texts: Turn "Notify the persons before 30 days" into a question

texts:
I have the following sentence.

  Notify the persons before 30 days

How can I create a question for this sentence?

  Before how many days the persons should be notified?

Am I correct?

To make the question clearer: Suppose the Identity Card of a person is going to expire next month. The system needs to inform the person before 30 days. Does the word within match my requirement?


texts:
In the following sentence, both “spoke” and “was” are in past simple.

The first language I spoke was Japanese”

The solution I came up with is:

She said that the first language she had spoken was Japanese”

However I am not sure if that is correct as I not changing “was” into past perfect.


texts:
She said to the Headmistress,"Madam, forgive me my fault and let me appear at the exam".

How can I change this sentence into Indirect speech?
Is it difficult to change a sentence into indirect speech?
Could you please help me change the narration?


texts: What do you call a small confined space in prison where inmates "walk"?

texts: What do you call a small confined space or yard in prison where inmates "walk", so to speak? Like this one


texts:
A comment below a photo on Facebook reads

  There seems to be a few leaves in your hands.

The comment is factually correct - the picture in question is of a woman with a bunch of leaves in her hands. My question is specifically about the words "seems" - is it correct here.

When I first read it, it felt a little bit off in my mind - it didn't quite flow. If I had written the comment, I think I would write "seem" Reading it again I couldn't decide - and I'm not indecisive enough to be asking here!

Is the sentence OK, or should it be "seem"?


texts: it's been two years... + present perfect or simple past?

texts:
Which of These two sentences is preferable?

It's been two years since I last saw her.

It's been two years I haven't seen her.

Are they both correct?


texts: Two interpretations of “she looks pretty shook up from the letter"

texts:
Consider:

  She looks pretty shook up from the letter

At first I interpreted this as, "She is pretty upset after reading the letter", but on the second thought, I wondered if maybe it could be saying, "From her letter, she seems to be quite upset. (In the first scenario, she would be the one reading the letter. In the second scenario, the letter would be written by her, but it would be read by someone else.)

Which understanding is right?


texts:
Now I suppose I could have tried to gradually decrease my cell phone use at home, but that would have been too easy. Instead, I wondered If I could go a whole week with absolutely no cell phone. Cold turkey.
  [excerpt from an acticle written by Richard Rabkin]

"Cold turkey"? What do you think the writer means by "Cold turkey"? I read this entry, but it didn't make sense:

  Cold turkey
  to withdraw from (an addictive substance or a habit) abruptly and completely.


texts: The usage of "As you mentioned earlier" etc

texts:
How to use as + subject + in/earlier/before/above in the sentences while writing or speaking. I have often seen people using some expressing starting with "As", for examples:

As you said/mentioned that . . .
As you said earlier/before/above that . .
As you mentioned in . . . .
As it's previously mentioned . . .

Is  the use of "as" the same as "like" here?


texts: Why is it 'Are you studying every night?' But 'Do you study every night?'

texts: I know 'Are you studying every night?' is present continuous and I think 'Do you study every night?' is not, but why not? Why does this sentence work as both present simple and continuous when it's still an ongoing action?


texts:
Is the expression "It's clobbering time" synonymous with "It is wasting my time."? Or does it carry any additional meaning?

Example:


texts: I just read “two women in my neighborhood are sick from coronavirus” and I was wondering if that would mean the same as “two women in my neighborhood are sick with coronavirus”. Is there any difference between “with” and “from” when using “sick”?


texts:
What does "their very existence" means here?

  With their very existence dependent on the successful production of food, farmers had little, if any, time for removing stumps and stones.


texts:
I want to say that a notification is undismissable. What I mean is that you can not dismiss this notification.

Is it right to say this:

  ten undismissable notifications are existed.


texts: As a student, how do I answer "do you have any questions"?

texts:
Consider this conversation in an online classroom

  Teacher: "do you have any questions in this section?"

  Student: "No"

Is the answer a little bit impolite?

How about this one?

  Student: "No more questions"

How do native speakers answer/response that in classroom in real life?


texts: Is it okay to omit the object in this sentence?

texts:
Is the following sentence grammatically correct:

  He left me without informing.


texts: What do you call the part of the human body that's covered by the bottom underwear?

texts:
What do you call the part of the human body that's covered by the underwear? I was thinking of using "bottom-half", but that also includes the leg, so I thought "bottom-half of the trunk", but it includes the navel, so I am not sure what word I can use and I am not even sure if there's a word for it.

For example:

  The ___ was hidden by his underwear.


texts: What's the diffence between has or have when we have 2 things?

texts:
I found this question and I get a little confused with the use of has and have when there is more than two things together.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Modern transportation and shipping has made the world a better place to live.

I know how to use has and have in the simple form, but I would like to know how big is the difference between has and have in the high level. Thanks.


texts:
Do you know what he is pretending that the broom is?

The that-clause within the what-clause is confusing me. Is this a grammatical sentence?


texts:
I've read a poem and there were such words:
'It seems like you are melting away in your dreams'.

Is it right construction? And can we say: 'you are melting away'?

Thank you!


texts: Use of 'out' to indicate a particular distance from somewhere

texts:
In Oxford Dictionary it has been shown that the word out can be used to mean situated far or at a particular distance from somewhere. It uses three phrases as example to explain this meaning. These three phrases are:

an old farmhouse right out in the middle of nowhere.
they lived eight miles out of town.
a cold front hundreds of miles out in the Atlantic.

I cannot understand the meaning of these phrase. Please help me.

One may think that I should make three different posts for these three phrases. I also thought to do it at first. But when I saw that these three phrases contain a common word out, and they are examples of a common usage of out to mean same kind of meaning, I have made only one thread.


texts: Is the that clause in this sentence a misplaced modifier?

texts:
Here is the sentence:
I want proof from you that it isn't a scam.

Is the that clause here a misplaced modifier? I want it to complement "proof" not the pronoun object "you" but "from you" is actually separating it from "proof".
But if I say "I want proof that it isn't a scam from you" the listener will think that he made the scam but I what I want to say is that I want proof from him and not that the scam is made by him.


texts:
What's correct

  "Near to me"

or

  "near me"?

Context: "I'm looking for a supermarket near (to) me". "This school is located near (to) me.", "the place is near (to) you" etc.


texts: Transitive or intransitive, that is question

texts:
Transitive verb has an object.

My mother likes tea.
Tom sold his house.
But I want a drink first.
I want to be famous.

Ok, that's easy. Transitive verb, according to the rule, requires subject+verb+object form and should answer the question "What" or "Whom", Therefore these sentences are all the transitive verbs, especially 'to be famous' is still the direct object(What do I want? I want 'to be famous').

But this word 'consent' makes me confused. Ditionary says 'Consent' is intransitive verb.

a. He consented to his daughter's marriage. (intransitive - ok)
b. He consented to make a speech. (?)
c. I want to be famous. (transitive)
d. He consented that the money should be paid immediately. (?)

Of course 'a' is intransitive verb, that is clear, but is 'b' is intransitive? Isn't 'to make a speech' object same as 'to be famous' is object? 'b','c' look like they have same pattern in my eyes(non-native, sorry ^.^;).
Of couse 'd' is confusing me. That clause looks like ojbect.

So, are 'b', 'd' transitive or intransitive?


texts:
In the sentence "I know him from before", what part of speech is "before"?
Is such a sentence acceptable in the first place? More generally, is the phrase "from before" meaningful?
My question arises from the fact that no dictionary lists "before" as a noun; but from the sentence it appears that "before" is the object of the preposition "from" and refers to the past time of the speaker's life.
Why isn't it listed as noun then by dictionaries?


texts:
We want to use as a web page title something similar to: "enter tournaments, pay zero, win prizes". I feel that "pay zero" is incorrect and when I searched in google I see that the word zero in this sense is mostly used as an adjective for the following word like in "pay zero taxes" and probably this is why saying "pay zero" feels to me like a cut off sentence.

So the question is: is using "pay zero" correct in the context I described? If not than what could replace it to preserve the meaning? "pay nothing"?


texts:
Does decline have plural form?
Is it correct to say there were declines in the amount of fish and beef consumed in the UK?
One of my students asked me this question in an IELTS Writing class, but I was not uncertain about it.


texts: "Try it out on more than you" What does it mean?

texts:
I heard a line in the movie The Humbling:

  Pegeen: We're doing a contemporary adaptation of Macbeth, and I cannot think of another actor. I'd like to try it out on more than you.

