  logical mistake on the story."

Am I right?


texts:
How do you say "Asian fast food restaurant using Chinese frying pan" in English?

It is a kind of restaurant where you can eat cheap food from frying pan, prepared in front of you.

The Polish word for this is "chińczyk".


texts: Can something plural infer 'any' even though there's no 'any'?

texts: If a saying 'cars are broken' is true, can it mean one car is broken as 'any/some cars are broken' is? Or should I use any/some?


texts: Can 'For this,' be used as an introductory phrase?

texts:
The two phrases I have are:

  I created a 'Terms and Conditions' document. For this, I used multiple terms and condition documents from other companies.

The 'For this, ' part doesn't sound so well, but is it grammatically correct?


texts:
I thought that 'in' shouldn't be used for defining time period in the past, instead 'after' or 'later' should be used

Excerption from the book:

  In half an hour Lake called us again (past simple)

Question:

Can I use 'in' for defining time in the past? If it's some exception, I would appreciate your examples of these cases


texts:
What's the relation about behind the two words?

slut always likes to take a baggage and move here and where?

And in what cases we use the baggage[less people know] to instead of slut[more people know]?


texts:
He is 7 years old.
He found his 1 year old photo and made an expression exactly like it was there.

  "He is cuter back then."

What I wanted to say is that his expression when he was a year old looks cuter than his expression now.
Is “back then” used correctly?


texts:
We can say , for example:

  The house, in which my sister lives, was located in the countryside"

But could I make a sentence like:

  The house and the tree, between which I parked my car, were the same color."

Is there a usage of "between" with the relative pronoun "which"? If there isn't, how can I express it while keeping the same meaning and form?


texts:
As far as I know, a set of numbers about a company like net sales, net income and so on that is published at the end of year is called "terminal accounts".

If information about a year are referred to as a plural noun, what do I call a set of terminal accounts?

I mean, when I refer to several years of company terminal accounts what should I call it?


texts:
I want to say "the image is magnify-able after ...."

  a) click.

  b) clicked.

  c) clicking.

  d) being clicked.

Which of the above options is more correct? I pick (d).


texts: The difference among To-Do, note, memo, and reminder?

texts:
I consider developing an iOS app which lets my users add a one-line text or 6 seconds speech quickly, just after they opened the app. It presumes them add the scheduled tasks, such as shopping for the X department store or finish filling the utility bill or go to Y hospital, and they will be mostly executed within the day or within a few days.

But I stumbled on how I can name the app. Specifically, the terms To-Do, Note, Memo, and Reminder just hit on my mind.

While the difference between memo and note can be discovered easily on the Web, I can't tell the differences if reminder and to-do are added to the mix.

How can I tell them apart the others and for my app, which is the best to clarify the purpose well? I don't think note is a good for my purpose because it doesn't presume such a long text, but it is just my guess.


texts: Preposition - 'Good luck' with indirect and direct objects

texts:
I would like to know which of the following is the most natural construction to use when wishing someone good luck if both the direct and indirect objects are included.

1) Good luck to his finding a date.

2) Good luck to him finding a date.

3) Good luck to him on finding a date.

4) Good luck to him with finding a date.

According to comments they are all somewhat 'fine', but I personally find that number 1 sounds a little archaic and number 2 stilted to my ear. I was also told that usage of prepositions 'on' and 'with' in sectences 3 and 4 are uncommon in the context I provided. I find this strange because both, especially 'with', would be idiomatic if I take away the indirect object (the pronouns in my example).

i.e. Good luck with finding a date - perfect, no questions asked.
    Good luck to him with finding a date - sounds jarring and not very common usage.

Which one would a native speaker most likely spit out and if none of the four is satisfactory how can it be rephrased? Please address my doubts in detail.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
Please help me understand whether I need to use a comma here or not:

Please be patient(,) and you will get everything you want.

I know the general rules. I see it like this: 2 independent clauses.

Please be patient (independent clause with the null subject - you)

And you will get everything you want (a second independent clause
with a subject).

In my opinion, a comma is required, but I am not sure.


texts:
The following is a verse from the song Gates of Dawn by the band Secret Garden:

And whose is the hand who raises the sun from the heaving sea?
The power that ever amazes -
We look, but never will see.
Who scattered the seeds so life could be?
Who coloured the fields of corn?
Who formed the mould that made me'me before the world was born?

