texts:
It is best to not play video games and read a book before you sleep.

What does this sentence mean?
I can see two possible meanings.

First of all, there are a few ways to use the word and.
It could mean:

Used as the conjunction for the last item in a list.
I like apples, bananas, oranges, and kiwis.
Used in a pair.
I like bread with peanut butter, doughnuts with sprinkles, and pancakes with honey.

What is the meaning of and in the sentence?

Does the word but apply to in this sentence?
It could mean:
1. It is best not to play video games and to read a book before you go to sleep.
2. It is best not to play video games and not to read a book before you go to sleep.

I know it's quite obvious what the meaning is supposed to be, but I couldn't think of a better example.

Would it make a difference if I modified the sentence to:

  It is best not to play video games and read a book before you sleep.


texts:
As far as I know, "the," as a definite article, is used to designate something already mentioned. However, this Economist article begins with

IF TRADE is the lifeblood of the world economy, then the ships that perform the mundane task of transporting goods and raw materials from where they are produced to where they are wanted are the red corpuscles. In 2004, the world's fleets carried around 90% of total global exports worth $8.9 trillion, largely unnoticed. This year, however, shipping firms are attracting the attention of investors as never before. On August 11th Seaspan, a container-ship firm spun out of Canada's Washington Marine, became the biggest of many shipping initial public offerings (IPOs) this year with a $600m listing of its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

despite no attention mentioned beforehand. Likewise, Google shows about 200,200 results for "drawing the attention of researchers" but 45,500 results for "drawing attention of researchers" instead, 188,000 for "attracting the attention of researchers" but 59,400 for "attracting attention of researchers", 110,000 for "catching the attention of investors" but 11,500 for ""catching attention of investors, and so on. Without the the, does This year, however, shipping firms are attracting attention of investors as never before. sound incorrect or unnatural?


texts: Which is better in this sentence, "a big house" or "the big house"?

texts:
Which is the correct usage?

"We live in a big house with a white door."
"We live in the big house with a white door."

This question was asked in a competitive exam that I took. No other context was provided, just this single sentence. It's a fill in the blank question; the blank part to be filled is "the" big / "a" big. Which article is right?

We are using British English. Moreover the provisional key is showing "the" as the correct answer. I don't know on what basis they are using "the" as the correct one without any context. We need to report the complaint with proper explanation.


texts:
Well, you know that Rob’s been wearing a long t-shirt recently. It’s because the other night he went out with some friends. Well, he lost a dare and now he’s got a tattoo of panda on a skateboard on his arm.

I can't understand what 'lost a dare' means here. What does it have to do with a tattoo of panda?


texts: What are the pronouns for man as humankind?

texts:
I was reading a book and this came up:

  Man has programmed machines to transcend their limitations.

and I got confused that whether the author is referring to man or machines? Can we use their as a pronoun for man as humankind?
So can anyone say what are the pronouns for man as humankind?


texts: Does "comprehend" mean "understand" or "include" in this long sentence?

texts:
I really couldn't decide on the meaning of "comprehend" in this sentence. Does it mean "understand" or "include/comprise/encompass", or something else? Could anyone help please?  Many thanks.

  He then told her of Georgiana’s delight in her acquaintance, and of
  her disappointment at its sudden interruption, which naturally leading
  to the cause of that interruption, she soon learnt that his resolution
  of following her from Derbyshire in quest of her sister had been
  formed before he quitted the inn, and that his gravity and
  thoughtfulness there had arisen from no other struggles than what
  such a purpose must comprehend.

  from Pride & Prejudice


texts:
I was asked if the following sentences will create problems and what are the assumptions I have to make:

(d) There are grammarians in the room but none of them is an American.
(e) There are grammarians in the room but none of them are Americans.

What is the problem in both sentences?
They clearly have two main clauses which are connected by the coordinated conjunction 'but'. I know that grammar-wise, the 'is/are' don't really matter since both can be used with 'none', but would the tense in the first main clause 'are' affect the use of 'none'?


texts: "Not faraway" for talking about a related matter

texts:
Can I use the expression "Not faraway" when wanting to talk about another matter that is strongly related to the previous one?

For example:

  She always appears in the most beautiful clothes ever. Not faraway, her sister gets out with very casual if not cheap clothes.

The two sentences are in contradict to each other, so "On the other hand" and similar expressions can perfectly work. But regardless that, I want to convey the initial description above.

"Faraway" has two meanings in which one is literal:

A long way away

While the other one is:

If you have a faraway expression, you look as though you are not thinking about what is happening around you

The meaning I want to achieve is not explicitly stated, besides that I want it in its negative form in order to fit.


texts: Expressing achievements with present perfect

texts:
"She has recently dyed her hair blue."

Did we use the present perfect simple to express an achievement or a finished action in the past with a result in the present??


texts: Is it natural to say "Sorry for disturbing (you)" after you have "disturbed" someone?

texts:
"I think I'm going to head off. Sorry for disturbing."

Is it natural to say "Sorry for disturbing" after you have "disturbed" someone?
Should I add "you" after "disturbing" or is it not necessary?


texts:
It takes the earth a little more than 365 days to travel around the sun.

According to the sentence, I think the structure of it like the following:

It = Preparatory "it"
takes = Verb
the earth = Indirect object
a little more than 365 days = Direct object
to travel around the sun = Subject

If there is something wrong, please explain it to me.


texts: How can I improve my pronunciation of the flap t sound?

texts: I am a non native speaker from Europe (my native language is Slovenian) and I'm trying to improve my English accent and pronunciation but I'm struggling with the flap t sound. I can pronounce it in most words that don't have an r sound or r colored vowel in them. However when I pronounce words like better or water it starts to sound like two consecutive r sounds or a strong d and an r sound. Is there any specific way to practice this or have I just not practiced enough?


texts:
What are the poetic features of this poem?

And how can I know or determine the metrical beat in stanzas?


texts: What's the meaning of "as many as" in these contexts?

texts:
I watched this video by Vox titled, "Why there are twice as many solar jobs as coal jobs?" I would never understand what does the title mean if I don't watch the video. I mean, I know that if you say "X is as many as Y" means that X = Y. But when X is added after many, making it "as many X as Y" or "twice as many X as Y", what do they mean?

Here are some possible usages of the phrase:

  There are twice as many blue-collar workers as white-collar workers in this room.
  I bought as many pears as apples which you bought.
  I can see as many adults as teenagers in that bus.


texts: The position of "such as Google, Facebook, and Instagram"

texts:
I'd like to learn what places fit "such as Google, Facebook, and Instagram" in the following sentence.

The internet brought new applications into our lives such as Google,
Facebook, and Instagram.

The internet brought new applications such as Google, Facebook, and Instagram into our lives.

Such as Google, Facebook, and Instagram, the internet brought new applications into our lives.

I think that the second one fits the intended meaning the best, the first and third ones are also grammatically correct although they are a bit clumsy.
Do you agree with me about it?
Thank you.


texts:
I lost my passport the day before we  were leaving
for our honeymoon.

I lost my passport the day before we left
for our honeymoon.

A grammar exercise suggest that choosing "left" is wrong. Why?


texts:
The source: SIMON & Schuster Handbook for writers

When I was reading this book, I came across this sentence.

  We live in an age when people do more writing than they have at any other time in history.

Why it appears awkward to me :

And the right one sounds like:

....than they have done at...


texts:
He was standing near to the TV. (distance is short.)

"Step back. Dont stand close to the TV."

Does it sound natural and grammatically correct?


texts: "This question has been intriguing me for years" or "This question has intrigued me for years"?

texts: Is there any real difference between these two sentences? I have found many internet pages where similar constructions are used interchangeably.


texts: When to use "be married" or "have been married" or "get married" or "have got married"?

texts:
According to dictionary,

  to be married=to have a husband or a wife

  to get married=to have a wedding

Situation 1: you currently have a husband/wife,

You can say "I am married" = I have a husband/wife. (expressing a fact)

You can say "I have been married for 10 years"= I have had a husband/wife for 10 years. (an action happened in the past and have been progressing to the present time.)

You can not say "I was married" because it is against the fact (you currently have a husband)

You can not say "I am getting married" because you do not have a wedding at this moment, it happened in the past

But you may say "I got married" because you possibly did have a wedding in the past

Situation 2: you currently have no husband/wife, you divorced,

You can say "I was married" = I had a husband/wife. (expressing a fact in the past but not at the present time)

You can say "I had been married for 10 years before we divorced"= I had had a husband/wife for 10 years before we divorced. (an action happened in the past and had been progressing to a point of time also in the past.)

You can not say "I am married" because it is against the fact (you divorced)

You can not say "I am getting married" because you do not have a wedding at this moment, it happened in the past

But you may say "I got married" because you possibly did have a wedding in the past before you divorced

Situation 3: you are going to have a wedding next month.

You can say "I am getting married next month"

You can say "I got married last year" but we don't know you may have divorced or you are still in a happy marriage.

You can't say "I have got married for 10 years" because it sounds like you have weddings every year.

Can we say "I am married" (have a husband /wife) in this situation when the wedding has not happened yet???


texts:
I am having massive difficulty in trying to decipher if the following sentence whether is a past participle in the passive voice or past simple in the passive voice?

  The woman was robbed yesterday.


texts: Is it possible to use would for a past habit?

texts:
A few years ago, they  would practise cricket over there, but now they don't.
I   used to go to my sister's to play chess, but now I don't.

I would like to know why it is not they used to practise because the habits was in the past, this habit is over


texts:
Let's go help repair his car.

How can three verbs go in a row like this, without the subject?