I can't figure out why the character said more than you. I would understand it if the line was I'd like to try it out on you (which means "I'd like to have you try the role") But what does the character mean by more than you?


texts: What's the difference between "to go under" and "to go bankrupt"?

texts:
What's the difference (if any) between "to go under" and "to go bankrupt" in the following sentences?
1- His company has gone under!
2- His company has gone bankrupt!


texts:
Which term is common to describe the bones on our backs in daily life?

For example

Does it sound natural to say "My scapula hurts" ?


texts:
According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, both undiscoverable and indiscoverable are valid adjectives, and indiscoverable deserves a web page of its own: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indiscoverable

In https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&filter=noad&query=indiscoverable, indiscoverable is not mentioned, while undiscoverable has a web page only in BrE.

So, these two sources contradict each other somewhat. Which adjective is the right one in AmE?


texts:
In the context of hotels what is the meaning of addresses?

  The guide has been produced in association with Nespresso, a fitting
  alliance given the company’s coffee machines enhance the guest
  experience at so many of Australia’s top addresses.

I would like to know a detailed answer to the meaning of address in this context. Is it a resort? entertainment place? a hotel? or simply a destination?

From an article entitled: Gourmet Traveller publishes guide to nation’s 50 best hotels


texts: What is the meaning of expression "cherry bomb"?

texts:
I've heard this word in the song Black Hole from Rob Zombie.
Is it something vulgar or just a regular expression?


texts: a verb for when you go through a camera footage

texts:
The police said the CCTV cameras will be [verb here] to identify the murderer.

I'm looking for the formal (or even technical) way of saying review, inspect or go through the camera footage.


texts:
His lecture went in my one ear and out my other ear.

If I use the determiner my, would it be grammatical to omit the headword ear in the second phrase of the conjunction, like this:

  . . . in my one ear and out my other.


texts: I tried to turn active sentences into passive sentences. Do I have it right? If I have mistakes, I'd appreciate it if you could fix them

texts:
1- The two countries have serious historical differences that span issues including religion, ethnicity and of course, politics.
1A- The two nations have genuine verifiable contrasts that length issues including religion, identity and obviously, governmental issues.
2- Azerbaijan has a Muslim majority population that also houses a heavy Turkic presence.
2A- Azerbaijan has a Muslim dominant part populace that additionally houses a weighty Turkic presence.


texts:
What is the difference between:
I didn't use to have a phone
AND
I didn't have a phone
Maybe the first option is not correct at all? I will be grateful for explanation :).


texts: Which spelling is correct? Theatre or Theater?

texts: Theatre or theater - which word is correct for using in GB and US? I faced with both and also heard the opinion that "theatre" is not used in US, although it's definitely not true.


texts: Why do we say "involve any risk" and not "involve any risks"

texts:
Financial Times: The near-obsession with defending the rating has
  ensured that where the bank loan involves any risk.....

  The Guardian: This is not at all to say that we should demonise
  youth sport but rather that we often allow kids to do things that
  involve risks simply because they want to.

  See here: I wasn't able to find any reliable well-edited
  newspaper that use "involve any risks" (in plural) and this is ensured by Google Ngram

I feel that I miss something here because they use the plural version to convey the general meaning of risks in "involve risks", and then they used the uncountable version of risk to also convey the general meaning of it in "involves any risk". But no one says "involves any risks" although you cannot use the singular form here.  Is there is some grammar that I don't understand or it is just another special case?


texts: Using present continuous for describing what we have done in an article

texts:
I wrote:

  Before presenting a method to extract the image of a grate from the video frames, let us formulate the problem. Since we are tracking a sequence of frames, we include t parameter as the frame number. Then, the b[t](x, y) indicates the binary value of the pixel located at (x, y) position in the frame t.

I used present continues, to imply a nature of the problem which is tracking a sequence of frames. Am I right at this?


texts: What is the meaning of "Let's hear it for feet!"?

texts:
What is the meaning of "Let's hear it for feet!" in the following picture (Source:Feet are Neat!),

According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, the meaning of "Let's hear it for Somebody" is defined as "used to say that someone deserves praise, or to ask people to show their approval of someone by clapping".

If so,
does "Let's hear it for feet!" mean " Feet deserve praise" ?


texts: Which is correct with the subject "bad spelling and grammar"? IS/ARE turn-offs/a turn-off

texts:
Bad spelling and grammar is a major turn-off.
  Bad spelling and grammar are a major turn-off.
  Bad spelling and grammar are major turn-offs.

Which of the sentences above is correct?


texts: Could I replace one-word part of speech with whole-sentence representing same part of speech without sense replacement?

texts:
Noun - part of speech in grammar denoting a figurative or real thing or person.

Could I replace a one-word noun with multiple words representing the same part of speech?
Example:

  Panther strikes.

The noun is 'panther' because panther is an animal.

  Big pink panther that like striking strikes.

'Big pink panther that like striking' is an animal. Could I say that it's a one part of speech? If so, could I say that it's the noun and make replacement with one-word 'panther'? Then, I could use as a subject any multiple-words noun, if so.


texts:
Is this pattern possible?

  I will mention other issues, to say nothing of our debt, in this discussion.

"Other" comes first, but is it ok?

The import of it is, "our debt and other issues."

Is this kind of logical inversion, if you will, possible?


texts: an infection {which / in which} the lungs fill with fluid

texts:
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs ______ the lungs fill with fluid, leading to difficulty in breathing.

Should the blank be completed with "which" or "in which"? And can you explain why?

Note: This is a question from a test. I think the answer should be "which" but answer key says "in which" and I want to learn why.


texts:
Does "humble" refer to "practical people" or not?

  WE have now traced various disconnected and irregular uprushes of
  psychic force in the cases which have been set forth, and we come at last
  to the particular episode which was really on a lower level than those
  which had gone before, but which occurred within the ken of a practical
  people who found means to explore it thoroughly and to introduce
  reason and system into what had been a mere object of aimless wonder.
  It is true that the circumstances were lowly, the actors humble, the
  place remote, and the communication sordid, being based on no higher
  motive than revenge.


texts: Is there any good synonym of "imagine being"?

texts:
I was thinking of the phrase "you can imagine being", but I want something more powerful and emotional than that phrase. Although the general idea of what I want to express is there, it doesn't sound appropriate in a delicate or emotional situation.

For example, let's take this sentence:

  I bought your old equipment on Ebay so you can imagine being a NHL
  player once again.

The phrase "imagine being" sound a bit awkward and not very emotional. Is there any better to put it into words?


texts: "Where did you spring from?" vs "Where do you spring from?"

texts:
There's a phrasal verb "to spring from", one of the meanings of which is to appear suddenly and unexpectedly. Looking for the example sentences with it, I noticed that it's used in questions put both in the past and, much more rarely, the present tense.
So, my question is this:
What might the author's choice depend on when they decide in favor of the use the past or the present tense for the question to be put in?
The examples:

“Where did you spring from? I thought you were out of town.” “I've
just got back. I looked in on you to see how the land lay.”
Where did you spring from?” Ex-Major Ferdinand Sellars leaned his
large-boned frame in the doorway and grinned at Alec in satisfaction.
Where did you spring from?' 'From that alleyway.' She pointed over her
shoulder.
Where do you spring from? How long have you been in Paris?”
Where do you spring from? Who are you--anyhow? How many of you are
there in that boat?"
And where do you spring from with such great strength and unknown
purpose?

I may be mistaken, but my gut feeling tells me that the use of the present is somewhat obsolete, like "Where do you come from?" is dated in comparison with "Where are you from?" I wonder whether there may be other explanations.


texts:
He was surprised with/at/by the news of the success of a poor candidate in the elections.
I was surprised at/with/by the news.
I was pleasantly surprised by/with/at her sudden appearance.
I am surprised with/by/at her decision to quit her job.

I did a lot of research, what preposition "surprise" take. But end up with nothing. I couldn't find a definite answer. I have seen all preposition surprise with/by/at/about in sentences. But again, could not figure when to use which preposition. Can any one please explain what preposition we should use with "surprise".

