texts:
The meaning of the word "irony" is very confusing to me!
Here are few examples:

So the irony is this: technology is freeing us from technology

  The postmodern reply to the modern consists of recognizing that the
  past, since it cannot really be destroyed, because its destruction
  leads to silence, must be revisited: but with irony, not innocently. I
  think of the postmodern attitude as that of a man who loves a very
  cultivated woman and knows he cannot say to her, "I love you madly"
  because he knows that she knows (and that she knows that he knows)
  that these words have already been written by Barbara Cartland. Still,
  there is a solution. He can say, "As Barbara Cartland would put it, I
  love you madly.

Can anyone please explain me what "irony" exactly means?

Many many thanks in advance!


texts: What is the difference between "are being done" and "have been done"?

texts:
I have received a feedback to change the following sentence:

  Periodical reviews have been performed...

to

  Periodical reviews are being performed...

Which of the sentences is correct, or are they both correct and expressing different meaning?


texts: What is the meaning of "In life, that is"?

texts:
In American parody teen comedy film Not Another Teen Movie (2001), Austin and Malik played a bet on Jake.

  Austin: I'll pick the most hopeless girl at this school and I'll bet
  that you can't turn her into prom queen.

  Jake: You're on, Austin.

  Malik: I'll bet you lose that bet but learn a much more valuable
  lesson, and win. In life, that is.


texts: Can "drink" and "eat" take object complements?

texts:
I want to drink the coffee cold.
  I don't want to eat the soup cold.

Quite a lot of times I've come across such a sentence in which people wrote "drink it cold" or "eat it cold", but I have no idea how to classify such a cold into a grammatical element. Are the colds above used as a postpositive adjective, or just object complement as in the sentences right below? However, 'drink' and 'eat' seem to be different from thr verbs of the three sentences below in that there seems not to be implied or omitted "to be" in between "the coffee and cold" and "the soup and cold" unlike below sentences, in which "to be" can be considered implied or omitted.

  I want the coffee (to be) cold.

  I prefer the coffee (to be) cold.

  I like the coffee (to be) cold.

I think in both cases drink and eat seem to have a similar construction to the verb 'feel' as in

  I'm feeling his body cold.

So, I presume both to be used as an object complement that needn't to imply "to be" before, but I'm not sure.


texts: Differences between "used to" and "would"?

texts:
I read somewhere that "used to" usage is for "past habits" and "would" usage is for "past habits and states" and we should only use "used to" for states. Is this true? Suppose that we have this sentences:

  Childhood (would)/(used to) be quiet different from what it is today.

  People never (would)/(used to) be so worried about crime in this area.

What is correct forms of these sentences and why?

Ps.
(would+bare infinitive) vs. (used to+bare infinitive)


texts: Difference between Present perfect and Present perfect continuous sentences

texts:
I have two sentences below, what the difference between them? Which sentence imply now I still work in construction industry?

  I have worked in construction industry for years

and

  I have been working in construction industry for years


texts: What do you call the thing that allows the drill to rotate in a power drill?

texts: And is the component a generic component to other machines or tools that allows something to rotate, or is this only specific to a power drill?


texts:
Do carrier and bearer have the same meaning?

I trying to name a column in a table that registers third party goods. It looks like this:

| item     | owner | ???     |
| notebook | John  | Michael |

Where Michel is the person who brought the notebook, but the owner is John.

So, What is the best name for the column?


texts: Past simple or present perfect for an action that began a long time ago but is still true

texts:
Is this possible to write

At the beginning I have bought some records from him. Then one day I asked for a record he did not have ,he answered to me that he was OK to let me use his address and since then I have used his address. All records bought   in the USA are delivered to him.

In the first sentence what puzzles me is that I use "at the beginning "with present perfect because  the beginning of this action began a long time ago .But it is still true at the time of writing . I still buy records from him so I think present perfect is fine.


texts:
I said, “I will swim today only if I go to the beach if it is sunny today.”
Does the “if it is sunny today” clause modify “I will swim today only if I go to the beach” or does it only modify “I go to the beach”? My guess is the former answer because an if clause has to modify an independent clause or main clause.
Please let me know if my reasoning is correct or if my sentence is so ambiguous that both interpretations are valid.


texts:
From To Kill a Mockingbird:

  “Well, Indian-heads — well, they come from the Indians. They’re real strong magic, they make you have good luck. Not like fried chicken when you’re not lookin’ for it, but things like long life ‘n’ good health, ‘n’ passin’ six-weeks tests... these are real valuable to somebody. I’m gonna put em in my trunk.”

What does the sentence mean here?


texts: What is the difference in meaning between "I agree" and "I am agreeing"?

texts:
I am aware of the fact that the standard way of using agree is in the Present Simple. And until recently I thought it's only correct to use it that way when talking about present situations. But in the TV show Friends Ross used it in the present continuous. The context is he tries to convince Phoebe's coworker not to tell Phoebe that Ross cheated on Rachel to prevent Pheobe from telling it to Rachel. Here is the excerpt:

  You did a bad thing!

  Ross: Yes, I did.

  Jasmine: Very bad!

  Ross: Very bad.

  Jasmine: Very, very bad.

  Ross: I’m agreeing with you. Did you, listen, did you happen to
  tell Phoebe yet?

What does he try to communicate using agree in the present continuous?


texts:
Which one of these sentences is more grammatically correct?:

  Add a splendid production and you have a certified hit.
  Adding a splendid production and you have a certified hit.

Why, grammatically, is (1) better than (2) or vice versa? And what type of clause is the first clause in the sentence?


texts: Will, present continuous, to be going to

texts:
Sally is meeting John at seven o’clock this evening in a restaurant downtown.

A: Are you busy this evening?
B: Yes. I’m going to meet Jack at the library at seven. We’re going to study together.

Why the writer has used "present continuous" for 1 above and "be going to" for the 2 above while the place and time of the event are given.

In Section 2 we will prove that.... (in an article)

Is that a correct sentence? Or we should say "In section 2 we are going to prove that...?


texts: Should "on the other hand" be always in contrast to the stated or implied "on the one hand"?

texts:
Just as a reference, let's cite the M-W's definition of the words:

"used to introduce statements that describe two different or opposite ideas, people, etc."

For some reason, I feel like it is also correct and idiomatic to use the phrases when the two parts are just two different aspects of something, but not necessarily opposing:

  @StoneyB in his great contribution to ELL showed that present aspect is a very interesting yet involved area of English language[Ref]. On the other hand, we know that there are many posts regarding the delicacies of conditional sentences. Thus, the combination of perfect aspect with conditional sentences would an interesting area to explore!

I mean, I think we can also use "on the other hand" to introduce another related thing which is not necessarily in contrast to the stated or implied "on the one hand"!


texts: long-winded (pronunciation : waɪndid or wɪndid?)

texts:
long-winded

If you describe something that is written or said as long-winded, you are critical of it because it is longer than necessary. (Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's English Dictionary)
What's the pronunciation: waɪndid or wɪndid ?


texts: What's the meaning of "for" in "the weather forecast is for sun"

texts:
The weather forecast is for sun, with intermittent showers.

I gather it wants to say "the weather forecast tells people it's sunny with intermittent showers". But I couldn't understand this part "for sun". I guess 'sun' is the written abbreviation of 'sunny'(though I didn't find this usage in the dictionary). Even if so, what's the meaning of "for" here? Does it mean something like "support"? That's the only meaning I could imagine, though it's weird.

How to explain this part "for sun"?


texts: If there are two dependent clauses after a subordinating conjunction, is it correct to use a comma before "and"?

texts:
If there are two dependent clauses after a subordinating conjunction, is it correct to use a comma before "and" as in this sentence:

"It can be determined by X + Y
where X is defined as a ratio of distance to length, and Y is the
wavelength."


texts: How to understand "stood framed in the doorway"?

texts:
For a split second, Uncle Vernon stood framed in the doorway; ...

The phrase sounds, to me, a vivid account. I could imagine that Uncle Vernon standing there in the doorway be just like a big picture with a frame around it. But I'm not sure if it's the correct way to understand it. What are the native speakers' take for this sentence?


texts:
“ ‘Our disproportionate interest, even grief, bears examination. Right up until the moment that Landry took her fatal dive, it is a fair bet that tens of thousands of women would have changed places with her. Sobbing young girls laid flowers beneath the balcony of Landry’s £4.5 million penthouse flat after her crushed body was cleared away. Has even one aspiring model been deterred in her pursuit of tabloid fame by the rise and brutal fall of Lula Landry?’ ”
  “Get on with it,” said Strike. “Her, not you,” he added hastily. “It’s a woman writing, right?”
  “Yes, a Melanie Telford,” said Robin, scrolling back to the top of the screen to reveal the head shot of a jowly middle-aged blonde. “Do you want me to skip the rest?”
  “No, no, keep going.”
  Robin cleared her throat once more and continued.
  “ ‘The answer, surely, is no.’ That’s the bit about aspiring models being deterred.”
  “Yeah, got that.”
  “Right, well…‘A hundred years after Emmeline Pankhurst, a generation of pubescent females seeks nothing better than to be reduced to the status of a cut-out paper doll, a flat avatar whose fictionalized adventures mask such disturbance and distress that she threw herself from a third-story window. Appearance is all: the designer Guy Somé was quick to inform the press that she jumped wearing one of his dresses, which sold out in the twenty-four hours after her death. What better advert could there be than that Lula Landry chose to meet her maker in Somé? (The Cuckoo's Calling, by Robert Galbraith)

There're a couple of me not knowing things in a boldface sentence:
- What's the meaning of 'bit': Is it 'a small piece of something'? Does it make sense?
Mr. Strike answered like the boldface sentence for responding to Miss.Robin's this question: "Has even one aspiring model been deterred in her pursuit of tabloid fame by the rise and brutal fall of Lula Landry?" Does it makes sense? He said 'no,' and then 'aspiring models being deterred.' Isn't this supposed to be 'aspiring models wouldn't be deterred (by the fatal death of a big star)? What don't I know at this moment?


texts: When someone behaves as if you owe them somthing

texts:
I'm looking for an idiom, expression, or simply an adverb which means act as if other people owe you something while they're not so while you're like this, you look at them or behave toward them from a demanding position which you reasonably shouldn't.

