texts: phrase request - authentic-looking dishes?

texts:
Suppose someone were talking about fake food, i.e. plastic food models on display at some restaurants.
Could we refer to fake food as "authentic-looking dishes"?

How about "authentic-looking items"?


texts: Is "he was as ... as they were ..." a common construction?

texts:
Example:

  He had to choose a dancing partner. He was as nervous to pick one as
  they were of being picked.

Is is a common construction? Google gave me zero results. And it sounds a bit strange to me. But I'm not very sure since I'm not a native English speaker. (Maybe there's a better alternative?)


texts: What is the difference? "had been" vs "was"

texts:
What is the difference between this sentences?

  I had said no, because I was in the middle of getting Windows NT
  shipped, and because Microsoft had been generous with stock options.

  I had said no, because I was in the middle of getting Windows NT
  shipped, and because Microsoft was generous with stock options.


texts: Am I allowed to omit 'to be' after the verb "prove"

texts:
Is it grammatically correct to omit 'to be' after the verb 'prove'?
For example,
"This theory proved/proves (to be) almost impossible to disprove."


texts:
A. Having been eliminated the public aid and what with/ on account of an increased rate of inflation as well, it seems that the earnings of the low-paid classes (of society) will /fall/diminish/.

First, as the bold parts tend to be associated with informal style, I am wondering what could be placed instead.

Meanwhile, have I eventually semantically and grammatically written the sentence "A"?

By the way, I strictly want to use the following now:

Having been p.p.


texts: She waited for the guests until they "have arrived" or "had arrived?

texts:
She waited for the guests until they "have arrived" or "had arrived"

i feel like She waited for the guests until they have arrived is the correct answer

because the first action is her waiting for guests to arrive

and the second action is the arrival of guests

but my textbook says the correct answer is "had arrived"

correct me if i am wrong

thanks in advance


texts: Is it natural to say "reduce gatherings for COVID-19"?

texts:
Mass gatherings probably increase risks of COVID-19 transmission, so we should reduce gatherings as much as possible.
To convey the idea, I make up the following sentence

We should reduce gatherings for COVID-19.

Is it natural to say it that way?


texts: the simple present tense or the present continuous tense

texts:
Write the verbs in the brackets in a suitable form of simple present or present continuous to the given blanks

  It (rain) _______, why don't you take your umbrella?
  Who _______ you (wait) _______ for?

My answer is "rains" for the first sentence. For the second one it is "do-wait"
But the answer key says: "is raining, are-waiting"
There are not any time expressions in these sentences. Why am I wrong?


texts:
A short dialogue from the movie Extraterrestrial (2014):

  — It's been ten years, Alan. Now look. I mean no disrespect, but it is time to face reality, man. She left you.
  — People have been trying to convince me that she just split town, just took off with another guy. People have been saying it so long I almost believed it myself, but now I know what happened.

I've been searching online and couldn't find this idiom in any dictionary. Though, from the context I think I can infer that it probably means something like skipped town, which is a real idiom. Am I on the right track with this?


texts: What do you call a shop or place where phones, laptops and tablets are fixed?

texts:
What do native English speakers call a place where phones, computers, tablets, headphones are fixed. Would they call it a technician's shop? For example:

  I am going to take my phone to the technician's shop.


texts:
It's not important if it rains or not.

Does this sentence sound odd to you because of using 'if' instead of using 'whether'?


texts:
My understanding is that siblings, though not often used, refers to brothers and sisters, but my question is whether I can include myself in this term. In other words are both of the following statements correct:

I have two siblings, that is one brother and one sister
We are three siblings, that is me, my brother and my sister

In norwegian this would be correct when using the word "søsken". If not correct does there exist a synonym to be used instead of sibling?


texts: "Message as of life or death" - what does "as of" mean here?

texts:
In the following sentence, I understand everything but the "as of" part:

It was the awareness that some speeding messenger from spaces far, far
beyond the world would presently stand close and touch me, would gaze
into my little human eyes, would leave its message as of life or
death, and then depart upon its fearful way again—it was this that
conveyed the feeling of apprehension that went with me.

The only meaning of "as of" I am aware of relates to time (on, at or since) which does not make sense here (in my opinion).


texts:
Food shortage is the most challenging among all problems in Africa

What if I change among to of, do they have the same meaning?


texts:
Should I use most simple or simplest to indicate something cannot be more simple?

Can I use both? Is one prefered?

If simplest - how is that pronounced? (Is the e silent?)


texts:
The brothers marched to the end of the lane, ambling to a halt on the corner where they met the wider road. Andrew reached into the hedge, groped around for a while, then drew out a half-full packet of Benson & Hedges and a slightly damp box of matches. After several false starts, the heads of the matches crumbling against the strike, he succeeded in lighting up. Two or three deep drags, and then the grumbling engine of the school bus broke the stillness. Andrew carefully knocked out the glowing head of his cigarette and stowed the rest back in the packet.
  (The Casual Vacancy, by J. K. Rowling)

The phrase, to a halt, seems to be an adjunct or complement denoting that after having ambled they stopped. Here I got wondering if it were a to-infinitve, e.g. ‘ambling to stop,’ can this deliver the same meaning? I like to know, though in numerous cases to-infinitives denote purpose meaning, e.g. I went into ELL to ask a question, whether it could denote resultative meaning. In ‘he ambled to stop,’ there wouldn’t be any possibility that he ambled for the purpose of stop at least in the context.


texts: is it correct to say "the marriage of techniques from different fields"

texts:
Is it correct to say "... doing so requires the marriage of techniques from different maths fields"
I want to express that tackling the problem will need techniques from many different maths fields to be used together.
Can you give me some alternatives?


texts: What do you call cent, øre, etc (money less than 1 unit) in general?

texts:
I am writing something and I need to talk about cents,øre, etc in general. What do you call that?

The only word that I can think of, is change but one can use it also for $5 out of $100.


texts: "That was two years done." Does "done" mean "gone by" or "ago"? Is this a dialectal usage?

texts:
I have seen phrases like "five years done". It seems a rare construction.

And nursed her through whooping cough followed by double pneumonia, learning in the process to forgive her her existence and to live for her and her alone, waiting on her hand and foot ever afterward and spoiling her so as to make her unfit to be any man's wife, which only made the man who married her all the more uxorious, and that was two years done. And bringing her safely through all the other childhood diseases, not one of which she was spared, and taking her to Sunday school and dancing and piano and elocution lessons and sending her off to kindergarten, and that was five years done, going on six. (source: Proud Flesh by William Humphrey)

Here "two years done" apparently mean "two years gone by", "the past two years", which seems to match one Merriam Webster entry "gone by : OVER".
However, I have also heard it used in another context.

A: It ain't like you haven't had your problems before.
B: That's 14 years done. (source: Brawl in Cell Block 99)

The context makes it clear that the intended meaning is "That's 14 years ago."
Considering the rarity of the usage, is it a dialectal usage? What does it mean exactly?


texts: How to parse "have something/someone + -ing"

texts:
In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Obama talked about his daughters growing up in the White House (source):

  They've handled it so well, they are just wonderful girls, they are smart and funny, but most importantly they are kind, they don't have an attitude. That was the thing Michelle and I were most worried about when we got there. We thought how is this going to work. We've got these butlers and you've got guys saluting, and it's a testimony to Michelle and my mother-in-law that they have turned out to be just incredible kids.

Which does "you've got guys saluting" here mean?

  (1) you've got guys who salute

or

  (2) you've got a situation where guys are saluting


texts:
Is the phrase "It's not going to be." grammatically correct in English? Please, note the period in the end of the phrase. In other words, I don't mean such cases like "Looks like it's not going to be easy." or "Looks like it's not going to be soon enough.", etc.

Also, if the phrase is common and grammatically correct, does it convey any meaning different from "Looks like it's not going to happen."?


texts: A woman with a unique trait, a special spark

texts:
In Russian, when one wants to describe a woman that has some special trait in her that makes her stand out, some tiny spark in her character, a pinch of salt making her flavor special, so to speak, he sometimes tends to use the phrase "A woman with a raisin (in her)." That is, Женщина с изюминкой. Like a bun that is made unique by the addition of a single raisin.

I wonder what counterpart idioms in English exist. "A woman with a special charm"? "A charm of her own"? A woman with a certain piquancy? Maybe there's more.

P.S. It's a question asked at one forum by a translator.


texts: How to ask about using up some kind of food: "Did we finish the Jam?"

texts:
This question is not easy to google up. Suppose you ran out of jam, and your daughter asked you to buy some. You want to ask your wife if they finished the jam, how would you ask in an every day English (informal)?

Besides, does "did we finish the jam" sound natural?


texts: Why is it "a six on two consecutive rolls" rather than "two sixes"?

texts:
I got stuck by this sentence:

  What is the probability of rolling a six on two consecutive rolls of a
  fair six-sided die?

I thought it would just be a binomial random variable problem, where only one occurrence of six would be OK, but found that it is asking for a joint probability which means that both two rolls should show six.

Why does "a six on two consecutive rolls" mean two sixes rather than one(a)?


texts:
Is "and" in "and dare to fight, defy difficulties" used properly in English?
It appears to be a bit odd at the first glance, but then, it seems to be okay in some way. I am not sure.

"People of the world, unite and defeat the aggressors and all their running dogs! People of the world, be courageous, and dare to fight, defy difficulties and advance wave upon wave. Then the whole world will belong to the people. Monsters of all kinds shall be destroyed."

Source: YouTube


texts:
One of my friends has recently explained the following. Would you please make this more tangible or clear? especially I am wonder if the bold parts could be correct.

For instance, "the two most recent of his previous books" or "the latest two of his previous books" would be clear.
-·-·-

You might wonder why I put the word "two" before "most recent", but after "the latest".
The answer is simply that the phrases seem to sound better (more natural) that way, just because of the rhythm of the syllables.

Thanks


texts: What is the meaning of "they swim up a gradient of nutrients"?

texts:
I could not figure out what the sentence shown in below means. What are the meanings of "as" and "they swim up a gradient  of  nutrients"?

Also what is the meaning of "gradient" in here?