Thank you


texts: What is correct meaning of this sentence: "The drinks included some wine, which was apparently not very good."?

texts:
I am confused with the correct meaning of this sentence:
"The drinks included some wine, which was apparently not very good."
Which of the following should be implied from it:

Whether all of the drinks available was not very good?

or

Only wine among the available drinks was not very good?

Also another doubt is that, whether "drinks" as a noun (which means alcohol beverages here) is singular or plural? So that what should be correct way to say:
"The drinks in his party was very good" or "The drinks in his party were very good" ?


texts:
When should I use "would have to have + verb" and when "would have had to + verb", I assume the second one is a part of third conditional. but when should I
 use the first one ?

e.g. in these two sentences

He would have had to help me first. (or " I would have had to be helped by him first.")
He would have to have helped me. (or "I would have to have been helped by him.")

Is the second one referring to second conditional? If yes, then how different is its meaning from "He would have to help me" ?


texts:
Is there an active form to "to ensue" ? I'm familiar with constructions like "The fire started, chaos ensued".

Can one write "The fire ensued chaos" or "The fire ensued by chaos" ? If not, which verb can replace "ensue" here ?
Does "to ensue" imply a causation effect ? Or can I write "After friday, saturday will ensue"


texts: Is 20 eyes an expression that means 20 person

texts:
The book slipped from his hands and fell on the floor with loud noise, 20 eyes looked up at him and his face turned red.....
Q: approximately,how many persons where at the library?
•10
•20
•40


texts: Contact us via dpo@company.com vs. Contact us at dpo@company.com

texts:
I'm proofreading a text and have come across this sentence:

You can contact the personal data protection officer of the Sponsor at: dpo@company.com

I think it should be via instead of at because at usually implies some "more constant" location like a website. Am I right, or maybe at could be used here?


texts:
"My eyes are irritated" or "My eyes are irritating"?

On Ngram much more people say "irritated eyes" than "irritating eyes".

Googling "My eyes are irritated" returns 24k results (Link)

Googling "My eyes are irritating" returns 40k results (Link)

I would say "My eyes are irritated" does not make sense because only human can feel, human's eyes can not feel. (we say "I am very excited because the film is very exciting")

"My eyes are irritating" sounds better because it is making the man irritated.

So, "My eyes are irritated" or "My eyes are irritating"?


texts:
What does "holla at your girl" mean exactly? and what is the difference between that and "holla at your boy"? Does it depend on the gender of the speaker? Also, how is "holla" pronounced?

It was used at the end of an email by a co-worker (female) which was sent to the team saying "Any questions, holla at your girl."

Any help would be much appreciated.


texts: Why are articles used differently with words like 'evening', 'morning', etc.?

texts:
Usually, 'the' is used when talking about something specific. Not in these cases

I watched TV in the evening.

means evening in general, not some specific evening necessarily.

We had a barbecue on Sunday evening.

means a specific evening, not any evening. It's some basic, first-grade stuff. And yet, I still can't fully grasp it because it makes no sense to me. Please explain without resorting to lame things like 'it's a phrase', 'it's a convention', 'it's just how we speak', etc.


texts:
Take a look on this sentence.

  Today 71 years ago US dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima killing over 1000000

Why in this sentence it uses killing, is it a noun and "Hiroshima killing over 1000000" is the noun phrase complement for this sentence?


texts:
All boys will attend roll-call at 8 o’clock.

Above sentence is from a Korean dictionary, which says it can denote order or instruction. It’s not common to use the meaning when the subject is the third person, it says. Then if the subject is replaced by ‘she,’ can’t this sentence take the sense of order or instruction at all: ‘she will attend roll-call at 8 o’clock’?


texts: What part of speech is the word "outside" in "I'm outside your house"?

texts: I'm wondering what part of speech is the word "outside" in the sentence "I'm outside your house". I checked the dictionary and it can be noun/adjective/adverb/preposition. When it comes to pronunciation, all of them seem to have different stress patterns, so it would be helpful for me to know what part of speech is the word "outside" in the sentence "I'm outside your house." I would be grateful for any suggestion. Thank you!


texts:
Sometimes I hear people say something like the example below. Is it correct to use the word since in this manner?

  Mosquitoes are surviving on earth since millions of years.


texts: Are sentences like " I bought an apple to her." and" I gave the robot for her." grammatical?

texts:
There are two sentence here,

  I bought an apple for her.
  I gave the robot to her.

Can I exchange 'to' with 'for' in the sentence above?

  I bought an apple to her.
  I gave the robot for her.

Do the sentences above make sense?


texts:
I'm new here.
I am still confused whether I could use comma at certain place in a sentence after looking for several online articles.
I wonder maybe my question is too basic to find specific rules, hopefully I will have some help from you.

The sentence below is from an online article:
I wonder why it is natural to not use comma befor "there have been ~~~shortages."

1.1)  For well over two decades there have been warnings of a looming crisis in the health-care system due to the ageing population and significant workplace shortages.

1.2)  For well over two decades, there have been warnings of a looming crisis in the health-care system due to the ageing population and significant workplace shortages.

This is from Stuart Little:
Similar question.  Why is there no need to plus a comma after "Before he was many days old"

2.1)

2.2)  Before he was many days old, he was not only like a mouse ~~~.


texts: "equivalent" pronunciation of pairs of words

texts:
This "The Langage Nerds" post illustrates many "same pronunciation different meaning" pairs of words.
While most seem reasonable to me, I'm surprised by some, and wonder if there is some USA's bias or if it's really once again all due to my bad pronunciation.

Typically, are these always pronounced the same ? or only in American English ? or nether ?

hole / whole
exercise / exorcise
aisle / I'll / Isle
affect / effect
cereal / serial
catch up / ketchup
miner / minor
lightening / lightning
gorilla / guerrilla


texts: Can "arrange " be used with a singular object?

texts:
Suppose that there are many coins, and the coins are divided in two groups.
Based on this, I created two sentences below.

The first group of coins is arranged in a ring, the second group of
coins is arranged in a square.
The coins in the first group are
arranged in a ring, the coins in the second group are arranged in a
square.

I think the second sentence is correct, but I am not sure the first sentence is correct.


texts: What is the grammatical function of “that” in “that which works”?

texts:
There is no one road to success. Each one must find that which works.

What is this "that"?


texts: What is the meaning of this sentence? "as having" is the confusing part

texts:
I am reading a text about how literature can be used to shape moral behavior in kids. But I don't seem to understand the meaning of this segment. This part "...as having narrative meaning", what does it mean?

Here is the text:

  In addition, children acutely understand their own moral behavior as having narrative meaning, and moral stories provide a blueprint for the internalization of moral behavior


texts: determination to fix the hitch in his giddy-up -- what does that all mean?

texts:
Source: Sams Teach Yourself C++ in 24 Hours (5th Edition)

  This book is dedicated to my dad, who’s currently teaching himself something a lot harder than computer programming: how to walk again after spinal surgery. Through the many months of rehab, you’ve been an inspiration. I’ve never known someone with as much indefatigable determination to fix the hitch in his giddy-up.

What exactly are they talking about?


texts: Under what circumstances does an adverb not get -ly?

texts: I learned in school that it's correct to say really good. On the internet I've also seen real good. Is this grammatically incorrect, or are there particular circumstances under which this is correct? Perhaps only in American English?


texts: Should the answer to "How old do you think Peter is?" be a prediction or a conclusion?

texts:
"How old do you think Peter is?"
"I just looked at his driver's license. He ___ 33."
A. might be
B. may be
C. must be
D. should be

Should the answer to this question be a prediction or a conclusion since the character in this question have already looked at Peter's driver license


texts: Subjunctive past perfect and what's the meaning of "ga"?

texts:
Well, who should be there but her master's son, and what should he do
  but fall in love with her the minute he set eyes on her. He wouldn't
  dance with anyone else.

  But before the dance was done, Cap o' Rushes slipt off, and away she
  went home. And when the other maids came back, she was pretending to
  be asleep with her cap o' rushes on.

  Well, next morning they said to her, 'You did miss a sight, Cap o'
  Rushes!'

  'What was' that?' says she.

  'Why, the beautifullest lady you ever see, dressed right gay and ga'.
  The young master, he never took his eyes off her.'

  'Well, I should have liked to have seen her,' says Cap o' Rushes.

