texts: Modal +have+past participal can work as present perfect?

texts:
Can we use modal+have+past participal for a current events like we use present perfect for present moment. Which one is correct?

Just see that car, his father must have bought it for him.
Just see that car, his father must buy it for him.

Also,

Look your son has made a scratch on my car today he could have broken the glass also.
Look your son has made a scratch on my car today he could break the glass also.


texts: Should I use "do it" or "do so" in the following example?

texts:
I found a good explanation here. Basically, you use "do it" when you are referring to a noun and "do so" when you are referring to an action or clause.
So by this logic, the following:

I won't ask to meet face-to-face again. We can do it/do so whenever you feel
like it."

The correct choice is "do so" since it's referring to "meet face-to-face," not to a pronoun?


texts:
Dictionary lists out the following meanings and usages of the word "contemplate"

Verb 1. If you contemplate an action, you think about whether to do it
or not. Verb 2: If you contemplate an idea or subject, you think about
it carefully for a long time. Verb 3: If you contemplate something or
someone, you look at them for a long time. He contemplated his hands,
still frowning. contemplation UNCOUNTABLE NOUN He was lost in the
contemplation of the landscape for a while.

I found in a script, where the writer uses the word contemplate to convey the meaning "with thoughts about someone"

She deeply contemplated her dying brother. (this brother is not before her. He is far away in a different city. She leaves immediately to see him after this)

Is it right to use this word in this particular context? From what I understand from the dictionary, when you contemplate someone, you actually look at them for a long time.


texts: "Will" vs "going to" vs present continuous

texts:
Would you please tell me which tenses are suitable here?

... the sun (KEEP) burning forever?
Sometime in the next twenty-five years, a spaceship with a human crew (LAND) on Mars.

My grammar book gives only two options: "to be going to + verb" and "will + verb". But I wonder the reason why I should avoid using the "continuous present" tense.


texts:
“Nonsense, Grace, get in at once, and don't make all this fuss; a pretty
thing it would be if a man of business had to examine every cab-horse
before he hired it--the man knows his own business of course; there, get
in and hold your tongue!”

The above is from "Black Beauty" by Anna Sewell. (1877)

I think 'a pretty thing' in the above paragraph is a kind of twisted expression
and that's all, but I am not very sure of it. which means just an absurd thing or something.

Am I correct ?


texts: "I will start my course ..." Or "I start my course ..."

texts:
The simple present is used to make statements about events at a time later than now, when the statements are based on present facts, and when these facts are something fixed like a time-table, schedule, calendar. Education First

Firstly, What "when the statements are based on present facts" does mean?

Secondly, Is the following sentence follow the above rules? or isn't it grammatically correct?

  I start my course at university next month.

or should I say:

  I will start my course ...


texts: Do you know any exact information about "marriage" terms?

texts:
What is the difference between:

  they were married
  they got married
  they married?

Would you, considering what you say about these terms, tell me how to use these terms?


texts:
I have look up in many web dictionaries but can't find which definition of "sophisticated" appropriate in this context.

  Angela : Forget it, Joey. I'm with Bob now.

  Joey : Bob? Who the hell's Bob?

  Angla : Bob is great. He's smart, he's sophisticated, and he has a
  real job.

(Friends SS1.ep5 05:24).

Hope someone could explain to me.


texts: "It will be determined what the consequences are" vs. "It will be determined what are the consequences"?

texts:
Which of the sentences is correct/preferred:

It will be determined what the consequences are.
It will be
    determined what are the consequences.

Is there a rule to settle the question or is it merely a preference?


texts: "Who were some famous artists who had famous fathers?" or "… a famous father?"

texts:
Which of these two is grammatically correct?

  Who were some famous artists who had famous fathers?

or

  Who were some famous artists who had a famous father?

Similarly

  Who were some famous artists who had ordinary lives?

or

  Who were some famous artists who had an ordinary life?


texts: Continuous without auxiliary verb: "code running/loading"

texts: When i dial ussd code on my phone or open a game, it says "Ussd code running" or "loading". As i know without verb words are just phrase and phrase doesn't perform action. But here "loading" and "Ussd code running" look progressive/continuous tense without auxiliary verb, am i right?


texts:
what is the  meaning difference between

I'd better go and I'd better be going  Does the first one means I must go now and the other I should begin to think to leave


texts: What are "is" and "was" pointing to, or referring to in these sentences?

texts:
Frank is my best friend!
Frank was my best friend!

Here, is and was are pointing to the present time, and past time.

Mom: Look, you dirty little grub!
Child: Mum, it wasn't my fault.

What is wasn't is pointing to, or referring to?

Child: Mum, it isn't my fault.

What is isn't pointing to, or referring to?
Can I assume is focuses on attention, while was focuses on event?

MOM: Jack and Hughie got hold of the doll before poor Meggie had a chance to see it properly.
DAD: Well, boys will be boys. Is the damage bad?

or

DAD: Well, boys will be boys. Was the damage bad?

The doll was damaged before the conversation starts.
To what are is and was pointing, in the above sentences?

A: But, Sister, it was my fault!
B: It is a matter of complete indifference to me which one of you was responsible.

or

B: It is a matter of complete indifference to me which one of you is responsible.

To what are is and was pointing, in the above sentences?
One more sentence.

Son: I just wish we'd get rich one of these days, so you could have a maid.
Mom :That  is wishful thinking!

or

Mom: That  was wishful thinking!

To what are is and was pointing, in the above sentences?


texts: Why is "agreed" used as an interjection?

texts:
A lot people use "agreed" as an interjection, especially while writing comments in blogs, forums, and other online platforms. This use is also mentioned by different English dictionaries (e.g. Collins), but I don't know whether it can be used in a more formal setting than an online forum.

I'm also curious as to its actual meaning.

Is it a shorthand of I have agreed? If so, is the present perfect used (albeit in an abbreviated form) to describe an action that was completed in a very recent past?

Or is it a shortand of I am agreed? I sometimes find this expression, although in a different setting than "agreed", but I'm not sure it is correct.

Or is it something else entirely? I've tried searching on the Internet, but I haven't found an answer so far.


texts: Which is correct, go for a walk or go to a walk?

texts: I was studying prepositions and stumble upon this phrase "(1) go for a walk (2) go to a walk" which one from these two is correct and why?


texts: How to express difference between classes

texts:
I want to say

  "They belong to different classes."

Is it right to say

  "They differ in class." ?


texts:
What does 'struck' mean in the context? Does it mean 'to be impressed' or 'to come into somebody's mind suddenly', or else?

Over the centuries various writers and thinkers, looking at humans
from an outside perspective, have been struck by the theatrical
quality of social life. The most famous quote expressing this comes
from Shakespeare: “All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and
women merely players; / They have their exits and their entrances, /
And one man in his time plays many parts.” If the theater and actors
were traditionally represented by the image of masks, writers such as
Shakespeare are implying that all of us are constantly wearing masks.
Some people are better actors than others. Evil types such as Iago in
the play Othello are able to conceal their hostile intentions behind a
friendly smile. Others are able to act with more confidence and
bravado—they often become leaders. People with excellent acting skills
can better navigate our complex social environments and get ahead.

The Laws of Human Nature


texts:
I am aware that people speak in past simple tense when they use a finished time words (last year, last month, in 1805, etc.).

I also understand that, when the sentence is in present perfect, you cannot use those words; you can only use UNFINISHED time words (today, this week, this month, etc.).

My question is: can you use the past perfect tense with an unfinished time words, as in,

A: Have you been to New York?

B: Yes, I had been there last year.

Or something similar along the lines of "had been to (a place) last year".

Please note that it is NOT "...by last year" or "...until last year"; it's just "... last year".


texts:
For example

  We have a tremendous amount of work to get through.

Then can I say

  We have tremendous work to get through.

What’s the difference between them?


texts: Could bimonthly be semimonthly? How many times a month does "bimonthly" really mean?

texts:
For me, the word "bimonthly" has always been confusing whether it means twice a month or once every two months. Looking up the word in some dictionaries today, I noticed that all the dictionaries I checked it up define the word as something like "every two months OR twice a month". Below are some examples.

Collins Dictionary  https://www.collinsdictionary.com/ 1. every
two months
2. (often avoided because of confusion with sense 1) twice a month; semimonthly

Merriam-Webster  https://www.merriam-webster.com/ 1. occurring
every two months2. occurring twice a month : semimonthly

Oxford Learner's Dictionaries   https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/ produced or happening every two months or twice each month

Longman Dictionary    https://www.ldoceonline.com/  appearing or
happening every two months or twice each month

Since the "every two months" definition always comes first in all those dictionaries, I assume that it is the commonly-understood meaning by native speakers in general, but how can you be so certain that it really means every two months?


texts: "can simply select" vs "can select simply"

texts:
I would like to understand the correct way to use the words simply or easily in my sentence.

For example,

After the verb, directly:

  Method A can simply estimate the correct parameters.

  Method A can easily estimate the correct parameters.

Or, at the end of the sentence:

  Method A can estimate the correct parameters, simply.

  Method A can estimate the correct parameters, easily.

What is the correct usage of these two words?


texts: I have finished or I finished with simple present tense in one sentence

texts:
I'd like to know if it is possible to use present perfect or past simple in the following sentence:

  After I finish my work, I leave my workplace and go home.

Are either of these acceptable?

  After I have finished my work, I leave my workplace and go home

  After I finished my work, I leave my workplace and go home


texts:
I'd appreciate your time and all answers so here is my question and the case I'm curious about.

  "The same (wish) GOES to you"

It is also proper to say:

  "The same wishes GO to you"

in case we have more than one wish?

I had a discussion with my mate in which he claimed that the verb in the sentence modifies the subject (You) but I'm convinced it actually modifies the noun (Wish).

So what's being modified here, the subject or the noun?

Thanks in advance!


texts: What does it mean by "I'm up front" here?

texts:
The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny red and gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

  "Can't stay long, mother. I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves.."

It's from Harry potter and they are now at platform nine and three quaters.

