texts: Meaning of 'that' in '...I expect that to take them.'

texts:
There is a striking unanimity among the current court that they really don’t know how their colleagues vote in elections, or even how they will respond to a case. “There are some on the court whose views you can guess at and be right more often than not,” mused Lord Sumption. “There’s an obvious schism between the natural parsons who tend to look at issues in moral terms and the pragmatic realists.
“Even so I constantly find that while I may be right in predicting how particular colleagues of mine will think about a legal problem, I am quite frequently wrong about the direction I expect that to take them.” (75% down the page, to the left of the picture of the library)

Would someone please explain that? Is it an indefinite demonstrative pronoun here? What's its antecedent? Is it 'a legal problem' or 'think[ing] about a legal problem', in the previous sentence in the quote? Please explain the steps or thought processes, for want of doing so by myself in the future?


texts: Why is "more than meets the eye" grammatical in some cases?

texts:
I find this idiom very interesting, idiomatic and intuitive but not that grammatical to me. Why should we use meets, the third-person singular simple present sense? Can I change it to any other senses?

For instance in this sentence from idioms.thefreedictionary.com:

  A hidden significance, greater than is first apparent, as in this
  agreement involves more than meets the eye.

can the meets be changed to meet if I make the following changes(make the singular a plural)?

  A hidden significance, greater than is first apparent, as in these
  agreements involve more than meet the eye.

Is the following also grammatical?

  A hidden significance, greater than is first apparent, as in these
  agreements involve more than meets the eye.

Or it is independent of all other elements in the sentence and fixed?


texts: What's the best preposition to use after the word "possibility"

texts:
What's the best preposition to use in this sentence:

Is there any possibility of you ensure my place?

Is there any possibility to you ensure my place?

Is there any possibility of you ensure my place?

Can I use the prepositions of/to/you after the word possibility in other cases?

tks in advance.


texts: What do you call a show that last 2 seasons?

texts:
Instead of lasting only 1 season, they should have made the show into
  a two-season show.

Let's say the year is divided into 4 seasons: fall, winter, spring, summer. What would you call a TV show whose span last 2 entire seasons? I thought about "two-season", but it sounds a bit off.


texts:
Which sentence is correct?
When to use Are you and have you?

Are you returned from conference?
Or
Have you returned from conference?


texts:
I was on the search if there is a word for three times like once and twice for one and two times.

I found an article about thrice:

  The norm here is to say once (rather than one time), and to say three times (rather than thrice) in current usage. Thrice is definitely old-fashioned, although you may still come across it in certain contexts.

There are example sentences, but I found no explanations about the certain contexts.

The Ngram doesn't show a lot hits for thrice.

Are there special contexts, when thrice is used? Is it only in old texts - or if you want to make the impression of an old text?

P.S. Thrice is the last single word for x-times.


texts: Starting a question with 'Could you' vs. 'Can you'?

texts:
What is the proper word to use when asking the question below:

  Could you please send your mobile number?

or

  Can you please send your mobile number?

Is one of those better than the other for some reason? Or are they about the same?


texts:
See this video at 1:34, the girl said "if he weren't in the movie, the Nazis would have still found the ark".

I think it is the conditional sentence type 3, and we should use past perfect in the "If clause". SO, I think she should say "if he hadn't been in the movie, the Nazis would have still found the ark"
Does native speaker wrongly use the grammar  in this particular situation?


texts: Walk in/walk into -- meaning difference, and whether there interchangeable in the given context

texts:
What's the difference between walk in and walk into in contexts like :

He walked into/in my room?

Are they interchangeable?


texts:
Bas Aarts gives the following sentence as an example of a prepositional phrase (PP) functioning as a verb complement:

  A. You can refer [PP to your notes] whenever you need to.

He argues that, unlike direct and indirect objects, these PP types of verb complements can't function as subjects of a passive sentence:

  B. *To your notes can be referred by you whenever you need to

This example has made me wonder whether the following passive sentence is acceptable or not:

  C. ?Your notes can be referred to by you whenever you need to

Please, ignore the rhyme in this example.

* indicates an ungrammatical sentence
? indicates a sentence I'm uncertain about its grammaticality


texts: "Speak a British accent" vs. "speak in a British accent"

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning between speak an accent and speak in an accent? For example:

You put on your resume that you can speak a British accent. Could you demonstrate it?

You put on your resume that you can speak in a British accent. Could you demonstrate it?


texts:
Instead of "She's short." can I say, "She's small."?
Instead of "She's tall." can I say, "She's big."?
I'd like to know the implication of "small" and "big" when describing people's appearance.
Also another question is that instead of "When I was a child," can I say, "When I was small"?


texts:
When referring to Weighing scale/s that for weighing things or people in gym for example, then what's correct? scale or scales or both correct?

I am asking it right after looking at the entry in Cambridge dictionary and I got confused because it is not clear there.


texts: Can after "the more...the more..." be a noun, not a noun phrase?

texts:
Google Translate gives me this sentence:

  He himself felt helpless in communicating, as the more he said the wrong way.

It's not "the more wrong it is", it's just plainly "the wrong way". But since the former is just a noun phrase, grammatically can it be trimmed to a single noun? Is this the wrong way or not?


texts: Past perfect continuous or past progressive

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between these 2 sentences:

  He did not answer because he had been thinking of his holidays.
  He did not answer because he was thinking of his holidays.

I think #1 means that he had finished thinking and then he could not answer, and I think #2 means that he was still thinking.

Am I wrong?


texts: The meaning of "slighted" in the specific sentence

texts:
In Tennessee William's play, "The Glass Managerie", Amanda says:

  It wasn't enough for a girl to be possessed of a pretty face and a graceful figure although I wasn't slighted in either respect."

What is the meaning of "slighted" in this sentence?


texts:
Can one write

a. The attacks when I was at the hospital were mild.

b. The attacks during my stay at the hospital were mild.

?

In these sentences 'when I was at the hospital' and 'during my stay at the hospital' are supposed to be time clauses that postmodify 'the attacks' restrictively. They are supposed to be adjectival.

The sentences are supposed to mean:

The attacks that occurred when I was at the hospital/during my stay at the hospital were mild.

Maybe there were other attacks that occurred elsewhere and were not mild.

Would you say the sentences work with that meaning?

Many thanks


texts:
The increase in crime is a sad reflection on our society
It is a reflection on our society which should make us all sad. The increase in crime makes us sad.
The increase in crime is, sadly, to be blamed on our society
It is unfortunate that we have to blame our society. Blaming our society makes us sad.
Although some people might use the second version to mean the same as the first version, technically it doesn't mean that. What you're actually saying is that it's a pity you have to blame society - perhaps you wanted to blame someone else.
Would you tell me if such explanation would be considered correct?
Many thanks


texts: What do we call the entire project which is based on arranged kinetic actions?

texts:
I love that concept whenever any company comes up with it as a part of their marketing campaign but not sure what do we call such action.

The action starts with one tiny thing (say striking a small metal ball) and it hits another thing that swings further and does some action. The beauty continues and finally a big gate may open showing some message/greetings. So, a small tiny ball to a giant gate everything happens kinetically.

Here and here are two videos showing the action which is brilliantly crafted. I know the word 'chain reaction' but I've always used, heard and seen the phrase in a different context. Even the dictionary uses an example that does not fit to my concern.


texts: illogical use of past simple in this text

texts:
Every now and then we have gone to the studio and recorded a free batch of songs, just to see what they sounded like on tape never thinking they'd one day end up on a double album.

What I don't understand is the use of past simple for sounded because both verbs before are present perfect which means that it is  still ongoing actions or  that it has  stopped very recently  and they are situated on the same time frame and suddenly past simple which means that the action  is over. It is illogical for me if they still go to the studio they still record and the songs still sound.


texts: Should I use “each vehicle axle” or “each axle”?

texts:
Here are my constructions:

  the car has mounted new brakes on each vehicle axle.
  the car has mounted new brakes on each axle.

So my question is, should I use 'each vehicle axle' or 'each axle'?


texts:
What is the difference among "division", "department" and "section" ?

  Human Resources(HR) Division, HR Department and HR Section are all equally often used in western countries and all of them has same meaning?


texts:
She kept milk in the fridge so that it couldn't go bad.

Is that sentence possible? Of course

  She kept milk in the fridge so that it wouldn't go bad.

is better.

But my students said, "She kept milk in the fridge so that it couldn't go bad."

Is this sentence correct?


texts:
It's a simple but stupid question, I don't really know when to use "a" and "one" like.
One chance or a chance.
One way or a way.
What's the difference or there isn't any?


texts: Is" Look, there are standing two policemen" an existence sentence or an inverted sentence?

texts:
Look, there are standing two policemen.

I think this sentence is an inverted sentence, its natural order should be "Look, two policemen are standing there".

However, if I parsed it as an existence sentence, it should be :"Look, there are two policemen standing".

So how to parse this sentence?


texts: When and how to use "I beg your pardon"?

texts:
I heard someone telling "I beg your pardon."

What does it mean? Can I say it when asking somebody to repeat what she just said?


texts:
What sounds better / clearer?

"Method used for the analysis of tissue aging" or "method used for tissue aging analysis"

Or even

"Method used for the analysis of aging tissue " or "method used for aging tissue analysis"

Thanks!


texts: What do I call the grammar at "following"?

texts:
The purpose of the workshop is to improve the company following discussion with the company's employees.

I'm not sure about the word following. What is its grammar function in the sentence?


texts:
What is the error in the following sentence

The examination begins from Monday next week.

On many of the websites I found that it should be on instead of from, but I think from is correct here, although on is also correct but with a difference in meaning.
Am I right?


texts: Why no definite article in 'both [the] definition and [the] treatment changed radically over those years'?

texts:
In Roger Broad's Conscription in Britain, 1939-1964: The Militarisation of a Generation (Taylor & Francis, 2006) is found this sentence:

  In 1914–18, 30 per cent of all Britain's soliders were wounded at least once; in 1939–45, 6 per cent. The chances of recovery were much better. … Psychiatric  treatments had also advanced. The progress from the dismissive 'cowardice/malingering' to 'shellshock' in the first war, through 'battle fatigue to 'post-traumatic stress disorder' parallels the recognition of the complexity of the condition.

