texts:
Do I need to use apostrophe 's in the following sentence?

I left my job in 2007 after a misunderstanding between me and the manager of the company. I joined the the company again in 2009 after my friend*'s* becoming the new manager of the company.

I know we can say the following:

I left my job in 2007 after a misunderstanding between me and the manager of the company. I joined the the company again in 2009 after my friend became the new manager of the company.

But should I use apostrophe 's if I use a gerund?


texts:
I am wondering which one of the following is right :

  Do you know anyone/someone who/that can help me.

I have already looked at some translator but it looks like both are right..but I guess that there is one that is more usual.


texts: About articles and when to use them: "Image to be printed"

texts:
I speak three languages in which the treatment and use of articles are very different. On the one side I have spanish in which we put articles for everything. On the other hand, I have japanese, where articles simply don't exist. And then there is english, which is in the middle.

For example, spanish speakers would not say "go home". There has to be a "the" somewhere (as in "go to the home").

As a consequence of this, I am having a bit of a problem translating something from japanese and sounding correct in english.

The bit I want to translate is "印字画像について" where 印字　means "print",  画像 means "image" and について means "about"

So this roughly means "About printed image" or "About image to be printed"

Now my question is, does this sound correct? My spanish speaking brain is asking to insert a "the" or an "a" somewhere!

Or can I just leave it at "About image to be printed"?


texts:
He drank much whisky and when he was drunk always talked about the great masterpiece he was going to paint.

I think the sentence will be

  He drank much whisky and always talked about the great masterpiece he was going to paint when he was drunk.

This sentence is from ''The Last Leaf'' by O.Henry.
What is the subject of the verb ''talked about''?
Is the sentence used ''wh-movement''?


texts: Is the word despite always used to show contrast?

texts:
I dont think so

What about this sentence?

Despite being a king you should not misuse your power

Here there is no contrast or irony
the meaning is clear and straightforward

am I wrong?

but the dictionary says that the preposition despite is always used to show contrast


texts: Which one is right to convey sth as what I usually do? "I write emails" or "I write an email"

texts:
Which one is correct as asnwers for the question? 1 or 2?

A: How do you communicate with your friends?

B:

1.

I write an email.

I send a text.

I write a letter.

2.

I write emails.

I send texts.

I write letters.


texts: How to inform someone who has bad breath from eating garlic

texts:
Could anyone please let me know sentence below sounds correct when you want to inform someone who has eaten something like garlic and his/her bad breath makes you feel really uncomfortable:

Sorry Hardy, but.....
a. your breath smells of garlic.
b. your breath stinks of garlic.
c. your breath reeks of garlic.

To me, 'a' sounds awkward, while 'b' and 'c' both seem to be correct, though, 'c' is the  strongest one (due to the prosody of the verb "reek") and I guess it would be quite offensive to tell anyone.
Please make me aware regarding these three sentences and their shades of meaning.


texts:
In this quotation:

  Strange counterfactuals emerge in Vaughan’s tale, as a result of the very real disparities we live with every day. (Context)

What does "live with every day" mean? Can I use another preposition here? (live on/in every day)


texts:
The local authorities never bothered to case about the unfortunate happenings.

  The local authorities were never bothered to case about the unfortunate happenings.

Is the never bothered/were never bothered used in above both sentences correct ? If yes, what is the difference in their meaning/usage ?


texts: Difference between 'be breaking down', 'be broken down' and 'be broken'

texts: Is there any difference between 'My car is always breaking down', 'My car is always broken down' and 'My car is always broken'?


texts: What is the meaning of "before getting behind the wheel"?

texts:
UVA rays are constantly present, no matter the season or the weather. If you think you can't get sun damage on a cloudy day, tell that to the UVA rays. They are so powerful that they also penetrate some clothing and even glass. (When was the last time you applied sunscreen before getting behind the wheel?)Source: about.com article, UVA and UVB Rays

Does it mean When was the last time you applied sunscreen before getting into the sun?


texts:
Let's say I am in a house with two entrances, one in the back, one in front. I need to ask someone which one they took
Should I say

  I did not see you come in. Did you come in front/back?

or

  I did not see you come in. Did you come from front/back?

Are they both idiomatic? If yes, Which of these two expression a native speaker is more likely to use?


texts: Is it necessary to use past perfect tenses with words like "before" or "after"?

texts:
I had never done anything crazy in my life before I started learning how to skydive five months ago.

  I never did anything crazy in my life before I started learning......

Are both the above sentences grammatically correct?
I see natives not using past perfects all the time.

I was on this site
and if you would scroll down a bit, you'd see a sentence:

  "She never saw a bear before she moved to Alaska."

It is deemed incorrect.


texts: Past tense in the main clause and present tense in the subordinate clause

texts:
If the verb in the main clause is in the past tense, the verb in the
  object subordinate clause should also be used in one of the past
  tenses. The examples below show how the sentences given above will
  change if we use the past tense in the main clause.

  I thought that he lived on Rose Street.

  I didn't know if she was in town.

But as they say

  When did you find out that he is ill?

is sounded fine.

But it is violates the rule of sequence tense above
because the verb in the main clause is in the past tense
but the verb in the object subordinate clause is in the present tense. Isn't?


texts: Is there a difference between a (wooden) beam and a slat?

texts: I just discovered the word slat and had to look it up, and I don't see what the difference is with a beam. I tried to look it up, but couldn't find any answers for it. Is there a difference?


texts: The difference between ‘You didn’t notice anything unusual?’ and ‘Didn’t you notice anything unusual?’?

texts:
The difference between ‘You didn’t notice anything unusual?’ and ‘Didn’t you notice anything unusual?’ ?

I think the later is better, and the former is like a Chinese way. Could you tell me the difference?


texts:
Let's consider the following two sentences:

I live in Moscow and I'm a software developer.
I'm living in Moscow and I'm a software developer.

Do these sentences have some slight difference in the meaning or there is no difference at all? Which one in your opinion sounds more natural?

(The full context is here)


texts:
When you want to say that you hope or expect that something happens to someone, but in some moment in the future, what sentence is the right one:

  I hope your holidays will be great.
  I hope that your holidays will be great.
  I hope your holidays are great.


texts: I'm confused between these two sentences. Which one to use?

texts:
“he told me he was going for a breakfast at the restaurant because he
  believes they make  good pancakes”

  “he told me he was going for a breakfast at the restaurant because he
  believed the restaurant made good pancakes”

Which one should I use? I don’t have much context just this situation:

Mike says: “I am going for a breakfast because I believe the restaurant makes good pancakes”

Jane later reports: “he told me he was going for a breakfast at the restaurant because he believes they make  good pancakes”

Or should Jane say the second sentence above with the past? Thanks.


texts: How can I say that something happens not for the first time?

texts:
Would these examples be proper for written American English?

  It happened not for the fist time that he decided not to attend classes.

or

  It was not a single occasion/time when she decided not to attend classes.

Or any other suggestions? Thank you.


texts: Looking for the correct preposition: "The horse was walking ___ behind its master"

texts:
What would be the correct preposition for this sentence:

  The horse was walking ___ behind its master.

In my opinion, it would be 'on'.
Please give the correct answer.


texts:
As far as I know "take too long " and "take a long time " are different. And I once read two examples on Internet they considered to be incorrect.As follows :

1)Let's plan on using email to inform the client, because regular mail (takes a long time) .

2)Please expect  for the project  to be completed by 2013 because creating an index (takes too long).

Correct Ans: 1) takes too long 2) take a long time

My question is, why those are incorrect?  what's the difference? Would anybody give me detailed explanations?


texts:
I just wonder about this idiom.

  When things go south, ...

Can I express the opposite way with

  When things go north, ...

?


texts: Is the repetition of "one" as pronoun in the mentioned sentence idiomatic?

texts:
One is entitled not to be mislead on the color of what one is shown as
  much as is entitled not to be mislead on the shape of what one is
  shown.

One is repeated 3 times. Sounds redundant to me. Is it idiomatic?


texts:
Do you want to do some wheeling?
Do you want to do the wheeling?

We have been playing with a bike trailer several times already. If you want to play again, are both options correct?


texts:
I'm writing an essay (fiction) in past tense.

He went. She slept. I said. etc.

How do I correctly express activity before the time of action ?

He went home. But before that he had eaten a sandwich.
He went home. But before that he has been eating a sandwich.
I lay in my bed and remembered the last dream I had have.
I lay in my bed and remembered the last dream I have had.

Which one is correct ? Are both correct ? Do they express the same thing or something different ? Explanation ? Technical terms ?


texts: Confused by the meaning and construction of a sentence

texts:
Help me comprehend the meaning and construction of this sentence:

  For as a person thinketh in his subconscious mind, so he is.

Basically first part of the sentence is the problem to me. What "for as" means here?

Also, the word thinketh? I couldn't find it anywhere else.

Here is the full paragraph:

  This book is designed to teach you that your habitual thinking and
  imagery mold, fashion and create your destiny. For as a person
  thinketh in his subconscious mind, so he is.

  (source: The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy)


texts: Should I put an "as" when use the word "pronounce"?

texts:
I asked a question just now.

  she pronounces "would need" as /wudnt/.

A nice answerer @Weather Vane says:"I pronounce it /.../".

So, is it unnecessary to put an "as" when use the word "pronounce"?


texts:
Just wondering if these sentences are correct.

"All these rocks looks the same." (Potentially an informal usage? Like saying anyways instead of anyway??)
"All these rocks kind of look the same."


texts:
How SIM cards work?
How SIM cards actually work.

Is the word "actually" asking for more precise answer?

Thanks in advance.


texts:
I have read a passage as following:

Most buildings are built for people to live in, work in, or go to school in. But some buildings are built just to hang pictures in. These buildings are called art museums. In all parts of the world, cities and towns have art museums to hang pictures in.
You may think of a picture as a decoration for your house, your school, or your father's office. But sometimes pictures are not just decorations. Sometimes they are famous works of art. And, art museums are places where you can go to see works of art that have been painted by famous artists - some who lived long ago and some who are living today.