  After knowing about us rating him poorly, our teacher came in staring at us as if we owe him something! You didn't do your job mate! What were you expecting?!

  The superintendent complained about corridors being dirty as if we owe him something. Interestingly, he never hired someone to clean up the place!

  Why are you looking at me as if I owe you something. I was exhausted last night; I couldn't come over to help you with your homework.


texts: What is the difference between these two sentences?

texts:
He is regularly buying food in the market.
  He regularly buys food in the market.

It seems they all refer to the same thing that 'he buys food in the market regularly'? what's the difference?


texts: Is there an accurate synonym for the word "brae"?

texts: According to Webster's dictionary, a brae is a hillside especially along a river. It comes from Scottish. I was wondering if there is an accurate synonym for brae in American or British English, a word that describes a steep hill that abuts a river.


texts: Which one is more appropriate when talking about K-means visualization "about" "for" "of"?

texts:
Visuals and Animation are helpful to understand a concept like this

which one below is more appropriate?

expression_1: visualization about K-means clustering

expression_2: visualization for K-means clustering

expression_3: visualization of K-means clustering


texts:
Can I use scold in reported speech? For example,

  Mother scolded her children that they were too noisy.


texts:
Can we use Prettyinstead of Nice when we want to give a compliment? Reason I am asking is I want to sound less cliche. For example, can I say:

  That's a pretty nickname!


texts: Can "should" be used in program test plan

texts:
For example

Steps:
 1. Enter "1+1"
 2. Press "Enter"

Expected result:
Program should output 2

My reasoning is that it is short form of
"In order to pass this test program should output 2"

But argument can be made that as it is necessary to output to be 2, one should use "must" instead of "should".

So what is correct way to say it?


texts: Is linguistically incorrect to use "basically" frequently or it's just culture

texts: Many young and old people use this word, regardless of their ethnic background or how wealthy they are. I disagree with the claim that it is used only by certain type of people however it does not sound like proper English. Is it wrong from English language point of view to use that word in the beginning of every conversation   ?


texts:
Which one from following would be correct:

woman pilots.
women pilots.

And the usage of which one from following options would be correct:

Women's jobs
Women jobs
Woman jobs
Woman's jobs.

I cannot understand which option I should use.


texts: Is specifying my expenses called a 'declaration'?

texts:
Scenario: I do some expenses from my personal money on behalf of my company. At the end of the week/month I present my company with a list of these expenses + receipts, so that I can get my money back.

Are:

The act of doing so; and
The document specifying all this,

Called a declaration in English, or is there a better term?

I'm asking because a declaration has more meanings, e.g. a statement like in the Declaration of Independence.


texts:
I wrote a sentence under the online news comment section:

  I would say he does a good job this time, practically showing he's tough with zero consequence, ideally showing what's normal and should be done.

But I am confused with many things,

he did what I think is a good job before the news is out, so I should use past tense "did", but I was commenting under the latest news section(but still two days old), it's so recent that I feel does is more proper, and to me since I know he did a good job only when I read the news, it's like he just does it a few second ago, so it's more natural to me to use present tense, so what should I use?
In the second half of the sentence, it sounds well to use adverb practically and ideally, but there is no verb there, is this usage valid? Or I have to use comma to separate the sentence? Like "...this time, practically, showing...", but this sounds strange to me.


texts: How to pronounce fractional units of measurement?

texts:
From what I know, a preposition "per" is commonly used for the units of measurement containing fractions. For example, kilogram/liter [kg/L] can be safely pronounced as "kilogram per liter"; but can you also use the following spoken variants that one would use for the numerical fractions, such as:

kilogram by liter;
kilogram over liter;
kilogram into liter,

or anything else? Or is X per Y the only correct form in this case?


texts: Do these sentences have the same meaning?

texts:
My school teacher asked me what I do every day in my job.
I told my teacher that I am an assistant of a Japanese chef. I have to help her chop vegetables, buy the food, and sometimes read the orders for her.

After work hours, she usually teaches me how to cook Chinese and Thai food.
Referring to my description, can I tell the same answer to people when they ask:

  What do you do every day in your job?

  What is your job nature?

  What is your job characteristic?

  What is your job duty?

Or can't I tell the same answer, because some of the sentences have a different meaning?


texts: "To be appalled" vs. "Who feel appalled"

texts:
Today while reading a news regarding Serena  Williams' cat suit ban, I came across this sentence:

  We aren't the only ones to be completely appalled at the news of the cat suit ban.

I am confused with "to be appalled"

Can't it be said this way?

  We are not the only ones who feel completely appalled at the news of the cat suit ban.

And can you guys please tell me the exact rule of using  "to be"?


texts:
A CNN article titled "Euthanasia: Hope you never need it, but be glad the option is there" starts with this:

  The time was always going to come when society would need to face the pointy end of the voluntary euthanasia debate: Those hard cases that would challenge most people's support for the issue, the cases and circumstances which constitute never-before trodden ground.

  While in most Western countries polls repeatedly show strong community support for a terminally ill person's right to obtain medical assistance to die, the results would likely be quite different if the person involved was not an adult, was not of sound mind or was not, in the strictest sense, terminally ill.

In the boldfaced phrase, I wonder if "to die" modifies "medical assistance" (thereby forming the noun phase "medical assistance to die") or not. If not, "to die" should be interpreted as a subsequent act of "obtaining medical assistance", if you will.

Which one is it going to be?


texts: What is a difference between "used to" and 'past simple'?

texts:
What is a difference between:

I used to smoke. vs. I smoked.
I used to be a teacher. vs. I was a teacher.

I know that used to expresses a habitual action in the past but so can the past simple. So, what the difference?


texts: "we try to give you something" vs. "we are trying to give you something"

texts:
"We try to give you something" or "We are trying to give you something" – which one is more idiomatic?

The lecturer is saying

  so all these decisions are decisions you are going to have to do
  during your projects, and we try to give you here an
  overview of this systematic way of thinking for different projects

the antecedent is,

  and the goal is to give you a systematic way to think about projects,
  everything related to deep learning. It includes how to collect your
  data, how to label your data, how to choose an architecture, but also
  how to design a proper loss function to optimize.

In this context, is "we are trying to give you" or "we'll try to give you" is more idiomatic than "we try to give you"?


texts:
“To speak truth, sir, I don’t understand you at all; I cannot keep up
  the conversation, because it has got out of my depth.  Only one thing,
  I know: you said you were not as good as you should like to be, and
  that you regretted your own imperfection; one thing I can comprehend:
  you intimated that to have a sullied memory was a perpetual bane.  It
  seems to me, that if you tried hard, you would in time find it
  possible to become what you yourself would approve; and that if from
  this day you began with resolution to correct your thoughts and
  actions, you would in a few years have laid up a new and
  stainless store of recollections, to which you might revert with
  pleasure.” (Jane Eyre)

Does the modal+perfect tense mean the future perfect,
or the previous past of ‘to which you might revert with pleasure’,
or both?


texts:
http://lovefreenovels.com/Fiction/This_Is_Falling/page_44.html
The girl wants to break up with here unconsious forever boyfriend and writes such a say-goodbye letter:

  The more I think about it, the more I know we probably would have
  broken up by now anyway, because as good as you were, we were young,
  and the me I’m growing into wants to experience more in life.

I looked up "as good as" means "almost, nearly" which seems don't fit into here.

And the uncompleted "you were" means "you were young"?


texts:
Being a responsible man, arriving half an hour late would surely surprise his wife. But then he thought that it'd be funnier if he waited a couple of hours.

Vs.

  Being a responsible man, he would surely surprise his wife if he arrived half an hour late. But then he thought that it'd be funnier if he'd waited a couple of hours.

First, I would like to know if after the participial phrase "Being a responsible man", one should use the noun it modifies, he?

Moreover, the first sentence seems lacks a subject.

Second, whether  "would" is necessary before "waited" or not or both are possible depending on the sentence.

Actually these sentences are two corrections by seemingly two English-speakers for a post by a non-native speaker.


texts:
There is no nearby parking space left around this house.

Does parking room or parking spot sound correctly if it is used as a synonym in above sentence?

What is the synonym to use here if they are both not accurate?


texts:
Can I use "be verb" in past simple tense for a time period in the past?
For example, I know it is correct to say "I worked as a teacher for more than 4 decades."
But can I say "I was a teacher for more than 4 decades."
Is "Be verb" appropriate to be used here?


texts: "surely they are a people" - why is an indefinite article used with a plural noun?

texts:
to cite this wikipedia article

  "And (We sent) Lot when he said to his people: What! do you commit an indecency which any one in the world has not done before you? Most surely you come to males in lust besides females; nay you are an extravagant people. And the answer of his people was no other than that they said: Turn them out of your town, surely they are a people who seek to purify (themselves). So We delivered him and his followers, except his wife; she was of those who remained behind. And We rained upon them a rain; consider then what was the end of the guilty."

I'm confused of the usage of the word a in the above bold quote. To quote britishcouncil.org:

  We use the indefinite article, a/an, with count nouns when the hearer/reader does not know exactly which one we are referring to:

  Police are searching for a 14 year-old girl.

  We also use it to show the person or thing is one of a group:

  She is a pupil at London Road School.

  [...]

  We do not use an indefinite article with plural nouns and uncount nouns:

  She was wearing blue shoes. (= plural noun)
  She has short blonde hair. (= uncount noun)

Surely the word people is a plural noun. Additionally, the words they and are are used to show the plural of the noun. Therefore i don't understand why the indefinite article a is used here.

Note: I don't think this question addresses the same point, because it doesn't addresses the plural usage.


texts: When should I use "to be put" vs "be put"

texts:
I'd like to find out what the rule is for using "be put" vs "to be put" as in the example below:

"A requests B be put in the independent queue."


texts: "It feels so good" vs. "I feel so good" vs. "It makes me feel so good"

texts:
What are the differences between following sentences, in terms of meaning?