  Even humble motile bacteria, as they swim up a gradient  of  nutrients toward  the  point of  maximum  concentration,  can  be said  to  have  an  internal model of their environment.

(from Philosophy and Simulation: The Emergence of Synthetic Reason by Manuel De Landa (2011))


texts: Man goes with Woman to ensure she is safe on her way to home

texts:
There is a stereotype: The man (just one of... not a husband or boy-friend) goes with girl or woman (usually by walk) to "guard" her on her way to home.

The question is how he/she says/call this:

A man: I will ____ you...

and/or Woman: Could you please _____ me...

Do you know the verb or phrase for it?


texts: Are "straw man" and "scarecrow" interchangeable when referring to the humanoid?

texts:
The humanoid in question is the following object:

It's basically a straw man used to scare crow. So I think both straw man and scarecrow are valid names for it. However, the dictionary says straw man also has another meaning:

  someone, often an imaginary person, who is used to hide an illegal or secret activity

I think this meaning has nothing to do with scaring crow, but I'm wondering, with the existence of this additional meaning, if these two words are still interchangeable when referring to the humanoid without causing ambiguity.


texts: What is the difference between these three sentences

texts:
Can you get high by smoking weed?
  Can you get high with smoking weed?
  Can you get high from smoking weed?

  Can you get high from weed?
  Can you get high with weed?
  Can you get high by weed?


texts: Can I say "yesterday's mathematics' teacher"

texts:
...or should I say "yesterday mathematics teacher"?

  EDIT

Usage in a full sentence:

'I'm waiting for yesterday's Mathematics' teacher to come online'


texts: Criss means "a wooden stand with a curved top on which crest tiles are shaped." But when we combine "criss" and "crossed" (criss-crossed) it means "to move or exist in a pattern of lines crossing something or each other." Why is that? It seems that with this combination "criss" has lost its original meaning. Thank you !


texts: Should a kind of determiner be used before the word "unit"?

texts:
Please look at the following sentence. I wouldn't say this that way and would consider a kind of determiner that should be used before the word "unit".

What about you please?

  Sort the telemetry records by unit number.


texts: Telling my intention of when I was searching for a post on Facebook is challenging because it might sound silly.


texts:
In the movie The Longest Yard, there is a scene where players enter a football field, and a sports anchor says on TV:

  We are here deep in the heart of toothless country, coming to you from a simple Texas high school stadium that's been retrofitted for the big event.

I found a clip here. What does toothless country mean here? Why would country be toothless?


texts: "She wrote four letters. To her mother...."

texts:
source A Game of Thrones

  In the end, she wrote four letters. To her mother, the Lady Catelyn Stark, and to her brothers at Winterfell, and to her aunt and her grandfather as well, Lady Lysa Arryn of the Eyrie, and Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun.

How the writer made the sentence "To her mother...." without clause. Because I was taught that a sentence should have a complete idea, and one clause at least. And as you can notice the writer ended the first sentence with a period so there is no connection between the first sentence and the second one? How could you explain that?


texts: the meaning of "how can a man help marrying?"

texts:
Joan, an orphan, he says, servant in a gentleman's house where he used
  to visit; no people of her own, no marriage portion; he pitied her. A
  whisper in a panelled room raises spirits from the fens, fetches the
  dead: Cambridge twilights, damp seeping from the marshes and rush
  lights burning in a bare swept room where an act of love takes place.
  I could not help but marry her, Dr Cranmer says, and indeed, how can a
  man help marrying? His college took away his fellowship, of course,
  you cannot have married fellows.

  — Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

I just can't figure this sentence out. Could you paraphrase this?


texts:
What difference, if any, is there between "how charming she is" and "how she is charming" in the following?

  John understands how she is charming / how charming she is.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts:
Please tell me which of the following sentence is correct and why?

  It is no good asking him for help.
  It is not good asking him for help.

Please explain the usage of no and not. Are they adverbs or adjectives or something else?


texts:
CONTEXT: Expressing that some given acronym corresponds to a language different from the one used to give the full name of a certain entity.

QUESTION: Is the following sentence (in bold) correct and natural in English?

  [...] The Spanish Society for Acronyms (SEA, in its Spanish acronym) [...]

If not, should "by its Spanish acronym" should be rather used, instead?


texts:
There is a sentence which says "He owes money left and right." which says has has borrowed money from almost everyone. I would appreciate it if someone could let me know if the following sentence sounds natural as the mentioned sentence of mine:

  He is indebted money to left and right.

I guess the word "money" is redundant, because it can be implied by the verb itself. Please explain it to me from a native speaker's point of view.


texts: Is it correct question "Is doing something does another thing"?

texts:
Is it correct question "Is doing something does another thing", like
"Is eating vegetables does good for my health?" or negative
"Ins't eating vegetables does good for my health?"
I found myself saying sentences like these but now I think I might be using two auxiliary verbs with one subject which is probably wrong and
"Isn't eating vegetables good for my health?" or
"Does eating vegetables do good for my health?" would be more correct?


texts: Can I use "et al" when addressing people?

texts:
Say Alice sends me an email, with a few other people in the cc list. When I reply-all the email but with the emphasis that it is mainly for Alice's attention, can I say the following?

  "Hi Alice, et al"


texts: My grandpa died 30 years ago. I "have never met" / "never met" him. - Which one?

texts:
Which one of the following two sentences is correct/proper?

  My grandpa died 30 years ago. I have never met him.

or

  My grandpa died 30 years ago. I never met him.


texts:
Is it possible to use "would do" instead of "would have done" when discussing hypothetical alternatives to past actions?

What is more natural to say when there is a discussion on a past situation?:

  "I would have done something different' vs. "I would do something different"

  "He would never have done that" vs. "He would never do that"

Is it possible to say : "I didn't do that. I would never do it" Do i have to use "I didn't do that. I would never have done it"


texts:
As is to be expected, the global downturn is hurting Chinese firms.

In this sentence where is subject of the first clause ( As is to be expected) ?
If this portion is to be considered as a clause, then finite verb is "is". So, what is the subject of finite verb "is"


texts:
This is from a newspaper article

At the end there it says 'but just so'. What does it mean?

  A TERF is, apparently, a "trans-exclusionary radical feminist,"
  someone belonging to "that group of feminists that claims that trans
  women aren't really women, as biological determinism is only a fallacy
  when it's used against them, not when they use it against others."

  Well. I'm not keen on these endless neologistic acronyms, but just so.


texts: I made a mistake in my predictions for/on/by/in 42 days?

texts:
Let's say that in April I had been predicting a fall of stocks for May 1st. But, as it turned later, the stocks fell only on June 12th, which is 42 days later. What preposition should I use to state my error in days?:

I made a mistake in my predictions for 42 days.

or

I made a mistake in my predictions on 42 days.

or

I made a mistake in my predictions by 42 days.

or

I made a mistake in my predictions in 42 days.

or

I made a mistake in my predictions ______ 42 days. ?


texts: Can “clean off/out/up” sometimes be used interchangeably?

texts: I know that clean off, clean out, and clean up are different, but I think sometimes they can be used interchangeably because they share the meaning of clean.


texts: Is there a word for the leather that covers a dead person's face? I am pretty sure there was a word for that, but I can't remember what it was.


texts: To tell about a guess about a case in the past, why use "would+have+past participle" instead of "must+have+past participle?

texts:
I have seen this sentence in an article on bbc, which is about how people lived thousands of years ago.
"When this Neolithic home was built, it would have had a cosy roof of turf.."
When I read it, I got confused. Because the fact seems as a simple past situation or guessing/assumption about something in the past. it simply gives information about a past event, eg "when I was a child, I had a blue toy car.
I have been making a lot of research on whether or not this structure "would+have+past participle" could be used instead of the simple past or "must+have+past participle", but I could not find any satisfying explanation.
Almost all grammer contents cover this structure is used when we imagine the opposite of what actually happened in the past eg. "referring to a missed opportunity" (eg. "if you had come to the party, you would have seen Tom."),
But, in this case of this sentence, "type 3 conditional" is irrelevant. It is not an if sentence,  It simply gives information about how this house was like or was probably like when it was built long ago. Just like it would be If and old lady would want to tell about "how she was like when she was a child years ago. she would simply say "when I was a child, I had long curly hair.**. So "when I was a child, I would have had long curly hair." would be wrong.
So, my question is: 1-Does this structure "would+have+past participle" completely replace simple past sentences? or can be it be used instead of simple past?
2- If this structure was simply used because the author was not %100 sure about the fact as it was a long long time ago -so he wanted to make a guess or assumption, why did he not simply use "must+have+past participle" or "it was likely that blah blah" which must be used for guessing or assumptions about past happenings. Would it not have made more sense if it was like: "When this Neolithic home was built, it must have had a cosy roof of turf.


texts:
How to tell somebody that they had really a good pose in a picture?

Can I say it like this?

  What a pose

Or is it inappropriate?


texts: Is there a rule that says we can add a comma to identify which noun a relative pronoun refers to?

texts:
I remember there was a rule I read on a Wikipedia article that says we can add a comma to mark which noun our relative pronoun refers to.

  The desktop computer of the Darwin family, which is rich.

  The desktop computer of the Darwin family which is broken.

These are two examples I came up with.

The problem is I don't remember all the details about the rule and I can't find it anymore.


texts:
I am trying to translate Osamu Dazai's essay 如是我聞(Thus I heard from the Buddha) into English.

The original text belongs to the public domain:
http://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000035/files/1084_15078.html

You can read about the author here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osamu_Dazai

You can read parts of my translation here:
http://lang-8.com/1483508

Here is a part of my translation:

  There is a group of old "moguls". I have never met any one of them.
  I have been amazed by their confidence. Where does that come from? What is their "god"?
  Recently I have found it out at last. It is their family, or rather, the ego of their family.
  That is their true religion. I think I was deceived by them.
  To use a vulgar phrase, it's just that they love their f***ing family.