  The comparative incidence of psychiatric injury in between the two conflicts cannot be known, for both [the] definition and [the] treatment changed radically over those years."

  Even in the Second World War the recognition of battle stress was long resisted by some military authorities: the belief that the problem was 'malingering' rather than combat-induced psychiatric disability had a long life.

Why did the author omit the definite article in this sentence? I added them there myself. To me, it sounds awkward and disjointed without the definite article.


texts:
There is a girl seated on the table.

  There is a girl sitting on the table.

Which sentences of above are correct? Could you explain how they are used as participle? Also explain the meaning of them in detail?


texts:
As I understand, in general "yet" in questions is like "already" in statements. But is it possible that this example has a different meaning? One person says that this "yet" can be translated like "still not": "You haven't still met Judy, have you?". Is it correct? I'm afraid, I can't find such rule in my grammar book.

Have you met Judy yet?

P.S. If that person is right, could you explain me how to distinguish "yet" meanings in questions?


texts:
The factors like economy and education are used to measure/decide how a
  country has been developed.

  The factors like economy and education measure/decide how a country has been
  developed.

Basically the human judge a country in terms of such factors. So I'm sure of the 1st sentence being right. But I am not about 2nd one and it seems pretty awkward only for the case with 'measure'.

But in other view point, it seems possible to use because all measuring would go in terms of those factors, so it is almost done by them.

What is proper way to say? and What causes this strangeness?


texts: "have no patient" vs "don't have patient"

texts:
Which one is correct guys?

  You have no patient and courage
  You don't have patient and courage

If both are correct explain me in detail please


texts: Subclausal negation and clausal negation: "not an uncommon mistake" vs. "a not uncommon mistake"

texts:
I'm confused about distinguishing the meaning difference in scope of negation.

  This is a common mistake.
  This is an uncommon mistake.

I know that (1) means the mistake occurs often, and (2) means the mistake rarely occurs.

However, in these sentences,

  This is a not uncommon mistake.
  This is not an uncommon mistake.

I don't know the exact meaning in (4).

I know the negative item 'not' in (3) goes with "un" in "uncommon". Therefore, this sentence can be paraphrased as " This is somewhat common."

But, I don't get the meaning (4); however, I acknowledged that the negation scope (not) goes with "is".

Does sentence (4) have same meaning with (1)?
(I just erased two negative items "not" and "un")

Or is there any other interpretation about (4)?


texts:
Here is the context :

Jim has the daughter who wants her father to buy the dog.
Jim tells the daughter that " our landlord is afraid of dogs".
But the daughter answer that "Charlie's just a little dog".

My question is how to understand the below Jim's answer :

That's the worst kind. What's more, with our luck, the dog would bite him and he would make us move out.


texts:
i am not english native speaker, i am italian.

I couldn't find a definition online.

What does "the market face" mean in this passage?

  A very significant role of the clearing house is managing the risk
  created by the transactions on the exchange. From setting the criteria
  for membership of the clearing house to establishing default rules,
  using margin systems and requiring daily settlement of resulting
  obligations of all members,  the clearing house controls the risk that
  the exchange, the members and the users of the market face.


texts: Does "ark of God" mean "Ark of the Covenant"? Does "I die with the Lord" mean " I die for the Lord"?

texts:
Does the "ark of God" mean the "Ark of the Covenant"? Does "I die with the Lord" mean " I die for the Lord"?

To the unfettered mind this sect or that seems a matter of indifference, but to Irving, both from heredity and from education, the Scottish Church was the ark of God, and yet he, its zealous, faithful son, driven by his own conscience, had rushed forth and had found the great gates which contained Salvation slammed and barred behind him.

And so, working to the very end and with the words, "If I die, I die with the Lord," upon his lips, his soul passed forth into that clearer and more golden light where the tired brain finds rest and the anxious spirit enters into a peace and assurance which life has never given.

The History of Spiritualism   By A.C Doyle
II. EDWARD IRVING: THE SHAKERS


texts: "He was unfortunate enough to be involved in a car accident"

texts: Regardless of whether there are better ways to form this sentence (and most definitely shorter) I want to know if its grammatically correct. I know "fortunate enough to" is possible (He was fornunate enough to win the lottery) but is this as well or does it sound weird?


texts:
Mrs. Jones has been selected for the post principal.

This sentence grammatically seems correct. But what if Mrs. Jones is unknown to speaker?

Than what should be the correct form to say a name of person who is known to speaker A Mrs Jones or Some Mrs. Jones or The Mrs. Jones?
And one more thing here Jones is person's last name. But if change Jones into first name for example Mr. John then does it effect my question?  I mean in that case also should we use A Mr. John and Some Mr. John or The Mrs. Jones ?(if this is correct)


texts: What does "Trash everything you think you know" mean in this context?

texts:
Firstly sorry for my bad English.

I'm translating an article about SMS Marketing. But I don't know what does Trash everything you think you know mean in the following context?

  First time customers who comb through these helpful resources observe
  a better ROI from their SMS marketing campaigns. Trash everything you
  think you know about SMS marketing. If you check out these resources
  in the order that they appear, this immediate and affordable marketing
  method will soon become second nature.


texts: What is the meaning of 'put it on your mama'?

texts:
I would like to know the meaning of 'put it on your mama' in the movie The Upside.

  Phil: That is the money for Untitled Number Zero, Or What Is Bravery. Which is now proudly hung in Carter’s trophy room.
  (Phil gives Dell 50,000 dollars. 'Untitled Number Zero, Or What Is Bravery' is Dell's painting. Phil sold it to his neighbor, Carter.)
  Dell: For real?
  Phil: For real.
  Dell: For keeps?
  Phil: For keeps.
  Dell: For... Put it on your mama?
  Phil: Put it on your mama?
  Dell: Yo, P, this is... this is crazy, man. Hell yeah, man! Hell yeah, P!

And they change the subject.
I don't understand the meaning of 'put it on your mama'.
Please help me. I would be grateful.


texts: Is this expression "she busied her new home herself" a common usage of "busy"?

texts:
It sounds like the lecturer is speaking

  Can you even do this?
  like the computer busy programs itself

I guess that lecturer's meaning might be "the computer busy itself with (writing) programs"

dictionary.cambridge gives this example of "busy"

  I busied myself with tidying up my desk.

lexico gives this example of "busy"

  ‘she busied herself with her new home’

With the lecturer's usage, this example sentence could be rewritten as "she busied her new home herself"

Is this expression a clear and normal using of "busy"?


texts: Meaning of "to have a good bead on things"

texts:
When someone says "These people have a good bead on things", what exactly does it mean?

I guess it signifies being in control of situation, but I didn't find this exact word combination. There is also "to draw a bead on", but I'm not sure whether it is an equivalent.


texts: What is the correct way to write 1.5 hours?

texts:
I'm a bit confused in describing 1.5hrs in words.

Is writing one and a half an hour correct or should it be one and half hour?

E.g:

  I'll see you there in one and a half an hour.

OR

  I'll see you there in one and half hour.

Or is there any other correct way of writing this?


texts: Difference between "was determined" and "determine"?

texts:
From an article in The Times of India:

  Class XI student girl, a native of Vazhmangalam village in
  Nagapattinam, was determined to marry the 22-year-old Rajkumar who
  hails from the same area.

Why is "was determined" used in the above sentence? Which tense or voice is it?

Is it something describing girl rather than action to be performed by her?


texts:
Would this have a question mark? (This is a lead sentence)

  Did you ever wonder how thunderstorms are formed or what happens during a thunderstorm.


texts: What is the difference between "have to do", "have to have done", "had to do" and "had to have done"?

texts:
Could you tell what is the difference in meaning between the following sentences?

To get a place at the college, you have to pass the exams.
To get a place at the college, you have to have  passed the exams.
To get a place at the college, you had to pass the exams.
To get a place at the college, you had to have passed the exams.


texts: What does “big fight on its hands” mean? Especially the phrase “on its hands”?

texts: I think the Crimean government may have a big fight on its hands persuading citizens to endorse joining Russia.Source: BBC News - Ukraine crisis: Crimea vote 'will not be recognised'


texts: Why do we reverse the order in one sentence but not the other?

texts:
1a) “What is it?”

b) “What do you think it is?” (is it reversed)

2a) “What would be a good way to go about this?”

b) “What do you think would be a good way to go about this?”

2b apparently does not get reversed,maybe the awkward sounding
“What do you think a good way to go about this would be?” is still grammatically correct but not used for the reason that it sounds bad.
Or there is a difference between sentence 1 and 2 that has one reversed but not the other.


texts:
In the following sentence which one is correct:

Do you have any idea if he will come tomorrow?
Do you have any idea that she came back late last night?


texts:
From the Cambridge Dictionary

  She's starred in several TV dramas

TV series

  A group of episodes of a television program broadcast in regular intervals with a long break between each group, usually with one year between the beginning of each.

TV dramas

  A TV drama is a show that runs in a series; it usually has a conclusion at the end ofan episode then moves on.

I guess "TV dramas" and "TV series" pretty much mean the same thing. Is my understanding correct?


texts: Shouldn't there be "he" instead of "his" in this sentence?

texts:
I read an example of the word "stupefy" in Merriam Webster Dictionaries which was:

  "stupefied by the ruling that he could not compete because his missed the qualifying age by two days"

I think there should be "he" instead of "his" in the sentence. I asked it because I think myself to be too amateur to find a mistake in a dictionary.


texts:
May I know Which one is grammatical?

The implementation after repairing is now conform to the
specification.
The implementation after repairing is now conformed to
the specification.

Note to myself: Second one is correct (by StoneyB)


texts: What's the difference between "Some time", "Sometime" and "Sometimes"

texts:
I have a question.

What is the difference between Some time, Sometime and Sometimes

When it's used?


texts:
a) I know you were sixteen on your last birthday.

Or

b) I know you have been sixteen on your last birthday.

Could you please tell me which one is correct? Please give a brief explanation. Thank you in advance.


texts:
If/Whether usage.

"It is doubtful whether he is telling the truth"

Why is it not possible to use "if" in this case?
Thank you in advance.


texts: Order for "piece of furniture" when there is a qualifier

texts:
Furniture is uncountable, so you say "A piece of furniture" but where do I put the qualifier?