I think the sentence should be :
Most buildings are built for people to live in, work in, or study in.
How could "go to school in a building" be right? It's so weird.


texts: meaning of "no eating" from the drama Ferryman

texts:
Thank you for explanation of the term "no eating".

Mum: Turn the music off. We are eating.
Son (he wants to dance, not to eat): You know as well as me, there's no eating at a Carneys Feast.

"no eating" means:

no dos and donts, no rules, no restriction at the feast,
Nobody should get angry (like you, Mum),
Nobody is going to starve, get hungry
?

Maybe it is obvious for the native speakers, but for a foreign like me, it is always a bit difficult to find the right meaning.And I agree, this book is full of slang terms and idioms, which makes it interesting and a difficult to read as the same time.


texts:
can (modal verb): to be able to. Cambridge Dictionary

In the following two statements she able to drive. So, What is the difference in meaning between them?

  She can drive motorcycle.
  She drives motorcycle.

Is second one used when the speaker is more confident about the information?


texts:
How do we describe a game when people do everything very fast to win?

Is it known as a speed game, speed play or some other word?

This source says “a contest of speed, as in running, riding, driving, or sailing”. Does it mean we can use “race” only for these types of contests or it’s also allowed for another contests. For example: there’s a game where students should make up a sentence as fast as they can to win, is this game a race?


texts: Should it add the conjunction "and" between the sentence in bold?

texts: Tony is 14,Jim is 15. Tony is younger than Jim.


texts: Why does United States gets article but not Japan?

texts:
Why does the name " United States " gets article?

Like:

He is from Japan

He is from the United states

But Japan doesn't get article. Why?

Thanks


texts: difference of meaning between progressive and simple

texts: If I say "what are you doing now" it means : "have you something planned now "but if I say " What do we do now" could it mean the same thing or as it is present simple does it mean that we are doing  something we do regularly


texts: How do I call the operands in a modulo operation?

texts:
In an equation 7 - 3 = 4, the 7 is called minuend and the 3 is called subtrahend.

Then what are the appropriate terms for the 7, 3, 1 in 7 ≡ 1 (mod 3)?


texts: Tense-Usage: Past simple/ Past perfect/ Present Perfect + Until now?

texts:
Which tense should I use with the expression until now?

  I've been feeling lonely... until now (as I've met you)

  I'd been feeling lonely... until now (as I've met you)

  I was feeling lonely... until now (as I've met you)

*The sentences in the parentheses "()" are just for more information (as I think the whole sentence could be misunderstood without further information. Correct me if I'm wrong)

Thanks in advance.


texts: how to use "further " and" more and more"

texts:
Would you please show me if we could use them occassionally interchangeably the following?

Further
More and more
.....

Meanwhile, what about the following? Have I used the bold part correctly? Could you please elaborate your invaluable explanations?

Plagiarism more and more becomes  common.
Plagiarism further becomes  common.

Thanks

The best

nima


texts:
How to uderstand is 'Move over' phrasial verb or not and what does it mean here?

  World's Latest Healthiest Diet (Move Over Mediterranean!)

I also would like to sea the link of the meaning in dictionary.


texts:
After my Pilates class last night I asked Tara if she wanted to go to the cinema with me one night next week, then if she’d cover for me.

Why is in the first part of the bold passage used after "if" the past tense ("wanted") and in the second one out of the tense shift "would"? Would it be possible: I asked Tara if she would want…


texts: Should “the darkness of water at midnight” have “the” before “water”?

texts:
the darkness of water at midnight

I think “the water” would be correct.

Here's an example:

  The America of the industrial era was...

Here, “the” is used before “America” because it is modified by “of the industrial era”.

So in the original example, I thought it should be “the water at midnight.” It is not any body of water, but the water in the evening.


texts: What does the line "You said it" mean in Toy Story 3?

texts:
In one of the Toy Story 3 dialogues, there's a conversation after the toys were played (and abused) by the children in the Sunnyside care:

  Mr. Potato Head: You know all that bad stuff I said about Andy's
  attic? I take it all back.
  Hamm: You said it.

What does "You said it" mean here? Is it:

A claim, like "You have already said it, and I note it. Don't complain if we end up getting back in Andy's attic, it's all your fault."
A disagreement, like "It's your wish. Not mine. As for me, I'm not going back into the attic."
An agreement, like "Yeah, nobody can say it any better."

Which one is it? And why it was perceived like that? I mean, why you use a "You said it" to express the meaning that you think it is? Because from the perspective of my native language, that line can be perceived into all those three meanings. Thanks.


texts: When to use Good luck vs. Congratulations?

texts:
When to use good luck and congratulations?

For example, suppose someone says "I'm doing an exam", so we respond by saying "Good luck!"

Dictionaries say 'Congratulations is used when you want to congratulate somebody' so is it possible to use congratulations to wish instead of good luck in my example?


texts:
I would like to use a quite long sentence to reflect my idea. For this sentence, I would like to use the word may. I found that I need to use it twice in the same sentence. However, I do not know if my sentence would be understandable or not, or if it is acceptable by the English grammar or not.

Here is my sentence:

  Fixing the type of relationship between variables to a small set of dependency types may not adequate enough to reflect the dependencies, which may not include in the dependencies set.

I see that my sentence is long, however, this is my best way to do it.


texts:
At work I'm dealing with software for creating and managing web forms.

Multiple users on the web can submit forms. Now each submission needs to be processed, it can be modified, acted upon, deleted etc.

For example, for an online survey each submission needs to be evaluated statistically. For a contact form, each submission requires an answer.

I am looking for a term how to call each submission. For certain forms, it can be called "answers" (survey), "questions" (contact form), "orders" (shop) etc.

I am looking for a general (possibly technical, but understandable by an average user) term for a submitted form.

Currently the term "form record" is being used, but I'm not certain if that is a common term.

Sample sentences:

This XXX cannot be deleted.
Change the status of an XXX to "in-progress"/"rejected"/"archived" etc.
The inbox contains each XXX.
Export an XXX as an XML file.
Attach a file to an XXX.

I have been thinking about "submission", but it does not really fit the last sentence above.


texts:
It was a thumbs up on the new filtration plant at Thursday's village board meeting

This is so common but then I never thought too deep unless I became a fan of English language after joining this site!

Is thumbs up actually (your) thumb is up? But then why thumbs? And not thumb's up - thumb is up (for this matter)?
Is thumbs up actually everybody's thumbs up? But then why not thumbs're up?
In above-mentioned case, it says a thumbs up. The article a?

Okay, while doing thumb(s)-up, you don't do it with both the thumbs but with one. So, it's actually thumb's up!


texts: Is "no one of them seems grammatical" ungrammatical? Why?

texts:
I wonder if the following sentence will be grammatical in the most bizarre context:

  No one of them seems grammatical.

Clearly, there are way better ways to phrase this sentence, either by using the negative determinative "none" or removing the complement "of them" or any other way to get sentences like these:

  None of them seems grammatical.
  No one seems grammatical.

Though it's controversial whether the second sentence really works with accordance to semantic rules.

My intuition also [rightfully] says there should be a "not" instead of "no" in order to render the sentence grammatical, or at least revise it to a more colloquial state:

  Not one of them seems grammatical.

But the question is, is the original sentence undoubtedly an ungrammatical utterance? If so, why should I use "not" instead of "no"? If both sentences are perfectly acceptable, what possible change in meaning does changing "no" to "not" bring on?

See also "Neither", "none", "no one" + [of them] + verb-s — where the highest-voted answer doesn't choose a clear position regarding a similar structure while a deleted (but fairly highly voted) answer claims it's grammatical.


texts:
This is an excerption from an invitation email template:

  We meet on Wednesday evenings during term time. We would be honored if
  you would accept this invitation to join us on a Wednesday evening.
  Our diary for the coming year is still quite flexible, but the most
  ideal dates for us would be ...

I looked up the dictionary and there are two meanings for the word "diary".

(North American English datebook) a book with spaces for each day of the year in which you can write down things you have to do in the future
a book in which you can write down the experiences you have each day, your private thoughts, etc.

I reckon the bold "diary" fits definition 1 best. But I wonder if it a typical use of diary this word. If it were me, I would choice "schedule" or "plan".

Our schedule for the coming year is still quite flexible...
Our plan for the coming year is still quite flexible


texts: Should I use 'dated of' or 'dated from' talking about a date in documentation? Here is an example: Decision of the Presidium of the Higher Attestation Commission of Ukraine dated of (dated from) 22 December 2010.


texts:
Is this correct... "Every time I will listen to this song, I will remember you."
It's just that using will twice sounds awkward to me.


texts: What is the word or expression for 'criticize someone strongly'?

texts: What is a term for the kind of criticism you will get from your unreasonable manager for screwing something up or failing to meet a deadline—or that a movie director will get from some religious group for showing something inappropriate about their religion?


texts: Plural subject + Linking Verb + Singular predicate nominative

texts:
All people are a mystery.

Since the subject is plural, should the the predicate nominative mystery be also plural? And would the meaning still be the same? As in All people are mysteries.
How about the following?

All people are a phenomenon.
All people are phenomena.


texts: If it's about 'wall' of our house, is it 'empty' or 'plain'?

texts:
I was tweeting Lenovo for a context, but then dithered over which word to use. I wanted to say that one of the walls of our house does not have any picture, artifact, clock or anything that we do on the wall.

What that wall is?

  We have kept one of our room's walls empty OR plain?

I wonder whether we can use 'empty' for something that is not a box-type of thing or any bench.

Another question, if the wall is not painted, is it 'plain' wall?


texts:
I've found this phrase appears more than twice. Ted-ed at 1:15

  So, to use matrices, we need to learn how they work. It turns out, you can treat matrices just like regular numbers. You can add them, subtract them, even multiply them. You can't divide them, but that's a rabbit hole of its own. Adding matrices is pretty simple. All you have to do is add the corresponding entries in the order they come.