I thought grammatically it should be:

Let's go help him repair his car.


texts:
When to use "Adj+Noun" & when to Use "Compound Noun"

Why saying "beautiful girl" but not "beauty girl"

And, "Chemical Lesson" or "Chemistry Lesson"?


texts:
Is the following use of "nevertheless" correct:

  While this book is outside my subject area, nevertheless, it was
  useful to me.


texts: "met in the middle"—what does "meet" refer to in this title?

texts:
The title of an article from Polygon:

  Doom was rising, the Amiga was dying, and these weird clones met in the middle

I don't quite understand what is meeting what (or maybe who?) in the middle? Does it refer to the clones that meet themselves in in the middle between rising Doom and the dying Amiga? Or possibly users meet (play, see) these clones between rising Doom and the dying Amiga?

I'm sorry but I have no other ideas. :(


texts: Can I omit the verb in this recommendation?

texts:
I learned English mainly through experience, not much through the learning of rules. This makes it hard to give a generic title (better than "can I do this here"), to tag correctly, and to search for similar questions, so my apologies if this is duplicate. My question seems similar to this one, but I'm not sure if it's the same.

This sentence feels correct:

  We recommend generic error messages which do not reveal whether the username exists.

It feels slightly nicer to add the verb "to use" after "recommend", but not enough to make me feel like it's wrong without it. With the verb, I would say:

  We recommend to use generic error messages which do not reveal whether the username exists.
  or
  We recommend using generic error messages which do not reveal whether the username exists.

Is the former wrong? Is there a preference, e.g. in formal or informal settings?


texts:
Is it the necessary before authorities? I have found the word authorities is used with and without it, so I am not sure.
I want to drive the attention to the phrase: she can demonstrate the international academic.... However, if I place this sentence first and... by receiving education in countries known for .. after, I would have no opportunity to place a comma between both sentences, thus making the general phrase too long.

How to drive the attention to the phrase I am interested in without making it too long?
The authorities in our country want to hire people with experience and beyond the average qualities, as is the case with Hassim. On the one hand, she speaks English but also has working experience with the government, which are characteristics of high demand in our country with a deficient number of professionals having them. On the other hand, by receiving education in countries known for their high standards of investigation in food issues, she can demonstrate the international academic background required to take strategic decisions based on the latest statistical data.
or.
The authorities in our country want to hire people with experience and beyond the average qualities, as is the case with Hassim. On the one hand, she speaks English but also has working experience with the government, which are characteristics of high demand in our country with a deficient number of professionals having them. On the other hand, she can demonstrate the international academic background required to take strategic decisions based on the latest statistical data by receiving education in countries known for their high standards of investigation in food issues


texts: "She picked up the male [puppet], examined the thick wooden handle with the finger grooves." p.388 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

texts:
I have a short question,
finger grooves? Can somebody explain or try to explain what the author meant?
Thanks.


texts: "task prioritizing" vs "task prioritization"

texts:
Let's suppose we want to list a manager's responsibilities. One of them is to prioritize tasks. This can be written in two ways:

Responsibilities of a manager:

task prioritizing
task prioritization

Is there any difference besides stylistic one? Which one is more appropriate?

Additional question. Should "task" be in plural form?

tasks prioritizing
tasks prioritization


texts: I think that "I feel badly that he is sick" is correct because the word badly modifies the verb FEEL: How I feel.  Someone suggested that "I feel bad that he is sick" is correct because the word BAD goes back on ME--not on my feeling.   Can someone explain which is correct and why?


texts: Which conjunction should I use for a consequence, and which should I use for a condition?

texts:
Here is an English grammar question from a studying book I bought.

Q. Wash your hands often, _____ you won't catch a cold.

or
and
so
if
as

It says the answer is only one.
But I think both 'so' and 'and' are suitable in that sentence.
What do you make of this? Which one do you think the answer is?

Here is another question, which more confuses me.

Sentence: I will take you to a nice restaurant if you won't be busy tomorrow.
___________ →  ___________

It is said the sentence needs to be corrected, however I have no idead of where the mistake is.
Frankly, I'm afraid this sentence is correct and makes sense.
On the other hand, since this question was from the part of conjunctive particle,
I guess ' if ' might be supposed to be corrected. But I don't know for sure. So help me, please.


texts:
How do you correctly express this in English:

  Unsupervised internet browsing of a child can take out their innocence when they get exposed to pornography.

I believe this is a useful phrase. However, I don't know how to express it in English, should it be corruption of the mind or take out innocence. I am flummoxed.


texts: Not very sure about the keynote of this Microsoft Super Bowl Commercial

texts:
From 0:36 to the end of this Super Bowl Commercial "Microsoft Super Bowl Commercial 2015: Braylon O'Neill" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLXRt-qRBfU#t=50) it says:

  "It's this process of continuous renewal...
  Of showing courage in the face of reality...
  (two lines in between)
  Showing that courage in the face of opportunity."

Does it mean "The process of continuous renewal and showing courage in the face of reality let us show that courage (the same as the one before) in the face of opportunity"?


texts: "labour is something happens to them rather than with them" meaning?

texts:
Childbirth is an important transitional life event, but one in which
  many women are dissatisfied stemming in part from a sense that labour
  is something that happens to them rather than with them.

I have two questions about this passage:

1) I couldn't figure out the meaning of "stemming in part from a sense that"

2) As I stated in the title, what's the meaning of "labour is something that happens to them rather than with them."?


texts:
This is the man who/whom i was talking to.

Which should be used in above example and why?
Please help me out.


texts: How to ask somebody what position they are working as?

texts:
Sometimes when talking to a person newly met in a office, we need to ask them which position they are working in. How to ask that ?

I have the following lines in my head, but not sure if they will sound normal, or are even correct.

Hi. What post have you got ?
Hi. What is your job here ?
Hi. Which position are you in?

Please help me.


texts: Tried to frame a complicated sentence mid conversation this morning and it didn't work out. Wanted to know how to phrase this sentence correctly

texts:
So I told my colleague this morning. "Can you please stop committing me to projects on my behalf? I have too much on my plate."
What I meant to say was:
"Can you stop signing me up for projects without checking in with me first, I have too much on my plate?"
But I feel like I have heard a native English speaker use the word "commit" in a similar sentence & context before. Can someone correct that sentence for me?
Thank you.


texts: Is 'Unemployment is at a 10-year low' standard? Why not "the lowest level since 10 years"?

texts:
Unemployment is at a 10-year low, wages are rising at a robust rate, and the state budget  ran a surplus last year, yet ČSSD approved a long-term agenda over the weekend that  states that the low overall tax burden is undermining the state budget and forcing broad  cuts in spending.

Source: http://www.fsfinalword.com/data/FW170313.pdf

Do you think that the passage in bold is standard? "Low" is after all the adjective so why is there the indefinite article?
Is it possible to rewrite this sentence this way: Unemployment is at the lowest level since 10 years?


texts: What is the meaning of "service done to"?

texts:
And although the contribution is small, the river is
great: After ages of good service done to those who people its banks, as
Joseph Conrad said of the Thames, it spreads out "in the tranquil dignity of a
waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth."

Does it mean that such service is done by those who people its banks?


texts: What is the difference between "is mandatory" and "is a mandatory"?

texts:
Which best fits this sentence?

  For conferencing to happen, internet connection is _________.

  mandatory
  a mandatory

When I try to search, I found both of them in use and I got confused.


texts: Can get and be be interchangeable or not?

texts: Actually I am confused between get and be as there are so many sentences in which get can be replaced with b without changing their meaning. So I just want to know what are the differences between get and be? And when can I interchange them without changing the meaning of the sentence?


texts: Which of the following sentences is more formal for the end of the e-mails?

texts:
I'd like to know Which of the following sentences is more formal that I can use at the end of my E-Mail?

Kind Regards
Sincerely Yours
Best Wishes
Your faithfully
Good luck

For example:

Hello...

Thanks for the time you took to read this message.

Sincerely Yours,
Ahmad

Any other examples would be appreciated.


texts: Reported speech (position of "was" in sentence)

texts:
I was wondering why in the following sentence "was" has to go at the end?

  She asked the boy what his name was.


texts: correct tense in a sentence regarding past

texts:
What tense should be used here?

I think she is so straightforward with everyone because she

  used to live on her own for 5 years.
  has lived on her own for 5 years.
  lived on her own for 5 years.
  was living on her own for 5 years.

Given the person is not living alone anymore.
(btw, it's just an imaginary situation but it still bugs me)

I think a few of the options could be appropriate. Though, 2. sounds the best to me. Meaning that the experience has left an impact in her way of approaching other people.


texts: How to describe the condition of not having enough light in the room?

texts:
I work in a room where it does not have enough light but it is not a dimmed room. If regular office rooms get 10 score on the brightness of light, this room would get 6. The lighting condition is like one in the picture below.

Is there an English work to describe such a condition?


texts: Why "year" isn't in plural in this phrase?

texts:
"This is a difficult problem for a fifteen-year-old boy."

My guess is that "fifteen-year-old" forms an adjective, but I'm not really sure.

Thank you in advance for your help.


texts: a sentence that does not show possession

texts:
What is the error in the following sentence?

  There is no evidence to show that information technology secrets are more vulnerable in India than in Britain or the U.S.

I Think there is no error

But my book says that it should be than those of Britain


texts: How do I link the following sentences. He is a social worker. He is a teacher

texts:
How should I link these sentences?

  He is a social worker. He is a teacher.

I think the correct answer is

  Besides being a social worker he is also a teacher.


texts:
"It took some time to select just the right shopping complex, off just the right highway and just the right distance from Seoul, to house a 59,000-square-meter store. (•••) In all, it took about 6 years for Ikea to unveil its inarguaral store."

In the above sentence, I think the part between commas (, off ~ Seoul,) is there as the supplement to 'the (right) shopping complex' and that the 'off' is a preposition because of the location of two commas=(,off ~ Seoul,). Also I guess the 'off' is omitted after 'and', i.e., 'and (off) just the right distance ~'. Am I right or wrong...?-?

+and if that's the case, does the preposition  'off' mean 'near to'? (not away from)


texts:
Describe is pretty common with how, for example: How do you describe yourself?

