texts:
I saw this sentence in the book "How to Read a Book".

  “There is the book, and here is your mind. As you go through the pages, either you understand perfectly everything the author has to say or you do not. If you do, you may have gained information, but you could not have increased your understanding. If the book is completely intelligible to you from start to finish, then the author and you are as two minds in the same mold. The symbols on the page merely express the common understanding you had before you met.”

Does the highlighted part simply mean: the common understanding you had before? How to understand this grammar structure?

I think I understand what the author is trying to say, but I am curious how this grammar works.

Thanks


texts: The choice of preposition "for" vs "to" with "criterion"

texts:
I came across the following sentence while reading a book.

  An alternative criterion for classifying networks is by scale.

I wonder if for can be replaced by to, as below.

  An alternative criterion to classify networks is by scale.

Is the new sentence grammatical and idiomatic? Do they have exactly the same meaning?

I'd appreciate an in depth answer or a link to such an answer.


texts: What does the word "current" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I read a sentence in "The Hindu" which was:

But in no other country than India has this current anti-minority, far-right politics resulted in a concerted pattern of lunch attacks against minorities.

The word "current" as an adjective (reason why I think it's been used as an adjective is that it is there before "anti-minority". It'd have been different if it was used after that.) means - happening or existing now.

But that seems to make little sense to me because it would mean that it(anti minority) is there for now. But I don't think that is what being implied here.


texts:
And then had come the unlooked-for tidings of the imminent proceedings
  for divorce. And such a divorce! There were cross-suits and
  allegations and counter-allegations, charges of cruelty and desertion,
  everything in fact that was necessary to make the case one of the most
  complicated and sensational of its kind.

from http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/UnkiBlow802.shtml

I think "one of" is used with "noun phrase".

e.g.  one of the most famous mountains

But in this case it is used without "noun phrase".

Why?


texts: What is meaning of 'just throwing up to stuff more in'?

texts:
Source

  They are just throwing up to stuff more in.
  (Here.)

Besides, there is

  And the library. All mahogany.
  (Here.)

Shouldn't it be All is ,or All of?


texts:
He seemed oblivious to the crowds of photographers snapping away. (what's away here?)

Why do we need 'away' here and what does 'away' mean here?


texts: Why are naked and baked not pronounced the same?

texts: I don't understand why they are not pronounced the same since they are written the same way?


texts: Article "The" before not particular year

texts:
I've found a sentence:

  February is the second month of the year.

And a little bit confused, why do in English it is correct to put "the" before the word "year" in this sentence when we do not mention specific year, we just in general say that Feb has the second position in the year cycle.


texts: Word to say keep up credibility of someone's recommedation?

texts:
One of my acquaintance who has a very high credibility recommended me to someone for a service I offer...

I am writing a mail to thank him. I wish to convey that "I will work hard to ensure that his recommendation is highly appreciated by the client".

How do I do write?


texts: How to say a interrogative sentence of future perfect tense?

texts:
You will have worked tonight.

Which auxiliary verb should I change to before subject? will or will have?


texts:
Here are some sentences about "would have to":

If I needed more money in the future,I would have to do a better job.
Freddy sneezed on the cakes. He would have to go and do that.
A: What did you do yesterday?
B: I repaired the broken window.
A: Ah yes, you would have to do that. Broken windows are dangerous.
A: What are you doing now?
B: I am repairing the broken window.
A: Ah yes, you would have to do that. Broken windows are dangerous."
A: What are you going to do tomorrow?
B: I will repair the broken window.
A: Ah yes, you would have to do that. Broken windows are dangerous."

First question:
What's the use of would have to in above" sentences?

Second question:
But I hear people using "would have to" without the "if clause". I don't know why people use that way either.

Third question:
"would" has been used in past, present, and future in above examples.  Is "would have to" tenseless? Why not to use "have to" instead of using "would have to"? Why do we need "would" here to refer to present past and future?


texts:
I found this sentence in an article:

  Stress is the physical and mental tension you feel when you are faced with change.

Some people changed it into a TOEIC question with two possible answers regarding Reduced Relative Clauses. The two choices are when faced with and when facing with.

I checked the meaning and usage of face and found one example with be faced with in Cambridge Dictionary:

  You're faced with a very difficult choice there.

This sentence also refers to the phrase be faced with in which the verb face is used in the Passive Voice and only in this voice, it goes with with. In other examples, I don't see any sentence with face with.

Therefore, some friends of mine have claimed that only in be faced with, the verb face will go with with and that when facing with is clearly a wrong answer. However, the phrase when facing with has appeared in a lot of books such as The Gift - An Islamic Tale of IslamKotob: He had always been good at covering up his real feeling when facing with unexpected news. Is this a right way to use face with?

I think both phrases can be used but when it comes to a difficult question, when facing with and when faced with seem right to me. In the first case, I have to face with a problem, while in the latter one, I am faced with it. What is the difference between the two phrases or is one of them wrong?


texts: Listing skills in CV. Good knowledge or good knowledge of?

texts:
I'm writing a CV in English and I want to list my skills. Should I write:

  Good knowledge:

  X
  Y
  Z

or:

  Good knowledge of:

  X
  Y
  Z

I know that a proper form is for example "I have knowledge of X" but I don't know which form is proper in this case.


texts: How should I interpret "between Neville and Ron" in the context of this Harry Potter passage?

texts:
They (Hermione and Ron) did not stop arguing all the way down to Snape's dungeon, which gave Harry plenty of time to reflect that between Neville and Ron he would be lucky ever to have two minutes of conversation with Cho that he could look back on without wanting to leave the country.

  Harry Potter

I don't understand "between Neville and Ron" in this context. Can someone help to explain it in the context?


texts:
You can never stop people who are wiling to die

May I use "that" instead of "who"?


texts:
Do all of these sound natural?

"Keep distance."
"Keep a safe distance."
"Keep social distance."
"Keep two meters distance."
"Keep a two-meter distance."


texts: What is the best choice in this case, present perfect simple or continuous?

texts:
As I buy many records from Australia, I have an Australian friend who collects all the records bought there (I live in France)
Today I received an email from my friend, he wanted to know if he could send them now (as he had a lot of).
I answered "yes" and wrote:

I hope it has not been taking/ has taken too much of your spare time."

What is the best solution? I thought present perfect continuous was better because it is ongoing situation.  May be taken present perfect simple is better as "too much" could be equivalent to a quantity (as in the sentence I have written 6 letters this morning) but I want to emphasize the continuity of this action.


texts:
If tug gives meaning of "drew or pull something"

So why we would add prep to it. then would act as intransitive verb? At the time it gives meaning that it doesn't need a preposition.

  she tugged at her sleeve to get her attention

Could we use the verb with no preposition, and still gives the same meaning? , or in another words, why do we need prep after the verb?


texts: What is the grammatical structure of this excerpt from Perdition in Our World?

texts:
I, unknown to anyone, revealed every side of my flesh, charcoaled in
  the pit of the mortality. Therein lies the ultimate contradiction of
  human Spirit; it not having been in the slightest beyond the human
  agency that the destructive nature of our confined bivouac of
  temporality was created. Maugre this, it is what we accept, nolens
  volens: the choice eludes us, much to our grief. (From Perdition in
  Our World)

The context is that humans are trapped in this horrible world of our own making; we have no choice whether to be part of it or not.

The grammar is so convoluted.

This "I" is someone who has struggled in this world and is now burnt, scarred, and unclothing himself without being seen by anyone.

I think it means this, but it is grammatically difficult.


texts:
I think both can be used but since I am not a native speaker, I would like to get some help.

When you talk about a certain line of bus ( e.g. the bus number 227 that goes from town A to town B), can I say

  take a bus

?

When you talk about the public transportation in general in the form of buses without a specific line or number of bus, can I use

  take the bus

?

Similarly, what would be the difference between take a subway and take the subway ?


texts: Phrase that starts with present participle

texts:
Doing the work he was sure.
Meeting you, I was proud.

This link says that the first one is wrong, but the second one is correct. It also gave the reasons behind it. But I failed to understand it. Why is the first sentence wrong? If I put a comma after Doing the work, will the first example be considered as a correct sentence? If I write he is sure instead of he was sure, will Doing the work, he is sure be correct? This link also says that, by the second sentence, it does not mean that I was not proud because I had met you, but there was another reason for me to be proud. My question is if I was not proud to have met with someone (you), why has meeting you been placed before I was proud? When suck kind of phrase is placed before an independent clause, though there is no relation between participle phrase and the independent clause following the participle phrase?


texts: Think of/about something or Thinking Someone?

texts:
I came across this sentence that had been unknown for me for a long time:

  I *think the movie pretty interesting.

The question is: what is the difference between Think of/about something and Think something?

Some examples

  She talks and thinks business

Or:

  She talks and thinks about business

.

  I think the movie as being sad

Or:

  I think of the movie as being sad

.

  I'm thinking dinner

Or:

  I'm thinking about dinner


texts: Term meaning "to listen to somebody secretly"?

texts: I know spying on somebody means to watch somebody secretly, but is there a term that means to listen to somebody secretly? For example, you are in a room talking with someone and there is someone else outside the door listening to your conversation without you knowing.


texts: The grammar structure "love someone something"

texts:
It was in Crash Course US history. It is at 3 minute and 26 second. Here it goes:

  Interestingly King James hated smoking. He called it "a custom loathsome to the eye and hateful to the nose", but he loved him some tax revenue, and nothing sells like drugs.

It is understandable from the context that King James wanted to have more money, but is it grammatical to use the verb love this way?


texts:
What is the meaning of axe in: "Axe me a question!"

Thank you for your time.


texts:
The question of what is a mathematical object was a deep source of debate in the last part of the eighteenth and first part of nineteenth century. There has only been at best a partial resolution, caused in part by Godel's work in logic and in part by exhaustion.

What's the meaning of "by exhaustion"?

Despair people feel despair in solving the question
Tired people feel tired to solve the question
The question was exhausted


texts: Is there any particular word for this action?

texts:
I would like to give an example for it from my professional setting:

  There is an ice-making machine outside my lab on top of which lies a scoop. Now, when I go there to fetch some ice, I use the scoop to put some ice in the bucket and somehow, I take the scoop along with me back to my bench, everytime which forces me to go back to the particular place again to put it back.