I understood Percy's "I'm up front" as "being in a conspicuous or leading position" as in the definition I looked up in the Merriam-webster dictionary,

but in the translated version of this book in my language, it's translated literally like "I'm over there(I am in the front compartment or just somewhere up front). The prefects occupied two compartments..." which I think is weird also in my language.

Which one is correct? Is it mistranslation?


texts:
In an article about Bach, the author wrote:

  No one ever showed so many ingenious and unusual ideas as he in elaborate pieces such as ordinarily seem dry exercises in craftsmanship.

I could understand the sentence without the phrase "in craftsmanship". But with it, I couldn't understand.

What does it mean here, and what does the sentence mean?


texts: Help to understand the usage of 'hit' in "which could hit in early September"?

texts:
President Trump’s proposed tariffs on $200 billion worth of imported goods from China, which could hit in early September, has unnerved many American businesses and customers who think that Trump is causing unnecessary economic damage.

I am not sure what the exact meaning of 'hit' in this context. I guess it means 'take effect'.


texts:
The headline of GiveMeSport says:

Floyd Mayweather’s secret $10,000 tip to help waitress change her life.

a) Is the bold portion above equivalent to the following?
Floyd Mayweather’s secret $10,000 tip in order to help waitress change her life.
b) Can sentence (1) be written like this as well?
Floyd Mayweather’s secret $10,000 tip for helping waitress change her life.
Or
Floyd Mayweather’s secret $10,000 tip that will help waitress change her life.


texts:
On google, I could find sentences like this:

  His belly stretched the buttons on his shirt.

How do buttons get "stretched"?  Buttons are normally not elastic.  Could this be slang?


texts:
“We had to find a way to break down the silos and introduce a platform that allows staff in 28 countries to
  better communicate and collaborate. [With our Jive-n Social Intranet] we really hit fertile ground. We had a
  97% adoption rate in four months. The platform is extremely secure; it’s essentially a vault beneath the desk.”

i have problem in meaning of vault beneath the desk and hit fertile ground.


texts: Ringing key cities - meaning of "ringing"?

texts:
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/aleksandar-vasovic-rebel-commander-warns-of-attack-2014-5

  The Ukrainian checkpoints on main roads and ringing key cities do appear vulnerable and many have been attacked already, some changing hands many times.

What is ringing supposed to mean in that sentence?


texts:
I would really appreciate it, if you could help me.

I like movies that make me think about the movies.
I like movies that make me think about themselves.
I like movies that make me think about them.

which one is right?


texts: What does the following conversation mean?

texts:
Today I was reading The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé. The name of the story was Flight 714 to Sydney. This is my first time reading any of Tintin's adventures. In this story, we were introduced to Professor Cuthbert Calculus and Captain Haddock, as well as Tintin himself, and they all traveled to Djakarta.

It seemed that Professor Calculus was somewhat eccentric. Despite Tintin and Haddock repeatedly trying to make the professor understand that they'd just arrived in Djakarta, the professor seemed to not believe them. After landing at the airport, the professor saw a poster that said the following:

  KEMAJORAN (DJAKARTA) INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

But the professor didn't read the whole thing, and seeing only Kemajoran, he started blaming the duo for taking them somewhere besides Djakarta! Then, angry, he said something like the following to them:

  "Always the same, isn't it? 'Poor old Cuthbert, doesn't listen to word you say . . . head in the clouds again . . . always gets the wrong end of the stick!' And on and on and on and on and on!"

I could not connect this part with the rest of their conversation. What does the quote above, said by the professor, mean?

Here is the full rant in its entirety:

  "Hey! Stop! Are you trying to make a fool of me?" yelled Cuthbert. They turned around to see him pointing to a sign that says 'KEMAJORAN (DJAKARTA) INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.' "There! Look! Kemajoran! Tell me, is this or is this not Djakarta?" said Cuthbert angrily. Haddock turned around and huffed. "Always the same, isn't it? 'Poor old Cuthbert, doesn't listen to a word you say  . . . head in the clouds again . . . always gets the wrong end of the stick.' And on and on and on and on and on!" ranted Cuthbert. They kept walking and heard Haddock mumbling angrily to himself then he tripped over someone's luggage and into a man.


texts:
"I finish with my homework"
When i text messages, Usually i get sentence like that

Does the sentence makes any sense and what's formal way to write the sentence?


texts:
From a person's profile at a work-oriented website:

  2006 till present: manager in Business Development Department in
  a private medical centre in Moscow, Russia

Does the in preposition look good here? Or maybe the preposition at would fit more nicely?

  2006 till present: manager in Business Development Department at
  a private medical centre in Moscow, Russia

As an aside, wouldn't it be better to write "Business Development Department manager", omitting the first "in" construction?

P.S. Regarding the overlap with the existing "working for\in the XYZ company" question, it seems to me that my question differs somewhat, since a company is a thing less concrete and definite than a set of buildings comprising a medical centre. Yes, for works fine with the XYZ company, but let's translpant it in our scenario:

  2006 till present: manager in Mopping Department for a corner cafe.


texts: Word for quadrilateral with no general properties

texts:
I'd like to know what word to use to talk about a quadrilateral that has no distinctive feature (so, to express it's not a square, not a rectangle, nor rhombus, nor kite, nor parallelogram, nor trapezium/trapezoid.).

For triangles, for instance, the word "scalene" is right. Is it correct for quadrilaterals too?


texts:
Nothing new to report and currently I only ocassionally get anything new in.

Why it is not present progressive for "get" as it is not a habit? Is it because  of currently which  means a short period?


texts: "Anymore" in "Are you going to use it anymore?"

texts:
Let's say I am in a hostel's kitchen. And I need a knife, but there is only one knife and it is taken. The guy has just chopped up his vegetables and now he is just holding it. Is it natural and correct to use it when I want to know if someone is going to continue to use something. For example:

  Excuse me! Are you going to use the knife anymore?

Is that something a native English speaker would say?


texts: How to express "I slept through" when you didn't meant to

texts:
How to express the following :
Suppose I had a meeting at 9:30 am.
And I was awake lying in my bed at 9.00 am. But then I went to sleep and woke.up at 10 am.
Now how do I communicate this bold part in correct way to another person

I slept through.
But this will sound like I intentionally slept. I was awake 30 mins before the start of the meeting.
It's just incidentally sleep took over me without notice.

I was awake an hour back in bed and sleep took over me.

I feel both of them are not perfect.
But just wrote them to give an idea what I am trying to express.


texts: Question about the highlighted part of the following passage

texts:
Event and interval from vaccination

  A. Anaphylaxis anaphylactic shock (7 days )

  B. Brachial neuritis ( 28 days )

  C. Any acute complications or sequelae (including death) of above events (interval - not applicable)

  D. Events described in manufacturer's package insert as contraindications to additional doses of vaccine (interval - see package insert)

When it says interval not applicable. What do they mean by saying interval? It should mean stop  or pause. But what does it mean in this context? I know that it is very hard to grasp, so I'm asking here.


texts: at one of my clients' office / at the office of one of my clients

texts:
Which one sounds more natural to the native speakers ?

  at one of my clients' office

  at the office of one of my clients

Thanks


texts:
I was writing this sentence:

This is the id of the project to which the user is added to.

Pardon the technical jargon, I tried to convert the same sentence to something like this:

This is the drum to which this rum is going to be added to.

I can't put my finger on it but something seems odd about these sentences. Are these sentences really grammatically correct?


texts: "there's a normally and we're using `two's` complement arithmetic inside our machine"

texts:
I was watching an educational lecture about programming where the instructor has said:

So, that means that they can get larger. Meaning, there's a normally and we're using two's complement arithmetic inside our machine.

Why he has added an 's for property after there's a normally and we're using it doesn't make sense for me!


texts:
He saw his mother speaking in the phone.

  "Who is mummy talking?"

  "Mummy is talking with who?"

Can the question rephrase as the second one?


texts:
"I bought apples." vs "I bought some apples."
Is the first sentence grammatical? If yes, is there any difference in meaning between the two?
Somehow I feel that if I am asked "What did you do yesterday?", "I bought some apples" sounds better than "I bought apples". Am I mistaken? On the other hand, if I am asked "What did you buy?", then "I bought apples" sounds fine to me.


texts:
Does it have any special meaning here or just mean "a lot"? Is the period before "By a lot" correct?

"Is Hillary more powerful than Trump? That isn’t the right way to look at it. Hillary was just a candidate at the time. Trump is actually president. But the market ignored Trump and listened to Hillary.
The market believes that Hillary’s threat was more credible than Trump’s.
By a lot."

Source:http://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-news-investors-dont-care-about-donald-trump-anymore-2017-8


texts: Why is the word "existed" correct in “it never existed”?

texts:
I'm writing lyrics for my song, and hit upon the passage "Don't tell me that it never exist."
But I asked my English teacher for correction, then he told me that "exist" should be replaced with "existed."

I can't completely understand the reason why. It maybe because the word "never" used with, I guess. Am I right? Or are there any other reasons?


texts: Help understanding a phrase from a video

texts:
I'm trying to translate the video from Saturday Night Live and I can't catch a little phrase from 1:18 to 1:21.
Would you be so kind as to tell me what they say?

The video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfB3gFrbthM


texts:
Usually we say "What is the school time?" to ask the start and end of the schooltime.

If the schooltime is start from 8am to 12pm and I want to know the starting time. How should I ask?

"When is the school time starting?"

"The school time starting from when?"


texts:
How to parse the phrase how come?
And can one use this phrase with auxiliary verbs as well as modal verbs?
That is to say, are these examples both correct?

How come are you sitting here when they're all vacationing?

How come can you sit idle when your friends are playing soccer outside?

The second sentence doesn't look fine to me.


texts:
Today my manager finished his speech with:

  "I'm done from my end. If you have anything from your end, please let me know."