My question is: Can I use what with the verb describe, for example: What do you describe yourself as?

I suppose the answer would be one word (for describing yourself).

I have a dialog with a similar situation:

  John: So you are saying she said decadent about our uncle?!

  Victoria: That's what she described him. But please, John, don't get angry at
  her. She didn't mean it, I think.

Is it correct, in my dialog,  to use what since she (the person who is talked about) described their uncle by one word?


texts: Are there any other ways of saying "As I understand it" so as to avoid any unexpected mistakes

texts:
My diary has just reminded me something.

It happened to me more than a few times when I said "As I understand it",
and some people would perceive it as "Because I understand it" and then they just mistook me as conceited.

We learned the difference between past tense and past participle in the English class some time ago. Each of us was given a piece of worksheet to see whether we understood the lesson.
Here was the most difficult question.
He ___ the work before we got there.
(1). had started
(2). started

When I was talking with my classmates about the above question, I said, "As I understand it, option (1) is the right one, because...", and then our English teacher popped up all of a sudden and spoke to me very loudly with her speech like this, "Do not think you have understood it, you pxxxy..."

I am wondering if there are any other ways of saying "As I understand it" so as to avoid any unexpected mistakes.
Will the meaning remain unchanged if I add some more words to it like this?
(1). As the way I understand it...
(2). As far as I understand it...


texts:
Why "the" in "he had all the vices" in the sentence:
"Indeed he had all the vices save one - he never drank."
 from book "Titan" by Ron Chernow.


texts: I have confused about the words Dashboard and Dash Board. I want to know the meaning. So that I can put the right word in place.


texts: The difference of "for" and "at" in the following sentences

texts:
What are the differences between "at" and "for" in the following sentences:

We scheduled the party at 7:00.
We scheduled the party for 7:00.


texts: every day or everyday what is the difference

texts:
Is Everyday is a blessing or every day is a blessig, which one is correct? I think it is every day is a blessing, right?

Thx.


texts: What should I choose as a modifier: a member of a group or activity?

texts:
If I want to construct a phrase meaning "people who teamed up to engage in some specific activity" (in my case, illegal activity), what should I choose as a modifier: a word for the activity or a word denoting a member of that group?

For example, 'racketeering gang' (or 'racket gang') or 'racketeer gang'? I already asked a similar question, but, for some reason, nobody answered it


texts: "I would never have thought so had you not told me that" without "if"?

texts:
Should I say this sentence without "if"? why or why not?

  "I would never have thought so {if} you had  not told me that"

or

  "I would never have thought so had you not told me that" without

The context:
I meet someone, and when I ask her where is she from, she told me from Sweden. She didn't look like someone from Sweden...  So my response to her thing was as mention above.


texts:
I have a doubt in passive voice question forms

  Who did this mistake? (Active voice)

  By whom was this mistake done? (Passive voice)

  When did this happen? (Active voice)

  By when was this happened? (Passive voice)

These above examples of passive voice question forms (by me) are right or not?

Does this "By ****" usage apply to all question forms? Eg. "How", "Where", etc.,

Please help me. Thanks in advance.


texts: definition if/then construction (dependent)

texts:
The story has multiple different meanings, and lets you interpret it the way you wish.

Are commas in these sort of examples optional? As written it has a clear subject that isn't repeated but is still not independent as written.

And here:

Your dental habits are awful, but if you brush and floss every day, you probably won’t get cavities or gum disease.

The conjunction but is connecting an if/then construction, but as a whole why is the section classed as dependent? As 'you probably will not get cavities or gum disease' is independent as written ?


texts: Same word used multiple times in a sentence

texts:
Sentences like the following sound strange to me, and I somehow "feel" they are incorrect.

  I will be in the room in 10 minutes.
  I will go to New York to meet my friend.

Is it correct to use the same word multiple times in the same sentence? If not, what are the right sentences?


texts: What is the meaning of "whip off" in this sentence?

texts:
From an article from NY Times

  ......but as Mr. Lang took me on the Téléphérique for the first time, it became clear this mountain was unlike any I’d ever seen. A foot of new snow had fallen the night before, and spindrift whipped off La Meije, a sea of icy blue glaciers pocked by crevasses and cliffs unfurling down its flanks.

I couldn't figure out what to understand from this statement: spindrift whipped off La Meije what does spindrift do to La Meije? Or is it the spindrift that's the subject?

And my other question is how should I understand ...unfurling down its flanks? What I understand is a sea of icy blue glaciers pocked by crevasses and cliffs are presenting their entity on La Meije's flank's downside. but I'm not sure.


texts:
I have the following sentence:

  I haven't had a chance to talk in person about how much I've grown my passion in our common interest--art.

Question:

Is there a single word to replace "talk in person" above?
Is there any better place to put "in person" in above sentence?

EDIT:
Thanks @Mari-LouA for your support. As she mentions in the comment below, I'd also like to know if I can improve my sentence grammatically. If I can improve the sentence by rearranging the words or replacing few words to be more concise, that would be great!


texts: What's the meaning of "gun shy" and "come back in here"?

texts:
From NPR:

  One problem we would have here is to calculate the damage because I believe the damage is incalculable and it's going to ripple into the future, because it will cost us convention business and people will be a little gun shy about coming back in here if they think this could happen again.(Source)

I have two questions:

What's the meaning of gun shy?
come back in here is a little weird for me. I know a phrase is come here, so I think if I want to stress the orientation back, I can only add a word back before here, just as come back here (but still a little weird for me). So why does he add the word in before here? Can you give me more examples?


texts: Can I use the verb with and without "-s" in this sentence?

texts:
Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. (O'Rourke, P. J.)

The verb in the third person singular (it cause-s) dragged my attention. So I can rephrase the sentence this way "Something causes the fundamental ills of society, but it is no drug, not even alcohol."

But I also can rephrase it this way "No drug and no alcohol cause the fundamental ills of society." Now the subject of the verb is a group of things.

So both forms of the verb (cause / causes) are possible in the highlighted sentence?


texts:
I have a present tense sentence where I can't tell if adding -s or -ed at the end of verb.

The sentence goes like this :

  He falls down right after he gets the kite causing his leg to injure.

The injure word here, should it be added by -s since it is referring to leg which is singular and synchronized with the present tense sentence? Or should it be in a past tense form because he gets the injury right after he gets the kite?


texts: Question about meaning of "till you dropped"

texts:
Should you have shopped till you dropped?

I actually have no idea what it really means.
But my guess is the word "till" might mean "because"

  Considering you are not rich, was it wise to buy so many things with your small salary?


texts: Is it wrong to say "I ate 2 roast chickens"?

texts:
In dictionaries,

  Chicken

  1 [countable] a common farm bird that is kept for its meat and eggs →
  hen, cock, rooster, chick

  2 [uncountable] the meat from this bird eaten as food

  roast chicken

  fried chicken

  chicken soup

See this picture. They are 2 pieces of roast chicken (not sure I am saying correctly)

Now, I ate them all & then I say "I ate 2 roast chickens". Is it wrong to say like that?

If it is wrong, then what is the right way of saying it?


texts: What is the antonym for "default" (computer science). For example there is "default value", how to say "not default"? Is there a one word for "not default" :)?


texts: I want to sell/selling my products on your website

texts:
To-infinitive or -ing form with a change in meaning

  Some verbs can be followed by a to-infinitive or the -ing form, but with a change in meaning:

go on    need     remember    try
mean     regret   stop        want

  Cambridge Dictionary

So, what is the difference in meaning between the following:

  I want to sell my products on your website.
  I want selling my products on your website.


texts:
I should create an official document in English saying that the mentioned employee underwent Internship in our Institute/Department from 1.1.2014 to 31.12.2014.

After the line "To whom it may concern" I want to place a header like

"Certification of Declaration"
"Confirmation letter"
"Verification" etc...

I chose "Certification of Declaration", however I am not sure it is appropriate header to use.

My questions are:

What "Certification of Declaration" means exactly and if it can be used in the mentioned context? (I did not find an explanation in Google).
Could you please suggest a proper if C-o-D is not appropriate.

Thanks a lot.


texts: he is coauthor of three books -- why is there no indefinite article in front of "coauthor" in this sentence?

texts:
Example:

  Peter Gulutzan, MySQL AB Software Architect, worked with stored procedures for a different DBMS for several years. He is coauthor of three SQL books.

Question #1: I asked a friend of mine who is from the United States and he said that coauthor is absolutely fine with no article. But I don't understand why that's true. I'd use an indefinite article, if I had to write that sentence. So, why do you think there is no indefinite article in front of coauthor?

Question #2: Do think the following sentence would sound grammatically worse? If so, why do you think it would?

  Peter Gulutzan, MySQL AB Software Architect, worked with stored procedures for a different DBMS for several years. He is a coauthor of three SQL books.


texts: Is "be on about (something)" used in American English?

texts:
Be on about (something)

  To speak about something tediously and at great length. (Primarily heard in UK.)

    He just kept rambling about literary metaphors and imagery. I didn't know what he was on about!
    She's always on about some new show she has started watching.

Source: The Free Dictionary https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/be+on+about.

So will this be used in AmE?


texts:
Tell me please if there is any difference between the following sentences.

  He is not a doctor to give health advice.

  He is no doctor to give health advice


texts: how to use the verb "marry" in passive form?

texts:
I am wondering whether or not you feel any difference between them in meaning, or even if the latter could be correct:

A.Despite being married,...

B.Despite to be married,...

Thanks


texts: Multiple enumerations in complex sentence. Correct punctuation

texts:
I am trying to understand how to correctly apply punctuations to complex sentences.
Sentence example:

Learned activities A, B, C, D, E using tools F, G, H, I, J and documents K, L, M, N, O, P, R.