It becomes a comical situation at work. I am sure there would be other such commonly occurring instances in every scenario, maybe in a different way and with different things. Is there any particular word to call this action?


texts: A word to say "the company has various merits"?

texts:
The company has various merits. For example, it is a company that gives its employees high freedom.

I want to know what is the word to use in this context. Candidate words I've found are pros, strengths, and virtue.


texts: determining adverb or preposition in phrasal verb

texts:
When Sam came in, I was asleep.

The definition of a phrasal verb is a verb that is made up of the main verb together with an adverb or a preposition or both. My question is

What should we consider 'in', as a preposition or adverb and why?
Is there any simple way to determine whether it will be preposition or adverb after the main verb in case of phrasal verbs?


texts:
Friends, could you please differentiate the words in context:

a beam of light
a ray of light
a streak of light

Subtle differences, major differences, nuances, practical differences?


texts: Is "SNS" (Social Networking Site) used by native speakers of English?

texts:
The acronym "SNS" (Social Networking Site) is made up of three English words, so it looks like it's English.

But is the acronym "SNS" (Social Networking Site) a "real" English acronym used in English by native speakers of English, or is it mainly used in English by native speakers of Japanese, and people from nearby Asian countries?


texts:
If we have to tell someone that their belt is unfastened (a person did that before but now it's come undone)

  Your belt's open/untied/undone.

What would sound natural?

  No my belt is tied/closed/fastened.
  (If a person doesn't realize it and feels that his/her belt isn't untied)

The belt can be either be a buckle one or the one that has a hook and is elastic (what girls wear with skirts).


texts: "Get charged" vs. "get charge", "got charged" vs. "gets charged"

texts:
My phone doesn't get charged.
  My phone doesn't get charge.

Which statement is grammatically correct here?

Actually, I don't know the use of get/got.

  My phone got charged.
  My phone gets charged.

Which one is correct here? And why?


texts: Need help coming with Wh- questions that shows possession "of the" in answer

texts:
I require help or could use some examples of Wh- questions that shows possession to an object in the answer using "of the."

I do understand the use "of the" when it comes to possession but I am having issues coming up with a proper question.

So I want to know the Wh- question that has answers like

  They are the wings of the plane" or

  "It is the cover of the book"


texts: What does 'classified' mean in the context?

texts:
Does it mean 'designated officially secret,' as Oxford says? If so, does it fit into the context?

Whether it is one day classified or not – it is clear that there
are downsides to using social media platforms. Research has suggested
that young people who spend more than two hours a day on social
networking sites are more likely to report poor mental health. If
you’re on Instagram, there are examples aplenty of overly-filtered
simulations of life that are supposed to be ‘aspirational’ but instead
make many users feel like we’re having a worse life than our peers.
It’s of little surprise that Instagram was rated as the worst social
media platform for young people’s mental health in a UK survey. Yet
its audience is growing – there are now over 800 million users
worldwide.

BBC: How much is ‘too much time’ on social media?


texts: Help to understand: "have arrested" vs "have been arrested"

texts:
I want to know difference between these example.If 2nd example is correct then i want to know the process is still going on or not.

1) Police have arrested two men in connection with the robbery

2) Police have been arrested two men in connection with the robbery.


texts: Word for something that's always reliable, but never the best?

texts:
What do you call something that's always reliable, but that's never the best?

Is there a word for it? I am trying to think of something, but there's nothing I can really think of that exactly means that.


texts:
What does that phrase mean in this context?

It’s unclear exactly when Tom Hanks took on the de facto role of “America’s Dad,” but these days, it’s hard to deny that he’s earned the title. As one of the most beloved actors of his generation, Hanks’ effervescent influence has come to transcend his craft.

Source : https://time.com/5777520/oscars-2020-tom-hanks/


texts: "You've been so good to me" vs "You'd been so good to me"

texts:
You've been so good to me.

  You'd been so good to me.

Please explain the different usage. And is it true that both examples imply that the person is no longer good to "me" now?


texts: He put the keys ... the lock after taking it ...her bag

texts:
He put the keys ... the lock after taking it ... her bag.

Options:

into, out of
into, from

My approach: I am confused between out of and from.

Reason: Both have the same sense when it used in the sentence.

I also could not relate meaning from the meaning of the prepositions.

Can anyone guide me how to approach the problem?


texts: "Wait a minute" Vs "Wait for a minute" Vs "Wait five more" (when minutes are already said)

texts:
The question roots from this question on ELL and the comment there down my answer.

  Wait a minute ~ sounds fine

But then, how is wait for a minute is different?

Also, if 'minutes are already described', dropping 'for' is okay in AmE and BrE as the comments there say:

  10 minutes have passed, wait five more

I have strong feeling that it should have the preposition 'for'

  10 minutes have passed, wait for five more.

I think you can drop 'for' if you are telling that instantly, probably with some caution (as in: wait a minute, I think I heard someone crying) BUT use 'for' if it is to describe the 'span' of time (as in: wait for five minutes, I'll be back).

The verb 'wait' is transitive and intransitive but in this context, I think mostly we use it as intransitive with no direct object? I'm not sure; will be happy to learn.


texts:
There was a time before heroin took over Jessica Grubb’s life. “She was an incredible achiever, she made straight-As, she was smart as a whip, involved in social change,” her father said.

What does straight-As mean in the context?

Note:

I have searched straight-As on the QA box, but I didn't find any.
I was not aware that As is the same as A's.
In my native country, we don't have either straight-As or A's classification.


texts:
Is the following sentence pattern, and the sentence I read on the Internet, grammatically correct?

Somebody agrees with somebody else on doing something.

  The government of Moldova agreed with trade unions on starting talks
  on gradual increase of the minimal wage next week.

Which ones of the sentences below are correct in this case? (I convinced my brother that he will donate to a charity.)

  My brother agreed with me on donating to a charity.

  My brother agreed to me on donating to a charity.

  My brother agreed to me  donating to a charity.

  My brother agreed to me donate to a charity.


texts: Should I say "Which city" or "What city" - in the following context?

texts:
In the following context, which of them is acceptable to the English native speakers?

1) Which city are you living?

2) What city are you living?

or

1) What city have you come from?

2) Which city have you come from?


texts: Are marketing ploys the same as marketing gimmicks?

texts:
I was trying to translate in my mind right before I wrote to an English friend about the tricks that companies use to draw attention to their products and to drive sales. That's when the word gimmick sprang to mind. I must admit I've never used it before in discourse, and all my faint knowledge of the word is based on a few reading encounters that occurred many years ago. So, I started writing:

  We have this ridiculous marketing gimmick about a soap bar that can kill 99.9 % of bacteria.

I was unsure gimmick was the right word since I hadn't used it before, so I looked it up in a dictionary and ran a google search on the phrase marketing gimmicks. I was happy to know that the phrase that popped out of no where in my head was correct and common.

Surprisingly enough, and right before I sent the message, the word ploy, which I've never used before either, and which was not part of the definitions or synonyms of gimmick, popped out of nowhere in my head. I applied the same verification techniques only to find out marketing ploys was just as good, but I can't tell if they are exactly interchangeable in this context or if there's any subtle difference.


texts:
In the following sentence from Frankenstein, the definite article "the" cannot be replaced by "any." Could anyone provide a logical explanation, please?

Last Monday (July 31st), we were nearly surrounded by ice, which closed in the ship on all sides, scarcely leaving her the sea-room in which she floated. Our situation was somewhat dangerous, especially as we were compassed round by a very thick fog.


texts:
Is there any grammatical difference between 'anyway' and 'either way'?

I have posted an answer here but which one is correct?

  You can do in anyway or

  You can do in either way

Or both are correct in this case?
Which one, when should I use?


texts:
There is a hill very close to a house, but the house is not touching the hill. We can say that the hill is starting a few metres away from the house.

Which is correct to say in this situation:

  My house is situated by the hill.

  My house is situated under the hill.

  My house is situated down the hill.

....or something else?

Please explain.


texts: What is the meaning of "By when do you need a decision to join the next cohort? "?

texts:
I saw this question in an application form, but couldn't understand what does it mean?

  By when do you need a decision to join the next cohort?


texts: What does the sentence "He shuffled along around them, in the spotlight, but not really of it." mean?

texts:
I was reading an article and I found this line to be confusing:

  Abbas shuffled along around them, in the spotlight, but not really of
  it. Which is something you would never have said about Asif.

From the tone of the sentence, I understand this line to mean that he shared the spotlight with the others but did not exclusively own it like Asif used to.

I particularly don't understand the use of the phrase "but not really of it".

Can someone please explain the meaning of the bolded sentence?


texts: after + past participle (for future events)

texts:
I find myself using the past participle a lot when talking about something in the future in conjunction with the word 'after' and I'm not really sure if this is grammatically acceptable.

For example:

  Are you also going to clean the bathroom after you finished
  cleaning the living room?

This is usually what I prefer to say but someone told be that it should be written like this :

  Are you also going to clean the bathroom after you have finished
  cleaning the living room?

or

  Are you also going to clean the bathroom after you finish cleaning the
  living room?

Here are three more examples:

  Can you get gas after you pick up the car from the dealership?

or

  Can you get gas after you picked up the car from the dealership?

or

  Can you get gas after you have picked up the car from the dealership?

My question is basically, do I need to use the present perfect ( have + past participle), the present simple or just the simple past in the aforementioned cases?


texts: Is "nor" used correctly in this sentence?

texts:
This sentence is used in an academic paper and I would like to know if it is correct

Ultrasound showed no abnormalities nor signs of myopericarditis.


texts: What does "he was equally game to slip into bit parts" mean?

texts:
I was trying to understand this line – he was equally game to slip into bit parts, but couldn't. My best guess is that it's meaning something about universality and flexibility in acting. Could somebody, please, make this line more clear or rephrase it?

