texts: "I went to the mall after taking a shower" - How to handle -ing forms in different tenses?

texts:
I'm currently trying to improve my English grammar and I'm strangely fascinated with tenses. I just came across a sentence structure that I find quite difficult to analyze. It's probably not too hard but I'm kind of stuck.

First, here are some example sentences (probably incorrect ones)

  I went to the mall after taking a shower

  I will go to the mall after taking a shower

  I have gone to the mall after taking a shower

I'm never quite sure how to handle these modifiers (if that's what structures like "after taking" are called?).

In this case, "taking a shower" is an action that happened before something else (going to the mall). So the former should be in some kind of "... perfect" tense, right? Let's take the first sentence as an example:

  I went to the mall after taking a shower

Here, "taking a shower" should be in past perfect, right? But how would that work here? This sounds really wrong and I don't think "hading" even exists:

  I went to the mall after hading taken a shower

This kind of sounds better but shouldn't be the correct tense:

  I went to the mall after having taken a shower

Without the "-ing" form, the sentence is not that difficult:

  I went to the mall after I had taken a shower

Or if the shower happened immediately before going

  I went to the mall after I took a shower

How do the tenses work with these "ing" forms? I'm really curious. Thank you for any input :)


texts: Which word is more preferable in the word-combination 'a pilates instructor/trainer/coach'?

texts:
a pilates instructor
  a pilates trainer
  a pilates coach

I wonder which of the words above fits best and why? I have studied the meanings of the three synonyms above, each one of them mentions sport or teaching people a special skill that is why I cannot really make up my mind which is one to choose.


texts: What does it mean when we say someone is "not a man of comforts" ? Does this mean he's not a rich man?


texts: What is the role of "Using the laboratory" in "Using the laboratory you can ..."

texts:
Or grammatically correct sentence on bottom.

  Using the laboratory you can filter picks by differents parameters and
  find a best strategy for you.

If I correct understand the top sentence is compound:
1. Using the laboratory you can filter picks by differents parameters
2. find a best strategy for you.

The first sentence have the subject you and  the predicate can and it this sentence is active voice.

My question is or correct is use part Using the laboratory in begin of sentence but not as example

  You can filter picks using the laboratory by differents parameters

or

  You can filter picks by differents parameters using the laboratory

What part of sentence is : using the laboratory?


texts:
What is the most suitable word that substitutes for "go on" in the following sentence:

  If too many people want to go on the morning course, we will have a second class in the afternoon.

Is it enroll or attend?


texts:
I read (or do I say "have read"?) many rules for when to use the present perfect. I found them complex and hard to understand (or do I say "have found"?). I am finding it hard to apply these rules in real sentences.

Is there a simple and clear way to explain the difference between past simple and present perfect? If there is a simple explanation, please tell it! If there is no simple explanation, please tell why it is so complicated. Maybe if I knew why there is no simple explanation, that would help me understand what work I need to do in order to learn the difference.


texts: "In my workouts", "on my workouts", or "during my workouts"?

texts:
Tell me please which one of the following sentence sounds the most natural:

  I generally squat more than I deadlift in my workouts.

  I generally squat more than I deadlift on my workouts.

  I generally squat more than I deadlift during my workouts.


texts:
I am wondering, in the following sentence:

  (the) best players have little time for other hobbies.

Should I use the definite article? I am talking about best players in general.


texts:
We usually say

  I bought 2 kilos of potatoes.

But can I say

  Potatoes were very cheap so I bought 2 kilos.

  I bought 2 kilo potatoes.

I think the last sentence is wrong. But I am not sure.


texts: Grammar, the construction "more talking + verb+ing"

texts:
Are the following sentences grammatical:

The teacher didn't come more talking about giving a lecture.
I ain't be there more talking about playing with the team.


texts:
The following "red" styles are prohibited, but are sometimes applied by LibreOffice Writer automatically.
The following "red" styles are prohibited, but sometimes they are applied by LibreOffice Writer automatically.

Could somebody say which version is correct and sounds better? I tend to think that only the second one is grammatically correct in English, but I'm not really sure, and in my native language it would definitely sound cumbersome.


texts:
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/jest

  later the term denoted an idle tale

What does it mean? Any references would be welcome.

While researching 'idle' I found this https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/idle
 except it doesn't seem to me to fit perfectly in the phrase above thus I'm asking.

It seems like maybe it's something like a story that is presented as true but is not actually true, but that's just a wild guess.


texts: What is a difference between "more than" and "over"?

texts:
Some of the websites say there are not so much differences between "more than " and "over" but the others say it's better to use "more than" when it comes with numerous expressions. Is that common for native speakers of English?

For example

  This movie has been loved more than ten years.

Can I use "over" instead of "more than"?

The website http://www.onlinegrammar.com.au/more-than-and-over/


texts:
Then the lumps of clay are placed on a metal grid in order to break up the big chunks of clay into much smaller areas, which fall through the metal grid onto a roller, whose motion further segregates the bits of clay.

What does areas here refer to?
What does this word denote here since its basic meaning doesn't seem to fit the context given.
What other word could have been used in its place?


texts: "set" as a past participle or an adjective

texts:
I wonder if "set" in the sentence below is used as an adjective modifying "patterns" or a past participle as in "have set". Or could it be interpreted in both ways?

We all have set patterns in life. We like to label ourselves as this or that and are quite proud of our opinions and beliefs. We all like to read a set newspaper, watch the same sorts of TV programs or movies, go to the same sort of stores every time, eat the sort of food that suits us, wear the same type of clothes.


texts: Not winning the competition was disappointing to/for us

texts:
Not winning the competition was disappointing to us.

The above sentence is correct, but it kept me wondering if we can use 'for' instead of 'to'.

(source: courses.edx.org)


texts: What does "they are facing their chest and shoulder" mean in this paragraph?

texts:
I'm reading a book about body language. The book has a paragraph:

  The most obvious nonverbal indication of contacting is how you position yourself in relation to other people. This includes both how close you are to them and the angle at which you face them. You should always try to turn your entire body toward them while at the same time positioning yourself in front of them, judging by wherever they are facing their chest and shoulders. By placing yourself right in front of them, you can easily nonverbally contact with them , which is ideal.

I wonder if the writer wrote correctly in the expression "judging by wherever they are facing their chest and shoulders", because I think people can't face their chest and shoulders. Can you explain it for me?


texts: About the function of the word everything

texts:
We watch the sun set from the lip of the canyon, overlooking a
  rectangular structure that looks everything like an ancient apartment
  building.

I'm posting this question, being not sure how to analyze the word "everything" in the sentence in the yellow box as an adverb or a noun and if it's used as an adverb, what does everything modify? Looks or like?
I think everything adverbially modifies the verb "looks".

So my questions are..

What do you think of my analysis of the word everything?
Is the sentence grammatical and natural-sounding?


texts: What does “Thank you for taking me into consideration.” mean?

texts:
What does mean the phrase

  Thank you for taking me into consideration

and what are the correct substitute phrases for this sentence?

  1:Thank you for taking me in consideration.

or...

  2:Thank you for taking me into consideration.

or...

  :Thank you for considering me

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
When I looked up the word ephemeral usage in Google Ngram, I noticed it is commonly used with the opposite words together. For example,

  The ephemeral and the eternal

  The ephemeral and the enduring

  The ephemeral and the permanent

What does it imply?

For example:

  The ephemeral and the eternal of face of Las Vegas.


texts: Is it true that choosing between "would be" and "is" sometimes doesn't change the overal meaning of an excerpt?

texts:
His former friend wouldn't have left him to die. It is/would be just too heartless. Even a monster would have a second thought. His former friend wasn't like him, this dude, this monster!

I think It would be just too heartless would be better; however, regardless of what tense you choose, I don't think it changes the meaning by much? Am I wrong? Also, is there a set of general rules that dictate what tense you should use in a given context?


texts: Is it wrong to use "going to" in conditionals?

texts:
Is it wrong to use going to with conditionals? I.e., can I say this?

  If this happens, then this is going to happen.

As opposed to the natural-sounding

  If this happens, then this will happen.


texts:
The war rages (_) most furiously in this region.

“The” is omitted for the same reason the following “the” is omitted?

  This lake is (_) deepest at this point.

Of course, it can be said that “the” is omitted because furiously is an adverb, but let’s leave that aside.


texts: 22% of (the/all) Americans: using articles and determiners after percentages

texts:
After a percentage do we use of or of the?

For example:

  22% of Americans want Bruce Springsteen to write a new National Anthem.

or

  22% of the Americans want Bruce Springsteen to write a new National Anthem.

also

  22% of all Americans want Bruce Springsteen to write a new National Anthem.

or

  22% of all the Americans want Bruce Springsteen to write a new National Anthem.

Are we supposed to say, for example 25% of the times I lie down I fall asleep or 25% of times I lie down I fall asleep? How can I know when to use % of the and % of?


texts:
The United States Declaration of Independence contains one of the most well known and enduring lines in English:

  We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

and was paraphrased by Michelle Obama in her speech at the Democratic National Convention:

  "All are created equal."

The Massachusetts Constitution contains

  All men are born free and equal...

and The Virginia Declaration of Rights contains

  ... all men are by nature equally free and independent ...

While I understand the Declaration of Independence to mean

  All equally have the same rights

Would it not have been more grammatically correct to use the adverb

  All are created equally

I realise that

  All are equally created

may have a different meaning.


texts: The words "wonder" (as in "wonder of the world") and "miracle" translate to the same german word ("Wunder"). I wonder (pun not intended) if they are interchangeable in English too or, if not, when to use which.


texts: Questions about "Bad things come in twos/threes"?

texts:
In Chinese, we have a proverb: 祸不单行， meaning bad things seem always to happen in a pair. The phase has been translated as "bad things happen in twos". However, I also see a common phrase in English "bad things happen in threes".