Which one of those sentences is correct:

  This is a piece of self-assembly furniture

  This is a self-assembly piece of furniture

Or maybe

  This is self-assembly furniture

I find it easier with "an important piece of information" vs "a piece of important information", which both seem correct to me (with slight nuances), but "self-assembly furniture" seems less flexible to me.

"Self-assembly" seem to be a problem, so what is the correct way to use a qualifier if it's "beautiful", "ancient" or "well-designed"?

I feel like both "a beautiful piece of furniture" and "a piece of ancient furniture" are correct, an I wrong? (tell me if I'm getting to far from the original question, it's hard to tell if it's related or not from my point of view)


texts: Why the order is reversed around the conjuction 'and' here?

texts:
We often use conjunction 'and' in between two verbs, nouns or whatever we want to join.  The order does not matter in most of the cases.

  Jimmy and Jack are good friends; We are into software and hardware business; I like watching English and Hindi movies.

The order does matter in some cases...

  She ran and came to me; I looked around and crossed the road - the reverse order won't work here.

Now the googly!

  The batsman (in Cricket) is always caught and bowled. The fun is, the catch happens only after a ball being bowled! So, the batsman was bowled first and then got caught. Why not bowled and caught here?

Here it is - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_rLd7Irtm0

My homework: I googled the term but could not get it.


texts: Meaning of "The one that looks out over the pond" in the following sentence?

texts:
What is the meaning of "The one that looks out over the pond" in the following sentence:

  As her dad unlocked the front door, Sally bolted through it. She ran
  from room to room. "Which one's mine?" she asked excitedly.

  "The big corner room upstairs. The one that looks out over the pond,"
  replied her mother.

Does it mean "The big corner room at which Sally can see the pond"?

What is the difference between "the one that Sally looks out over the pond" and "the one that looks out over the pond"?


texts: What does "runner job" mean in this context?

texts:
Could you, please, help me to understand, what can be meant by "runner job"?
According to Google and dictionaries, there can be many different "runners"; context does not help at all. Is it some kind of temporary job?
Action goes in UK, London.

“So? Ibiza, then? Ian will give me the time off, and
I’ve got a month until my next runner job. Whoop,
whoop! Ibiza, here we come.” The bed squeaks in
protest as Daisy bounces up and down.
She’s got Ian, her boss, wrapped around her little finger. He lets
her work in The King’s Arms whenever she’s in between runner jobs, so
he won’t bat an eyelid if she suddenly announces she’s off on holiday
for three weeks.

C.L. Taylor "The Lie"


texts: "Ms. K should be the best person to know that..."

texts:
I am writing a sentence:

  Ms. K should be the person who knows best that there has not been such a letter.

This sentence sounds a bit wordy to me. I also feel iffy about the structure and have come up with some variations:

  Ms. K is the person who should know best that there has not been such a letter.

Do these sentences both work equally fine? Any nuances?

What about these?

  Ms. K should be the best person to know that there has not been such a letter.
  Ms. K herself should know best that there has not been such a letter.

Are these all grammatical? Which one works best? Any better ways to say what I am  trying to say?


texts:
What does there mean in "I don't agree with you there"?
And what's the difference between having there and not having there?


texts: Looking for a singular word or term to denote a question that is non accusatory

texts:
Can anyone suggest a singular word or term, if one even exits, for a question that is non accusatory in nature. I know it’s a strange question so I’ll give very simple examples

Mom
WHY DID YOU DO IT?
If say for example the son broke a vase. This is a question but an accusation as well. It attributes blame.

As opposed to say

Mom
Why did you do it?
If she was asking her son why he worked out his maths question the way he did as opposed to a different way.

Or

Police officer

Sir, where were you on the night of so and so. This appears to be a neutral question or an inquiry that doesn’t attribute an accusatory nature!

Is there a term or a singular word that denotes the difference. Would it be an insinuationary question or just an insinuation or inference?? or an interrogation or a neutral question.

A question that doesn’t denote blame or accusation. An inquiry perhaps


texts: Difference between "above" and "from above" in these sentences

texts:
Is there difference in meaning between "above" and "from above" in these two sentences?

The example below is identical to the example above, with one important difference.
The example below is identical to the example from above, with one important difference.

I wonder why "from above", rather than "above", is used in a sentence, and vice versa.
In this case, the author uses "from above", so the actual sentence that I encountered when reading a document is the second sentence. But in the same document, "above" is used as well, like this.

In the example above, --(some explanation)--.
or
In the above example, --(some explanation)--.

I guessed that "above" is used when a sentence is written just after the example which the sentence mentions, like this.

== First Example ==
The example below is identical to the example above, with one important difference.
== Second Example ==

And I also guessed that "from above" is used in a situation like this.

== First Example ==
--(some paragraph)--
--(another paragraph)--
The example below is identical to the example from above, with one important difference.
== Second Example ==

However, my guess seems wrong, because "above" and "from above" both seem to be used in both situations. Are they just replaceable and having exactly the same meaning?
Or, do "above" and "from above" have different meanings or nuances? If so, what is the difference?
I would like to use them correctly when I write sentences in English. So, would you please also tell me what condition makes someone choose "above" or "from above" to use in this kind of sentence?


texts: What is the meaning of "burning on you"?

texts:
Context: In one of the news articles, there was a statement like this: "Mayor, the city is burning on you".
The article discusses protests and arsons in the city. What exactly "burning on you mean"? Is it the arson or it means something else? I'm confused because of "on you".
Thanks in advance.


texts: "Tennis and basketball are played on a court." OR "Tennis and basketball are played on courts."

texts:
Tennis and basketball are played on a court.
Tennis and basketball are played on courts.
I have seen sentences similar to both of them in texts. But I am not sure that are they grammatically correct. Can we use them interchangeably and there is not any preference?


texts: Meaning of the phrasal verb "work up" in context

texts:
It is from this video. It is at 35 minute and 5 second.

  If they were just hemorrhaging weight. Weight is literally coming off of then, like man I don't understand what is happening. One, I am going to get them worked up for cancer.

Does the doctor mean that he is going to check the patient if them have cancer? I am in doubt because dictionaries don't do that definition.


texts: Is this sentence grammatically wrong? (Using as)

texts:
As owning a car is helpful, it costs a lot.

Is this sentence grammatically wrong? The answer key said 'As' can't be used in this situation. But I think as can be used in many different ways.


texts: routine or routinely should be used in this sentence?

texts:
a business is operating routinely.

Is the use of routinely as an adverb in that sentence appropriate?


texts: Why present perfect in this case instead of past perfect

texts:
I thought of you as everything I've had but could not keep

Lou Reed: Pale Blue Eyes

why could not keep?" Have had" means that he lost his girl very recently, it refers to the present or a very very recent past, and could not keep refers to the past.

Which action happens first? The one in past simple logically, so that means he could not keep the girl but was still thinking he could have kept her, !! why not had had or does it express that once he broke up with her he was still thinking that she was everything for him.


texts: Could "where" mean "while" at the beginning of the sentence?

texts:
I copied the sentence below from somewhere, I am not sure it is a sentence or part of a paragraph. (I added "Therefore" myself)

  ..... Therefore, where we need to work on sound-spelling relationships, we have to make sure second language learners have an accurate perception of the sounds.

The usage of "where" in this sentence was new to me, however I think I understand it! it is something like "As" or "While" or maybe the similar usage in this sentence ?

  Where others have been satisfied, Dowson had higher ambitions!

How do you explain this usage?


texts: Which is (most) correct: "permille" or "per mille"?

texts:
The spelling "percent" (one word) is generally accepted, I think. Thus I presumed that "permille" (one word) would be correct, but the Cambridge Dictionary only mentions "per mille". On the other hand, the MS Word spell check only accepts "permille" (the same is the case for the spell check in the editor on this site).
Google search seem to favor "per mille" and Wikipedia also uses that spelling, but mentions "permille" as an alternative.
So which is more correct? (and does there exist a good authoritative source apart from the SE users?)


texts: is "standby" correct for waiting for orders?

texts:
Say I am waiting for orders, or a machine is waiting for commands, can I call this to be on "stand-by"?  (or is it "standby"?)

Is the time waiting a "stand-by time"?


texts:
Is there a better way to rephrase the following sentence in math writing to be more suitable and professional for an academic paper.

... and C=[x1 , x2 , x3] is the optimal interval which is nothing but C.


texts: Why adding the article "the" when it is not needed?

texts:
There are many sentences, most are titles, that have the before nouns when they seem okay without it. I assume it is added to over-define them but not very sure.

Here is a title that uses "the" excessively:

  GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE

"People" by itself is defined and doesn't need an article.

And here is another title that has the same issue:

  About the Java Technology

So, why it is added?


texts: Difference between "running here" and "running to get here"

texts:
"I have been running here" and

"I have been running to get here"

Do they mean the same thing as in:  I am here now and I ran to get here?


texts:
The following comes from the book Shortest Way Home by Pete Buttigieg. He is explaining why he frequently visits local colleges and universities:

  I go partly because I just enjoy engaging students, who tend to ask the most urgent and penetrating questions, but also because they represent the key to a transformation now underway in what it means to be a college town.

In the sentence above, I'd like to know what this means and how the structure is composed: "in what it means to be a college town".


texts:
I am aware this sort of question has been answered before but no answer was given, so here is my question.

"Until very recently the problem has been ignored". Even though a very short while ago, until very recently to me means past time, because the problem is no longer ignored. So why not use past simple "until very recently the problem was ignored". Is it because until very recently is not an exact indication of time?

thank you


texts: If we have sentences like (he is a teacher) can we make it in present perfect to be (he been a teacher)? If the answer no why?


texts: Usage of different prepositions after 'common'

texts:
How does the meaning change with the usage of different prepositions after 'common' :

something common for people,
something common to people,
something common in people


texts: "is difficult for me" vs. "is difficult to me"

texts:
As an ESL learner, I guess I'm not the only one said something like

"English is difficult for me"

or

"English is difficult to me"

I was trying to say that learning English is not easy.
to convey the idea, should I use "for me" or "to me"?
Ngram Viewer shows the former is much more common.