What does the me'me in the lyrics stand for? It looks like some sort of abbreviation. The closest I can think of is "me and me", but it is making no sense for me...


texts:
I am having 2 sentences and looking for a way to join them. As I am unable to find a proper clause to do this, I feel to use ; to join them.

  The results are analysed based on the reference data obtained by investigating images interactively.

  The investigation gives 209, 67 and 155 roof planes in each scene respectively.

I would join the sentences as follows.

  The results are analysed based on the reference data obtained by investigating images interactively; 209, 67 and 155 roof planes in each scene respectively.

Can we join sentence like this, even without a verb, as shown in the last sentence?


texts: How would you refer to a collection of books written in english?

texts:
I'm not a native english speaker so maybe I'm just overthinking and it depends on the context. I collect books in spanish and english, what I'm trying to say is "this is my collection of books in english".
I wanted to use:

My english collection

But somehow it feels like I'm saying "books written in England". Consider that it's a very informal conversation.


texts: be vain about (appearance, achievements)

texts: what does "be vain about something" (appearance/achivement etc.) mean?   I know who is vain person but I'm not quite sure when it comes to be vain about something.


texts: 'Things are going/doing well.' and 'She is going/doing well.' Which verb to use in each case?

texts:
In French, you could use the verb 'go' in both cases:

  'Les choses vont bien.', meaning 'Things are turning out all right.'

and

  'Elle va bien.', meaning 'She is in good (physical and mental) health'.

How about in English?


texts: Is there a difference between "to annihilate" and "to eradicate"?

texts:
Both mean the same according to dictionaries (to destroy something completely), but what is the difference between the usage of these terms?

I've heard that annihilate can be used for cities and building but eradicate more for non-physical things. Is that really correct? How are these terms different for native speakers?


texts:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/price_is_right

Is this a phrase or clause. How do they differ aside from active verb.

A group of words that is part of, rather than the whole of, a sentence
A phrase can be long or short but it does not include the subject-verb pairing necessary to make a clause.

Price is right is just missing  'The'. It has the subject verb pairing and is listed as a phrase. What is the distinction between this phrase with a verb and the ones these various definitions are describing including those phrases that only have one or the other either subject or verb.


texts:
From the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

The definition above said it is not obvious, but the example sentence used obvious pitfall, is it odd?


texts: Why not simply put " It is a kind of insect." to " It is an insect"?

texts:
I stumbled upon a sentence in my reference book. It states that:

  It is a kind of insect.

Is there any specific reason for the author to use that kind of sentence construction?

Wouldn't be easier to simply put:

  It is an insect.

Or am I the one missing something?


texts:
Example 1: Is there any room for me to sit?.
Example 2: I have got to make some space for Mark's things.

I am a little confused where to use space and room. I always make an error when using these words.


texts: What are the differences between 'to paint' and 'to draw' when we are talking about arts? As I guess draw refers to pictures in pencil or pen and paint to watercolor pictures or something. I need to clarify these things. :)


texts: How do I invite a friend "on my expense"?

texts:
I ask my friend to come over to my place and I want him to eat pizza on my expense. Is it correct to say like this:

  Come over to my place bro! I will eat you a pizza.

or

  Come over to my home bro! I will make you eat a pizza.

What are some other ways to say this like a native speaker?

Secondly, I want to know if using the word "treat" means inviting someone to food because something good has happened to you. If yes, then how to use it in a sentence? Is this way correct?

  I want to take a treat from you.

I'm an Asian and here people speak a mixture of their native language and English. We often use this word but I could never get its correct usage as we use it as a word in our native language sentence.
The dictionary shows its usage like this:
"he wanted to take her to the pictures as a treat."


texts:
Afflicted by crushing shyness throughout childhood, I felt nurtured
  through the words of authors who wrote in the context of their
  communities, triggering images and memories of extraordinary
  characters I longed to know and emulate. (Benita Porter, The Power
  of Words)

It seems, to me, words is supplemented by this phrase, triggering ~ emulate; or modified by it. Is this right parsing?


texts: the effects of single SNPs or the single SNPs effects?

texts:
I am wondering if this sentence is grammatically correct?