My question is, wouldn't it be appropriate to use from my/your side than my/your end especially in a formal context like a meeting?


texts: Please, what is the right choice between the words "liberties" and "freedoms"?

texts:
Should I use "liberties" or "freedoms" in the following sentence:

  Social inequalities, as we know, also lead to capabilities inequalities, generating stratification wherein those who are categorized as "poor" are likewise in deprivation of the rights and ------- (freedoms/liberties) others have.

I wanted to say that poor people can't do what they want not because they are not allowed to but because they don't have the resources.


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase "tack against"?

texts:
I have come across it in this video. It is at 4 minute and 28 second.

  Along the way we are also going to try to understand some of what is wrong with the way our information feeds are currently working and how we can tack against prevailing winds of misinformation.

What is the meaning of the phrase "tack against" here?


texts:
Would you say:

What do a baby Range Rover and Altoids have in common ?
What does a baby Range Rover and Altoids have in common ?


texts:
I wonder if dear natives could tell me if it is possible to substitute the bold words bellow with the italic words inside of the parentheses at the end of each sentence or not:

  You have to engrain these beliefs in you. (internalize)
  These beliefs have become engrained in the German people, over a period of many years. (internalized)


texts:
She likes living in the country.

He likes living in the city.

"I like living in the small town" or  "I like living in a small town"?

I have no problem with the first two sentences: "the city" and "the country" are set phrases, generic noun phrases. Interestingly, my native speaker tutor said I should use "a small town" here, not "the small town", but couldn't explain why. So why "the town" or "the small town" couldn't be generic noun phrases?


texts: Past Continuous with measuring time ("for 3 hours")

texts:
I was told that I can use Past Continuous with the expressions measuring time.

  I was waiting at the station for 3 hours.

What is the exact difference between this sentence and the following?

  I waited at the station for 3 hours.


texts: What is the plural form of the phase "play a role"

texts: We often say something/someone plays a ... role in something. But what if the subject is in a plural form? For example dogs. Can I say "dogs play a big role in the security" or should I say "dogs play big roles in the security" In some article, people even say "dogs play big role" Which one is correct or more naturally used?


texts: present participles in passive sentences

texts:
Here, the venerable author listed a gamut of present participle usages. In this context, he or she introduced some types of verbs which can be followed by present participles:

The present participle after verbs of movement & position.
The present participle after verbs of perception.
The present participle with the verbs spend and waste.
The present participle with the verbs catch and find

Now, consider below sentence that I constructed:

  The stability of the system has been analyzed using LP method.
  The effect of heat on the circuit has been studied considering unbound environment.
  This masterpiece was drawn using watercolor.
  Illustrations were created exploiting SoftwareX.

And a myriad of the other examples. Now, I have two questions:

1) Did I find just new verbs that should be memorized?

2) Has this something to do with using  passives?


texts: I'm unsure if the use of "a lot of" in this sentence is correct

texts:
A friend of mine asked me to take a look at his essay, and analyze it for any mistakes. It was overall pretty good, but there was one sentence which got stuck in my mind. I left it out as correct, but I feel like something is off. The sentence in question:

What’s more, we can listen to music, play video games, and a lot more things, easier than...

"A lot more things" sounds kind of incorrect to me, even tho "many more things", which should have the same meaning, is perfectly fine. The reason it's itching me, is because it sounds "loose", if that makes sense. I feel like it should be:

What’s more, we can listen to music, play video games, and do a lot more things, easier than...

"do" in this case helps emphasise that the subsequent "things" in question are all activities. "Can" more or less serves the same purpose, but I still feel like it's necessary. I'm probably just looking way too deeply into it, and it's perfectly fine, but I won't be able to sleep unless I get a concrete answer.


texts: Does “Both Amy and I are wearing a scarf” sound right?

texts:
I’ve searched my question on the site and found a similar one All of them are wearing an orange shirt. OR All of them are wearing orange shirts

I’ve read it and I feel there might be a slight difference between my question and this one.

  All of them are wearing an orange shirt.

  Both Amy and I are wearing a scarf.

Of course, each person is wearing a scarf.

In the sentence, “Amy” and “I” sound more like two individual people, different from “them”.

So does “Both Amy and I are wearing a scarf” sound right?

Do I still have to say “Both Amy and I are wearing scarves.”?


texts:
This is more related to sport knowledge, but I need the meaning of the word. When in football we say

  someone is in offside

do we mean

  someone being off the side, meaning out of the side?

If so, what is the meaning of "side" here and whose side is meant?


texts: What does the word "record" mean in these sentences?

texts:
I read these sentences in a chapter in my book which was Journey to the end of the Earth:

  Either way, Antarctica is a crucial element in this debate - not just because it's the only place in the world which has never sustained a human population and therefore remains relatively pristine in this respect but more importantly because it holds in its ice- cores  half million year old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice.

I can't help myself figuring out what the word "record" mean when used with carbon.


texts:
Can we say:

  His swimming is brilliant

I made up this sentence to examine:

1) if  i can use possessive adjectives before gerund.

2) and if a gerund can stand by its own without an object.


texts: Possible ways of rephrasing a noun phrase functioning as Determiner

texts:
In page 118, Bas Aarts, 2011, the author gives an example:

  With this size zoom, image stabilisation is essential, and the
  SP-570UZ has two systems to reduce shake.

He states 'ordinary' noun phrases can function as Determiner in English. (this size,  in this case)

I was wondering if we could say the following as well:

  With this size of zoom, image stabilisation is essential..

  With zoom this size, image stabilisation is essential..

  With zoom of this size, image stabilisation is essential..


texts: The meaning of "one-off" in this sentence

texts:
To the extent that contemporary worries
about "fake news" are genuine and identify
a novel phenomenon, they cannot simply be
about sloppy reporting, one-off falsehoods,
or even maliciously planted rumours.

one-off means:

done, made, or happening only once.

But I cannot see how that sense is relevant here. What does it mean to say falsehoods are done, made, or happening only once?


texts:
Is it proper to say: "I wasn't allowed in(side)"?
Can ''to'' be omitted? - 'I wasn't allowed TO go inside'


texts: How can I say that an idea goes into another, more global concept?

texts:
After listing some points in my essay I need to say that all they go into a definite concept. What words can I use here?

Here is my complete sentence:

  Goals, challenges, self-discovery, satisfaction, new skills – all that sounds intriguing; what is more, it makes into a definite concept – English is a powerful asset that opens lots of doors along the life journey.

I'm questioning the verbal phrase in bold in the following:

  ..., ..., ..., new skills – all that makes into a definite concept – languages are powerful assets that open lots of doors along the life journey.

or

  ..., ..., ..., new skills – all that goes into a definite concept – languages are powerful assets that open lots of doors along the life journey.

or

  ..., ..., ..., new skills – all that flows to a definite concept –
  languages are powerful assets that open lots of doors along the life journey.

Or do you have any other suggestions? I'd appreciate your help.


texts: What is the difference between in depth and in-depth?

texts:
It seems that in depth is like two separate words like

  I have studied this subject in some depth.

But in-depth is like one word and an adjective

  He has an in-depth knowledge of the subject .

Am I correct? Would you provide more information about their difference?


texts:
What is the plural form of the word "tweezers"?  If there is one.

The answer can be used for example in the following case:

  I have two tweezers


texts: When someone goes forward out of turn in a line

texts:
Let's suppose you are standing in a line for something. Someone comes and wants to go forward out of line without considering others' orders.
What would you say him normally in order to ask him stand at the end of the line?

  Excuse me, you can't go forward out of turn! __________________.

a. Go behind the line please.
b. Go to the end of the line please.


texts:
Does their refer to Bitcoin, Libra or The Winklevoss Twins?

  The inability for Facebook’s Libra to operate in a permissionless manner puts into question whether it should be considered a real cryptocurrency at all — at least in the minds of Bitcoin purists. The Winklevoss Twins, who formerly battled with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg over control of the social media company, also felt the wrath of those who wish to stick with the decentralized, censorship-resistant nature of Bitcoin due to their association with a custodial, regulated cryptocurrency payments app that allows users to spend their Bitcoin and altcoins at Starbucks, Whole Foods, and other major retailers.

Source.


texts: Do we use the present simple tense in the following context?

texts:
Captain, if they attack us , what do we do?

I am a bit confused over whether or not  "what do we do?"  Is correct in the previous context. Do we
use the future simple tense instead?


texts:
It feels good to be self insulted.

How to say it grammatically correct. I know I am wrong please make me correct.


texts:
To what extent can someone interrupt a transitive verb and its object, and what is possible to use to make sure it has no mistakes either in grammar or meaning?

For instance, look at this sentence:

  My friend is trying to illustrate in sequence all the scenes of the movie.

I usually would write the sentence above in the following form:

  My friend is trying to illustrate all the scenes of the movie in sequence.

I know that an object typically follows a transitive verb with no interruption.

What are the rules to follow when we want to interrupt the combination of a transitive verb with an object?


texts:
Is the bracketed definite article correctly used in the following?

  The Tony Awards recognize excellence on [the] stage and behind the scenes.

A colleague wrote it, but the dictionaries I've consulted say "on stage" means "performing on a stage."

The Collins Dictionary has the following remark:

"You can refer to acting and the production of plays in a theater as the stage. Madge did not want to put her daughter on the stage ... He was the first comedian I ever saw on the stage."

I think the definition from Collins refers to work done in the theatrical industry in general, covering not only acting but also scripting, lighting, directing, etc.

But the sentence in the OP divides theater into two parts: acting and otherwise, so if "on stage" rather than "on the stage" is used, I suspect it then refers to acting only.


texts: Why is there the indefinite article in: “a Victorian 23 knots”?

texts:
I've recently watched Top Gear and one of the presenters said there: ...In fact, I was only doing a Victorian 23 knots.
Why did he use the indefinite article when the noun is in the plural? And what does "Victorian" mean in this context?


texts: Don't repeat pronouns with relatives and personnal?

texts:
I am doing an English homework, which consists in describing a process of actions.

I would like to say:
" The US are the worlrd leader in technology. The Japan only beats them in science, but there capacities are much more industrial-fit."