This content is from "Cap O' Rushes" in English fairy tales.

I have two questions, What" the meaning of "right gay and ga"? What's the difference if there isn't "have" in the sentence like "I should have liked to see her"?


texts:
We'll see how much they can do come the postseason.

In this sentence, is the word 'come' used as an infinitive or a past participle? At least it makes sense to me it is a past participle, but how come it is grammatically explained if it is an infinitive?


texts: Error correction : If we had Sachin in our team, we would have won the match against your team

texts:
If we had Sachin in our team, we would have won the match against your team.

Which is the correct way to correct this sentence ?
I have learned that the general form of a wish of present is something like this if I were you I would study more.

And for wishes of past the form is like If he had a few hours to spare, he would have spent them in a public library.

But I think the had in the question which I asked and the had in the example which I gave is not same. So how do I correct the sentence ?

In this way

  If we had had Sachin in our team, we would have won the match against your team.

Or

  If we had Sachin in our team, we would  win the match against your  team.


texts: Present simple and perfect tense in the first conditional

texts:
I just watched a video on first conditional and it says that we can we use the present simple, continuous or perfect tense in the IF clause. And it has given a few examples:

  If I play football, I will be healthy.

  If I am playing football, I will be healthy

  If I have played football, I will be tired.

I have learned the first one in school but I have not yet encountered the second and the last one. What I don't understand is under what circumstances should we use the last two cases. The following are what I think:

For the second sentence, I am not playing football at present in reality, but I am imaging what would happen if I am playing football at this moment.

For the third sentence, I had not played football in the past in reality, but I am imagining what would have happened if I had played football in the past.

Is my understanding correct?

Here is the link which gives the above three examples. BBC learning english


texts:
And in the Philippines (which holds ASEANs rotating chair in 2017) under the irascible president, Rodrigo Duterte, a vigilante crusade against drug-dealers will threaten to suck society under.

I can't find the definition.

source: http://www.theworldin.com/edition/2017/article/12612/asean-way


texts: The structure of "the higher a mountain"

texts:
What is the structure of "the higher a mountain" in the following sentence? And what does it mean?

As a general rule, the higher a mountain is, the more recently it was formed.


texts:
I can't find the meaning of the word in dictionaries, I just infer it means 'to express.'

  When this manager encodes a message to an older worker about an
  upcoming change, the individual may downplay the extent of the change
  so as not to make the older worker feel stressed.

Source : Managing Organizational Behavior
By Ronald R. Sims


texts:
'"You told me to bring cannon-shot next time, an' I've brought 'em."

  'He saw we had. He ripped out a fathom and a half o' brimstone
  Spanish, and he swung down on our rail, and he kissed me before all
  his fine young captains. His men was swarming out of the lower ports
  ready to unload us. When he saw how I'd considered all his likely
  wants, he kissed me again.

This is from "Simple Simon" in "Rewards and Fairies" by Kipling.

I do not understand the meaning of this.

He ripped out a fathom and a half o' brimstone Spanish

This is from the note of Kipling Society.
[Page 300, line 4] brimstone Spanish Brimstone is sulphur. In this context, 'fiery', or 'burning'. The reader can assume that Drake was swearing exuberantly in Spanish.

I am so glad if somebody kindly teach me.


texts:
After a brief dispute and much haggling, they came to a compromise and
  the $3,000 transaction was made.

Is haggling the same as bargaining?
Do they have the same meaning?


texts:
I will try to survive till that.

My teacher (native) told me the THAT is not OK - and I have to find the good solution - this site is allowed.
Possibly I would formulate on the following way, but I'm not sure at all:

I will try to survive till that time.


texts:
I have a question about a possible error in some dictionary entry for the preposition "amid":

  while noisy, busy, or confused events are happening - used in writing or news reports

So, "amid" should be followed by some "event".  Yet the sample usage in the same dictionary reads:

  The dollar has fallen in value amid rumors of weakness in the US economy.

A "rumor" is not an event.  So, is "amid rumors of ..." wrong?  Would this rewrite:

  The dollar has fallen in value amid the spreading of rumors of weakness in the US economy.

,be better?


texts: Why used the word "would" in the sentence?

texts: In lyric Papa there is a sentence. "Everyday my papa would work to try to make ends meet to see that we would eat keep those shoes upon my feet". Why used "Would" in the phrase "Everyday my papa would work" I know "would" to talk about the past or to talk about hypotheses.I can use " Everyday my papa works to try to make ends meet...?" Thank you.


texts:
Is the following sentence correct?

'This video contains a lot of footage of events that took place in the last 80 years.'

It feels kind of double, because an event is something that happens or takes place.


texts:
In the song, Last Christmas, I heard the phrase "But the very next day." I'm not sure what it was supposed to mean, but from context I guess it's the day after Christmas

Is it grammatically correct to say "very next"? Something is next or is not next. Can something be 'more next' that something else? Can something be 'very next' or just 'a little next'?


texts: Shouldn't there be "because" instead of "but" in this sentence?

texts:
I read a sentence in "The Hindu" which was:

Ill fares the land where wealth accumulates, but the social and natural environment suffer.

We use but while introducing a contradictory or not so similar statement.
But here something(wealth accumulation) is leading to other.


texts:
Are following sentences correct?

She asked me why I didn't go to the doctor.
She got surprised why didn't I go the doctor.

If they are correct, is there any difference in meaning between them?


texts: Difference between "a" and "any" in negative sentences

texts:
What is the difference between a and any in the following sentence? Are they both grammatical in the following sentence?

Yesterday I went to a village that appeared to be totally uninhabited. After a mile of walking I did not find a house/any house(s) in that area.

What's difference do a house and any houses make in the sentence? And can I use any house instead of any houses in the sentence?


texts: What should follow anyone,anybody and no one

texts:
In the sentence:

  "one should know one's limits"

we use two one's. If that is the case, then what should we use for the following sentences:

  No one in this office knows______limits.

Is it right to say:

  "Anyone can take anyone's help in my office".
  "We have a friendly atmosphere in which anybody can approach anybody".


texts: Can we say "He is accountable but not blamable" ? Do "accountable", "responsible", "answerable" imply "blamable"?

texts:
I know "accountable", "responsible" and "answerable" are used in the following way in English,

  The engineering team is accountable for this failure of the system.

  The terrorists are responsible for this attack to the train station.

  He is answerable for the accident.

But I have a confusion that I'm not sure if those words imply that people who are responsible are one of the causes of the problems and deserve punishment, i.e., blameable ? I am confused because in my mother language (Chinese) we distinguish two cases,

  The first case is, someone held the duty of doing a job and he did it as best as he could. Unfortunately something bad happened which was impossible to be stopped (e.g. blackout of the whole city and backup power didn't work for no reason). In this case, the investigators of the problem think he was in charge of the job and should give his explanation (be accountable ?) to the problem to help identify the cause. If the investigators determined, after necessary examinations and questions, that the problem was indeed caused by something impossible to stop, then we think he should not be blamed. It is a tragedy but no one should be blamed.

  The other case is that it is for sure that someone did something bad accidentally or on purpose to cause the problem, then he is blamable.

So my question is whether the words "accountable", "responsible" and "answerable" can tell the difference between the two cases ? If not, how can we use English to distinguish the difference ?

Can we say "He is accountable for this accident but not blamable", or "He was involved in the accident but not accountable/responsible/answerable for it" ?


texts:
Slave's Leader: King! Let my people go!

  King: Still gnawing away at that bone, are we? Carry on.

  Slave's Leader: You cannot keep ignoring us.

Actually King along with his assistants are rowing on boat, Slave's Leader is on land telling him to give freedom to his people who is working under king as slaves.

After through research on word "Gnawing away" it shows "To bite or chew something a bit at a time". How does it suits here?


texts: Which tense should be used after "if" in these cases?

texts:
"Mom asks if you help her" and "Mom asks whether you help her"

I'm interested in which tense I should use after IF: future simple or just present simple?

So, perhaps the sentence "Mom asks if you'll help her" is correct.


texts:
I want to say that I will make an appointment for client

How can I say it (besides “I'll make an appointment for you")?

1) I'll sign you in for appointment (on Saturday)

2) I'll take you on Saturday

3) I'll take you in on Saturday


texts:
What is the meaning of the following sentence--

  If the Left frontally attacked the Congress, the BJP was disparaging.