  Predicting genomic breeding values by using methods that rely on the estimation of the effects of haplotype blocks (i.e., a set of at least two neighboring SNPs are presumably transmitted together across generations may result in more accurate evaluations compared to doing genomic predictions by using methods that rely on the estimation of the effects of single SNPs.


texts: Is "These are the people WHO I don't want to know about X" correct?

texts:
Consider this expression

  These are the people who I don't want to know about X.

What I want to say here is that

  I don't want these people to know about X;

So is the first expression correct? If not what can I do to improve it?


texts: Is the word "submillimeter" an adjective?

texts:
Is this sentence correct? It sounds weird:

  The accuracy is sub-millimeter.

Is it OK to use "submillimeter" without the "-"?


texts: Thank you for giving me the floor-VS-Thank you to give me the floor

texts:
Thank you for giving me the floor.
           vs
Thank you to give me the floor.

Are they both correct?  If yes, Are they have same meaning?


texts: Can "how" and "such" be at the begining of sentence?

texts:
Can you tell me how to use such and how at the beginning of sentences?
For examples:

  _______ lovely you look in this dress!

  a) how
  b) such

  _______ nice weather to go for a walk!

  a) how
  b) such

  _______ beautiful your dress is!

  a) how
  b) such


texts:
I know that we use not to negate a verb and we use no to negate a noun!

  he had no pencil

Why do we use not in this sentence?

  He had a pen not a pencil

Why don’t we use “no” since no is used to negate or exclude noun?

  He had a pen no pencil.

..............
Is there any grammatical explanation for this?


texts:
I am translating a Youtube video to Spanish; I am fairly comfortable with standard English but I have found an expression that I am not sure how to understand. Of course, I do not want the translation to Spanish, just to understand the meaning

The sentence is "C’mon that segue tho.", from this video around the 1:00 mark. It starts talking about spirits tricking men, and goes into telling how using a documentary streaming service would help the viewers avoid those tricks (and then it explains it is his sponsor). Then the expression appears.

I understand this to be equivalent to "Come one that segue though.", but still it does not make much sense to me. My gut feeling is that it would be somewhat equivalent "Do you see how swiftly/cunningly I have switched to talking about my sponsor?" but I am not sure, and I do not know if I am missing some detail.

Also, is this something of an usual idiom or is it something that the video author has just made up and that can be understood only because of context?


texts:
I heard that you put a comma before but when you're connecting two independent clauses, but what if the second clause doesn't contain a verb? Does it mean it's not independent? There are a few cases where I am not sure if the comma belongs there.

For example:

  Caesar salad, but with fried noddles.

  It's Caesar salad, but with fried noodles.

  Caesar salad, but it contains fried noodles.

  It's Caesar salad, but it contains fried noodles.


texts:
I have come across the below sentence:

  Watching sports is a very social pastime and best experienced at the place where the match is unfolding.

I believe here "best" is used as an adverb. But I am not familiar with this usage of "best". Can somebody clear me on how to use this word as an adverb and the appropriate structure with it?


texts: What is the different between introspective and introverted?

texts:
What is the different between introspective and introverted ? Is it same meaning?
When I search on Cambridge's dic, there is no introverted.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ko/%EC%82%AC%EC%A0%84/%EC%98%81%EC%96%B4/introvert?q=introverted


texts:
I was reading news and found a mistake. I have just wanted to confirm that, as it does not sound natural to my ears. I feel that the article(a) or maybe this word(many) are not sounding naturally here. The writer should have used one of them instead of both, please check and let me know your feedback.

I read this in a newspaper:

  At a time when she is expected to win many a trophy for her
  performance in queen (a Bollywood movie).

As per my opinion, these both options could be possible:

  At a time when she is expected to win many trophies for her
  performance in queen(a Bollywood movie).

  At a time when she is expected to win a trophy for her performance in
  queen(a Bollywood movie).

Both below sentences are sounding fine to me, but first one does not sound natural to me.


texts: What do you call the circular thing inside a bathtub? In the picture above, it's submerged in the water. What do you call that thing, right below the faucet?


texts: Why do we use the indefinite article “a” with the nouns “wind” & “breeze”?

texts:
Consider these examples:

There’s a wind blowing through here tonight.
A wind is a current of air that is moving across the earth's surface.
Open the doors, I want to get a breeze.