And I mean the US industrial capacities, and not the Japanese one. Is it understandable if I write it like that?


texts:
In SMS messages:

  You took long mate

  Abit too much

What does “you took long mate” “abit too much” mean?


texts: 1 Why did Mozart use "had" when talking about the present regularity? 2 How about "I didn't know you ARE home" in this scene?

texts:
"Amadeus" around 01:17:56-01:18:24/03:00:25

  LEOPOLD: Is she not here?

  MOZART: No, she had to help her mother.
  She's like that.
  Her mother's a very sweet woman, you'll--
  I didn't know you were home.
  Stanzi, this is my father.
  We'll wait. We'll wait.

1 Why did Mozart use "had" when talking about the present regularity? ("She's like that.")

2 Can I say "I didn't know you are home" in this scene? Compared with "I didn't know you were home", which one is better?


texts: Is it natural to say 'for your own gender, a person below the average height has at most 160 cm'?

texts:
I wonder if the following sentences make any sense. I am trying to ask people at what height they consider to be above average or below average, when they consider only people of their own gender.
The questions are as follow:

For your own gender, an average person has the height of around ______
cm.

For your own gender, an above average person has ______ cm or more in
height.

For your own gender, a below average person has ______ cm or less in
height.


texts:
I am confused when to use 'in' and 'across' when I am saying something like

  This food is the most expensive in the world.

or

  Japan has the biggest aquarium in the world.

I think "in the world" is correct for the sentences I wrote. But when should I use "across"? Would the sentence still be correct if I said

  Japan has the biggest aquarium across the world?


texts: Doesn't it need to be changed into 'when our story starts from'?

texts:
When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story
  starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that
  strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the
  country. (Harry Potter)

I’m wondering if ‘our story starts’ needs to be changed, from a grammatical aspect, into ‘when our story starts from.’ Would you let me know what am I thinking wrongly?


texts: Why is it necessary to add the "of" in "approved of "?

texts:
They surely wouldn't have approved my decision.

This sounds like perfect English to me.

But after searching on Google, I realized I was wrong, that I had to write instead:

  They surely wouldn't have approved of my decision.

Why?


texts: Stop touching___stop going around eveywhere

texts:
Looking for a right vocabulary.
A kid is touching your leg, but his hand isn't just still, on the leg, but rather moving here and there busy. Do you have other words to describe this kind of touch?


texts:
Can you explain to me what "sustained on" means in the following sentence please and I'd like to ask if the sentence " Out of this legislation arose a test case brought by the ACLU" is grammatically correct?

For me it would have sounded better if it was written as : "Out of this legislation, a test case (was) arose by ACLU"

And I am confused if ACLU was plaintiff or not but the following sentence says "mainstream Christian and Jewish denominations" were plaintiffs.

It supposed to be ACLU who first opened the case legally in order to strike down or revoke the law requiring equal treatment of 'creation
science'.

  In 1981, Alabama passed a law requiring equal treatment of 'creation
  science' and evolution science. Out of this legislation arose a test
  case brought by the ACLU. Joining it as plaintiffs were several
  mainstream Christian and Jewish denominations.

  The 'creation science' law was struck down and the plaintiffs were
  sustained on all counts. Most notable was the judge's ruling that
  'creation science' was nothing more nor less than a particular
  religious doctrine. 'Creationists' lost their case against mainstream
  religion!


texts: "I thought she might have had a problem with alcohol" versus "I thought she might have a problem with alcohol"

texts:
Here in the following sentences why are we using "I thought she might have had" with 'had', why not simply "I thought she might have"?

  1)  Vincent remembered Eddie’s wife, “I knew Naedine very well; she was very nice to me. I felt I had a great rapport with her".

  Vincent said, “Eddie didn’t talk much about it, but I thought she might have had a problem with alcohol.  One New Year’s Eve I caught on right away. We were at the Inn at Jefferson Square. I was sitting at the table with my date, some friends and Naedine. She took a glass of wine and Eddie came over and told her she wasn’t supposed to be drinking."

  2)
  “I thought she had a good chance to get on the medal stand,” Dunn said Monday. “And if she got a good jump, I thought she might have had a chance to win it. That one girl just got an amazing jump in. Tanae jumped better than she had ever jumped in her life. You can’t do much better than that. When you jump the best you’ve ever jumped at the state meet, that’s all you can ask for.”

In both of the sentences above why can't we say "....might have..." like here:

  The big woman's face was bright red. For a minute I thought she might have a stroke. It was 100 degrees in the shade. (Ref)

Although I know about tenses (past tense and past perfect), this seems to always confuse me. Also it is always very easy to understand without 'thought' but with 'thought' it looks confusing.

Please elaborate this point.


texts: What does a relative pronoun refer to in the preceding sentence

texts:
Are both of these correct? I.e., can a relative pronoun refer to anything in the preceding sentence, or even earlier in the paragraph?
"Bob went to Costco to buy some bread. It was delicious." It refers to bread.
"Bob went to Costco to buy some bread. It was packed with people." It refers to Costco.


texts:
The
  House of Lords decided that as she did not know her property was being used for
  that purpose, she could not be guilty of the offence with which she was charged. She was
  a sub-tenant of a farm who had let it to students but retained a room for her own occasional
  use. Lord Reid said, ‘[W]henever a section is silent as to the mens rea there is a presumption
  that . . . we must read in words appropriate to require mens rea.'

Source: P109, How the Law Works, Gary Slapper

What's the grammatical structure here? How does one read IN words?
Does this sentence mean 'we must read words appropriately to require mens rea'? If so, why not just write this? If not, what are the similarities and differences  ?


texts: Difference between Respected and Respectful?

texts: Is there a difference between "a respected man" and "a respectful man"?


texts: How to politely explain to someone that their lack of clarity is due to their ignorance?

texts:
I've been in an inconvenient situation where I ask a question and there's a comment suggestion that it's unclear, vague, off-topic, pointless, etc.

Usually, I try to apprehend that by a disclaimer but on occasion, I trust in people's capability too much. Also, it's hard to make up for when people don't read or disregard a disclaimer.

Disclaimer here. For treatability of the issue, please assume that the question asked is clear, polite, of sufficient quality and that the research and such have been carried out according to the standards. This particular issue I'm stating here is strictly about the about the recipient being at fault.

Example

  - Why is X doing Y?
  ...
  - X can't be doing Y.
  - We've never seen that.
  - Question is wrong and off-topic.
  - Did you try googling it?

Now, here I realize that the replier isn't aware of the complexity of the issue. Or, perhaps, they don't know a good answer and assume that there isn't one. Etc...

I've tried to explain to such users that they're ignorant of the issue (pointing out that so am I) and that we should hope that someone else with more knowledge on the subject may share it with us.

For some reason, it sometimes leads to the person being insulted and/or aggrieved. Twice I got a user banned for the reaction to such reply. Not rarely it's taken as confrontative and even hostile.

Let's assume that the person isn't an ass and isn't having a bad day. Let's assume that it is what I say and/or how I say it that is perceived to be a trigger for that.

How could one point out that someone is:

replying outside the context of the original question
not contributing to a constructive exchange of ideas
using the pronoun we to gain undeserved legitimacy for the whining
not competent to understand the complexity and not modest enough to realize it
assuming stuff from their own, irrelevant experience
projecting their ignorance and misconceptions onto the matter
changing the sophisticated and correct contents into grammatically flawed

In a formal and polite way, so that I won't cause any negative reaction (or at least not stimulating such). Preferably - if possible - in a brief way because the comments' length is limited and I prefer not to waste time on lengthy explanations due to social conventions.


texts:
The verb "take" has many meanings and I cannot understand the meaning of "take" in the text below.

  I stood outside the bishop’s office on a cold night in February. I didn’t
  know what had taken me there.

Could you please tell me what the meaning of "take" here is?


texts:
I have a doubt in this question:

  Which is the odd one?
  A) spill
  B) soap
  C) hand sanitizer
  D) mouthwash

I guess it's all related to hygiene so is it "spill" because it's a verb, but I discovered it can also be a noun and mean like a drop that was spilled, as in "a spill of coffee".

In terms of liquids, only soap can be excluded.


texts: Does anyone know why the phrase 'make time for' uses a zero article for time? I know time is uncountable and most phrases about time use a zero article (spend time, save time, etc), however if the time is specific (you're wasting the time I gave you) it can have 'the.' So why in the phrase 'I'll make time for you at 7' is there no definite article?


texts: Can anyone explain me what is 'Syria-bound' in the below headline?

texts:
'No survivors' as Syria-bound Russian jet crashes.

Can any one explain to me clearly? I tried to find what exactly that means but using Google, I could only find the news. Maybe my searched text was wrong.


texts: I want to know the difference in meaning between 'to' and 'and'

texts:
I would like to know the difference between the two sentences in meaning.

Let's all take a time and be thankful that we are Koreans.
Let's all take a time to be thankful that we are Koreans.

Please, could you tell me the difference?


texts: What do you call for repeatedly making a statement even when the statement has been proved wrong

texts:
Let's consider a situation were two persons, person A and person B are arguing about something.
Person A makes a statement as a point in his argument. Then person B proves person A's statement as false and tells person A that he was wrong. Person A in an attempt to win the argument, repeates the statement again and again though he understands the statement has been proved wrong and invalid.
Remember, person A doesn't try to disprove person B's claim that the statement is false. He simply keeps repeating his statement.

Now what what do you call for an activity that involves (preferably while in an argument) repeatedly making a statement by a person even when the statement has been proved wrong or invalid.


texts: What does the phrase "overcook a hairpin left" mean here?

texts:
Here is a sentence from a racer game:

  You might use reset button frequently as you overcook a hairpin left.

I am clueless about the phrase "as you overcook a hairpin left".


texts: How do I conjugate "to be" in this sentence?

texts:
Whenever I enter his house the first thing I notice (is/are) the big lamps.

Verb "to be" is connected to two key words: thing and lamps.