What does rabbit hole mean? How to use it? Could you please give me some examples?


texts:
By and by Pooh and Piglet came along. Pooh was telling Piglet in a
  singing voice that it didn't seem to matter, if he didn't get any
  fatter, and he didn't think he was getting any fatter, what he did;
  and Piglet was wondering how long it would be before his haycorn came
  up.

This is from "The House At Pooh Corner". I couldn't grasp the structure of this sentence, so I asked it to native English speakers. A person said "what he did" is an older British phrase that roughly means "this is what he did". Another person said that "it didn't seem to matter, {if he didn't get any fatter, and he didn't think he was getting any fatter,} what he did". Which is correct? Thanks in advance.


texts:
The two kinds of measures for preventing malaria are individual  preventing measures and community preventing measures.
  Two measures for preventing malaria are individual preventing measures and community preventing measures.

I wanted to know whether  I should use use the word "kinds" or not in front of  "measures".


texts: My relationship to the patient is that of: ____?

texts: Say, a mother is filling out a form for her daughter (patient) at the hospital. Which one should she put down in the given space - Mother or Daughter? I am assuming either one of these must be the answer since there is a colon after the of. Also, does it have to be A mother to feel like the sentence is complete. Anyway, my mother actually wrote "I am her mother" and told me to calm down... and I did, but I could always ask here on StackExchange.


texts: I would've done it tomorrow or I would do it tomorrow

texts:
which of the following sentences is correct
1.I would've done it tomorrow if I had school
2.I would do it tomorrow if I had school
I think the second sentence is grammatically correct because you use would've in the past more the second one doesn't sound right for some reason.


texts: The difference between 'have' family words

texts:
What's the difference between:

  I have a car.
  I possess a car.
  I own a car.

  The car features heating system.
  The car has heating system.
  The car possesses a heating system.

What is the difference?


texts:
Narrator: Home was a condo on the 15th floor of a filing cabinet for
widows and young  professionals. The walls were solid concrete. A foot
of concrete's important when your next-door neighbor has to watch game
shows at full volume. Or when a blast of debris that used to be your
personal effects blows out of your windows and sails flaming into the
night.

What does "sails flaming" mean? I know sailing boat, how can you sail flames?
Source: Fight Club (1999)


texts: Present perfect Vs. Simple past in Question form

texts:
I've learnt Present perfect express the more of results than the action itself.

  She has gone there.

Such as this above means, "she went there, so she's not here now". But when you use in question forms, I couldn't get the differences between Present perfect and Simple past.

  Where did she go?

  Where has she gone?

Aren't those both telling the same meaning, which "she's not here"?


texts: Is there any possibilities that we can use “in” here in this case?

texts:
There are some toy cars ___ the table.

The first preposition came to my mind was “under”, which I think most people would think of first.
Can we use “in” here?  The board and four legs may form a space. The toy cars are right in there.

What other prepositions do you think are also situable?


texts: What does "take a lap out of each day" mean in this context?

texts:
What does the "lap out" mean??

  I'd highly recommend for you to get out there and film your riding. Everyone has access to a video camera these days whether it's a Gopro or just the camera on your smart phone.Go up with a buddy, take a lap out of each day      and file each other so you can go home and see what you look like.This is going to do wonders for your riding. You will pick up so much stuff that you did not realize was happening and you can compare your riding to mine or other pros that you want to ride like.

PS: https://tw.voicetube.com/videos/31641#video-container   <-- I've studying for this web site.the question sentence is between 0:56 and 0:68

please give me more sentences, thanks?


texts: What is the difference between here's to and cheers to?

texts:
What is the difference between "here's to" and "cheers to"?

Lyrics:

  Here's to the ones that we got
  Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not
  Because the drinks bring back all the memories
  Of everything we've been through
  Toast to the ones here today
  Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
  Because the drinks bring back all the memories
  And the memories bring back, memories bring back you


texts:
a. He owned a small bookshop with not a lot of choices.
b. I travelled in Europe with not a lot of money.
c. With not a lot of time left, I had to do things rapidly.
Are the above sentences grammatically correct?


texts: How to dissect this sentence on its conjunction?

texts:
Here is a definition of a term, but I'm confused about the usage of the conjunction.

  "The term Emotional or Behavioral Disorder means a disability
  characterized by behavioral or emotional responses in school so
  different from appropriate age, cultural, or ethnic norms that they
  adversely affect educational performance."

Why there is no "that is" before "so different"? What does "that" refer to?

Thanks!


texts: Conjugate a verb when you don't know the subject's quantity

texts:
I'm writing a translation for a website and I don't know how to write a sentence when I don't know the subject's quantity. In the examples below, [quantity] is an unknown variable, it can be "one" or "two" and I can only write one sentence for these two cases.

So, should I write:

  [quantity] item(s) has-have been found

or

  [quantity] item(s) has/have been found

or something else I don't know?

Thank you in advance.

Update: I'm an intern translating an existing website with strict orders from my superiors, I would have handle the translation differently if I could but it is not possible. Anyway, thank you for your answers!


texts: What's the correct term to describe baby food?

texts:
I thought it could be described as grind food. But a native speaker told me it's ground food. However, what Google shows me is quite different.

What's the correct term?


texts: "I being at office means her being at home." is it valid?

texts:
I just read a sentence in my physics books:

  Negative particles coming out of the negative terminal corresponds to positive particles coming out of the positive terminal.

Can I use the same pattern and make a sentence:

  I being at work means my wife being at home as at least one person must always be at home to take care of our sick child.

Is the sentence valid?

I wonder if you would give me other examples.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
Is this sentence correct?

  Existing requests are evaluated, some may be rescheduled

I am not sure if I can use "some" this way without repeating the word "requests" from the first sentence.


texts: Should there be a space before punctuation?

texts:
I often see questions, exclamations, or sentences written with a space before punctuation marks (specifically ,, :, ?, and !), but I usually see these without the space. Which is correct? Are both correct? If not, what's wrong with the incorrect way?

Some examples include:

  Some examples include :
  How do I do that ?
  Alice , Bob , and Carol are here !

Which I usually see written as

  Some examples include:
  How do I do that?
  Alice, Bob, and Carol are here!


texts:
I was reading a technical blog post, and the post subtitle is: assert_called_once: Threat or Menace

I do not understood what the writer wanted to express with this synonyms. I mean, is there a popular (regional) joke with this words or just a pun?

And there is difference or particular in use of them?


texts: The structure of this sentence? "What does the man suggest is the best solution?"

texts:
"What does the man suggest is the best solution?"
Could somebody explain the grammatical structure of this sentence to me like talking to a toddler...?

([what does the man suggest] itself is a question and yet, its function is clearly a subject..  I guess I think it is a correct sentence but cannot explain why exactly;;)


texts: Is anything omitted in "The son of an air force pilot, he had a somewhat nomadic childhood." ?

texts:
The son of an air force pilot, he had a somewhat nomadic childhood.

I see this sentence in the dictionary on my phone. I feel there is something missing in it. I think it could be like:

  Being the son of an air force pilot, he had a somewhat nomadic childhood.

Is my understanding correct? What's the grammar of the original sentence?


texts:
A friend of mine who's learning english asked what the phrase "after you" means and I said it is used in polite situations as another way of saying "I will do something after you do it"

I've never really thought about the phrase and gave my basic understanding of it, but is this definition correct?


texts: Meaning of "to tie so. down" in sad song lyric

texts:
What does the marked line in this beginning of a song lyric mean?

  If this is how it's going to be for now
  Then there's some little things that I would like to straighten out
  'Cause I bet every trace is gone, delete the message from your phone
  And just like that, it's like we never were

  Seems like every time you get a call you frown
  and don't you know that you don't need someone to tie you down?
  Still I see it in your eyes, there are a hundred reasons why
  Still I don't know where to draw the line

I found that "tie someone down" can mean "to limit one's activities". Having the desperate-sounding question "don't you know?", can we conclude that the person the author sings about is in a new relationship and "tied down" by his/her new partner? At least they seem to have broke contact with each other recently.. Maybe a little far-fetched but I could not come up with a better explanation until now.

The song is "Loopholes" by Josie Charlwood, a girl from England. The complete lyrics can be found in the description of the video: https://youtu.be/lyXos9FlPRU1


texts: Is there a word for petals falling without withering?

texts: When roses whither, the petals shrivel and dries up before falling. Is there a word like withering, but doesn't imply that the petals shrivel and dries up? Is there a word that refers to just petals falling like in the beauty in the beast?


texts:
What is the difference between will and shall in modern spoken English?

For example I have the following sentences:

  He will arrive on Tuesday.

  He shall arrive on Tuesday.

Are there any rules specifying usage of will and shall?

Reopen note:

I looked at this question here:

"Shall" versus "will" for the first person

But that question is about the use of the first person with will and shall. In addition one of the comments under here states that will and shall are NOT used in the same way in modern English. The linked-to question says they ARE. Which of these is correct and why?


texts:
There is an term 'wedding', when you put your signature and it becomes official. But what is the right term for a religious act when two swear to be faithful, to love each other e t.c. in front of the God and a priest in church? Is there such term in English speaking countries? I mean, in some countries young people prefer to "marry" only in church and not to sign any documents officially.
I heard about such terms as 'crowning' or even 'church wedding' but I'm not sure it is correct to use any of them.


texts: should we put a comma before "and" when it a complete clause as well as item of a list

texts:
Please explain why A is correct, and B is incorrect?

I am having a lot of confusion with this sentence. First, "please" is an adverb, so let's ignore it; then, we have a verb "explain", but I can't really find any subject in this sentence.

Then, we have "why A is correct," which makes sense to me as a complete clause, but following it, we have a conjunction, likely to represent a list of items.

Please explain to me what element of this sentence is acting in what ways? Is the comma before and is okay? etc


texts: Meaning of "push onto" in the given contex

texts:
Here is the sentence:

  This transparent blue block turns into a real one that you can push
  onto a switch to open a door.