I think the sentence is in subjunctive mood and it says that if the left would frontly attack the congress then the BJP would disparage.
But this meaning sounds very odd. Also I cannot understand the construction of this sentence??

Thanks in advance..................


texts:
Can anyone please tell me which is the correct sentence among these:

Even though I couldn't speak to you, I'll be missing you.

Even though I can't speak to you, I'll be missing you.

Even though I don't speak to you, I'll be missing you.


texts: Can an infinitive form of a verb act as a subject?

texts:
I saw in a book a sentence as:

  To move such a large mass requires a large amount of force. The intersect between the two displacements makes an angle of ninety degrees.

What is acting as a subject in the first sentence?
Also, I believe intersection should be placed there instead of intersect in the second sentence.


texts:
Why are you not believing me right now?

Vs

  Why don't you believe me right now?

What is the difference? Which one sounds more natural in terms of its usage and what meaning do they carry?


texts: What is the difference between "career" and "job" and "profession"?

texts:
What is the difference between career, job and profession?

I do not understand the differences. Can you explain them?


texts:
I'm writing a medical questionnaire in English. My doubt is related to the best type of past that I should use in the questions, I'll write an example and see if some native speaker can explain better.

Example 1:

How much energy did you have in the last month?
How engaged with your life were you in the last month?
How often did you experience remorse in the last month?

Example 2:

How much energy have you had in the last month?
How engaged with your life have you been in the last month?
How often have you experienced remorse in the last month?

Is it wrong to use the past of the example 1 or 2? Or just a matter of taste?

Thanks in advance for the help.


texts:
I tried to understand "village halfwit", but was not able to know the exact meaning.
I think it seems to be some people cannot work or something.
Could you explain the meaning for me?


texts:
In Italian, the equivalent of person is persona, whose plural is persone; there is also another word that could be used instead of persone (gente) but that is not the plural of persona. It cannot be used as simple replacement of persone, as I cannot say ho visto quattro gente for "I saw four people," but I must say ho visto quattro persone.

In my English classes, I was taught that people is the plural of person, and that is the word I should use.
Google Translate, when I ask the translation of persone, it translates it as people, but looking at the alternatives it has (by clicking on the translation), I see:

Persons
Person
Individuals

I find strange it suggests person, but I take Google Translate suggests also the singular of the word for which the translation is asked.

Is persons ever used in normal conversations? Being Italian my first language, I would be use persons as plural of person, but that is not what I was taught.
Is there any case where individuals is preferable to people, or persons? Suppose I want to say "I saw four people"; could I say "I saw four individuals"? Does the last phrase have a particular meaning, for example "four suspects" or "four people that came from different places, and randomly joined"?


texts: Does my sentence mean what I want it to mean?

texts:
Just then, people start cheering and applauding as Steve steps up on the karaoke stage and takes the microphone.
Written like this, does it mean that people started cheering and applauding because Steve got up on the stage?


texts:
Is the expression 'culture empowers the language' correct?

Here I'd like to express the idea that language contains certain culture, the culture shapes a language and makes the language more attractive and meaningful.

I want to use this in my graduate application essay, I'm going to apply the Bilingual/ bi-cultural education in the States.


texts:
My Aunt ask my three year old cousin to pick up the trike that had turned over. So what should be used :

  Pick it up .
  Turn it over.


texts: how can I change the imperative sentence into passive form?

texts:
I have to turn this imperative sentence into passive form-

Be punctual or they will eliminate you.

I think the right one is-

  You are suggested to be punctual or you will be eliminated by them.

But the 1st portion of my answer doesn't satisfy the basic rules of voice-change of imperative sentences that I have read so far in my books.
Please show me any better way.


texts: Why do we say "English-speaking world" rather "spoken-English world", while "spoken English" rather than "speaking English"?

texts:
Why do we say "spoken English" rather than "speaking English", while "English-speaking world" rather "spoken-English world"?

Since "English in writing" is right, how about "writing English"?


texts: what does to oneself mean in some sentence?

texts:
I just found a part sentence saying
"Attractive and affectionate to oneself"?

Does that mean your attractive to yourself?


texts: "I thought I understood the movie" or "I thought I had understood the movie."?

texts:
Which one is correct and why?

I thought I understood the movie.

I thought I had understood the movie.

I think second option is correct because "had" is used when we want to say that one action happened before another. Hence, first I understood it and then I thought that I understood it.


texts: Differentiate "it is said" from "it has been said"

texts:
It has been said that everyone lives by selling something.

Can I substitute the bold part with "it is said"?
I think since it is kinda like a saying, using present simple is more appropriate. But I also feel "it is said" can also mean this sentence was said before, and the impact on the present is that now people generally accept that.
And present perfect I think carry the implication that people now may or may not say this anymore.


texts: "He must have probably been an excellent student" -- what does it mean?

texts:
He must have probably been an excellent student

It's stated on some learning website that it means

  Perhaps, he was not the most excellent student.

Is it right? It seems strange for me. There is not any negation in the sentence. I'd agree on that if the "probably" was substituted by "never", for instance.


texts:
A lot of beautiful qualities I would find within you.

I am wondering about the grammatically of the sentence structure. Specifically, is the placement of "I would find" okay?


texts:
(1) The government will increase funding on school supplies that will last until 2023.
Is it wrong to use "will" twice in one sentence?


texts: Is "Nanjing" as likely to be understood as "Nanking"?

texts:
When describing the city in China, is the spelling "Nanjing" as likely to be understood by the general population of native English speakers as "Nanking" is?

An examination of Google NGrams indicates that "Nanjing" has recently overtaken "Nanking", but I suspect that what people who write books use, and what ordinary people use, are two different things.


texts: How to pronunce word 'rather' in American English?

texts: When I'm Checking the pronunciation of word 'rather' it seems that the letter 'a' has two different pronunciation in American English. First one is same like letter 'a' in father and the second one is like letter 'a' in word 'bat'. Which one is the most common one that people normally use?


texts:
"If there'll be no oxygen and hydrogen on our planet then only
  ______ will remain. All life shall perish!"

By "all life" - I mean all organic existence.

But what is the opposite? Everything non-organic, everything made out of plastic, metal, glass?


texts:
A) We are living in an era of untold opportunities
  B) We are living in an era with untold opportunities

Which one sounds more natural?


texts: The meaning of attend in a specific context

texts:
In a software product, when an unable exception occurs, the app displays a error message containing, among others, the following sentence:

  The error has been logged and the support team will attend to it as soon as possible.

What does it mean? I don't understand the usage of the term attend in this case.


texts: What is the technical term for online shopping without logging in to a particular site?

texts: I was implementing an ecommerce gateway sometime back and I came across two terms to define online shopping where the customer logs in to the buyer's site and where online shopping is possible without logging in. I can't remember the terms now and I don't seem to find it by searching on Google.


texts:
Can I use "Me too" like subject in an answer?

If someone says,

  I am Italian.

I could say "Me too!" in response, but could I say

  Me too am Italian?

If not, why not?

It is confusing because "I too!" isn't an idiomatic response, even though "I too am Italian." is grammatical and could be a response.


texts: What would you call a person who does a job but doesnt really care about quality of his work?

texts:
Not really a 'slacker', since if I understand right thats somebody who doesn't really do anything.
More like a person who works 9 to 5 (or more like 9-4 if he can get away with it) but not a minute longer. Is totally bland when fulfilling his tasks etc.
Also hes not really a 'tool' I guess, since he's 'using' his employer more the other way around.(?)

Its driving me crazy that I can't find a right word ;)


texts: what's the meaning of "true to the old proverb"?

texts:
I will certainly tell you, Socrates, what my own experience of it is. I and a few other people of my own age are in the habit of frequently meeting together, true to the old proverb. On these occasions, most of us give way to lamentations, and regret the pleasures of youth, and call up the memory of amours and drinking parties and banquets and similar proceedings. - The Republic of Plato

What's the meaning of true to the old proverb? I couldn't find the old proverb.


texts:
ACTA bill approved by Japanese government in quick vote

  The bill despised by internet citizens around the globe, ACTA
  (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement), has reared its ugly head once
  more, getting passed in Japan after a government vote this week.
  It was scheduled to be voted on early in the week, but due to delays
  it was held on Thursday, September 6th, reportedly getting approved in
  the wee hours of the night, with the news greeting Japanese citizens
  and members of activist group Anonymous the next morning.


texts: Can volts be counted and followed by a plural verb?

texts:
I am wondering which is correct: 100 voltages is/are applied.
And how about 'negative 22 voltages is/are applied'?


texts: "Never + past simple" vs "did not+ verb1" for denials

texts:
I have a question related to the usage of 'never'. I have heard native speakers use 'never' when they want to negate something emphatically. And they use 'never' instead of "did not verb1" to negate.