  Nothing was too big or too small for Hartman. He stepped up as the
  main, one-off guest voice in episodes like “Brother From the Same
  Planet”and “Marge vs. the Monorail”. And he was equally game to slip
  into bit parts, including his turn as the weaselly State Department
  official Evan Conover in “Bart vs. Australia” and sleazy football
  expert Smooth Jimmy Apollo in “Lisa the Greek”. In “Burns Verkaufen
  der Kraftwerk”, Hartman showed up as Homer’s lowlife stock broker and
  as German plant manager Horst. Many of his performances could have
  merited a big name guest voice, but Hartman nailed them so completely
  and consistently that you almost didn’t notice it was him

  source


texts: Past Perfect vs Past Simple (in the context of the following passage)

texts:
Take a look a the following passage, please:

  Jane had always wanted to be a nurse ever since she was a child but her father had told her that nursinbg wasn't a suitable profession for her to follow. Having left / leaving school, she was offered a job working as a doctor's receptionist.

I wonder whether I could used

  "...hadn't been a suitable profession for her to follow."

We are talking about the time before her graduating from school (about the time "her father had told her..."). Although it is so, the moment when she needed to chose her profession was much later.

Before answering my question, please, make allowances for be because of my not native origin.


texts: He followed me into/to my home- meaning difference

texts:
He followed me into my home.
  He followed me to my home.

What's the difference in their meaning?


texts: "I wouldn’t say no" VS "I wouldn’t mind (it)"

texts:
For me the two expressions "I wouldn't say no" and "I wouldn’t mind(it)" (where "it" as an optional pronoun can be omitted) mean more or less the same thing and most of the time can be swapped freely without being mistake semantically. Am I right?
Example#1:

Person #1) Do you want a coffee?
Person #2) .........
a) I wouldn’t say no.
b) I wouldn’t mind (it).

Example #2:

Person #1) Shall we go running?
Person #2) .........., but I need a jogging suit and a pair of running sneakers.
a) I wouldn’t say no.
b) I wouldn’t mind (it).


texts:
I suppose that

  He may not come today

means that he is not allowed to come today. Right? But what is the right way to say that he is allowed not to come today?

  He may not to come today

Is that right?


texts:
I posted the following question to Lang-8.

I have a question.
Which one is correct?
1. The next meeting will be from 10:30.
2. The next meeting will be at 10:30.
What's the difference between these two sentences?

Then I got the following answer.

An event always occurs "at" a time.
ex.) I went to school at 7:00. I came home at 4:30.
If you are talking about the length of time, you can say "from"
ex) I was waiting at the airport from 3:00 to 4:00. Then we went sightseeing from 4:30 to 8:00.

Now, I have a new question.
If someone say "The next meeting will be from 10:30", does that sound strange? Or if someone say this sentence, what kind of meaning does it have?


texts:
Which do you think is correct and why?

1) How many do 1% of the students come to?

2) How much do 1% of the students come to?

3) How many does 1% of the students come to?


texts:
What is the meaning of "highest good"?
As I searched for it, I found the word "summum bonum" as a synonym for it, would someone please explain the meaning of the word "highest good" or "summum bonum"


texts: What is the meaning of this sentence about sustaining gradients in thunderstorms?

texts:
When I am reading Philosophy and Simulation, I encountered the sentence:

  "the higher the air reaches the colder it gets, the more saturated it becomes, and the larger the liquid drops and ice crystals that condense from it"

But I could not understand what the sentence means. Could you pharaphrase it for me?

  The death of a thunderstorm, in turn, is linked to processes that counteract its sustaining gradients: the higher the air reaches the colder it
  gets, the more saturated it becomes, and the larger the ·liquid drops
  and ice crystals that condense from it.


texts:
How do you correctly shorten "ask her what's her hair color"? I thought you can just say "ask her her hair color", but then I find it weird, so I don't know if it's correct.

For example:

  She asked her what's her hair color. She replied yellow.


texts: Usage/understanding of "holding it all"?

texts:
In the Off Camera Show (timestamp), Brit Marling says today many people take many photos a day as a way to say

  I'm here, I'm alive and I'm holding it all.

Is this a way to express someone has everything under control, mentally? Or do native speakers understand it so?


texts: Idioms- can the one in concern have a literal meaning?

texts:
I took a fall and injured myself.
Can the phrase ever be used to describe literal falls?

I know it has a meaning in boxing, but what I'm asking is if you fell and..let's say you broke your knee, could you later say "I took a fall and broke my knee", instead of "I fell and broke my knee"?


texts: Putting a bike on/off side stand, did I take the side stand off?

texts:
So is it :

  I put the bike on the side stand.

  I put the bike off the side stand.

Do these sentences sound natural?

And my mom asked me:

  Did I take the side stand off?

Do these sentences sound natural? If not then what sounds natural?


texts: "How long since you did...? vs. "how long since you have done...?"

texts:
Could you tell me if there is any difference in meaning between the following sentences?

How long since you saw Kate?
How long sinch you have seen Kate?

Actually I would've thought that the firt one with thepast simple was the only correct. But, in the fourth episode of the eighth season of Friends, Joey said the following.

How long since you’ve seen a girl naked?

Here is the scene.


texts: Are these correct and which one is used the most?

texts:
My salary was reduced by 20%.
My salary was cut 20%.
My pay was reduced by 20%.
My pay was cut 20%.

Can you also say:
My salary was reduced quite a lot.
My pay was cut quite a lot.

I am curious, which one is used the most.
If the sentences above are grammatically wrong, sound unnatural or there is a better way to say them, please let me know.


texts:
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel Demons is a piece that observes Russian ideals during the 1870's.

Maybe a trivial question but I am not sure how to express in a spoken word the date in the form as is above. Is it [the eighteen seventies] or is it necessary to say [the seventies of the nineteenth century]?


texts: Sentences having the structure - adjective+'the'+noun

texts:
Is there any grammatically correct example where the structure mentioned in the title i.e. adjective immediately followed by 'the'+noun is used in a sentence? Does any rule prohibit such usage?
This question explores a similar concept but I couldn't find any example using 'the'.


texts: Is it "sloped ceiling/roof", "sloping ceiling/roof" or "slanted ceiling/roof"?

texts: Googling these terms shows all of these terms appear to be in use. Which ones are correct/commonly accepted?


texts: Using 'directly' in a sense 'just a moment' or 'right away'

texts:
Short version of my question: Can we use a word 'directly' when want to say 'just a moment' or 'I'll be ready right away'? And, if yes, do native speakers often do it?

Long version:

I've been reading Resurrection, a novel by Leo Tolstoy, and encountered an unfamiliar to me use of a word 'directly'.

There's an episode when a protagonist guides an englishman to Russian prison. When the protagonist stops to talk to a prisoner and takes too long, the englishman asks 'Are you ready?'. The protagonist answers 'Directly', which is translated into russian by the author in brackets like 'just a moment'.

I never encountered this usage of the word 'directly'. May it be some kind of old English since the novel is written in 19th century? It could be lack of knowledge of English language by the author but Leo Tolstoy was known to be a good English speaker. Anyway, the phrase is too simple to make a mistake in it unintentionally. Same thing about the character - it is told that he knows English well:

  The fact of his speaking English, French, and German with a good accent, and of his wearing the best linen, clothes, ties, and studs, bought from the most expensive dealers in these goods, he quite knew would not serve as a reason for claiming superiority.

Here's the quote from the novel in Russian:

  Какая вы хорошая женщина! - сказал он.
  Я-то хорошая? - сказала она сквозь слезы, и жалостная улыбка осветила ее лицо.
  Are you ready? [Вы готовы? (англ., перевод Л. Н. Толстого)] - спросил между тем англичанин.
  Directly, [Сейчас (англ., перевод Л. Н. Толстого)] - ответил Нехлюдов и спросил ее о Крыльцове.
  Она оправилась от волнения и спокойно рассказала, что знала: Крыльцов очень ослабел дорогой <...>

And here's the quote from the translation by Louise Maude:

  “What a good woman you are,” he said.
  “I good?” she said through her tears, and a pathetic smile lit up her face.
  “Are you ready?” the Englishman asked.
  “Directly,” replied Nekhludoff and asked her about Kryltzoff.
  She got over her emotion and quietly told him all she knew. Kryltzoff was very weak and <...>


texts: How to inform other people of your real name?

texts:
I usually use a nickname (e.g. John, and other people know me as John). Lets say I want to inform another person about my real name (the name that is on my ID card), how do I say it?

  My full name is Neram Smith.

  My real name is Neram Smith.

  My legal name is Neram Smith.

  My ID name is Neram Smith.

  My ID card name is Neram Smith.

Are the above correct? Any other better suggestions?


texts: If you "ride something", do you control it or simply sit behind/aside?

texts:
I remember my friend telling that she rides a bus to go to her office. I also remember my another friend telling that she rides a scooter to go to her office.

Does it mean that I need to identify the type of vehicle to guess whether she rode (drove) or travelled by?

Imagine my first friend is a bus-driver and second friend does not know how to drive a two-wheeler! It'll create a disaster! What say?


texts:
There is a song called "Crucify" by Tori Amos from the album Little Earthquakes, where the following part caught my attention:

  ...
  I know a cat named Easter
  He says, "Will you ever learn?
  You're just an empty cage, girl,
  If you kill the bird."
  ...

What does the phrase "I know a cat named Easter" mean in this context? Is there a subliminal message, say, referring to Cheshire Cat from "Alice in Wonderland" or anything else?


texts: Can you explain these phrases of British accent?

texts:
Source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH2UnMxR3IM

I am unable to understand English commentary in the video between 0:19 and 0:45.

I understood,'Andrew Flintoff ..... 3 wickets in 4 balls ......'.

Dash part is one which I could not understand.


texts: What is set here? (noun or past participle)

texts:
Are you tired of taking pictures with your camera set to “Auto”? Do you want to create more professional-looking photos? You won’t want to miss this opportunity.

"set" is used as a noun as well as a verb.
I wonder if the "set" described above is a noun or a past participle


texts:
What do you call the protruding backside of a car?