  It feels (so) good

  I feel (so) good

  It makes me feel (so) good

For me it sounds like we need a driver/thing to say "it feels so good".  For example, when we return to our parents' house after a long journey in the Himalayas, we can say "It feels so good to be home again."  But we can say "I feel good" with or without a reason.  We can say "Today is a beautiful day and I feel so good".  Because a beautiful day is probably nice, but not too surprising, even in the UK:)  But how about when we hear a song that makes us happy, or when we read an impressive novel, or stay at home to relax?

And I don't know how to say this, but when we say "it feels so good", does it have double entendres?


texts:
I was having dinner, but I couldn't finish it all up. So my mom said:

  Eat it up, I haven't given you much/a lot.

  Eat it up, it wasn't too much.

Something like soup:

  Finish it, I haven't given you much/a lot of  soup.

And about Indian dal (semi-solid)

  Finish it, I haven't given you much/a lot of dal.

And about something solid, will it still be the same?

I don't know the best way to describe it.......


texts:
Twenty tourists are reported to have been injured in the crash yesterday.

"Have been" and "yesterday" in one sentence confuse me. My version would be so:

  Twenty tourists are reported to be injured in the crash yesterday.

What is the difference?


texts: Should I use "this" or "that" in the following sentence?

texts:
The rule is to let ten minutes pass before ringing the doorbell again.
This/That way we don't come up as persistent.

Should "this" or "that" be used in this case? And why?


texts: "watch her as she passes by" VS "watch her pass by"

texts:
The sentence 1 below is from the lyrics for the song, Just My Imagination by The Temptations.

  1. Each day through my window I watch her as she passes by.

I wonder if that sentence has any difference in meaning from the sentence below.

  2. Each day through my window I watch her pass by.

I guess that the sentence 2 would be greatly much more common in daily life due to the conciseness, and that the only reason the sentence 1 was used in the song was to match the rhythm. Is there any other difference in meaning?

In case other lines of the lyrics are required to clarify the sentence 1's context, I added the first lines of the lyrics below.

  Each day through my window I watch her as she passes by
  I say to myself you're such a lucky guy
  To have a girl like her is truly a dream come true
  Out of all the fellows in the world she belongs to me
  But it was just my imagination
  Runnin' away with me

  It was just my imagination runnin' away with me


texts:
I would like to know if the following comparison, parallelism is grammatically correct :
"as softly and aesthetically as it deserves"
or rather "as soft and aesthetical as it deserves"
I am talking about a song whose beats are very slow and soft...
Thank you !


texts:
A couple of colleagues of mine pointed out to me that I should not end a list point with a period. For example:

  There a few things that I would like to address in the meeting:

  We should focus more on the advertisement rather than sales reviews.
  The dates and venue for the annual gala have to discussed and decided.

However, I have been told to not use the periods when making such lists or when using checkboxes. I find it weird.

Hence, I ask of you, what should be done? What is the accepted grammar?


texts: How to say about money "money will appear on account " or "money will be on account" or else?

texts:
How to say money will appear on account or money will be on account or else?

Full context example: We transferred money on account - it will appear no later than the next working day.

What is more commonly used by native speakers? Is there other phrase commonly used?

Could money appear on account, will be on account or else?

Some technical explanation - transfers of money is not online/real time - what mean you could order transfer but it will be not done by bank at once so the money will available after some days hours on account where you address transfer.


texts:
Can we say "too little explored method"?

What other alternatives do we have?
I'm limited by the word number, so the less the better.


texts: "I am wanting food"; Does it sound strange or not?

texts:
I am wanting food.

OR

  I want food.

If I really want food right now, should I use present continuous or present simple tense?


texts: What's the difference between "buy gum at the store" and "buy some gum at the store"? What does the "some" in this sentence mean?


texts:
From a pharmacological document (production of a drug):

Critical output attributes: Material characteristic representing critical quality attributes (CQA) a and target product profile.

Non-critical output attributes: Material characteristic that represents performance parameters (e.g. cell count, viability, yield) and/or generates process trend and knowledge.

What is the meaning of material characteristic here? A characteristic of a material? Very important characteristic? Physical characteristic? (Measurable in some physical way)


texts: In programming contexts, "a call for a function" or "a call of"?

texts:
In programming context, you can call a function. This usage is listed on the dictionary ("cause the execution of (a subroutine)" by Oxford), and although I wasn't able to confirm with the dictionaries I have, I'm assuming call as a noun can be used in the same manner.

So when I want to rewrite

  By calling this function multiple times, ...

using call as a noun, which preposition do I use?

  By multiple calls for this function,

or

  By multiple calls of this function,

seems to fit in (to me), and both are found on the internet, as
How to limit calls for a function, but to surely process it afterwards and Counting recursive calls of a function.

Which should I choose?


texts: The difference between sentences mentioned here

texts:
(1) I am to explain the position.
(2) I have got to explain the position.
(3) I have to explain the position.

Please tell me when the meaning of above sentences is one and the same. Also, why and under what circumstances we have to use the above sentences.


texts:
From the opening chapter of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest:

  I creep along the wall quiet as dust in my canvas shoes, but they got
  special sensitive equipment detects my fear and they all look up, all
  three at once, eyes glittering out of the black faces like the hard
  glitter of radio tubes out of the back of an old radio.

Please could you explain conjugation of the verb detects? Why not detecting? Does it mean (that) detects? If so, is such a preposition omission idiomatic?


texts:
The following sentence is given:

  Instead of going back by the same route he took the Jones Beach
  Causeway right on through to the town of Merrick and onto the
  Meadowbrok Parkway until he reached the Nothern State Parkway.

I'm interesting in the meaing of right on through. Explain what that meanss, please.


texts:
An exercise from English pronunciation in use (Elementary), J. Marks:

Seven of these numbers have /e/. Which are they?

Three, seven, eight, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, seventeen, eighteen, twenty, seventy, eighty, a hundred.

The correct answer: seven, ten, eleven, twelve, seventeen, twenty, seventy.

But what about: eight [eit], eighteen [ˌeɪ'tiːn] and eighty ['eɪtɪ]. ?


texts:
I am wondering what is the suffix of "feature". The wordinfo website
does not list the suffix for this word.

https://wordinfo.info/results?searchString=feature

But it lists "-ure" as the suffix of "rupture". Does it mean that the
"-ure" in "feature" should not be considered as a suffix as it doens't
denote "an act or result, result of the act of".

https://wordinfo.info/results?searchString=rupture


texts: relative pronoun referring only to the first of two verb phrases

texts:
In the following sentence, the relative clause consists of two verb phrases, but the relative pronoun "which" is only related to the first. Do you think it's correct in contemporary English? It possbily violates what is known as the Coordinate Structure Constraint.

Henry was standing on the edge of the cliff, towards which his enemies were advancing and aiming to push him into the abyss.


texts:
a. Anyone who has not done their homework can't watch television tonight.
b. Anyone who has not done their homework will not be allowed to watch television tonight.
c. Anyone who has not done their homework is not allowed to watch television tonight.
Are the above sentences grammatically correct and meaningful?


texts:
Please check both sentences and let me know which one is correct.

  You can't just order your children to go play while you watch TV.

vs.

  You can't just order your children to go to play while you watch
  TV.


texts:
I came across that sentence while I was reading PEU/unit 80/at on and in (place).

  There's no room on the bus; let's get off again

The thing is a room means a part of a building enclosed by walls floor and ceil. How is it even possible to be the room in the bus?


texts:
What is the difference between "light" and "slight"?
How to use these words correctly in different cases?


texts: Sharing a past experience in current context

texts:
For Valentine's, why don't you try this restaurant round the corner? I went there yesterday with my wife, the food and the ambience are great!

Is the above sentence correct? Shouldn't it be were instead of are?  Or are both correct?

And if instead of yesterday it was ten years ago, then how different would the answer be?


texts: Is "config" abbreviation of "configuration"?

texts:
I'm learning English. I make a system with configuration module.

Is appropriate config  instead of configuration?


texts:
Currently I'm living in an apartment with some roommates. In this case how can I say when I'm asked about my room?

  I'm living in a sharing apartment.
  I'm sharing an apartment.

Which one is better? Or is there more naturally expression for it?


texts: Should I use past perfect continuous tense here?

texts:
I said the sentence

  I'd been pronouncing the word wrong until a native speaker pointed out
  for me.

I doubt whether it's natural or not. So I posted it on a language exchange app. A native speaker pointed it out that this sentence should read as

  I've been pronouncing the word wrong until a native speaker pointed it
  out to me.

Now I accept the revision of the "point out" part. But after giving some thought to the grammar rules, I think it's better to use the past perfect continuous tense at the beginning since the action of "pointing out" happens in the past. What do you think?


texts:
I want to know whether the sentence which I am mentioning below is right

  It's a humble request kindly give a Leaving Certificate of the School.


texts: Meaning of "He had the over/under at 25” minutes."

texts:
What did the President mean, when he said this:

“Enough talk,” Mr. Obama said. “President Bush was timing me. He had the over/under at 25” minutes. (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/26/us/politics/for-some-bush-obama-rapport-recalls-a-lost-virtue-political-civility.html The last sentence.)

Did Bush bet on him talking longer or shorter?


texts:
My question will be about "in which".
Let's think that the following sentence is our original sentence.

  That's the book of the God which we believe in.

I think there is no problem there.

We can transform it into the following structure.

  That's the book of the God in which we believe.

and I still believe that there is no problem. They are totally the same meaning.

So, my opinion is very unusual and may be funny but I am just curious.

We know that "in/at/on which" can be changed to "where". They give the same meaning. So in this case, can we change "in which" to "where" ?

  That's the book of the God where we believe.

I think that it seems funny but I can't see any technical problem. It can be theoretically correct even if it seems really weird / unusual.

What do you think? Thanks.


texts: Fall back in chair / fall back into chair

texts:
Which is correct here back in chair or back into chair ?

Several guests noticed Mr. Edward falling back ___ his chair and gasping for breath.