Here are a couple of example sentences:

  Me: Hey john, did you told Shyam that you dislike me? John: It's a lie. I never said/did not say that.

To me "did not say" is more grammatically correct but I often hear native speakers use 'never' in this kind of context. I would not use "present perfect tense" in the context as I was referring a specific event in the past.

I never went/did not go to Australia when I was a child but after getting a job I went there last year.

I think both forms can be used in the above context.

I never was a/was not a good student when I was in school but I was good at drawing.

I think the "never was" is more emphatic but both forms can be used. Can I use never instead of "did not verb1"  when I want to negate specific events in past emphatically? Native speakers, I want your opinions.


texts:
What does explain against mean ?
There you have an example

He makes the subject more interesting by explaining against the
background of his own narrative.

Provide more examples, definitions/meanings and so on.


texts: What is the difference between following words: swamp, marsh, bog

texts:
What is the difference between marsh, swamp, and bog?

These three words are quite similar to me and I often get them confused in English.

Please help me to understand their differences.


texts: single word to define the following : a deep desire to become the king of a kingdom

texts:
When a person has an obsessive desire towards the power (or throne) of a kingdom
a deep desire to become the king of a kingdom. When I used google translate to get the word it showed me Aspiration for monarchy as the word. But I believe there could be a better word to fit the meaning.


texts: Is there something called "technician slope"?

texts:
Is "technician slope" just a name for a slope in skiing or is it a slope for technicians?

"I'd like to ski on the technician slope."

I saw it in a Korean book.


texts: 90% of people have a smartphone or smartphones?

texts:
This is my sentence:

  90% of people age 18 or under have a smartphone.

My questions:

I know with 90% you gotta use have. But do I use a smartphone or smartphones. I heard a like of people say it like this. But we know 90% can't be just one person, so say there are 100 people in my class age 18 or under. And I say 90% of them have a smartphone. That can't be right because 90% of 100 is 90. And it is impossible for 90 people to own one smartphone.


texts:
I'm reading the marvelous book "The Hitchhiker's Guide of the Galaxy" and I've found what it seems to be a famous quote:

  "The chances of finding out what's really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is to say 'hang the sense of it' and keep yourself occupied … "

I was looking around and I found an alternate version that drops the 'to say' and I wonder if that makes any difference:

  "The chances of finding out what's really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied … "

Because of the huge success of the book I couldn't google my way to any explanation of the phrase.

My mother language is Spanish, if that helps.


texts:
What is the difference in the meaning/usage of these two phrases ?

  Suggestion in regard to

  Suggestion with regard to

Googling yields results showing both phrases being used but I couldn't understand the difference in their meaning.

A Few sentences Copied from google:

Another interesting suggestion in regard to that voluntary Socialism.

Looking at some of the suggestions with regard to the maximum levels permitted under the reports.


texts: Can "ˈproʊɡræm(program)" be pronounced "ˈproʊɡrəm"?

texts:
I learned unstressed vowel sounds sound "ə".

So, I think "proʊɡræm" can sound "proʊɡrəm" because æ is not a stressed vowel sound in the word.

Am I right?


texts:
I have to convert the following sentence into its imquoted indirect form for narration.

  "You'd better leave the dog alone," the man said.

Which one of the following two is correct?

  The man warned me to leave the dog alone.

  The man said I should leave the dog alone.

According to me second one is correct because in the original sentence there is some kind of suggestion. And should indicates suggestion. But according to my book first one is correct.


texts: Ixora often called coloquially as 'Flame of the woods'. Sentence correction and formation

texts:
Does it correct sentence formation?
Ixora often called coloquially as 'Flame of the woods'.


texts:
I heard so many sentences that are begun with 'Typically' or 'In particular' while I do not even know what the exact meaning of them is.
What are simply the differences between these sentences below?

Typically, mouse needs more physical space
In particular, mouse needs more physical space

Lots of thanks.


texts:
Mr. President-elect:

it is with great pleasure to add my warmest congratulations on your election as the President of the United States of America.

I would like to ask if a native speaker finds the formulation "it is with great pleasure to add…" OK? Is the preposition "with" necessary? – And what about the article? Does not by chance the indefinite one miss before "great pleasure"?


texts:
I have a question about the antonym of the adjective "loose" in this context:

  The two countries formed a loose alliance.

For a "loose alliance", would a "close alliance" or a "tight alliance" work as a good opposite?


texts:
Ran into this in a handout:

  Jack, and Kate, is leaving the province tomorrow.

It looks a bit odd to me. Is this structure possible in English? If so, what is the benefit of it and what is this going to say?
What is the difference between this and Jack and Kate are leaving the province tomorrow?


texts: What is the difference in meaning between "come with someone" and "come along with someone"?

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning between the following sentences?

  Why don't you come with us to the party.

  Why don't you come along with us to the party.

I cannot see any difference, but I feel there is a small one because why would anyone add along.


texts: Is there a mistake regarding subject-verb agreement?

texts:
Increased financial support could help to raise the quality of locally made films and allow them to compete with the foreign productions that currently dominate the market.

quoted from http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2015/06/ielts-writing-task-2-foreign-films-essay.html

Have an author made a slip not using the verb in an agreement with the subject, or there's something that I'm missing out, misreading?


texts: What does "10 minutes away from nursery" mean?

texts:
Transcript from this video (min 00:31):

  So when we bring them here, it's a whole new world for them. It doesn't feel like we're just 10 minutes away from nursery. I think it just sparks their imagination, I think it just sparks their creativity.
  (Minute 00:31)

Does it mean "they're just allowed to play in the woods for 10 minutes" OR "the distance from the nursery to the woods is just 10 minutes"?

It doesn't feel like we're just 10 minutes away from nursery.


texts:
I demanded of him to take me.
  I demanded it of him to take me.

Do I need "it" as referring to "to take me" ?
or is it grammatically incorrect to insert "it"?

I think both would be correct.


texts:
Man: What is it?
Woman: What does it look like? It's a ticket. I got a ticket.
Well, read it.
Man: Overtime parking from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Ah, I don't understand.
Woman: Well, you're not allowed to park on the street for more than 2 hours. It's against the law.
Man: Well, did you park for more than 2 hours?
Woman: No. That's the whole point. I didn't park my car until
11 a.m. But when I got back, the parking inspector was sticking this on my
windshield.
Man: Why?
Woman: He accuses me of parking in excess of 2 hours.

"the parking inspector was sticking this on my windshield" Which tense is this sentence in?


texts: Is "he has to eat more" a complete sentence?

texts:
Is this a complete sentence? It has both a noun and a verb, but I am unsure if it expresses a complete thought.

It seems to me that more is modifying a noun that is missing from the sentence. He has to eat more... what?. That is the source of my confusion.


texts: Please explain the use of " 's"in this sentence?

texts: You’ll figure things out along the way and your plan will need to change to adapt to your learning’s consistently


texts:
From A History of Warfare by John Keegan, page 22:

  The regimental depots bulged with spare weapons and uniforms to kit the reservists out; even the horses in the farmers' fields were docketed for requisition should war come.

I found two entries in Wiktionary that might be relevant:

  An agenda of things to be done.
  A ticket or label fixed to something, showing its contents or directions to its use.

Were the cattle physically equipped with tags (dockets), or were they included in some official documents specifying that they would be requisitioned in case of war?


texts:
A man trying to escape from deadly machine which is about to explode and at the same time victim saw that man is in dangerous situation but victim didn't see whether that man died or not after the machine exploded.
Thing is whether to use escape or escaped.


texts:
There is a lot of animals.

  There are lot of animals.

Which one between the above sentences is correct? Or can both be used?


texts: Belong and Own as transitive or intransitive verb

texts:
I learned that Belong and Own are Intransitive verbs, hence they cannot be used in passive voice. If we use these sentences with is/was they become passive. But can we use this construction to tell someone's status?