Why do we use the indefinite article with the nouns “wind”, and “breeze” in such cases? I mean we are talking about wind and breeze in general, and if we’re talking about something in general we are not required to use the indefinite article:

Turn on the faucet, I want to get water. (=water in general; then why do we say “I want to get a breeze”?)

Note: I am still looking forward to getting a satisfactory  answer.


texts: Meaning and syntax of "we parted the best of friends"

texts:
While reading a book, I read a new sentence, 'we parted the best of friends.'

I guess the meaning of this sentence is that we were best friends when we parted (were separated from one another). Am I correct?

Also I'm curious if that sentence is grammatically correct, and how its syntax works.


texts:
I know the word "banter" means "conversation that is funny and not serious" or "friendly conversation in which people make a lot of jokes with, and amusing remarks about, each other" but I don't get the meaning of "lonely banter", so:

  Coud you please tell me what the meaning of "lonely banter" is?

The text is:

  The next morning, the trailer was unloaded. We climbed into the truck,
  picked up a new load and drove for another two days, watching the white
  lines disappear hypnotically beneath the hood, which was the color of bone.
  We had few forms of entertainment, so we made a game of talking....When we tired of this, we’d turn on the CB and listen to the lonely banter
  of truckers stretched out across the interstate.“Look out for a green four-wheeler,” a gruff voice said, when we were
  somewhere between Sacramento and Portland. “Been picnicking in my
  blind spot for a half hour.”
  A four-wheeler, Shawn explained, is what big rigs call cars and pickups.
  Another voice came over the CB to complain about a red Ferrari that was
  weaving through traffic at 120 miles per hour. “Bastard damned near hit a
  little blue Chevy,” the deep voice bellowed through the static. “Shit, there’s
  kids in that Chevy. Anybody up ahead wanna cool this hothead down?” The
  voice gave its location.

Educated by Tara Westover


texts:
I see one of my friends posted this status:

"Halloween celebration @ MBC - One of the last shots I'll be taking here"

Anyone could explain why she uses "I'll be taking" but not "I will take"? any difference between these two uses


texts:
What is the appropriate term for indicating something being close in terms of time? It's 27 March today, and suppose the exams are going to begin from 1st April. How to express it?

Exams are close by.

Exams are nearby.

Or something else?


texts: How does a word become an English word? Is there a word for that?

texts:
How to term those words which are not by default English but are added over time?

Consider for example Google. Is it an English word now? Or is it just a usage?


texts:
For a great while, I have always thought that the bumper sticker "Eat Local" was grammatically incorrect.  I was under the impression it should say "Eat Locally."

But, now, for some reason, I am starting to reconsider.

Which is correct?

Thank you.


texts:
I don't understand what time I should use in the following sentence:

I couldn't understand the words they have used.
I couldn't understand the words they had used.

or maybe

I couldn't understand the words they used.

Are those sentences correct? How would you say? Thanks in advance!


texts: Can anyone help me understand the following complex sentence?

texts:
The following sentence is too difficult for me to understand.

A target created in the same directory that specifies any output of the custom command as a source file is given a rule to generate the file using the command at build time.

The main question is: which one, 'a target' or 'the same directory', is referred by 'that'?
If only someone would help me break this sentence down into simple ones.
Thanks in advance.


texts: What is the meaning of 'collapsing the piece with the punch/drift' (and the rest of the sentences)?

texts:
I want to know the translation of this sentence

I have seen this article on the web.
But I can translate this sentence into our language. (Korean)
What is the exact meaning of the sentence below.
The part I can not understand is this.

  "One major issue I knew I would encounter was collapsing the piece with the punch/drift. I inserted a piece of hollow round stock I had lying around."

I attach the picture so that you can understand better the meaning of the sentence in the context. Please tell me the meaning of the sentence above.


texts: I've always been curious why some people insist that "I was mistaken" is grammatically correct whereas "I was mistaking" is grammatically wrong.  Doesn't the later follow past progressive verb tense?  Can someone give me an example where each is right or wrong?


texts: Putting the verb in the beginning of the sentence to emphasize it

texts:
Gone are the hardware concerns of A, yet with B, you control the application.

Is it that kind of a construction when to emphasize a term you put it in the beginning of the sentence and put the verb after it?