Having the sentence above, what punctuation should be applied to the words [activities, tools, documents] that go before enumerating words [A, B, C, D, E  ;  F, G, H, I, J  ;  K, L, M, N, O, P, R] ?


texts: The usage of have vs. have got in the past

texts:
I know that have belongs to British English and have got belongs to American English. This is clear to me.

I've watched Les Miserables. Although some (most?) actors are Americans, one of them said in an interview that they used the British dialect. Here is a quotation from the film:

  There are children back at home. And the children have got to be feed.

The plot takes place in the second half of the nineteenth century. So is it a mistake or is have a relatively new word in British English? It seems highly unlikely to me.

Also, I've watched Robin Hood. I'm aware that the TV series couldn't be made with an original dialect which was used in the 12th century, but I was suprised that the characters used have got and have got to very ofen, much more ofen that have.

Why is that?


texts: Can I use the present perfect tense in two sentences with conjunction?

texts:
Usually, the present perfect is used once when there are two sentences and a conjunction word like:

The book came out yesterday, but I have already read it.
I have lived in the United States since I was a child.

Can I say?

  I've just seen a lady who has just come out of the hospital.

I wanna emphasize that the lady went out of the hospital a few seconds ago and at the same time, I also saw here a few seconds ago.

The other possible meanings that I would like to exclude:

Maybe she came out of the hospital a long time ago and has been waiting in front of the main gate for a long time. And I've just seen her now.


texts: What is the name of the structure and the components of such words?

texts: In English as in many language, there are things which their names are made of two words or nouns, such as: shower-stall, toilet-room, washing-machines, and so on. My question is what is the name of the first component and the second component? (As far as I know the second component only can become plural)


texts: How should "double-consciousness" be interpreted in this passage?

texts:
It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness, – an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder

This sentence is from Du Bois' book, The Soul Of Black Folk.
This seems to mean that black Americans have both an American self and a black self, but the previous part is too difficult to interpret.
Can you help me interpret it?


texts: The neglect of this important work by the broader medical community is little short of unconscionable.


texts: Is there a particular reason to use directional words in a plural form?

texts:
By a "directional word", I mean those such as backward, forward, toward, etc. Words specifically indicative of direction of movement. Consider these sentences:

I walked toward the objective.
The car rolled slowly forward from the garage.

These sentences are clear and grammatically correct. However, I frequently see (and hear) sentences constructed like this:

The horse galloped towards the barn.
The unicyclist spun over backwards after an ill-considered flourish.

Is there a difference in meaning when these words take a plural ending? Is this another example of infuriatingly lazy English? Is it merely a stylistic choice?


texts:
The word life has a definition in a dictionary,

  a way of living or a particular part of someone's life

In the following sentence, should I use singular form or plural form of the word life?

  Rich men or women can enjoy luxury lives which are attractive to a great deal of people.


texts:
I am writing an article on Microsoft Word and it underlines all my passive voice sentences such as this one:

  Our current electric grid was conceived more than one hundred years ago where energy needs were simple.

I don't understand why using the passive voice in such sentences is bad. What should I write instead?


texts: "I've not" vs. "I haven't" — is one preferred?

texts:
I sometimes see teens type:

  I've not...

Instead of typing:

  I haven't...

What can you say about it?


texts: What do 'timing' and 'a timing meltdown' mean in this sentence?

texts:
I have some trouble in getting the exact meaning of 'a timing meltdown' in this sentence.

Here it is:

  The doorbell rang, and Mum flapped her hands. ‘There he is. Lou, why
  don’t you start serving?’

  Patrick was still flushed from his exertions at the track. ‘Happy
  birthday, babe,’ he said, stooping to kiss me. He smelt of aftershave
  and deodorant and warm, recently showered skin.

  ‘Best go straight through.’ I nodded towards the living room. ‘Mum’s
  having a timing meltdown.’

  ‘Oh.’ He glanced down at his watch. ‘Sorry. Must have lost track of
  time.’

  ‘Not your time, though, eh?’ ‘What?’

  ‘Nothing.’

  Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

The context is :
It's 'my' birthday party, and a very special guest, my employer, is here today; the cooking is just ready, perfect timing according to my mum, but we are all waiting for my boyfriend who is late for my party.

I could get that 'a timing meltdowns' IS a figurative speech; my guess is that mum is "at some edge of breaking down" or "she is going to be mad" ?? If not please do help me. I am not sure which of the following explanation fits 'timing' in this scenario. (I feel it like, 'timing' here is like 'counting down'??)

In the dictionary 'timing' means:

the skill of doing something at exactly the right time
the time when someone does something or when something happens, especially when you are considering how suitable this is
the way in which electricity is sent to the spark plugs in a car engine

Could anyone help please?


texts: "related to educational contexts" vs. "related to education"

texts:
From a tutorial

This test consists of four sections, each with ten questions. The first two sections are concerned with social needs. The first section is a conversation between two speakers and the second section is a monologue. The final two sections are concerned with situations related to educational or training contexts. The third section is a conversation between up to four people and the fourth section is a monologue.

Does the following wording mean the same thing as above?

... The final two sections are concerned with situations related to education or training ...

In other words, do "related to educational contexts" and "related to education" mean the same thing?
According to Ngram Viewer, no one says the former


texts:
The rate of infant mortality has declined 16 % in the last 10 years. (correct)

  The rate of infant mortality has been declining in the last 10 years. (correct)

  The rate of infant mortality has been declining 16% in the last 10 years. (incorrect)

These sentences are from my English grammar book in Korean, so I can't provide the source. Sorry.
Could you please explain why the third one is incorrect?
Thank you.


texts:
[While three children sneaking up a set of staircases to the third
  floor under the Invisibility Cloak] They didn't meet anyone else until
  they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves [=a fairy]
  was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would
  trip.
      "Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't
  see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"
      He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them.
      "Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."
      Harry had a sudden idea.
      "Peeves," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."
      Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs. (Harry Potter and the
  Sorcerer's Stone)

Is it –– caught himself –– an idiom: it has the meaning ‘to hold oneself back abruptly from saying’ in Collins?


texts:
Does English contain accented letters?  Is there a standard list of accented letters that are used in the English language?

In my application I'm currently allowing the characters a-z and áéóúíý äëöüïÿ '-.  The reason I'm allowing '- as well is because some people names contain them.


texts: "Is that" vs. "are those" in questions regarding plurality

texts:
I think it's clear that the following two sentences are grammatical:

  Is that a cup I see?

  Are those cups I see?

However, what if you seek to inquire as to how many cups you can see?

  Is that one cup or two cups I see?

  Are those one cup or two cups I see?

Which of the above two sentences is correct?


texts: Which adjective can describe my meaning?

texts:
I want to say "during my education, I attended courses which were (applicable/ workable/practical), and hands-on experience in my internship"
Or, instead of them, which adjective can I use that better convey my meaning? or another well-formed sentence?


texts: What the word “moving” has to do with in this paragraph regarding Hesse?

texts:
Writing to the woman who would become his third wife, Hermann Hesse complained: “Life for me now holds almost no pleasures any more, in fact I am living in Hell.” The event that had reduced Hesse to this state of near-despair was that his wife-to-be Ninon Dolbin had moved some of his books without his permission. For him this was an intolerable disruption of the orderly existence he believed essential to a writer who had detached himself from the world. His independence required that he hold all of humankind, and even his closest companion, at a rigorously policed distance. Accordingly, although the two of them lived under the same roof, he communicated with Ninon mainly in writing. As his latest biographer, Gunnar Decker, relates: .....

I am going to translate this in a different language. I am not sure when it says she “had moved some of his books” what would a native english reader of this article see in his or her mind! Does moving here mean to take with herself after divorce ? Or to throw them away? Or just transferring to an unknown place? I understand that probably the last one is more probable for translation, but still needs some expert advice to translate this part please?


texts: Which form(s) are correct between "in case of a war" and "in case of war"?

texts:
I wonder which form(s) are correct amongst the following:

"in case of a war"
"in case of war"

Examples of use:

"In case of war the economy will collapse."
"He plans to move to Miami in case of a war."


texts:
Why do the words "Should or Does" impact the conjugation of its following verb? For example

  My brother gets up in time.

  My brother should get up in time.

  My brother does get up in time.

The simple conjugation of the verb should be

  I get

  You get

  He, she, gets

Why does using the word should or does change the conjugation of the verb?


texts: Are there any respectful but strong words to tell people to move faster?

texts:
The pedestrian way that leads to the place where I live is not wide enough for people to walk abreast. But sometimes, some people with strong muscle were walking very slowly ahead because they were reading their iphones.

I am not sure whether it was due to culture difference or they looked down on their opposite gender, because some of them did not understand what I said, and they did not even move their legs when I said, "would you move please, sirs"? And they were just laughing.

Was it better to say, "move your body please" in that situation?
Is that strong enough?
How do you tell people to move faster?


texts:
Many of the famous advertising offices are located in Madison avenue.

I read the above sentence on a TOEFL website according to it the in in the sentence is incorrect. Is the website correct ? If so then what is the correct preposition to use here ? Should it be located on or located at ?


texts: "The updated schedule will be informed soon" Can this sentence be converted to active voice?

texts:
The updated schedule will be informed soon

I can't figure out the subject, verb & object from this sentence. So I can't convert this to active voice.
Does this sentence have any mistakes at all?


texts:
This is one of the lyrics which from the song "Young Lust" of Aerosmith.

I've already known what "push and shove" means, but what is the usage of "a-xxing"? How can I understand the whole sentence?

I know it's a song in which the words may not grammarically right, what I really want is to understand its meaning.