And this appears to be the problem. The sentence implies that "thing = the lamps"; but one is singular, whereas the other is plural. Both "is" and "are" seem to make sense, but at the same time it feels like they don't make any sense at all.

Let's remove unnecessary words of the sentence so that we are left with:

the thing (is/are) the lamps

If we put "is" there, it doesn't seem right, because of "the lamps is"

If we put "are" there, we get "the thing are"; again: gibberish

Which is correct? Is either correct?


texts:
Today I read a blog and find the below sentence:

  I surf couches now and then ...

But I don't know the meaning, can someone explain it to me?


texts:
This is literally translated from Vietnamese "You don't scare / cry if you don't see the coffin" which roughly means you underestimate things that are actually dangerous.

For example, young people aren't taking coronavirus seriously. They don't scare / cry if you don't see the coffin.

Do you have an idiom that is similar to this "You don't scare / cry if you don't see the coffin"?


texts: What does the phrase "freakier side and geekier side" mean here?

texts:
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase "freakier side and less the geekier side" in the following text:

I wanted the show to play into this post-revolutionary time, to lean a little bit more into the Mad Max version of Star Wars,”he says from his L.A. office. “More of the freakier side and less the geekier side.

The text is from the description of the show The Mandalorian, which is the first-ever Star Wars live-action TV series.

Thank you for your time.


texts: why subject negative verb  to infinitive

texts:
1.He asked me why I didn't run and fetch the doctor.

  2.He asked me to run and fetch the doctor.

I wanted to know which sentence is more natural and formal for reprted speech.


texts: Do we always use indefinite article before any course or degree like "M.A."?

texts:
I've seen people using "a/an" before MA, BA, B.Tech, BE, MBA, etc. I want to know if "a/an" is always necessary to be used before the names of courses or degrees. Is it incorrect if I write MA without the indefinite article "a/an"?Are the following sentences correct or incorrect?

I want to do MA.
I am doing B.tech.


texts:
John wanted to have his wife  murdered. He looked for someone and found a person who could do it, his name was Paul. John explained how Paul would have to do it, and then answered a question asked by Paul. His answer was "she will be dead, she is not going to speak"

This story is based on a Hitchcok's film "Dial M for murder".

My question is  why did John use the "going to" form. Is it because it is an evidence  (as "look there are some clouds, it is going to rain") or an intention but when you are dead you have no intention  or because it has been planned before.

Could "going to"  be replaced by "will"?


texts: What's the meaning of domestic transfer?

texts:
In my bank account I've one voice that is called domestic transfer.

What does it mean?


texts: "It would feel, or taste, a certain way to you to have that process going on in your brain"

texts:
The view that the brain is the seat of consciousness, but that its
conscious states are not just physical states, is called dual aspect
theory. It is called that because it means that when you bite into a
chocolate bar, this produces in your brain a state or process with two
aspects: a physical aspect involving various chemical and electrical
changes, and a mental aspect -- the flavor experience of chocolate.
When this process occurs, a scientist looking into your brain will be
able to observe the physical aspect, but you yourself will undergo,
from the inside, the mental aspect: you will have the sensation of
tasting chocolate. If this were true, your brain itself would have an
inside that could not be reached by an outside observer even if he cut
it open. It would feel, or taste, a certain way to you to have that
process going on in your brain.

[Thomas Nagel, What does it all mean, Chapter IV]
Does the word "it" refer to "chocolate"?
I don't know the use of "to have" in "to have that process going on in your brain". Could you explain this to me?
I tried paraphrasing the sentence like this: "having that process going on in your brain would give you a certain feeling, or taste". Is it correct?
Many thanks


texts: What's the meaning of `taking advantage of any configured session pivoting`?

texts:
When I read this document:

  Communication with a host, similar to interacting via netcat, taking advantage of any configured session pivoting.

What's the meaning of pivoting there? what's the meaning of configured session pivoting?

I have looked in a dictionary and I found these definitions:

Pivoting: ......

Configured: .......

Session: ...........

But I don't understand how these apply to this context because .................


texts:
I'm building a chart on a report and I need to create a question for its title.

The chart shows return on capital employed, so I'm thinking about a title like:

  What's our return on capital employed?

Or:

  How well is our capital employed being remunerated?

Are these correct? I can't find a better one...

Thanks for helping!


texts: Is "Signature themes" the same as "Signature tunes"?

texts:
I wonder if "Signature themes" is the same as "Signature tunes". It's from the book I'm translating. And this is the context:

  Answering the first question is at the core of my professional life. After that meeting, I significantly increased my exhortations to companies on the importance of follow- up after they train their employees. It’s one of my signature themes: People don’t get better without follow-up. So let’s get better at following up with our people.


texts:
When the clock hands don’t move because its battery is dead.

Is it possible to say like these?

The clock isn’t working.

The clock has stopped.

The clock stops.

The clock stops moving.

The clock is dead.

Can you tell me how you call it?


texts:
How is the verb request taken equivalent to be pleading or entreaty in meaning?

Does it not mean to question again? as (re-quest)?


texts: "over five people" or "more than five people"?

texts:
There were over five people in the class.

  There were more than five people in the class.

I know for sure that the second sentence is correct. But I am in doubt as for the first one.


texts: What is the meaning of "prairie-dog" in this sentence?

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

  People prairie-dog over the tops of their cubicles and call to their co-workers: "Hey, you going for a walk at lunch today?"

Although I don't want to, but I feel that the word has been used as a verb in there. But I couldn't find any verb usage of this word. So, has it been used in a wrong way?


texts:
In a separate story in the Law Society Gazette, Strang is cited as telling a United Kingdom crowd that the UK criminal justice system is less open than the U.S.'s.

"Such miscarriages of justice would be harder to expose in the UK than the US, Strang said – because of a lack of openness throughout the criminal justice system," the Gazette reports. "He was speaking at the launch of an open justice charter drawn up by the Centre for Criminal Appeals, which says British justice is lagging behind even the poorest states in America when it comes to access to information."

http://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/local/steven-avery/2017/02/10/dassey-supporters-eagerly-await-valentines-day/97541932/

I do not understand the statement regarding the difference between openness of judical systems in the UK and US in the two paragraphs above. From these two paragraphs I tend to understand it as if the openennes of law would be something wrong. But logically it is supposed to be the other way around, don't you think?


texts:
They had a problem on five different occasions.

Was it necessarily the same problem?

  They had problems on five different occasions.

Could they have had one problem on each occasion?

Did they necessarily have multiple problems on all of those occasions?


texts: He’s spoken with some people vs. He’s talked with some people

texts:
The sentence:
He’s spoken with some people at the school and voiced his concerns about not just wanting to sit in a
classroom learning a lot of theory but actually wanting to get experience making movies, making films.
What is difference in meaning "He’s spoken with some people" and "He’s talked with some people"?


texts: How can I ask "What's up" in aristocratic style?

texts:
I need to write a letter in an old manner. I suppose like the beginning of the 19th century.

So what was the regular phrase to get a news?


texts: Can you paraphrase "hold all of humankind"?

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

Can you paraphrase the highlighted part please? The reason I am asking is that what I do not understand when it comes to translating this passage is how it says once orderliness was essential to a self-isolated writer like Hesse and immediately it says his independence required he hold of all humankind . How if he is detached he needs to hold of humankind?  Eventually he needs to be alone or connected?
And later when it says “ even his closest companion” why it says “even” ?


texts: How to ask a question about the selection of one option

texts:
I wrote :

  Which one should Iranians oppose more? Islamic Republic's policies (the regime) or the USA's policies?

On Quora. It says "it may need editing to be easier to understand. Please double check for spelling, phrasing or other mistakes".

What is wrong with it? What is the pattern to ask such questions.


texts: "I have every confidence...." -having trouble understanding the countable 'confidence' here

texts:
An example from OALD

  I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated.

Why is it 'every confidence?'. I dug further checking whether 'confidence' is 'countable'. And I found this on OALD

  [countable] (formal) a secret that you tell somebody

The examples follow:

  The girls exchanged confidences.  I could never forgive Mike for betraying a confidence.

But then, does the first example mean 'secret'? I'm confused.


texts: How to write a good long sentence with different phrases

texts:
I would like to write a sentence which includes some reasons. In my study, I extend a method to a new one. I would like to say that I extend the first one which does something to a new one which overcomes the limitation of the first method. Here is my try:

This method extends the existing method of A, which only allow modeling bivariate dependency, to method B, which allow modeling different dependency at a time.

Is this correct? Is there a better way to express my sentence instead of repeating which?

Thank you in advance for all your help.


texts:
The athlete has been accused of ______ dope  to boost his performance.

a. To have taken
b. Having been taken
c. taking
d. having taken
Which option is correct? I'm confused in C and D


texts: Are these interchangeable? Do they mean the same thing?

texts:
Are these interchangeable? Do they mean the same thing ?

You can depend on Jane – she always keeps her promises.
You can count on Jane – she always keeps her promises.
You can rely on Jane – she always keeps her promises.

(Feel free to correct any of my sentences, because a want to learn a lot from my mistakes)


texts: Does "correct" have a comparative (or superlative) form? If it does, should it be "more correct" or "correcter"?

texts:
Does "correct" have a comparative (or superlative) form? If does, should it be "more correct" or "correcter"?

For example，can I say，“Which sentence is more correct(or correcter)？”

I guess native speakers don't say that, but I still want to get an answer from native speakers.


texts: Short phrase to indicate two tables are placed next to each other?

texts:
Found this post making a joke on the use of JOIN in a Japanese restaurant. This instruction intends to tell customers not to rearrange tables, by placing them next to each other, thus making a "bigger table".

What is the correct word or phrase to be used here in place of JOIN, such as:

  Please do not WORD or PHRASE here tables in this area.

I know that the message can be conveyed by rearrangement of words, but curious to know if there's a word or phrase that can retain the same word order.


texts: What do you call the act of preventing someone of entering the wrong password many times? Sometimes, you get blocked after 5 attempts, what do programmers call the feature of APIs of preventing the number of tries before locking users out the system?


texts: How do you call the subject of infinitive clause?

texts:
I learned English grammar with my mother tongue, and am not sure how to call it in English.
There are clauses in the form, 'for subject to do' or 'of subject to do'.
For example,

It is necessary for her to learn English.
It is rude of her to ignore him.