The original text:

  　一群の「老大家」というものがある。私は、その者たちの一人とも面接の機会を得たことがない。私は、その者たちの自信の強さにあきれている。彼らの、その確信は、どこから出ているのだろう。所謂、彼らの神は何だろう。私は、やっとこの頃それを知った。
  　家庭である。
  　家庭のエゴイズムである。
  　それが結局の祈りである。私は、あの者たちに、あざむかれたと思っている。ゲスな言い方をするけれども、妻子が可愛いだけじゃねえか。

My question:
Is the following sentence grammatically or semantically, or in whatever sense native English speakers have, correct?

  To use a vulgar phrase, it's just that they love their f***ing family.

I ask this because "they" is plural, but "their f***ing family" is singular.
It seems to me that "they just love their f***king families" is a bit unnatural.

Remark

Each member of the group of the moguls has their own family.


texts:
What You Think You Know About Human Evolution Is Wrong

This is a title of an online article. My question is, is the conjunction "that" omitted in the title? I think if it weren't omitted, the title would be like this,

  What You Think That You Know About Human Evolution Is Wrong

But, I also find it unnatural after adding the conjunction, so I'm pretty confused.


texts: "Born a twin; Graduated only child" grammatical construction?

texts: I encountered this "six words story" somewhere and really puzzled over the grammatical construction of the six-word sentences. Could anyone please split the sentence and analyze its grammatical construction for me? Thanks.


texts: Can an adjective clause be preceded by an indefinite article noun?

texts:
Look at this sentence:

  I have a theory that any physical defect has its correlative mental and moral defect. Can Such Things Be? by Bierce, Ambrose

I usually see "the fact that..." "the theory that..."
But here it is 'a' Why?

We have this rule when it comes to the apposition "of"
like the city of London, the two of us.

Does this not apply here?


texts: what is the meaning of " was to be reached" in this sentence?

texts: It was by this time well known to the Romans that there were two, and two only, convenient roads whereby Southern Mesopotamia was to be reached, one along ...


texts:
The word "spurn" usually means to refuse to accept someone or something. In this context, what does it actually mean?
City spurn a strong chance to equalise as Silva cuts back inside rather than shooting with his left foot. Soon after Tevez picks up the ball inside the penalty area and uses close control to create space, firing over with a snapshot from 12 yards.


texts: What's the meaning of "as nature intended"?

texts:
In a discussion, a funny dog video was posted.
In response to the video, person A said,

non crated dogs ftl.

Person B disagrees and said

what

Person C replies Person B,

It's what non-dog people say. Yeah, keeping it in a small box for 1/2 the day is exactly as nature intended and totally fair to the dog.

What does "as nature intended" mean? I have an idea, but I want to make sure. What does it mean exactly?


texts: Does "The man saw the woman who is bringing the telescope" mean the woman is bringing the telescope?

texts:
The man saw the woman who is bringing the telescope.

If "who" is with the woman, does this always mean the woman is being referred to, or it can also refer to the man, even though the "who" is mentioned later? Meaning can it also mean the man is bringing the telescope?


texts:
He turned his face toward the window without stopping scrolling on his smartphone.
Is it grammatically correct to use a gerund after the gerund form of the verb "to stop", which needs to be followed by a gerund in this case?


texts: What is the difference between "researcher" and  "research scientist"? I often see them used interchangeably and therefore wonder whether they are synonymous.


texts:
I was given a test with following question:

  Don’t you wish we _______ ten years ago?

  had met
  meet
  met
  have met

I selected the first answer ('had met') assuming that this sentence is about things in the past so I need to use past perfect tense but now I'm told that the correct answer is 3 ('met').

Could someone explain what I'm missing here?


texts: What does "the sacred and profane" possibly mean? and what's the meaning of the sentence?

texts:
Because the effluent crosses over the separation barrier between Israel and the West Bank, such a route would bridge the lives of Palestinians and Israelis. The purified river, by collecting in its arid watershed the sacred and profane, would build help peace between the Middle East's two archenemies.

I have no idea what this phase "The purified river, by collecting in its arid watershed the sacred and profane, would build help peace between the Middle East's two archenemies." are talking about. Especially, the sacred and profane, even though I know all the definition.

source: National Geographic- December 2014: Out Of Eden Walk, Part Three


texts: Why 'strategem', in the last sentence of Speak Memory by Vladimir Nabokov?

texts:
Source: 'The 10 best… closing lines of books', The Guadian broadsheet, by Robert McCrum

"There, in front of us, where a broken row of houses stood between us and the harbour, and where the eye encountered all sorts of stratagems, such as pale-blue and pink underwear cakewalking on a clothesline, or a lady's bicycle and a striped cat oddly sharing a rudimentary balcony of cast iron, it was most satisfying to make out among the jumbled angles of roofs and walls, a splendid ship's funnel, showing from behind the clothesline as something in a scrambled picture – Find What the Sailor Has Hidden – that the finder cannot unsee once it has been seen."

A brilliant, and moving, mixture of perception and reality. Contrast the incoherent end of William Burroughs's Naked Lunch, "No got … C'lom Fliday."

How are arrangements of underwear, and the coincidence of a car and a bicycle, strategems? I may have detected a clue: does the use of 'strategem' somehow relate to the prepositional clause (that I greyed), because words like scrambled, hidden, finder suggest something requiring a strategem?
Yet I haven't read the novel, so what's so devious or special about a funnel behind  a clothesline? How does this relate to Find[ing] What the Sailor Has Hidden? Yes, I agree that in general, the finder cannot unsee once it has been seen [by the finder], but so what? I did try some literary criticism but it doesn't seem to clarify this last line as exhaustively as I seek.


texts:
How do I tell a kid to chew his food longer time and into smaller pieces before he swallow it.

  "Bite longer before swallow."

  "Chew longer before swallow."


texts: What grammatical function do down and nearly serve in the following sentence?

texts:
What grammatical function do "down" and "nearly" function as in the following sentence?

Sales of our best-sellers are down nearly 10 percent.

I believe that down functions as an adjective and nearly as an adverb.


texts: Sentence meaning: Blessedly short on the gimmicks

texts:
AT JUST 68 pages, the spring budget Philip Hammond published on March 8th was less than half the length of last year’s. Blessedly short on the gimmicks favoured by many of his predecessors in the Treasury, its most significant chapter was on official forecasts. The economy has done much better than expected since the Brexit referendum last June (see article): it is forecast to grow by 2% this year, up from the 1.4% predicted in November and well ahead of the recession many feared.

Britain’s budget is prudent and brave but ducks the big questions

When I am reading this essay in this month's THE ECONOMISTS, I don't get the meaning of that half sentence in bold. Can you help me this, Thanks!


texts:
Equal is an Adj. However, I frequently hear people say or write A equal B as a complete sentence, instead of A is equal to B. For instance,

  As a result, A equal B.


texts: Formal way of asking- "what's your name"?

texts:
I would like to ask "what's your name" in a formal way.

I want the equivalent in English of "¿como se llama (usted)?" Spanish question.

I think that "What's your name?" is similar to how I might talk to a pet. I want a way to send a respect position to the listener even before meeting him.


texts:
Consider the following sentences:

Prisons are the best options for serial killers
Prisons are the best option for serial killers
Prisons are a necessary evil
Prisons are necessary evils

Are all these correct? Why/why not?


texts: Placement or order of multiple prepositional phrases

texts:
Whenever I have to place multiple prepositional phrases in a sentence I become confused. For ex

  In the early 50s, at XYZ place, as a kid, I saw ABC.

Or

  As a kid, in the early 50s, at XYZ place, I saw ABC.

Or something else.

Please advice. Thanks.


texts:
I'm writing a story about meeting a very old professor whose work I really like, and was wondering which of the following is correct:

"Dying professors are rarely the destination of 10,000-mile pilgrimages."

Or,

"Dying professors are rarely the destinations of 10,000-mile pilgrimages."

The second sounds more grammatical to me, but the first seems to make more sense logically (only one destination). If both are grammatically correct, then which one is better written, or more sensical

Any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Edit: grammar mistake second option (professor to professors)


texts:
Shall we capitalize the word after colon?

For example:

  The question is: S/shall we capitalize "s" in "shall"?

Another example, https://stats.stackexchange.com/q/91024/1005

  For example:

  E/every marginal distribution of a multivariate normal distribution must be a univariate normal distribution.
  S/so it is for the multinomial distribution (which is the multivariate generalization of binomial distribution).
  S/so it is for Dirichlet distribution (which is the multivariate generalization of beta distribution)
  N/not sure  for multivariate t distribution.

(In other words, should each of those individual bullets be capitalized, or not?)


texts: English equivalent for 'تازه به دوران رسیده' (someone who recently became important/rich but acts like they have been that way for a long time)

texts:
I explain this word by an example:

  a person who recently became someone important or rich but, he behaves very pretentiously such a way that one might think he was rich or important for many years. For example, a beggar who finds a million dollars on the street by chance and next day, he starts to sneer at the indigent.

In Persian language we call it "تازه به دوران رسیده".

Is there equivalent for this word in English?


texts:
When I want to adress someone, is it correct to put one's name at the beginning or at the end of the sentence? On different forums when I need to thank someone, what is the best way to say:

  Thank you for your answer, Sandy!

or

  Sandy, thank you for your answer!

Which is more correct?


texts:
This is a sentence I came across.

What, then, is the solution? It is to explore what this book itself says about this topic.

I wonder what the meaning of the bolded words. Specifically, what does 'it' refer to?


texts: What does "periods" mean in "There have been 14 five-year periods since the war"?

texts:
Does it mean "recessions"? If so, why is there "11" in the previous sentence?

  The United States has experienced 11 recessions in the 70 years since the end of World War II, with the last recession occurring in 2008. There have been 14 five-year periods since the war.

Source: The Washington Post


texts:
Is the word "addicted" an action verb?

"Rubetta has been addicted to meth for 12 years of her life, losing custody of all of her children as a result."


texts:
In a ski school lesson the “teacher” is called the instructor.

What are the learners called? The instructees?


texts: How to change this sentence from active to passive voice?

texts:
How to change the following sentence from active to passive voice?

  Paul married Lucy four years ago.


texts: Idiom to describe a text (or speech) which is too long

texts:
Let's say I ask someone to write a very short text, but I want to insist humorously that it should not be too long (less than 50 words).

Could be something like "Don't write the Bible" or "Don't make it a Fidel Castro speech". A kind of exaggeration.