So, I have two questions here:

Why two and three here are pluralized? What's the grammar here?
Why is it common "bad things happen in threes", not "bad things happen in twos" in English? Why not any other numbers?


texts: what does "(until) that is" refer to in the text

texts:
I read an article where a physicist explains how the rainforest produces oxyden. Help me please understand the point of one passage:

  Oxygen is produced by photosynthesis and consumed by decay. If these were out of balance, then the mass of wood in the Amazon must change.
  That means if the Amazon were to disappear today, instantly (e.g. we harvested all the wood and used it to build houses) then the oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would continue on at the same level. Until, that is, the wood rots. Then the carbon dioxide levels would increase.

As I understand "until, that is" means while the Amazon exists (the wood rots), right?

Does "then" the last sentence means after the wood rots? why "would" is used? I'm not sure whether this sentence is a conditional.

Thank you

resource: http://mentalfloss.com/article/599602/does-amazon-rainforest-really-produce-20-percent-worlds-oxygen


texts: {It's been / It's} a long time since we last met

texts:
Which one is correct?

It's been a long time since we last met.
It's a long time since we last met.

Does the format (sentence construction) change when a specific time, say 10 years, is given instead of "a long time"?


texts:
He won fifth place in the lottery. It is his 10th already this year.

  --> It is his 10th win already this year.

  Reasons (of hair loss) can range from the simple&temporary - a vitamin deficiency - to the more complex, like an underlying health condition

  --> can range from the simple&temporary ones to the more complex ones

In each case, the first sentence is what I read in the article and the second ones with the bold part are what I feel like they should be written.
I feel like both sentences need nouns, so if I'm guessing right(?) they are omitted in the sentence.

But I'm not sure when to omit them and when not to.

Can I just omit them when what it indicates is clear? so it depends on the writer?


texts:
This is a script from the movie "Midnight in Paris":

  "It's fine for your father and I to disagree. That's what a democracy is. Your father defends the right-wing of the Republican Party, and I happen to think you almost got to be - like a demented lunatic, but it's like... "

I understand "happen to" means like unintentionally, by chance.

This is a comedy film and I'm assuming that works in a sarcastic or ironical way there, but then I don't understand the core image.


texts:
What does "That's my jam" I heard this phrase in TV serial 'Scream Queens' and the woman who said this dialogue was referring to some song.

I searched it on Internet and found out from some local sites that it means that the song which was being played was one of the favorite song of the speaker.  I just want to make sure that is this information correct and can we say 'that's my jam 'to refer to some other things other than songs or this phrase is just for referring song.


texts: What do you find difference between marries and married?

texts:
Leonardo Da Vinchi collaborated with Marcantonio della Torre, an anatomist from the University of Pavia. Their collaboration is important because it marries the artist with the scientist.

Can marries  be replaced with married without meaning difference because the action happened in the past?

Or is the present tense preferred to have an agreement with the verb tense of the main clause?


texts: How to prefer one activity to another in AmE?

texts:
I wonder if someone could point me out the incorrect sentences from among the listed ones bellow and tell me the reason of being incorrect:

I prefer ride to walk tonight.

I prefer riding to walking tonight.

I prefer riding rather than walking tonight.

I prefer to ride rather than walk tonight.

I’d prefer ride to walk tonight.

I’d prefer riding to walking tonight.

I’d prefer to ride rather than to walk tonight.

I‘d rather ride than walk tonight.

PS. Could someone please tell me which structure is more common in AmE?
For me all of them grammatically are correct, but whereas the case is specific here (tonight), the fist for sentences do not sound idiomatic.
Contrary to the examples above which introduced a specific occasion, sentences bellow, express a general situation; so the sentences #5, 6, 7 and 8 should be incorrect (though, grammatically there is nothing wrong with them):

I prefer die to apologize to him.
I prefer dying to apologizing to him.
I prefer dying rather than apologizing to him.
I prefer to die rather than apologize to him.
I’d prefer die to apologize to him.
I’d prefer dying to apologizing to him.
I’d prefer to die rather than to apologize to him.
I‘d rather die than apologize to him.

Do you confirm my understanding of this topic?


texts: What's the meaning of "think into" in this sentence?

texts:
I found this sentence in a book, but I don’t understand what it means. The author is a personal coach and is talking about her work with a client:

  A woman I worked with described herself as ‘not a feelings person’ and was convinced there was nothing I could do to help her change this. She was a manager at a restaurant and she had a reputation for giving brutal feedback without realising the impact it had. Thus, she didn’t have the best working relationships she could. I explained: ‘You can’t think yourself into feeling any more than you can feel yourself into thinking.’ She looked nonplussed and a bit cross at this, so we started with me helping her with some of the emails she had to write to restaurant staff she had difficult relationships with. I advised her to replace half the ‘I think’ sentences with ‘I feel’.


texts:
first of all, my native language is Spanish.

This is an example:

  If some result is incorrect, try contact with the page, else contact
  with IRC

My question is if else is incorrect here? Is otherwise better?


texts: Sentence structure of "[Something] helped win her the respect [of somebody]"?

texts:
I encountered this sentence:

  Her unquestioned probity helped win her the respect of her fellow
  judges.

I take it to mean

  Her unquestioned probity helped her win the respect of her fellow
  judges.

How can we describe the sentence structure of #1?


texts: Do we say "His pants are holed in several places" & "his pants are split open at the back"?

texts:
split [intransitive, transitive] to tear, or to make something tear,
  along a straight line

  Her dress had split along the seam.

  split something Don't tell me you've split another pair of pants!

  split open The cushion split open and sent feathers everywhere.

  split something open He split the packet open and poured out a
  handful of peanuts.

  hole [transitive, usually passive] to make a hole or holes in
  something, especially a boat or ship

  be holed by something The ship had been holed by a missile.

  be holed The hull was holed in several places.

Some poor children in developing countries often wear clothes that "are holed or split open" because they don't have money to buy new ones, not because of the fashion style.

What would you say if you saw these pictures?

Do we say "His jeans are holed in several places" & "his pants are split open at the back"?


texts: He went up to the girl - what does 'up' mean?

texts:
I'm not a native English speaker. Sometimes preposition(or adverb) makes me crazy. Look.

He went up to the girl and asked her to dance.
Mr. Jones had to drive up from London to Edinburgh in Scotland.

In these sentences, I don't know what does 'up' mean.
I understand what 'up' means in these sentences.

Hands up!
I climbed up to the top of the mountain.

But when we use 'went up to...' What nuance of meaning of the word 'up' is here? So, Because the girl was on the higher place than him, he went 'up' to the girl and asked her to dance?

What is difference between 'He went up to the girl' and 'He went to the girl'. Is it possible to omit 'up'? Would it still be the same meaning? What meaning of the word 'up' has here?
'He had to drive up from London to Edinburgh'. In this sentence I think Edinburgh is located more northern than London on the map, So If Edinburgh(I don't know where Edinburgh is) was located more sothern than London, could I write like this: 'He had to drive down from London to Edinburgh'? Am I right?


texts:
Imagine a close friend of you (A) has faced a loss recently and they are deeply sad. You arrange a gather-together and while you are chatting with your other friends suddenly you forget about your friend.
A common friend of you and your close friend (B) comes to you (who has noticed that "A" is crying in his privacy) and whereas "B" knows that you are a closer friend to "A", asks you to go beside him and console him.
I was wondering if you could let me know whether in AmE the self-made sentence below sounds natural or not. If not, then please let me know how a native speaker would say the same thing in a natural way:

  Go and sit beside him and console him a little.


texts:
I learned that I always have to use an article before a countable noun with some exceptions.

But I am not sure this is right time to omit the article

  The old model of traditional kiln

  A new paradigm of tourist attraction

The examples above are excerpted from professional articles and I just wonder they are typo or right usage of zero article.

Thank you!


texts:
Outside, an hour later, Quoyle at his fire, the aunt taking things out
  of the food box; eggs, a crushed bag of bread, butter, jam. Sunshine
  crowded against the aunt, her hands following, seizing packets. The
  child unwrapped the butter, the aunt spread it with a piece of broken
  wood for a knife, stirred the shivering eggs in the pan. The bread
  heel for the old dog. Bunny at the landwash casting peckled stones. As
  each struck, foaming lips closed over it. They sat beside the fire.
  The smoky stingo like an offering from some stone altar, the aunt
  thought, watched the smolder melt into the sky. Bunny and Sunshine
  leaned against Quoyle. Bunny ate a slice of bread rolled up, the jelly
  poised at the end like the eye of a toaster oven, watched the smoke
  gyre. “Dad. Why does smoke twist around?”

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

I added more text

I looked up the dictionary and stingo means strong ale or zest but these meanings don't seem make sense here. Are there any other meanings?
It looks like it's the stingo that watches the smolder.


texts: What word to use meaning as much as "veggie-ism"?

texts:
When saying "Peter is vegetarian" and "Jonas is non-vegetarian" and "Niclas is vegan", how could i express that in one word, such as:

"What is your veggie-ism?", "My veggie-ism is vegan!".

That is just an example which sounds stupid. I am looking for a word that applies in that context. A word that i can use instead of "veggie-ism". Thank you in advance!


texts: A word to say that something must be done in certain conditions

texts:
I wrote this sentence

  Using the fields on the left-hand side, the user can specify the required values for the context variable.

Suppose you want to cook something, the recipe specifies a certain temperature. Then you say I heated the pot to the ..... value

In my example, in order that the user achieve his goal, he should provide certain values for the context variables.

I think of perquisite


texts: Does "East" mean "Middle east" in this context?

texts:
https://youtu.be/EctE3dEAwEY?t=5m20s

  Dubai now has the world's busiest airport for international passenger traffic, confirming its position as a gateway to the East.

Does "East" in this context mean "Middle East?"
Or does it mean East Asia? What does "the East" here refer to?


texts: What's the "A fine thing it would be" refering to in this context?

texts:
"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."

  She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though
  hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went
  on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems
  to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I
  suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"

This is from the book Harry Potter. I'm confused by the sentence in bold. I don't know what "A fine thing" here is really referring to? Is it "on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last" or "the Muggles found out about us all"?

I am not sure how to understand the sentence correctly?

My best attempt is:

  It would be a fine thing if the Muggles found out about us all, and on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last.