The part of the lyrics go like this:

  Young lust
  No don't need one in the oven
  Young lust
  I'm a-pushin' and a-shovin' it

  Young lust
  Come on now I just can't wait
  Are you fishin or you gonna cut bait
  Everybody body doin' it


texts:
As the origin and progress of the United States are without a parallel in history, so do her political career and prospects not admit of a comparison with the rise and fall of ancient republics; (source)

What does "so do" mean in the context? What does the sentence mean?


texts: What do you call a process of diploma work presentation and answering questions

texts:
What do you call it in English when you are presenting your diploma work, in front of juries (which are teachers, Dean and other VIPs ) to get a master degree, during your presentation those juries ask you tricky questions. Translating literally from Ukrainian we, usually, call it "defending the diploma work" because we have to defend ourselves from unexpectable, treacherous questions to make the work to be accepted and proven by juries.
Thanks.


texts: Why don't we say "contrast" rather than "compare"?

texts:
I am wondering if it is not more proper to say contrast than compare:

used to compare two aspects of a situation Stress can be extremely damaging to your health. Exercise, meanwhile, can reduce its effects.

enter link description here


texts: Possible nuance in meaning of 'the first thing to observe'

texts:
Phrases such as 'the first thing to observe', where the verb 'observe' could be replaced by other verbs, are frequently seen in English sentences, for example in

  The first thing to observe is that both of these equations have a coefficient of 1 in front of the x.

Now, what is meant by that phrase?

  The first thing that can be observed
  The first thing that should be observed

Does its exact meaning depend on the context in which it appears?


texts: how to express a different parts of a career?

texts:
in an interview, interviewer asked me to introduce my career. there are following 2 expressions.

my career is comprised of 2 parts, 2 years customer support and 3 years sales.

my career could be separated into 2 phases, 2 years customer support and 3 years sales.

which one is more appropriate for interview?


texts:
Edit: (I apologize if my question does not make sense. English is not my first language)

Hello,
I have just started learning English from online resources and I cannot figure out which sentence is correct:

1st: John was hurt; he knew she only said it to upset him. (uses semi-colon)

2nd: John was hurt, he knew she only said it to upset him. (uses comma)

3rd: John was hurt, but he knew she only said it to upset him. (uses comma
 and "but")

Thanks


texts: How does the third "if" conditional statement affect the present since it is used for events that cannot be changed in the past? E.g., "if you had known, you would have done the work last week."


texts:
I am wondering if this sentence is correct as written:

  Being possessing all these traits, I have a strong belief that I am competent for this position.

Is "being" required at the beginning of this sentence?


texts:
Which of these sentences is true and what's the difference between I kept waiting and I was kept waiting?

I kept waiting for an hour last night &
I was kept waiting for an hour last night.

thanks ..


texts:
She is same age with me.
  She is same age as me.

So, is it right to say that 'she is same age' when I want say that 'her age is same with mine'?
And among 'with me' and 'as me' which is the grammatically right expression?


texts: How to better express the idea of "advantages are supported by"

texts:
I'm writing an essay about the benefits of eating only vegetables and fruits. This is my discussion statement, which links the supporting statement to my point of view.

  Advantages of vegetarian diet supported by such recognized organization
  as Harvard's school of public health.

Can I say 'advantages are supported' and does this sentence make sense?


texts: What is the meaning of yet in this sentence "well don't say anything.yet"?

texts:
Actually I am watching movie in which a boy proposes a girl to get married but the girl does not want to marry that boy. Here is the conversation happens between girl and boy.
Girl: I don't know what to say.
Boy: well don't say anything. Yet. Okay. This is my fault.

So I just want to know what is the meaning of "yet" here?


texts:
Does "in any conscious or dishonest way" refer to the former statement?
i mean. refer to "i have observed many.."
In speaking of Miss Kate Fox,
Professor Crookes says: "I have observed many circumstances which
appear to show that the will and intelligence of the medium have much
to do with the phenomena." He adds that this is not in any conscious or
dishonest way, and continues, "I have observed some circumstances
which seem conclusively to point to the agency of an outside
intelligence not belonging to any human being in the room."


texts:
I read a sentence which was:

Ocean currents are driven by a range of sources.
The word source generally means something from which any other thing originates.
So, is source the right word in this sentence?


texts:
Even if you're aware how bad things are, you should still try not to lose hope.
Even if you're aware of how bad things are, you should still try not to lose hope.

The more I become aware how their culture works, the more amazed I am.
The more I become aware of how their culture works, the more amazed I am.

I looked at the Ngram chart and turns out aware of how is more common now than aware how. I also looked at some questions on some forum sites and at one question posted here on ellstackexchange itself, and I'm still confused about if one is more grammatically accurate than the other, or if it doesn't matter if you omit the preposition. In the first example, either sentence seems fine to use to me, and in the second, the second sentence seems like a better option to go with.
Does it matter if you omit the preposition following aware? Is it wrong to omit the preposition? Does it depend on the context whether you should omit the preposition? Or does it just come down to personal preference?


texts:
I wrote:

  In PerTreebank each element of a compound verb is shown separately and is attached to a phrasal category named MV

Could I write it as:

  In PerTreebank each element of a compound verb is shown separately attached to a phrasal category named MV

In the second version I reduced "is attached" to "attached" but it is far from the name it modifies

Update: To show an example of a Persian compound verb and how its elements can be separated, I attached the following picture (read right to left)
The meaning almost is:

  We should make ourselves ready for strange things and unfamiliar ways.

make ready is a compound verb and for strange.... are dependent on ready, while we is dependent on make. (we, should, ourselves parts are not in the picture, as the picture is partial)


texts: Is it natural to say “I’d like a...” when ordering from a restaurant?

texts:
If ordering from a restaurant over the phone are the phrases written in bold completely natural in the context?

Me:             "Hi, I'd like to order a cheese burger..."

Restaurant guy: "A cheese burger..."

Me:             "And then I'd like a large Pepsi."

Restaurant guy: "And a large Pepsi. Would that be all?"

Me:             "Yes, that's all. And I'd like it delivered to...(address)."


texts:
(1)The students who are good at math helped him solve the problems.

(2)The students who were good at math helped him solve the problems.

Let's say this happened 2 days ago. The students mentioned in the sentence are still good at math, so I think (1) is more accurate. Am I right? And (2) is the narrative tense, used only in story telling, right?


texts: When asking about somebody´s eyes? Would you go for " eye colour" or "colour eye". Then if the latter were the more frequently used how would you parapharse it. The former would be "the colour of his-her eyes".In addition, would you use the same structure to refer to hair eg: hair-colour or colour hair.


texts:
I'm confused in using this sentence .

  I .... very busy last week

should I use

1 - I have been very busy last week
2-  I was very busy last week
3-  I has been very busy last week

I think the right is 2 or 3 ?
Because its in the past so i should use was or has been


texts: Email Subject - Is it correct to write "Regarding xyz......." in the email subject?

texts:
Whenever I write an email to someone...I usually write "Regarding" in the subject. Is it a formal way to write email subject.

Examples:-

"Regarding application for the post of product manager"
"Regarding scanned copy of my ID card"

Is there any better way for writing email subject lines?


texts: "The better of the chances": Why not "better chances"?

texts:
I ran into a sentence on a sports site:

  The home side dominated possession in the first half and created the better of the chances, with Inter reduced to taking potshots from distance in order to give Marco Sportiello anything to do in the Fiorentina goal.

Better is also a noun, but its definition in ODO says:

  The better one; that which is better.

  ‘the Natural History Museum book is by far the better of the two’

This definition doesn't seem to fit in the context. Why is it not created better chances?

Edit:

What I am uncertain about this usage is that the "the better of the" + noun construction where the noun is a collection of things seems so rare that this is the first time I have seen it. I have tried Google/Google books search of different combinations with different nouns, but the only hits I got are false positives. Examples, either from a dictionary or an online source, would really help.

For instance, if two families are in a dog park with their dogs, could one family say to the other "We have the better of the dogs"? Or this: Two schools are in a competition. Can a student from one school say, "We have the better of the students/athletes"? Or one person saying to another, "We have the better of the jobs." I have tried to search for all these combinations in Google, but only false positives turn up, such as "for the better of the dogs/students."


texts:
The World Wide Web is sometimes jokingly called the World Wide Wait because it can be very slow.
Peter can be really difficult at times even though he’s a nice person in general.

I think in the above examples, the modal verb "can" is used to express "general possibility or theotrical possibility" rather than "ability". Am I right?


texts: What would be the correct interpretation of "glimpses of the moon"?

texts:
I read this in Hamlet:

  What may this mean,

  That thou, dead corpse, again in complete steel

  Revisit'st thus the glimpses of the moon...

I'm unable to figure out what the correct interpretation semantically of the bold part would be. Some sources like this and this suggest that it means that the moon glimpses the earth, its light emanating from it to get a view of the earth (which I think shouldn't be considered a glimpse since the moon is there in the sky for at least 4-5 hrs generally, contrary to a typical "glimpse" duration). But other sources like this suggest that the person has come back to look at the moon or glimpse the moon. Which one is correct and why?


texts:
I have always understood take someone for something to have a similar meaning to peg someone for something. But I heard in the movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels:

  Look what I did in the dining car! She gave me 100 francs. That's like, uh... 20 bucks! Do you have any idea what it feels like to take a woman for 20 bucks?

Here take a woman for 20 bucks apparently means take 20 bucks from a woman. This also appears in another scene:

  Freddy: But she has the money.

  Lawrence: Only by selling everything she owns.

  Freddy: Come on! She's keeping the mink. If we take her for everything, she still comes out of it with a very nice mink.

Does take someone for something mean take something from someone? I can't find this usage in dictionaries.


texts: "I experienced a feeling I have never had before" - is sequence of tenses correct?

texts:
I experienced a feeling I have never had before. (Past Simple + Present Perfect)

This sentence seems very strange and fishy to me, gramatically. Please confirm my doubts or tell me I'm wrong.


texts: What do "barely one in three" and "will bother" mean in this context?

texts:
What do "will bother" and "barely one in three" mean in this context?