The question is that the latter is just less common or grammatically incorrect?
Sometimes, using uncommon expression is a tip to get attention while using incorrect grammar is embarrassing.
I've gone through the post Should I say "It's difficult 'to me' / 'for me' to express my self"?
which doesn't explicitly claim "to me" is wrong and explain why clearly. Can somebody help me?

Another use also confuses me. I have some difficulty distinguishing "to me" and "to my ear". I understand the meaning, I just don't understand the usage.
In other words, why is "to my ear" wide recognized while "to me" is not as common, may be even incorrect?

I'm also confusing is + adjective + to/for me with "sounds good to me", as "sound/feel/look" and "to be" all are the predicate of a sentence for that kind of situation.


texts:
Among a hundred voters, only a few whose initial preferences were uncertain will vote differently about a school issue if their precinct is located in a school rather that in a church - but a few percent could tip an election.

If additional context is needed:

Sentence itself.
Preceding info.


texts: Double negative and the meaning in the context

texts:
Reading this article,, sorry to say it's very disturbing, I met a line,

  Shortly after, CNN aired an audio report from correspondent Josh Campbell, who was a few blocks away, and said he had been approached by police and after identifying himself as a CNN reporter was allowed to stay on the scene.

  “Josh, it’s impossible not to note the difference,” Camerota said. “You are a white guy, Omar Jimenez identifies as black and Latino. ... It’s just impossible not to note the difference here.”

So, is Camerota, saying he/she has no idea what is happening(racially (or simply what's going on?)) or she/he has a obscure/clearer idea what is going on(in terms of racsim)?.　Or is he/she saying that she is sure that MPD is treating CNN staff  differently by the color of their skin?

Thank you for your precious time.


texts: Same sentence structure, different modification

texts:
We learned an approach that is used to measure company growth.

  We employed a strategy that is scarcely used to generate profit.

(The above sentences probably seem weird)
In the first sentence , I think the infinitive clause belongs to the relative clause, and modifies is used:

  We learned an approach that is used to measure company growth.

but in the second sentence ,which has a similar structure, the infinitive clause does not belong to the relative clause, it modifies the verb employed :

  We employed a strategy that is scarcely used to generate profit.

How come these two sentences have similar sentence structures but the infinitive
clauses modify different part of the sentence?


texts:
Is it possible to say I am not going to bond my life with... ?
I have not found examples where "Bond" would used with a noun between BOND and WITH.


texts: Another way to say "list of/with names" would be "names list" or "name list" or "names' list"? The last one I suppose is not correct, because possesive is used for persons, am I right?


texts: How do I say 'I will see you' if I want to teach you a lesson or take revenge?

texts:
If we see somebody, we are either visiting them or meeting them (generally for all good reasons).

A doctor advising his patient to see him after a week of taking medicines. A secretary telling her client to see him on Tuesday for the deal... and so on.

But, here is my context.

Harry did too bad to me by making fun out of me. Unfortunately, in front of everyone, I could not do anything but warn him for the consequences --"I'll see you" and then I left the place.

Here, I will see Harry but this seeing is different! How should I use see somebody that does not mean meeting/visiting for all good intention? Taking revenge or teaching Harry a lesson does not require me meeting him personally! So, here, actually, I don't see him.

When a hero says to a villain that he'll see him, does it merely mean meeting as in the general context? I don't think so. The hero uses see metaphorically and does not meet the villain. He may simply damage villain's properties making him riches to rags! And the hero goes off! Where did he see him? :)

In Hindi and my mother tongue Gujarati, see you literally means I'll screw you when the time will come.


texts:
Under the entry dedicated to the verb “pay” within Longman Dictionary of Contemporary, it is stated:

"Do not use pay followed directly by a noun referring to the thing you are buying. Use pay (an amount of money) for something”

Then under that entry there is an example sentence which I think contradicts the above statement:

“You pay tax at the basic rate.”

Here “tax” is the object of “pay” but it is directly following the verb, which contradicts the statement. Am I right? If no, why?


texts:
I don't understand leave it meaning in the bold sentence.
is there any idiom meaning? or if not what it refers to?

Mrs. Warren was still trying to remember how long the girl said she meant to stay.
"I think she said as how she didn't know. We left it that she'd spend the night, and let me know next day if she nneeded the room any longer."
"What did she do for the rest of the evening?" asked Sir Robert. "She come down to the kitchen and had her supper -- just picked at it


texts: "I hadn't known about it" (tense choice)

texts:
Let's consider the following conversation:

Why don't you use such a nice application as [some application]? It can do this, it can also do that.
I hadn't known about it.

Is it correct to use the past perfect here? If not, what is the right tense to use?


texts: trainings/teaching courses about (a suitable preposition)

texts:
I want to say that the theme of trainings/teaching courses for staff is personal development. These courses are dedicated to the theme "Personal Development".

Staff of a company learn how to develop or improve their personal skills and competencies.

IS it possible to use the preposition 'about' instead of the word 'theme'?

  trainings/teaching courses about personal development


texts: The word "tagging" meaning in the context

texts:
What's the meaning of tagging in this context below?

  This was the Glendale photographer’s third year of organizing a breastfeeding mothers’ photo, but something about the timing this year led to an overwhelming response. “I had moms from all over Arizona tagging other moms, saying, ‘Please do this,’ ‘Please do this,’ ‘You have to go do this,’ ” Atkins tells Yahoo Beauty.

 Source: Yahoo Beauty

I searched the word Tag in the dictionary. It seems to me none of them can fit for this context. Can someone help to advise which one is fit?

To label, identify, or recognize with a tag or other identifier: I tagged him as a loser.
To put a ticket on (a motor vehicle) for a traffic or parking violation.
To add as an appendage to: tagged an extra paragraph on the letter.
To follow closely: Excited children tagged the circus parade to the end of its route.
To cut the tags from (sheep).
To add a taggant to: explosives that were tagged with coded microscopic bits of plastic.
Slang To mark or vandalize (a surface) with a graffiti tag: tagged the subway walls.


texts:
In following piece of text, why author used him instead of himself?

In the 1500s, the Spanish explorer Cortes met the Aztecs. Cortes became quiet interested in plantations where the Aztecs cultivated chocolate trees. When he returned to Europe, he took cacao beans with him. He introduced the people of Spain to the Aztecs' chocolate beverage.

Reference: 4000 Essential English words, Paul Nation, Book 4

According to here we not use reflexive pronoun:

  After a preposition of place or location we use a personal pronoun and
  not a reflexive pronoun.

Is this true for the above situation?


texts:
I've got answer from support team regarding cirrylic issue in the software. They have written me:

  It might be we've had a regression so we'll have the devs take a peek
  and see if we can get this sorted. I don't think using your native
  language is too much of an ask after all ;-)

What does phrase "too much of an ask after all" mean?

I suspect, that meaning is something like this:

  This problem shouldn't be a big issue for us after all.

Am I right?


texts:
Can you explain what this joke means please?

“Victorians would have been great on social media. They’d have had their own emojis. Open brackets/close brackets means ‘I’ve got Rickets”

Hal Cruttenden: Straight Outta Cruttenden
(Pleasance Two)


texts: What does the phrase 'physics defying action' mean?

texts:
I am reading the book about the Simpsons, and I am not sure what is the author trying to say in this sentence.

  'Far more than in any previous year, Season 8 is littered with scenes and plots that involve the kind of hyperkinetic cartoon violence and physics defying action that is more usually associated with Warner Brothers and Hanna-Barbera.'

PS: can I replace the word 'hyperkinetic' by the word 'exaggerated'?


texts: present progressive vs present perfect progressive

texts:
This week I am looking after my neighbor's cat.

This is a temporary situation, which is happening only this week, and I am emphasizing that fact.

  This week I have been looking after my neighbor's cat.

I am looking back from the beginning of the week until now, which may be the middle or the end of the week. I am emphasizing duration.

Am I correct?


texts: "Hiding in a wardrobe, I have finally found you!" - Who exactly is hiding in a wardrobe?

texts:
You can either think about this way:

Someone was hiding in a wardrobe and you found them.
Here "hinding in a wardrobe" is used to emphasize our disbelief that this particular person was hiding in such obvious place and it took us so long (or so little) to find them.

Or

You are hiding in a wardrobe and have found them.
Here "hiding in a wardrobe" is used to define what you were doing when suddenly you found that person.
For example, you play hide&seek, your friend hasn't gone out of their spot since a while. You jump in your wardrobe, then you realize you're not alone and you say "Hiding in a wardrobe, I have finally found!"  (cause you hid in a wardrobe and found them by accident)

These are two different meanings and I wonder... Are both of them correct and this sentence can be interpreted both ways?


texts: Why are there so many specific words for groups of animals?

texts: I found this link to names of the groups of animals. I am confused because there are so many various congregations. Is there any guidance rather than learning by rote if I want to remember them?


texts:
I was looking at the questions list and realized one hot question on the right-sidebar's list that I had never seen before, it was talking about the phrasal verb 'Scoot over' which means

  To move in order to give some space so that someone else can sit

However, how is this verb used? Is there a past form? Can I specify an exact side where I want the person to go? Like: "Scoot over a little bit to the left so I can sit"

Also, as I looked up this phrasal verb's meaning in internet, I saw this definition:

  Move to the side, especially to make room. For example, If you scoot
  over a little I'll have room to sit.

I can understand that "room" is working as "space", is it working exactly as "space"?

I also found this definition:

  To move or slide something to the side: Scoot your chair over so we
  can talk

What does "scoot the chair over" mean? Does it mean the same as above but instead of moving a body, moving the chair in order to give space?

Is there a past form of Scoot? Like: He scooted over so I could sit.


texts: What is the meaning of "to" in the sentence, "We awoke to the sound !"?

texts:
What is the meaning of "to" in the sentence, "We awoke to the sound!"?

Does "We awoke to the sound" mean "We awoke because of the sound(We awoke for the sound) ?

Does "to" in the sentence mean "because of" ?


texts: use of conditional for recount of habits

texts:
If I start using the conditional to talk about repeated actions or habits, do I have to maintain it during the whole recount or can I switch to simple past in the next sentences?

  He would turn up at the gallery, saying he had just been in the
  neighborhood, and she would pretend to believe him and invite him for
  coffee or lunch. If she happened to be busy, Michael would
  occupy/occupied himself by admiring the paintings. Or he would
  take/took one of the books from the shelf...


texts:
Is it so that every sentence can be categorized into a type of tenses?