So the normal sentence would look:

  The hardware concerns of A are gone, yet, with B, you control the application.


texts: Why do these "while" and "when" parallel questions have definite answers (when both past or continuous is correct)?

texts:
I am teaching a junior high school student at home in Japan and I just picked basketball worksheets to pique his interest but didn't look at them hard.
The answers are bolded in the questions below. Why are those answers chosen?

When Carmelo Anthony made (shoot) a buzzer beater, the crowd was cheering (cheer) for hours!

While LeBron James was shooting (shoot) a free throw, some of the fans from the other team were booing (boo). That was (be) very rude of them.

While Blake Griffin ___ toward the basket, his teammates ___ next to him.
a. was dribbling/were running
b. dribbled/ran
c. didn’t dribble/didn’t run

When Giannis Antentokoumpo ___ in the US, many fans ___ for him at the airport.
a. arrived/were waiting
b. was arriving/waited
c. arrived/waited


texts:
Is it more correct or appropriate to say:

"I have strong organisation skills" OR "I have strong organisational skills"?


texts: Is there any difference between "no brothers and no sisters" and "no brothers and sisters"?

texts:
I read the article below.

  Henry had no brothers and no sisters. "I want a brother," he told this parents. "Sorry," they said.
  Henry had no friends on his street. "I want to live on a different street," he told his parents. "Sorry," they said.
  Henry had no pets at home. "I want to have a dog," he told his parents. "Sorry," they almost said. But first they look at their house with no brothers and sisters. Then they looked at their street with no children. Then they looked at Henry's face. Then they looked at each other. "Okay," they said.

Is "no brothers and no sisters" equivalent to "no brothers and sisters"?


texts:
Is there a general word that means follower of religion?

I'm looking for an analog to the words demonym and ethnonym, but that relates to religion/faith instead of geography and ethnicity.

The closest I've found is the word theonym at the Wikipedia page on -onym endings. However, that isn't quite it.


texts:
I'm watching The Wire and in the Wikipedia article about one of the characters (Wallace) it is written "He betrays his age when he is found playing with toys while supposed to be on lookout duty."

I have not found any explanation of this idiom to betray your age anywhere on the Internet. I see it in two opposite ways:

1) To behave as you were younger than you really are. Explanation: Wallace was 16 years old and he was playing with toys which was inappropriate for this age.

2) To reveal your age. As if your age was an entity and it asked you to hide itself, but you revealed it in your behavior. Explanation: Wallace despite his age was supposed to be serious given that he was assisting drug dealers, but everyone saw that he was really a 16 years old boy when he was found playing with toys.


texts:
I have some question about a possible usage error here:

  An American diplomatic commission was sent to France in July 1797 to negotiate problems that were threatening to break out into war.

Is it standard English to write "the problems broke out into war"?  I cannot find this usage of "break out" in dictionaries.


texts: Is it "slang English" or "English slang", or maybe both?

texts: Given that slang is a noun, I guess being modified by English is almost equal to the other way round since a noun can modify another noun.


texts: "he looks at the stars" / "he looks at stars"

texts:
We only use the with general plural nouns when we are referring to a specific set within a general class of people or things. Cambridge Dictionary

Why are the following "stars" referring to a specific set?

  Everyone is in trouble when he looks at the stars, and under the stars ... link
  But he will be happy when he looks at the stars and hears in his memory ... link

and these aren't?

  He looks at the sky, and at stars in particular ... link
  He looks at stars that could swallow up a thousand of our suns ... link

Another examples:

  She looks at the reports and approves them ... link
  When I look at the reports in Die Kerkbode on the events  ... link

  Celia Mather looks at reports which reveal the appallingly low standard of management practices ... link
  Instead, he looks at reports that are in various stages of preparation or being drafted ...  link


texts: How and when "pinyin" becomes an English word, or not yet? How to tell?

texts: How and when "pinyin" became an English word, or not yet? How to tell?


texts:
How do you idiomatically say that a character is doing an animation? I can't think of a good way to say this. Sometimes, when you make a game you must animate characters in the editor you've been given. So how do you say that a character is made to move using a set animation? I think you can say "perform an animation" but that's the active form, what's the passive form? "Underwent an animation"?

For example:

  The virtual character performed an animation after the AI decided to
  pick an object.

  The virtual character underwent an animation after the player ordered
  it to perform an action.


texts: Can we say that a "graph is partitioned into 3 subgraphs"?

texts:
Can we say that a "graph is partitioned into 2 subgraphs" ?