We use into to emphasise on / depict the motion, since guest here saw Mr . Edward falling then we should use into, is this correct ?


texts: What's the meaning of "reasonably believing"

texts:
Example:
A heavy plasma cannon for eliminating heavily armored targets, like corvettes or bombers. It fires high-temperature plasma blobs that deal massive damage to any vessel. Its drawbacks include relatively low rate of fire and projectile speed, which allow maneuverable targets to avoid hits. However, during Red Corsair's free rein, Imperial pilots preferred these very cannons, reasonably believing that one or two hits would be enough to disable any pirate fighter.
Does it mean "not very sure" or "hope"?


texts: Is it okay to use IS like this in informal writing?

texts:
Ronnie's a bad influence on her. Keep him away.

Can we use an apostrophe and "S" to say is at the end of a name to say somebody is when writing informally?


texts:
I have looked it up but I am confused because I couldn't discern its meaning. For example Longman Dictionary says :

  to judge something only on what you see when you look at it rather
  than on what you know from other people or things

  It’s important to judge each case on its merits.

According to this definitions, it comes to mind a scenario in which someone is accused of a wrongdoing but some people say "we should judge the case on its own merits" to mean  " we should listen to him too, that is, other side and whole story then we should judge. We should not believe what other people say immediately."

On the other hand, from some contexts I read on the Internet, I understand that it means that "the same wrongdoing may not be offense in other cases"

For example :

  Well, I think that you have to take each of these situations sort of
  on their own merits.

I do not know the context of the sentence I excerpted from FoxNews website


texts: How to pronounce 'the' before 'unique': /ðə/ or /ði/?

texts: When 'the' comes before 'unique', how to pronounce it: /ðə/ or /ði/?


texts:
On his way to the sweet shop, he dropped his fifty pence and it bounced along the pavement and then disappeared down a drain.
How to understand the then, and why not only use and instead of and then.


texts:
“Seize him! SEIZE HIM!” shrieked Voldemort again, and Quirrell
  lunged, knocking Harry clean off his feet landing on top of him, both
  hands around Harry’s neck — Harry’s scar was almost blinding him with
  pain, yet he could see Quirrell howling in agony.    “Master, I
  cannot hold him — my hands — my hands!”    And Quirrell, though
  pinning Harry to the ground with his knees, let go of his neck and
  stared, bewildered, at his own palms — Harry could see they looked
  burned, raw, red, and shiny.    “Then kill him, fool, and be
  done!” screeched Voldemort.  Quirrell raised his hand to
  perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, reached up and grabbed
  Quirrell’s face —   “AAAARGH!”  (Harry Potter and the
  Sorcerer's Stone)

‘Be done’ seems to mean ‘Kill the boy’. But I can’t understand the structure of ‘be + adjective’, which seems not take object. What does the phrase mean, and how do I understand the structure?


texts: How to understand ` You can also require a client login with a simple true/false response.`?

texts:
When I read this document:

  You can also require a client login with a simple true/false response.

How to understand this sentence?


texts: What does the symbol mean in the red circle of this picture?

texts: This is from an old game. I'm reading this letter and found a symbol. What does it mean?


texts: I want to know who were the soldiers that had that job

texts:
It was said recently that Donald Trump had said the above mentioned comment.
Is it grammatically correct?
It seems to me that the correct sentence is:
"I want to know who the soldiers that had that job were".


texts: "Will have been to be" + past participle

texts:
The more vital the worker, the more likely they will have been to be
asked to postpone their annual leave in the pandemic.

Is this sentence grammatically correct? Particularly the part in bold.
And would it acquire a different meaning if "to be" was dropped?


texts: 'I used to think that [present tense]' v. 'I used to think that [past tense]'

texts:
Which pattern is correct? I believe the latter but want to make sure.

I used to think that [present tense].

or

I used to think that [past tense].


texts: What does "additional tuition" mean here?

texts:
Does it mean "The tuition" or "the interest of the tuition"? (For example, the tuition is 50,000 USD, and after 1 year unpaid by graduates, it may become 60,000 USD.)

"Students who enroll in the San Francisco or New York campus can defer payment until after graduation. In return, the school can collect a share of your first-year salary once you earn $50,000 in total compensation. No additional tuition is charged if you don’t find a job within one year of graduating."

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/21/6-schools-that-dont-require-tuition-until-you-get-a-job.html


texts: Is there any difference between "take something up with someone" and "bring something up with someone"?

texts:
Could you tell me if there is there any difference between take something up with someone and bring something up with someone? For example:

We are going to take the issue up with the boss.
We are going to bring the issue up with the boss.


texts:
You just heard "Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. This is a song about racial harmony using piano keys. The black keys on the piano are ebony, and the white ones are ivory (from a textbook)
I have questions about the bolded part.
Q1.
I am curious about which grammatical role "using piano keys" takes.

an adjectival phrase modifying "a song"
an adverbial clause which can be changed into "as it uses piano keys"

Q2.
If the answer 2 is right in Q1, what is the antecedent of "it" in "as it uses piano keys"? "This" in "This is a song"? I assume this because if an adverbial finite clause is reduced into an adverbial nonfinite clause, the adverbial nonfinite clause shares the same subject as the subject in the main clause. Is this right?
Many thanks in advance:)


texts: What does this phrase mean? "Not if you've done it before, it isn't."

texts: I was watching a movie and heard the line "Not if you've done it before, it isn't." and it just confused the crap out of me. I'm not used to this phrase. What can it possibly mean?


texts: How to use conditional "if" in this situation?

texts:
Which one of those 2 versions is the corrent one?
1. "If I wanted to tell you who I am, I'd have done it already."
2. "If I had wanted to tell you who I am, I'd have done it already."


texts: Naming a section on responsible persons in a study report

texts:
Imagine you have a pharmacological study report, and one section of the report lists the persons who performed the study. That section is basically a table: name \ position \ responsibility. How would you name the section in the Table of Contents?

I came up with three options:

  Responsible persons

and

  Responsibility

and

  Personnel (or "Study personnel"?)

I'm not sure how this section would be routinely called in English. In Russian, it is "ispolniteli" ("those who perform" or "performers" or "carry-outers" if you will)

P.S.

I found that I added the term "study staff" in my Anki glossary a while ago. I was reviewing it this morning and discovered it.


texts: Which is correct "having committed a crime" or "committing a crime"

texts: Which is correct and why,"The officer is accusing the individual of having committed a crime" or "The officer is accusing the individual of committing a crime"?


texts:
1). He was a popular singer back in the 90's. But I'm sure that he couldn’t fill a concert hall now.
2). He was a popular singer back in the 90's. But I'm sure that he can’t fill a concert hall now.

What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences? I know could is used for hypothetical cases. But what is the possible hypothetical case in the sentence1?


texts: Understanding simultaneity: "Sue was surprised and said, “What the hell!”"

texts:
I have difficulty understanding the difference between three sentences below:

Sue was surprised and said, “What the hell!”

and

Sue was surprised as she said, “What the hell!”

and

Sue said in surprise, “What the hell!”

My intuition tells me that in all of the three sentences above, the action of being surprised and the action of saying "What the hell!" happens "simultaneously."
I wonder how the simultaneity differ from each of three sentences?
The first sentence could either be understood as

Sue was surprised as she said, “What the hell!” Basically, its meaning is the same as the second sentence I have trouble with?

or

Sue acting surprised for a brief moment and then say "What..." and then again act surprised and then say "the..." The cycle continues until she finishes saying the whole phrase.

Which one is correct?
In the third sentence, based on my understanding, "in surprise" acts like an adverb, which explains how an action takes place, to "say." I'm not sure how it is different from the two other sentences. I have difficulty grasping the concept of adverbs.


texts:
I found this line in Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

  I'll do't. Dost thou come here to whine?

What does "do't" mean? Google returneth only "don't". Is "do't" an alternative spelling of "don't"? Is "I'll don't" a common phrase in English?


texts: Can it be used with 'to staff' or 'staff' in the sentence

texts:
I saw a news on CNN US.

"NASA requires staff to telecommute at Alabama center after employee tests positive for coronavirus".

So, my question is that the sentence should be "NASA requires to staff~". however, it doesn't contain the 'to'.
Is it because NASA requires that staff to telecommute at ~?


texts:
While discussing a piece of scientific writing today, I was confused about the subject (and therefore the singular/plural state) of this sentence.

  The presence of very high cell densities in the embryoid body outgrowths makes accurate quantitation of adipogenesis difficult.

What is the subject in this sentence? Is it "presence" or "densities"? What are some rules that I can use to determine the subject of similar sentences?


texts: "Is it left-handed?" Or "Is it for left-handed?"

texts:
"Is it left-handed?" OR "Is it for left-handed?"

Which one is correct way to ask whether something is specially made for left-handed?

My homework:

  A left-handed guitar

is a valid sentence and this assures me that my way of asking is proper.

  I bought a guitar for you. ~ Thanks, but is it left-handed?

Somehow, to me, this way of asking seems better. Because left-handed is an adjective which in this context better take preposition for:

  I bought a guitar for you. ~ Thanks, but is it for left-handed (like me, which is understood)?


texts: Is it appropriate to use another verb after the main verb (main verb + subject + verb) in a sentence? and why?

texts:
I don't quite understand why it is grammatically correct to use another verb after the main verb (main verb + subject + verb) in a sentence,
for example:

I can't believe you remembered that blue is my absolute favorite color.

given that “believe” is not a modal verb or a verb that fits in " verb + object + (bare) infinitive" Syntax, like those words: let, make, see, hear, feel.
Could some explain it to me?


texts: "I certainly wish he would teach me," or "I certainly wish he taught me," or "I certainly wish he could teach me"

texts:
For multiple-choice question:

--Tom can take his toy apart and put it back together again.
--really? I certainly wish he _____ me.

Why is "would teach" the best answer? I am aware of the point that subjunctive mood should be used after "with."
Syntactically, I wouldn't think "would teach" wrong; but semantics-wise, I figure that "taught" would be more preferable. I also think "could teach" also works here.


texts:
I'm not sure if I'm allowed to answer this qestion. But here it is:

  These young people have grown up with sociable robot pets, the companions
  of their playrooms, which portrayed emotion, said they cared, and asked to be
  cared for. We are psychologically programmed not only to nurture what we
  love but to love what we nurture. So even simple artificial creatures can provoke
  heartfelt attachment. Many teenagers anticipate that the robot toys of their childhood
  will give way to full-fledged machine companions. In the psychoanalytic
  tradition. a symptom addresses a conflict but distracts us from understanding
  or resolving it; a dream expresses a wish. Sociable robots serve as both symptom
  and dream: as a symptom, they promise a way to sidestep conflicts about intimacy; as a dream, they express a wish for relationships with limits, a way to be both together and alone.