Are there similar ways of saying that in English?


texts: Could someone please explain how and why people say 'why' for example if someone asks or says something and other person answer: "Why yes." ??


texts:
"People, who are not bad, should enjoy life."

Would this example mean that no people are bad or only those who are not bad should enjoy life, therefore suggesting that some people are bad?
My intended meaning is to say something like "Some people are bad and some are good. The good ones should enjoy life."


texts:
A man says, " May I drop you there in my car?"

Convert the above sentence to reported speech.

Is the following a correct attempt?

  A man asked if he might drop somebody there in his car.

Not a native English speaker


texts: the use of the phrase 'interested for his school to create'

texts:
I ran across a sentence. I don't understand the usage in it.
Can the phrase 'for + noun + to-infinitive' follow 'interested'?
The sentence is:

  But, there were not enough students interested for his school to create a course.


texts: "Which would have turned five years next month"

texts:
I'm confused with the use of would have here.

  Steve and Anne have ended their relationship, which would have turned five years next month.

Does the relative clause in that sentence mean the same thing the following ones?

which would otherwise turn five years next month.
which was supposed to turn five years next month.


texts:
what is the meaning of "lie upon the table" here? does "the belief held by the petitioners" means "the petitioners believed that it was a delusion"?

  In April, 1854, the Hon. James Shields presented a memorial,* praying
  for inquiry, to the United States legislature, with thirteen thousand
  signatures attached, and with the name of Governor Tallmadge at the
  head of the list. After a frivolous discussion, in which Mr. Shields,
  who presented the petition, referred to the belief held by the
  petitioners as due to a delusion arising from defective education or
  deranged mental faculties, it was formally agreed that the petition
  should lie upon the table. Mr. E. W. Capron has this comment**:
  *See Capron, Modern Spiritualism, pp. 359- 363.
  ** Modern Spiritualism, p. 375. Modern Spiritualism, p. 197. It is not probable that any of the memorialists expected more favourable
  treatment than they received. The carpenters and fishermen of the
  world are the ones to investigate new truths and make Senates and
  Crowns believe and respect them. It is in vain to look for the
  reception or respect of new truths by men in high places.

source:http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0301051h.html _ hos by acd


texts:
I'm having some problems. (False)
I'm having  trouble. (True)
I'm having some ideas. (False)

I read in a book that, when have means "possess" we cannot use continous forms.  Now I'm thinking about it, what is the difference exactly among these words (trouble, idea, problem), these are all mental and they are not physical (for example, I have got a car).


texts:
The sentence that I have a problem with:

  The clock was showing 12:30, which meant it was about time I start getting dressed up and leaving.

More specifically, it is this bolded dependent clause that is bugging me.
Clearly, the sentence speaks of a past event, and the dependent clause is describing "time". The time was in the past, so it would make sense that we describe it using past tense... right? So it would be:

  "... it was about time I started getting ... "

But I'm not aware of any rules about this. I don't know which one is correct. Maybe they're both correct but have different meanings? Which one is correct?


texts: May the word "Blue", when refering to musical genre, be used in the singular?

texts:
For instance: may a singer say...

  Now I'm gonna sing a blue I wrote twenty years ago.

Or should he say...

  Now I'm gonna sing a blues I wrote twenty years ago.


texts:
Do I use and or or with the highest?

Is it:

  The highest of a and b.

or

  The highest of a or b.

?


texts: Is it correct and natural to say "put someone in" in the sense of arranging an even with a person?

texts:
Is it correct and natural to say put someone in in the sense of arranging an even with a person? For example:

  Unfortunately I can't help you on Monday. I will put you in for Tuesday for 10 AM.

Would it sound more natural if I said

  I will put you in my calander for Tuesday for 10 AM.

Anyway, what would a native English speaker say?


texts: What does "on which" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I am VERY confused by the usage and meaning of "on which " in this sentence. Could anyone help me with it please? Many thanks!

The context is that Elizabeth and the Gardiners were talking about the elopement of Lydia and Wickham.

Here is the sentence:

  “When they all removed to Brighton, therefore, you had no reason, I
  suppose, to believe them fond of each other?”

  “Not the slightest. I can remember no symptom of affection on either
  side, and had anything of the kind been perceptible, you must be aware
  that ours is not a family on which it could be thrown away. When
  first he entered the corps, she was ready enough to admire him, but so
  we all were. Every girl in or near Meryton was out of her senses about
  him for the first two months. But he never distinguished her by any
  particular attention, and, consequently, after a moderate period of
  extravagant and wild admiration, her fancy for him gave way, and
  others of the regiment, who treated her with more distinction, again
  became her favourites.”

  from Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen


texts:
What's the difference between the following sentences?

1- He sang the song better than anyone else has ever done.

2- He sang the song better than anyone has ever done.


texts: Mentioning about past personal general preferences

texts:
How to say when we refer to our past general references which we no longer prefer.

I thought the following sentences. I'm not sure if they are grammatically correct and/or  colloquial.

  I used to prefer milk to coffee in the past/ 10 years ago, but now I
  prefer coffee to milk.

  I preferred motorbike to car before, but now I prefer cars to
  motorbike.


texts: What does "leaving" mean in this context?

texts: We are thinking of using grey plaques to signify people who have done important work within the government and white plaques for those who have done good works in the community. Lastly, our green plaques we think will be very popular, these will be for painters and sculptors, leaving our yellow ones for writers, actors and other people of note


texts:
Suppose,  a doctor came to my house to check my pulse.
Then, what would be the correct verb:

The doctor took/examine my pulse.

In the sentence above (in bold), which one should be the appropriate verb? "took"? or "examine"?


texts:
I faced the following sentence in the book "Computer Networks":

  The moral of the story is that all messages must contain considerable redundancy so that active intruders cannot send random junk and have it be interpreted as a valid message.

The question is how to understand the have it be interpreted part.
Is have here the causative and this is the "have something done" with passive voice (we have extra be here)?


texts: what is the difference between on, in or at a meeting?

texts:
what is the difference between the following sentence:

1, He is in a meeting.

2, He is at a meeting.

3, He is on a meeting.

I have found that the difference between first 2 sentences is in a meeting implies being on the same premises as the speaker, but at a meeting implies being on a different premises than the speaker..

But I did find any information about on a meeting or on the meeting on google, however, I found there are 380 records about on a meeting and 880 records about on the meeting on http://corpus.byu.edu/now/, and although some of those records are not what I'm asking.

So, I want to know if we can use the preposition on in front meeting? And if so, what is the difference between the 3 sentences?


texts: How to understand the statement "Edited that in."

texts:
From the post's comment

  A: OP’s question is about void main() and void main(void) rather than int main() and int main(void).

  B: oh, I totally missed that, thanks. Edited that in.

I guess "Edited that in" means "I will edit soon". Is my understanding right? Is "Edited that in." proper English?


texts:
I window-shopped for shoes online.

Is it correct to use the word window-shop if it is online?


texts:
A film scene is made all the more powerful by its score.

Can we say something is made powerful?

Should it be something like: brought to life by its powerful score.


texts: What is the reason for using the present continuous tense instead of present simple?

texts:
I've come across the following paragraph in the coursebook called "Prepare" level4 (CEFR level B1) by Helen Chilton CUP (2015):

Jess is a great friend. She's always smiling and she's never miserable. She really makes me laugh.

According to Michael Swan in his "Practical English Usage' third edition 'always' with progressive is 'used to talk about things which happen very often (perhaps more often than expected), and which are unexpected or unplanned".

According to E.A. Istomina and A.S. Saakyan in their "English Grammar" the present progressive is used to express "actions generally characterising the person denoted by the subject, bringing out the person's typical traits. Such sentences are emotionally coloured, expressing irritation, disapproval, praise, etc. In such sentences the adverbials 'always' or 'constantly' are obligatory: You're always showing off'. She's constantly complaining that she has so much to do.'

I cannot grasp what is so unexpected about the girl being cheerful. I cannot see anything in the context which would make me infer that it is an emotionally coloured sentence.The choice of the tense seems really unusual to me here.

Can anyone elaborate, please?


texts:
Which of the following two sentences is correct?

a) Which of the two boxes is  preferable ?
b) Which of the two boxes is more preferred?

I think it should be a) because Oxford dictionary online says preferable means:

More desirable or suitable:
While it would be preferable if the Complainant did so, it is incorrect to imply that only he can do this.

Moreover, from other sources of internet I get that preferred is used as favourite as in “my preferred site is StackExchange”.
So, more preferred is not making any sense to me.
However, the mostly reliable answer key points that the correct answer is b)! So I am confused and need your guidance.


texts: Verb for "just opening a bit" a window or door

texts:
Is there a single verb that conveys the idea of "just opening X a bit", "slightly opening" or "opening a gap"?

Examples

He ____ the window just so that a light breeze could come in.
The door was not totally closed. Someone had ____ it.

Remark

The option that I like the most so far is "tilt", but I see two drawbacks:

It conveys a vertical movement (it wouldn't apply to a door).
It could, especially to the eyes of non-fluent speakers, not be clear if the window/door is being opened or just its inclination is being changed.


texts: Any form rather than using "Thank you very much"

texts:
"Thank you very much" is actually a cliche for people who wants to show that they are grateful to someone.

Are there any related forms or verbs that can be used in formal way instead of "Thank you!"?


texts: "At the back of the restaurant" or "in the back of the restaurant"?

texts:
I see both on Google Books.

Which is the correct option?

Example sentence:

  Mary and I picked a table at/in the back of the restaurant.


texts: "As if I had known you" vs "As if I have known you"

texts:
First, here's a material that made me keep thinking about this issue in the first place.

http://www.grammaring.com/as-if-as-though

  I feel as if I had known you all my life.

I haven't known you for that much, but I'm really comfortable with you like we are old friends.

  I feel as if I have known you all my life.

My one of old friends asked me how long we have known each other, and I'm guessing but I'm not sure whether when I was 3 or 4 that we first met.  So, I'm saying like "I feel as if I have known you all my life."