My problem is not about the verb, but more on its use with "into"...

What would be the right formulation ?


texts: Is "entitled" a verb or adjective or both in "She is entitled..."?

texts:
She is entitled to all luxuries in her life.

What is the voice of the sentence?
If it is passive, which word is the main verb in the sentence?

In this sentence the word "entitled" is used as adjective,  without the adjective the sentence has the complete  meaning. If so without "entitled" the above sentence's meaning should be complete but it is not the case. Is the word "entitled" also a verb?


texts: Omitting a preposition to avoid repetition

texts:
What is correct/better?

We consider questions related to analysis of real numbers and to probability theory.

We consider questions related to analysis of real numbers and probability theory.

An additional question: I do not need "the" before the word "analysis" in those examples, do I?


texts: What esle can we say about a sharp shooter's aiming power?

texts:
Is it possible to tell about a sharp shooter:

  His / her aiming is great / perfect / etc.

Does the sentence above make sense to you? Is it natural?


texts:
Hopefully, this chapter has also made you aware of how similar CSS approaches can be applicable to different formatting options, such as how the wonderful styles you created for a table can be modified for a definition list. This is something you’ll see much more of in the next chapter, with basic chunks of CSS being reused for different approaches. It might be worth sticking the kettle on and spending a moment or two reflecting on how far you’ve come. You’re halfway to being a professional!

What does this phrasal verb exactly mean? Something similar to the expression to turn <something> on?


texts:
In this question:

  What problems will this cause for individuals and society?

Which parts of speech are cause in this question?
If it is a noun, why isn't there be before this cause?
If it is an adjective, what is the role of this ?


texts: Should I write "add to the beginning" or I must use "prepend"?

texts:
I made a comment on this SO question some days ago:

  Are you trying to just overwrite the data at the beginning of the file or insert new data without losing the data that is already there?

Some of the answers had the word prepend (eg: "To prepend data: ...").

Looking for a translation of prepend to Portuguese (pt-BR), I find it as "anteceder" or "preceder".

I think the word "anteceder" in Portuguese, is most related to time (eg: "something will happens before that time"),  and "preceder" is most related to a kind of priority or to describe a grammar rule, but not to files (or data in this case) on a computer system.

On Babylon, I found the translation of prepend as "acrescentar ao começo", which sounds like append to the beginning and it also showed me the definition in English: add something at the beginning (slang, the opposite of append)", which makes sense ("the opposite of append").

In a technical context, must I use the word prepend for a better understanding or if I write "insert in the beginning" or "add new data to the beginning" is it OK for an English reader?


texts:
I have seen some examples about using "in" with time expressions. They give some examples as shown below:

  I will leave for vacation in a month. (Exactly one month from now I
  will go on vacation.)

  We’ll be there in an hour.  (Exactly one hour will go by and then we
  will arrive.)

But these comments confused me. Then I looked the usage of "in" up in a dictionary and it says about usage of "in" with time expressions :"before or at the end of a particular period". I think the comments and the definition in the dictionary contradict each other?

dictionary

I have examples of mine:

  1- Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. (Maybe dinner will be
  ready at the 5th minute? or 8th. Does it strictly mean dinner will be
  ready at the end of the ten minutes?)

  2- My letter arrived in two days. ( Does that mean it took
  exactly two days to arrive? or Could it be just one day because he/she
  doesnt remember the exact time?)

  3- Imagine you are on the first day of a month and your friend says:
  I will be going outside the country in this month. (Does that mean he/she could go tomorrow or ten days later or at the end of the
  month?)

  4- He can run a mile in 5 minutes. ( Does that mean he has to
  spent entire 5 minutes to run a mile? Could it be 4 or 4.5 minutes?)


texts: Is the word celestial used in scientific context?

texts:
I think the word terrestrial is common prominent term for biology-related contexts but when we look at the word celestial, it is not antonym of the word terrestrial because of the religious meaning given to it.