  Barely one in three will bother to cast a ballot on February 26th.
  (from Longman)

I was looking out to check meaning of "cast a ballot" that is to vote in an election when I saw this difficult example!


texts: Whom should I call ''an unreconstructed romantic'' or ''an unreconstructed rocker''?

texts:
I'm aware of the meaning of unreconstructed but I don't understand the use of ''an unreconstructed romantic''. In what context would I use this phrase? Does it mean that a person is not wanting to change what he thinks is romantic?
I also don't understand for whom should I use ''an unconstructed rocker''. I've tried to google it but haven't got any clear idea.


texts: What does "Mask your surprise that.." mean?

texts:
The dialog is as follows

  Sheldon: How do you propose we move forward?

  Howard: Uh, for starters, we could stop insulting each other.

  Sheldon: That’s a great idea. And in the spirit of our new
  arrangement, I will mask my surprise that you came up with it.

I kept staring at the bold sentence for quite some time and looked up examples of usage of "mask" and still don't get it.

Sheldon is surprised that Howard came up with that idea, but he is hiding (=masking) his surprise with Howard's action of coming up with that idea? I don't get it. How is that supposed to be funny?


texts:
Which form of this sentence is correct?

  The sentences of this article are hard for the reader to understand.

  The sentences of this article are hard for the reader to be understood.

I, personally, feel the second one is more grammatically correct while the first one is more fluent.

Please provide reason for which one I should use.


texts: Should there be a comma after "said" in the following case?

texts:
There should be a comma in cases like this:

"I don't care," he said.

How about in cases like this?

I said(,) "Hello" to each of them.

The Grammabook site has a rule that says:

Rule 13c. If a quotation functions as a subject or object in a
sentence, it might not need a comma.
Examples: Is "I don't care" all you can say to me?

I'm not very sure, though, if this applies to my example.


texts:
"What was it she died of, the clap?" (The Cuckoo's Calling, by Robert Galbraith)

It seems like the structure is: what is shifted from the position of the complement of of; and there's a subject verb inversion, from: It was [she died of what]? Is this right understanding?


texts: Could someone help me understand the phrase "not for (the) want of trying"?

texts:
So..I understand the meaning of the phrase "not for (the) lack of trying" and then I've learned that "not for (the) want of trying" has the same definition.
 But how?! Is there a way to understand how 'want of trying' could mean the same thing as 'lack of trying'?
(It's like, when I hear 'not for lack of trying', the meaning rings right away in my head, but with 'not for want of trying',  my brain seems to pause and says "...what?")


texts: What does "slips me her business card" mean?

texts:
I am reading Just One Day for Gayle Forman and I want to know what "slips" means in this verb phrase:

  slips me her business card


texts:
If I lived in a hot climate I would try to avoid moving round much in siesta time.

I didn't catch the meaning of moving round. I looked for the phrasal verb, but didn't get any useful results. I first thought that moving round = repeatedly moving on around something.


texts:
The time is coming, however, when he will be recognized for what he was, one of the pioneers in the slow and arduous advance of Humanity into that jungle of ignorance which has encompassed it so long.

Does "humanity" here mean "human race" or "quality of being humane"?


texts: does "falling down stairs" mean something?

texts:
i'm watching british cop show about 80's cop. there's a scene where a lot of people are talking at the same time in police station. they are mostly immigrants or visitors from s.africa(i don't know it's relevant or not.). then one cop(A) got up and said and the other cop(B) added.

A: a bit of hush, please. Nobody's falling down any stairs here!
B: i don't know about that.

i don't know why A said "nobody's falling down any stairs" and does it have any idiomatic meaning? or does it mean 'nobody is hurting' or 'nobody is gonna hurt you' kind of way? so don't make a fuss and be quiet?


texts:
What does "I am often down in the dumps" mean?

Is it "to feel bad about messed up things"?


texts: Is the correct form "No Seconds without it"?

texts:
I couldnt find out if it is the only correct form to express, that someone should not spend even 1 second without something.

In my language, it can be directly expressed (verbal alternative for: not-1 second without it).

In English, what is the most appropriate equivalent? As I think, it's:

No Seconds Without it

Is that correct?


texts: "...appear before magistrates..." meaning

texts:
Could you explain to me why the word before is used before the word magistrate..Is it a fixed collocation? Does it mean like " in front of" ?

  Five men have been ordered to appear before magistrates following
  racist taunts...


texts:
I came across the following sentence in this page.

  Now a new app is making it so the person losing out on time during
  their day in the scammer on the other end of the line, not me.

I could not understand the structure of the sentence after in the scammer.... I suspect there is a typo of is. I could understand the sentence if it was

  Now a new app is making it so the person losing out on time during
  their day is the scammer on the other end of the line, not me.

Am I guessing wrong?


texts: Why some people think that "pretty sure" means "totally sure"?

texts:
I was talking with a friend of mine when she told me that "pretty sure" means something like "more or less sure". I've always known that it meant "totally sure" and was astonished to find this out.

Thinking about it, I could not remember why or how I learned the wrong meaning and looking on the Internet I found more people that thought the same before being corrected.

Edit: I do know that there is a question answering the meaning of the expression. What I'm trying to find out with this one is the reason why some people like me learned the wrong meaning and was sure it was correct. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough.

What could be the origin of such misunderstanding?


texts: should there be a definite article before "eye level"? (a quote from Salinger)

texts:
From Salinger's Zooey:

  There were scars much nearer to eye level, too, from a rather  awesome
  variety  of  airborne  objects—beanbags,  baseballs,  marbles,  skate
  keys, soap  erasers,  and  even,  on  one  well-marked  occasion in
  the  early  nineteen-thirties,  a flying headless porcelain doll.

I'm curious why there's no definite article before "eye level". Is level treated as a mass noun here? Could we add the before "eye level" without affecting the meaning?


texts:
If you went to bed earlier you would not be so tired

Which is the meaning of this sentence?

You didn't go to bed earlier and as a result you're tired.
You don't go to bed earlier and as a result you're tired.

Source Type 2 conditional : http://www.ef.com/english-resources/english-grammar/conditional/


texts: Can I use "I'm taking off" for "I'm leaving now"?

texts:
I know people say "I'm gonna take off" often. But, can I also say "I'm taking off" as "I'm leaving now"?

Last time I used "I'm taking off", my American friend told me this sounded not natural.

I was told that I cannot use "i'm taking off" as "leaving" unless I mean "the airplane is taking off." (The question was not clear.)


texts:
I have following constructions,

  The geometric reconstruction of the pentagon models is then performed using graph cut approach.
  The geometric reconstruction of the pentagon models can be considered as a corner fixing dilemma.

If I make a one sentence using which; then am I placing which at the correct place obeying the correct English grammar (see in my below sentence please)?

  The geometric reconstruction of the pentagon models is then performed
  using a graph cut approach which can be considered as a corner fixing
  dilemma.


texts:
In early 1970’s, the soviet union began to give firms and industries some of the flexibility in adjusting prices that a more informal evolution has accorded the capitalist system. Economists in the United States have hailed the change as a return to the free market.But Soviet firms are no more subject to prices established by free market over which they exercise little influenced than are capitalist firms.

I don't understand "exercise little influenced than are capitalist firms".


texts: Cannot understand "multi-syllables" in "Do you do multi-syllables, or are you still working up to that?"

texts:
Folks, I am reading one short novel and there is a usage of "multi-syllables" words combination which I cannot really understand.
Here is a piece with a little context:

  He stopped suddenly and turned to face me. ‘I forgot to check . . . did the robot insist that you leave behind your Aide Memoire?’
  ‘Yes.’
  ‘Good. It was you I wanted to talk to, Carrie, not some surrogate recording device.’
  ‘Me?’
  The pewter mask of his face formed a quizzical expression. ‘Do you do multi-syllables, or are you still working up to that?’
  ‘Er . . .’

Could you explain the meaning of "do multi-syllables" here?


texts:
Today my boss came by my desk and told to me

  "stop whacking off, when will phase 2 of the project be completed?"

What does "stop whacking off" mean?  I did not know how to respond.

What is an appropriate response?


texts:
pls kindly check the proper form of the below words outlined in the text below. I cannot check the answers, but the person who passed had "disgusted" and "lacking" marked as wrong. Initially the forms were "disgust, lack, public".
I am completely disgusting that this miscreant who dishonestly took money from the elderly is not being brought to trial. He’s obviously lacking in any human compassion and should be publically condemned.
thanks in advance)


texts: "you’ve got your straight-up honest people, you’ve got straight-up lucky people, then you’ve got your just straight-up liars"

texts:
And so this is really fascinating, because I think there are two components here that we we maybe intuitively thought about, just like Bob mentioned earlier, you know, there’s the lies that could get you killed. There’s also the lies that just feel cruel, or they feel like pathologically dishonest and then there are the lies where it’s like, I understand the ethical or moral reason that this person lied. And I think we can start to dig deep into just this very clean laboratory experiment to tease out some of those issues. For example, you’ve got your straight-up honest people, you’ve got straight-up lucky people, then you’ve got your just straight-up liars. Okay, those are the three groups that I think we would be pretty comfortable with if we were going to hypothesize what would happen. But the cheating non-liars and the radically dishonest people, again, the cheating non liar said, Well, I didn’t get it the first time. So I’m just going to keep trying until I do. So they kind of, yes, broke the rules. That’s why they’re calling them cheaters. But in a way, it’s almost like they, they tested the system until they could get to a place where they felt morally justified in saying, I reached heads, I get the money.

context: the speaker is talking about the result of an experiment on human behavior

I brought in a lot of text so that this can help you understand the situation. but actually, what I really want to ask you is the part in bold.
Q1) In bold sentence, If I use 'got' instead of 'have got', would the meaning change a lot? What are the difference?
Q2) The speaker said 'your' straight-up honest people. But I think it's not mine. Why is the speaker saying 'your'? Is that an expression peculiar to English?


texts: "for its own value" how did you understand this expression in the following sentence?

texts:
"Some individuals believe that the primary goal of universities should be to provide information and skills needed for future work.Others however feel that the main objective of universities is to give students access to knowledge for its own values regardless if the information is useful for a job or not."