But it sounds like two fine things, not a fine thing. And it seems to me that it's an ironical sentence.


texts:
Which of these three sentences is correct?

  He snuck a souvenir into his shirt.

  He snuck a souvenir under his shirt.

  He snuck a souvenir inside his shirt.


texts: Sentence in 'The Little Prince' conjunction

texts:
*I can't well do English, so please use easy words when you will explain to me.

My question:

  But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it, I made another drawing: I drew the inside of the boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly.

In this sentence, 'But' and 'since' are both conjunctions.
Why are they used together?  Why is 'But' beside 'since'?  Nevertheless this sentence has only 'one verb'.


texts: Is there any difference in meaning hetween "talk with each other" and "talk together"?

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning hetween talk with each other and talk together? For example:

  My family and I stayed in last night, so we had plenty of time to talk with each other.

  My family and I stayed in last night, so we had plenty of time to talk together.

If there is no difference, then which one is more common? Would it be even more natural to just omit with each other and together altogether?


texts:
I used to playing tennis.
I was used to playing tennis.

Are these sentences correct? What is the difference between them?


texts: present continuous for a general statement: is it possible?

texts:
In fact i live in France but Scott (who lives in Australia) is such a nice guy that he is ok to let me use his address, so each record I buy in Australia is delivered to him, where they are waiting to be sent with all  the records  already  on hold.

As it is a general statement would it be possible to use the present simple?

  In fact i live in France but Scott (who lives in Australia) is such a nice guy that he is ok to let me use his address, so each record I buy in Australia is delivered to him, where they wait  to be sent with all  the records  already  on hold.

I think the continuous is better because the wait has a duration

Would it be possible write this?

  In fact i live in France but Scott (who lives in Australia) is such a nice guy that he is ok to let me use his address, so each record I bought in Australia is delivered to him,  waiting to be sent with all  the records  already  on hold.


texts:
I'm currently writing an essay, and I'm not sure how to end the following sentence:

  These books serve the important purpose of identifying and elucidating societal problems, which the readers...

What is the best way to end is:

which the readers might have been ignorant to/about.
to which the readers might have been ignorant.

I'm not certain if the second one is gramatically valid, otherwise I'd pick that one. The first sentence seems ok, but of course there's this unwritten rule that you should never end your sentences with a preposition. Are there perhaps other, better options?


texts:
How many times do you brush a day?

Vs

  How many times do you brush in a day?

And

  How much do you earn a month?

Vs

  How much do you earn in a month?


texts: Which one is correct? "what item ARE YOU looking for?" or "what item YOU ARE looking for?"

texts:
Which one is correct?

What item are you looking for?

or

What item you are looking for?

In British English if it's important.


texts: What could be the names of the sound of the water falling in a shower?

texts:
one of my friends said:

"The swoosh of the shower"

I don't really think it fits the calm sound that could be heard when water is falling in a common shower, listening in the bedroom next door.

What word could be better?


texts: Has not been selected VS was not selected

texts: What is the difference of saying "has not been selected for the prize" and "you were not selected for the prize"? I understand that the first one means that there is a possibility to be selected in the future. The second one, however, it means that it is done; you have zero chance to get the prize. Is this correct?


texts: what is the difference between "going to" and "will"?

texts: what is the main difference between going to and will.  Why we use going to when will is of the same meaning?


texts: Is the phrasal verb ( Set about) commonly used by natives?

texts:
Is the phrasal verb “Set about”, meaning: (To start doing something) something that native speakers commonly use?

Examples/

1) She had no idea how to set about her work.

2) We got up early and set about cleaning our house.


texts:
I have already seen this phrase (give take on + sth) on newspapers. Though I looked it up in dictionaries, I wouldn't find it. I'm very keen of learning English.

what is the meaning of "He gives his take on fatherhood".


texts:
What does the meaning of this expression convey?

If I were willing to let people hear the music inside me...

It is among the sentence completion exercises from Nathaniel Branden's self-esteem book.


texts: Gerund and infinitives for "Suggest and Recommend"

texts:
When we can use a gerund (or infinitive) after the verbs: suggest and recommend?
These examples made a confusion for me:

We recommend you to book your flight early.

He recommends reading the book before watching the movie.

I recommend you going there.

I suggest you go to the sport center. (is it OK to add to before the verb go, or using going instead of it?)


texts: What to say to an insulting or a sarcastic customer?

texts:
If a customer started to insult, what's the best and most polite way to say that they should not be Off-topic of the call and they should stick to the topic? Can I say watch your language?

If they repeatedly insulted me, How can I threaten them of ending the call very politely?


texts: "Leave someone something" vs "leave someone with something"

texts:
When his grandfather died, he left his grandson a typewriter.

Vs

When his grandfather died, he left his grandson  with a typewriter.

Is with required? Or not?


texts:
Dare as an auxiliary verb is used as:

  I dare threaten her.

How to change it into the past tense?

Thank you.


texts: A word for the machine that tells a news reader what to say (using scrolling subtitles)

texts:
A news reader (news anchor in the U.S.) looks into a camera.  The camera has a screen that faces the news reader.  Scrolling lines appear on the screen, and the news reader reads them.

What is it called? Is there a single word term for that?


texts:
I'll be helpful for any educational website. I really want to speak properly.

I'd like to learn, what is the rule for using adverb

  certainly

in a sentence like these:

  Today's the day you have been waiting for.

Also, what's the correct placement of "not" in:

  Maybe I can do this, to not use / not to use ticket also for metro?

Thank you very much.


texts:
Sentence: I'm glad he didn't see me in one of The Harrows' classes.

context: there are two people with the surname "Harrow" and both of them hold classes. They are nicknamed by students as "The Harrows".

I'm just unsure about what I did with the possessive apostrophe in this case.


texts: Is to use 'of' meaning 'from' old-fashioned?

texts:
Is there any difference in tone between the two expressions?

May I ask you a big favor?
May I ask a big favor of you?

Is it right that there is a rule to say in this way? Or is it just the way to avoid repeating the same?

“May I ask you a question?”
“Sorry, I'm busy now.”
“OK, then I'll ask the question of Tom.”


texts: What is the meaning of "taste of the Dolcinites"?

texts:
Adso asking William that Salvatore may killed Greek translator.
Actually William with his novice Adso came to examine murder
case in Abbey, meanwhile Greek translator found dead.

  Adso: Well, then, could he not have killed the translator?

  William: No. No. Fat bishops and wealthy priests were more to the
  taste of the Dolcinites.

I don't understand what William saying about wealthy priests?


texts: Conditional sentences when you are not sure about the if clause

texts:
Suppose that Bob attends a class at 8 A.M. So if Alice is in the same class at that time she surely sees Bob. But we are not sure whether Alice was at that class yesterday at 8 AM so we don't know whether she saw Bob. I want to tell Alice what would happen according to her presence at that time but I don't know where she was at that time. Conditional sentences type 1 through 3 are used when you are sure about the if clause. What to say when you are not? Are these sentences correct?

If you were in the class at 8 AM you surely saw Bob.

If you have been in the class at 8 AM you have surely seen Bob.

If you had been in the class at 8 AM you had surely seen Bob.

I am in doubt because we don't know the situation is real or unreal in this case.


texts:
Is the following usage of "have traveled ...twice" grammatical?

  I have traveled to Seattle twice.


texts:
What's the meaning of 'If you'll believe me' in this context? It's from a novel Baker's Blue Jay Yarn by Mark Twain.

  Well, at last he could hardly flop his wings, he was so tuckered out. He comes a-drooping down, once more, sweating like an ice pitcher, drops his acorn in and says, 'Now I guess I've got the bulge on you by this time!' So he bent down for a look. If you'll believe me, when his head come up again he was just pale with rage.

I guess that means 'I'm not sure if you believe what I'm going to say or not'.


texts: Is the response phrased in a natural way to convey sarcasm?

texts:
Someone has behaved in an outrageous way at work. He meets in the next day.
Coworker: How are you?
Person: I'm okay. I'm just a little embarrassed about my behavior yesterday.
Another coworker: Embarrassed? Why would you be embarrassed?
Coworker: Don't listen to him.
Is "another coworker's" response phrased in a perfectly natural way to convey sarcasm?


texts:
I've translated sentence

  'Life is aimless.'

using a dictionary. But the first what came on my mind was

  'Life is finishless.'

But I haven't found anything on internet, it seems almost like no one else had this idea before.


texts:
If I see any merchandise out of place, I fix it.
or should it be ...I fix them.


texts:
I'm writing my M.Sc. Thesis (my username gave that away).

I do not usually have issues writing in formal/scientific English, but this sentence sounds to me too long; however I cannot find how to improve it or at least add commas.

  The work carried out in [REF] defines the inlet values from averages over the periods of time when they appear the most stable.

Do you understand it, and if not how should it be modified?


texts: "love to look at and appreciate" or "appreciate and look at"

texts:
I love to look at and appreciate mountain sceneries.

I have a doubt that the phrase "love to" can be used
with "appreciate". It sound strange to me.
Would it be suitable to rephrase the sentence into
" I appreciate and love to look at mountain sceneries?"
Please explain it to me. Thanks in advance.


texts: Should clauses always start with a relative or subordinate? Can it also start with a preposition? Can there be clauses within prepositional phrases?

texts:
Is there a clause or a prepositional phrase in the sentence,

  That is the large, main branch from which many smaller branches branch out?

If it is a prepositional phrase, what is the object? If it is a clause, is it an adjective clause, because it describes a noun (the main branch) or an adverb clause, because it describes from where the smaller branches branch out?


texts: What do you call the waving of the wand done by a concert conductor?

texts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP4kXJ92Qh4

I am wondering if there's a particular word for it. I think you can say "conduct", but it doesn't refer to the specific movement, but the whole thing. Is there a more specific word for the action?


texts: Modal verbs: difference betweeen ¨Would¨ and ¨Could¨

texts: I have a question: when I could use the modal verb ¨Could¨ and when ¨Would¨ because for me is similar. I know ¨Would¨ we can use it in very polite situations like ¨would you like a cup of coffee¨. But I saw ¨Would¨ in informal conversations similar to ¨ Could¨. Can somebody help me with that, please?


texts: "Since you persist, I tend to think that you´re not only wrong but dishonest." What does it mean?

texts:
When someone writes/tells me "Since you persist, I tend to think that you´re not only wrong but dishonest", what does it mean?