I am referring to the part behind the seats and the black cover of the car in this picture. Is there a particular name for it?


texts:
"An adjustment here", "an adjustment there" is how the Federal Government, from the Prime Minister down, is laying the ground for some Budget back downs. (Aussie ABC)

First ‘down’ seems to mean ‘from the Prime Minister to his staffs.’ But I can’t guess what ‘back down’ means. Can you explain the two downs?


texts: Why are there no articles before "config folder" or "web.php file"?

texts:
Source

I can't understand when I must use articles and when not? Here are some examples:

  Now that the extension have been installed successfully, let’s configure it. Now head to config folder and open web.php file.

Why are there no articles before config folder and file? Both of them are nouns. Explain to me please why there are no articles before these words?


texts: The definite article before the word "consistency" and "of"

texts:
Do I need to use "the" in the following sentence?

Here goes:

  "we need the consistency of performance."

What I saw is that usually "the" is dropped before the word, but I cannot get a handle why. The word "performance" modifies the word "consistency" so I think the article is necessary.

Tell me please if I am wrong.


texts: "A long time ago, our world lay in turmoil." Is this correct?

texts:
“A long time ago, our world lay in turmoil.”

Is this correct?

I googled the usage of "lay" in that application, but didn't feel confident in the results. Is this acceptable?


texts: What does the slang adjective "sprung" mean?

texts:
I have come across it in the sixth episode of the first season of Breaking Bad. The context is two guys come to a drug disributor to sell him drugs. Here it is:

Tuco, what's happening my brother. Sick crib,yo! You've been keeping it real sinch you been sprung. What's been like a year?


texts: Estimated delivery date vs Estimate delivery date

texts:
I need to email a seller about how long something I ordered online will take to arrive.

Which one of these sentences is the most correct? And why?

  Do you have an estimate as to when my package will arrive?

  Do you have an estimate delivery date?

  Do you have estimated delivery date?

  Do you have an estimated date of delivery?


texts:
Is there any difference between 'just as' and 'just like'?
For example if I say:

  i. Prevention is good; just like, it is good to take green tea.
  ii. Prevention is good; just as, it is good to take green tea.


texts:
"Here come Ernie and Hannah Abbott," said Ron, looking over his shoulder. "And those Ravenclaw blokes and Smith ... and no one looks very spotty."

  Hermione looked alarmed.

  "Never mind spots, the idiots can't come over here now, it'll look really suspicious - sit down!" she mouthed to Ernie and Hannah, gesturing frantically to them to rejoin the Hufflepuff table.

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

According to dictionaries, spotty:

  someone who is spotty has small raised red marks on their skin, especially on their face
  good only in some parts, but not in other parts

But none of them seems to fit for the context. What does it mean here?


texts:
Please help me to understand when we should use it(to cause to be) in
  English? Does it have any relation with make?

Please check the below link to understand my question completely.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/make_3


texts:
There is an exercise about articles. We must put the necessary article in the underlined places, if necessary, and “x” if it is not.

There we went shopping at the (Correct is: x) Harrods, visited the Tower and enjoyed a sunny afternoon in the (Correct is: x) Hyde Park.

I can't understand why we can't put article "the" in the first and in the last places?
Please correct my question if it's necessary.


texts: In daily conversation, can I call an object (eg a button) square to emphasize it's not round even though it's rectangular?

texts:
For example.

"The round button is to start engine, and the square button is to turn on aircon".

Even though the aircon button is say 3cm x 5cm. It feels to me that saying "the rectangular button" is uncommon and geeky.

Any better alternative?


texts: What is the meaning of "It spoke to him of sausage" in the following sentence?

texts:
What is the meaning of "It spoke to him of sausage" in the following sentence(Source: The truffle pig by Claire Huchet. Wiese, Kurt, Bishop )

  Pierre loved to shake his piggy bank. It spoke to him of sausage
  roasted on a fork over the open fire.

Does "It spoke to him of sausage" mean "It spoke to him and It spoke of sausage" or "Sausage spoke to him"?

Does it mean "That sausage roasted on a fork over the open fire spoke to him"
or "That Pierre loved to shake his piggy bank spoke to him. and that Pierre loved to shake his piggy bank spoke of sausage"?


texts:
I was listening to the famous Bonnie Tyler's song "Holding out for a hero".
Then there is a line,

Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere beyond my reach
There's someone reaching back for me.

Does this mean, there is someone whose hand is so long or something that even though she is
beyond anyone's reach, someone reached to her? I'm nervous about the use of "back" here.
*Googling didn't help.
Thank you in advance.


texts:
I am writing a technical paper about a kind of turbine (Wells turbine). Is the use of "CTB’s suction surface" in the following sentence correct grammatically and conceptually?  If not, kindly suggest ways to make it clearer.

  It can be seen that there is a greater vortex on the tip zone of the CTB’s suction surface than on that of the VTB’s suction surface.

Is the combination of "the tip zone of the suction surface of the CTB" correct grammatically?  Which is better in a technical paper?  "CTB's suction surface" or "the suction surface of CTB"?

...............................

suction surface is a part of the blade of the turbine.

VTB=variable thickness blade
CTB=Constant thickness blade


texts:
If for example I am describing how good was my last dinner to someone, can I say:

it was delicious it went down a treat!

Or simply:

it was a treat

What is the difference if there is any?
Thank you


texts: What is the difference between "faith" and "hope"

texts:
One day I was thinking about these two words hope and faith.

If a man is drowning in the water then he should have faith/hope that somebody will come and save him.

Faith and hope have different meaning in dictionary but in a statement I do not find any difference between hope and faith.

Are they synonyms? Are there some difference in usage of these words?


texts: Do we need to use "are" three times in this sentence?

texts:
I said:

  Nanobots are bots that created from nanomaterials and comparable in size to a molecule.

But the teacher told me:

  Nanobots are bots that are created from nanomaterials and are comparable in size to a molecule.

What is the best choice?


texts:
Which one of these sentences is correct:

  A bat is not a bird, but a mammal.

or

  Bats are not birds but mammals

or

  The bats are not birds but mammals.


texts:
It is about this sentence:

In the case of N=3, which the celebrated Neil discovery is about, the best approximation is proven to be built in an interesting way.

I feel that 'about' can be put ahead? Namely, 'about which is the celebrated Neil discovery'?


texts:
I'm watching documentary about vet.
And I can't understand meaning of 'draining' in these conversations.

One person brought their cat to doctor. She said this about cat's eye.

It was all puffed up, and then the next morning it was draining blood.

Does this mean cat was bleeding through eye? or it became red? or became pale?

Doctor looked into Dog's eye and said "draining eye"

Does this mean eye became red or dry?


texts:
Does sequence of verb tenses also apply to phrasal verbs and multi-word verbs?

Down below, we can see a phrasal verb in bold in each sentence.

According to sequence of verb tenses, the subordinate verb should be shifted into the past if main verb is past tense or past perfect.

But when it comes to phrasal verb or multi-word verbs, should we also apply the rule of sequence of verb tenses?

  I broke down what the company (would/will) do in the next few years.
  As an experienced artist, yesterday I put up a show that (would/will) be seen as a masterpiece.
  I was aware of what she (would/will) do.
  I took care of what (would/will) be a disaster.


texts:
What is the difference/similarity between "take a long time" and "take a while"?

This process takes a long time.
This process takes a while.

Can I use take time without using a in a sentence?


texts: Pronunciation of "off" in a particular case

texts:
I was wondering how should I pronounce "off" in the sentence below:

  Can't take my eyes off you.

Do we pronounce the "f" twice ?

NB : is there a general rule ?


texts: "Did you bring a horse for me?" or "Have you brought…?"

texts:
Harmonica: Where's Frank?

  Snakey: Frank sent us.

  Harmonica: Did you bring a horse for me?

  Snakey (snickers): Well... looks like we're...
  Sankey:  ... looks like we're shy one horse.

  Harmonica (shaking his head): You brought two too many.

This is a famous dialogue from the opening scene of Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West (link).

I tend to use the Present Perfect in the emphasized sentences. Harmonica still refers to the present, doesn't he?


texts: which one is more common between handshake and handclasp?

texts: Which on is more common phrase between handshake and handclasp? I looked it up on dictionary but I couldn't understand. And what's its preposition? For example I handshake with her? Is it right?


texts: Putting a noun before another noun, or after with "of" in between?

texts:
Would you be as kind as to tell me what is the difference (if any) between the following sentences? Are both valid English? If not, please indicate what is the right one. If both are valid, which is more suitable for a formal setting (such as work email or school paper)?

Example 1:

  There are many open items in the issues list.

  There are many open items in the list of issues.

Example 2:

  He did not include any comments in his book revision.

  He did not include any comments in his revision of the book.


texts: Fill in the blank: "One problem invites _____"

texts:
In the Thai Cloze Test, why is "another" the correct answer for "One problem invites _____"?

Here is the question:

  Problems that teenagers are faced with today are multifarious but interrelated in many cases. One problem invites (another/others/the other/other/the others), then leads to more problems.

The answers is another. Why "another" is correct?


texts:
Here is a question as follows:

Generally speaking, you should arrive at the airport with plenty of time___.
A. sparing   B.to spare   C.spare   D.spared

The key is B. I'm wondering why it's not D.
Usually, at least from my understanding(maybe wrong),I think if there is a noun before a non-finite verb, then it's usually the relationship between that noun and the verb right after it that determines the form of the non-finite verb to be used(e.g. always so in cases where a noun with a verb following it as a complement or an attributive).In this sense, I can't understand why it is not D. From my perspective, I think 'time' is spared (by you),so it should be D here. A and C are surely wrong. Does C make sense here because 'to spare' is used to show purpose as an infinitive?

Many thanks for any explanations.


texts: what's the difference: cut vs cut through

texts:
butcher's keen knife cut through the meat.

  butcher's keen knife cut the meat.

what's the differences of two sentences ? (cut vs cut through)


texts: why does the author write 'This makes sense and is a logical argument ~'?

texts:
I have a couple of questions.
Firstly, why does the author write This makes sense and is a logical argument ~ ? Does it mean that in the perspective of eastern folks, it is sensible to think that way because of the lack of information about western teams?
Next, what can they do is not finished with a question mark. Is it a kind of typo? Or, is it sometimes permitted without a question mark?