The text is a description of a video game.


texts: meaning of the phrase "last time out" in context

texts: Here it goes in context: "The boxer was fined for his words last time out." Does it mean the boxer was not allowed to box in the ring?


texts: Between vs. Among - "Difference [between | among] one thing and other things."

texts:
Consider the following two versions of a question:1

Version 1: What is the difference in meaning between "[to be] not invited" and similar negation forms?
Version 2: What is the difference in meaning among "[to be] not invited" and similar negated forms?

Personally, I think Version 1 might subtly suggest a Star Topology (see below) with the target sentence "[to be] not invited"at the center.  And Version 2 might subtly suggest a more free-form comparison like the Mesh or Fully Connected, with the target sentence simply "one among many":

Between approx equal "Star" and among approx equal "Fully Connected"?

Don't get me wrong: I do think this is quite subtle, not always applicable, and I don't think anyone would intuit such a "network topology" meaning without further explanation.

So the main question is, are both grammatically correct?  If yes, is there a semantic difference to choose one over another, perhaps as I suggested?  Or does the plurality aspect of between and among trump other semantic and stylistic issues?

1. In my question https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/26520/does-placement-of-not-have-significance-not-to-be-verb-to-not-be-verb-to-be, another user provided a very helpful edit. However, the change of the word between to among prompted this question.


texts:
I wrote:

  For example, if a variable must be set to #exData, a post-assignment is required because #exData for a node is initially empty and will be filled after visiting all the child nodes.

#exData is defined for each node separately and it is initially empty for that node. I am not sure about the position of "for a node". Did I use it correctly?

Also I don't know if before because I need comma or not.


texts:
What is the meaning of  "do you ever?" is it to ask about frequency or habit?
Do you ever watch a movie?
a. How often do you watch a movie? or
b. Is watching a movie your habit?

can we answer:
yes, i do,    no, i don't,  no, she doesn't


texts: I am searching for an idiom for a chaotic bedroom

texts: I am searching for an idiom for a chaotic and irregular bedroom. Consider a situation that your mother enters your bedroom and encounters with that scene. At that situation, what does she say?


texts: What's a rule of thumb to decide if it's necessary to respond to a short "thank you" email in a formal context? (see example)

texts:
I wasn't sure about how to construct the question but with a conversation as example it'll be clearer:

Chuck: Hi Joe, as we've talked before, I'm sending you the requested file. Sincerely, Chuck.
Joe: Thanks Chuck, I'm present it to the Dev team this morning. Thanks, Joe.
Chuck: Thank you Joe. As a side comment, I just noticed that the file had a little error, so I'm attaching here the correct version. Regards,
Chuck.
Joe: Hi Chuck, Thanks. I will send the new version to the team. Thanks again, Billy.

I think Chuck doesn't really need to answer again, am I wrong?


texts:
Rodney Shewan points out that she should be read within a Romantic discourse as the story posits ‘an opposition of romantic commitment through passionate action to the relative safety of philosophic contemplation’ (43), although the ending appears unable to decide which of the two modes is the more attractive.

Source: The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde by Jarlath Killeen.

I would like to ask whether it is necessary to use the definite article before "more attractive"? Would it be a mistake not to use the article or to use the indefinite one?


texts: alternative word/phrase means sort of/kind of in formal language

texts:
Newspapers and magazines are printed media. These sorts of/kinds of media usually have a long publication cycle.

Sort of/kind of are both used in informal occasions according to the dictionary. So what's the formal word or phrase that has the same meaning as these two phrases, which can be used in above sentence?


texts: Is it possible to derive a superlative form of right (meaning the opposite of left) - the rightest?


texts: What is the meaning of "When I'd fall into one of them strange sleeps"?

texts:
What is the meaning of "When I'd fall into one of them strange sleeps" in the following sentences (Source: PINK and SAY by Patricia Polacco),

  My leg burned and was angry from the lead ball that was lodged in it
  just above my knee. I felt sleepy and everything would go black. Then
  I'd wake up again. I wanted to go back to our farm in Ohio and
  sometimes, When I'd fall into one of them strange sleeps, I'd be there
  with my Ma, tastin' baking powder biscuits fresh out of her wood
  stove.

?

Does "When I'd fall into one of them strange sleep" mean "When I'd become one of them, and I'd have a strange dream(sleeps)" ?


texts:
I still have problems to figure out when it's right to use I or me in an answer.

For example, what is the right answer to "Who did this?"

If I did it, should I say I or me? I've heard native speakers using both. Is there a rule?

And what are some examples when to use me, and when I?


texts: The opposite of grant a wish. Like someone who will be the adversary of genie


texts: Is "together" used as a noun in these sentences?

texts:
'It took us 22 years to tie the knot.. we may not have long together but I'll treasure these memories forever'. (from Source
  1)
  “Every time we touch I melt.” Our eyes locked for a long moment afterwards, and I regretted the fact we were in public and didn't
  have long together. (from Source 2)
  'We didn't have long together, Roger, your real grandfather. (from Source 3)

It seems like "together" is used as a noun and "long" is an adjective modifying "together".
It's my first time I've come across this expression, but it doesn't sound quite correct, because I couldn't find out "together" can be used as a noun in any dictionaries.

So, my opinion is "long together" is the direct object of "have" because other than this, there seems to be no way to analyze those sentences.


texts: What is the difference between affix, suffix, prefix and an ending?

texts:
I know that the four words mean that a few characters are attached to a word to form a new word that has a new meaning.

I don't know the actual difference between the four words: affix, suffix, prefix and an ending.


texts: What do these phrases 'get on the back' and 'bear it down' mean?

texts:
What do these phrases 'get on the back' and 'bear it down' mean in this context:

  M. I know what you are. You’re the Old Man of the Sea.
  C. Who’s he?
  M. The horrid old man Sinbad had to carry on his back. That’s what you are. You get on the back of everything vital, everything trying to be honest and free, and you bear it down.

From The Collector, by John Fowles


texts: possessive and adjective form of "the 1920s"

texts:
What's the possessive or adjective form of the 1920s? Is it the 1920s' (with an apostrophe following the s)?
Most books only talk about the plural form, which I think is a settled issue, but the adjective or possessive form of the decade has not been discussed.


texts:
How should I say this hour in words: "03:01:00"?

  It's three and one minute o'clock.
  It's three and one minute.

Or the word "o'clock" can be said only in hours with two zeros (1:00, 2:00, 3:00)?


texts:
Source

Please read the transcript for reference.

  I’ve already heard stories about
  her grandfather. He was from Scotland; he was
  a sailor, but not a very good sailor, so he only
  got as far as Portsmouth, a big navy town on
  the south coast of England, not very far from
  Scotland at all.

The bold part seems like an essential phrase to me. Since removing it should not change the meaning, let's see

  He was a sailor so he only got as far as Portsmouth.

Then the last two phrases are also non-essential so I avoid writing them. I think it should be like:

  He was
  a sailor, but not a very good sailor so he only
  got as far as Portsmouth.

A similar one from the same:

  But I know that her mum
  was from somewhere that was Germany , and
  then became Poland, so she’s really German, I
  suppose.

Again the bold part seems to be essential to me.

What do you think about these construction?


texts:
Can we replace "stint" by "tenure" in the following sentence?

    John's stint as an overseer in that village is over. Now, he is deputed as an overseer in a nearby city.

As per Oxford, tenure means "The holding of an office."

Now, the above sentence says that John is still an overseer in his company, but he is now transferred to another location. So, by "tenure" do we just consider the position of an employee or his position and place of work, both are considered?


texts:
Let's say I am with my friend, I want to tell him to not to finish pizza straightaway

Can I say,

  Eat it(pizza) half, save something for tonight's game.

or

  Pour juice half in cup1 and other half in cup2.


texts: Talking about a specific place to people who doesn't know this place

texts:
Let’s say I want to describe something that occurred at a specific place (althought the place where it occurred isn’t important at all - I’m just mentioning it) but the people I’m talking to doesn’t know anything about this place. So if I say something like…

  I was spending some time at the bar last night when an idea popped
  into my head.

Does this phrase make any sense? Would people ask themselves "what bar is this guy talking about?" Should I be more specific and say something like:

  I was spending some time at a bar near my house last night when an
  idea popped into my head.

or

  I was spending some time at the new bar around the corner last night
  when an idea popped into my head.


texts: Why is "at least" commoner than "at the least" but "at very least" is less common than "at the very least"?

texts:
The tl;dr version is the title plus, the last paragraph. FWIW, some background really helps.
Background: I have always thought at least and at the very least are the grammatical and idiomatic phrases I could use. Today, I ran into this comment:

Welcome to Chem.SE! This appears to be a homework question. Please see the policy on posting homework questions here; at the least, please include more details on your thought process so far in trying to answer this question. - Brian yesterday

This raised my alarm for being ungrammatical; however, as free dictionary says, at the least does exist, so does at very least:

Question: Now this is very baffling. At least doesn't have a definite article, while at the very least does. They are so much more common than their "evil twins" that I reckon some would only consider them grammatical.
So, my question is why? What does the definite article the indicate in at the very least that it doesn't and shouldn't in at least? This doesn't seem to be a matter of pure stylic choice, as there seems to be a consensus about which version of the idioms to use.

Edit: I'm not looking to find contextual differences. I'm concerned about a grammatical explanation about what's going on.


texts: Which word does "ever" modify in the sentence, "Have you ever seen that movie?"

texts:
In the sentence,

  Have you ever seen that movie?

does the word "ever" modify "seen" or "have?" I know that it is an adverb.


texts:
A grammar source  says

  If there is an adjective and a noun after the first as, a / an must go
  between them.

  I hope you will agree that I am as imaginative a cook as my wife (is)!

But is there a strict grammar rule where to put a/an in an as + adjective + noun + as structure?

Can we say,

I hope you will agree that I am a cook as imaginative as my wife (is).