I'd like to know the difference and use in exact situation. I'd really appreciate if you could help me.


texts: Word or phrase for going through a few lightweight unrelated tasks with somebody at work

texts: I want to catch up with boss to go through 5 unrelated lightweight topics, what is a good word/phrase to use for the meeting invitation? Does 'run a few errands with you' sound ok?


texts:
What does 'entered upon his idiocy' mean? And what is the difference between 'upon' and 'on' given after 'enter'?

  To the west somber gray cliffs, known locally as Ware Cleeves, rose
  steeply from the shingled beach where Monmouth entered upon his
  idiocy.

THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT’S WOMAN
by John Fowles


texts:
The two sides of a coin are called obverse and reverse:

  Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects...

But dictionary gives their meanings as:

  obverse: the other side of something

  reverse: the opposite of what has been suggested

So I lost my logic here. While reverse is somewhat similar to back, obverse doesn't look like front but the other. They really look like synonyms rather than antonyms. I was wondering whether obverse is an antonym of reverse?

For example, in reverse order means back to front. Can we say in obverse order which means front to back? I've never seen such a use. in normal order sounds more natural. But why don't we call the two sides of a coin as normal and reverse then?


texts:
Some people hang out their washing in such a way that there is not much space between the clothes, which take them longer to get dry.
Is it idiomatic or colloquial to say "space the washing so they can dry faster"?


texts:
The phrase "we get our sh*t together" appears to mean "we start to make progress (in the new year - 2021)". But with the word "s**t" there, it sounds a bit vulgar to me.  I am not sure that this feeling of mine is a correct understanding of the English phrase.
New Year greetings, I expect from this author, who is a world-renowned neuroscientist with his work The End of Faith and The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values, would be graceful yet insightful without a trace of vulgarity.
How to properly understand the phrase?

Sam Harris tweeted
@SamHarrisOrg
·
5h
Happy New Year, my friends. Let's make 2021 the year we get our shit together. Partying face


texts:
The child was clearly puzzling at being addressed in such a grown-up way.

There is an error in the sentence, but I don't know where. I wonder whether I should change puzzling to puzzled like this:

  The child was clearly puzzled at being addressed in such a grown-up way.

or change being to be like this:

  The child was clearly puzzling at be addressed in such a grown-up way.

I think I should use be after at, and I'm not sure that puzzling in the sentence is correct.

Kindly help, I am really puzzled.


texts: Does "polemic" always have a negative connotation?

texts:
I have seen a political discussion on live tv in germany. After attacking a member of the discussion made some solid arguments the attacked person responded by saying what he is saying is pure polemic.

So let me specify my question:

Are there situation where polemic can be negative and positive connotated?

And has the connotation changed in one direction more than in another one (maybe in the last years)?


texts: Does "most exclusive emphasis" need a "the" in front of it?

texts:
Does this sentence look grammatically incorrect to you?

  The weakness of the Turner theory is that it places most exclusive emphasis on the romantic idealism.

A friend of mine asked if this sentence seems grammatically incorrect to me. From what he knows the bold part of the sentence, most exclusive emphasis, should be grammatically or semantically incorrect.

Is it because it's missing "the"?


texts: How can I make a question using passive verbs with prepositions?

texts:
I wonder how i can make a question using verbs with prepositions especially when they are in passive voice.

For example, I have a sentence like below:
An appointment is required for the service.

And I made this normal sentence into a question:
For which service is an appointment required?
I understand that this sentence is correct.

But, here i suddenly came up with one idea.
Could you let me know if the sentence below is correct or not? If not, why is the sentence incorrect?

“Which service is an appointment required for?”


texts:
Does it mean "the timing of announcing the letter" or "the timing of going ahead with the proposal"?
I used this link: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/timing?q=timing

  "Other market players have noted that the timing could be interesting, especially given how expensive corporate bonds are trading as well as the price of Asian low-yielding bonds — specifically in Singapore and South Korea. Announcements like these also serve to highlight there may still be value in owning U.S. and European fixed income should another recession strike."

Source:
The world's biggest sovereign wealth fund wants to alter its strategy — the effects could be global


texts: Does 'whistle blowing' have a negative meaning?

texts: How often is a whistle blower used as a derogatory term? Can one say "I don't want to blow the whistle, I am not this kind of a man."


texts: ask for help in finding an idiom or expression

texts: have you ever faced with this situation? You suggest people to do something but they reject it! after a while the other people suggest the same thing and they accept! can you tell me any expression or idiom that can be used in this situation?


texts: Which is correct to say, "How much is the order quantity?" or "What's the order quantity?"?

texts:
The textbook says:

  What's the order quantity?
  What's the price?

Is it also OK to say as follows:

  How much is the order quantity?
  How much is the price?


texts: X primary threatens Y = Y is most vulnerable to X?

texts:
There is a question in one of the LSATs which takes the following two sentences as interchangeable:
(1) Disturbed habitats are most vulnerable to new arrivals.
(2) New species primarily threatens disturbed areas.
I am very confused because (1) only states the vulnerability of disturbed habitats; I can't see how influential new species are.
On the other hand, (2) only talks about new species' impact but nothing about the vulnerability of the habitats.
I would really appreciate your help if you could help explain how those two sentences can be interchangeable.
Thank you very much,
Leon


texts:
I've met both usages:

Barbershop
Barber shop (Urban dictionary)

I've also notices that some write barber's shop.

Are they different in UK and US and which one prevails over the other?

If I wish to say that I want my hair cut, do I say?

I want to cut my hair, I need to see a barber!
I want to cut my hair, I need to go to the barbershop (barber's shop, barber shop)!


texts: Why did wariness take article before it?

texts:
The source.
I don’t understand why wariness, abstract and uncountable, did take article “a” before it?

  there was a wariness in her tone.


texts: "What's to discuss?" vs. "what's there to discuss?"

texts:
Could you tell me if there is any difference in meaning between what's to discuss? and what's there to discuss? For example:

What's to discuss?/what's there to discuss? Everything is decided. I'm not going to sell the house.


texts: A common way of asking about whether there is still enough time to do something before a certain moment arrives

texts:
Imagine a situation when a group of friends is standing on a train station platform and waiting for a train to come. They all know that the train will arrive in about one or two minutes and will stop for only one minute, after which it will leave. One of the friends really needs to use the bathroom. What would be a common way he would ask his friends here about whether he can still make a trip to the bathroom before the train arrives?

  Do you guys think I still have time to go to the bathroom?

or

  Do you guys think I will have enough time to have a trip to the
  bathroom?

or what?


texts: "My meeting has been extended to, after 3 o'clock." Is this a proper way of saying?

texts:
So if I need to tell that my current  meeting has been extended, and won't be able to make it to a meeting scheduled at 3 o'clock.
Which one is proper way of saying in a corporate setting? I am not sure which sentence construction is right.

"My meeting has been extended to, after 3 o'clock. I won't be able to make it to 3 o'clock meeting."

"My meeting has been extended after 3 o'clock. I won't be able to    make it to 3 o'clock meeting."

"My meeting has been extended    until, after 3 o'clock. I wont be able to make it to 3 o'clock meeting."


texts: Is there a word that means "finding X more attractive than X is"?

texts:
I am trying to think of a word that means finding something more attractive than it is, or finding it less unattractive than it is, but there's no expression that roll off the tongue.

For example:

  She got so wasted that Dino's horribly disfigured head looked more
  attractive than it was.


texts: Is a relative adverb omitted in this sentence?

texts:
Between weight and they, is a relative adverb omitted?
The sentence structure eludes me.

Evolution works to maximize the number of descendants that an animal
leaves behind. Where the risk of death from fishing increases as an
animal grows, evolution favors those that grow slowly, mature younger
and smaller, and reproduce earlier. This is exactly what we now see in
the wild. Cod in Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence begin to reproduce at
around four today; forty years ago they had to wait until six or seven
to reach maturity. Sole in the North Sea mature at half the body
weight they did in 1950.

The Ocean of Life: The Fate of Man and the Sea


texts: mRNA-1273 vaccine: How do you say the “1273” part aloud?

texts:
How do you pronounce 1273 here? One, two, seven, three?

Efficacy and Safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine

Published: December 30, 2020

Source: New England Journal of Medicine


texts: How do we pronounce the 's' after the d in a word?

texts:
For example: words, foods, goods, etc.

And if without the 's', how would the 'd' in those words be pronounced? Would it be pronounced like voiced /d/ or unvoiced /d/?


texts:
"We didn't have much in terms of looking at that hypothesis" - didn't have much what? Didn't have much time, energy or facts?
It appears to be ambiguous to me.

Yes, lab accidents do happen around the world; they have happened in the past. The fact that several laboratories of relevance are in and around Wuhan, and are working with coronavirus, is another fact. Beyond that we didn't have much in terms of looking at that hypothesis as a likely option.

Source:  Science  'Politics was always in the room.' WHO mission chief reflects on China trip seeking COVID-19’s origin
By Kai KupferschmidtFeb. 14, 2021


texts: "married to someone" VS "married someone"

texts:
Both of them are correct, aren't they?

  She has married an architect.

  She has married to an architect.


texts: Are feminine nouns ending with -ess the only proper option for females?

texts:
When we have a specifically feminine version of a noun which ends with the -ess suffix, like in huntress, sorceress, anchoress, etc. Is it always wrong to use, like, hunter for a female hunter too or sorcerer for a female sorcerer too and so on?

Does it always work like in the emperor and empress case, where the gender is somehow clearly distinct (at least for me) ?


texts: What is the difference between simple past tense and present perfect tense here in the paragraph?

texts:
an idea

  After I leave the box and step back into my cage, I get an idea, a
  good one.

  I tell Bob he can sneak into my box with me and live at the zoo.

  “Have you forgotten? I’m a wild beast, Ivan,” he says, sniffing the
  floor for crumbs. “I am untamed, undaunted.”

  Bob samples a piece of celery and spits it out. “Besides, they’d
  notice. Humans are dumb, but they’re not that dumb.”

The above paragraph comes from the book The One and Only Ivan page 251. After reading this, I have a question: Can I change "Have you forgotten?" to "Did you forget?" or not?