If it is during the regular season in any sport like baseball,
basketball, or hockey, and the game starts at 7:00 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.
on the West Coast (10:00 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. start time in the east),
how many fans are going to stay up until after 1:00 a.m. on the East
Coast? Not many. So the result is an East Coast bias that definitely
exists, because they miss many of the games that happen on the West
Coast and don’t get to know these teams as well. Sure, they get all
the information the next morning, but not seeing the games live as
they do on the East Coast can hinder their view of the western teams.
This is why those in the east think that, more often than not, the
East Coast has better teams than the West Coast. This makes sense
and is a logical argument, but is it fair? Not always, but what
can they do besides recording every game and watching it in the
days or weeks to come (which I’m sure rarely happens). The East Coast
bias will always exist, through no one’s fault. Time is of the essence
and you play the cards you’re dealt by choosing where you live.

Sports Fan 101: Score the Balance in Your Relationship


texts: Meaning of today in: How can I help you, today?

texts:
I was reading this post, What should we greet a person at 10 o'clock in the night?, on ELL.

  You could use both. "Tonight" would refer to the current time of day,
  but "today" could be seen as to refer to "this time around",
  "this work shift". – oerkelens

And the comment above reminded me of this expression said at stores

  How can I help you, today?

Does today mean now; this time around? and not literally "today"?


texts:
It seems to me that the scientific evidence for the benefits of a vegetarian diet are numerous

In this sentence, the verb 'are' is wrong or possible? As far as I know, the noun 'evidence' is uncountable. So this sentence is confusing to me.


texts:
In general, what are the similarities and differences between two adjectives, the root of which is X, with these forms: X-al vs X-alist vs X-alistic?

What's this phenomenon called? What are the general lessons to be learned?

Some words [on this list] are more easily differentiable, such as global vs globalist, because globalistic refers more to the notion of globalism?

But what about more intricate examples, like dual vs dualistic, and popular vs populist?


texts:
What question tag should be used with the modal NEED?

Nobody need hurry, need they?

or

Nobody need hurry, do they?

or both are wrong?


texts: Is the use of "then" wrong in "it has been around for much more then ten years"?

texts:
There are lots of explanations here and there, including this one, that let me think the answer is yes, it is wrong. However, I'm currently reading the preface of a PDF book and in a few lines I've encountered three times the word "then" with the feeling it should have been "than". Since the book seems quite serious, I can't really believe that an error like this could be in the very first sentences of the preface, hence the question.

Extract from Object-oriented Programming with ANSI-C:

  Object-oriented programming is the current cure-all — although it has been
  around for much more then ten years. At the core, there is little more to it then
  finally applying the good programming principles which we have been taught for
  more then twenty years.

Do we agree that the word then that appears three times in bold in this citation is wrongly used and should be replaced by than?

If we do, could you see a reason why then is used instead of than ? Could it be some sort of local variance?


texts: Using the term "gone-with-the-wind" in a passive and an active sense

texts:
There is an English term gone with the wind (derived from a movie name) which as you know well, it is used to describe something that has disappeared, passed, or vanished, permanently or completely. How would you use it to describe someone's action? Please have a look on this example:

  The unworthy son lost / let / put all his father's wealth with the wind.

Or

  All his wealth gone with the wind. (here the term is not serving as an adjective. As you see its part of speech would be a "verb".

I know the verb squander is used in this sense, but I think applying a structure using the movie title would indicate the true feeling in my question. I would appreciate if you could help me to know whether there is such a structure in English at all. If there is not, then please let me know what is the closest meaning which can encompass the concept in my question.


texts: what is meaning of ''one'' and ''has got'' in this statement?

texts:
Human beings are the only creatures on Earth that claim a God and the only living thing that behaves like it has not got one (from here)

Does "living thing" mean human?if yes,why is the verb plural but "thing" isn't?

Does "has not got" mean has not understood,and "one" mean singleton?

What is the content of this statement?

Thanks


texts: if a person is no longer needed, can I say that he/she is no longer "necessary"?

texts:
Basically, I am asking whether it is grammatically correct to describe a person as "necessary" or unnecessary.

I'd appreciate it if anyone can help me with that.


texts: Till when is it OK to ask "How are you?" in an e-mail?

texts: In an e-mail to close colleagues, I would like to ask "How are you doing today?" in the beginning part. But till when is it natural to begin in this way? For example, I need to report one minor thing to a close colleague at 6PM as a first contact during the day. Can I ask this though it is already 6PM? I would like to say something to imply I care you personally, and to imply my interest is not only business with you. Is there any better expression? Thanks in advance.


texts:
The Business has been carried on in the ordinary course and all
financial statements and other information provided for to Purchaser
are true, accurate, and correct in all material respects.

What is the meaning of "in all material respects"?


texts:
I am going to write down four sentences.

(1) I am always out of luck when seeking jobs.

(2) I am always out of luck in seeking jobs.

(3) I don't have much luck when seeking jobs.

(4) I don't have much luck in seeking jobs.

Which of my sentences are idiomatic?


texts:
Here is my sentence

  She wanted to show us something, then this happened/happens.

I used grammar checker but it doesn't tell me which one should I use. Which one is correct?


texts:
I'm reading an article about two pets rescuing their owners. After the cat managed to wake up the mother, she tried to wake up other members but they wouldn't wake up.

  Cathy tried to tell her husband and son to leave the house, but they wouldn't wake up.

Why wouldn't and not didn't?

(I checked possible duplicates but they weren't convincing at all. Besides, none of the answers were confirmed. One said would is used for permission and another said it's for emphasis!)


texts: Were Jesus' last words grammatically correct?

texts:
Consider this last phrase of Jesus, as found on Wikipedia:

  Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do

I have a problem with the phrase: "...know not...". I am not a native speaker and find this phrase confusing. To me, it suggests the same idea as this complete phrase: "they know, not what they do, rather they know something else (which they do not do)". I honestly wonder if this is in fact the true interpretation.

  I wish to know if this phrase structure is correct English grammar.

Thank you!


texts:
Luggage cannot check into the airport if it includes the products banned from being imported.
  The product imports mainly from South Korea.

I wonder whether I can use "check" to mean "be checked" and "import" to mean "be imported" in two sentences.

I think "check" and "import" are acceptable to use as intransitive verbs in this case because no one would think the luggage checks itself or something and the product imports itself or something because they're not humanbeings.

So, can "check" and "import" be used intransitively according to my thinking?

I think they can, and I found sentence 3 below where "check" seems to be used in the same sense of the "check" in my first sentence.

  "The bill checks in at just under $ 12, and the meal serves two easily"


texts:
I plant the garden with some flowers.

Is it the same as "I plant some flowers in the garden."? What are their nuances?

What does "with some flowers" modify in this sentence?


texts: Why do we use "an" in the phrase "an only child"?

texts:
I remember an episode from a game show. I am pretty sure it was "Wheel of Fortune." The task was to restore missing letters: an **ly child. The contestant answered "an ugly child", but the correct answer is "an only child." Moreover, I asked some people who know English well, and they replied that "an only child" is the only possible solution, though they didn't explain their choice in any way.

As for me, I consider the phrase "an only child" a little bit weird. "An ugly child" sounds nice for me, because he/she can be any of millions of such children, we just didn't specify the person we bear in mind. On the other hand, "only child" is a well defined person. There are no other children in the family; the child is single so we know whom we are talking about. So for me, it's like saying "a sun" or "a hell" or "an Eiffel Tower" which, as I know, are wrong constructions.

Can anyone explain why do we use indefinite article here? Does it have any particular or specific meaning?

Please don't blame it too much because in my native language there are no articles. Thanks for help.


texts:
I have a question about "in agreement with" and "in accordance with".  Dictionaries think they are approximately the same.  But for these sentence pairs:

  1a. He acted in agreement with the rules.
  1b. He acted in accordance with the rules.

  2a. His behavior was in agreement with the smirk on his face.
  2b. His behavior was in accordance with the smirk on his face.

, are there differences between the a-b pairs?


texts: A short way of saying "when a child is 1 or 2" (or "0 or 1 or 2") that mentions 2 but not 3?

texts:
In this other question I asked how people would interpret the word "by" in the phrase "by the age of eight". It seems there are different interpretations: some read the phrase as meaning "before the eighth birthday", others as "before the ninth birthday".
OK, so is there a way to communicate the sense of "when a child is 1 or 2" or "before a child stops being two"? I am looking for a phrase that

mentions the number 2 and not 3;
is short;
can convey the meaning of "at the age of either 1 or 2" or the meaning of "before the child is 3.00" - it doesn't matter whether an age of less than 12 months is ruled in or out or whether there is a lack of clarity about that young age; what matters is that the "cut-off" point is 3.00 and the number 2 is mentioned, not 3.


texts: Possible semantic differences between "The police officer caught red-handed" and "The police officer was caught red-handed"

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between the two sentences below?
(Please note that only b) has was.)

  a) The police officer caught red-handed for accepting bribe.
  b) The police officer was caught red-handed for accepting bribe.

I found sentence a) in The Times of India. I am sure that sentence a) is grammatically incorrect.


texts: Should it be "not allowed to use" or "not allowed to be used"?

texts:
"The mobile phones are not allowed to use." or "The mobile phones are not allowed to be used."
Which one is correct, and what's the difference?


texts:
Does it mean ‘forever’ like the definition in The Free Dictionary?

She told CNBC on a telephone call that she had long been interested in the development of entrepreneurship in Africa and hoped that in working at a big-name bank like JPMorgan she would be able to “redirect the (investment) machine for good.” Instead, Horgan Famodu said she ended up feeling as if she had become a “cog in the wheel.”

Source: CNBC


texts: "Welcome on my website" or "Welcome to my website"

texts:
I want to know how to say "Bienvenu sur mon site" in English.

I hesitate between the preposition to and the preposition on

  Welcome to my website!

or

  Welcome on my website!

I've found on Linguee that the two preposition are used indistinctly.

So what is the correct form?


texts:
When I want to say that a price is low, I can say:

  It costs only $200.

How can I say that $200 is a lot?

  It costs < my word > $200.

Of course, I could say that it costs an arm and a leg, but I'm looking for something that can refer to many nouns, not only prices and is an antonym of only.