What does it mean when she says, "...not only to nurture what we love but to love what we nurture?"
What is the conflict about intimacy?


texts: BBC World - Why "Will this window really 'be' smashed" instead of "Will this window really 'get' smashed"?

texts:
I'm uploading a picture here because I cannot provide the link of the article. It's a tweet wherein the poster has to write a tweet manually. The main article does not have the sentence in concern.

I want to learn why...

  Will this window really be smashed

and not

  Will this window really get smashed

My understanding:

Using 'be' there talks about whether the glass is tough enough to bear the stroke of that thick stick. In an example, I can express

  Can it be broken? ~ No, it cannot. It is a 30-mm thick glass

But then using get clearly asks us to guess whether the event of glass breaking really happened!

  Will this window really get smashed ~ Yes, nobody could stop that mask man. It really got smashed.

In short, it's being (capability) over getting (happening).


texts: What is the difference between "general" and "generic"?

texts:
For example, as a student, I have a "general" or "generic" question. My question is "Does every student need to wear school uniform every school day?"
Are "general" and "generic" interchangeable here? If so, which one is more common in colloquial AmE?


texts: Can I change from the Past Perfect to the Simple Past without changing the meaning?

texts:
Having come to Kolkata he had found the people were warm.

Can I make the sentence with out had and without changing the meaning. Like this:

  Having come to Kolkata he found the people were warm.


texts: Is the word 'perform' idiomatic in this context?

texts:
If my friend told me that he ordered online, a service of blood tests (made by a nurse) and he has one month that this purchase is valid from the time he paid for it, then he asked me when to perform/do it, while I think it's better to do/perform it tomorrow. I want to tell him that I recommend him to do/perform it tomorrow.

  I recommend you to do/perform it tomorrow.

To 'perform' means, in this case, to take his own blood sample, or it isn't necessary, and it can be said also when it's made by others as well?


texts:
I was reading this article (linked below the sentence) when I came across this:

  First, let’s talk geography.

  -- Smithsonian Magazine

I could get what it means but the grammar behind it is still a mystery to me. I also searched a bit and found similar results with words like "math/history"....etc

So is  "geography" an adverb here or actually it's  an indirect object but the preposition "about" is just omitted and if so , why is it omitted? Is this grammatically correct?


texts: Is the reply B to question A lexically correct?

texts:
This is the scenario:

  A. Sorry, I didn't lock the door.
  B. I'll solve it. (intended to say: "Don't worry! It is not a big deal you are afraid of, I solve this issue by just going and locking the door that has been left open!")

Is there any idiom in English to use as a reply to A?


texts:
The wiktionary defines "cahoots" as

  collusion or collaboration to nefarious ends

which makes it seem like some villainous or sinister thing, to be in cahoots with someone. Let's say, the hotdogs are sold in jars of 6, but the buns are in bags of 8. So you get two leftover buns and need to buy more hotdogs, and then you have four leftover hotdogs and need to buy more buns. It's rather iniquitous of them to place their consumers in a vicious cycle like that, just to make another sale, so then the hotdog people and the bun people are in cahoots with eachother, aren't they.

But what about using "cahoots" as a more positive term?

  "I'm in cahoots with her friends to throw her a surprise bridal shower"

or something. By that, I wanted to say we're being sneaky and secretive about what we're up to. It might involve a white lie here or there, but in the end when it's out in the open she won't care about any of that. Does that work okay or does it seem like an inappropriate word use?


texts: "if the train was leaving" vs. "if the train were leaving" (indicative vs. subjunctive): difference in meaning

texts:
Suppose we have two sentences, one in the indicative mood:

  If the train was leaving, you would have heard about it.

and the other in the subjunctive:

  If the train were leaving, you would have heard about it.

What is the key difference in meaning? Am I right to guess that in the first sentence the speaker is unaware of whether the train was indeed leaving, whereas in the second sentence he knows that the train was not leaving?


texts:
In the following sentence:

  James made a hole in the bottom of a bucket.

Why using in preposition, while not talking about inside of an object?


texts: What is the plural form of the word “coursework”?

texts:
I wonder what is the plural form of the word “coursework”?

Courseworks seem to be incorrect.


texts: I'm done with the class the today Vs. I finished the class today

texts:
In standard English, which of the following two means that I finished the class today only but doesn't mean that I finish it forever?

  I am done with the /my class (or lesson).

or

  I finished the class (or lesson).

In both cases I mean for today only, but I'm not sure if one of them correct in this context or both of them are just a matter of style.


texts: Question about "would": Present Simple or Past simple?

texts:
Recently I was doing some english quiz and was totally knocked out with the folowing phrase:
"Would you like a glass of water?"
In that quiz I had to determine the tense of this phrase.
And was completely lost between Present Simple and Past simple.
So what tense is it?


texts: Difference between Past Tense and Past Continuous Tense

texts:
a) I stood in the bus and she was sitting comfortably.

b) I was standing in the bus and she was sitting comfortably.

c) I stood in the bus and she sat comfortably.

I want to tell about situation in the bus to my friend. Should I use past tense or past continues tense?

I am mainly confused in the usage of sat, stood and sitting and standing.

Also, please help me with below sentence construction.

I did not offer my seat to her because I sat/was sitting beside my granny.


texts:
Is it correct to say "A world with no borders, no time and no place."?

Why do I get the feeling that "boundaries" is a better word choice in this case? Also is it better to say "A world without borders"?

Which word combination should I use in this sentence?

The context is an attempt to explain how some companies believe in sharing educational knowledge around the world. Here is more of the paragraph:

  "We see the world coming together in the virtual realm to share knowledge that will raise us all up to a higher level: A world with no borders, no time and no place, where each individual has their own special spark to contribute to the new discourse taking place."


texts: When talking about planned actions vs unplanned actions, What would be the right form...?

texts:
"we are focused" vs "We focus".

It would be great if these are explained with multiple Examples..!

Thanks in Advance.


texts: Strange placement of 'has' with commas around!

texts:
Straight from the Cambridge IELTS test:

  Alan Macfarlane, professor of anthropological science at King's College, Cambridge, has, like other historians, spent decades wrestling with the enigma of the Industrial Revolution.

A simple question - I haven't observed such a strange use of punctuation marks. It's before and after 'has?' How? Which rule? Why?


texts: "Not only - but" form to address technical application in some countries

texts:
Is there any significant difference between these sentences? Which one is not grammatically correct?

The liquid fertilizer application has been used not only in some other countries, but also in country A.
The liquid fertilizer application has been used not only in country A, but also in some other countries.


texts:
This is an exercise from Cambridge IELTS book page 49. Which one of the following sentences is correct?

The problem became worse and worse as a result eventually it caused the system to fail.
The problem became worse and worse so that eventually it caused the system to fail.

I feel the first one is correct because the first part of the sentence has caused the second part. Therefore, I believe that "as a result" is the correct option, because it clearly indicates that the system failure is an effect of the worsening problem.
But "so that" can be used in a situation that the first part is done with the aim of the second part, which does not fit our sample.
In the answer key of the book though, the second sentence was marked as correct option!


texts: "the Wonder Wheel, a Ferris wheel that looked" VS "the Wonder Wheel, a Ferris wheel, that looked"

texts:
Above all, we boarded the Wonder Wheel, a Ferris wheel that looked as tall as a seven-story building. (From an ACT test)

I know "a Ferris wheel that looked as tall as a seven-story building" is used as an appositive for Wonder Wheel, but why can't it be "we boarded the Wonder Wheel, a Ferris wheel, that looked as tall as a seven-story building" where "a Ferris wheel" is still a appositive and a relative clause modifying "Wonder Wheel"？


texts:
In Advanced Grammar in Use (Cambridge) the following sentence is grammatically correct

  We all envied him his lifestyle.

Is the meaning of the particular sentence the same as the sentence

  We all envied him for his lifestyle. ?


texts:
Does "extended over" mean "more than"?
The spawning migration from salt water to freshwater began in early August and extended over 5-6 weeks.


texts: What does "anything that wasn’t that moment – no, not even that – was beyond me" mean in this context?

texts:
I would like to know what "anything that wasn’t that moment – no, not
even that – was beyond me" means in the following sentences:

I sat in the hallway and tried not to cry. I wanted to cease existing.
I wanted to un-be. I sat in the hallway and tried not to think of you
and me. I tried not to think of us, under the covers of your bed. I
tried not to think of your arms or your hands or your eyes. I tried
not to think of all the things I had imagined we’d do together –
return to our lake next summer, move in together someday. I tried not
to think of Hania, and your fingers on her sequinned dress. I tried
not to think of Maksio or his eyes when he saw us in the forest. I
tried not to think of Granny, or Professor Mielewicz.
I tried to imagine my life in the future, in a year or so. I couldn’t
see anything. I couldn’t see anything because anything that wasn’t
that moment – no, not even that – was beyond me. I started rocking
my legs and feet, just to feel something. And then the office closed
before my number was called. I left with nothing to show for my time
except the flimsy piece of paper whose handwritten number had smudged
from my holding it for too long.