I know both of them are grammatically correct. But are there any differences between them? When should I use simple past tense and when should I use present perfect tense?


texts: Do I need a comma with this appositive about Prince Phillip?

texts:
Do I need a comma before the word "dies" in the following sentence?:

Prince Philip, husband of the Queen of the United Kingdom Elizabeth
II, dies at the age of 99, two months before his 100th birthday.

As far as I understand, here we are dealing with an apposition. Wiki page on apposition says that in English, restrictive appositives are not set off by commas, and non-restrictive appositives are typically set off by commas. But later it says:

So, it looks like "if there is any doubt", it is better not to use comma in my example. But I want to know for sure: if I use comma there, will I be wrong? On one hand, Queen Elizabeth II might have several husbands (that is, she might have been married more than once), so it is restrictive then and comma is not needed; but, on the other hand, we all know that she was married only once and her only husband was Prince Phillip, in which case it is non-restrictive and then comma is needed.


texts: "He took my joy away" What verb can I use to describe this?

texts: Let's say that I've met a guy who seems perfect. We go out and we are having a great time. While we're dancing he tells me that he likes women who obey their husbands. All the magic is gone, I just want to go home and do a crossword puzzle.How can I say that he took my joy away and made me lost interest?


texts: Gerund question: Is it wrong to use the infinitive in a sentence like "I like to work from home."

texts: I know that we use gerunds for many likes and dislikes, but are there exceptions? I feel that I have heard the above expression many times in my life, but that could be because many people were using it incorrectly.


texts:
Here's a reading test that I did the other day:

Dear Mr. Prosser,
The information that you requested about changes to the hunting permit scheme has been enclosed. Please note that each permit must be filled out and applied for separately. When filling out your application, you must mark all answers clearly and with a black or blue pen. Please do not use cursive script, print only. Each application ______ enclosed in its own envelope and received before the applicable deadline. Received applications can take up to 5 weeks to process. Because of this, you must plan your submissions in a timely fashion to make sure that you receive your permit while the applicable season is still open. I hope that the information enclosed answers all of your questions. Take care and happy hunting.

I'm not sure why the answer says it should be "would be" in the blank, not "must be". In my opinion, must be is a more suitable answer since the whole mail is sort of telling the guy what to do in a relatively strong tone.


texts: When to use the phrase " correct me if I am wrong "

texts: I recently found out the phrase "correct me if I am wrong" I searched it on internet and I understood it's meaning but I am little confused in its usage . my question is when should one use this phrase .In what situation and with what intention it is usually said.


texts:
Do the phrases

  It's permissible

  It's permitted

mean exactly  the same?

  It is permissible to edit the source code

  It is permitted to edit the source code

Do the two phrases above sound equally natural?


texts: Is "...what doctors's career and life are like" grammatically correct?

texts:
Through the practice at the hospital, I got to know what doctors's career and life are like.

Or should I say careers and lives?

Thank you very much in advance :)


texts: Is it OK to use "heck" in public occasions?

texts:
The dictionary gives the following definitions:

fuck:

to have sex with someone.
used when expressing extreme anger, or to add force to what is being said.

heck:

an expression of usually slight anger or surprise, or a way of adding force to a statement, question, etc.

While not listed, is there an implication that heck has a meaning of to have slight sex with someone which makes it inappropriate to be used in public occasions?


texts:
i got sentence says "At a luxury resort where the bungalows are suspemded over the water with a hatch in the floor so you can feed the fish underneath"
What the 'a hatch' words exactly telling you?


texts: "I only teach you" vs. "I teach only you" vs. "I teach you only"

texts:
I only teach you.
  I teach only you.
  I teach you only.

I think that all the sentences have same meaning, but my teacher says that they are different from each other.

I think that the expressions are different but their meaning are same.

Can you help me understand the meaning of each sentence?


texts:
On seeing the lion she felt much/too much/very much afraid.

Which one of the three suits in the sentence as the best? How does they differ from one another?


texts:
I wonder what is the meaning of this joke my godfather told me yesterday.
I laughed really hard so he though it was funny indeed, but in fact I didn't understand it.
Could you please explain it to me, please, basically?

  There were two twin brothers sit in a bar.

  One of them asked the bartender a beer and the other one began crying.

  "Why are you crying?", asked the first brother.

  "Because we are twins", answered the second brother. "So we should be
  both drinking something."

  The first brother jumped off a bridge TWO days later and survived.


texts:
There are 3 sentences that I'd like to know more deeply. The sentence structure that I'm trying to talk about is "is..that.." sentence pattern like "It is essential that we start preserving parks". Then, how about "it..when","it..the first time.."?  Can I use either like followings?

It must have been when I was 4 that I first met him
It must have been when I was 4 the first time I met him.
It must have been when I was 4 when I first met him


texts: Tricky English teacher question on using a verb as a noun

texts:
My English teacher today gave us this question:

  Make a sentence using any verb word as a noun.  You can use it as a
  subject.

But how is this possible?

I thought all the verbs are used for actions, and noun is for something or someone.

So I am stuck on how to make this possible.

Please help.  Thanks.


texts:
Consider the following sentences:

  We ourselves don't know whether we'll be alive in the next minute.
  We ourselves don't know whether we'll be alive in next minute.
  We ourselves don't know whether we'll be alive next minute.

Out of these three, which one will used by a native speaker? I'm not sure which is grammatically correct. I think the first one is correct, but I'm not sure about that. It's for spoken English, not written English.

The context is simple: A few friends are stuck in a bad situation (or place) and anyone can die at any time. So one guy says the above statement.


texts: Use of positive and comparative degrees in the same sentence

texts:
John said that his records are better than or at least as good as hers.

John said that his records at their least are as good as hers.

John said that his records are at their least as good as hers.

Which of these sentences is correct? In the case all of them are incorrect, please suggest a correction.


texts: Are there contractions for past tense of lexical verbs? (was and were)

texts:
For present tense (declarative) of lexical verbs (to be) we have contractions for all pronouns:

(I am = I’m. You are = you’re. He is = he’s. She  is = she’s. It is = it’s. We are = we’re. They are = they’re.).

The same is for the future tense:

(I'll, you'll, he'll, she'll, it'll, we'll they'll).

My question is about the past tense (declaratives) of lexical verbs (was and were). Do we have contractions for them? If we do, what are they? and If not, why? Using google I didn't find a clear answer to my question.


texts:
In Africa there are many poors.

Is the above sentence correct ? Usually we use the article the to denote plural e.g. Alms were given to the poor. But using the poor after many in above given sentence sounds awkward so will we use simply poor here or poors is all right  ?


texts: I need clarification about the usage of the preposition "of" and "for"

texts: In schools at the time of assembly a good thought is shared with the students. Now my question how it should be announced... "THOUGHT FOR THE DAY" or "THOUGHT OF THE DAY".


texts:
I'm a biologist and I'm writting a scientific text in english (not my native language). I always get corrections from my supervisors about using 'resulting in/on' in text (also not native speakers). Basically, they insist on using only 'resulting in', and I like to use 'resulting on' sometimes (but not always). I didn't think using 'resulting on' was wrong, and a 1h-long google search did not help as most posts are about 'resulting in vs resulted in'. So I'm asking here. Below are some examples from my text that got correct from 'on' to 'in'. Are these uses wrong? Are there specific rules for these cases? Is using 'resulting on' completely wrong or can it be a matter of personal preference? Would the meaning change depending on the preposition?

Examples:

1) Cold-water corals engineer soft sea beds in a similar fashion to shallow water corals, resulting on hotspots of biodiversity.

2) Seagrasses engineer saltmarsh communities by modulating hydrodynamic flow, resulting on distinct micro-habitats within their canopies for other species.


texts: “I'm new to this town” vs. “I'm new in this town”

texts:
I'm new to this town.

  I'm new in this town.

What's the difference between the two sentences meaning-wise?


texts:
When I have something  I want to ask my boss, is it appropriate to say it like this?

• I have a request to you. Would you please ...?

Is there any more appropriate or polite way to say that?


texts: "I'm interested in you" -- Is this sentence in a passive form?

texts:
I'm not interested in you.
I'm interested in you.

Is this in passive form?  If not, please explain to me what structure it is following.


texts: "This chapter has been divided into two sections, those are/which are/such that children and adults."

texts:
Among these sentences, which one would be ideal when introducing a list

This chapter has been divided into two sections, those are children and adults.

This chapter has been divided into two sections, which are children and adults.

This chapter has been divided into two sections such that children and adults.


texts:
How do we use "have" or "had" when referring to the number of offspring that a couple produced?

The basic case is when a couple gave birth to, say, three children and everyone is still alive. "They have three children."

What if the parents both died? "They had three children." They are dead so they can no longer have anything. What if only one parent died? I expect that again that we'd use "had" because while they did have the children together, they have nothing together anymore because one of them is dead.

What if all three children died? "They had three children." They no longer have any children. Does this change if not all of their children died? Again, "had" seems more appropriate.

Maybe it depend on exactly what we mean by the terms. Maybe not. Do we refer to the moment when they gave birth to the children or to their act of continuously raising or having raised them. If we speak of birthing, then maybe it should always be "had" because it's always a past event.


texts:
What do they usually write on the sign in public places to inform the visitor that the service is temporarily paused for the lunchtime? "Lunch", "Break", "Out to lunch"?

(Can you, please, specify which English-speaking country you mean?)


texts:
Which sentence uses commas correctly?

A. We have tickets to fly to Los Angeles, California on Friday, October 29.
B. We have tickets to fly to Los Angeles California, on Friday, October 29.
C. We have tickets to fly to Los Angeles California on Friday, October 29.
D. We have tickets to fly to Los Angeles, California, on Friday, October 29.

I think B and C are definitely wrong. But I have doubts between A and D. Although I preferred A, I found this sentence as an example in englishgrammar101.com:

  What collection will be shown in Laguna Beach, California, at the Museum of Modern Art?

Then I got really confused. Any help would be appreciated.


texts: He became firm ‘friend’ or ‘friends’ with?

texts:
I was reading BBC culture page ( See Here ). In the middle of the text, we see:

He became firm friends with the Shakespeare and Company owner in a relationship that lasted until his death 40 years later.