Is there such word? If there isn't, how can I generally express its meaning?


texts: "Not only will we ..." or "We will not only ..."?

texts:
Is it possible that both of the following sentences are correct? Or is only the second one correct?

Not only will we hear more noise during the day and night, but we will also lose our special old park.
We will not only hear more noise during the day and at night, but we will also lose our special old park.

Thank you in advance.


texts:
When one wants to express wishes about the present, future or generally how it should be done. For example how should I say that it would be better to study history of fashion instead of biology: Which one is correct way to saying that?

  I wish I was studying story of fashion instead of biology!

  I wish I had studied story of fashion instead of biology!


texts: Meaning of “as” in “does not have to be as healthy"

texts:
What does "as" mean in article below?

  President Trump is the president of the USA. President Obama was the president before him. When Obama is president, he makes stronger food rules for schools. He wants the food to be healthy.

  Trump’s administration has different ideas. People change these food rules. The school food does not have to be as healthy. Last Wednesday, some states sue the Trump administration.

  Michelle Obama is President Obama’s First Lady. She helps make the stronger rules. She asks why the government makes the changes. She asks why the government does not want children to have good food at school.


texts:
I've seen the following phrase as subtitles:

  Everyone is losing it over hearing that he also participates.

On Dictionary.com, one definition seems to be about this case, even though there's no straight match:

  in reference to, concerning, or about: to quarrel over a matter.

Am I right about this definition?
Can over be replaced by when or while in my example?


texts: which one is correct "The Home Ministry" or "Home Ministry"?

texts:
I need some suggestion about the article in both these statement which one is grammatically correct? "The Home Ministry" or "Home Ministry"?

I was in college when my teacher teach me about articles. Its use with big or department whether that was right or wrong.


texts:
The only funny things we heard that evening came from the advertiser at the beginning of the programmer.

Why not use ‘The only funny thing’ instead of ‘The only funny things’?


texts: I watched an English lesson where it was claimed that there is no difference between the expressions "Let's go" and "Let's get going". Is this really the case?


texts:
Consider the following sentence:

  They both grew up in a rural area and dislike the urban life

I wonder if the sentence is yet correct without the bold the. If yes, will it's meaning change? I wonder how we say "I like history" instead of "I like the history", but in the example it said "they dislike the urban life"?

related: When to use 'the' before next/previous?


texts:
I am searching for the right word to use in the process of a salesman telling a price to the client beforehand, and to which the client can respond with yes or no. Google and Bing translators told me this is called a price quote or a quotation.

Now the problem I run into, is that quote and quotation are also used in the context of a citation and it is very unclear to me when to use quote and when to use quotation (or can I use them interchangeably?).

Do I send the client a quote or a quotation, and which of both does the client receive? And can I use the word quote, or should I always use price quote?


texts: How does one distinguish past participle verbs from adjectives?

texts:
Sometimes it's difficult to tell if a word is being used as a verb or adjective if it's used in the past participle form - e.g. in the sentence 'I was delighted'.

Would it be possible to state that if you can place the adverbs 'very' and 'so' in front of a word, then that word is functioning as an adjective? Would that be a valid marker?

Your views would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
He's our cleaning man.
Is "cleaning man" the natural term? What else is used? Cleaner?
Can "janitor" be used about someone who cleans an office building?


texts: A word/adjective that describe a "seems-to-be-an-ordinary” event:

texts:
Is there a word which describes an event which seems to be ordinary and trivial at surface however it is of vital importance and have significant effects underneath?

For example consider the falling of an apple from a tree. This seems to be very ordinary and not important; however, sir Issac Newton discovered  the very important law of gravity out of it.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions


texts:
I want to say to a person that "I am not like him who waste one's time".

How can I say the same thing using the word unlike in my sentence.

Which of the following sentence should I say?

  I am unlike you to waste my time
  I am unlike you who waste one's time

Which one is the correct and is there any other, more native, way of saying the same?


texts: Proper way to build interogative conditionals

texts:
Suppose we have this sentence:

If I hadn't met her two years ago we wouln't be married today. (I wonder if marrying is possible?)

What's the best way to ask that?

Would you be married today hadn't you met her two years ago?
If you hadn't met her two years ago would you be married today?


texts: I certify the information I am submitting/have submitted/submitted (at the end of an application form)

texts:
I certify the information I am submitting in this application
  package is true to the best of my knowledge and understand that false
  information will constitute in having my application rejected without
  opportunity for appeal.

  From a scholarship application form
  https://lincolncentershops.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2018-19-Scholarship-Application.pdf

Why is the present continuous tense used here (I am submitting)? What is the difference between #1,#2,and #3?

I certify the information I have submitted in this application package is true.
I certify the information I submitted in this application package is true.
I certify the information  I am submitting in this application package is true.


texts: So, "could not have PP" is all about guessing things in the past right?

texts:
Ok, this site says:

  "Couldn't have" is used to show someone's feeling that something
  in the past is impossible.

  Examples:

  You couldn't have seen Jerry yesterday. He's been out of town since
  last Tuesday!

  (It's impossible for you to have seen Jerry yesterday because he
  wasn't here. He's been out of town since last Tuesday!)

So, "someone's feeling" is a guess right? Because if that actually happened, then you use "Couldn't do" right?

Let say we all know that Tom is a very lazy student

Suppose if Tom actually failed the test (he got the result in front of himself) & we saw his failed result, we will say: "Tom couldn't pass the test"

but suppose Tom took the test & he will get his result tomorrow, then we will say: "Tom can't pass the test"

however, suppose Tom took the test & he got the result in front of himself, we know he already got  his result but we don't know if he passed the test or not, we will say: "Tom couldn't have passed the test"

However, thing will completely opposite if we say:

"Tom couldn't have passed the test without cheating", that means Tom actually passed the test (he got the passed result)

Am I thinking right?

Modal verbs are the hardest English stuff I ve ever learned.


texts:
I saw the following sentence in a dictionary. I'd like to know whether it is correct and what relationship holds between "what even you must condemn" and "he was lying."

  But, what even you must condemn, he was lying.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: What does it mean to "be how anxious" in this sentence?

texts:
I read a sentence in chapter "The enemy" in my book which was:

  She went obediently, but how anxious now to the linen shelves and took out the towels.

I don't know what "how" before "anxious" is doing there.


texts: Write my research results to/into conference papers?

texts:
I want to say that I have results from my thesis that I already done with, and now I am working on publishing these results in conference papers. What preposition should I use in the following sentence:

I am currently writing them (results) down to/into conference papers


texts: How to join past continous and past simple with "but"?

texts:
I'm reading about how to use "when" and "while" with past continuous and past simple tense. I quite understand about them.

But there are another examples using "but" to join past continuous and past simple tense.
I don't understand about them. Here are those sentences.

  I waved to Helen, but she wasn't looking.
  I was watching a good movie, but I fell asleep before the end.

In this cases I didn't understand why sometimes the tense after " but' was past tense and sometimes was past continuous tense.  Plus, what is the appropriate tense before "but"?

Is there rules about this? Or does it depend on verb after "but"?

For the second sentence I quite understand why we have to use past tense. For, the first example I don't really get it.
Can the first sentence be " I waved to Helen, but she didn't look?"?


texts: How do I capitalize a word with a hyphen. Do I capitalize the first word or both?

texts:
Suppose I have a word like show-case or e-commerce or e-mail.
How are these words supposed to be made upper-case?

Show-case, E-commerce, E-mail.

or

Show-Case, E-Commerce, E-Mail.

Thanks!


texts: How to make question form from "the only way to do this is to..."?

texts:
What is the question form of this sentence?

  The only way to do X is to do Y.

Is it this?

  Is the only way to do X to do Y?

I think it's grammatically correct, but it doesn't sound fluent to my ear.


texts: "There IS/ARE rice, meat and tomatoes on my plate"

texts:
I saw this sentence on Internet recently written by a native speaker, so I wondered why native speakers tend to use this grammar.

Explain to me why I should I use "is" instead of "are"? Is it grammatically correct?

  "There is rice, meat and tomatoes on my plate"

Why "There are rice, meat and tomatoes on my plate" is not correct?


texts: Meaning of the word "calls" in the context below

texts:
What are the meanings of the word calls and the phrase make calls in the following sentence?

  Even some of the most sacred sporting events are not immune to
  venality, as many of the officials have received substantial bribes to
  make biased calls.

(I don't think it means telephone calls...)


texts: “The,” “a” or no article: “See you in _____ court.”

texts:
Why is an article not used before the noun in sentences such as the one below?

  See you in (the, a) court.


texts:
I want to express the following:

John's work has been important because of its great impact on society.
John's work has been important because of its relevance to society.

For this, I constructed the next sentence:
"John's work has been important because of its great impact and relevance to society."
I am not sure if this is correct because "to" doesn't seem to match sentence (1) and (2) at the same time.


texts: What does “ that one shot doesnt do it for you anymore” mean

texts: this is from double espresso - you are practical and hard working. you like knowing that one shot just doesnt do it for you anymore? I am nit sure if this is related to double and single shot, that single shot is nit enough ? pls advise


texts: What is "near the shrimp cocktail" supposed to mean?

texts:
I read a sentence in Word by Word by Kory Stamper which was:

  Traditionally, the editors ring the cafeteria in groups of twos and threes, clutching our wine and murmuring quietly among ourselves while the marketing and customer service folks whoop it up in the centre of the room near the shrimp cocktail, having quantifiable, voluble amounts of loud fun.

First, cocktail is a drink not a place, so why does the author say "near" the cocktail. I think it would have made more sense of she had used cocktail bar. Second what does "shrimp" mean here?


texts: What is the sentence structure? Specific use of gerund

texts:
Even after lowering the volume, Suzanne found that her electric
  guitar so annoyed her neighbours that they complained to the building's
  manager

Why is the gerund used here? What sentence structure is this? I always felt the urge to change such sentences to something like:

  Even after she lowered the volume, Suzanne found that her electric
  guitar so annoyed her neighbours that they complained to the building's
  manager


texts: Is there any difference between "so" and "then" in these two examples? Would they be equally natural?

texts:
Dialog 1:
A - Don't you want to meet her?
B - Yes, but--
A - So/Then go over there.
Dialog 2:
A - Didn't I just tell you to stay out of this?
B - Yes, but--
A - So/Then what the hell are you doing?
Hi, all. Is there any small difference between "so" and "then" in the two examples above? Would they be equally natural to use in both examples?


texts: Individuals into who (or which?) the spirit incorporates

texts:
The pronoun forms of who and which seem to be used more 'randomly' nowadays than Oxford English would allow.