And suppose there is  a teacher who is playing a game with kids at school .Which one would she say

Could you pick me up a fruit as sweet as an apple

or

Could you pick me up as sweet a fruit as apple

Thanks in advance!


texts: Is natural to use the phrase "take something after someone" in the sense of inheriting a certain behavior or physical feature?

texts:
I am aware that there is such a phrase take after someone which means to behave or look like your relative. But is it natural to be more specific when using the phrase? For example:

  She takes her eyes after her mother.


texts: ...,for they will surely tear us to pieces... Meaning

texts:
In Longman online English dictionary I saw a sentence:

  We are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws.

What is the meaning of for they will surely here?

Is it somehow linked to for sure?

Thank you in advance.


texts: What ( 's ) is doing in "What do you reckon's next?"

texts:
"What do you reckon's next?" ... ...

I don't understand why 's is used in this sentence? Does it denote anything? I think What do you reckon next? is good enough. Any thoughts?

-- Excerpted from Harry Potter.


texts: Difference between trivially and obviously

texts:
What is the difference between trivially and obviously in a sentence like "This condition obviously/trivially holds"?

What about using them as adjectives? For example, "It is obvious/trivial that this condition holds"?


texts:
Which subject word is more common to use in the following sentences, you or I (we)?

Is there a shop where you can buy sunglasses?
Is there a shop where I (we) can buy sunglasses?


texts:
I am reading a text as follow:

Wilbur and I went on a cruise for our honeymoon. It was a shame that Wilbur was so seasick, but we had a good time...when he wasn't feeling sick, that is.

What does "that is" at the end of the text mean? I guess it means "I mean", but I am not sure.


texts:
There is an IELTS writing task:

Is this description correct?

According to the table, it is clearly seen that car use prevails in
all represented countries. The leader in the group is Canada with 90
percent of journeys made by cars. The last place in this category
is the Netherlands with almost twice less car use.

I'm particularly interested in the phrases in bold.
Is it ok to say 'the leader in the group'?
'The last place in this category is...'?
'Twice less' definitely sounds odd, but I'm not sure how to rephrase it.
Will appreciate any help.


texts: 'On the roundabout' or 'in the roundabout'?

texts:
I got a TomTom navigator as a present and set it to narrate in English (Irish voice). Every time I'm about to go left or right in a roundabout it says: ”Go right on the roundabout, first exit”

The choice of preposition (on) strikes me as odd. I would've expected an in but perhaps that's just because how we say in my country (Sweden; where on would be plain wrong).

After some searching on the internet I realize that both in the roundabout and on the roundabout are commonly used. However, I can't really tell if they're completely interchangeable or if one of them should be picked in favour of the other depending on the context.


texts: what is the meaning of " our conscious understanding of it "?

texts:
https://www.lingq.com/learn/en/preview/item/431401/

  The human brain is a complex machine that has a life of its own underneath our conscious understanding of it.

What is the meaning of " our conscious understanding of it " ?. What can be used instead of that phrase in the above context?


texts:
Do you use two adverbs before noun to emphasize something or do you end sentence with three adverbs maybe informal in an informal setting if not formal way? If you do then what is adverb orders?
Can it be ended with adjective?

For example:

  It looks right so cool.

  It's not so right hot tea as you said.

Defentions:

Right
Chiefly Southern US Considerably; very:

Ex: They have a right nice place.

So
- extremely; very much (used for emphasis).

Ex: "she looked so pretty"


texts:
What is the particular word for a man who is dominated by extreme sexual desire? Is this 'lusty' or " lascivious"?

Secondly, the man who controls his sexual desire, what word do we use for him? Is it 'moderate'?


texts: What do you call the place in cinemas or theatres when you can leave your clothes?

texts: What do you call the place cinemas or theatres when you can leave your clothes. Can I call it a dress room?


texts: Error spotting: I have dreamt all my life to own a beautiful maroon-coloured car

texts:
I have dreamt all my life to own a beautiful maroon-coloured car.

Is the above sentence grammatically correct?

The solution which I have says dreamt is followed by preposition of so accordingly correct sentence should be:

  I have dreamt all my life of owning a beautiful maroon-coloured car.

Is it correct?


texts:
The fact is that it makes no practical difference.

What part of speech is "that" ?


texts: Did I use correct tenses in this sentence?

texts:
Regarding my competence in speaking about this topic, I could say that:

I learned German at school, or I was learning German at School.

I studied German, or I was studying German.


texts: Using perfect constructions after "since"

texts:
From OneRepublic's song "Feel again":

It's been a long time coming since I've seen your face

From Kelly Clarkson's song "Since U Been Gone":

Here's the thing we started out friends
It was cool but it was all pretend
Yeah yeah
Since U Been Gone

(obviously it's informal for "since you've been gone")
Can perfect constructions be used after "since" (not in the sense of "because")?
Is it something artists put in their lyrics in order to seem more "artsy", but consciously understand that it's ungrammatical and doesn't make any grammatical sense?


texts:
In this clip of the movie Moana, Maui says:

  I know, not every day you get a chance to meet your hero.

The line starts at 49 seconds into the video.

I think the meaning of the boldfaced clause is as follows:

  You don't get a chance to meet your hero every day.

Then, shouldn't there be a subject-auxiliary inversion as follows?

  Not every day do you get a chance to meet your hero.

And I thought that the subject-auxiliary inversion was mandatory when a negative adverbial phrase (e.g., not every day) was fronted.

So, how come Maui didn't say "do" right after "not every day"?

Also, if this was in writing, would the original sentence be grammatical?

EDIT

In response to the suggestion that the question might be a duplicate, I wonder if all of the following auxiliary-inversions are natural and idiomatic in spoken English:

  Never you get a chance to meet your hero.

  Not only you get a chance to meet your hero, but you get a chance to hang out with them.

  Rarely you get a chance to meet your hero.

  Seldom in your life you get a chance to meet your hero.

  Only if you're a true dedicated fan you get a chance to meet your hero.

  Not too many times you get a chance to meet your hero.


texts:
Source: http://thefreethoughtproject.com/cop-shoots-mans-service-dog-9-year-sons-birthday/#WyU0h1jKvjFGLaLT.01

  A dog is dead, and its owner is alleging trigger-happy police work after a Filer officer shot the animal Saturday outside his home.

What is a Filer officer?


texts: I have questions on "should", "poke out of " and "consume"

texts:
Here's the sentence from "How I met your mother"

  Even if a dinosaur should poke his head out of my butt and consume this coffee table, I need you to roll with it, okay?

what's the meaning of "should" here? Does this mean "have to"?
what's the meaning of "poke his head out of my but"?
I know what this sentence means : I poked my head out of the window. But I have no idea what "poke his head out of my butt".
I don't get the meaning of "consume this table".Does this mean "eating a table"?


texts: Is fair-to-middling better than middling?

texts:
middling

  [...]

  1.1 Neither very good nor very bad.

(from here)

  fair-to-middling

  Slightly above average.

(from here)

Lexico didn't help me, though it kinda suggests that 'middling' means "average", whereas 'fair-to-middling' means "slightly better than average". How are they ranked in relation to each other?


texts:
I wrote down the bad dream on the written/writing paper.

Which is the correct usage, "written" or "writing" paper in the given sentence?


texts:
"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him [Harry Potter], Mom, eh please...."
  "You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"
  "Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightning."
  "Poor dear - no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."
  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

What does dear mean? (It seems an exclamation; yet it is after the adjective poor. It's not proper to call it. So it could be pointing "Harry Potter".)


texts: Grammaticality of 'a proposal that is discussed in a meeting and a vote is taken on it'

texts:
Is the phrase

  'a proposal that is discussed in a meeting and a vote is taken on it'

grammatically correct, and if so, could anyone please explain to me how, as I fail to see it. After the conjunction 'and' here I would expect an additional relative clause with respect to 'that', e.g.

  'a proposal that is discussed in a meeting and on which a vote is taken'


texts:
I am buying a music related gift for someone and having it engraved, so I can't be too wordy.
The phrase I'm thinking about is

Your compassion resonates loudly, Thank you.

What I am trying to convey is I am grateful for their compassion and kindness they have shown me and won't soon be forgotten. I'm using resonates and loudly due to the music theme as it make sense with what the gift is. But does resonate make sense this way?


texts: What are the adjectives for fruits that contain sugar and don’t contain sugar?

texts:
How can I properly say “lemons are _______ fruits” to mean that they are sour? Is that the right word? I don't mean that they taste bad, they just naturally are ________.

Also, what word can I use in saying “melons and bananas are _______ fruits” to mean that you can taste sugar in them?


texts: Why is there no "is" in "Valhalla calling me"?

texts:
Why are linking verbs or helping verbs sometimes omitted? Is it for a rhyme/rhythm in the sentence? Below is the lyrics of the song "Valhalla calling me". Why did the writer omit "is" in "Valhalla calling me"?
The 2nd line has no verb in it. How is that possible? What does this type of sentence structure usually mean? (I have found a similar sentence structure, where there is no finite verb, in many songs)
Lyrics:

Ships on vigor of the waves are skimming
Barren summits to the verdant plains
Each horizon is a new beginning
Rise and reign
Far from the fjords and the ice cold currents
Ravens soar over new frontiers
Songs and sagas of a fate determined
Shields and spears
Vows of favour or the thrill of plunder
Pull together for the clan and kin
Clank of hammers and the crash of thunder
Pound within
Oh-ho-oh
The echoes of eternity
Oh-ho-oh
Valhalla calling me
Oh-ho-oh
To pluck the strings of destiny
Oh-ho-oh
Valhalla calling me
Valhalla calling me


texts: Is it ok to say "to take the clothes onto the bed" to mean "to take the clothes from a certain place to the bed & then put them on the bed"?

texts:
take [transitive] to carry or move something from one place to another

  take something Remember to take your coat when you leave.

  take something with you I forgot to take my bag with me when I got
  off the bus.

  take somebody something Shall I take my host family a gift?

  take something to somebody/something Can you take my suit to the
  dry-cleaner's?

  You need to take your laptop to the technician.

  take something for somebody/something Don't forget to take a present
  for Catherine's new baby.

  put somebody/something + adv./prep. to cause somebody/something
  to go to a particular place

  Her family put her into a nursing home.