Q1: Does the writer make a mistake?
Q2: Why has the writer used the plural form of "friend"?


texts: Difference between the two positions of comma used?

texts:
I love apples, oranges, bananas and papayas.
I love Aman, Akshay, Money, and Harry.

What is the difference between the two statements? I have changed the position of comma used. What difference it creates?


texts:
Oskar: Trade goods, that's the only currency that'll be worth anything
in the ghetto. Things have changed, my friend. Did I call this
meeting? You told Mr. Stern you wanted to speak to me. I'm here. I've
made you a fair offer.
Man: Fair would be a percentage in the company.
(Oskar laughs)

Is there any joke exist in Man's words?
Source: Schindler's List (1993)


texts:
I am not very happy with this sentence as I feel it contains duplicate words (use):

UK children ranked the highest in using online games, where 50% of
them have use them

I want to change it to this, but I am not sure if do so phrase is correct:

UK children ranked the highest in using online games, where 50% of
them do so

Are the two sentences correct? which is better?


texts: Can somebody please tell me which sentence is correct and why?

texts:
"I am the one who is ready" vs "I am the one who am ready".
Which sentence  is correct and why?


texts: Which structure is grammatically correct

texts:
Which one of the following is grammatically correct?

  the three lesson unit

  the three lessons unit

Also mention whether the the correct structure is a dependent clause, independent clause or a phrase.


texts:
He will not get any benefit from the sales of book.

  He will not get any benefit from the sales of the book.

My question is how to use articles in noun phrases. "Sales of book" I consider as a one noun phrase. Therefore I use "the" before the phrase, but in the second sentence I use "the sales of the book" as an online sentence checker interprets the first question as an error.
The second question is: when I write two nouns together and one is countable and other is uncountable, what is the rule for of the use of the article in this case? My concept is that i will use the article according to the meaning of the two nouns together in a sentence and a phrase like "finance department" will be considered as an countable noun.


texts:
"This morning, I interviewed my students to see if they like me or not."

Or

"This morning, I interviewed my students to see if they liked me or not."


texts: Do I need "however" in the following case?

texts:
Like last night, I couldn't sleep. This time, however, what kept
  me awake wasn't the neighbor, but the neighbor's dog.

It sounds a bit off without "however", but maybe it's just me? Why should I include it? Or why not?


texts:
I prevented you from going there.

What is the function of "from going there" ?

I think that it is an adverbial prepositional phrase because I have studied object complements and learned that object complements can be adjectives, adjective phrases, infinitive clauses, nouns, verb+ing forms, but I've never seen a prepositional phrase as an object complement.

So, I think that it is an adverbial prepositional phrase and that's why it can be placed in the beginning. Because we know that adverbial prepositional phrases can be located in the beginning.

  From going there, I prevented you.

What do you think? Thanks.


texts: A singular verb or a plural after "a set of numerals"

texts:
Digital clocks tell the time with a set of numerals which appear/appears in a little window.

Please tell me which verb I should use in this sentence. Thank you so much.


texts: preposition to describe a place across from and next to

texts:
I am aware the meaning of "across from".

For instance, in the image below, across from the library
are the post office and the grocery, the gas station is across from
the park.

I am wondering if there is a preposition phrase could be used to describe the gas station in reference to the library in the image above.

Could someone please give a hint?


texts:
I am reading the book 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat' by Oliver Sacks. On page 104 there is this sentence:

  Feeling that Ray also had such possibilities in him, that, despite his own words, he was not incorrigibly centred on his own disease, in an exhibitionistic or narcissistic way, I suggested that we meet weekly for a period of three months.

Neither before or after this sentence is the present tense used, that is, he is narrating a story in the past. Is this a mistake, or actually we can use the present tense in the past to describe a routine (even if that routine no longer exists in the present)?


texts: "as if she were" vs "as if she had been"

texts:
Let's take this passage from "For whom the bell tolls" as an example:

  They make love and go to sleep, but in the middle of the night Jordan wakes up in a panic and clutches Maria close to him. He feels as if she were all he has of life, and even that will soon be taken away from him.

Here the author narrates in the present tense. Hence as if she were is justifiable. But if the narration had been in the past tense, must the author have changed as if she were to as if she had been? ("He felt as if she had been all he has of life...")

I expect you say that it is a book, so the author must. But in a colloquial speech is it common not to make this shift?


texts: You got me confused with sb else..what usage of "get" is that?

texts:
In a movie I have just watched, the following sentence appeared after a guy was kidnapped:

  Guys, you got me confused with somebody else..

I understand that but at the same time, I am not sure what usage of "get" is that, even after I have gone through all dictionary entries for this word, so I guess it is quite informal.
Why not just "you confused me with somebody else" or "you must have confused me with somebody else...".


texts: What is the verb after "two of something"?

texts:
I came across the below sentence but it got me thinking why there's a singular verb after a plural.

  Two shots of Vodka is what I would be happy with.


texts: Nuances of "once more" vs "once again" in the following sentence?

texts:
To show the day is ending, I came across the following two sentences in a book I had read in a dream. I wonder if there are any nuanced differences between the two, and if so, what they are.

"Once again the sun descended."
"Once more the sun descended."


texts: Which preposition is to be used with verb 'diagnose' ... something?

texts:
Which preposition is correct?

She was diagnosed of placenta previa.

or

She was diagnosed with placenta previa.


texts: Which one is better: 'I'm Dominican and I'm proud' or 'Im Dominican and proud'

texts:
I am going to write a poster regarding a Dominican issue. Which one is better grammatically and naturally?

  I'm Dominican and I'm proud

or

  I'm Dominican and proud


texts:
I want to transform

  Father was too angry with us to speak.

to

  Father was so ______

My answers to the questions are:

Father was so angry with us (that) he couldn't speak.
Father was so angry with us (that) he wouldn't speak (to us).
Father was so angry with us (that) he didn't speak (to us).

Which one is correct? If all of these are acceptable, which is the best?


texts: "There is a chance I will..." vs. "there is a chance I may..."

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

There is a chance I will change jobs next year.
There is a chance I may change jobs next year.

When they are on their own, I'm aware of the difference between I will and I may. But, when they used with there is a chance, I can't any difference. Are both perfectly natural and common?


texts: This is the first time I reach out to my teammates. And I want to ask them how they like to communciate in the future, with email, imessage, groupme, etc. How should i phrase my sentence?


texts:
My English teacher, who is a native, told us to write an essay about Fate. She made a correction on one of the paragraphs of my essay, and I wanted to make sure if it was valid. This is the paragraph:

  Am I to have an accident tomorrow, or maybe, meet someone who'll change my life a year from now? Will Fate determine who will I be in my future? What will I do? Where will I end up? Are the decisions I made lately entirely mine?

My teacher corrected the inversions that are in italics, pointing out that I should have used I will instead of Will I. Is this correct?


texts: "turn" as inchoative verb - "turn traitor" v/s "turn into traitor"

texts:
I was reading a English grammar book and it was mentioned that "turn" is a inchoative verb and if "turn" is used as a inchoative verb and used with a noun then you cannot have an indefinite article with it.

A correct example shown in the book was - I believe you will never turn traitor.

My question is this sentence incorrect (I used "into" preposition in-between) - I believe you will never turn into traitor.

Also, please provide explanation for either answer you may give.


texts: When should I say "AM" / "PM" and when should I say "o'clock"?

texts: When I am asked "what time is it", when should I say "It is 1 o'clock" and when I should say "It is 1 AM /PM"? and in addition, could it be that both of them can be said continuously (It is 1 AM / PM o'clock)?


texts:
Go over the documents which will be reviewed by Ms. Gao. The documents are on
  a variety of tasks where I need her input in order to complete.

What does "on a variety of tasks " mean? I know the meaning of each word, but not the overall meaning of the words together.


texts: Difference between "School of English" and "English school"

texts: I want to know the  difference between the two phrases "School of English" and "English school"? Can anyone explain to me please?


texts:
What preposition is best in this sentence?

  I would rather you arrived on time to school.

  I would rather you arrived on time for school.


texts: Does the phrase "voice an opinion" have some negative connotations?

texts:
Does the phrase voice an opinion have some negative connotations?

For example let us take this sentence:

  User123456 in several comments on meta recently voiced the opinion that creation of a tag should always be discussed on meta first.

Does the use of the phrase voice an opinion somehow indicate that this user was a bit too aggressive in getting his point through? Would choosing some other word instead be more polite?

The reason I am asking is that voice might be associated with loud voice, so it could be a metaphor for being loud.


texts: "I think I will probably..." vs. "I am thinking I will probably..."?

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between I think I will probably... and I am thinking I will probably...? Until recently I thought that the only correct way to use the verb think in this way was in the present simple, not the present continuous. But in the fourth episode of the sixth season of Friends Joey used it in the present continuous. Here it is:

  Joey: Thank you, but it would take me forever to pay you that money back and I don’t want that hanging over my head. Okay? Besides, as soon as my insurance kicks in I can get all the free operations I want! Yeah, I’m thinking I’ll probably start with that laser eye surgery too.


texts:
We often use (opinion + fact) adjective for example : "an interesting young man" , "a nice long table" etc.

And also we use (adverb+adjective) for example : "a reasonably cheap restaurant" , "an extremely good game" etc.

As far as I know we don't use (opinion + opinion) adjective instead of (adverb+opinion adjective)

I mean we don't use "a reasonable cheap restaurant" instead of "a reasonably cheap restaurant"

Is there any rule about this context I don't know ? or Is it just a more idiomatic way to use?


texts: "We have been until the last month" Present Perfect Simple + until + last month?

texts:
we have been until the last month

Last month? How do you explain the use of last month with the present perfect tense?
I don't see that until last month ( week and year) is grammatically equivalent to until recently or until now in this context?

  QUESTION The secretary-general give you his views on the Palestinian
  proposal for a U.N. force in the West Bank and Gaza? and also, did he
  give you any indication that you had made any progress in his efforts
  to try and secure the release of the Israeli soldiers?

  BEN-AMI: Well, with regard to the first point, I made it clear to him, just as I made
  it clear to other interlocutors over the last week, that there is no
  need at all for any kind of international force. We are -- we have
  been until the last month, in the middle of a peace process, in fact,
  the peace process has been in existence in the Middle East for the
  last seven years. The only thing that we need to do now is simply to
  cease violence, to observe the Sharm el-Sheikh memorandum, and get
  back to the business of peace making. There is no need for any kind of
  international force or international for the parties.