You seem to be smart.
I am hungry.
Hello.
Close the door.
How are you?

What are the tenses of the above 5 sentences?
If it so that not every sentence can be categorized into a type of tenses, then how can I come to know if it is following a tense or not?


texts:
There were many girls au naturel at Normandy...

Does this mean on the beach of Normandy?


texts:
I used this link but it didn't help me get what the writer meant. https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/159638/what-does-moonshots-mean

""You do realize that at Google that is what we qualify as a moonshot?" Deane remembers the Google team asking her when they heard her story."

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/13/this-mom-built-a-65-million-business-the-cambridge-satchel-company.html


texts:
Do not try in your home whatever you see here.

Is the sentence correct grammatically?Otherwise, how to use to speak such type of sentence?


texts:
One of the best gift / gifts in my life is love.

When I indicate a single thing (love) as best, after "One of the best" would it be gift or gifts?


texts: Present perfect vs present perfect progressive

texts:
We have been living in Saudi Arabia ..

  We have lived in Saudi Arabia
  ...

What is the difference between them, or they are the same in meaning ?
And what do you understand, when you hear these two sentences?


texts:
Which one is the correct format to use the adverb "reluctantly"? Or are both correct?

"I do not know..." reluctantly, responded one of them.

OR

"I do not know..." responded one of them reluctantly.

Thank you very much!


texts: You will find it hard to believe, but I have decided to move into the country. What is the it's mean?


texts:
Was looking up the meaning of few, couple, several and many and stumbled upon the follow:

Couple ("A couple of") - Idiom 14:

  a couple of, more than two, but not many, of; a small number of; a few: It will take a couple of days for the package to get there.
  A dinner party, whether for a couple of old friends or eight new acquaintances, takes nearly the same amount of effort.
  Also, Informal, a couple.

So thus we know a couple is more than two but not many. Then we look up several:

Several - 1:

  being more than two but fewer than many in number or kind:
  several ways of doing it.

So that raises the question, what is few?

Few - 1:

  not many but more than one:
  Few artists live luxuriously.

So if many is interpreted as the same in both couple and several. That would mean that couple is 2 or more but not many and several is 2 or more but not more than many - 1. Thus several is less than the idiom "a couple of".

My initial thought was that "a couple of" would mean a small number even possibly 2 or more, but several would maybe overlap and then be larger than "a couple of".

So is this correct, is the range of several actually smaller than couple?


texts:
The more I read the more I understand that I do not know anything

vs

  The more I read the more I understand that I know nothing


texts: position of adjective when the noun is followed by preposition

texts:
Where should I place an adjective when the noun is followed by a preposition?
Which is the right way to use of the below sentences?

  He is a suitable man for any post.

  Or

  He is a man suitable for any post.

Is there any difference in meaning between these two sentence?


texts: Is "V-ing of something" structure always possible?

texts:
I just have read an article of gerund on Grammar girl
 and started to wonder.
Can transitive verbs always have gerund form followed by "of objective" ?

As shown on the site,

  they defuse the bomb.

  .... their defusing of the bomb....

Defuse can be written in both style.

Then, can the others like drink, put, demonstrate, and etc be used that way?

  They drink the Coke.

  ... their drinking of the Coke...


texts:
I need grammatical explanation for this sentence "its poor torn mouth an O of agony". It's weird to me that there is no verb in this sentence, I think it would be like "It's poor torn mouth formed an O of agony"

Full context:

  The boy seized it and tore the bait from its mouth, ripping it horribly.

  'Oh!' I whispered, covering my own lips.

  It got a lot worse. The fish was flopping about frantically, its poor torn mouth an O of agony.

From "Buried Alive" by Jacqueline Wilson


texts: When I grow up, I will be a nurse and look after patients.Why use simple present in the clause?

texts: grow up is a thing that will happen in the future. Why not use the future tense here? I am a little confused.


texts:
A leaf from her diary is included in the book but not in the exhibition.
My question is:
Does a leaf mean a leaf or a sheet?


texts: Is it ever OK to use a question mark after a period?

texts:
I know you can abbreviate the United States as U.S., US, or USA.

If you elect to use U.S., can you use a question mark after this version?

For example: Do you like to travel to the U.S.?


texts: I'm being corrected "I had a headache yesterday" vs "I have had a headache yesterday"

texts:
My friend asked me just today, "Hey, how are you?"

  I said, "Tired, sleepy, and can't concentrate on my work."

  He then asked, "Why so?"

Here is where the interesting part starts.

  I said, "I have had a headache yesterday"

He said that I should have said "I had a headache yesterday" instead of "I have had a headache yesterday"

But all grammar books say that with Present Perfect + Past Tense we mean an action that continues into the present; has consequences in the present.

I didn't want to just tell the fact that I had a headache but I implied that that was the reason I was "Tired, sleepy, and can't concentrate on my work."

Who is right?


texts:
Merovingian: Oh God, my God, Persephone how could you do this, you
betrayed me!
Persephone: Cause and effect, my love.
Merovingian: Cause? There is no cause for this, what cause?
Persephone: What cause? How about the lipstick you're still wearing?
Merovingian: Lipstick? Lipstick? What craziness you are talking about
woman, there is no lipstick.
Persephone: She wasn't kissing your face, my love.
Merovingian: Ai-ai-ai-ai-ai-ai, woman, this is nothing, c'est rien,
c'est rien du tout. [Trans: This is nothing, this is nothing at all]
It's a game, it is only a game.
Persephone: So is this. Have fun.
-- Scene from The Matrix Reloaded

I'm wondering why past continuous tense is used. I would say "She didn't kiss your face" instead.
Any nuances suggested?


texts: Are there any differences between "sight" and "eyesight"?

texts:
He lost his sight.
  He lost his eyesight.

Are both natural and are there any differences between them?


texts: What is the rule of "If" in this sentence?

texts:
If it inspires them to create their own businesses to sell via its platform, so much the better.

According to the rule of "If" sentence,  we know that ,If (If+ Subject + present) tense then  use ( subject + will,,,,,,)
but in this sentence this, I can't see this rules. How do make this sentence. And, what is the meaning of this sentence?


texts: Adjective describing an airplane that's in the boarding process?

texts:
An [adjective] airplane.

  Definition: In the process of having passengers go on board; being boarded by passengers.

Does 'boarding' fit?


texts: What does 'Left to walk the last yards into Austria' mean?

texts:
Left to walk the last yards into Austria, rain-soaked migrants, many of them refugees from Syria's civil war, were whisked by train and shuttle bus to Vienna, where many said they were resolved to continue on to Germany.

Source: Reuters, Newsweek et al.


texts:
She started shivering, so Jonas took her one hand, Father took another / the other and they comforted her.

The other is definitely appropriate here. But what about another? There is only one arm left, is it semantically correct to say another when refer to only one object?


texts: "Where will you go" vs. "Where you will go"

texts:
Which sentence is correct between these?

  Where will you go?

  Where you will go?


texts: "Since" vs "since then" at the end of a sentence

texts:
Related to this question: "Since" at the end of a sentence where it was stated that since can be used at the end of a sentence:

  There were the children to consider. She had told him she wanted a divorce two days ago, and neither of them had slept since.

Is the above prefered over:

  There were the children to consider. She had told him she wanted a divorce two days ago, and neither of them had slept since then.

Does it depende on the context, or are they equally valid?


texts: Difference between "immediately", "promptly" and etc

texts:
For me all the adverbs below mean the same thing, but I need to know more about the nuances between them to be able to use each one in more proper and appropriate situations in my sentences; I would be grateful if you could help me:

  Immediately
  Promptly
  Right away
  At once
  Forthwith

The only differences which I can consider between them is that "immediately' implies a faster result than "promptly" though they both always can be swapped. In other hand, "forthwith" is the most formal among the adverbs in my list, then 'immediately' and 'promptly' have the same formality level and finally 'right away' and 'at once' are the most informal choices among these all, though, they can be used in formal and written English too.
I need your confirmation or some amendments on my thoughts.


texts:
Source: National Geographic Magazine

  China is on the brink of a huge demographic shift. Over the next two decades, an unprecedented baby boom from the 1960s will age into “the largest number of elderly ever in the history of China,” says Yu Xie, a Princeton University sociologist who studies the country.

Why is elderly, adjective, not followed by a noun.

Is it a kind of ellipsis? Because the omitted word is assumed to be “people”.


texts: Is there any difference between "in a manner that does" and "in such a manner as to do"?

texts:
I found the following sentence:

  The hard drive is destroyed in a manner that does not allow it to be
  rebuilt.

I would like to know whether it can be rewritten as follows:

  The hard drive is destroyed in such a manner as not to allow it to be
  rebuilt.

In fact, when I googled the phrase "in such a manner as not to allow", only some results were found.  Then, I googled the phrase "in a manner that does not allow", much more results were found. So, I am afraid whether the phrase "in such a manner as not to allow" sounds strange to natives.


texts:
In formal writing, if I have 2 examples to depict what I said earlier, can I start writing a sentence using 'for another example' form after explaining my first example using 'for example'? More clearly:

for example, bla bla bla.... .
for another example, bla bla bla ... .

is this construction suitable in formal writing?


texts: When do we say 'an advantage' and 'a plus'

texts: Could you tell me about the difference between 'an advantage' and 'a plus'. Are there any differences? Do we use 'an advantage' in formal style?


texts: lyrics differ from song? Is there a " 'cause " in the song "It's a jungle out there"?

texts:
The theme song in the series "Monk" is "It's a jungle out there" by Randy Newman. You can listen to it here.
When I listen to it, I always hear

People think I'm crazy, they worry all the time

But in the official lyrics it says:

People think I'm crazy, 'cause I worry all the time

No matter how often I try to hear the 'cause I, I just can't sound it out. When I try to sing along, I can't speak 'cause I' as fast as Newman does (if he really speaks/sings it, which I can't catch).