The structure appears when the subject of sentence is different from the subject of action for the infinitive.
Is there a word to indicate 'for her' and 'of her' in grammar?
If I translate it from the grammar of my mother tongue, it is something like 'subject in context'.


texts: 'He is an expert in sth' or 'he is expert in sth'?

texts:
Which is right?

I am always confused with the articles.

I hear that in arabic, there is no such thing as articles.


texts:
It is raining, and they are trudging down the street.

In dictionary trudge defined as "To walk in a laborious, heavy-footed way".
So when it's raining, and the person walk quickly and laboriously, can I use the word "trudging"?


texts: Are 'bloody', 'bloodied', and 'bleeding' all okay in this context?

texts:
A bloody/ bloodied/ bleeding Seth ran after the robber.

Are they all correct and natural if Seth has blood on himself?


texts:
What does "to light out" mean?

I've been given a text by a translator that uses "to light out" with the meaning of

  for example when a LED light gets turned off.

Is this a correct meaning?

EDIT:

One example:

"The lamp lights out when the heater is on"


texts: Should add a comma after "it turns out"?

texts:
Example:

  It turns out(,) religion isn't the best topic for a romantic dinner.

I've seen all these two versions:

  It turns out that X ...

  As it turns out, X ...

How about It turns out? Does it need a comma?


texts:
Can we form the negative form of this sentence, she used to swim on Sunday’, in the following ways?
1) She doesn’t use to swim on Sunday.
2) She didn’t use to swim on Sunday.

In thw first sentence why do we use infinitive form of ‘use’ with doesn’t, even if ‘used to’ is semi modal?


texts: Can you say something like this in English?

texts:
I am trying to translate from Russian a phrase that uses obscene vocabulary. I want it to be translated literally, only replacing unacceptable obscene words with more acceptable ones. The problem with the phrase is that all words it uses have the same obscene root.

The original Russian phrase:

  Нахуя дохуя нахуячили?! Расхуячивайте нахуй!

Translation:

  Why did you load so much? Unload it totally!

I wonder whether one can do the same in English, that is to say something like

  For what dick have you dicked it up to a dick? Undick this for dick!

or

  For what penis have you penised it up to a penis? Unpenis this for
  penis!

Can it be understandable?


texts:
You did not know this and how it work.

Is the above sentence grammatical?

As per my understanding, it should be

  You did not know this and how it works

Breaking it into two sentences we will get

  1.You did not know this.

  2.You did not know how it works.

Initially I would've disregarded it as a mistake, had it not been used by an English teacher. I became unsure and thought there might be something I am missing.

Lastly, would there be any difference if I substitute and with or?


texts:
He was trying to throw the ball to the ceiling fan.

  "Don't throw it. You will break the fan."

  "Don't throw it. The fan will break."

Are the second sentence rephrase correctly?


texts: "First business day of first week in each month"?

texts:
I would like to say a day which meet the following criteria for each month:
- First whole week
- First business day

For example, the day in Dec 2016 is 5, in Jan 2017 is 3 (assume 2 Jan 2017 is holiday).

Currently I only can think of "First business day of first week in each month", but it's sound little bit clumsy and cannot point out the first whole week.

Is there have any better to present this "day"?

Thanks


texts: What is the meaning of "my face into their pussies with their crucifixes"?

texts:
In Drama film/Biography film The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), I know Althea really don't mean pussies because nuns
won't do such type of things.

  Althea: I had an epiphany once, Larry.

  Larry: What was that?

  Althea: When my daddy shot my entire family in the head, and I was the
  only one to identify the bodies. I got sent to an orphanage full of
  good, Christian nuns, who shoved my face into their pussies with their
  crucifixes on for eight goddamn years!


texts:
Which pronoun should be used for animals and for trees?
Is there any change in pronoun according to the situation? If yes, then what is it?


texts: What is wrong with this sentence? "Becoming a leader is a very predictable process."

texts:
Something about this sentence sounds awkward but I cannot figure out what it is.

  "Becoming a leader is a very predictable process."

  "Being a leader is a very predictable process."

Does anyone have suggestions? I use a parallel structure in my paper that involves a lot of sentences that start with "Being a leader."


texts:
Tick the correct sentence in the following pair:

Many people are worried about the bad effects of mobiles on brain.
Many people are worried about the bad effects of mobiles on the brain.

I was taking this IELTS test and I went for 1 while the answer key says the correct answer is 2. Can you explain why using the is necessary here?


texts:
I was looking for examples of using "imminent" on the web, most of the examples I found was related to attacks and wars.. like, a war is imminent, so I wonder if this word can be used in other settings like these:
- The issuance of the law is imminent.
- the wedding is imminent.
thank you


texts: What does "suggests after the event..." mean?

texts:
Just as the development of a society sometimes suggests after the event a pattern not in the minds of its creators, the transition from the old convict system to the new did not always follow the recommendations of Bigge.

(emphasis added)

I don't understand "suggests after the event..."


texts: Can we use "happenings" as a synonym for "incidents"?

texts: When I was writing notes for chapter 2 of "Treasure Island" as part of my studying for my upcoming English exam, I wrote, winter is when the happenings of chapter 2 take place. I quickly scrubbed it out and placed incidents rather than happenings. Then I thought to myself, is it ok to use "happenings" with an "s" instead of incidents. So I went to a thesaurus and checked that "happening" is one of the synonyms of "incident". So my question is can I use "happening" with an "s" as in "happenings" as a synonym for "incident"?


texts:
My sister lost one of my books somewhere in the house a few days ago. Then I asked her to get it back. I guess she didn't even start searching. So, I explained why that book is so important to me, then I asked

  Are you in tune with me?

I am aware that "in tune with" means "having a good understanding".

Is it idiomatic to use the expression "in tune with" in everyday speaking?


texts: Should [good at something] be understood as active or passive?

texts:
I just wrote a psychology quiz and there was a "good at" question that I did not answer correctly. I would like to ask the thread's help on this one.

The question was:

  Is the following a behavior or a summary label: "A person was [good at tuning the violin]."

If the "good at" phrase is interpreted as an action, then it is a behavior. If the "good at" phrase is interpreted as a personal characteristic, then it is a summary label. An online thesaurus gave the synonym of "to have a particular physical or mental skill" for "good at doing something". It is very unclear to me whether "good at tuning violins" actually refers to a specific, instance or instances or tuning violins or as a description of a person skill in tuning violins.

My psychology profs often seem to want to be English profs. The correct answer to the question hinges on whether or not [good at] should be understood as an active or a passive phrase. The question had to be phrased in nominal English, so whatever is considered to be correct by those highly proficient in English usage is the answer that should be accepted as correct.

{The behaviorist tradition in psychology makes a distinction between objectively measurable responses (behavior) and subjectively applied labels. So for a behaviorist, someone with autism (label) would be described as a person with autistic behaviors (behavior). The rationale here is that behavior can be changed while using operant technology, while a label is a description that refers to an internal state of a person that is assumed unchangeable. The danger is that when people are labeled, others can respond to them according to the label and not according to how other people are actually responding.}


texts: "if you want to" vs "if you want" - in the end of a sentence

texts:
I saw this sentence:

  But you can use this also, if you want to!

I'm just wondering, what is the difference from this:

  But you can use this also, if you want!

When and why should I attach  to?


texts:
I did as suggest but to no avail

Rule states with 'did' in sentence first form of verb is correct but above statement is quite unheard of. On the contrary,

  I did as suggested.

is very common. Please elaborate where I'm missing the link or what did I fail to get?


texts:
Is the following sentence correct?

A day after the encounter with Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma, as many as 21 security personnel are said to missing.

I think it should be are said to be missing.
I asked this question because this sentence is in a very prestigious newspaper, so I thought I might be wrong?


texts:
I understand, e.g. from this answer, that the phrase "not yet" is used to talk about an event that has not happened so far, but that we clearly expect to happen somewhere in the future.

I want to know if "not yet" always bears this meaning and what consequences there are for understanding if we use it in other contexts. This question is motivated by an answer on German Stackexchange that got many upvotes and states that the German "noch nicht" can always be translated as "not yet". Since "noch nicht" can have other meanings than the one described above for "not yet", I doubt this and want to check it here. For that, I picked up two cases where English learners with German background might be tempted to say "not yet", because they would use noch nicht in German.

Stating that an event, that will or will not happen in the future, has not happened so far.

Following the answer quoted at the beginning, I think one would use "still not" in this case. E.g.

  1) I still haven't found what I'm looking for.
  2) Despite researchng for many decades, scientists are still not capable of predicting earthquakes.

What would happen if I used "not yet" in these sentences, i.e.

  1') I have not yet found what I'm looking for.
  2') Despite researching for many decades, scientists are not yet capable of predicting earthquakes.

Would a native English reader still make some sense out of these sentences? Would this be the original sense, i.e. would he think "oh, that's not the best English I've ever seen, but I know what you mean", or would the alteration in meaning stay unnoticed?

Stating that some fact is not sufficient to imply some other fact

For example:

  3) It was a fantastic match last night. But this victory was not yet the championship. Meaning: although it was important to win this match, we can by no means think that we already won the championship by this, too.
  4) Futuristic skyscrapers are not yet Europe. Meaning: seeing a fancy skyline, like in Russia's capital Moscow, is by no means a guarantee that this country will adhere with European values or will have good and close relations with the EU. This is the phrase that the quoted German question is all about.

These two sentences are phrased using "noch nicht" in their German translations, but I have considerable doubts that it is possible to simply take the dictionary route and translate them with "not yet" the way I did. Am I right, and if yes: how wrong do these sentences sound?


texts: How to use "please" in an interrogative sentence

texts:
Can you use "please" in the following sentence?

"Could I please send you a letter?"