Tomasz Jedrowski, Swimming in the Dark, Chapter 7

In this novel which is set in the 1980's in Poland under the socialist regime, where homosexuality was socially unacceptable, the protagonist Ludwik left Poland in 1981 to live in the United States of America. And he remembers what it was like back then in Poland, where he decided to leave the country after trying hard to stay in the country. And he sat at the Passport Bureau to get his passport and began to think about his future.
In this part, I would like to know the meaning of the underlined sentence.
(1) By "anything" in "anything that wasn’t that moment", does he mean "any moment other than that moment"?
Or does he mean literally everything (including people, things, time etc) except that moment?
(2) And, by "that" in "no, not even that", does he mean "that moment"?
(3) Also, I would like to know what it means to be "beyond me." Does it mean it was beyond his reach, perhaps...?


texts:
As  people  began  to  go  to  more  places  and  do  more  things,  they  were  more  interested  in knowing  the  correct  time.    By  1900,  almost  every  house  had  a  clock,  and  nearly  every  well-dressed gentleman wore a watch on a chain tucked in his vest pocket.  Today  of  course,  we  have  electric  clocks  that  keep  giving  the  right  time  until  they  are unplugged or  the electricity  goes  off. Scientists have invented clocks that  look  like  large machines  and tell the correct time to a split second. The  most  modern  electric  clocks  for  home  use  do  not  have  faces  or  hands. These clocks  are called  digital  clocks,  and  they  tell,  the  time  with  a  set  of  numerals  which  appear  in  a  little  window. The seconds are counted off like the tenths of a mile on the odometer of a car. Many  electric  clocks  are  combined  with  radios,  which  can  sometimes  be  set  to  turn  on automatically.  Thus,  instead  of  an  alarm  ringing  in  your  ear  in  the  morning,  you  can  hear  soft  music playing when it is time to get up. Some clocks will even start the coffee maker! Although  clocks  and  watches  play  an  important  part  in  people's  lives  in  industrialized countries,  time is  still  regarded in very  different  ways in different  parts of  the world.

What does "look like"" mean in this sentence?
Clocks are equal in size with large machines.
or
Clocks are equal in the quality of work with large machine?


texts:
I need to argue with this topic: "True success can be measured primarily in terms of the goals one sets for oneself"

Now I was wondering can I use the following quotation:

  Having a good goal toward a success is ruled out when a damaging measure is taken in reaching that  success.

I want to say:

  Having a good goal toward a success is not a considerable matter when a damaging measure is taken in reaching that success.


texts: "Live life to the fullest" what does it mean?

texts: I have read in some articles "live life to the fullest" and I was so confused as to what this really means. Does it mean to live happily?  I'm not so sure.


texts:
Sometimes I hear people say 'I don't afraid...'
For example: 'I don't afraid to be alone'
Or 'I don't afraid of the darkness'.

But is it right?
I've always thought that we can only say: 'I'm not afraid of something' of 'I'm not afraid to do something'
And with 'don't' we can say only to someone: 'Don't be afraid'.

Is it possible to say 'I don't afraid', 'You don't afraid' etc.?


texts: Where's the verb in 'Enterprise has one DW and data marts source their information...'?

texts:
I have this sentence from a slide in my class:

  Enterprise has one DW and data marts source their information from it

Where DW is a shortcut for data warehouse.

I couldn't find the verb in that sentence. Is it source? If yes, what does the sentence mean? Does it mean that the data marts extract their data from the DW?


texts:
Is it okay, if we don't use it at the end? Just curious.

  This book is the perfect companion for those who need inspiration in a
  quick read and have fun while reading [it].


texts:
I already know that PR can mean Public Relations or Puerto Rico, but none of these definition works in my context. I was on github, and an author basically said :

  If you like this plugin and want to say thanks please send a PR or donation. Both are equally appreciated!

(Source)

In this context, what does PR stand for ?


texts: The confusion about the word 'accommodation'

texts:
First, the word accommodation is a mass noun:

  accommodation (mass noun) - A room, group of rooms, or building in which someone may live or stay

This is chiefly in BrE. I got it. Next to this on that page we find is...

  accommodations (chiefly North American) -Lodgings, sometimes also including board.

Now, how do British refer to more than one accommodation? The reverse, how do Americans refer to a single accommodation?

In India, Do they provide an accommodation? is spoken thousands of times a day. Please confirm that it is utterly incorrect.

Here is a piece from Swan's Practical English.

PS: This confuses me further!

  "They sat there for a week, waiting for an accommodation which turned out to be..." - CNN

What is it finally? A countable noun, non countable noun, mass noun?


texts: Are phrases like 'my very good friend' grammatical?

texts:
Yahya is my very good friend.
Johann Diederich Ringe and Christoph Kipshoven present their very interesting epidemiological analysis of the vitamin D status in the German population.

The bold phrases sound awkward to me, are they grammatical?

I'd prefer the following alternatives;

Yahya is a very good friend of mine.
Johann Diederich Ringe and Christoph Kipshoven present a very interesting epidemiological analysis of the vitamin D status in the German population.


texts: Wondering what the phrase 'spore inventory' really mean in the context

texts:
“We’ve succeeded in maintaining the bear population well over the past few years. The results we’ve had from the spore inventory in 2009 shows that we are keeping the population at roughly the same level since 2004,” explains Björn Jonsson, head of conservation in the area, to the paper.

From http://m.thelocal.se//20120820/42724

My try is that : The word inventory has to do with a list of all bears in the country but I do not know why the guy used the word 'spore'  here. It could not have anything to do with the cell like seed from some plants. They are talking about bears. Very confusing.


texts:
From English grammar point of view, which of below sentence is correct? And why?

He did this better than I did.

He did this better than me.


texts: Which is better – "election panel" or "nominating committee"?

texts:
Which is the better choice when I want to talk about a group of people whose task it is to nominate members for a board or the like – nominating committee or election panel? I've found both, but I haven't been able to determine which is the better choice – if, indeed, one is better than the other.
Thank you!


texts: When you are replying to a morning greeting, do you reply with "Good morning, too" or, "Good morning to you, too" or just, "Good morning"?


texts:
What does "too much can be made of X" mean?

Source and context:

  Too much can be made of statistics, of that there can be little doubt, but the Colback conundrum is an intriguing one.

Source


texts: What does "make a rare return appearance" mean?

texts:
Can somebody explain "makes a rare return appearance" in this context for me, please?

  In all likelihood, yes, said Damien Courvalin, head of energy research for the Goldman Sachs’s global investment research commodities team. Mr. Courvalin makes a rare return appearance this year, after pretty much nailing it in his forecast for 2016. Last year he predicted further weakness in oil prices, followed by a recovery by the year’s end — which is just what happened.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/05/business/economy/financial-predictions-2017.html?_r=0


texts: She is saving the money, She (is buying/is going to buy) a new computer next week... Which one?

texts:
Is saving money consider as an intention or as an arrangment ?
Since i turned the intention into an action and started saving . But i can't really say that it is an arrangment either

It was a question in my quiz:
By arrangments i mean using present continous
intention : going to


texts: The difference between "would buy" and "would have bought"

texts:
What are the differences between these sentences?

  It would be great if you bought some apples too

  It would have been great if you had bought some apples too

  It will be great if you buy some apples too

I would actually like to know to which particular situations each of these sentences are appropriate.

Which of these are the most suitable for a situation such as this:
I've just returned from the market and my brother says: "It would be/have been great, if you bought/had bought some apples to"


texts: Does "next to" mean "to the right" or "to the left"?

texts:
According to Oxford Learner's Dictionary,

  next to

  in or into a position right beside somebody/something
  following in order or importance after somebody/something

If:

  A is next to B

it should mean that A is immediately beside B (as per the cited definition). I would normally assume that A comes after B or is to to B's right.

Context

I'm trying to the solve the "Einstein's Riddle" and two of the givens are:

  The Norwegian lives in the first house.
  The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.

If the Norwegian is the first house in a row of five houses, it can't possibly come after the blue house. In this case, knowing the correct position is most important. What should I assume? I'm arranging the houses horizontally from left to right. So, will the N house be leftmost? If so, will the blue house be to its right?

Question

Now the question is:

  Is A to the right of B? Or to the left?

Definition #2 seems to suggest that A comes after B — that is, to the right (assuming things are ordered from left to right, as is generally).

However, if A and B are next to each other, A is to the right of B, and B is to the left of A. Either ways are possible then.

Which one is a correct interpretation of 'next to'?


texts:
Scenario: There is a manager in a shop who works his very best to make sure the shop does well (financially). He cares for the shop as if he is the owner.

Can I convey this using the following sentence?

  The shop has a manager, who, with his best intentions, runs the place.


texts:
How to determine whether I need to use an article  before a noun? Can I skip using a, an or the altogether?

This doubt has arisen because grammarly points out many a times to me to use determiner article where I have skipped it.

e.g.

1.Chris came as a saviour and has collected the jacket from the shop and would ship it to Albert in next few days.

here, Grammarly asks to add 'the' before 'next few days'. I want to ask why? As I am writing this text at some point of time then next days of that point of time is clear. What value would adding a 'the' add?

It is not true that the Bible exhorts one to become obsessed with moral duty to the extent of being a pedant.

Here Grammarly  says that I have to add an article before moral duty. I don't understand what value an article might add here!

3.And, it is highly difficult to achieve that stability and harmony which is needed for success in spiritual world without satiating our worldly desires, hunger.

Here, Grammarly asks me to add an article before spiritual world. Why?


texts:
Recently several audio recordings claimed racist riots on Dec 7 and 8 will occur have gone viral telling people not to leave the house on those two days.

Is "Recently....Will occur" a clause ?
Is it grammatically correct to use a clause as a subject of a sentence ?


texts: Should this sentence use a comma or an em dash or something else?

texts:
How would one punctuate the below?

The blue roan is a symbol of thunder, the potent power of thunder.
The blue roan is a symbol of thunder — the potent power of thunder.

I know there may be preferred ways of saying this sentence, but I'm just looking for the correct way to punctuate this. Sentence 1 just seems incorrect but I'm not sure why.


texts: What's the word for moving a stroller back and forth to sooth the baby?

texts: When a mom or dad need to sooth their baby they move a stroller back and forth. What's the verb for moving a stroller back and forth to sooth the baby?


texts:
Can we say:

  I would rather read a book than to watch a movie.

instead of:

  I would rather read a book than watch a movie.

I have searched the web and found that it is used without "to". But why is it so? Is the first use incorrect?


texts:
I delete my Stack Exchange profile. After that, Receive and mail from Stack Exchange. It has written follow manner under it:

  Stack Exchange Inc. 110 William Street, 28th floor, NY NY 10038 <3

What is <3? Please teach me.

I tried to use Search engine, but I can't search this.


texts: Do we put a dash or a slash to separate X and Y in X Y crossover?

texts:
For example, when we use the expression "Star Wars Marvel crossover", do we use a slash (/) or a dash (-) to separate Star Wars and Marvel? What's the proper way of doing this, or the most popular if both are valid?