So how should I read the expression in bold regarding this context? Could you please rephrase the last sentence?


texts:
I (Chinese Premire) was asked in 2016 whether there will be significant change in China-US ties when a new president is elected.
  I (Chinese Premire) was asked in 2016 whether there would be significant change in China-US ties when a new president was elected .

This was a line said by Chinese Premire Li Keqiang when he recalled what had happened in 2016. I was wondering which tense usage is appropriate.


texts: What is "the languages object definition"?

texts:
Example with a context (The Object-Oriented Thought Process (3rd Edition)):

  As stated often in this introduction,my vision for the first edition was primarily a conceptual book.Although I still adhere to this goal for the second and third editions, I have included several application topics that fit well with object-oriented concepts. For the third edition I expand on many of the topics of the second edition and well as include totally new chapters.These revised and updated concepts

  XML is used for object communication.
  Object persistence and serialization.
  XML integrated into the languages object definition.
  Adding properties to attributes.
  XML-based Internet applications.
  Client/Server technologies.
  Expanded code examples in Java, C# .NET and VB .NET.

Does anybody here have at least a passing familiarity with the term to be able to actually explain what it means? Because I can't make sense of it and was unable to find anything online.


texts:
In conversation, Hagrid said

"first thing you wanna know about hippogriffs is that they are very proud creatures.
you do not want to insult a hippogriff."

I think nobody said to him like "i want to know about hippogriffs" and there are no Nonverbal expression of that meaning.
Why he use "you wanna know"? Isn't it more reasonable to use "you gotta know"?
And, "you do not want to insult a hippogriff" means "you should not insult a hippogriff"?(a warning?)
If I think right, Why they use wanna and want for warning or teaching?


texts:
Could anybody explain me why this adverb places sometimes to the final of statements? What does it mean? Why is this there? Is this adverb a kind of grammatical particle? I can´t understand!:

Example: He pulled the door to.

It is supposed that this sentence means "He closed the door".


texts:
I see a writing direction:

  Describe in English on “the advantages and disadvantages of computer”.

I think describe on is wrong. It should be:

  Describe in English “the advantages and disadvantages of computer”.

Am I right?


texts:
When we say "yesterday", do we include the day + night?

For Eg.

  I was at my cousin's home yesterday.

Does this mean the speaker was at the cousin's house for the day and night? Or just the day? If it means only the day, and not the night, how do we say that I was at my cousin's place for the whole day and night? Can we use yesterday for the same?


texts: “Drove five hours” VS. “Drive for five Hours”

texts:
I drove five hours from Michigan to Chicago.

>

  I drove for five hours from Michigan to Chicago.

Is there any meaningful difference between these two sentences?


texts: Presupposition: "Is there a professor of linguistics at MIT?"

texts:
While reading a Wiki page about pragmatics and presuppositions, I came upon this explanation:

Is there a professor of linguistics at MIT? » Either there is a
professor of linguistics at MIT or there isn't.

I can see the question presupposes the polarity; still, I don't see what's wrong to make such a presupposition. Isn't it true either there is such a professor or no? Or, does it presuppose something else rather than the polarity, like "linguistics at MIT"?
Would someone please help explain:
(i) what's been presupposed in addition to the polarity; and
(ii) what are other possibilities other than there is such a professor or no.
Thank you very much for your time!!


texts: Which one is the correct pronunciation of "the", before the word "amount", [ði:] or [ðə]?

texts:
What we are taught at school is that

"the" before vowel pronounce as a long "thee" [ði:]

It sounds that the lecturer is saying [ðə]

  we can then say that the gradient of this line is equal to the amount of that function that increases in this interval
  divided by the length of the interval

So, which one is the correct pronunciation of "the", [ði:] or [ðə]?


texts: English equivalent for French "les attendus d'un procès"?

texts:
In French the yet archaic term les attendus remains the traditional way to designate the part of text, in the report of a trial, which explains the motivations that led the court to its final decision.

This comes from the fact that this text is generally always made of a series of paragraphs, each one beginning with "Attendu que" (standing for "due to", "because", and so on), followed by the detailed description of a unitary motivation.

I even don't know if English trial reports are built in the same way. Anyway I can't reasonably infer to use something like "the expected": it sounds too strange!

So is there a real English equivalent for les attendus?


texts:
What does 'go down with' mean here?

http://www.rd.com/true-stories/love/widow-rafting-husbands-ashes/

  What was I doing down there? My sister Kathryn, who had seen me
  through his death, loves the Grand Canyon, and she arranged the trip.

  She said, “Come on, Neshama. It’s the trip of a lifetime. You weren’t
  able to go down with John, because it was too far from medical help
  [for him]. So come.”
  -- from www.rd.com


texts:
In my language for both cases below there is only one single verb! I have no idea which word works more appropriately in this sense and if they all work here, then how shall I distinguish these verbs from one another in order to use them more properly:

  Don't let your kid / dog (separate / break away) from you.
  We (separated from each other / broke away from each other) at 4 o'clock and I've not heard from him ever since.

For me, both "break away" and "separate" work, and the only difference between them is that separate is a bit more formal.


texts:
is there any difference between these sentences?

I had worked hard so I needed a break
I worked hard so I needed a break


texts: Correct Usage of "Look" vs. "Looks" -- Appearance of Something

texts:
Question on using "Looks" vs "Look" in the noun form when meaning appearance.

When describing a singular object, I'm not sure if this should be in the plural form. Oxford says "usually singular," so I'm not sure if there's a steadfast rule or not.

Which is correct in this example?

The restaurant dish must deliver on both taste and look.
The restaurant dish must deliver on both taste and looks.


texts: Difference among 'thrown out', 'ousted' and 'expelled'

texts:
I'm little confused with these three words. What would be the best?

Stallone was thrown out/ousted/expelled from fourteen different schools in eleven years.


texts:
Gifted means talanted, but how to be more specific with the area, like 'art' ,'math'etc.

Can i say

  "she is gifted in art"?

Or

  "she is gifted with art"?

Or

  "she is gifted art"?

Thanks.


texts: What part of speech is "before" in the phrase "before we meet again"?

texts:
Identify the part of speech of the word in bold:

  It will be five years before we meet again.

4 options:

Preposition
Adverb
Conjuction
Adjective

Now, According to my knowledge, "before" is an adverb. However the correct answer was - conjunction. What am I missing?


texts:
What does "pull up a few"want her? I looked it up and it was about "getting information" ,so is that what Shawn meant here:

So can it be: You want information related to this,so just pull it up. (Does it mean : just look it up)

https://youtu.be/99t4EBwIAt8

It's said at around:2:35 min


texts:
Do you agree with this interpretation?
Jack was found in possession of drugs. (He had drugs)
Jack was found in the possession of drugs. (He was obsessed with drugs. Or even, drugs had him.)


texts: 'How about yourself?' vs. 'How about you?'

texts:
Question 1: I'm doing very well. How about yourself?

Question 2: I'm doing very well. How about you?

Please explain the difference if both questions are correct.


texts: "A splendid speech rendered by a girl" -- semantically correct?

texts:
A splendid speech rendered by a girl.

Is the verb "rendered" used here correct? Or is there any alternate verb?

And could anyone suggest if "splendid" used here is the right adjective?


texts:
I'm not an English native speaker. I'm trying to translate an abstract of a scientific work to English.

The problem in the work has zero Neumann condition for the angle displacement. The problem also has zero Neumann condition for the longitudinal displacement.

I'd like to know how to write these informations in a short way. However, I dont know how the grammar works in this case. Is the sentence below correct?

  The problem has zero Neumann conditions for the angle and
  longitudinal displacements.

Some specific doubts: Should I insert "for the" or "the" before "longitudinal"? Should I write "displacement" after "angle"  and use singular at the end?

Thanks.


texts: Using Present Perfect with the exact time during speech

texts:
I've noticed that sometimes during the conversation I use the PP first and then I want to add an additional information on the exact time, e.g.

  Yeah, I've already told you about that (pause)... yesterday.

Is it considered a correct usage in conversation or should I use something like this?

  Yeah, I've already told you about that (pause)... I did it yesterday.

I really don't want to add that 'I did', especially when I'm discussing something important; but I'm not sure whether or not it sounds fine for a native speaker since my interlocutors are not native speakers and they don't care much.


texts: What kind of preposition should be used before the telephone number?

texts:
A single-choice exercise:

  Please call Gina __ 834-8911.

  A.in
  B.of
  C.at
  D.for

Why use the preposition "at", can I replace "at" by "on" ?


texts: Understanding "being forced out of my comfort zone"

texts:
In this speech…

  I love meeting and getting to know new people. One of my favorite things in life is cooking, mostly for other people. I'm looking for someone who enjoys trying new food, from my kitchen and others'. Also love travel and adventure. And being forced out of my comfort zone from time to time. I've been to a few amazing places, but there's so much more I want to see and do. Love love movies, pretty much all genres, and I love going to the theater as much as staying in watching movies too. I'm a funny, energetic, sharp-witted woman who appreciates all the little things in life. I love learning and I'm always trying to expand my horizons. "The day you stop learning is the day you die." I like people who make me laugh because honestly, I love to laugh. Looking for a fun, intelligent, driven, open-minded, down-to-earth, silly, sarcastic person who doesn't take themselves too seriously. Life is short, eat dessert first, right?

What does the speeker mean by saying being forced  and comfort zone ?
Is being forced grammatically passive or active phrase? I mean to say is it refering to act with force or something else?


texts:
Is it right to say:
Your love was unfaithful, now I let you go  ?
Should I always use the verb with 'ing' in the end after the adverb 'now'?

And also, can I say 'Now you face the world'?


texts:
Can an adverb modify gerund phrases and infinitive phrases?