  It was the year the Americans put a man on the moon.

Now, I want to express "to take the clothes from a certain place to the bed & then put them on the bed".

I am not sure it I can combine these 2 actions "take" & "put" into just one verb "take". For example, is it okay to say "to take the clothes onto the bed"?

However, we have to verb "put" which means "to cause somebody/something to go to a particular place".

I am not sure if "to put the clothes on the bed" means "to take the clothes from a certain place to the bed & then put them on the bed".


texts:
I might be asking a lot but it's worth trying.

At one point of an essay I am writing, I make several arguments
The last of these arguments implies questions, which I mention
What I then wish to convey is:

1/ That I want to leave aside these questions for now since I will answer them later in the essay
2/ That apart from these questions and IF one agrees with the previous arguments made, then another thing can be said
Here is the sentence I tried to write but which feels awkward to me
"Leaving aside this last point for now and assuming what precedes is agreed upon, (...)"
Could you please tell me if it seems correct or what should be modified?
Thanks a lot!


texts:
In the English translated version of The Spirit of the Laws, there is a sentence as below:

there was an argument the most trifling things, those which humanity would demand, are there done, or there given, only for money

I want to know what "given" means here. I assume it would be an abbreviation of "be given up". Also, why adding "there" before "given"?


texts: Verbs of Perception beginning with a past participle

texts:
I was teaching my student the concept of past participles and got stuck when I was using it in the use of Verbs of Perception.

So I had this sentence:

"Tom saw Peter fall off his bicycle," Mary told me.

In Reported Speech, this would be:

Mary told me that Tom had seen Peter fall off his bicycle.

My question is the verb 'fall' correct or should it be changed to 'fell'?

Thank you!


texts:
If she got back late last night, she won't come to school today.

Is it grammatically OK? It sounds right, but I couldn't find any reference to a conditional sentence that has Past Simple in the if-clause and Future Simple in the main clause. When it comes to mixed conditionals, I know only of the 3-2 and the 2-3 mixes.


texts: Using Present Perfect or Present perfect Continuos with Past Simple or "used to"

texts:
Sentence:

  A: How long have you lived / have you been living in this town?

  B: I've been living here for twenty six years.

  A: Where did you live before?

  B: I used to live in St.Petersburg.

We use Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuos to reffer to the period of time which began in the past and is still going on in the present. The other question is connected with the period of time which ended once and don't continue now therefore we can use either Past Simple or "used to".

Is it correct?


texts:
Context:

  Amazing grace, How sweet the sound
  That saved a wretch like me.
  I once was lost, but now am found,
  Was blind, but now I see.

  'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
  And grace my fears relieved.
  How precious did that grace appear
  The hour I first believed.

What does 'Twas in this sentence means? And what about: And grace my fears relieved?


texts: "He said I would feel funny and feel funny I did": What grammatical construction is this?

texts:
Unlike the sentences

  He said I would feel funny and I felt funny.

  He said I would feel funny and I did feel funny,

the grammatical construction used in the title doesn't seem to be widely used. Anyway, I didn't meet it before and  I can't find any reference to fully  grasp it.

Would it be right to say that it may be used in situations when predictions, prognoses, or wishes come true? What is it called and in what other situations may it be used?

Can the following sentences  be used in the same situations:

  He said I would feel funny and funny I felt.

  He said I would feel funny and funny did I feel,

or there are some usage nuances I should know to choose between them more precisely?


texts: "The next time I am in the city", "next time I am in the city", "the next time I will be in the city" or "next time I will be in the city"?

texts:
Which one is the most correct and natural: the next time I am in the city, next time I am in the city, the next time I will be in the city or next time I will be in the city? For example:

  We could have lunch the next time I am in the city.

  We could have lunch next time I am in the city.

  We could have lunch the next time I will be in the city.

  We could have lunch next time I will be in the city.


texts:
I have seen many people use "anyways" in chat and comments on SE. But I think I have read in many books as "anyway".

Which is the correct word?

This suggests that "anyways" is an informal language.

  Definition of anyways
  [1]
  US, informal:  anyhow, anyway
  [2]
  (a) archaic:  anywise
  (b) dialect:  to any degree at all


texts: The correct use of comma to distinguish determiner "that" from the conjunction

texts:
Let us look at the sentences

  I think, that man always errs. /  I think that man always errs.

Does my punctuation officially suffice to clarify that the first sentence refers to a specific man, while the second refers to Homo sapiens? If not, how to improve the punctuation? I am not interested in rephrasing the sentence. It's just an example for a general problem.

I tried to clarify this using the internet, but failed to find the appropriate guideline.


texts: "Is" or "Are" before a list with only singular nouns

texts:
Is it
 There **is** a sink, a tub and a shower.

or
  There **are** a sink, a tub and a shower.

when describing a list of items in a photo.
There are lots of similar examples that involve plurals and nouns joined by 'and' (including the ones provided by Grammarly). None of these uses a list of singular nouns.


texts: it's grammatically wrong to say: "In the refrigerator was a bunch of bananas and some milk"?


texts:
It's been a drag taking you* on walks.
  (*dog)

I've been told like you should omit the subject in participle phrase when the two subjects in main clause and dependent clause are the same and must not when different.

Shouldn't the sentence be rephrased like this?:

  It's been a drag me taking you on walks.


texts:
Me and my friend are constructing an online forum, and as to avoid spoiling others we want every member to be able to display what chapter they're on in the manga, as well as how far they've come in the show. When explaining what chapter and/or episode you have reached of something, how should you phrase it?

We were thinking something along the lines of "Latest read manga chapter" and "latest watched anime episode," but is that really grammatically correct? Or should it be something like "latest manga chapter read" instead?

Is there another way of phrasing it perhaps?


texts: The past perfect tense is used in the main clause and in the subordinate?

texts:
I saw a sentence in the Collins English Dictionary:

He had squirmed and wriggled and screeched when his father had washed his face.

I rarely see a sentence which uses the past perfect tense both in its main clause and its subordinate.
I would like to know what the differences are between the sentence "He had squirmed and wriggled and screeched when his father had washed his face. " and the sentence "He squirmed and wriggled and screeched when his father had washed his face. "


texts:
Keep your face towards sunshine, and you’ll never have to see the shadow again.

Vs

  Keep your face towards the sunshine, and you’ll never have to see the shadow again.

Is ‘the’ necessary in front of the word Sunshine? Because here we’re talking about sunshine in general not a specific sunshine


texts: ‘spending’ VS ‘wasting’ Can I replace wasting by spending

texts:
You are wasting your time trying to persuade her.

Can I replace ‘wasting’ by ‘spending’?


texts: does "what does she do?" always mean "what is her job?"

texts: If someone asks "What does she do?" what is the other meaning beside "what is her job?"? can it be " what is her activity?"


texts: Pulls out a gun from/Pulls a gun from/Pulls a gun out of

texts:
Before anyone can say more, the old woman pulls out a gun from her purse and coldly shoots the man in the head.

Before anyone can say more, the old woman pulls a gun from her purse and coldly shoots the man in the head.

Before anyone can say more, the old woman pulls a gun out of her purse and coldly shoots the man in the head.

Are all these versions correct? Which one do you prefer?

Is the use of "coldly" okay? Is it placed correctly in the sentence?


texts: Is the construction 'If you booked a ticket, you can enjoy...' grammatical?

texts:
Can I say:

  If you booked a ticket, you can enjoy the VIP service now.

I know If+ past tense can express unreality, but is  this sentence is grammatical?

Thanks so much!


texts: dreams of empire -- why no article in front of "empire"?

texts:
Usage example with a context:

  Close to the end of the World War II, as Nazi dreams of empire were collapsing in flames, a noted French collaborationist explained how the Germans did it all wrong.

Why is there no article in front of empire? What would the difference be if I said dreams of an empire instead?


texts:
After adjective ending in -ed like amazed, disgusted what preposition I have to put after?
For example: I am bored OF/BY the maths test/my friend Luca.
Are there any rules for this construction?


texts: What is the grammar construction used in "which is then"

texts:
I saw a sentence on the web page of python as below:

  This means that source files can be run directly without explicitly
  creating an executable which is then run.

I do understand what the sentence means but it does confuse me, could you please explain the grammar used here in the clause that contains "which is then"?


texts:
I was talking about military service with my friend and I wanted to say :
My cousin just finished his military service and it was hard for him.
Then, my friend interrupted me and told me that I should say "it was difficult on him"
So, I'm really confused now and I don't know what preposition to use and why ????


texts: What does "remind somebody instead of something" mean?

texts:
Below is the whole sentence that makes me confused.

One respectably dressed middle-aged man carrying groceries asked Biletsky why he hadn’t deployed his regiment to deal with the crooks in parliament. Biletsky sidestepped the question, reminding the crowd instead of the importance of voting.

Source: https://harpers.org/archive/2021/01/the-armies-of-the-right-ukraine-militias/
What does "reminding the crowd instead of the importance of voting" mean?
Does it mean Biletsky reminded the crowd of something else other than the importance of voting?


texts: Formal explanation vs daily use and context: "Jack .................. in New York for ten years. Now he lives here"

texts:
Murphy's Intermediate Grammar test:

  Jack ____ in  New York for ten years.  Now he lives here.

  lived
  has lived
  has been living

Use of "has" and "has been" in English is pretty similar to Spanish, where you could use any of the three answers. And  even though I know the rule is "if the action has already passed use simple past" the last two sound right to me too. I would use the second specially if I want to convey the idea that he was leaving there until now, until recently or that it wasn't long ago. I might even want to emphasize that it has been a period of time, a long period, and for that I could also use the third option...

Murphy's book only accepts A as correct. It might be the most frequent use, but isn't it too strict to be the only one?
If I'm totally or mostly wrong, what am I missing?


texts:
What is a single word meaning "an overvalued object" or "an overpriced object"?  Akin to 'bubble' for stocks,  but more precise / better.

Used in the context:  "That object is priced more than it's actually worth, it is a (blank)."