Is that person calling me dishonest? Is the other person being rude to me?

Context:

It's a part of email conversations between a buyer and a seller.The buyer(not a customer yet) wrote to me stating that a process is not working as mentioned and he seemed to be under an impression that we are tricking/forcing him to go through that process. I replied to him mentioning that the process is 'optional' to clear out his confusion. I did not force him to make a transaction or purchase throughout my reply.

On his second reply, he wrote that what I had mentioned is partially true but does not apply to him/his country. And then he wrote "Since you persist, I tend to think that you´re not only wrong but dishonest. I don't want any business with you. It was a waste of time, obviously."

I felt he was both defensive and rude with me!


texts:
We are dedicated to comply with local laws such as Data Protection
  Laws captured under the XXX.

In the example above, what does "captured under" mean? XXX refers to a name of a law. I tried searching the meaning of "captured under", but it seemed that this expression is not commonly used. What does it  mean in this context?


texts:
[...]would run about laughing and tittering carrying on her head both the gifts and curses given by youth. But she was swished off like a fly by young Naremma.

—Yagnam and Other Stories

Does it simply mean the bad and the good?


texts:
I found the expressions like ‘get back to beautiful,’ ‘treat me as happy.’ They make me wonder if it is possible to use only an adverb after the conjunction.
For example, ‘I run as beautifully,’ ‘I run as yesterday’ and ‘I run as in the gym’
Are they correct in grammar?


texts: past tense or past perfect continous tense?

texts:
For the past several days, I was unable to get access to the internet.

Should I use past tense or past perfect continuous tense if at the time of writing, the internet access problem has already been resolved?


texts:
The judge rapped. “Objection sustained.”

  The next question came like an explosion through the close air of the courtroom. “Mrs. Lee, did you see the accident in which your husband met his death?”

  The woman nodded yes. Her reply was lost in the sudden stir and scuffling as people moved forward.      “Tell the court what you saw.”

  “Well,” said Esther Lee, “Joseph had gone to Union. He drove there everyday because he had good customers there. I sat out in front, always, to watch for him. I always used to do that, when he fished at Barnegat_” Archie Stolt’s lawyer was on his feet, but the prosecutor motioned him into his chair. “Tell only about the accident, please,” he said to Esther Lee.

  Esther Lee’s blue eyes were wet. “I watched Joseph’s old car come around a bend in the road,” she said slowly, “and he was on the right side of the road. And then the red car came from the other way- on the wrong side of the road. And-Joseph’s car swung out toward the middle-to try and miss it, I guess. But the other car swung out, too…. They hit. That’s all, sir. But the red car was on the wrong side of...”

I want to know the meaning of "sat out in front". Dose it mean: I waited and watched him from far distance?


texts:
We were vacationing at the beach, I/me sprawled on my towel, he/him buttering sunscreen on my back.

What should be the correct choice and why?

My intuition tells me that me ... him is the correct choice but I'm not very sure.

(Sorry, I don't know the name of these type of construction, so I couldn't write a better title.)


texts:
The Iraqi government prevented these NGOs from having major influence
within the country.

The Iraqi government prevented these NGOs of having major influence
within the country.

Are both sentences correct? Why do I I sometimes see "prevent of" instead of "prevent from"?


texts: What does ‘raw’ mean in: “...who did not apprentice himself raw ...”

texts:
A ballet dancer who did not apprentice himself raw would never expect to perform in Carnegie Hall, and yet untrained, poorly read writers everywhere are scratching down novels with high hopes of triumph.

Source

Does this mean a ballet dancer who didn't get lessons from teachers when he was a beginner doesn't think he can become a pro?


texts: "a second attempt" or "the second attempt"

texts:
Definite article: Use the before superlatives and ordinal numbers. Education First

  This is the third time I have called you today.

But I found the following sentence in UPS website. And the "a second attempt" expression is commonly used.

  I missed a delivery. Can the driver make a second attempt today?

it seems sometimes we can indefinite articles with ordinal numbers. so when can we use indefinite articles with ordinal numbers?

Google Negram:


texts: What is the correct way to say: "He sings at the 6th minute of the video" or "in the in the 6th..."?

texts: Let's say I am to watch a video where my friend is going to sing and the video is too long so I want to fast forward to the moment where he begings to sing, but I don't know what minute he sings in/at? What is the correct way to ask the question and what preposition do I use?


texts: Does the phrase 'little too' mean same as 'very', or is it mild form of very ? For instance, I am little too comfortable talking to you. Does it mean same as 'I am very comfortable talking to you' ?


texts: What is a more specific word for "event" to denote things like wedding event, meeting event, etc?

texts: I see on the thesaurus dan "event" can means many things. Is there any alternative word that mean a group of people meeting for some kind of scheduled event, but does not carry meaning of tragedy, incident, or stuff that's happening?


texts:
He argued that we are so helpless at birth that  if the first human
  had been put into the world on their own, they would immediately have
  died. From this, he concluded that human beings arose from other
  animals with more self reliant newborns.

Here, can From this be replaced with By this or With this?

I wonder if three of them are somehow different each other and if all three are common expressions.


texts:
A's mother asks him to get small potatoes from the attic, so his brother B asks him if A had looked through the containers carefully.  A says:

  I have been through them all.

Is the use of "through" natural?


texts:
From a description of a clinical study:

  Of the 12 patients with CFD, 10 showed improvement after referral for treatment with folinic acid (1-2 mg/kg/day) for at least 6 weeks (range, 6-79 weeks) while continuing their preevaluation treatment regimens.

Does this mean that the doctors managing the study did not prescribe the medicine personally but rather directed the patients to other doctor(s) who wrote the prescription?

Could it mean basically "the very doctors who managed the study prescribed the folinic acid to the patients", with the word "referral" lacking any "rerouting" meaning?

In Wiktionary, meaning 3 of the verb refer is described thus:

  To submit to (another person or group) for consideration; to send or direct elsewhere.
  He referred the matter to the principal.
  to refer a patient to a psychiatrist


texts: What's the difference between "understand" and "comprehend"?

texts:
Henry could not comprehend the message.
  Henry could not understand the message.

Are those sentences the same in meaning perfectly?


texts: "Gave up teaching me" or "gave up on teaching me"?

texts:
Should I  write:

  He was my tutor when everyone gave up teaching me.

or

  My tutor when everyone gave up on teaching me.


texts: "With great enthusiasm" vs. "With a great enthusiasm"

texts:
I found that people usually use "with great enthusiasm" instead of "with a great enthusiasm", as the example below.

I am writing with great enthusiasm to apply for abc job.

I can't see the reason why we can't add "a" in front of "great enthusiasm. Any idea?


texts: "Mobile homes" in American and British English

texts:
I'm always getting these types of mobile homes mixed up. Could someone please explain the difference between the following?

A mobile home. Is this any home that can be towed by a car? Is this commonly used in both dialects?
In the US: recreational vehicle sometimes called an RV.
Which of the two names is more common in the US? Are British  people familiar with this term?  If not, what's the most common name for this type of home in the the UK?
A caravan, either the colourful gypsy caravan, or the British English one. I don't think Americans use this term. What would it be called in the US? Is it No.4?
A trailer is this also another name for a "recreational vehicle"? What's the difference?
In Italy the term ‘il camper’ is used for most types of holiday homes driven by motor vehicles. Do British people and Americans use this term? What is the difference between a camper and a caravan? Is one term more outdated than the other?


texts:
Consider the following multiple-choice question:

Monica had dinner at home. She _______ dinner when she _______ home.
(a) ate, came
(b) had eaten, came
(c) had eaten, had come
(d) ate, had come

According to me answer should be (d), since we use past perfect to show that one activity happened earlier before the other activity, and in the given statement Monica first reached home and then she had dinner, therefore, she ate dinner when she had come home. But the correct answer is (a).


texts: Could you tell me the difference between 'study' and 'do a study'?

texts:
I saw the sentence like 'The company did another study to find out the reason'.
Maybe I think that this sentence is transferred to 'The company studied to find out the reason.'

What is the difference between 'study' and 'did a study'?


texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences?

1) I have interviewed more than a hundred of the greatest politicians, artists …

2) I have interviewed more than a hundred politicians, artists …


texts: What does the speaker mean/imply by saying "Huge hives all over your face is always a good look, right?"

texts:
I don't think it makes sense that "huge hives on one's face make one look good", therefore I do not follow what the speaker really mean or imply in this sentence.

My guess is:

1 It's an irony or humor, which in fact she regretted having gone on diet giving her hives.

2 It's a fashion to have hives on face??

Could anyone help me understand this sentence please?

The context is:

"I" am having a conversation with "she", my sister, who is a college student now and she's really smart. We are close.

Here is the sentence:

  She looked at me, then removed the glasses. ‘You okay? You look like
  shit.’

  ‘So do you.’

  ‘I know. I went on this stupid detox diet. It’s given me hives.’ She
  reached a hand up to her chin.

  ‘You don’t need to diet.’

  ‘Yeah. Well . . . there’s this bloke I like in Accountancy 2. I
  thought I might start making the effort. Huge hives all over your
  face is always a good look, right?’

  I sat down on the bed. It was my duvet cover.

  Me Before You by Jojo Moyes


texts:
I know that according to standard grammar rules in sentences with expressions of frequency such as ‘on a regular basis‘ we are recommended to opt for The Present Simple tense, but the below sentence from an exercise grammar book looks a bit puzzling for me as it, in my view, holds the idea of temporality in itself, I might be wrong though.

This involves not only planting new kinds of crops, but also strange ways of making money, the most unusual of which has got to be sheep racing. Yes, you heard me correctly! A farmer in the west of England is now holding/ OR holds sheep races on a regular basis an during the past years 100,000 people have turned up to watch the proceedings.