Do native speakers hear it? If they don't know the lyrics and listen to the song for the first time, would they be able to write it down correctly or is it just not there?


texts:
If God commands or loves what he or she commands or loves because it
is morally good then this makes morality in some sense independent of
God. He or she is responding to pre-existing moral values that occur
in the universe: discovering rather than creating them. On this view,
it would be possible to describe morality completely without any
mention of God, though it might be thought that God provides us with
more reliable information about morality than we would otherwise
be able to glean from the world with our limited intellects.
Nevertheless, on this view, God is not the source of morality.

Nigel Warburton, Philosophy: The basics
Why did the author put the word "otherwise" there. I think it's redundant. Could you explain it to me?


texts: What single word can replace 'nearly never' in 'It nearly never occurs'?

texts:
I am talking about an event that is nearly never observed, but I don't want to say "it does not happen" but this would not be correct. Is it possible to write

  It nearly never occurs.

with a single word for "nearly never".

I've found "almost never" could be a good choice, but I would like a single word if this exists.

context : Fires "nearly never" occur more than once in the same year.

EDIT :

I consider that fires are already a "rare event". A second fire in a place that has already burnt (therefore with usually no more inflammable substances) should therefore not occur. However, it does sometime occur (with a very small probability) when the first fire did not burn everything and there is a new start of fire and the external conditions are favourable to fire etc. Hence my quest for a "nearly never" word, which I didn't like.

I had several answer and I thank all who answered. However, most answers provide more than one solution so I cannot make the difference between good "answers" and good "solutions" based on the vote. I personnally see three options :

option 1 : forget about using a single word and use "almost never"

option 2 : use "rarely" (voted up in the comment, voted down in one answer (or maybe the answer was voted down because it was too short) because almost never is too strong. But as I said I am looking for something strong, maybe something between "almost never" which seems to be used for probability of "0" and rarely (probability of 0.0001). In my case it is like a probability of 0.000000001.

option 3 : use scarcely, which is the closest match to "almost never". @helix mentioned it and the definition seemed appropriate in my case.


texts: referring to multiple similar periods of times by a singular noun with the definite article preceding it

texts:
Is it okay in English to refer to multiple similar periods of times by a singular noun with the definite article preceding it?

For example, is it okay to say:

  Judging by her common reactions in the lesson, I could tell
  that her listening comprehension was constantly growing this year.

instead of

  Judging by her common reactions in lessons, I could tell that
  her listening comprehension was constantly growing this year.

?


texts: Can " not necessarily" stand before a noun?

texts:
I've come across the use of "not necessarily" in many sentences in which the phrase stands before a noun or a noun phrase. As far as I'm concerned, a structure like "Adverb + Noun" is never correct. Please help me out.

Example: This is not necessarily a bad thing.


texts:
How to tell someone that you still remember him? which sentence is correct?

  I will never forget you.
  I will never forgot you.
  I will never forgotten you.


texts:
I have a sentence, He is go to school. and although He, is and go, all are in singular form. I am not sure why He is going to school sounds more accurate than He is go to school.

Can anyone suggest what grammar error it exactly violates in doing so?


texts: Using the past perfect in a simple sentence

texts:
My English grammar book ("English Grammar" by David Daniels and Barbara Daniels) describes the past perfect as follows:

  The past perfect describes an event in the past and shows that it was still relevant at a later time.

The given example is the following one:

  Mario had already arrived home when his mother walked in.

Is it possible to use the past perfect in a simple sentence?

  Mario had arrived home.

I could use the present perfect ("Mario has arrived home.") and that sentence would mean Mario is still at home. What would I get from the simple sentence using the past perfect?


texts: Meaning of "take" at the beginning of a sentence

texts:
I couldn't understand the mechanism of a sentence from the  book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall:

  when it comes to grabbing a spotlight and persuading people to do
  things they’d rather not, Fisher could put a televangelist to shame
  (well, as much as that’s possible). Take this classic Fish tale that
  Krakauer tells about a rafting trip Fisher made into the Copper
  Canyons in the mid-1980s.

My problem is with the second sentence Take this classic.... I can't understand the usage of the verb "take" at the beginning and so the rest of the sentence confuses me.


texts:
So I stumbled upon this somewhat old music record label (you can google it if you are not familiar with it). Then I thought, why is there an 'a' article. Shouldn't it be 'the'? In any name of a movie, band or song there is always "the". For example, The Cranberries, The Beatles, The Avengers, etc. I know that the author, Armin van Buuren, is from Netherlands so his lack of English knowledge may have caused this.

Is that 'a' OK? If yes, then what meaning does the title convey? Also, is it OK, but feels weird to an English-speaker's ear?


texts: Why is it "all of us" rather than "all of we" or something similar?

texts:
So I can say this:

  All of us eat.

Using "us", an object pronoun, and saying that everyone in a group eats. I can also say similar things like

  All of them eat.

Which uses "them", also an object pronoun.

Why is an object pronoun used in these prases rather than a subject pronoun?


texts: Three is to triplet as five is to X? Three is to cardinal number as triplet is to Y?

texts:
I wonder if a rule exists for the transform? I tried this online tool: http://bionlp-www.utu.fi/wv_demo/ but only got the following which I thought are not what I expected:

  triplets
  quadruplets
  twins
  chromosome
  sibling

Can I find the analogies for "one", "two" and "six" and other numbers?

I know the cardinal numbers, such as 1 to 10, and I also know the ordinal numbers, for instance, 1st to 10th, but I don't know that kind of number triplet is?


texts:
It is from Crash Course World History. It is at around 8 minute and 39 second. Here it goes:

  Culinary cultural fusion is all the rage; more novels translated from languages then ever before, although few are read, and in the surest sign of cultural globalization, football, the world's game, finally has reached America.

I guess the sentence would make sense if the preposition in were dropped out. Could you please tell me what did the host use it for?


texts: What does "it's good for you to pass the exam" mean?

texts:
What does

  "It's good for you to pass the exam"

mean?

If the situation is that "you" has already passed the exam, could the sentence mean that "It's good for you that you passed the exam"?

I think so at least according to this situation.


texts:
I checked many dictionaries and the examples of poor in the context of sympathy state 'thing', 'you' or a direct name (proper noun). I wonder what is the correct form of the pronoun there?

  Poor him/he?

Ngram shows both in practice!

Reason?


texts:
I've been proofreading a document, and came across many instances of "set aside" being used this way:

e.g. "You'll need to set aside funds", or "They fail to set aside enough time and resources", or "when it comes to setting aside a budget"

It sounds a bit off to me, so I've been correcting it to e.g. "You'll need to set funds aside".

Is using "set aside" that way wrong though? I feel it makes the sentence/action sound more passive somehow, or just plain awkward.

I've just learned that it's okay to use "you've" without "got" behind or expanded as "you have" though it sounds strange to me. e.g. "You can do this when you've data" or "You've the tools you need to succeed", so I'm curious to know if the "set aside" examples are grammatically incorrect or I'm just being anal.


texts:
Should "the" be used in this thesis title?

  "Reducing the Human Efforts in Data Analysis"

Should it be:

"Reducing the Human Efforts in Data Analysis"

or:

"Reducing Human Efforts in Data Analysis"


texts:
What does "its" refer to in "...Australia led the way in its development and application of a principled law of restitution..."? Here's the context:

  We were enthralled by the decisions and reasoning in cases such as: Pavey & Matthews Pty Ltd v Paul, rejecting the implied contract theory and awarding a quantum meruit for work done under an unenforceable contract; David Securities Property Ltd v Commonwealth Bank of Australia allowing restitution for mistake of law and recognizing the change of position defence; and Commissioner of State Revenue (Vic) v Royal Insurance Australia Ltd rejecting a passing on defence to a claim for restitution of mistakenly overpaid stamp duty. At that time Australia led the way in its development and application of a principled law of restitution and England lagged woefully behind.


texts:
I have a tendency to say:

  That’s how I believe it works.

Instead of:

  I believe that’s how it works.

Is it grammatical?


texts:
I would like to learn how to use two or more relative clauses in a row.
I'll give a few examples
1- The car that I really like that my father gifted me is so expensive.
(The car that I really like and this car gifted to me by my father)
2-) The car that I really like, that my father gifted me, that was manufactured in Italy, that has a strong engine is so expensive.(I know this sentence is unnecessarily long, but I did it on purpose to learn how to use relative clauses in a row)
3-) The car that I really like manufactured in Italy is so expensive / or / The car that I really like, manufactured in Italy is so expensive.
My questions based on the sentences above are

Are they grammatically correct even if not preferable?

Is it a correct usage that I used commas with "that" to list relative clauses in a row?

Which usage is correct in the 3rd example?

Thanks a lot.


texts: Why is "Susan picked the baby up gently so as not to wake him" correct?

texts:
Why is the first sentence correct whereas the second one is not?

  Susan picked the baby up gently so as not to wake him.

vs

  Susan picked the baby up gently so to do not wake him.


texts: My fifteen year anniversary/My 15th anniversary at the company

texts:
Three months ago it was my fifteen year anniversary at the company so I received this gift basket. It was a very nice gift basket, but i'd just expected a pay rise or at least some kind of bonus instead.
First question:
Did a search on Google and found a lot of my 10th anniversary at the company, which I assume must be 10 years at the company. Is that generally a more natural way to write/say this, leaving out year?
Second question:
Is it natural to say this instead of a even though the speaker is not pointing at the gift basket or showing it to the one he's saying this too?


texts: Is there at least a single English word which starts with the [ʊ] sound?

texts:
[ʊ] is a short vowel sound, as in good or wolf or bush.
Is there at least one word which starts with it in English?


texts:
They were listening scared.

Is there anything wrong with this sentence? I searched Google Books and this expression does not seem to appear anywhere:

  listening scared

Not even Ngram recognizes it as a valid arrangement of words.


texts:
A double number is two identical numbers, e.g. 007 (double O seven)
A double chin is someone who appears to have two chins
A double feature is a program showing two feature-length movies
A double D is a bra with two DD cups
A double standard is a rule or principle which is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups (EOD)
A double yolk is an egg with two yolks

All the nouns listed above are countable but stay singular. On the other hand, if we substituted the word double with two the noun is pluralized e.g.

  I cracked open an egg and found two yolks

Why don't we use the plural noun in these cases?