And no, I'm not looking for a word like ripoff, because that does not have the right connotation. I'm looking for a noun that describes an overpriced object


texts: My perception is that a relief teacher is substitute teacher who continues teaching in the class till the end of the term, that means the previous teacher won't certainly come back, he is too ill tocome  back. But if the previous teacher is going to back, then we cannot say the current teacher, is going to be called substitute teacher rather than relief.


texts:
If we have to mention day or specific time to tell past which tense should we use, simple past or past perfect?

Suppose I am writing an email on Friday then which sentence should I use?

  On Monday, I had come late to the office and worked for 3 hours.

Or

  On Monday, I came late to the office and worked for 3 hours.


texts: meaning of maintain a realistic perspective

texts:
It was difficult for the mayor to maintain a realistic perspective of the traffic problem after she was in a car accident.

Perspective: the ability to view things in their true relation or relative importance.

Not only could I get what is the exact concept of this sentence, I am wondering the reason why it was difficult, as well.

In addition, would you show me what the bold part means,here, exactly?

Many thanks


texts: What's the usage of "my" in "So what does sadness look like on an iPhone, in terms of my using it?"

texts:
I been listening to the freakonomics podcast and there's one episode where the guest said she could tell people's emotions when they are using their smart phone and the host asked her "So what does sadness look like on an iPhone, in terms of my using it?"
I am not familiar with this usage of Possessive Nouns in terms of my using it? Why isn't it to be "in terms of me using it?"


texts: How do natives speak or understand 'Please heat it!' when it's about food!

texts:
In India, where I hail from, almost everything is served hot. When I had visited Canada, it took a person a while to understand when I told her, 'Please heat it.'  (I know it was a blunder! :P )

I had to tell her that because she gave me a patty (or for that sake anything that is eaten either hot or at room temperature) that was of a room temperature.

My question is what is the commonest way to tell someone to 'heat' food so that an American or a Brit can understand it without any hassle. A few I can guess...

  Please heat it (that failed miserably!)  Can I get it hot? (ambiguous)  Please serve hot (this seems ordering and harsh!)

That's it!


texts: Does the meaning change? To / In order to

texts:
The manager sent Mike to Japan to receive some training.

In this sentence, I think it's Mike who receives some training .

But if I change the sentence to:

  The manager sent Mike to Japan in order to receive some training.

Does the sentence still have the same meaning as above,
or this time it is the manager who receives some training?


texts: grammar / meaning “She's had many strange things happen to her recently. = She’s been having a lot of strange things happen to her recently”

texts:
“She's had many strange things happen to her recently. = She’s been having a lot of strange things happen to her recently”
This sentence is from “Merriam Webster dictionary” about “have” meaning “to experience (something)”.
Another example from “Longman dictionary” is “He found it quite natural to have people fussing (not “fuss”) over him.”
Why don’t you say “She's had many strange things happening (instead of happen) to her recently.”? like “fussing (not “fuss”)”?
Or do you have a grammatical reason or meaning differences between them?
And these examples have any grammatical relation to “have something stolen/broken---“ and “My car is having new tyres fitted.”
?
And am I right If I think that “have” means “experience”? in the way “have (=experience) something stolen/broken---“ and “My car is having (=experiencing) new tyres fitted.”


texts:
Source: The DHCP Handbook, 2nd Edition by Ralph Droms and Ted Lemon (2003)

Example:

  Thanks to Cisco, Bucknell University, Vint Cerf and the Corporation for National Research Initiatives, Joe D’Andrea and my other friends at Quadritek Systems (now a part of Lucent Technologies), and Mike Carney of Sun Microsystems for supporting my activities as chair of the DHCWG and making it possible to write this book. Doug Comer first gave me an opportunity to learn which end of a packet is up.

I suppose this is some sort of joke or a pun on something. Any idea what exactly he is talking about?


texts:
SOURCE

Lisa & her male friend Michael are discussing her
meeting with young man.

  Lisa: The other day at the car wash a young man looked me up and down
  and asked me if I was a natural blond.

  Michael: What did you say?

  Lisa: I looked him straight in the eye and I said: "Well, let's say if
  I stood on my head, I'd be a natural brunette with lovely breath."

  Michael: You didn't.(with laughs)

  Lisa: I did.(with laughs)

What is the meaning of Lisa's words in this context?

I used Strong format on the words which i didn't understand.


texts: Any difference between "at bay" and "under control"?

texts:
In the purpose of writing a vivid article, we are always in the hope that we can change our words at different places even the meanings we express are very similar. For achieving that goal, we need to master vocabularies and fully understand their meanings to avoid mistakes.

Back to my question:
I heard BBC new report on radio

  [...] his security guards kept the football officials at bay 1

Here, at bay means under control. So, can I replace "keep something under control" with "keep something at bay" in any sentence? For example:

  A: I keep my cash flow under control  --- I keep my cash flow at bay
  B: I keep every step of shipping progresses under control -- I keep every step of shipping progresses at bay

Is there any difference between those phrases in meaning, in structure or whatever we need to pay attention to?


texts: "There is an apple, an orange" vs. "There are an apple, an orange"

texts:
Consider these

  There is an apple, an orange and a banana on the table.

  There are an apple, an orange and a banana on the table.

which one should I use?


texts: What are the terms for months with 30 days and for months with 31 days?

texts:
I would like to know if there are any terms to represent a month with 30 days or 31 days respectively.

Big month? Leap month?


texts: How to understand "I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

texts:
"He's not serious?" he(Harry) muttered to Percy.

  "Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere -- the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

As I understand the bold sentence above, Percy do think Dumbledore possibly had told prefects, but for some reason, Percy were not aware of it. Is my understanding correct?


texts: How do you say in English, "to eat at a restaurant" or "to eat in a restaurant"?


texts:
In The Kissing Booth 2 (2020), Elle is not impressed with her dance partner, Marco:

Elle: Oh, my God! The big deal is that the competition is literally in
four weeks -and the routine is a complete nightmare!
Marco: I think you're exaggerating.
Elle: No, listen, if you don't want to take this seriously, we
should just  call it off.
Marco: Okay, time out. So I'm using every free hour I have, practicing
into the night for this competition that you asked me to help you
with, just so I could screw  things up for you?

What does "screw things up for you" mean?
I heard "screw sb up", but what does this word mean?


texts: Do English speakers say something like "He pushed him back"?

texts: Do English speakers say something like "he pushed him back", even if they know who this "he" and who that "him" is, referring to two different people with the same pronoun? Or would they say something like "he pushed that guy" or "that guy pushed him"?


texts: Correct use of tense for interview questions?

texts:
Q) How did you manage your studies?

Ans (a) I did not study hard. I had prepared one timetable and followed it.

Ans (b) I did not study hard. I prepared one timetable and followed it.

Which one should be the correct reply for the interviewer question? Why?


texts: Common passive forms - 'foot was hurt' versus 'foot got hurt'

texts:
As you obviously know, We face a lot of situations that we need to use a passive form of a sentence, but I was wondering which one of the following forms could be both common and accurate.

For instance:

My foot was hurt when I was playing football.
My foot got hurt when I was playing football.

I was thinking to myself, the second one must convey the meaning with more detail, like when I was playing football, my foot got hurt by someone/something.
And the first one is a bit general.

Now what I'm trying to realize is summarized by the two following questions:

What is the point of view which each one carries the meaning with?
Which one of the forms is more common in daily English?


texts:
Is "how" in this sentence a conjunction?

  I am learning how to use it


texts: The number of books will increase (will have increased)?

texts:
The number of books in the library ____(increase) by at least fifty percent by the time the renovation finishes next year.

will increase
will have increased

Why are both answers correct?
And when do you use one instead of the other?
Does it have anything to do with asserting how things will play out in the future and confidently predicting something?


texts: What does the word 'gloomy' mean in this context?

texts:
Online dictionaries say that I can call a place gloomy that is dark, or badly lit 'in a way that makes me feel depressing'. I think this part is important, isn't it?

Let's say I am in a place that is completely dark or not very well lit, but it does not make me feel frightened in any way. I can't use the adjective gloomy to describe the place, can I?


texts:
Does it sound right to say:

  He is always eating like a pig, leaving crumbs all over the
  table.

(Using Present Continuous, because of always + negative connotation)


texts: Out vs outside in "Tell mummy we are going out to eat"

texts:
I decided to go out to eat.

I told my son.

  "Tell mummy we are going out to eat."

  "Tell mummy we are eating out."

Should I use outside or out in the context above?


texts: Can I use a preposition 'in' for distance (I'll see you in 15 minutes/meters)?

texts:
From Oxford Dictionary's definition of "in (preposition)":

3. Expressing the length of time before a future event

  I'll see you in fifteen minutes

Can I use the same description, but for the distance (I couldn't find)?

  I'll see you in fifteen meters (after passing fifteen meters)


texts: "how much she got paid" OR "how much she had got paid"

texts:
I am confused about what tense I should use here:

She had had no idea how much she got paid before her first payday.

OR

She had had no idea how much she had got paid before her first payday.

OR (could this work?)

She had had no idea how much she would get paid before her first payday.


texts:
I have a simple question. Assume there are two variables min and max, min=0 and max=1. Now, there is a variable called A. A can take the values 0,0.2,0.4...0.8,and 1. I want to describe A in my writing. Is appropriate the following sentence to describe A ?

  A take a discrete value  within the range of  0 to 1 by step 0.2.

I think my sentence is not right.


texts: What is the difference between 'because of' and 'for'?

texts:
I cant tell when i should use them or if they are interchangeable
Examples

I don't eat meat (for/because of) various reasons

Scotland is famous (for/because of) its spectacular countryside


texts: How to use "by" in the meaning of "according to", "extra info" and "as a result"?

texts:
I've found the following definition for "by", but I am not sure HOW and WHEN I can use "by" in such meaning.
Definition of "by" in Oxford dictionary

from what something shows or says; according to something

used for giving more information about where somebody comes from, what somebody does, etc.

used before particular nouns without the, to say that something happens as a result of something

I'd like to know some tips and more information about the above meaning of "by".
Thank you in advance!


texts:
When did the word "gay" which initially had a meaning "merry" and "happy" gain another connotation which is now thought to be preliminary?