Here are some examples:

  This Star Wars-Marvel crossover is the bomb.

  This Star Wars/Marvel crossover is the bomb.


texts:
What's the difference between "veggie" and "vegetable"?
Can I use them interchangeably? or is there any difference in terms of meaning and usage?


texts: I am sorry for not being able to give you some context about this. I found this phrase from the "Pearson Academic Words List". I tried a few dictionaries even, but still not able to understand the real meaning of this. Please give me the meaning and some example of the usage of it.


texts: Is the question "Where does she hurt?" correct?

texts:
How can I ask someone what part of their body is in pain?
I already know that "Where does it hurt?" is common among native speakers. However, if we ask someone about a mutual friend's health (pain in part of body), how to ask?


texts: Could somebody tell me please that what is the word that you use for a person who lost most of his hair?(he is not bald yet)


texts: When can I use "having + past participle"?

texts:
I wonder whenever should we use

  Having + past participle

Instead of

  Verb + ing

Whereas its more common to use verb + ing instead of having + past participle. For example :

Having finished our work, we went home.

What's difference with following sentence:

After finishing our work, we went home.

Whether it is more formal or something else. Would you mind somebody explain this grammar?


texts: What is "the socially relevant tradition in cinema" relating to?

texts:
The world of American cinema is so far-reaching a topic that it deserves, and often receives, volumes of its own. Hollywood (in Los Angeles, California), of course, immediately comes to mind, as do the many great directors, actors and actresses it continues to attract and produce.But then, one also thinks of the many independent studios throughout the country, the educational and documentary series and films, the socially relevant tradition in cinema, and the film departments in universities...

The whole sentence is simple, but I can't understand "the socially relevant tradition in cinema". What kind of tradition are they talking about? It's very important because I translate this text.


texts:
I would like to appreciate all reviewers of our paper. We submitted our paper two times and I would point to reviewers of both submissions and revise. If I say from the first submission does it have the mentioned meaning?

I appreciate all reviewers of our paper from the first submission for their time.


texts: Understand: is not under natural authority but is under the arbitrary authority of the self-appointed and self-validating

texts:
Today I encountered a sentence:

  A slave's education is not under natural authority but is under the arbitrary authority of the self-appointed and self-validating

I boldened the doubtful words and understood this like:

  A slave's education is driven not by his own needs but by the will of someone other who is self-appointed (just proclaimed himself to be an absolute truth) and self-validating (either "judging himself on his own only" or "not requiring any confirmation of his competence" or "not bearing any objections")

Please help me to understand the true meaning.


texts: difference between annoyance and anger (other than intensity)

texts:
In the OALD article "annoyance" the following sample sentence is given:

  His behaviour caused great annoyance to his colleagues.

In the same article, the meaning of annoyance is defined as "the feeling of being slightly angry". Following this definition, great annoyance is simply anger.

So, why to speak of "great annoyance" instead of

  His behaviour caused (great) anger to his colleagues.

What are the stylistic and semantic differences between the two sample sentences above?


texts:
I was reading a text and came across:

  The coyote population continues to grow despite efforts at trapping, shooting, and poisoning the animals.

Now, consider below sentence; is there any difference resulted by using different preposition? In brief, which preposition do you prefer?

  It continues to grow despite efforts of / in trapping, shooting, and poisoning the animals.


texts:
A sentence from a newspaper:

  The researchers said another 107 students had problems because of
  their Internet use.

Shouldn't it be other (students) instead of another (students)?


texts: Do we cook/boil/ tea? I'm talking about a specific way of preparation whose description is given below

texts: In northern parts of India, tea is prepared by first boiling the water and then adding sugar,milk and dried tea leaves into it, and then the whole mixture is boiled for 5-6 minutes. We can use "prepare" as an answer to my question, but it's too abstract. Moreover, we can't use it in a sentence like - "Don't purchase teabags. I like cooked/boiled/ tea."


texts: What is the difference between send and put?

texts:
I want to know the differences between these two sentences.

  send a mail to me.
  put a mail to me.

Does the send and put changes the meaning of the sentence?


texts: Why is "will provide" and "will happen" instead of the simple present in this cookies policy?

texts:
As Cookies policy :

The following information WILL PROVIDE you with an easy to navigate overview of what WILL HAPPEN with your personal data when you visit our website. The term "personal data" comprises all data that CAN BE USED to personally identify you.

Why "WILL PROVIDE"? Why not "PROVIDE" as a real fact? Why "WILL HAPPEN"? Why not "HAPPEN" as a real fact?
Why CAN BE USED? Why not MAY BE USED or WILL BE USED?


texts: I graduated high school vs. I graduated from high school?

texts:
Which is proper?

  I graduated high school

or

  I graduated from high school


texts:
Please explain to me.
I am so confused with these two words.
What I should use, 'same' or 'the same' in the following sentence?

The amount of time to melt was same
The amount of time to melt was the same.


texts: Usage of "develop [a system] for + -ing" AND "integrate [something] into the system"

texts:
Does the following sound correct?

  I have developed a system for collecting, storing, and processing large volumes of stock market data. I have also implemented an algorithm that predicts the price of a stock from historical data and integrated it into the system.

Is there a better way to write these sentences? I am worried about the use of the following structures:

develop [a system] for + -ing
integrate [(the implementation of) the algorithm] into the system


texts: Expression to use for somebody very lucky

texts:
In Italian, to mean that somebody is very lucky, we say nato con la camicia (literally, "born with the shirt").

Is there an expression I could use in English that is more colorful than very lucky?


texts: Fruit is cut into smaller pieces like a chip and then boiled dried in sugar. Are they called "papaya/banana…chips" or "papaya/banana…jams"?

texts:
We cut fruit such as papayas, bananas, mangoes, etc into thin pieces which has the same size as a potato chip and we boil them dried in sugar (Note: I am not sure if "boil something dried" is a correct expression, it means boils them until they are dried).
These fruit chips/jams can be stored for months.
Are they called "papaya/banana…chips" or "papaya/banana…jams"?
Chips often refer to potato chips and are boiled in oil. Chips are normally salty not sweet.
Jam is often a thick liquid not thin liquid (Note: I'm not sure "thick/thin liquid" is a correct way of saying) like this.

The below is the squash chips or jams (they are very popular in Asia)?

These are yum banana chips (the whole small bananas were boiled, they are not cut small) (Note: I'm not sure "cut it small" is correct)

Bigger bananas can be cut sideways (Note: I'm not sure "cut it sideways" is correct) before boiled.

Some Indian people say they are "candied banana/papaya..." or "candied fruit"

candied adjective  /ˈkændid/  /ˈkændid/ [only before noun]
(of fruit or other food) preserved by boiling in sugar; cooked in
sugar
candied fruit
candied peel (= of oranges)

I am not sure if we can say "banana/papaya... candy" or "fruit candy".


texts: Have been and Had been, excluding present perfect continuous and past perfect continuous

texts:
We use the verb had and the past participle for the past perfect and The past perfect continuous is formed with had been and the -ing form of the verb:

When Mel died he and Jenifer had been married for nearly thirty years.
He didn’t want to move. He had lived in Seattle  all her life.

In sentence 1, had+married, past participle for marry, why is been here and what does it mean by placing here?
In sentence 2, had+lived past participle : why is been not used here?
I mean to ask, why do we sometimes use had been and have been  excluding the past perfect and present perfect continuous sentences in a sentence, what does it mean?


texts:
I want to ask a colleague if a letter has already been sent, because I want to make some changes to it.
Is it okay if I ask: "Have you sent that letter?"

I want to ask in a neutral way. I am not sure because I have a feeling that if I ask:"Have you...?" it sounds like I expect them to do something, which is not the case.I just need the information.


texts: Which would be better, "I" or "me" in the following sentence?

texts:
I see generally people use I for addressing themselves, but some people also use me in the same sense.

Which is better to use, I or me?

  Let I recommend you for this...

or

  Let me recommend you for this...


texts: Is it natural to say something is full-white?

texts:
This is certainly not sponsored by a washing powder brand. Would it sound natural (day-to-day basis) to say that something is "full-white", meaning white in its entirety?

  e.g. This surface is full-white (fully white).


texts: "My breakfast is milk, bread and sausages." - Is this correct even though the second part is plural?

texts:
My breakfast is milk,bread and sausages.

"My breakfast" is a singular noun, but "milk,bread, and sausages" are plural noun phrase.

Is this sentence right?


texts: Is this a run-on sentence? & What about the phrase "no matter..."

texts:
The following sentence comes from a Youtube video regarding idioms:

  "So, he finally decided that letting Annette go would be the lesser of the two evils as an angry staff is a less productive staff and one person, no matter how good, can eventually be replaced."

The first question, Shouldn't a comma be placed before the dependent clause "and one person, no matter how good, can eventually be replaced."? Also, I think, it could remove a potential ambiguity or confusion.

Secondly, I don't grammatically fully understand the use of the phrase "no matter how good" in that context; I mean, what is the grammatical justification for that kind of use?

Were I to write the sentence, it would look somewhat like this:

  So, he finally decided that letting Annette go would be the lesser of the two evils as an angry staff is a less productive staff, and one person, no matter how good he is, can eventually be replaced.

Further context:

  "The manager found himself between a rock and a hard place when he had to either lose Annette, his best salesperson, or promote her and anger most of his senior staff, who don’t like her."


texts: What does "to be in position" mean in this context?

texts:
I have a customer from the US. Recently I conducted a test which showed that someone should investigate configuration of the system and apply changes to it. After that I received the following response:

"Please let us know if there is anything we can do. Let us know when you’re in a position for us to make the change and re-run the test to confirm that we are receiving better results."

I have difficulties with this part: "you’re in a position for us to make the change". I don't clearly understand who should make the change: I or someone else?


texts:
In a sentence from SEP(https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epiphenomenalism/), I have a problem reading the following sentences:

"Thus, it is easily understood how certain kinds of neural events can be selected for."
"Indeed, if neural causes of behavior are selected for, and are sufficient causes, there cannot be any further effect attributed to natural selection."