My question is whether both options fit the context.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
Here are two sentences

It’s an old car, but it’s very reliable.
I’d like to go but I’m too busy.

(from here)
I see no difference(,) but one of them has a comma, the other doesn't. Why? What are the rules?


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

texts:
But, if the city were not to be besieged, what course could with any prudence be adopted?
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/16167/16167-h/16167-h.htm


texts: What is the difference between two greetings

texts:
It was nice to meet you.
  It was nice meeting you.

What is the difference between the two expression in meaning?


texts:
There is the idiom "the dust settle(s)" which is used to indicate that after an argument or big change, the situation becomes calmer. The question is that why the verb "settle" varies in different structures?
Please have a look on the following sentences:

Let the dust settle!
When the dust settle's'...

**Example 1:

We should let the dust settle from the recent scandal before we make any major policy decisions.

**Example 2:

We should only start painting when the dust settles after construction is finished.


texts: differntiating between "being paid" and"to be paid"

texts:
Would you please show me which on to your ear is more formal?and which one is correct?

There, I worked for a week, without being paid a penny.

There, I worked for a week, without to be paid a penny.

Thanks


texts: What is the meaning of MRS in foreign trade context?

texts:
I failed to find a relevant meaning for MRS over the Internet as used in the following context:

  Purchase Order
  ....
  Delivery Terms: On X site including truck packing and in accordance with the requested specification.
  Delivery Time: 20-24 Week from receipt of order
  Payment Terms: 50% ADVANCE AGAINST BANK GUARANTEE + 50% After MRS


texts:
The restaurant (where/which) he has been to has been sold.

The amusement park (where/which) I like to go to is the most popular in the country.

Which one is correct?


texts: Why can't we put there's , it's , etc at the end of a sentence?

texts:
I did not found any error though my teacher told there's.

Why is it grammatically incorrect?


texts:
Collins Cobuild English Grammar says

  "If the verb in a relative clause is a phrasal verb ending with a preposition, you cannot move the preposition to the beginning of the clause."

Macmillan says "depend on" is a phrasal verb.

So is "I’m looking for an assistant on whom I can depend" wrong?


texts: How do I have to understand the meaning of "as to" in this sentence?

texts:
A Utopian society might demand that the press print nothing until it had reached absolute certainty.But such a society would be so full of rumors and lies as to make the errors of our journalism look like models of truth by comparison.

I heard it functions like enough but I cannot read this way naturally..
How do I paraphrase it?


texts:
Are both these constructions possible to mean the same thing?

  If I told you how I did it, it wouldn't be a surprise.
  If I told you how I had done it, it wouldn't be a surprise.


texts: Using past perfect continuous in this situation

texts:
I find difficult the past perfect continuous, so I looked for some real examples for practice it. I will give you reasons about why the writer used the past perfect continuous in this situation, for see if I am understanding that tense correctly or not and I would appreciate your feedback.

First, the concept:

  "Past perfect continuous: uses

  Continuing events in the past:

  We use the past perfect continuous to talk about actions or events which started before a particular time in the past and were still in progress up to that time in the past:

  ...

  We can use the past perfect continuous to talk about events which started before a time in the past and which finished, but where the effects or results were still important at a point in the past:"

  (SOURCE: Cambridge Dictionary)

Now, the real example:

In this paragraph:

  "Unrelated to the couple’s case, a third Australian is also being held in Evin prison, reportedly in solitary confinement. The Cambridge-educated academic had been lecturing at an Australian university before she was arrested last year. She has reportedly been tried – the charges are unknown – and sentenced to 10 years in jail."

  (SOURCE: The Guardian)

"had been lecturing": It talks about an action or event in the past and was still in progress up to a particular time in the past. I ask: Which is the particular time in the past which stops her from giving lectures? My view about this is: "before she was arrested last year" gives me not too much reason for stops her from giving lectures because I could be arrested by the police and after a few hours of questions they could release me without charges for example, but in the sentence before the whole idea tells that those people are in Evin prison, so I suppose that one of them is the woman who was working at an Australian university, then, for me the whole idea in the sentence before is the particular time in the past.

If I am right, I did not know that I could build THE SAME tense mixed in more than one sentence, the example before, the past perfect continuous tense was built in two sentences. I ask: Is it possible or I am wrong?


texts: What is difference between "loath" and "loathe"?

texts:
I am learning English. I have read these two words and according to dictionary there meaning is almost same. but I don't know what is actual difference between them. Please elaborate these words using some sentences.
Thanks.


texts: Should I use "from", "among", or "between" in the following sentence?

texts:
Mary had her head buried ostrich-style in her drawer, choosing from/among/between her few
  date-worthy clothes.

What's the correct preposition(s) and why?

This is the source of my confusion:

from 1 Google result.

among 1 Google result.

between 0 Google results.


texts:
When you upload pictures on a website/server, can you say that the pictures are "up there"? That is, "on the website/server"?

When can I see our road trip pictures?
Sorry, I forgot to tell you that the pictures are already up there.

(In that sentence, "up there" is a way to say "on the website" or "on the server".)
Can you use the word "up" to refer to something on a website/server? Or do you have to say something like "on there" or "up on there" to make sense?


texts: Is there a difference between "wear something to work" and "wear something at work"?

texts:
Is there a difference between wear something to work and wear something at work? For example:

  The boss always wear a black suit to/at work.

If there is no real difference in meaning, then which one is more common?


texts:
Will the firm accept to work with us with payment option of one week?

Would the word “option” good in this sentence? Or shluld I use different word like “term”in this sentence?


texts: Which tense is more appropriate in the following context?

texts:
I was reading an English textbooks, in which there are examples of present continues tenses:

  I've lost my key again. I'm always losing things.

  You are always watching television. You should do something more
  active.

As far as this are an actions, which are repeated always I would guess that this kind of thoughts should be expressed in present tense form.
So why they keep them in present continues tense, rather then in present simple?


texts: blanked the day commemorating victims of state terror -- what really does "blanked" mean there?

texts:
Source: Russia opens major gulag museum as Putin blanks victims' commemorations

Example:

  Russia on Friday opened a major new museum on the horrors of the Soviet gulag labour camp system but President Vladimir Putin blanked the day commemorating victims of state terror.

What exactly do you think they mean by the verb blanked in that passage? The most common usage, and drawing on my personal experience with the English language I assume the only one out there that's actually in common use (in North American English at least), is to blank something out which basically means to make something a clean slate again, but that doesn't really fit the semantics of the sentence.


texts:
Is the following sentence grammatically correct and does it sound normal? Can we use two time adverbs in the same sentence as follows.

  I lived on a small island for one year ten years ago.

  In 2010, I lived on a small island for about/almost a year.

  In 2010/ ten years ago, I lived on a small island for a few/5 months.


texts:
I am working on Gmat exam, and I am having problem understanding one of the answer choices.

  Passage: Many environmentalists hold that the natural environment is morally
  valuable for its own sake, regardless of any benefits it provides us.
  However, even if nature has no moral value, nature can be regarded as
  worth preserving simply on the grounds that people find it beautiful.
  Moreover, because it is philosophically disputable whether nature is
  morally valuable but undeniable that it is beautiful, an argument for
  preserving nature that emphasizes nature's beauty will be less
  vulnerable to logical objections than one that emphasizes its moral
  value.

  Q: The ethicist's reasoning most closely conforms to which one of the
  following principles?

  (A) An argument for preserving nature will be less open to logical
  objections if it appeals to a characteristic that can be regarded as a
  basic for preserving nature and that philosophically indisputably
  belongs to nature.

  (B)....................... (C)......................
  (D).......................

I have two interpretations for bold sentence.

An argument is not accepting logical objections because the objections have characteristic of  ~~~~
An argument is less vulnerable to logical objections because the argument has the characteristic of ~~~~

Please explain which one is correct and why the other is incorrect. Thanks!


texts: Would you say "don't step in or on that tiny pile of food (cooked rice with fish)"?

texts:
There is a tiny pile of food on the floor. The food includes some cooked rice and fish. The pile is much smaller than your foot.

Would you say "don't step in  or on that tiny pile of food"?

I agree that if the size of the pile of food is much bigger than the size of your foot, then we can use "IN", for example, "don't step in  that big pile of food".

But if the size of the pile is much smaller than your foot, then you "don't step in it" but flatten it and cover your foot "ON" it.

Some native speakers say we don't care about the size. If the substances are soft or liquid form, then just use "IN" no matter how big or small the substance is. Others say if the substances are soft or liquid form and smaller than our foot, then use "ON", but if they are bigger than our foot, then use "IN".


texts: What does "commit over" mean in this context?

texts:
Source

  He is believed to be cleansed of all his sins committed over even a hundred lifetimes.

How's this different from committed? I could not figure out the meaning of "committed over".


texts:
watercolor or any type of water-based paint doesn't work/ watercolor or any type of water-based paint don't work

Is it doesn't or don't? Plural or singular?


texts: Why "much" + adjective is wrong while "much" + comparative is right?

texts:
I would like to ask for your opinion on why much can not describe a normal adjective while it can describe a comparative form of an adjective.
For instance, the sentence 1, 2 are wrong while 3, 4 are correct.

I am much happy.
He is much clever.
I am much happier than you are.
He is much cleverer than his brother.

I feel the sentence 1, 2 are weird and 3, 4 are natural. I get it. But, I would like to get any logical explanations on what would make that happen. I would appreciate any assumptions as well.


texts: Do you ever pronounce "thought" the same as "taught"?

texts:
I'm doing a course on Edx. In that episode the lecturer pronounces "thought" almost the same as "taught". The time point is 8:15, multiplication rule lecture 1.3, Stat_2.2x. 8:20 in this video on YouTube.

I've searched the pronunciation difference between these two words, in a tutorial on Youtube, the teacher doesn't mention this case.