Example 1

Is this property belong to my father? (Question)

Yes, this property is belong to your father (Answer)

Or

Example 2
Is this property owned by my father? (Question)

Yes, this property is owned by your father (Answer)

Are both my examples correct?

Can we use belong and own as stative verbs?


texts:
I had to read these sentences in an article.

  Most people need from 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours of sleep a night. You
  cannot save hours of sleep the way you save money in the bank. If you
  have only 5 hours of sleep for three nights, you don't need to sleep
  an extra 9 hours on the  weekend.

I don't understand how to get 'an extra 9 hours'. Please explain it to me. I'm confused with the clause 'if you have only 5 hours of sleep for three nights'.


texts: In “a so-called "HPACK Bomb" attack”, if "so-called" is not sarcasm then what is it?

texts:
I was reading this CVE describing a vulnerability in the implementation of a compression algorithm used in HTTP/2. The summary says:

  A HTTP/2 implementation built using any version of the Python HPACK
  library between v1.0.0 and v2.2.0 could be targeted for a denial of
  service attack, specifically a so-called "HPACK Bomb" attack.

I was extremely disturbed by the word so-called because I know it's used for sarcasm. But it doesn't make sense here so it must have another meaning.

I looked here and found this question: Can we use the phrase "so-called" in its positive sense (or neutral) when refereeing to a widely adopted thing?

All answers agree it's used negatively to indicate something is misleading.

Considering the summary also says the following, it seems to be a pretty accurate name for the exploit:

  This can lead to a gigantic compression ratio of 4,096 or better,
  meaning that 16kB of data can decompress to 64MB of data on the target
  machine.

Therefore what does so-called mean here?

If it is to signify misleading, what would misleading about the term HPACK Bomb?
or is it effectively used in a sarcastic manner?


texts:
What do 'bet money on money' and 'I’m for money against the field' mean?

  “Now, don’t say that,” said old Anthony, shocked. “I bet my money on
  money every time. I’ve been through the encyclopedia down to Y looking
  for something you can’t buy with it; and I expect to have to take up
  the appendix next week. I’m for money against the field. Tell me
  something money won’t buy.”

Mammon and the Archer
by O. Henry (last paragraph of page 73)


texts:
Suppose there is a sequence like

  A B C D E

What is the phrase for the positional relation between B and C (for example)

B is before C
B is next to C
B precedes C

I need to emphasize there is not other intervening elements between


texts:
I will start with the example I know to make it clear.
In a TV show this conversation happened:

Guy1: This car is crap. I'll buy it for next to nothing?
Guy2: How next to?

I guess the fans of this show will figure out what it is :). Anyway, what does "for next to something" mean? And how is it possible to ask "How next to?".
I think answering the first will lead to the second.


texts:
The bullet passed by my head by a difference of a few inches.

I am trying to say that somebody fire a bullet at you that barely missed your head? Or Somebody fire a bullet that nearly hit me in the head. But it missed my head by a few inches. Would it be correct to say sentence above, to describe the situation?


texts: Should “Apple has launched two phones yesterday” be past tense or present tense?

texts:
When I was on italki, I saw this notebook entry:

  Have you guys heard about the newest apple's mobile?
  I just watched the advertisement and the phone is really cool.
  Even though the phone haven't released yet, my friend already bought in Singapore. Nah, I wonder if it authentic Apple's phone.
  However, I heard that Apple only launched phone in 16,64,and 128GB capacity. Apple launched two phone yesterday. They are iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus.
  IPhone 6 and iPhone 6+ are very expensive. The price is around $799, which it means 12 million rupiah.
  Ah, I hope my dad wants to buy me one. lol

Someone corrected it as marked below:

  Have you guys heard about the newest latest apple's mobile phone?
  I just watched the advertisement and the phone is really cool.
  Even though the phone haven't released yet, my friend already one bought in Singapore.  Nah, I wonder if it is authentic Apple’s phone.
  However, I heard that Apple will only launched the phone in 16,64,and 128GB storage capacity.
  Apple has launched two phones yesterday.  They are the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 plus.
  Both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6+ are very expensive.  The price is around $799, which it means converted to Rupiah is 12 million.
  Ah, I hope my dad wants to buy one.  lol

Did he give right correction? I’m wondering about this one especially:

  Apple has launched two phones yesterday. They are the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 plus.

If this is the right correction, why sould that sentence use the past tense and not the present tense?


texts: What do you call a term someone savoured and defiled a bit of food and left it

texts:
We Indian don't eat food that was eaten by someone else. For example:

If someone has taken or tasted a little pizza and left it then we do not eat it.  We call it जूठा .  I am looking for the word in English that the food was eaten a bit and left


texts:
I want to check whether I understood these phrases:

be responsible for
in charge of
to report to

Take some kind of organisation for instance, where Linda is a President, Adam is a Financial Director and Bob is a Data Processing Manager. In that case, Linda is responsible for (or in charge of) all organisation. Adam in charge of Finance and reports to Linda.

Am I right?


texts:
He was driving leftward

  They were walking rightward

  I was looking rightward

  Turn rightward when you get to the corner

  He was looking upward

Do these sentences sound fine grammatically? And why are these prepositions not used? Nowadays 'Turn right' would be the most suitable, but why? Was it only because people got used to this or is there any other reason?


texts: Is the idiom in the offing used and understood now? It is present in many lists of English idioms, but I have never encountered it in real life. However, if one makes a search on Google News, one will find out that this idiom is used in Indian news-sites that write in English. For some reason, it is more popular in India.


texts: What is the main difference between "work under a professor" and "work with a professor"?

texts: I am not sure about the main difference between saying "I am working under a professor" and saying "I am working with a professor".


texts: What does "Somebody cue the chorus of angels, would you?" mean?

texts:
Some young girl in trouble and a gallant knight come to rescue her. Then she say "Somebody cue the chorus of angels, would you?" What does 'cue' mean in this case?
Does it mean "Tell the choir to start singing" or "Invite the choir" or something else?


texts: Regular infinitive or bare infinitive after but?

texts:
Is there any rule for when to use to and when to drop it in expressions that include but (to) do?

  A1-- You have no choice but to study hard.

  B1-- You have no choice but study hard.

  A2 -- I can't help but keep asking questions.

  B2 -- I can't help but to keep asking questions.

  A3 -- She could do nothing but give in.

  B3 -- She could do nothing but to give in.

I guess all A's are correct. What about the B's? If they are incorrect, is it because of a rule, some logic, or because of idiomatic usage?


texts: What does "go up over the high bridge" mean?

texts:
He was going up over the high bridge.

In the above sentence I thought up might means  "to the place where somebody/ something is, not 'towards a higher position' " and over might means "from one side to another side".

Then the sentence would mean: it was a high bridge, and he was going from one side to the other.

  But the matter is that "up" seems to be redundant in this case,
  because it has the same meaning with "over".

  What does the above sentence mean?


texts: Meaning of "The UN rush to mandate war totally ruled out any alternatives."

texts:
I didn't get the exact meaning of the sentence;

  "The UN rush to mandate war totally ruled out any alternatives.".

Can I paraphrase it as;

  "The UN which rush to mandate war totally ruled out any alternatives."

Or;

  "The UN let the war outbreak because there is another option."


texts:
I understand that the frame of a gun is the large piece in the middle, and the slide is the large piece in the top, but I am not sure what the stock of a gun is. Also, did I make any mistake?

  The larger component parts of any GLOCK pistol - the frame, the stock
  and the slide - are interchangeable between different models. (source)


texts: A verb to describe the process of one culture gradually disappearing due to the influence of another one

texts:
What's the right verb in English to describe the process of one culture of one nation coming to another nation and starting to dominate there so much that the original culture of that second nation eventually disappears?

For example,

  Geblerians attacked Finelia and fully conquered it. Soon all citizens
  of Finelia were forced to learn and speak Geblerian. No Finelian would
  be allowed to get any key position in the society unless he was fluent
  enough in Geblerian. And since Geblerians were much more versed in
  science and literature a lot of Geblerian words and terms started
  getting into Finelian. Within the following 20 years, with the birth
  and growth of a new generation of Finelians, situation was changed
  drastically. Young Finelians refused to communicate in Finelian, which
  they were now understanding less and less and used only to communicate
  with their parents. So, another ten years later Finelian culture was
  completely __________________ by the Geblerain culture.

devoured ?
engulfed ?
superseded ?
diffused ?
diluted ?
?