The adverb ‘well’ is modifying the gerund phrase ‘speaking five languages’ or just ‘speaking’ and same for the infinitive phrase ‘to speak five languages’ or just ‘to speak’.

To speak five languages well is an advantage.
Speaking five languages well is an advantage.


texts: How to express “Cela comptera moins”? (What are the most important objectives and those that'll count less)

texts:
In the French sentence:

  Quels sont les objectifs les plus importants et ceux qui compteront moins ?

That I can approximately translate into:

  What are the most important objectives and those that'll count less?

I'm quite sure that the translation count less is quite inappropriate or at least weird for English natives, isn't it?

How should I translate it? I want to ask in my question what are the most important goals, and what are those that'll be the least important, that'll "count less", that'll matter less.


texts:
If someone asks:

  Would you mind to answer this question?

... and you answer:

  Yes.

...does that mean, you are willing to answer this question?

OR

You do mind NOT willing to answer this question?

I'm confused when people answer to "Would you mind ..." questions saying "Yes", whether they do like or not.


texts: She wants to 'poop' -is that okay if used for humans?

texts:
I know the verb 'poop' but then not sure whether it's used for humans. More often than not, I've come across this verb when we talk about pets.

But here, I'm searching for a verb in both ways - formal and informal. And yes, I want to learn how native speakers tell this-

  Yes, she wants to ____________

Please note that I am aware of the usage "She wants to go to loo/toilet" but then it does not solve my purpose. Loo/Toilet is just a place but I want to specifically ask/tell that a kid wants to defecate.

 Practical problem

At times it happens with me too!

I was at some small place near Port Hope (Canada), and I asked for a washroom thinking that it's a general term. A guy there showed me the place and I went.

I saw this-

And there was NO ...

Luckily, I wanted to go No 1. But then it triggered this question in my mind! What if I want to make sure to the listener that I am asking for a commode and not urinals.


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

  The secondary flow loss is due to interaction between vortices and
  boundary layer of suction and hub surfaces, such as tip leakage and
  hose-shoe vortices, in Wells turbine.


texts: The position of the adverb "shockingly" changes the meaning

texts:
a. He shockingly used brilliant colors in these paintings.
b. He used brilliant colors in these paintings shockingly.
c. Brilliant colors were shockingly used.
d. Brilliant colors were used shockingly.
e. Brilliant colors have been shockingly used in these paintings.
f. Brilliant colors have been used in these paintings shockingly.

In which of the above sentences

the manner in which brilliant colors were used was shocking

and which

the fact that brilliant colors were used was surprising, (Shockingly, he used brilliant colors in these paintings.)?


texts: What is the difference between keyword, abbreviation and shortcut?

texts:
Are they all the same thing? or what is the difference between them?
For example

using a keyword for presentation or while writing notes,

using shortcuts for presentation or while writing notes,

using abbreviations for presentation or while writing notes.

Here is what I know about them, shortcuts are a short way of writing words and abbreviations are also a short way of writing words and keywords are also a short way of writing words
Definition of shortcut is  "a route more direct than the one ordinarily taken" from Merriam-Webster
Definition of keyword is "A word used as a reference point for finding other words or information."  from the free dictionary
Definition of abbreviation is "a shortened form of a word or phrase." from oxford dictionary
so are all 3 of them the same thing?


texts: Can I use "aspect" in this context instead of "regard"

texts:
Context:

I would reply to your email after 10 days.
I would like to appreciate your patience in this regard.

Can I use "aspect" instead of "regard".

I think both will mean same but I need explanation.


texts:
Can I say occasion instead of time? For example:

  I remember the occasion when my kitten broke the vase. I was upset
  because that vase cost me a lot!

Or should I only say:

  I remember the time when my kitten broke the vase. I was upset
  because that vase cost me a lot!


texts:
I replied my opinion to his question.

Is this sentence acceptable?

I know that the verb 'reply' is not used transitively except for that clause.


texts: What is the difference between "over a year since..." and "over a year on since..."?

texts:
Could you tell what the difference is between over a year since and over a year on since? For example:

Over a year since the first outbreak of the disease, we have to take stoke of what we've learned about it.
Over a year on since the first outbreak of the disease, we have to take stoke of what we've learned about it.


texts:
What is the meaning of DOPE?

I recently joined a Google+ Group, the reply of a user is

  So DOPE!!!

I do not understand it, I can only guess it is good or nice, or another similar meaning.


texts: Introduce someone to something / something to someone?

texts:
What are the differences between the following to sentences? Are they all correct?

Jack introduced me the beautiful world of mathematics.
Jack introduced me to the beautiful world of mathematics.
Jack introduced the beautiful world of mathematics to me.


texts:
Hassan Rouhani, who bet his presidency on the deal — only to be repudiated by Mr. Trump — cannot stand in a third consecutive election.
What is the meaning of the bold part in the above sentence?


texts: What is the meaning of "Spray and pray"?

texts:
I have googled around the meaning of "Spray and pray"

I am not still clear about it.

When do people might use this expression?

Any help much appreciated.


texts: Which out of "Climbing up the ladder" or "Going up the ladder" is idiomatic according to British English?

texts:
Which sounds better according to British English?

Does climbing down make good sense and is it idiomatic?


texts: What role does this phrase (“for reasons of parsimony and relevance”) play in the sentence?

texts:
What role does “for reasons of parsimony and relevance” have in the last sentence? Is it a feature of “abstention”? And is “or parsimony and relevance” adjective for “reasons”? If so, then what does it mean to say a reason is of parsimony?

If we think of reasons why someone might not vote, it becomes clear
that the list is long and varied and goes beyond political
motivations. Some people are ill on the day of the election and are
unable to get to the voting booth. Others go on holiday and forget to
order a proxy vote before they leave. Some people simply forget to go
to the polling station before it closes. Yet we must abandon any
attempt to try to introduce these apolitical events into a model of
abstention for reasons of parsimony and relevance.


texts: Punctuation when there is a list in the sentence

texts:
There are many kinds of fruits: apples, oranges, pears, but, perhaps, most popular of all are grapes.

Is the punctuation in this sentence correct? If not, how should this sentence be punctuated?


texts: Looking for a way to describe a dirty kitchen

texts:
Say someone has a dirty kitchen, they fry food there with the windows shut and the oil from the food they fry stick to the windows. Now say you walk into this kitchen and you look at the windows.

How would you describe what you saw? The windows were greasy and dirty?
Idioms are also welcomed.

(I have a hard time explaining things and describing situations sometimes, so whenever my mind blanks out and I feel difficulty explaining an issue I come on here and I try to figure out ways to say it better next time.)


texts: Difference Between Have been and Have Had

texts:
We often use sentence Like this

It has been a mistake.
It has been enthralling.
He has been rewarded.

That means, we can use noun,adjective and verb past perticiple just after has been. So my question is if I write a sentence like this

Facebook has been many pernicious effects . Will it be wrong?

Though some of my friends said to me It will be

Facebook has had many pernicious effects.

But I dont understand why my sentence has not been correct.


texts:
Happy New Year!

Given that a student has graduated from ABC School.
When she wants to remind her teacher of her with her student ID.

(1): My former student ID was 12345678
(2): My old student ID was 12345678
(3): My student ID was 12345678
(4): your suggeston

I am so confused of the first two sentences because they sound like that I ever had a student of my own whose student ID was 12345678.


texts: Is 'Additionally, I would like to inform you that the room I want to rent for two people' grammatically correct?

texts:
Is this sentence correct?

Additionally, I would like to inform you that the room I want to rent for two people.


texts:
Let's say I am playing an online video game where I need to use my microphone for chatting with people. For checking if the people who are in the same game as me get my voice(sound) properly (I mean for checking if the sound they get from me is clear, if it is buzzy or not, if it is cutting in and out or not, if its volume is too high or not etc.), is it wrong if I say "Does my sound sound good?", or do I have to say "Does my voice sound good?" using the word "voice" instead?

In my opinion, in this context it is better if I say "Does my sound sound good?" or "How is my sound?" or "How does my sound sound?" or "Is my sound good?", "How is the quality of my sound" etc. by using the word "sound" instead of the word "voice" since I don't exactly ask about my voice but the quality of the sound they get from me. What they hear is not exactly my voice in this context (a voice can't buzz, can't cut in and out etc.) They are getting an electronic sound from me and I am asking about its quality. They get a "sound" from me. I am not asking a question exactly about my "voice" in that context.

In a context where I speak face to face with a person, it would be wrong to say "Does my sound sound good", "Is my sound good?" etc. by using "sound" instead of "voice" as far as I know. But in that situation where I use a microphone while playing a video game, it is not wrong to say "sound" instead of "voice" I guess.

What do you think about this? I think that it is probably better to use "sound" in this context. Because using the word "voice" can cause ambiguity. If I say "How does my voice sound" in the context I told you about, it can be understood as a question about like the beauty of my voice. But if I say "my sound" instead, it has only one meaning. It is understood only as a question about the clearness, the volume etc. of the sound my microphone carries.


texts: Natural ways to express "different levels of my address"

texts:
I live in the village of X which falls under the district of Y and that lies in the Z state of the country ABC.

Being a learner I am rather confused as to how to express this naturally.
What are the natural ways to express this?


texts: difference between continue and continue with

texts:
Though it was very late, they continued their discussion.

I interpret continue as “keep discussing without stopping”.

Can I use continue with interchangeably?


texts: Is it correct to say "it is pouring down snow". Usually one says pouring down rain,conjuring an image of rain being poured out of buckets. However, this doesn't seem right to use the idiom when speaking of snow.


texts: What's the exact meaning of "Inspire on"?

texts: I'm reading a motivational book. The author often writes "Inspire on!", it's a kind of slogan. What I don't really understand is if it means more: "inspire other people" or: "be inspired when you're doing something", or both.