So, do you sometimes pronounce "thought" the same as "taught"? Is it allowed to ignore "h" sometimes informally?


texts: Shall I use an article before the word "value"

texts:
I am not sure if the word value is countable or non-countable. So I am not sure if i should add an article before it in a context like:

  Our method adds a value over their method.


texts:
Which word is they referring to in the following sentence?

Children make circles because they are perfect.

Is it referring to Children or circles? And why?


texts: What's the meaning of "to cultivate a quiet certainty that should it be needed"?

texts:
I was watching a movie called LEGEND by Tom Hardy. It's around 29:07 in the movie when a man was walking into an office and a female voice-over said

  "Ruling London involved intelligence and intimidation.The trick was to cultivate a quiet certainty that should it be needed, violence was on offer and would be happily applied"

Why use "should it be needed" but not "it should be needed" here? What's the meaning of "quiet certainty"? I've done googling and couldn't find any help. Can someone please tell me the exact meaning of this movie line?


texts: Could anyone explain why forte (music: in loud manner) is pronounced with e, but taste is pronounced with a silent e?


texts: Is it okay to say just 'take' instead of 'take on' (as in 'take on your opponent')?

texts:
We can take them.

Is it grammatical? I haven't found this sense for 'take' in the Lexico dictionary. Does it mean it's a non-standard usage? I saw it.


texts:
I have a problem.

I don't understand what does this "result" should look like in present perfect, because when I see in movie that a character says: I forgot it. The result is that he doesn't remember it or maybe he didn't do something. So how should I interpret it?

Three examples:

1a) "Aaaaaah! I forgot to buy something for my friend"

Interpretation: normal conversation between two characters (my interpretation is that she use "PAST" simple because she wanted to give an information, even if the result is that she doesn't have this thing)

OR

1b) "Aaaaah! I've forgotten to buy something for my friend"

The result is that he doesn't have this thing he had to buy for his friend

2a) "Hey Tom. There was an apple in the fridge, what happened to it?"

Tom: "Yea I ate it."

Interpretation: Even if the apple wasn't in fridge "result" we are informing him, or I guess it is supposed to be some kind of informal thing. Or maybe this is some kind of emphasis?

vs.

2b) "Hey, Tom. There was an apple in the fridge, what has happened to it?

I've eaten it"

Well, he ate this apple and the result is that there is no apple in the fridge.

3a) "I haven't delivered the package."

The result is that he is holding that package, or maybe some kind of info.

vs

3b) "I didn't deliver the package."

He just inform that he didn't deliver the package, maybe he hold this package but we don't care about result, we care about if he did it in past or not.


texts: How to pronounce feel, fill, or feeling correctly?

texts:
I have thought that FEEL would sound  like this:FEE-L

Then I knew it sounds like FEE-ul. I understand that it is the L sound that makes it sound like vowel sound of hEAR. I’m still not clear of FILL. I have three pronunciation:my 3 sounds of FILL. I think the third sound when I said FI-ul is correct. Is it right?

FEELING is also confusing. I have 4 sounds: feeling. Which is correct?
After all, I still don’t clearly understand the difference between my L sound and the English L sound:L sounds

I hope you could make it clear to me.


texts: Present continuous "I'm giving you ..." for a gift

texts:
In the first version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's movie (1971) there is a moment at the end where Willy Wonka, Charly and his grandfather are in the elevator. Once the elevator is very high in the sky, Willy Wonka says to charly "I'm giving the factory to you", Charly is very surprised, he did not know  that Willy Wonka would give him the factory.

My question is why "giving" and not "give"? Is it because Willy Wonka  had made his decision to give his factory to Charly  before  they got in the elevator (may be a long time before) or did he  want to put some affect and solemnity to this gift or for both reasons. This leads to my second question does present continuous always imply some affect when you use it .


texts:
What do you call the act of drinking a whole bottle of, say, water in one go?
It doesn't have to be water.


texts: "promising result" and "washing machine"- compound nouns or adjectives?

texts:
How we differentiate between compound noun and adjective? in the following examples I couldn't identify them.

  promising result(s)
  washing machine.

Note: I know "washing machine" is compound noun because it is known as one item.

in the same context, How we differentiate between gerund (Part of a compound noun)  and present participle (Adjective)?

  A Central Australian soil mapping study has shown promising results.
  He don't have washing machine.


texts:
Does "it's live" mean something that someone would say it at a party?

And "it's on live" means to be broadcasting at the same time, as in live news?

In the following sentence:

  I wanted to ask my teacher if this online class is going to be on live/live,

which one should I use?


texts: What is the verb for putting the cap of a bottle on?

texts:
Lets say I want to ask someone to put the cap of either a soft drink or a ketchup bottle on, One way of saying that is

  Can you please put the cap back on.

However I want to know what is the verb for the process of fixing the cap on the bottle by spinning it around the top.


texts:
What does "off my case" mean? It is the title of a part in a book. I tried to google it and I find "get off my case", meaning "stop nagging me".

The book is called "Case for Christ - for kids" and is a book where the author investigates whether the stories about Jesus in the Bible are true or not.

I have only just begun to read that part of the book, so I cannot say exactly what its about. But it seems to be different stories about kids in different situations together with other kids and they are "doing the right thing". Helping others and sometimes sharing their faith, even to people that have been mean to them.


texts:
I am learning this post.

The author says

  By using a model with three variables instead of one, we get to a model with a mean squared error of 19.12 and an R² score of 0.72.
  That’s definitely a nice improvement!

"to" could be used as preposition, so "get to a model" seems to be grammatical.

why do people say "get to a model" instead of "get a model"?


texts: Can 'the adjective, or present participle, past participle' come after preposition?

texts:
I learned that noun can only come after preposition.
But I saw that adjective, present participle come after preposition like below.

It's far from impossible, but even so, it's not something you see every day.
Far from conspiring together, there is reason to think they'd never even heard of each other.

How is it possible?
There is another grammar I don't know?


texts:
Always obey your parents, when they are present. This is the best policy in the long run, because if you don't they will make you. Most parents think they know better than you do, and you can generally make more by humoring that superstition than you can by acting onyour own better judgement.

In this bold portion what actually authors want to say. If I don't obey what they will make me? I am confused here. Another line baffled me,
Being told I would be expected to talk here. What being told or who told. Could anyone help me to understand these lines above.


texts: Is 'must have took' possible in spoken English?

texts:
I encountered a sentence a speaker says 'The person must've took down the wrong name.'
 Watch it from 0:57

is it grammatically correct? or a common mistake?


texts: Today i was watching a movie with subtitle and I found a sentence that is " I have a son that age ". Now I dont know if the sub maker made some mistake or not. I think it should be " I have a son of that age". Please tell me If I am correct or not.


texts:
The text of the tweet displays "It's time the government shows it."  The caption in the video is "It's time the government show it", which appears to be ungrammatical.   So I wonder whether "It's time the government to show it" is also correct.
Edit: Some member has offered the information that "government" is always treated as singular in American English while British English treats it as either singular or plural. The information is useful, but it doesn't answer my question. Because my question is whether "to show" works there rather than a question of using singular or plural form of "show".

President-elect Biden will work tirelessly to ensure that families come out of this with the support they need to get their lives back on track.

The American people have shown their grit. It's time the government shows it.

Source:  Joe Biden Twitter


texts: Is it right to say, "The washroom got free only 10 minutes back"?

texts:
The bathroom got free only 10 minutes back.

Is 'got free' the right way to say it? What about

  The bathroom was vacant only since 10 minutes ago.


texts: How are the words "elusive" and "fleeting" related?

texts:
In Oxford's dictionary, we can find the following definitions for "elusive" and "fleeting":

Elusive:

  Difficult to find, catch, or achieve.
  Difficult to remember.

Fleeting:

  Lasting for a very short time.

I found the following explanation on Thesaurus.plus:

  Fleeting is a synonym for elusive in fugitive topic. In some cases you can use "Fleeting" instead an adjective "Elusive", when it comes to topics like evasive, indefinable.

In Collins' dictionary, the word "fleeting" is also used in the second definition for "elusive":

  elusive: indefinable, puzzling, fleeting

These definitions start to confuse me, as I can not see how all the things above are related with each other. Could you please explain this further and also give me some example sentences too? Thank you!


texts:
I am confused between the two.

  I demand that he leave!or I demand that he leaves!

  I demand that this man leave!or I demand that this man leaves!

Which is correct with s or without and why?


texts: the meaning of 'Praying went out with the spears.'

texts:
He refused to contribute to the synagogue building fund. "Praying went
  out with the spears, Sam. You can quote me." A known supporter of the
  communist causes, he was always good for a touch when there was a
  strike or a defense fund or the Tribune was in trouble.

  -The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler -

What does the sentence mean?


texts:
Consider this sentense:

    I liked James. I had met him when I had stopped at the gas station where he had worked.

Someone at an internet forum said:

  "But all those wordy past perfect tenses are not necessary. It's
  obvious that James worked at the gas station at the time of the
  meeting and that the writer stopped there at the time of the meeting.
  Two people can't meet unless they are in the same place at the same
  time!

  Once the writer establishes that the meeting itself occurred earlier
  than the period of time during which he liked James, the other
  situations surrounding the meeting can be expressed with the simple
  past. (Besides, looked at stylistically, the repetition of all those
  had's is very tiring to the reader. The reader understands that the
  time period of the meeting at the gas station precedes the time of
  liking James. The reader does not have to be told again and again by
  reading had, had, had, had, ....) The following is quite enough:

  I liked James. I had met him when I stopped at the gas station where he worked."

Do you think this is correct way to say it and why?


texts: Has and have with present and past perfect

texts:
Is it correct to use have or has in the following sentences?
1/ Does he has/have to take the responsibility?
2/ Does he has/have gone outside the country?
3/ Did he had paint the wall before you come?
I mean when we use have/ has in question  with present perfec and past perfect.


texts:
When talking about a person from Japan, why is it offensive to say "a Japanese" rather than "a Japanese person"?

The English language Wiktionary says

  (person in or from Japan): The singular “a Japanese” is less common
  than locutions using the adjective, such as “a Japanese person”, and
  is considered potentially offensive by many speakers.

but doesn't explain why it is offensive.