I cracked open an egg and found double yolks (NO)
I cracked open an egg and found a double yolk (YES)

There appears to be an exception to the rule and it is double doors. According to Ngram, today the plural form compared to its singular counterpart is used 80 times more frequently.
(Hopefully, I didn't mess up the maths, but if I did please correct me)


texts:
Are both of below sentences correct?

I had a lot of luck yesterday.
I had lots of luck yesterday.

Are they interchangeable?


texts: Are the listed words colloquial to use in writing

texts:
Are the listed words colloquial to use while writing?

I second this opinion.
I reckon, it would benefit both
Due to the non stop rain

Should we avoid using these in writing?

Can someone clarify? Thanks.


texts: Is it correct saying "buy something hand-to-hand"?

texts: In trades I really need to know if is correct the use of this idiom. If its ok or not, would you tell me what are the common ways to express when we need to buy or sell some goods when the buyer and the seller are face-to-face? Please, teach me the formal and informal ways to treat someone properly (without being rude).


texts: Which option is correct in the given sentence?

texts: "The people in the west have been considering (separate/separating) themselves from the rest of the country." Which one is correct and why?


texts: What is the meaning of the sentence in bold? How to analyze its tense

texts:
<@1.1>It's only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world
  away.<@1.2>What better place to rest than a country where the only
  place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in
  "Fiji time"?

  <@2.1>Viti Lev-Great Fiji-is the largest island.<@2.2>Here you'll find
  the capital Suva and the international airport at Nadi Vatoa, on the
  other hand, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Hiji.<@2.3>Then
  there are 331 other islands, many of them with places to stay.

  <@3.1>With less than a million people living on islands, you'll never
  feel crowded.<@3.2>And with a climate（气候）that changes only for five
  degrees between seasons, there's never a bad time to come.

  <@4.1>From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water
  sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give you more adventures and
  special experiences than you could find almost any where in the world.

  <@5.1>Whenever you come , wherever you go ,you're sure to see some
  unforgettable events , From war dances to religious （宗教的）
  songs.<@5.2>From market days to religious days.<@5.3>It's not just
  staged  for tourists; it's still a part of everyday life in Fiji And
  any one of us can enjoy Fiji's spirit by being part of the traditional
  （传统的） sharing of yaqona-a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant

  <@6.1>So why not join us for the experience of a lifetime?


texts: Does a wind "picking up" have the same meaning as "getting strong"?

texts:
The wind is getting strong.

Can I also say the quoted sentence:

  The wind is picking up

Is it right to say it like this?


texts:
He did dance on the stage.

  He danced on the stage.

Is there any difference in these two sentences or they can be used interchangeably ?


texts:
I am aware that the word "above" has lots of meanings, such as

  in or to a higher position than something else;

  more than an amount or level;

  in a more important or advanced position than someone else.

This post focuses on the first meaning, that is, "a higher position".

The following sentence is meaningful

  It's on the shelf just above your head

since it tells me where is the thing I am looking for.

Technically, the sentence is correct "the bird is above the tree", although the bird is a bit far from the tree.

In real life, are there some situations where I need to use "above" to describe something far away?


texts: Is "What do you know" the same as "You know what"

texts:
Is "What do you know?" the same as "You know what?" If It is different, How to different?

effort

I tried Google Search(in Japanese)
keyword - You know what means and different from you know what and what do you know

I searched the keyword in Japanese without "You know what" and "What do you know".

after that, I knew:

"You know what" means

How to use

but I did not know "What do you know" means and how to different.

Please teaching of that. Thank you.


texts:
Suppose you are going to formally convey that somebody's words is confirming your words; in my mother language, when it comes to such need and one tends to talk a bit formally, there is a fixed term; "stamp of approval" is it's precise translation; how one can say such thing in AE; please have a consideration on my self-made example:

  His verbal consent was as good as a stamp of approval on the job I did.
  His verbal consent was as good as a stamp of approval on what I said.

Do you Americans say such thing in daily formal situations?


texts:
First let me give a few sentences of generic reference :
1) A man needs friends.
2) Men need friends.

In 1) & 2) it refers to all men (men in general) or simply put 'man' is used as a generic noun here. My question is in this example is 'friends' also a generic noun here (friends in general)

Another part of question, can we use a sentence like this having the same meaning as above : 'A man needs a friend'.


texts:
Suppose the following assignment:

  X=20

I know that the common phrase is:

  20 is assigned to X

How can I say the sentence in reverse order, to begin with X?


texts: what does the term "X is my middle name" mean?

texts:
what does the term "watch and learn. 'parking violation' is my middle name" mean?
I saw it on a movie, and a officer said it to her friend.

(source: imgh.us)


texts:
the Triumph of the French government over the English does in fact
afford me a degree of pleasure which it is very difficult to
disguise.' ...

Does this mean "a certain amount of"?
However it sounds odd here.
I thought it meant "a lot of pleasure" here.
What do you think?

Source


texts: "I'll show it (on? by? with?...) a simple example."

texts: Suppose, I have conjectured some general law ("The longer the tail is, the cleverer is the owner", say). How to express the idea that I am going to confirm this law by considering a simple specific case (cats, say)?


texts:
I cut my kid's fingernails.

When speak to the kid, "Let me help you cut your fingernails."

  I help my kid to cut his fingernails.

Does it make sense? Can I use help in that way?
Or I should omit the "help" just say "Let me cut your fingernails" "I cut his fingernails."


texts: I don't understand what "that is" means in this passage

texts:
It's not a problem to rely on a powerful weapon. If you can find one, that is.

I don't get that "that is". Could somebody please explain it?


texts: didn’t look ashamed and  or  from his gaze?

texts:
Should I use the base form of the verb “flinch” after "and", or should I use the past tense?

  a. When she stared back at him, he didn’t look ashamed and flinch away from his gaze.

  b. When she stared back at him, he didn’t look ashamed and didn’t flinch away from his gaze.

Here's what I think: I believe they are both correct. The “didn’t” applies both to “feel ashamed” and to “flinch away”.


texts:
In Russian where is a fixed phrase "для всех времен" it can be translated as  "for all time", "for all times" but actually it describes that something has a timeless value. It seems to me, that this word-by-word translation is not enough definitive, and does not use in English that meaning. So, I thought about "for all ages". It looks like original phrase, but when I googled it, I found that it uses in general in meaning "Suits for all ages"...

It seems to me that "for all times" it more suitable variant. But maybe
I miss something?


texts: "Despite the fact that" or "Even though" - Which is more stronger and emphatic?

texts:
I know that "even though" is more stronger than "although". The former "makes the contrast between the main and subordinate clauses stronger or more emphatic." I know they all are used to show contrast.

Source 1: Is there a difference between “although” and “even though”?
Source 2: Despite vs although

In an academic piece, I have the following sentence:

  Even though Scarlett and Melissa both worked at the same firm and had equivalent work histories, Scarlett receives 16 more weeks of EI benefits (for a total of 30 weeks) than Melissa.

Or

  Despite the fact that Scarlett and Melissa ...

Question: Between "even though" and "despite the fact that", which one gives the sentence a stronger contrast?

Background: Two unemployed workers who have equivalent work histories and who worked at the same firm prior to layoff receive widely varied unemployment benefits due to some program rules. In my sentence, I am trying to put emphasis on the unfair treatment of such workers.


texts: What's the difference between "found" and "establish"?

texts:
Google was established in 1998.
  Google was founded in 1998.

In Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary, both establish (2a) and found (1) share the definition below:

  to begin or create (something that is meant to last for a long time).

They are especially confusing in the case of creating a company or organization, as in the example above indicate.

How do you differentiate them?


texts:
This is a lyric of "Still Alive", the main theme of a famous game 'Portal'.

I'm not even angry.
I'm being so sincere right now.
Even though you broke my heart.
And killed me.
And tore me to pieces.
And threw every piece into a fire.
As they burned it hurt because
I was so happy for you!

And I can't quite comprehend the last two lines as I can't figure out how the 'As' works.

Since this game is very famous, the song was translated to my mother tongue language.
Thanks to the version, I regard the lyric as nearly equal to:

...
And threw every piece into a fire.
Even though it hurt me a lot to get burned,
I was still so happy for you!

This reading corresponds to the game scenario.
(She actually not even angry to get killed by the player. She ultimately won)
In my understanding, the 'As' or 'Because' in the original lyrics should work as contrastive conjunction.

But I think 'As they burned' in the original lyric is an adverbial phrase modifying 'it hurt'.
With the view, that lines become:

() it hurt because I was so happy for you!

sounds like it hurt because get betrayed.
This reading doesn't correspond to the translated version nor to the scenario.

Is the reading correct?
How this 'As' grammatically works?
Who/What is 'they'? the fire? 'you'?


texts: If I were you I would tell them it was or is true?

texts:
If I were you, I would tell them (that it is not true.)

The bracket portion should it be in "Past" or "Present"? I am confused because we are using "Past" for the rest of the sentence.

  If I were you, I would tell them that (it was not true.)


texts: What is the difference of 'sat on' and 'sat in'?

texts:
According to ngram "he sat in" has slightly more frequency than "he sat on", but both are used, so they must be grammatically correct.

Could they be used interchangeably without different meaning? But if the meaning altered, what is the difference?


texts: What is the meaning of then in the given sentence?

texts:
In the sentence

  The first documented WNV case in Kerala was in Alappuzha in 2011, with the numbers then growing.

What does then mean in this sentence?

What I think is-
Here then is used as an adverb that refers to a particular time.I interpret it this way-

  The first documented WNV case in Kerala was in Alappuzha in 2011, and the population of this virus was rising at that time(in 2011).

But I am not sure if I am correct. Help me understand it better.
Thanks in advance......


texts:
I was a little confused by the meaning of the adverb in here:

  And yet he hesitated before taking his first step toward his destiny.

I expected still instead of yet in that sentence. Does it have the same meaning here?


texts:
opera: [countable] a company that performs opera; a building in
  which operas are performed

  We've got this rule:

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

  Books are so important in my life. (I mean all books in general.)

  The books were all over the floor. (I mean specific books that you and I know).

By applying this rule, we got

"I love to go to operas" (I mean all operas in general.)

But we've also got  this rule

  When we talk in general about inventions, musical instruments or
  cultural institutions (such as the cinema, the theatre, the circus,
  the opera, the ballet), we often use the:

  The computer must be the greatest invention ever. (The computer as an
  invention in general, not a specific computer)

  The violin sounds different to the viola.