I would like to ask if the word celestial is used in scientific context and if is not what could possible antonym of the word terrestrail be in terms of science.


texts:
I'm trying to get this paragraph

  Remembering what it was like not to be who we are now is vital to our growth and integrity.
  The best professors remain friends with their past.
  They remember what it was like not to know about their special topic – and so don’t talk over the heads of their students.

what "remain friends" means?
their past = the best professors' past?
The last sentence = They don't talk over their students' head
because they remember the period they also did not know about many topics?


texts:
In order to make a first conditional sentence, I need to build my sentence this way:

  If the train is delayed, I'll be late

or

  If it snows, I won't go to the party.

I've read though in the following link - "If I'll be there" correctness and first conditional - that

  "The language is changing (or has changed, in some regions of the
  U.S.) to make "if I would" acceptable. But that's not the same as "if
  I will".

There wasn't any example following that but I understood from it that I can say - for instance - If it would snow, I won't go to the party.

Nevertheless, There's this song "To the Moon and Back" of Savage Garden (I know that they are Australians) which goes like this:

  "I would fly to the moon and back if you'll be my baby".

So I searched about this structure online and found a reference to this only on Cambridge dictionary: in https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/conditionals-and-wishes/conditionals-if

In this link, there is a section called "Conditional clauses with will or would". This section explains that such usage is used when we actually reply to something stated before (or in order to indicate willingness or unwillingness to do something).

So for example, If someone tells me

  "I'll be happy if you stay at home tonight".

Then I can reply,

  "If it would/will make you happy, I will stay at home tonight".

Since it's a British dictionary and since the above mentioned citation of the song is Australian English if you will, thus the usage can vary, is it also the only case in which I can use this structure (If I'd...I'll) in American English or is it different in that the if sentence doesn't have to refer to what was stated previously (Or to indicate willingness or unwillingness)?

Secondly, can I even say "If I'll" in American English or can I only say "if I'd"?

Thank you in advance.


texts: "All languages are interesting." "Every language is interesting." Do they mean exactly the same thing?

texts:
All languages are interesting.
  Every language is interesting.

Don't they mean the same thing?


texts: "Had"(past perfect) then ''before''(past tense)

texts:
Let's say you are storytelling about your academic success to your countrymen. This goes as:

  "I had thought that, I already had good English communication skills before I took the exam, and the only thing that I thought I had to work on was the mechanics of the test. However, I was wrong, I still had a long way to go as I realized."

According to the aforegiven sentences, is the 'sequence of tenses' clear and correct?


texts: The drop-down list XXX vs. the XXX drop-down list. Are there any rules for determining which to use?

texts:
Are there defined rules anywhere concerning whether a UI element type (e.g. drop-down list) comes before or after its name (e.g. Install)? A few examples:

  the drop-down list Install vs. the Install drop-down list
  the table MATNR vs. the MATNR table
  the option Copy existing content to target table vs. the Copy existing
  content to target table option
  the options Copy content, Save content and Delete content vs. the Copy
  content, Save content and Delete content options

The same would apply to words like “parameter”, “window”, “tab” and “chapter”.

Does the length of the name affect this rule? E.g. Something like “if more than four words, write the name before the UI element”. (example 3)

Or whether multiple UI elements are described as opposed to just one? (example 4)

Or whether the UI element type functions as a noun or an adjective?


texts: "'Applying'/'If we apply'/'Given' those principles"

texts:
Applying those principles here, it is clear that the sections in question are unambiguous in their application and ...
  www.nycourts.gov/courts/.../knight.pdf

What is the sense of the above sentence, 1 or 2?

If we apply those principles here, it becomes clear that ...
Given those principles, the sections in question ...

Also, if "1" is the correct interpretation, can we replace "Applying" with "The application of"—i.e., "The application of those principles here makes clear that ..."?


texts: When someone's hat /etc. blocks your way in a way that you cannot watch something e.g. a movie at a cinema

texts:
Imagine a couple who are watching a movie at the theater and in the middle of the film man starts to move his head right and left. Wife asks him: "What's wrong?!" Why are you moving your head that way?"

The husband answers:

  I can’t see the movie because that woman’s hat is in the way.
  I can’t see the movie because that woman’s hat has blocked my way.