Which of the two is more correct. To my somewhat British ears, which is often used in such cases in colloquial everyday English. However, I would advocate the use of 'who' since refers to the individuals and all individuals are referred to, not only a selection.

THE SENTENCE IN QUESTION:

There are at least a handful of individuals into who(m) / which the spirit incorporates?

NOTE: This sentence refers to a given spirit manifesting/entering into a human's body.

UPDATE:
Regarding the definition of 'incorporate into' in the classical EN dictionaries, it would not be correct to say something incorporates into somthing. However, when talking about spirits and mediums, it seems to be accepted terminology. Because when checking through Google Books, there are various authors who have used this expression in this sense.


texts:
Does anyone know how many garble between in the following sentence?
The original sentence is here.
 "Attached is the latest version of our poster for ready to be released."

And I did rephrase one like this
"The latest attachment of our post is ready for release."

But someone did tell me about my sentence was garble.
so I don't have idea which point is exactly garble do in my sentence?


texts: Is the use of the infinitive more correct than gerund in this sentence?

texts:
In one of the lines in The Blacklist,

  I need your assistance locating the source of a call that was placed
  on a pay phone.

For some reason, the sound of the infinitive feels more natural to me.

  I need your assistance to locate the source of a call that was placed
  on a pay phone

Are they both correct? And is one use more correct than the other?


texts:
Say you are dating a girl and you want to let her think that you are doing a lot of good things for that person.
For example,
Your girlfriend missed her bus & called you over. You immediately picked her up. You got 1 point from her.
Her car was broken down and you helped her to fix it. You got another point from her.
You noticed that she was carrying a heavy suitcase. You suggest helping her with it. You got another point from her.
If I translate it from Vietnamese to English, it will be "I am scoring her".
And you can "score" your boss when he gives you a lot of good points for what you did to him or to the company.
Is it correct to say "I am scoring my girlfriend/my boss" when your girlfriend/boss acknowledge good things you are doing for them?
The dictionary has this phrase but it is often used in arguments. My one is to let people think that you are very good.

score a point/points (off/against/over somebody)
to show that you are better than somebody, especially by making
clever remarks, for example in an argument
He was always trying to score points off his teachers.


texts:
I long for the day where I will be able to see my kids.
I long for the day when I will be able to see my kids.

I heard they are interchangeable, but I am wondering if in this situation this can be considered to be correct.


texts: Can I say 'I sleeped all night' instead of slept?

texts: Slept is out dated but appears to be needed in this case?


texts:
I know that the word "one" refers to people in general.So what is the difference between phrase 1 and 2.

1-Each one should look after oneself in these circumstances.

2-One should look after oneself in these circumstances.


texts: What is the grammar of the construction "Prove them wrong"? Why not "to prove they are wrong"?

texts:
"Prove them wrong." this sentence was a part of this phrase: "Everyone thinks I'm guilty. It's time to prove them wrong."
What does the hero literally means, saying "Prove them wrong."?
How to understand this words? Which variant describes the idea better:

Everyone thinks I'm guilty. It's time to prove they are/were wrong.

or

Everyone thinks I'm guilty. It's time to prove them that they are/were wrong.

or

Everyone thinks I'm guilty. It's time to prove them the opposite?

What kind of grammar is it? I would say just "to prove they are wrong." The form of word they ("them") confused me.


texts: There is no singular, gender-neutral collective pronoun. (from Quora)

texts:
From Quora by C Stuart Hardwick (Award-Winning Sci-fi Author) from Houston, TX

  Many people would say "Everyone should save their questions until the end", but this is widely regarded as wrong. The more correct, but convoluted form is "Everyone should save his or her questions until the end".

I can't see what's wrong with using "their" in this sentence.

As far as I know, grammar books say that you can use "their" in place of a gender-neutral collective pronoun:

"I'm reminding everyone in class that they should do their homework at home" is perfectly fine to me and just can't imagine it being written using "his or her".


texts: I or Me, which is correct in the sentence "My wife insisted I go."?

texts:
Got to read the following sentence in an article.

  But my wife insisted I go. Got to keep the wife happy :) so I went.

here, he says insisted "I" go. Is it correct? or insisted me to go will be the suitable one?


texts: What does “If you were a chicken, you would be impeccable”

texts: I found this in pickup lines but I am not sure what exactly means , I was looking in the net but could not find exact definition or synonym? Can you help me with the meaning usage of this?


texts: When to use "will" and when to use "is going to"?

texts:
Sometimes I will see my writing edited by someone, from "will" to "is going to", or vice versa.

Example:

Our sheep will give a baby this summer.
Our sheep is going to give a baby this summer.

What is the appropriate situation to use "will" versus "is going to"?


texts:
I'm interested to know if it is correct to say the phrase "burn black" in this sentence:

  I forget to turn off the oven and burn black my dinner.

Thanks!


texts: What does the word "while" means in this sentence?

texts:
"It’ll take me a little while longer to get ready" (Cambridge dictionary).

What does the word "while" means in that sentence?
I'm trying to understand the sentence and I simply couldn't. (I understand that the meaning of "It'll take me a little" equals to "It'll take me a short time" but the rest isn't clear.


texts: What's the difference between each other and one another in a sentence?

texts:
Recently, I was reading a passage which I encountered with the following sentence:

  All things in an ecosystem are connected with one another.

While, If I was the author of this sentence, I would write each other instead of one another.

Which one is more appropriate or what's the difference between them?


texts: We cannot evaluate A exactly, thus NEITHER(?) B(A), and have to rely on

texts:
Is the sentence

  We cannot evaluate A exactly, thus neither B(A), and have to rely on ...

okay? If not, what about

  We cannot evaluate A exactly, thus also not B(A), and have to rely on ...

?


texts: How to say: to check presence of something

texts:
Tom wants to check, if he has his nobile phone with him. Could I say then:

Tom put his hand to his pocket to check for his mobile.


texts: "Maths is worth learning for everyone" - Is this correct?

texts:
Maths is worth learning for everyone

I'm a native speaker but I cannot for the life of me tell if this sentence is correct... I'm not sure if the problem is the preposition or worth vs worthwhile, or if there's no problem at all and I'm just being silly. It seemed correct at first but then it got got weirder the more I thought about it...

This version sounds more natural to me:

  It is worthwhile for everyone to learn maths


texts: The baby is being very good today or The baby is very good today

texts:
English grammar correct:

  She was very cheerful yesterday.

Test:

  The baby ____________ very good today.

I write test:

  The baby is very good today.

English grammar correct test is:

  The baby is being very good today.

Please explain, I do not see the difference between "She was very cheerful yesterday" and "The baby is very good today."

Why "is being"?


texts: Can a causative have an indirect object?  For example: I made my friends give me a new phone?


texts:
I have seen following sentence:

Text VOTE to 00000,
Paid for by XXX for Presiedent, Inc.

Why it is "paid for by" instead of "paid by" in this particular sentence?
Could someone provide a complete, rephrased sentence for my understanding?

Edits
This question comes from the following source:

https://www.youtube.com/Donaldtrump/videos:
Text VOTE to 88022, paid for by Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.


texts:
I heard that a food critic (who is British male) made a comment on a dish like this:

  It looks very pretty, but it doesn't eat very well.

The expression amazed me as I never knew food can be a subject of verb eat. I couldn't find such a usage in any dictionaries. Is it something poetic rather than correct English?


texts:
Is it correct to write "All were happy", for example in the end of a story?

Thanks for your help.


texts: What does the author mean by "What did he there?"

texts:
I'm reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein written in 19th century. I'm not sure whether the sentence I just encountered (bold text below) is a misprint or an example of archaic English and I'm trying to figure it out.

  Volume 1, Chapter 7:

  A flash of lightning illuminated the object, and discovered its shape
  plainly to me; its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect,
  more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed me that it
  was the wretch, the filthy daemon to whom I had given life. What did
  he there? Could he be (I shuddered at the conception) the murderer
  of my brother?


texts: About the exact meaning of "I'll scratch your back, if you scratch mine"

texts:
On google I have found that the motto

  "I'll scratch your back, if you scratch mine"

means that "I'll help you, if you help me" or

"to describe the way that one person helps another because they know that person will help them in return."

However by googling the the meaning of

  scratch someone's back

is

"to do something that helps someone else but that is often difficult to do or wrong and with the expectation of help in return".

Note that this later changes everything. In the former, the meaning sounds slightly genuine but the later is not genuine at all because it includes the word wrong.

My question is how is this interpreted by Americans?

Like the first case or the second case?

Thanks in advance for your help.


texts: How do I determine the main verb in a sentence?

texts:
I'm not a native speaker. How do I determine what the main verb is in a sentence like

  I used to hurt people.


texts:
This is a cool experience
This is a chilled experience

Are both sentences above on the usage of a cool/chilled experience, grammatical and idiomatic?


texts: What is the word that can replace "even if it is"?

texts:
A: The car costs approximately $40,000. And the man told me he can get me a discount off and it would be something like $35,000.
B: Even if it is $35,000, it still costs a lot and we will not be able to afford it.

Are there any phase/words out there that can replace even if it is to make it more fluid or daily-conversational? And can I use be it here?


texts:
pendulous (adj): hanging down loosely and moving from side to side

The sleeve seems to be a bit too long, which makes you uncomfortable.

Do you say "don't leave your sleeve pendulous, roll it up"?

but "pendulous" is not a "down to earth" adjective.

or say "don't leave the sleeve dangled"?

What is the better way to express it?


texts:
I am a vegetarian.
I am a meaterarian.