Allwords.com says

  Note: many people object to the usage of this sense in singular form,
  and it is now more frequent to see a person in or from Japan referred
  to by using the adjective Japanese. Rather than "a Japanese," you will
  frequently see "a Japanese person."''

but again, there's no explanation.


texts:
Is it right to say:

No smoke can be smelled in the office.

or is there a better description?


texts: When runners suddenly and dramatically lose speed on the last few metres, what verb do you use to describe that?

texts:
In a race, when the front runner exhausted himself and thus suffers from a sudden and rather strong decrease of speed before reaching the finish line (often being overtaken by the runner-up as a result), how do you call that?

Specifically, what verb do you use to describe that?

to slump?
to slack off?
to fade?
to disintegrate?
...

By the way, I'm not looking for "to collapse"; the runner will still cross the finish line... :)


texts: What is the difference among following sentences?

texts:
Somebody please explain differences among these sentences to me:

  I'm feeling like I'm famous

  I'm feeling like a famous person

  I feel like a famous person

And meaning of this sentence too:

  It feels like I'm doing well


texts: English Phrase for: Associations with a Friendship

texts: I would like to express the following idea: the associations with which our association has a friendship with. But, I am not sure about the English phrase to use. Is it "Friend associations" of our association?


texts:
What is the difference between their and theirs, and how is should use them?

Sometimes I get frustrated, because I do not see their difference.


texts:
Source: The Illustrated Network—How TCP/IP Works in a Modern Network by Walter Goralski (2009)

Example:

  SSH never trusts the network. Even if hackers took over the entire network, all that can happen is that SSH is forced to disconnect. Hackers cannot decrypt, play back, or compromise data on the connection.
  This is not to say that the SSH is perfect. Like any other tool, SSH is only as good as those setting it up and using it. For example, SSH does have an option for encryption type (none), but this is only to be used for testing purposes. (There is no real enforcement of this, of course.) And SSH does nothing to prevent someone who had gained access to the host another way (perhaps by sitting down in front of the unprotected host itself) from doing a lot of damage with root access. In that case, SSH is often the first target of a local hacker.

Why is it that in the first instance there is a definite article in front of SSH, but in the second instance as well as in other places above and below there isn't? What exactly is the reason behind placing it there in your opinion?

PS:
SSH is a network protocol (it's also the name of the popular Unix client application that implements that protocol) used for remote computer access that has replaced Telnet. The main reason SSH has replaced Telnet is that SSH makes communication over a public channel such as the Internet completely secure.


texts:
Today I had to say such a sentence:

  What will we be glad for all the day?

And I was feeling awkward, because maybe it should have been:

  What will we be glad all the day for?

Are they the same or one of them is incorrect?


texts: overall or "as a whole" which is suitable to describe a shape?

texts: A golf ball has dimples, but the dimples are very small.  Can we say that a golf ball has a sphere shape as a whole or can we say a golf ball has an overall sphere shape?


texts:
I don't understand the bold part. Can someone help me?

  But with a uniquely qualified roster of clients.

Reference: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/roster.


texts: Surprisingly enough vs very surprisingly

texts:
I am not a native speaker of english language but I have noted that surprisingly enough is used more often than very surprisingly. What is the real difference between two?
Enough and very both are intensifers which I think are very(enough) close to each other.
Enough  : occuring in such quantity or scope as to fully meet demands, needs or expectations.
Very : to a high degree
Now the confusion is that when should I use very and when to use enough. Consider these two examples :

Surprsingly enough, Ramesh's management was very responsive.

Very surprisingly, Ramesh's management was very responsive.

We can also consider this :

Sadly enough, he broke his leg in a car accident.

Very sadly, he broke his leg in a car accident.

I think the line of difference between very and enough is sometimes faded. Anyway, I would like to know the difference and also what is more common with native speakers?


texts:
How do you pronounce a Qur'an citation like:

  Qur’an 4:15–16

Would you say: Qur'an Chapter 4 Verses 15 and 16?


texts: Where to place "all" and "soon" in this sentence?

texts:
Let's hope all this will soon be over so we can get home to our families.

Let's hope this will all be over soon so we can get home to our families.

Let's hope all this will be over soon so we can get home to our families.

Let's hope all this soon will be over so we can get home to our families.

I'm not sure about where to place "all" and "soon" in this sentence. What would be the more natural way to phrase the sentence? Thank you.


texts:
A pragmatic and smart woman, she purchased a gold and silver-tone watch that she can wear with both silver and gold jewelry.

My questions are that-

Why "can" is here as "purchased" indicates past tense?
Is there any difference if i say "A pragmatic and smart woman purchased a gold and silver-tone watch that she can wear with both silver and gold jewelry"?


texts: Before I'm up(before it's my turn, it'll be your turn next(you're up next)

texts:
A person is waiting outside a shop in a queue(a very famous shop) get the famous shop to get the world famous sweets. So he says:

  1.They shouldn't run out of sweets before I'm up.

  2.They shouldn't run out of sweets before it's my turn.

What sounds better option 2 or option 2?

And what about other contexts:

  I'm up next.
  It's my turn next.

    When am I up?(or when are you up?)
    When is it  my turn?(or when is it your turn?)

      It's your turn.
      You're up now.


texts: because , if only because, or if only because

texts:
Some example case/ contexts for helping to clarify the point-- my specific question:

A.When a range of reasons exist, use “if only because” to draw attention to a minor reason. Compare 1) Praise her because she does excellent work;  2) Praise her if only because she comes to class on time everyday.

B.  This meeting was necessary if only for an exchange of views.

I am wondering whether or not there is any difference between the sentences below, or even they are correct sentences.

G.This meeting was necessary if only for an exchange of views.

H.This meeting was necessary if only because of an exchange of views.

I.This meeting was necessary because of an exchange of views.

J.This meeting was necessary if only because an exchange of views.

Any comment would be greatly appreciated


texts: what does "to say" mean in beginning of a sentence?

texts:
I'm struggling in understanding this sentence:

"To say that I had low expectations would be to underestimate the matter dramatically."


texts:
When I write "I heard his deep warm voice filling the room." it's clear that both deep and warm are attributives for voice. When I write "The 32-bit Pentium had a 64-bit data bus." I use the hyphen between 32 and bit, to make evident that 32 is an attributive of bit, not Pentium. When I write "The well-known actress accepted her award." I use the hyphen to avoid confusion with well known actress.

Should I always use a hyphen to make clear what an attributive describes? For example, should I write "She was wearing a deep-crimson shirt." to make the sentence clearer?


texts: What's the phrase to describe this situation/attitude?

texts: Let's say the attitude of being extremely skeptical of someone? Like if my boss looses confidence in me if I make a really small error after doing 99% things correctly. Let's say I made an MS-excel workbook with all the calculations/formulas and I missed a something as trivial as adjusting width of one of the columns in the file, no matter how good/dynamic/elegant use of formulas. I am looking for a good phrase to ridicule the boss's attitude. I can think of 'trust issues' for one.


texts:
Why when we have a fever we say

  I have a fever.

But when I have diarrhea we say

  I have diarrhea.

Why don't we say

  I have a diarrhea.

Is there any rule? If I come across a new symptom, how do I decide whether to add "a" or not adding it into my sentence?


texts: What is the difference between the verbs "put on" and "wear"?

texts:
I ... my new shoes at the party.

Which option is appropriate to complete that sentence:

  wore
  put on
  was wearing
  was putting on


texts:
Hospitals remain short of basic medicines, and patients are even told to bring in their own bottles — often empty Taedong Beer bottles — to use for saline drips.

I have seen this sentence . And I couldn’t understand What “ remain short of” means . Would it be okay if I say “ Hospitals remain short of basic medicines...”? I mean “Be short of”  meet this meaning in this sentence .


texts:
I’m getting answers from her.

What is from her in this sentence? Is it indirect object?


texts: When to use "in the vicinity", "in your vicinity" and "in the vicinity of"

texts:
When we say "in the vicinity" do we mean in the vicinity of the person who said it, or is it an implied location, which is more general? I am asking, because the idiom is "in the vicinity of something" and I am not sure if you can say "in my vicinity", "in your vicinity", "in the vicinity" etc.

For example:

  Check your vicinity for coins.

  Check the vicinity for the suspect.


texts: Why does this sentence use present perfect ? Can we use the past tense?

texts:
Why does this sentence use present perfect? Can we use the past tense?

  Francesca De Santis is evidently having an affair with Caruso's golf coach, Roberto Vargas. A notorious ladies' man, Vargas has turned De Santis' bedroom into a candlelit love nest and plans to call on her after his golf lesson with Caruso. Well, she should know better than to mix business with pleasure.

  By Candlelight scenario from Hitman 2016 — Neoseeker | Hitman 2016 Wiki


texts: How to pronounce "maintenance" in an American accent

texts: I know that the actual pronunciation found in dictionaries is "main-tuh-nence" but I always hear Americans and YouTube videos say it in an American accent and it almost sounds like "Maint-nence" like the "e" part is missing. Do they actually say the e letter but just really fast or skip it ? Thanks!


texts: Are the meanings of "Car's broken door" & "Broken door of car" the same?

texts:
Are the meanings of these two phrases the same? If not, what is the difference?

  Car's broken door

vs

  Broken door of car


texts:
What is the difference between "I've gotten to do" and "I have to do"?
Context:

Hi Mom, Dad, and Sam,
The Vatican is weird! As you can see, the Catholic Church still has a lot of money left over from the Middle Ages. I've gotten to see all of the art, including the Sistine Chapel ceiling and sculptures by Michaelangelo, Donatello, and the rest of the Ninja Turtles.


texts: Maise ate / had been eating sweets all evening so it was not suprising > she didn't want any supper

texts:
On my last lesson I had a discussion with my teacher about the sentence described below. The reason was that on my grammar reference in one of my books is written that past perfect continuos can be used to emphasize on the continuity, duration and repeated activities.

We received one sentence and according with the above my answer was Maise had been eating

  Maise ate / had been eating sweets all evening so it was not suprising
  she didn't want any supper.