Date: 2000. Title: Acting Israeli Foreign Minister Holds News Briefing at the United Nations.
Source: CNN Transcript - Special Event


texts: I want exact definition for some phrases in some specific sentences

texts:
I want to translate a short story for my term project from English to Persian, I face problem finding suitable equivalence for some phrases, indeed I looked them up in several English/Persian & English/English Dictionaries but unfortunately I couldn't figured the meaning out. if possible, give me the English definition of the meaning of the phrases blow.

"jilted fury": My brother Wallow has been kicking around Gannon’s Boat Graveyard for more than an hour, too embarrassed to admit that he doesn’t see any ghosts. Instead, he slaps at the ocean with jilted fury.
"bobbing for diseases": I dared Wallow to put the goggles on and stick his head in it. I didn't actually expect him to find anything; I just wanted to laugh at Wallow in the pink goggles, bobbing for diseases.
"Heartland": For brothers, Wallow and I look nothing alike. I’ve got Dad’s blond hair and blue eyes, his embraceably lanky physique. Olivia was equally Heartland, apple cheeks and unnervingly white teeth. Not Wallow.


texts: how to say that I can't see from the fog

texts:
I am trying to express that when someone is smoking I can't see the things that are behind the fog because the fog is full.
I am trying to say that the fog is not like a window but it is more like a wall so when someone is smoking he/she is preventing I from seeing to behind.
I searched and I found the following:

pellucid but I think this is more like a mirror
thin but this is more like the against of fat
glassy but obvious for glass
hyaline maybe that is the word?
diaphanous maybe that is the word?


texts:
In French the word I'd use is mes connaissances. But this word also (and mainly) means the things I know, and then the traduction I find is: my knowledges.

Is this double meaning exists in English and what should I say to talk about people I know and who know me without being my friends?

Edit (an example of context):

  This software is very popular, if you have any problem with it just ask to your connaissances, I think that somebody could help you.


texts: "I have an allergy to/against something"

texts:
as I know from oxforddictionaries, this is correct:

  I have an allergy to maths.

I wonder if the following sentence is correct, as well.

  I have an allergy against maths.

Can somebody clear this up?


texts: What do you call the equipment at the end of a crane?

texts: What's the red thing at the end called? There's a hook at the end of the red thing too, but I am assuming the whole thing must have some kind of name. Is there a generic name if not is there a more specific name to it?


texts: "Generations of pure-bloods, wizards all - more than *you* can say, I don't doubt!" meaning in this context

texts:
"So!" said Gaunt triumphantly, as though he had just proved a complicated point beyond all possible dispute. "Don't you go talking to us as if we're dirt on your shoes! Generations of pure-bloods, wizards all - more than you can say, I don't doubt!"

  Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince

I don't quite understand the part in bold in this context. What does it say exactly?


texts: What is this usage of "that" in "Oh, that I have never allowed myself to be made king!'?

texts:
The snail offered to take Doctor Dolittle and his friends all back to England inside his shell.

  "Goodness, what a chance, I'd love to go. To examine the floor of the
  ocean all the way from Brazil to Europe. No man ever did it before.
  What a glorious trip. Oh, that I have never allowed myself to be made
  king! Now I must see the chance of a lifetime slip by."

This is from a novel "The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle". What is this usage of this "that"?


texts: why it isn't "numbers alternate from right to left" instead? Isn't it start at the number 1 on the right side?


texts:
Before I started renting the workshop at the open-air museum, I would crawl out of bed in the morning, get dressed and go straight into the garage, which I'd converted into a studio. Now I get the train and a bus, so I have to get up early..."

What does she mean by the train and a bus? Why isn’t it “a train and a bus” or “the train and the bus” or “a train and the bus”?


texts:
ThTake this statement " Good friends help build your confident "
what we are said about help build ? its idioms
can i use help to build


texts: When can I use "on" and "in" before countries?

texts:
Here is an example. Has the sentence used correct preposition?

Or can I change "on" to "in"?

  The Nationalists’ coercive apparatus on Taiwan was also exclusive.

It will be more helpful if anyone provide answer with relevent example.


texts:
Should I use "for" or "because of" here?

  Once he told me that he has been to Japan and Korea and that he likes
  Korea way more for the Korean spicy kimchi.


texts:
I have read a chapter on prepositions of place in a teaching manual entitled "Trainers Treasure" The author is Seth Lindstromberg and it was published in ELT JOURNAL, OUP volume 50/3, July 1996 under the title  "Prepositions: Meaning and Method

It was explained that 'on' is usually used for things which are flat such as paper. On the other hand, 'on top of' is used usually for things which are tall or vertical such as bottle.

we say:

1. There is a pen on the paper

2. There is a coin on top of the bottle.

3. There is a label on  the bottle

I would like to know whether we can say:

  There is a pen on top of the paper.

If yes, what is the context in which it can be used?

Can we say the following since the coin is placed on the lid?

  The coin is on the bottle


texts: What would be the difference if we omitted "had"?

texts:
Friend Farlow, who was a lawyer of sorts, and ought to have been able to give me some solid advice, was too much occupied with Jean's cancer to do anything more than what he had promised.

What would be difference if we removed had here? Would the sentence convey the same meaning?


texts:
When I use there is/ are Noun, I’ll use a relative clause to expand the sentence. For example

There were a lot of students who didn’t take part in the activity.

But I came across some sentences written like this

There were a lot of students didn’t take part in the activity.

I just thought it was a typing error until I saw this example on Oxford Dictionary

Government claims that there is no poverty are belied by the number of homeless people on the streets.

I’m really confused with this sentence. I don’t know why they don’t use a relative clause after poverty. But even if it’s correct without a relative clause in this structure, why is it are belied instead of is because poverty is uncountable?


texts:
I wrote:

  the most uses of the system includes sharing teaching materials, posting and receiving assignments and grade books.

But I didn't find any similar usage of "the most uses" in the Web. However there are millions for "the main uses", what is the difference?


texts: Can I use "come write?" instead of "come to write?"

texts:
In a class speech situation, should a pupil ask their teacher:

  Please Madam, can I come write the date (up) on the board?

OR

  Please Madam, can I come to write the date (up) on the board?

Additionally, is it better to use "up" in this request?


texts: Which is grammatically correct: I am mindful of the fact .... or I am mindful in the fact?

texts:
Which is grammatically correct:

  I am mindful of the fact....
  I am mindful in the fact that I am not  competent in some areas of the staff job profile  .....


texts: Is there a difference between "although" and "even though"?

texts:
Is there a difference between "although" and "even though" or they are synonyms?

By looking at the articles (see links above) in the dictionary, it seems that they are synonym. Does that mean that they are interchangeable in any case or it depends on context?


texts: How to choose the spelling of a foreign name

texts:
Are there any rules for spelling names in English that come from other languages?

My name is Maysam, and I spell it like that. But some people say it is Maeisam and such as that...

Is there a correct spelling? Do I have some choice in the matter? I would be grateful if you could tell me some appropriate English spelling conventions that would enable an English-language learner like myself to determine how to spell my name in English.


texts:
In an episode of the big bang theory, someone says "Take a jacket, it's shpritzing a little." Is shpritzing are real word? What does it mean?

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=big-bang-theory&episode=s02e14


texts: "He never do the things breach the benefits of group." Why "do" instead of "did/does"?

texts:
I read an article , there was a sentence in it :

  He never do the things breach the benefits of group.

My question is why it used "do" in the sentence? I thought it should be "did" or "does"..


texts: Does “to account for” mean “to take into consideration”?

texts:
Consider the following template:

  A accounts for B.

Let A and B be “the bad weather” and “the delay.”

  The bad weather accounts for the delay.

It roughly means that the bad weather was responsible for or caused the delay, and it is according to the first definition in Oxford Learner’s Dictionary.

Now let A and B be “the plan” and “bad weather”:

  The plan accounts for bad weather.

Intuitively, it means that the plan takes the possibility of bad weather into consideration. However, I cannot find a definition in Oxford Learner’s Dictionary that would fit this interpretation. I would be grateful if somebody could provide a reference for it.

Update:

Thanks to ColleenV, one instance of the to-take-into-consideration-or-account meaning has been found. It’s in Merriam-Webster at the very bottom on the page about account.

  1 : to take into consideration. She didn’t account for extra costs.

They also have a page about account for, but there is nothing mentioned there.

ColleenV also pointed at OneLook, which aggregates definitions from multiple dictionaries. I’ve gone through all of them and haven’t found any other trace of this particular meaning.

My question is now, isn’t it suspicious that this definition appears only in one dictionary where it’s almost hidden? Does anybody have another reliable reference that clearly states that to account for means to take into consideration/account?


texts:
The term globalization has become widely used in recent years.

In the sentence above, is used used as an adjective?
Can has become widely used  be replaced with has been widely used without changing the meaning?


texts: How to describe a person who understands jokes, but wouldn't naturally make jokes?

texts:
...and at the same time, she absolutely possesses no sense of humor! I
  mean she understands jokes and always laughs at them but unlike other
  students in this class, she is simply unable to make her own jokes.
  Making jokes is something rather unnatural for her. That's why I am
  saying that she is a lovely girl with a pure child's heart.

Can "possesses no sense of humor" here be replaced with something better fitting the described situation (that is, being able to understand jokes, yet not being a fan of making jokes)


texts: why do we use smell and not smells in this particular phrase?

texts:
I bought an air freshener to make my room smell pleasant

Why do you use smell not smells


texts:
What is the meaning of "of interest to anyone" in the following sentences?

This book is brimming with up-to-date application circuits, valuable design tips, and in-depth coverage of the latest techniques to simplify op amp circuit designs, and improve their performance. As an added bonus, a selection on the history of op amp development provides an extensive and expertly researched overview, of interest to anyone involved in this important area of electronics.

Does "of interest to anyone" mean "the history of op amp development is of interest to anyone"?
Or does "of interest to anyone" mean "researched overview is of interest to anyone"?