Is 'meaterarian' the opposite of 'vegetarian'?
Do you have proper expressions for people who like eating meat a lot or who eat meat alone?


texts: What does "the pitch is woven into" mean in this sentence?

texts:
This is an article from thebalancesmb.com on how to make money by blogging:

6. Create a blog to advertise a specific product/service.
Blogs are fast becoming the trendy alternative to the classic salesletter site. In this case,
the format is the only real change; the message is the same. Typically, the pitch is woven
into as many blog entries as possible.

Can anyone please help me understand the meaning of the phrase "the pitch is woven into"?


texts:
Is it acceptable to use the word "distraction" in the following context?

In my language, when having MCQs and there are some choices always one of them is one that try to deflect attention. In our language is it called something which translated into the word "distraction". But I'm not sure if I can use it as follow:

  "In this question choice A is a distraction."

Is it common in use in such context or weird?


texts:
‘Tut, she's a lamb, a dove, a fool to him!
  I'll tell you, Sir Lucentio: when the priest
  Should ask, if Katharina should be his wife,
  'Ay, by gogs-wouns,' quoth he; and swore so loud,
  That, all-amazed, the priest let fall the book;
  And, as he stoop'd again to take it up,
  The mad-brain'd bridegroom took him such a cuff
  That down fell priest and book and book and priest:
  'Now take them up,' quoth he, 'if any list.'’

What type of repetition is this sentence? For what I know, repetitions is repeating the exact same phrase/word again for emphasis. This sentence sounds a little weird but does it also mean the same way a other repetitive sentences?(As in repeating for emphasis.)


texts: The past of run, ran, has also the meaning of crash into something?

texts:
I drove off the road and ran into a tree.

In some of my texts of English studies, there is this expression, and the meaning of ran is related to a crash in this phrase, is this correct? I didn't find any info about it.


texts: My English teacher said that non-progressive verbs cannot be use with the ing but there are some exceptions

texts:
For example, I saw a sentence that says: in the 19th century, Europeans wanting to immigrate to the USA could do so as long as they did not have any infectious diseases.

So , I’m confused. Why did they use want+ing in this sentence?


texts: Word Choice -difference between "came by" or "came"?

texts:
Yesterday I was watching a movie where I saw the use of this phrase "came by", but I felt it was easily replaceable with only "came".  Please suggest whether they are replaceable or if there are uses which  are specific.

Example: I _____ to wish you luck for your exam.

Why should it have the preposition after?


texts: Where do I place a period when a sentence ends with a quote?

texts:
Where do I place a period to end a sentence following a quote? Same thing with a question mark where the quote was interrogative. Does the "?" land inside or outside the quote, followed by a period?

  And he said, "I like trains."

  And he said, "I like trains.".

or

  And he said, "I like trains".


texts:
Include title cards and additional graphics over cards and picture

It's about video production.

Does it mean:

Include (title cards) and (additional graphics over cards and picture).

Or

Include (title cards and additional graphics) over (cards and picture).

?

Is it context-dependent or is there any other way to clearly identify the structure of this sentence?


texts:
Senators demanding a full debate over government spying and civil liberties objected, and lawmakers simply ran out of time.

What is the verb of subject "senators"?


texts: What did renegading mean in Dua Lipa's Levitating

texts:
Dua Lipa uses "renegading" in her Levitating song.

You want me, I want you, baby
My sugarboo, I'm levitating
The Milky Way, we're renegading
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

The word's obvious meaning of leaving a religion, doesn't seem to fit in the song. What if the meaning of "renegading" in the song?
Here are the relics:
https://genius.com/Dua-lipa-levitating-lyrics


texts:
She bought her wedding dress in/at an exclusive shop on Fifth Avenue.

I think both of them can be used, but my textbook says 'in' is right.

All I know about the difference is 'in' is used when to emphasize what people do in a building or something, but 'at' is used when to emphasize the location itself.

Anyway, is it not possible to use 'at' in this sentence?


texts: Would "breaking point" only be used in a bad way?

texts: I wonder if there's any case where "breaking point" could be considered to be used as a disruptive-productive moment to express a deeply insightful moment.


texts: "Where you going in such a hurry?" and "Where you are in such a hurry?"

texts:
Is it correct from the native's point of view to say:

Where you going in such a hurry?

or I'd rather say:

Where are you in such a hurry?


texts: Can "the elderly" be used for some specific old people?

texts:
I wonder if I can use "the elderly", by which I mean old people, to refer to a specific group of old people. For example:

  The elderly with death anxiety

Is this acceptable? Or should I use something like old people with death anxiety instead?


texts: "convince ... to ..." vs. "convince ... of ..."

texts:
“This commands respect. But you should keep in mind that you are sitting next to a person of the same sort. And I must tell you that I have not been instructed by the Politburo to convince you to join the Communist Party.” (Reported speech quoted from The New York Times)

According to a book I'm reading, one convinces another of something, not to do something.

But on the most important Anglophone newspapers  there is a plenty of occurences of "convince [him, her, us, ... ] to [verb]" which convince me to believe that that book is uncorrect.

Please, explain if there is a better form to write the above sentence, for example using "of", rather than "to", so that the valid fragment would become "... convince  you of joining the Communist ...".


texts: What does "get children on the right path to success" mean?

texts:
Does it mean "choosing the right path for children to succeed"?

"We want our children to be successful in school and life. Getting children on the right path to success is where the discrepancies begin. Many believe that preschools should be teaching children to read, write and perform basic math skills. Parents want to see handouts done during the day and even ask if there is homework for the children. These things have very little meaning to children."

Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/want-preschoolers-to-become-successful-allow-them_us_5a157ee8e4b0f401dfa7ec2f?section=us_education


texts: Are 9000/10000 words enough to be like a real native speaker?

texts: Recently, I've started studying 21.000 word list from the internet. I cannot learn anything from that because when I translate to my native I don't understand the meanings. So that's where my question comes from. If I learn 9000-10000 words will I be able to speak like a native speaker and understand every topic (I will learn the most important ones)?


texts:
The following are the sentences that I wrote:

  The trend should be continued.

  The trend should continue.

Are both grammatically correct? Is there any preference?


texts: "Do come in." In a positive sentence is correct?

texts:
I was watching a movie and in a scene a character said:

  Please do come in.

I understood that it as an order. Is this sentence grammatically correct?


texts: Can the expanded form of {don't/doesn't} be used as 'correct English'?

texts:
I know it may not be very common, but I need to use it in its expanded form (i.e., do not and does not) for a formatting issue.

For example:

  X does not see any logic in your reasoning.

X: is someone's name.

I'm aware that such cases are used to add stress and focus on the negation part like:

  He is not going to change his mind as far as I can tell.

So, would it be correct to use it in that form (does not) and still be considered 'correct English'?


texts:
Could anyone clear up which is - grammatically - correct, "the USA" or "USA"?

There are no doubts about unrolled, i.e. full name, so the Unites States [of America] are definitely to be used with "the", but I used to come across with both "the USA" and "USA" when said by native speakers.

My question refers particularly to the ABBREVIATION when used in a simple sentence or speech flow (not when filling in official forms). Example:

  We're going to spend our next holiday in ... (the USA OR USA?).

Imagine that one HAS to use the abbreviation (exactly USA, not another name of the nation/country, so NO options here, please) in his/her speech and has to decide upon using the definite article before it to sound absolutely traditionally correct.


texts: Differences between "can't you swim?" and "can you not swim?"

texts: Is there any differences between "can't you swim?" and "can you not swim?",thank you.


texts:
I'm a bit confused. Is it possible to use possessive 's this way:

- morning's news (instead of the morning news);
- morning's accident (instead of the morning accident);

Let me explain how I consider it. 'morning' with the possessive 's is considered as a noun. Then we allow to use possesive 's with it (except the fact that it isn't an animate noun, it's just allowable from grammar point of view).

When we don't use a possessive 's with 'morning' then it's treated as an adjective and it describes the following noun.

As I can also understand, it is uncommon way to use possessive 's with 'morning'. It's common using possessive 's with yesterday, for example, but 'morning' is not that case and I need remember it :)

Am I right?

Thank you for paying attention to my question!


texts:
Do they use a word stopping in a meaning not going?
For example:

  Is the car going? No, it is stopping.

Does this sound good?


texts: Use of 'are' or 'is' for a named non-binary person

texts:
There's one thing I'm confused about the use of singular they/them for a non-binary person. Is it:

"Jake is my friend, and they are great."

or

"Jake are my friend, and they are great."

The former sounds correct to me, but I don't know where to find confirmation that it is.


texts: Is comma discouraged in compound predicates even within long sentences?

texts:
I'm checking my new formal document with Grammarly, and feel uncomfortable seeing it suggesting I remove the comma in many compound predicates, even in longer ones. For example, the following sentence triggers such a report.

  I'm checking my new formal document with Grammarly, and feel uncomfortable seeing it suggesting I remove the comma in many compound predicates.

I Googled for this and was, to be honest, slightly surprised to see all sources posing the same suggestion - no comma should be added in a compound predicate.

To some extent, it conflicts with my "sense of language". I want to know whether my usage of commas in long compound predicates is grammatically correct and whether the suggestion should be strictly followed in a technical document (thesis).


texts: In the same way, too, man in general, abstract man, in a sense is only an abstract generality, but this abstract generality begins to exist concretely in individuals detached from any particular tie which capitalist society creates, in the modern proletariat in which the fully developed individual of future communist society prefigured. This objective flowering of the general in the form of particular existence is the corner-stone of the dialectical materialist conception of the development of the concept and movement in science. Not, of course, that we must confuse the real concrete with its mental representation in the form of the concrete-in-thought, a confusion characteristic of speculative idealism as well as pre-critical empiricism.


texts:
Is the following question correct?

"Have you ever gotten hit on the nose by someone?"

Meaning the following:

"Have someone ever hit you on the nose?"


texts: What is the meaning of scene description ?

texts:
Source

  Sam takes Riggan to costuming where he strips naked in front of her.
  Lesley comes in, doesn't realize Sam is behind a rack of clothes and
  tells Mike to put on clothes because Sam might come back and he
  shouldn't be naked in front of Riggan's drug addict degenerate loser
  daughter.

What I understand is: Actually Sam takes Riggan to costuming then here Sam might come back means what?

This description really confuses me.