I always thought you can't use "please" when you ask someone a permission to do.
There are only two types of questions that you can add please, I thought.

Like,

Could you please take that book for me? (When you ask someone to do something for you)
Could I get another cup of tea, please? (When you want something from someone)

Thank you for your help!


texts: Assuming X is a non-sentient object or concept, I understand sentiments like "X spoke to me" - it's just a fancy way to say "I liked X immediately." But I don't understand "I didn't choose X, X chose me." Does it simply mean "I liked X," or is there something more to it?


texts:
Consider this statement:

  You are NOT worthless. Yes you deserve to think about whatever you want, it's not being selfish. Self-care is important. Have you reached out for help yet?

What's the meaning of reach out?


texts: What does "but" mean in "all expenses but your flight (and transportation on...)"?

texts:
The annual summit lasts four days and all expenses but your flight and transportation on the first and last day are covered.

What does this statement mean ?

Does it mean that the flight and transportation charges are covered, or do they have to be borne by the traveller ?


texts:
Which article is correct for a book's title and why? For example:

A/The guide to Java Programming
A/The guide to Project Management


texts: Is there an alternative way to express "has them " other than "makes them "?

texts:
For example, in the following sentence, can I replace have them with makes them, or is there another verb that more correctly I could use instead of has?

  Since the manufacturers are so deeply involved, in some cases Wal-Mart even has them handle their own distribution, saving the retailer big bucks and increasing profit margins on cheaper goods.

Another example could be the following one.

  The doctor sends my father and Uncle Johnnie out for all the ice they can get. Then he has them dump the ice in the bathtub, add cold water almost to the top, whereupon my aunt is wrestled into the tub and submerged.


texts: Tough Question: How to Use "In The Lead"

texts:
Need some help on how to use "in the lead".  I came up with several possible valid usages.

Situation 1--  At a high school, two clubs, club A and club B, are trying to get as many students to join as possible.  Currently club A has enrolled more students than club B:

  Club A is in the lead.

Situation 2-- A referendum will take place soon, concerning whether an geographical area currently part of a sovereign country, should become an independent sovereign country.  There are two political groups trying to influence voters.  The pro-union group want voters to vote no.  The pro-independence group want voters to vote yes.  A poll of like voters was recently done, and it shows that there more voters more likely to vote no than yes:

  The pro-union group is in the lead.
  The no vote is in the lead.

Situation 3--  Suppose there is a soccer match between Team USA and Team France.
At the match are American fans supporting Team USA and French fans supporting Team France. Then, Team USA scored a goal, going up 1-0.  The American fans are very happy:

  The American fans are in the lead.

Are the four sentences for respective situations (situation 2 has two sentences) okay English?


texts:
I'm working on an SAT grammar test and the sentence I'm struggling with is:

This variety of tasks attract individuals with a broad range of experience.

The answer they marked correct is "attracts."
Then I was wondering would it be "attracts" or "attract?" When I search it up, some say attracts, because "attract" is the singular verb while "variety" is the singular subject. However, others say that "attract" is the correct one.


texts: "Life is a journey", positive or negative?

texts:
Life is a journey

This metaphor might be interpreted to have either a negative meaning or a positive one. The negative meaning may be "There is no turning back" and the positive one may be "Enjoy the life". Which interpretation is correct?


texts:
This script is for testing purposes only.  You need to modify it using the new service data.  Also, the following procedure might help (to test \ test) the data and understand how the system works.

I wonder whether I should write might help to test or might help test.  help is usually used with "to", and we don't usually write "help testing".  Therefore the sentence without might should be "help to test" and "might" will not change it.
On the other hand, if it should be "help testing", then "might" will modify it to be "might help test".

Is this a right analysis? Should it be "might help to test"?


texts: to describe someone looks beautiful and young since she was born

texts:
My friend is forty something but she looks younger than her age. So I asked her "What makes you look so much younger?". She answered jokingly in Chinese "天生麗質" which means her beauty is naturally born. So I'd like to know if the following sentences are correct or comprehensible to native English speakers.

I was born this way.
I was born beautiful.
I was born with a beauty.
I am a born beauty.
It just comes naturally.
I guess it’s a gift from Heaven.
It must be genes.
I guess it's in my blood.
It's gifted.
I was born with beauty.


texts:
Two days ago, my employment counselor spoke with me about my job search. I told him that I needed some help with my cover letter and resume. I also said that I would like to know more about the current job market. After our meeting, I saw my friend in a shopping center. I spoke English to him because he didn't understand my native language. This is what I said to him.

(ex) My friend asked me, "Where did go you?"

I replied, "I went to see my employment counselor and asked him to help me with my cover letter and resume."

He asked, "How did your meeting go?"

I said, "He put me in a few job search workshops (for) next week."

My example tells a true story about my job search. I use the past tense of "to put" in my last response because my employment counselor already put me in the workshops which will take place next week.

I would like to ask a question.

Do I need the word "for" in my last response?


texts: past perfect vs past simple, value of meaning holds true today

texts:
I took this from Google. The PAST PERFECT TENSE indicates that an action was completed (finished or "perfected") at some point in the past before something else happened.

An event takes place sometime in the past. What was said, still holds true today, so I want to say, I agree in the present tense.

The past simple seems to me a better option but the past perfect holds true so far as the event, ie, "the friend saying something" was in the past, the time is non specific, ie, recently.

Recently I had visited a friend, as I left, he had remarked that..blah. I agree with him.

Recently i visited a friend, as I left, he remarked...blah. I agree with him.

Are they both possibly correct or is one better? I am also unsure if I need to say, I agreed with him!
Thanks for any advice.
Richard


texts:
I've been struggling to know the difference, even though I've done research about it. Could you tell the difference between those 2?

Examples:

Why do we say:

  I wish it'd stop raining

And not:

  I wish it stopped raining

What would the difference be if I said either:

  I wish this game would be good

  I wish this game were good

Thanks in advance


texts:
A kangaroo injured Australian politician Shane Rattenbury in the Australian capital, Canberra, on Thursday. Mr. Rattenbury was taking a morning jog in the Canberra suburb of Ainslie when the kangaroo surprised him, and in the ensuing confrontation Mr. Rattenbury was scratched several times on the leg.
  By Mr Rattenbury’s account, the kangaroo was an eastern grey kangaroo, which is a common species in Australia. Neither the kangaroo nor Mr. Rattenbury saw  each other until they were  close, when they both were surprised by each other. The kangaroo, which had been behind a hedge, then started hopping around and Rattenbury ducked for cover.

I think that it will be better to write had seen instead of saw  because the action of not seeing took place before they were close  , as soon as they were close enough they could see each other. There was a change


texts: unless that computer toed the line -- what does "toed" mean here?

texts:
Source: Sams Teach Yourself Networking in 24 Hours, 4th Edition by Uyless Black (2009)

Example:

  At the risk of stating the obvious, the Internet has transformed the way we do business. Prior to its inception, it was quite difficult to transfer data from one computer to another—unless that computer toed the line and used the same proprietary procedures as the sending machine.

Looked in all the dictionaries online and I don't think there was a meaning that matched the one used in the example.


texts: Two possessive pronouns (hers, yours) in a sentence

texts:
You both have good cars. But hers is better than yours.

Can I say that? I know that I can say "But her car is better than yours." Would it be too much to use two possessive pronouns in a sentence?


texts: Function of participle clause: ... switch back and forth, alternating their positions ...

texts:
I am trying to determine the function of the participle phrase in the following sentence:

  When they play, they switch back and forth, alternating their positions until the game ends.

Is the participle phrase that begins with alternating functioning as an adverbial participle modifying switch or an adjectival participle modifying they?


texts: How to connect seemingly deviating arguments?

texts:
Sometimes, a person can speak on and on that he ultimately forgets what he was talking about, this is known as "to lose the thread," and thus he do not know how to connect those points he made there with the vital argument, but he do not feel to delete what he had just said as it sounded really good, so when he is writing the new paragraph, he don't know quite how to connect the two paragraphs and arguments, and he also know he cannot leave it there as it is as that seems too flat and "unethical. (misnomer)"

So, is there are literary style in a poetic way of connecting the two paragraphs and still not? So one may get the impression the point is still going on, but also gradually evolving to its own self.

I cannot show you the essay, but here is an analog to it:

"An ongoing theme in the Bible is human mistakes. The authors of the Bible assumes the role of God and speaks to the readers in various literary styles, the genre of the Bible is diverse; the Bible does not speak to the infidels in a bad manner, instead, it is like an uncle; you don't see him much and the love is not strong, but it is sufficient for an uncle and nephew, this is the likeness of a son with no contact to his father and then finally meeting again after... blablabla [................. ................................ ........................... ...................................... ................................. ...... . ............ ................ ........... .......... ........ ................ ............ .......... ............ ............................ ............. . . . ....... ..................... ....................... ........  ....... . ....This vast space of analogies, parables, metaphors and allegories in a verbose style, just for the "it is like an uncle" part... that I seem to be unable to return back on topic without satisfactorily farewelling the allegories and go on topic by how the Bible is not hostile to infidels.]

(Hmmm... where was I?)"

Is there a way to go back on topic, but also concluding the allegories in an epilogue-sense of way?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Is there a general rule for Verb + Preposition/Particle idioms, such as "come across"?

texts:
Composite verbs are giving me a lot of trouble. In German the syntax is simple; if the composite verb has the moving part, it goes to the end. But in English I've found many forms and I'm not sure which to use.

For example, which of those would be correct and why?

  I've come across him yesterday.
  I've come him across yesterday.
  I've come him yesterday across.


texts: Use of the plural form when listing two objects in succession in technical writing

texts:
I have a rather technical sentence:

  The mean mesiodistal positioning error for the posteriors was
  0.09±0.09 mm and 0.05±0.01 mm for the control and experimental groups, respectively.

I feel as though I should be writing 'positioning errors....were' as I am listing two quantities- however, as there really is only one mean (i.e., the number listed), would this really be warranted?