As I understand, the word in the main old meaning was an adjective. In the 19th century Charles Dickens actively used it. Also the word kept its meaning in the 20th century, including even the 50s, and was used quite often by Somerset Maugham (for example, in the story "Three fat women of Antibes").

So when did the word "gay" start losing its old meaning and when was it displaced by a modern meaning in people's consciousness? And how is it perceived by those people who were born after the word had changed? Do they see behind the word the old meaning or do they view this word only from a modern point of view? And what about older generation who probably first learnt this word in the old meaning?


texts: Portugal representative or Portugal's represntative

texts:
There is a company in USA (let's call this company "ABU")and a person from Portugal became a manager of the representative of ABU in Portugal.

How is the right way to describe this representative?

Can I say "Portugal representative" in this case?
Is it better to say "ABU representative in Portugal"


texts: Is this meaning of 'ward' part of proper English?

texts:
I was looking at dictionary meanings of the word 'ward'. What I expected (from encountering the word in RPG games) a meaning of 'magical shield or protective enchantment' or similar, but I didn't find any. Closest I found was 'part of the mechanism that prevents the wrong key from opening a lock'.

Is there a similar meaning of 'ward' in proper English?

Edit: I am referring to the lone word, as a noun.


texts: What is the meaning of this sentence found in oxford grammar pdf?

texts:
Please, I don't understand the highlighted bold words here.

  Nouns take s in the plural (miles), but they do not have endings to show whether they are subject or object.
  (emphasis mine)

What is the meaning of this sentence? I found it in the Oxford Guide to English Grammar pdf on page 4, section 6 - English compared with other languages.


texts: Is “[...]planning to give all my endeavor[...]” grammatically correct?

texts:
I have this sentence:

  I am planning to give all my endeavor to help my homeland and my citizens as well.

I used to listen to English, not write it. So, from the sense of listening, I think it is not correct.


texts:
How are the falling global prices for natural resources impacting
  the United States?

Should the usage here be of or for?

They both seem fine to me and I think this is grammatically correct too. If so:

What is the difference between the two in this context?


texts: Usage of "it is" in formal, mathematical language

texts:
I have come across a scientific paper written by non-native speakers where some mathematical formulas are introduced by "it is". For example:

  Proof of Theorem X. Assume xyz. [Long mathematical argument.] Then, it is x>0. QED

Now, I don't think I've ever seen this usage of "it is" elsewhere. Personally, I'd write something like "Then, x>0 holds" or "We have/obtain x>0" or, even more simply, "Then, x>0".

So, I am wondering whether this is idiomatic.


texts: Help to understand the meaning of "Why" in this sentence

texts:
"Because if Harry here --" Mr Malfoy shot Harry a swift, sharp look, "and his friend Ron hadn't discovered this book, why -- Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will..."

I don't understand the usage "why" in this context. The close definition I can get from dictionaries is:

  exclamation

  People say 'Why!' at the beginning of a sentence when they are
  surprised, shocked, or angry.

But in this case, I don't see Dumbledore was surprised, shocked, or angry specifically.

How should we understand the use of "why" in this sentence?

P.S. My question is based on a specific context. I don't know how this definition could fit the context.

-- From Harry Potter.


texts: What rules govern the ordering/sequencing of adjective/adverbial prepositional phrases?

texts:
When writing a sentence, I sometimes get stuck with the order of prepositional phrases if there happen to be a couple of them in a series. I cannot seem to place them next to the part they intend to modify, which ruins the sentence. I googled this particular problem and watched a few YouTube tutorials, which, unfortunately, has confused the matter further. I want to keep it simple and find out whether there's a way to get it right.

Another problem I have with them is that I sometimes cannot decide whether they should be
 punctuated or not, to make things clear.

Just to give you a small example

  There was a great interview... 1) of Mary about her book 2) in NYT 3)
  by John

I cannot put these phrases into their correct order, and punctuate if or where  necessary.

Please help.
Thanks.


texts: "Increasing/growing/enhancing the response time" — with the meaning of "making bigger"

texts:
I would like to say that some actions I take will make the "response time" bigger. In other words, the delay will be bigger.

Some options came to my head, but I don't know which one I should use.

Increasing the response time
Growing the response time
Enhancing the response time


texts:
What of the following two sentences sounds more native?

  1) If you wonder why I hold a balloon, so I got this balloon in order to
  hit Mike on his head with it

  2) If you wonder why I hold a balloon, so I got this balloon in order to
  hit with it on Mike's head.


texts: What is the definition of a "characterized subject"

texts:
Here is a sentence from my exam:

  "Thinking good examples can be quite difficult"

The subject is "thinking good examples" but my teacher defines it as also a "characterized subject".

How do we conclude what is a "characterized subject"?


texts: Alternative to the phrase that is all there is to it

texts: Are there any alternative idiomatic phrases to replace the phrase that is all there is to it


texts: the meaning of the sentence quoted from The Scarlet Letter

texts:
Could you paraphrase this sentence in an easy style?
: " The Scarlet letter,"he states flatly in a one-sentence paragraph, "had not done its office."
Is there anything to do with office?


texts:
As far as I know, when two things happen at the same time, I can combine them with using participles.

Such as :

  Kate is in the kitchen and she is making coffee.

to

  Kate is in the kitchen making coffee.

Is using "being" okay in reduced "to be" phrases? I mean are those sentences below grammatically okay?

  1- I sat there, still waiting, being worried that she would never
  arrive. (... and I was worried ...)

  2- I was preaparing the food , my friends being sick of waiting. (I
  was preparing the food and my friends were sick of waiting)

  3- Being shocked by his death, I passed out. (When I was
  shocked by his death...)

  4- The word “book” has a double meaning , the noun form being “ a
  set of pages inside a cover”, while the verb form is  "to arrange to
  have a seat etc. at a particular time in the future"

Can I omit the "being" in my examples?

  1'- I sat there, still waiting, worried that she would never  arrive.

  2'- I was preaparing the food , my friends sick of waiting.

  3'- Shocked by his death, I passed out

  4'- The word “book” has a double meaning , the noun form “ a  set of
  pages inside a cover”.


texts: What does “The university must be a Switzerland” mean?

texts:
Can somebody tell me what the author means here, please?

“The university must be a Switzerland,” he said. “We want every company to collaborate with us and to feel like they have an equal opportunity to hire our students and work with our faculty.”

Source:https://www.seattletimes.com/business/Facebook-opening-new-ai-lab-in-Seattle-as-it-hires-uw-professor/


texts: what's the meaning of "analogy a go go" meaning

texts:
please tell me about the meaning of this sentence:

So, reader, it’ll be analogy-a-go-go from here on; strap in.

what the writer want to say?


texts: The relative pronoun 'which' in this sentence AND the ensuing omssion

texts:
The complete sentence:

  Yet I should point out before I proceed with this line that when I use ‘ideology,’ I do not mean to imply the now-familiar sinister
  connotations of mischief or falsehood attached to the term; rather, I
  see Scott’s ideology simply as a mindset or a belief system which was
  true to him, and he to it.

Please give me some guidance on this part of the phrase; it sounds terribly off.

  . . . a belief system which was true to him, and he to it.

I mean to say that:

a) the so-called mindset was true "to him" (meaning true as he perceives the world)
And also
b) he is "true to his (same) mindset" (as in he stays true to it)

Also what do you think of the preposition "to" in

  the now-familiar sinister connotations of mischief or falsehood attached to the term
  The complete sentence


texts: If a person has fought in a war, how do you describe them? Is 'to have combat experience' okay? It, I guess, wouldn't work with 'military experience' since it just means that a person has served in the military, not that he or she actually participated in a war battle. Don't suggest 'veteran'. It means, according to Lexico, "an ex-member of the armed forces", not exactly what I'm looking for


texts:
From a book on GMP I've come across:

  In-process controls may be performed in regular intervals during a process step (e.g. tabletting, encapsulation) or at the end of a process step (e.g. granulation, blending).

Is this use of the verb "performed" in relation to "controls" natural, or would it seem a bit odd to a native speaker of English?

Can one "perform" controls? The matter is, some time ago I read the following in a book dedicated to misuse of English words:

  ... Used as a noun, we do not 'carry out' or 'perform' controls. ...


texts: using the preposition 'to' between 'been' and 'there'

texts:
I have never been to China. Have you been there.
I am wondering the reason why there has not used the preposition " to" after been at the bold part, although such a preposition has been used at the italic part!
Any help would be appreciated


texts: "When I was born my mother WORKED / WAS WORKING as a nurse" – interrupted event or...?

texts:
When I was born my mother worked as a nurse.

or

  When I was born my mother was working as a nurse.

Is there any other difference than the job being permanent/temporary? Is this an example of an interrupted event?


texts: Is the sequence of tenses in this example correct?

texts:
In the following sentence:

I didn't come back because I had thought you were dead.

the verb Be in the second dependent clause is a simple past tense, even though (the intention is that) it refers to a time before the verb Come, does that still convey the meaning I want to convey? (the intention/meaning is, be and had thought refer to or take place at the same time, and before "didn't come").
Also, I think the sentence has two dependent clauses, if that's true, does the clause "I had thought" (1st dependent) control the clause "you were dead"? (2nd dependent). By "control" I mean depending on which clause are the tenses in "you were dead" decided?, is it depending on "I had thought", or depending on the tenses in the clause "I didn't come back" (independent)?.
For example, in the sentence:

I couldn't fight because I had eaten too much

, the second clause is in the Past Perfect, because the first clause is in the Simple Past and the eating takes place before it, that's what I mean by "control". In this example the first clause "controls" the second.
I've posted another question about this, but it's been 16 days and I haven't received any answers yet, so I'm posting this after trying to make the question as clear as I could.
I hope it's not a problem, and that the question is clear.
Edit: does this sentence convey that meaning?

I didn't come back because I had thought that you had been dead