In the sentence I find the expression 'be selected for', but I don't understand why there should be 'for' in the expression.

In the dictionary I use, 'select for A' means to choose something, 'for A', but I can't find any 'A's in the sentences.

Is there any other usage with 'be selected for'?
If not, What was 'for' for in those sentences?


texts: How can I avoid ambiguity in the sentence "I cut the middle of the hose"?

texts:
How do I describe exactly in what way this hose was cut?

We have at least two ways to cut a hose in the middle. To simplify it, I'll use a bottle as an example.

1) Cutting the hose from the opening. In a bottle: from the opening to the bottom, like this one:

2) Cutting the hose from the middle of the body. In a bottle: at its  waist, like this one:

Now if I say simply: "I cut the hose in the middle of it", it may have these two meanings. How can I describe each of the possibilities separately and accurately (without falling into ambiguity)?


texts:
Help me to understand the following sentence:

I heard it in the movie, but not sure about whether I heard that correctly.

  This is gotta be the worst job in the world.

The context is when someone has to clean a house and duirng that they are grumbling that sentence.


texts: Can we use "Now" for a present habit because we mentioned a past habit previously?

texts:
It is ok to say:

I don't eat fast food (a present habit)

I ate fast food when I was a child (a past habit - it no longer happens now)

Now, when we combine these 2 sentences together.

Does this sentence sound strange?

I ate fast food when I was a child but I don't eat fast food

Can we say:

I ate fast food when I was a child but NOW I don't eat fast food?

Can we use "NOW" for a present habit because we mentioned a past habit previously?

Note: you can use Simple past tense to express past habits

  USE 4 Habits in the Past

  The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in
  the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear
  that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as:
  always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger,
  etc.

  Examples:

  I studied French when I was a child.

  He played the violin. He didn't play the piano.

  Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?

  She worked at the movie theater after school.

  They never went to school, they always skipped class.


texts:
which sentence is correct and Why:
Sentence 1 : This aims to help people part buy a house or a flat by making housing more affordable for first-time buyers,and possibly taking the strain away form elderly parents.
Sentence 2 : This aims to help people part buy a house or a flat by making housing more affordable for first-time buyers,and possibly takes the strain away form elderly parents.


texts: What may be said about someone who is a certain type of person, and who only seems to be so?

texts:
Edited:

Quite often, some people are ready to do anything to make an impression of being a certain type of a person that they actually are not.

For example, being asked for her first impression about Mr X, Mrs Z may say:

  "He is a  gentleman… (?)*"

*Here, I'm looking for a word or phrase which may express the idea that Mr X gives Mrs Z the impression of  what she thinks  an entirely, in all ways a perfect type of a gentleman must be. What I've been able to come up with so far is "from top to toe"/"through and through", which doesn't seem to match the usage standards in this context.

Some time later, Mrs Z may find out that Mr X, say, has the habit of biting his nails, or that wears the same pair of socks for several days, or something like that. So he wasn't what she had taken him for at the first glimpse.

In this regard, I'm searching for idioms or colloquial phrases for  Mrs Z to  explain why she took Mr X for what he was not. (I was thinking of "turn skin" or "werewolf", but I'm not sure whether they would work in the context.)


texts:
The issue was that Kirk was falling for her. She could see it in the
  soft-edged, goofy way he looked at her when he thought that she wasn’t
  paying attention.

What is this soft-edged way Kirk looks at her?


texts: When answering the phone, do you say “this is it”?

texts:
When you are answering the phone and being asked “Is this (your name)’s phone?”, do you say “Yes, this is it.”?
I feel this is unnatural but I am not so sure.


texts: the opportunity coalesced -- how do you understand that phrase?

texts:
Example:

  In some ways, writing the book was the easy part. The hard part is making sure not to forget to thank everyone who helped in its development!
  We had been talking about writing a book together for years, but there was always some reason why we didn’t get around to it. Finally, the opportunity coalesced and we couldn’t find a reason to put it off any longer.

I don't know how you should understand the word coalesce in this context. Any thoughts?


texts: Tense matching problems, e.g.: “I found out Pat is/was male”

texts:
Suppose Pat is male. Which one is correct?

  I found out Pat is male.

  I found out Pat was male.

Does the following change make any difference?

  She said Pat is male.

  She said Pat was male.

Suppose you created a mathematical model. When you are describing a result, which one (or neither) is correct?

  The model analysis shows that the equilibrium is stable.

  The model analysis showed that the equilibrium is stable.


texts:
From NPR:

Gino's business is a sign of the times. It's called the LED Diet. He comes to homes with a van load full of LED light bulbs - the latest in energy-efficient lighting - to help out customers like Phyllis, who are absolutely stumped by the current moment in light bulb history.

What I often see is come home, why does it add a word "to" in the middle of the two words?


texts: What does the "last then" phrase mean in the given sentence?

texts:
What is the meaning of the "Last then." phrase in the following sentence?

  Last then. Although I’ll concede that some online degree programs
  aren’t accredited and not worth the time, it’s simply not true that
  top schools don’t offer online degree programs.


texts:
I moved into a new apartment and don't have any friend in this apartment. I want to make new friends but don't know how to initiate the conversation. I thought asking someone for cycling would be good way to make new friends.

Let me know how to start the conversation with a strangers and how to ask them for cycling so that I can make new friends.


texts: I doubt whether this IS to be believed, or ... HAS to be believed

texts:
I'm only posting this because I was just about to hit "submit" for my answer to 'is to be endorsed' vs. 'has to be endorsed' when the question was closed, and I'm not convinced it will ever be re-opened. This is my attempt to rephrase the question, but it's so radically changed I wouldn't edit the original question.

Believed and endorsed are a bit awkward here, so let's consider these closely-related contexts...

  A: John thinks aliens are already living among us. But John has been under the care of mental health professionals for most of his adult life, so I doubt whether his opinion...
   A1: ...is to be trusted.
   A2: ...has to be trusted.

  B: John says we must identify and kill the aliens who are living among us. But John has been under the care of mental health professionals for most of his adult life, so I doubt whether his instruction...
   B1: ...is to be followed.
   B2: ...has to be followed.

Is there any rule about whether to use is or has in the above, and is it the same for both contexts?


texts: What do you call these pieces of kitchen furniture? What prepositions should I use?

texts:
I don't know what to call them

Up counter, down counter, undercounter, top counter

I don't know which preposition to use. What are they called in English?


texts: Odd sentence construction -- Herman Melville -- Moby Dick

texts:
The sentence below is from Melville's Moby Dick. The main portion of the sentence--that is to say, the part of the sentence that conveys the main message--is "As I sat there in that now lonely room, I began to be sensible of strange feelings." Everything in between is extra information.

"As I sat there in that now lonely room; the fire burning low, in that mild stage when, after its first intensity has warmed the air, it then only glows to be looked at; the evening shades and phantoms gathering round the casements, and peering in upon us silent, solitary twain; the storm booming without in solemn swells; I began to be sensible of strange feelings."

My question is why would Melville construct the sentence as he did. It does not seem to be grammatically correct. Not to attempt to push myself above Melville, but I would have written the sentence like this:

"As I sat there in that now lonely room--the fire burning low, in that mild stage when, after its first intensity has warmed the air, it then only glows to be looked at; the evening shades and phantoms gathering round the casements, and peering in upon us silent, solitary twain; the storm booming without in solemn swells--I began to be sensible of strange feelings."

Any explanations pertaining to Melville's choice?

Thanks


texts:
In the context of below given sentence what is the meaning of this idiom / phrase ?

  The situation in Haiti was getting hotter by the minute.

This is a MCQ question with 4 options out of I managed to rule out two as they were completely irrelevant. I am confused between these two :

Growing in importance
Deteriorating rapidly

I tried to google for its meaning but couldn't find anywhere expect a mention in a book by Sam Glucksberg in this sentence : She was getting hotter with every minute passing. The meaning here implied is that she was getting angry with every minute passing which is close to my second option but since I couldn't confirm it from another source I am putting my query here. By the by if I put aside the reference which I gave and just look at the sentence, option one seems more appeasing, atleast to my ears.


texts: What is the meaning of "you might just see"?

texts:
I am reading an e-book about hypnosis a paragraph of that is as follows:

"2. (Primary mode: activation of visual system with imagery of relaxing scene.) Next I would like you to imagine yourself lying in a boat which is drifting peacefully on a river. (Pause.) You are lying on soft cushions. (Pause.) The sky is blue with perhaps a few small white clouds. (Pause.) Someone else is taking care of the steering. (Pause.) On either side you can see green fields with a few bushes (Pause.) And perhaps a few cows or sheep. (Pause.) You are able to relax completely as you drift along. (Pause.) There are some rushes waving gently beside the water's edge. (Pause.) And you will feel the boat is rocking gently with them. (Pause.) A little ahead there are a few ducks drifting along as well. (Pause.)" And you might just see a few lazy trout deep in the river."

according what I have found in the dictionaries - among them " https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/just"  I can understand that the word "just" mean:

1- You use just to say that something happened a very short time ago, or is starting to happen at the present time

So the phrase "you might just see" can mean "you might have seen a short time ago" or " you are starting to see"

2-  You can use just to emphasize that something is happening at exactly the moment of speaking or at exactly the moment that you are talking about.

So the phrase "you might just see" can mean " you might see exactly at this moment"

3- You use just with 'might,' 'may,' and 'could', when you mean that there is a small chance of something happening, even though it is not very likely.

It's an old trick but it just might work.

It may just be possible.

So the phrase "you might just see" can mean "there is a small chance that you see"

however at the first example "might" is after just, not before it.

4- You use just to mean exactly, when you are specifying something precisely or asking for precise information.

So the phrase "you might just see" can mean "you might exactly see".

What is the correct meaning of "You might just see" at the paragraph?


texts: Why it does not apply the same the rule?

texts:
Talking about gerunds
I have these 2 sentences:

I don't remember saying that to her
I don't remember having said that to her

So these mean the same
But in these:

I avoid talking to her

I avoid having talked to her

Why do i think the last sentence does not make sense, it's just the verb "remember" that can make the 2 types gerunds mean the same or am i wrong? If im right let me know if there are more verbs that have this quality. Thanks