  I love a night at the opera.

So, "I love to go to the opera" (the opera as a cultural institution in general, not a specific cultural institution.)

So, What are the differences between "I love to go to the opera" or "I love to go to operas"?


texts: "page has not updated" or "page has not been updated"

texts:
Which one is correct?

  page has not updated

or

  page has not been updated.


texts: Why is unanimously spoken different than uninstall or unaccepted?

texts:
So I just read "Animal Farm" and there were a lot of words I didnt heard once in my lifetime, as "hitherto" but another word caught my attention.

Why is unanimously beginning with you-like u instead of typical u like in "underrated"? I know there are a lot of words like this and they are also pretty important when it comes to "when to use a or an" because even though an is used for most words with leading vocal, some words, I guess are considered to be different, so we would use a (just like with unanimously, I'd use a instead of an) but does anyone have an explanation for this? Is there a certain rule or just experience and knowledge?


texts: Meaning of "I ignored the flashes of lightning around me. They either >had your number< on them or they didn't."

texts:
I walked down the long, wet cobblestone hill into town. I ignored the flashes of lightning around me. They either had your number on them or they didn't.

Source: J. D. Salinger: For Esmé – with Love and Squalor

What does the last sentence mean? The literal translation does not make much sense here. Is this ("to have a number on somebody") some kind of idiom?


texts:
When you say, "I opened the box to find his letter inside," which of the following does it mean?

A: I opened the box and (as a result) I found his letter inside.
B: I opened the box in order to look for his letter inside.

Will you have to guess from the overall context?


texts:
Difference between the following:

A) When does she go to office?

B) At what time, she goes to office?

C) When is she going to office?


texts:
I understand the meaning of this sentence:

  A bad teacher will aim at imposing his opinion, and turning out a set of pupils all of whom will give the same definite answer on a doubtful point.

But I don't know the exact meanig of 'point' here. Does it mean time, situation, idea or ...? Since the preposition 'on' is used, maybe time is the correct answer.


texts:
As a result, a qualitative polymer prototype was produced having weight of 13 g – ten times lighter than the original.

I found the sentence above on the internet . Would it be correct if I use with instead of having ? And are “having///with” same in the sentence above and the sentence below ?

  Seats are produced with///having a weight of 12 kg. Otherwise there may be risk of breakage.


texts: What is the adjective that has the meaning of "no copyright"?

texts:
How can I describe a music that does not have copyright?

I found two words on the internet but I'm not sure if they are correct:

1. Uncopyrighted Music

2. Non-copyrighted Music

Is there a better way to say it?

Thank you very much,


texts: they would have slain Hodur there and then, were it not that killing was not permitted in asgard, not that loki paid any attention to that rule.


texts: I go to school on foot every day or I go to school every day on foot

texts:
Could I write:

  I go to school every day on foot

or should "every day" be at the end of the sentence?

How about:

  go to school by bike
  go to school by my bike

Are both of them okay?


texts: How to say that some amount of money equals the demanded amount?

texts:
My question relates to this: How to say "pay exact amount of money"

Now my question is from the payers point of view, not the payee.

During my latest trip I literally said to the the bartender "It's exact". I was referring to the amount of money I gave him, which equaled the amount of money the bartender asked me to pay for the drinks. My girlfriend laughed with me for my supposedly broken English.

Was the phrase "It's exact" correct in this situation?


texts:
From an article in Foreign Policy:

  The Soviet Union is no more, but the entity created specifically to
  counter its military might thrives, as has the Pentagon's budget,
  which increased relentlessly until 2011, topping $700 billion.

I wonder if the use of 'as has' here is grammatical. Shouldn't it be 'as does', that is, 'as the Pentagon's budget does thrive':

  The Soviet Union is no more, but the entity created specifically to
  counter its military might thrives, as does the Pentagon's budget,
  which increased relentlessly until 2011, topping $700 billion.

After all, the verb phrase used for comparison contains the verb 'thrives', not 'has been thriving'.


texts:
I'm a PhD student in Mathematics. I love learning and studying mathematical things. Everytime I read interesting article about my PhD topic. Usually I write academic papers to send an indexed journal. But, I got so many regretful responses from the reviewers about writing mistakes. In this context, How can I write fluent academic paper? Is there any web site to help me about this topic?

Sorry my bad english.
Sincerely.


texts: Can anybody explain "ultimate" and "models" in this context for me, please?

texts:
In August, Clinton held a sizable lead. But Trump is the ultimate wild card. The usual models don't seem to fully capture the Trump effect. The race is now again neck-and-neck in key swing states.

The dictionary definitions of model I find do not seem to apply here:

1.a standard or example for imitation or comparison.

2.a representation, generally in miniature, to show the construction or appearance of something.

3.an image in clay, wax, or the like, to be reproduced in more durable material.

4.a person or thing that serves as a subject for an artist, sculptor, writer, etc.

5.a person whose profession is posing for artists or photographers.

6.a person employed to wear clothing or pose with a product for purposes of display and advertising.

7.a style or design of a particular product:

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/21/news/economy/us-election-economy/index.html?iid=SF_River


texts: "When a girl of twenty marries a man close to eighty it is obvious that she is marrying him for money"

texts:
When a girl of twenty marries a man close to eighty it is obvious that she is marrying him for money

I was wondering why marrying after "marries", is there a rule?


texts:
Where do people pronounce "route" as ro͞ot, and as rout?

In Maryland of U.S., I hear only rout, and I was looked at strangely when I said ro͞ot as if I wasn't speaking proper English. When I changed myself to get used to speaking rout, I  hear only ro͞ot in TOEFL examination.


texts: Do we find advertisements 'in magazines and the media' or 'on magazines and the media'?

texts:
We find advertisements on magazines and the media.
  We find advertisements in magazines and the media.

Which preposition is suitable, in or on?


texts:
I found in an English grammar book the expression "heaviest stress". What does it mean?

L's clipping:

  The l is doubled only when the last syllable has the heaviest stress.


texts: Change a Given Conditional Clauses into Imaginary and Impossible Clauses

texts:
I need to Change the Given conditional clauses into its other 2 types, i.e., into its imaginary and impossible clause.

"I will help you, if it's possible"

My approach:
Ans

I would help you, if it was possible.
I would have helped you, if it had been possible.

I am confused when I have written that:

'I would help you, if it "was" or "were" possible.'

because its can be used as an adjective as well as pronoun or should I use 3rd person singular concept here, it may be than?
Please correct me why either of the statement cannot be used and with what it can be used?


texts: Is it the formal writing to use double adverbs like "very very" or "really really"?

texts:
I am writing a letter, I want to mention a thing by using double adverbs.
For instance,

it is really really cool,
it is very very nice.

Something Like that,
is it the formal writing or not?


texts: What is the difference between would + verb and had been + verb-ing?

texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences:
1. He would dance well when he was 10 years old.
2. He had been dancing well when he was 10 years old.


texts: "Compared (to/with)" Vs "In comparison with"

texts:
I was wondering which choice works correctly in the following sentence:

  You're a great driver Steve; I'm nothing ____________ you when it comes to driving.

a. in comparison with
b. compared to
c. compared with

The only option that sounds awkward to me is "c", but I think both "a" and "b" are okey and can be interchanged here.

I have read the similar thread.


texts: What does "beat free" (or "can't beat free") mean?

texts:
The Impossible Book

  – Hey, let’s go for a walk or something!

  – Oh, I’m kind of busy here…

  – Busy bee as always. What are you doing? Reading again? Let me see
  the title.

  – It’s a bit silly, actually. You’re gonna laugh. The title is “It is
  impossible to teach you a foreign language”.

  – So? Like I didn’t know. I always knew there was no way I could be
  taught a foreign language.

  – That’s exactly the point the author makes. His whole argument is
  that you must teach yourself.  You can learn it only yourself, from
  within; no one can teach you, from without.  No teacher, no professor,
  no one.

  – Well, hmm… maybe, it’s not as stupid as the title sounds.

  – No, it’s not. It’s pretty funny but also smart at the same time. I
  think you’d like it.

  – I’m suspicious. The guy probably sells you some snake oil in the
  end. One of those scam artists.

  – Nothing of the kind. You just are being cynical. You’ve got to trust
  people a little more.

  – If you say so, but I’m intrigued. Maybe, I can borrow the book from
  you sometime.

  – Sure. When I’m done with it. By the way, you can download it from
  the Web. For free.

  – Really? Maybe, I’ll do that. You can’t beat free…

So, what does it mean? When is it used?

What is the origin of this expression?


texts: How should I identify tense in the given sentence?

texts:
The electric violinist put the speaker on full blast and shaken up the house.

A. NO CHANGE

B. shook

C. had shook

D. begun to shake

Here put and blash are in present, so I eliminated B, A, and C. begun is a past participle, so I eliminated D. Well, there is no other answer choice left. The correct answer is B. Please help me with this question.


texts: Does "live one more year" make any sense?

texts:
"Congratulations for living one more year."
Does this sound weird?


texts: From inward to outward vs from outward to inward (a word)

texts:
Something may be "from inward to outward" or "from outward to inward". I want examples of English words (for general mathematical or philosophical terms, not for special things like cooking eggs) describing such things.

For example if instead of "from inward to outward" or "from outward to inward" it were "from left to right" and "from right to left", the appropriate English word would be "direction".

My particular task is to find an English word for processing XML either from inward to outward or from outward to inward, in order to name a thing in a new XML-related standard. But you don't need to know what is XML to answer my question.

The more appropriate words you give, the better, as this allows me more choice to name this thing.


texts:
Is it OK to say "use nothing"? Looks weird to me for some reason, though sentences like "I know nothing about..." are perfectly grammatical, as I know.
Maybe I should replace it with "don't use anything" or something else?

In place of Else If, use If.
In place of Else, use nothing.

// Do
If (!Var1)
    Return A
If (!Var2)
    Return B
Return C

// Don't
If (!Var1)
    Return A
Else If (!Var2)
    Return B
Else
    Return C


texts:
I wonder what the exact times of the following words are: morning, noon, afternoon, evening, night, mid-night.

What's the difference between at night and in the night?