Which one of the above-mentioned sentences sounds natural to you? If no one works properly, then please let me know how would a native speaker say it?


texts:
What is the right meaning of the sentence?
 No.1 or No.2?


texts: Is "benefit from" natural in this context?

texts:
A: Let's go out and grab a beer or something.
B: Why?
A: I just think you would benefit from getting out a little.
Is the last statement completely natural in this context? Benefit just sounds a bit formal and business-like to my non-native-speaking ear.
What else might be natural to say?


texts: How to say that someone is the opposite of something

texts:
If I say

  There are stupid guys, and there's Joe

Does this mean that Joe is stupid or that he is the opposite?


texts: "and so on", "or something like that", "or whatever" Are they interchangeable?

texts:
I'd like to know if I can use these three phrases: "and so on", "or something like that" and "or whatever" interchangeably in affirmative sentences.

1) Yesterday I had wine, beer and son on.
 2) Yesterday I had wine, beer or something like that.
 3) Yesterday I had wine, beer or whatever.

How about in question sentences?  Can I use "or something like that" and "or whatever" interchangeably?

1) Would you like tea, coffee or something like that?
2) Would you like tea, coffee or whatever?

If there is a difference in meaning, could you explain that, please?


texts:
Some one who is not good at keeping secrets. In my native language it is called "chugalkhor" but it's a slang. So I can't translate it.

What do you call such a person who can't keep secrets because his instincts don't let him.


texts: Usage of other languages' words in English

texts:
I just started a new chapter about nouns and pronouns. The lesson contained a sub-chapter about the international words and their plural form that we could use in the English language.
I was wondering if it is acceptable or commonplace to use words that are not specifically from the English language in everyday speech, such as:

  Alumna, Cherub, Datum, Larva, Erratum, Paparazzo, Kibbutz, Nucleus, etc...


texts: What does "it brings me back in a big way" mean?

texts:
The description of a game video:

  This is a weird one, as from a single player perspective it doesn't really seem to do that much that is new on a platform that seems to be absolutely dripping with behind the back runners. I mean, you've got your jumps, your slides, and a strange virtual control setup complete with all sorts of mention of physical buttons (Pressing R1, for instance). Where it brings me back in a big way is in the single device multiplayer mode, where two players grab either side of your device and go to town racing each other. I'm not sure I've seen that done before.

I've looked up to bring sb back in the dictionary, but I'm not sure which (and if any) of these definitions fits the context.


texts: Should I use "was" or "were" in "as though he was frightened"?

texts:
I have seen a sentence and there was:

  He acted strangely, as though he was frightened.

Is "was" right for this sentence? Or must there be "WERE".


texts: Simple present tense VS present perfect tense

texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences?

a) Amount has been paid to you as basic salary.
b) Amount is paid to you as basic salary.

Further to my query

A) He is appointed as Deputy Manager.
B) He has been appointed as deputy Manager.


texts: There or That. In the text below, how should I write this sentence?

texts:
I am doubtful as I describe the following phrase:

  Seeing is believing - that's an old saying.

Or should I describe it as:

  Seeing is believing - there is an old saying.


texts:
Which sentence is correct?

  Good times is what keeps life going.
  Good times are what keeps life going.


texts: I respect the ways that the tribes eat in?

texts:
I have never seen or heard this sentence, "I respect the ways that the tribes eat in."
I think the sentence should be

"I respect the ways that the tribes eat."

or

"I respect the ways in which the tribes eat."

or

"I respect the ways the tribes eat."

What do you think?


texts: Is it possible to say "I'm in the final stage of doing something?"

texts: I've been playing this game where upgrading each building consists of a certain number of stages. Is it possible to say "I'm in the final stage of upgrading... say Stables?"


texts:
I found this:

  Fear is an essential attribute of human nature. It plays a crucial role in human survival.

But we cannot use:

  Fear is an essential attribute of human nature. It plays a crucial role in human's survival.

Why?


texts: point [at] vs point out a physical object or a person

texts:
According to Word Reference, "to point" may mean "to direct the finger at something/somebody" and "to point out" may mean "to direct the finger at something/somebody in order to show its/his/her presence or position".

Is there any other purpose of pointing sth/sb besides showing its/his/her presence or position? If not, is there any difference of meaning between these two verb phrases? For instance, could they be used interchangeably in the following examples?

  A. In some cultures, it is rude to point at / point out a person.

  B. She pointed at / pointed out an object in the sky.

  C. She pointed at him to me / She pointed him out to me.


texts: Does "seemed" have the same meaning as "as though"

texts:
A. It seemed as though the war had ended.

  B. It seemed the war had ended.

What is the difference between these two sentences?