Unfortunately my teacher said that the correct answers is Maise ate

Can I ask you why ?


texts: A question about "the requirement that all Americans"

texts:
In the first paragraph of this article,  I am afraid I am unable to properly grasp its meaning.

  Republicans didn't get their wish to repeal former President Barack Obama's health care law, but the tax bill barreling toward a final vote in Congress guts its most unpopular provision, the requirement that virtually all Americans carry health insurance.

So the new tax bill, which is a hot topic these days, "guts" the most unpopular provision. And what exactly is it?

What exactly is the requirement of the health insurance?

Am I wrong to think that this line,

  its most unpopular provision, the requirement that virtually all Americans carry health insurance.

sounds a bit strange? Because the bill would "gut" some provision, which in the structure of this sentence would be the object, which should be described in the latter part of the sentence, here.

  the requirement that virtually all Americans carry health insurance.

But seeing as the writer is adding the words "health insurance" here, I am not quite able to comprehend what exactly the new bill "guts". Had the sentence been:

  the requirement that virtually all American health insurance carry

I would probably have been able to understand much more clearly.

Can anyone help me understand the meaning and structure of the phrase in bold above?

Thank you very much for your answer.

I have a question, now, regarding the nouns in question, which are, provision and the requirement, you tell me

  There are two noun phrases here, they are placed next to each other, in apposition. The noun phrase starting "the requirement" will tell us what the provision is.

  "the requirement" will tell us what the provision is.

So, I think, as you say later on, the relative clause needs to describe what the requirement is more about detail of it.

However, or therefore, that relative clause still sounds strange to me.

  that all Americans carry health insurance.

Should there be, for example, a preposition, for example, with, between the verb "carry" and the noun phrase "health insurance", I would probably understand. Because by adding the preposition with, the requirement is given more information, which is the requirement is something that all American ( need ) to carry "with" health insurance.

I hope you understand me. Let me upvote you for you answer.


texts: "at the right time" or "at a right time" in context

texts:
Tell me please what is the difference between the following sentences.

  It is ok to add supplementary exercises to the main lifts. Just do it at the right time.

  It is ok to add supplementary exercises to the main lifts. Just do it at a right time.

I did not ask which one is correct because I was listening to a podcast in which native English speakers used the indefinite article in the sentence. And it has really bewildered me because I thought that the definite article is always used before words like right or wrong. Could they make a mistake?


texts: What does "race their flags on the boards" possibly mean?

texts:
Is there an obvious meaning to this phrase in the following sentence (the context is a motorbike race) :

  This is where the big boys stand out and race their flags on the boards.

How should I interpret it ?


texts: Difference between "I will do" and "I am going to do"?

texts:
In French it is "Je ferai" and "Je vais faire."

How can you tell which one to use in English?

Edit:
Does this question  answer it well in your opinion?


texts: Difference between 'as long as' and 'so long as'

texts:
I am studying English with Understanding and Using English Grammar by Longman.
In an exercise, I have to use given the time words appropriate to the meaning to combine each pair of sentences.

Directions: Combine each pair of sentences. Use the given time words if they are possible and appropriate to the meaning. Cross out inappropriate ones.
In the new sentences, omit unnecessary words, make any necessary changes (paying special attention to verb forms), and punctuate carefully

Below is the question [Q 17 on page 74]. Either a, b, or c needs to join the sentences.

I will not forget Mr. Tanaka. I will live for a long time.
(a) as  (b) as long as  (c) so long as

The answer is: b. as long as

I will not forget Mr. Tanaka as long as I live.

I don't understand why the 'c. so long as' cannot be the answer, too?
I thought the two words have same meaning.


texts: Can I omit part of the sentence 'age of'?

texts:
Sentence:

  She got married at the age of 30

Question:

Can I omit the part of the sentence "the age of"?

  She got married at 30


texts: "As you're subscribed now so you'll receive"

texts:
Is starting the sentence with "as" appropriate?

For example:

  As you're subscribed now so you'll receive...


texts: Beatles song. "Love me do" as "Love me too"

texts:
When I've heard this song I've thought that there was "Love me too"  .May be this is example of word playing? Maybe native speakers can hear this song the same way?

  Love, love me do
  You know I love you
  I'll always be true
  So please, love me do
  Whoa, love me do
  Love, love me do
  You know I love you
  I'll always be true
  So please, love me do
  Whoa, love me do
  Someone to love
  Somebody new
  Someone to love
  Someone like you
  Love, love me do
  You know I love you
  I'll always be true
  So please, love me do
  Whoa, love me do
  Love, love me do
  You know I love you
  I'll always be true
  So please, love me do
  Whoa, love me do
  Yeah, love me do
  Whoa, oh, love me do

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pGOFX1D_jg


texts:
Before our amazed eyes was a white unicorn.

Why is unicorn the subject of the sentence instead of eyes? It is because the preposition "before" that was placed in front of the words "amazed eyes"?


texts: Usage and omission of "any" with a plural noun in a negative sentence

texts:
Is it grammatically necessary to use any in the following sentence? Can I omit any in exams and formal writings in similar sentences and contexts?

  Yesterday was mothers' day but I did not post (any) photos with my mother on social media. I think importance of my mother to my life cannot be described by just clicking pictures or posting them on social sites on mother's day.


texts: Is the following sentence a grammatically correct sentence structure?

texts:
What is the meaning of "Addresses can be created that require a combination of multiple private keys" ?

Does it mean "Addresses can be created. and Adresses require a combination of multiple private keys" ?

Is the sentence a grammatically correct sentence structure?
So,
does " Subject1 + Verb1 + that + Verb2 + Object" mean " Subject1 + Verb1. and Subject1 + verb2 + Object " ?


texts: How to express "each" for this sentence?

texts:
Research concluded there were five groups of species, which have specific patterns for nest selection for each.

Does "for each" in that sentence explain that each of five groups has specific pattern?


texts: Does this noun phrase (a variable name) take a singular or plural verb?

texts:
I'm writing a codebook that defines variables in a data set. Should the verb of the following sentence be singular or plural (refer/refers)? (Note that the italics appear in original; they are, obviously, the variable name.)

  Other types of residential treatment facility refers to facilities not
  licensed as a psychiatric hospital, whose primary purpose is ...


texts: further afield -- is this an idiomatic expression?

texts:
Example with a context:

  Further afield, Russian forces have been deployed as "peacekeepers" in the Transdniestria region of Moldova since intervening to back separatists more than 20 years ago.

I think I've seen this expression used in analytical news stories a couple of times already, but I couldn't find anything about its usage online—seems to be pretty common, but no dictionary entries exist. I suppose it just means moreover or furthermore. But what do you think of this expression and where do you think this expression comes from?


texts: Is there any idiom or popular phrase that says " be careful of when making a judgement while listening to a news,gossip,rumor...etc from someone

texts:
Is there any idiom or popular phrase that says:

  " be careful of when making a judgement while listening to a news,gossip,rumor...etc from someone"

Because what they say can be biased, probably not true, and it's up to you to make the correct decision.


texts:
He was elected Chairman to the board.

Or

  He was elected Chairman of the board.

Which one is correct?


texts:
What sentence is correct and why:

In New York life is exciting.
In New York the life is exciting.


texts: "Pull someone's leg" Vs "Put someone on"

texts:
I was wondering if there is any difference between the idiom "pull someone's leg" and the phrasal verb "put somebody on".

The Cambridge Dictionary says to put someone on means:

To try to persuade someone that something is true when it is not, usually as a joke.

  Example: She said she was planning to give her house to a charity for the homeless but I thought she was putting me on.

Also as it says, to pull one's leg means:

To tell someone something that is not true as a way of joking with the person.

  Example: Stop pulling my leg – you didn’t have lunch with Bono!

As you can see within the descriptions and examples, they both can be swapped for each provided example and seems that they are interchangeable.

Please kindly enlighten me.


texts: Should I use "any" with a singular or a plural object?

texts:
I am a little confused if this sentence is grammatical or not:

  Assuming that any object can be recognized by detecting their
  primitive shapes, a new approach is developed.

Would "any" be appropriate here, or should I use "their" or "its"? Or should I use another word entirely?


texts: "I have" followed by "have" instead of "need"

texts:
Is it okay to use "I have" 2 times in the same sentence in this case?

  I have a class I have to teach.

  I have a meeting I have to attend.

  I have a book I have  to read.

To me it would sound much better if I added "need" instead of "have" to the end of the sentence, but just out of curiosity. Is this okay grammaticality? And if not, why?


texts:
What is the meaning of this sentence:

  With any other averaging method, the relative position of every city
  in the sample would be worse.

Using the proposed method has better relative position or worse position among methods? What is meaning of "With any other" here?


texts: Can direct speech lead to ambiguity when spoken?

texts:
For example I tell my friend:

  Tell her 'I Love you'

Since he is not going to see the quotation marks
he might perceive it as

  Tell her I love you

And he might end up telling her

  'He loves me'


texts:
Are "stern" and "just" adjectives for "spirit"? Does "spirit" refer to a supernatural being?

The research into the phenomena of Spiritualism by Sir William
Crookes —or Professor Crookes, as he then was—during the years from
1870 to 1874 is one of the outstanding incidents in the history of the
movement. It is notable on account of the high scientific standing of the
inquirer, the stern and yet just spirit in which the inquiry was conducted, the extraordinary results, and the uncompromising
declaration of faith which followed them.

The History of Spiritualism   By A.C Doyle
XI.THE RESEARCHES OF SIR WILLIAM CROOKES (1870-1874)


texts: Why do we say "challenge accepted" instead of "challenge is accepted"?

texts:
I have never heard someone say "challenge is accepted" however it sounds more formal to me than "challenge accepted"

I am not a native speaker by the way.

let me know what do you think , thanks in advance.


texts: Having, holding, giving, and throwing parties

texts:
What is the difference between "hold a party", "have a party", "give a party" and "throw a party"?

Is there any difference in meaning? Can we use them interchangeably?

Could you provide some examples (if any exist) where we can't replace one by another?