The edit would appear as so:

  The mean mesiodistal positioning errors for the posteriors were
  0.09±0.09 mm and 0.05±0.01 mm for the control and experimental groups, respectively.


texts:
Which one is correct or are both correct?

  The boy's name is nice.
  The name of the boy is nice.

I'm really confused these two sentences?
Which one is more suitable?


texts: Why some characters are replaced by apostrophe by native English writers?

texts:
I see words like

  stayin' , livin' , 'eck , 'our.

The first word I saw in the song, Staying alive.


texts: Difference between mien, comportment, demeanour

texts:
Can anybody construe the differences between mien, comportment and demeanour?

When is it better to use each of them?

Well, here are definitions from google SERP

mien - a person's appearance or manner, especially as an indication of their character or mood
"he has a cautious, academic mien"

comportment - behaviour; bearing.
"he displayed precisely the comportment expected of the rightful king"

demeanour - outward behaviour or bearing.
"his happy demeanour"

I understand each definition, but for me, they all can be replaced with behaviour, and yet they exist in English. Why? Can you describe situations when behaviour is not enough?


texts: What is the proper word for a failure which can not recover by retry?

texts:
I developed a web application.

When users call my application, my application may failed and it will returns FAIL.

Some users will retry when they received FAIL.

Sometimes it works, but in some cases, my application knows the retry won't recover from that failure. So I want to it returns a new state to indicate a failure which can't recover from retries.

So which is the proper word for that case?

By the way, my application will returns [INIT,DOING,SUCC,FAIL], and means:

INIT: app is initializing
DOING: app is working for user's request
SUCC: user's request done successfully
FAIL: user's request failed


texts:
Are the words in bold interchangeable in this context?

  A network is a set of computers that are connected to each other so that information can be shared or sent to one computer to another. It is a global system of interconnected computer networks that/which links device worldwide.

I do not know whether to use which or that, or are they interchangeable?

Thanks!


texts:
Which one  should I choose between them?

We walked quietly ____ fear of being discovered.

a. in

b. for

Here are some examples from Longman Dictionary.Could you please explain the difference  between them in terms of meaning and usage because I cannot discern.

  Thousands of people are   in fear of their lives  following the
  shootings.

  Ordinary people   lived in fear of    being arrested by the secret police.

  She finally ran away for fear that he would kill her.

  He got to the station early, for fear of missing her


texts: Meanings of snatch, grab, grip, seize, grasp

texts:
Could somebody please explain to me what the differences between these words are? In which contexts should I use them?

Can I say that I grab a sandwich? Or that I grip a sandwich? (And eat it afterwards ...)
Can I grasp a sandwich??? (That sounds to me like I would try to "understand" it, but the verb "to grasp" can be used in that way, as well, no?)


texts:
A. I got lost when I came here the first time.
B. I got lost when I came here for the first time.

Which one is correct? Or is there any semantic difference between them?


texts: [by], [of], [from] or [under] these ten brands

texts:
I have made up the similar examples below.
(1) The beef balls by these ten brands are found to be contaminated.
(2) The beef balls of these ten brands are found to be contaminated.
(3) The beef balls from these ten brands are found to be contaminated.
(4) The beef balls under these ten brands are found to be contaminated.
Which preposition is correct? Thank you for your help.


texts:
I have a question about the usage of the preposition "for" here:

  New Belgium produced 64 million pounds of spent grain in 2013 that it sold to one farm for animal feed.

Would replacing "for" with "as":

  New Belgium produced 64 million pounds of spent grain in 2013 that it sold to one farm as animal feed.

, be better?


texts: How do we say the name of a people plurally?

texts: I am writing an essay and I came across an event to describe in which I have to name the whole population of Spain doing something. Do I say"the Spanishes" or "the Spanish"?


texts: How acceptable is it to use "it's like" (or just "like") as a filler word?

texts:
I am not a native English speaker myself but I am very annoyed by the fact that a lot of people these days, native and also non-native English speakers, are continuously using the expression "it's like" or just "like" in oral speech as a sort of link between ideas, phrases or just words. Transcribing a recording I get these kinds of formulas:

"And then I kind of like communicated this to him."

"I like went up to like really submitting my paper."

"And I hated it so I was like “no way I am doing that!""

"I have to kind of like succeed by myself, which is very hard."

"When you do not know someone that is like very experienced..."

"What's the purpose? Like, damaging the image of his colleagues..."

Is this a common feature of contemporary English?

What is the origin of this expression? How recent is this type of use?

Is it equally common in all dialects of English?


texts: why "was" is used in Perfect past tense?

texts:
I have query that i have seen many sentences that uses Past Participle after "was". But i am little bit confused with Past continuous and Past perfect Tense.

Can anyone tell me the difference?


texts: "Is time to be happy" Or "It is time to be happy"

texts:
I want to say: "Es momento de ser feliz". How can say that?

Is time to be happy.

Or

It is time to be happy.


texts:
If I am telling someone who doesn't know when's my birthday,  while not being precise,  will it be natural to use 'coming'?  I guess it doesn't sound idiomatic though it's grammatical.  Will it be better to use "coming up"?

  My birthday is coming.

  My birthday is coming up.

I guess the second sentence natural whereas the first one does not.....


texts: adverbial clause of cause without finite main clause

texts:
They stared at the girl weeping uncontrollably because she just lost her father.

My problem with this sentence is that the subordinate clause because she lost her father is a finite clause, but its corresponding main clause weeping uncontrollably is non-finite. Is this sentence grammatical?


texts: (Karate / Judo) (practitioner / player / athlete)

texts:
As judo and karate both originate in Japan, probably one way to refer those athletes who practice these martial arts would be using the Japanese expressions as follows:

  "karateka" (空手家?) [karate practitioner]
  "judoka" (柔道家) [Judo practitioner]

But I'm quite confident most native speakers have not even heard those terms once!

I know more people who do karate / judo are called:

  "karate / judo practitioners"
  or
  "somebody does karate / judo," [which is a description rather than a name like: "wrestler: who practices wrestling!"]

I would like to ask if one really wants to use an English expression how they should normally refer to someone who practices these sports in everyday idiomatic speech and common English?

Maybe:

  Karate / judo player
  Karate / judo athlete


texts: What do "got a guard" and "torch" mean in the High School Musical 1 Movie?

texts:
I watched the film High School Musical 1 (2006) and there are some phrases that confuse me. Here is the video on youtube and its transcript:

  [Mrs. Bolton enters the gym to find her son and husband busy shooting
  hoops]

  Coach Bolton: (bounces ball to Troy) Keep working left, Troy. Got a
  guard in the championship game we're expectin'. You'll torch
  'em!

Does 'Got a guard' mean to protect the championship? Or does it means Troy has a job as a defender?
The word 'torch' in the dictionary means to burn something. I guess in this context, it means to defeat the other team. Am I right?


texts:
What's the difference between "horrible" and "horrific"?
By dictionary definition, they are almost identical.
What's the connotative difference?


texts:
I am not sure about the usage of freak out - it means wildly irrational behaviour?
Can we say for example that when someone is not doing something like expected is freaking out? I will give you an example. I have a colleague who is extremely kind and gentle to me and I am considering this as suspicious , can I say he is freaking me out?


texts:
“And do ye carry your flock bed, and your quilt, and your crock, and your bit of chiney? or do ye go in bare bones, as I may say?” inquired Christopher Coney.
“I’ve sent on my luggage—though it isn’t much; for the voyage is long.” Donald’s eyes dropped into a remote gaze as he added: “But I said to myself, ‘Never a one of the prizes of life will I come by unless I undertake it!’ and I decided to go.”


texts: In sentences with infinitivals of purpose, where should adverbials of time be placed?

texts:
When I use adverbs of time, and if the sentence gets long when I want to place it after the whole sentence like this:

  I sent a person to get myself a nice, delicious table of dinner today.

Or

  Janice and her friends went to the mall to flirt with the cute guys
  who congregate at the food court yesterday.

Do "today" and "yesterday" modify only the infinitive phrases? Or do they modify the whole sentence?  And can someone please tell me how it is grammatically correct to put those adverbs  of time? Those sentences sound a little off to my ear while I am unable to explain why. It seems to me that I have to put those adverbial of times in front of the infinitive phrase like this:

  I sent a person today to get myself a nice, delicious table of dinner.

  Janice and her friends went to the mall yesterday to flirt with the cute guys who congregate at the food court.


texts: What does "Men are cruel, but Man is kind" mean?

texts:
Men are cruel, but Man is kind.
-- Stray Birds  (219) by Rabindranath Tagore

What is the meaning of men and man in that sentence?


texts:
Please let me know which one I should use.
E.g) I made a call on/to/at 304xxxxxxx.
Call(text) me on/to/at 304xxxxxxx.
Is it on, to, or at? Or none of them?


texts:
Counterpoint: 1 a : one or more independent melodies added above or below a given melody b : the combination of two or more independent melodies into a single harmonic texture in which each retains its linear character : polyphony 2 a : a complementing or contrasting item : opposite b : use of contrast or interplay of elements in a work of art (as a drama)
Counterpart: 1 : one of two corresponding copies of a legal instrument : duplicate 2 a : a thing that fits another perfectly b : something that completes : complement 3 a : one remarkably similar to another b : one having the same function or characteristics as another

When I wrote an earlier question I used the word "counterpart" to define "On the other hand" in reference to "On one hand", but, in their answers to the question, competent speakers of English language called the former "counterpoint", not "counterpart".
After having verified on Merriam Webster Dictionary Online, I cannot still understand the reason why I should use "counterpoint", rather than "counterpart".
Can anybody explain why "counterpoint" is proper English, while "counterpart" is not?


texts: What does ‘Limitless is riding the middle ground of CBS' freshman crop’ mean?

texts:
The context:

  The Bad News: Like anything on CBS, it depends on the needs of the
  network and available slots. Limitless is riding the middle ground of
  CBS' freshman crop and it doesn't help that Criminal Minds: Beyond
  Borders is doing slightly better after less than a month on air.

What does the phrase in bold mean?