Verbs like "superseded" and "replaced" don't strike me as suitable here because they don't seem to reflect the intrinsic aspect of the process.


texts:
The First Cause Argument assumes that effects and causes could not
possibly go back for ever in what is termed an infinite regress: a
never-ending series going back in time.
[Philosophy: The Basics]

What does in what is termed mean? Does it mean "in terms of"?


texts: Passive of : We should adhere to our decisions

texts: Out of the given options which one is a better choice for passive voice of adhere ? I chose option D but the exercise has chosen option C. Isn't it incorrect because the by us phrase is repeated which sounds a little awkward.


texts:
Could anyone tell me whether the usage of "to drop off" is correct?

Situation: You are carrying your baby in a baby carrier, but you want to put your baby on a baby chair for some reason. Can you say:

  I dropped off my baby on a baby chair.

Also, is it possible to say:

  I dropped off my baby from a baby carrier.


texts: When public speaking, use "you" to refer to a group of people or a person?

texts:
Question 1:
When we deliver a speech, do we use "you" to refer to the listeners or refer to each one of them as we are talking to him/her personally?
Talking to all of them (use "you" to refer to all the people who are listening ):

Today, I am going to give you ten tips on how to have a perfect interview. They can help you find your dream jobs.

Talking to each one of them (use "you" to refer to each listener like we are talking to him/her personally):

Today, I am going to give you ten tips on how to have a perfect interview. They can help you find your dream job.

Question 2:
I saw a sign today written like this:

"Hello visitors, you can't park your car here because..."

Because the sign says "visitors", shouldn't it be

"Hello visitors, you can't park your cars here because..."


texts:
Which sentence is correct (if not both) and what is the difference between them?

I just took a bath. [moments ago]
I've just taken a bath.


texts:
We bought a house on a whim.

  My duties seem to change daily at the whim of the boss.

These are correct sentences but would they be gramattically correct if I switched on and at?

  We bought a house at a whim.

  My duties seem to change daily on the whim of the boss.


texts:
What time of day is it?

It is morning.
It is in the morning./In the morning.
Morning.

Are they right? Which one is more commonly used?


texts: Can we use than as a contradiction instead of comparison?

texts:
In a team chat, I found the following sentence written by a colleague of mine:

Hi, just for the clarity of the team, Marcos found the issue with another column than what is mentioned in the description of the issue.

I always used than as a mean of comparison but in the above sentence it seems like using than as a contradiction. So is this a permitted usage of than? I feel like this is a very colloquial usage of this word in a particular region that I am not used to.


texts:
Why is 'that' in 'beyond that of"? I think it is clear without 'that'. Can we  omit 'that' here?

  The nature of peace-keeping operations had evolved rapidly and
  expanded beyond that of traditional military observer missions.


texts: "Get your diaper changed" versus "change your diaper"

texts:
In child language, would you ask your little one to go to their Mum to get their diaper changed as follows

  Come on go to your mum and get your diaper changed

I know saying

  Come on change your diaper

can't be said to a toddler since they can't do this task on their own


texts: something needs to change Or something needs to be changed?

texts:
Which one is correct?

something needs to change
something needs to be changed

The first one is what I met most. But I think should use the second one, because something can't change by itself, it needs someone to change it.


texts:
I read the following paragraph and cannot really understand "give credit to"

  However, in 2004, the president of the XFree86 organization decided to make a change in the distribution license. His idea was to force people to give credit to the XFree86 development team whenever certain parts of the software were distributed.

  It sounds like a noble idea, and XFree86 was still open source software. That idea never changed. However, the new license was incompatible with the standard GNU GPL distribution license (see Chapter 2). This bothered a lot of programmers as well as most of the Unix companies, because it would have resulted in terrible logistical problems.

  The ultimate solution was for X.Org to take over the development of X, which they did, starting with the most recent version of XFree86 that was unencumbered by the new license. As a result, the XFree86 project lost most of its volunteer programmers, many of whom switched to X.Org.

I looked the idiom in Give credit to (someone) - Idioms by The Free Dictionary

To give someone praise or recognition
To grant or extend financial credit to someone.

They do not seem make sense to the context.


texts: When you are going forward from among a crowd

texts:
Please imagine a big number of journalists have swarmed to the location in which a renowned politician is going to give a speech! An independent journalist has fallen behind and is going to elbow his way through the crowd to reach the nearest position to the speaker (politician). When he is goong forward, he aks the people over and over:

  Let me through please.

Later, when he takes the report, he is describing the event to a familiar person and says:

  There was so crowded that I couldn't go through!

I need to discover whether the bold parts sound natural or not!
I doubt if the second part (go through) which is a self-made verb, sounds natural!

I doubt if the verb "pass" is the most natural verb for the second bold part!


texts:
This is an important empirical properties.

This is an importantly empirical properties.

Which one is correct? Do they mean different things?


texts: Word for remembering everything you read

texts: What is it called to remember everything you read, even if you read it once and years have passed and you can remember every sentence, phrase and word? Is it “normal” to do so?


texts: What is the difference between "did" and "have done"?

texts:
For example, what is the difference between:

How many puddings did she make?

How many puddings has she made?

In what circumstances that each sentence would be appropriately used?
Is their difference significant when speaking informally?


texts: The nuance of 'young' and 'younger' in this context

texts:
While reading Swan's Practical English Usage, I came across this sentence

  I don't do much sport now, but I did play football when I was younger.

Why comparative younger? Simply young could have worked there, couldn't it? Or, does it mean that 'younger' means the speaker just left playing sport last year? As it reflects younger as the phase of life earlier than the present year (of his age).

For instance, if the speaker is 45...

  I don't do much sport now, but I did play football when I was younger (than this age) -> Up till 44 he played OVER   I don't do much sport now, but I did play football when I was young -> When he was young, say in 20s-30s or whatever.


texts: What is the cup of coffee meaning in "cutie pie"

texts:
I've stumbled upon this image of a narrow angle, coffee cup and the mathematical symbol of pi.

I get its reference to acute and pie, meaning a cutie pie.

But what on Earth is the coffee cup supposed to bring to the table?


texts: What does an "A/an before the comparative/superlative adjectives" change in the sentence, semantincally?

texts:
What is the difference when you use a/an before comparative/superlative adjectives and when you do not use it? Does it depend on the context or is there a grammatical rule? which one is correct?

For example:

  1) That usage of verb gives the sentence a more formal look.

  2) That usage of verb gives the sentence more formal look.


texts: Etymology of the expression "happy-go-lucky"?

texts: Where does the expression "happy-go-lucky" come from? What does being lucky have to do with not being worried about anything.


texts: Passive voice phrasing of "The bottle contains two liters"

texts:
The bottle contains two liters.

How do I convert it to "passive voice"? I think it should be:

  Two liters are/is contained in the bottle.

What are your remarks?
Is it possible to make it "passive"?


texts: What's the difference between "of whom" and "out of whom"?

texts:
What's the difference between:

"There are 23068 active users, 200 of whom are invisible"

"There are 23068 active users, 200 out of whom are invisible"

I'm asking this because I can say for example:

"Out of this group, there are 3 people who didn't show up"

if I can use "out of" like that, does it mean that those two mean the same?


texts: Is it right if I say "I'm working on multiple projects in progress" to describe that these projects are not finished ?


texts: Are “those things that …” the “two things” mentions before?

texts:
“To one as young as you, I’m
  sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is
  like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the
  well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know,
  the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and
  life as you could want! The two things most human beings would
  choose above all — the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing
  precisely those things that are worst for them.” (Harry Potter
  and the Sorcerer's Stone)

It’s not clear to me whether the two highlighted parts are the same or not. Does the latter refer to the former or other things, for example, about detailed ways of seeking money and life?


texts:
I'm trying to write a sentence that describes a feature in student assessment software. When the feature is enabled:

Students can only take a quiz once.
If students logs out and back in, they continue the quiz at their first unanswered question (i.e. they can't start over).

Here's what I came up with:

  Students can only take the quiz once, and continue where they leave off.

But I'm being told by coworkers that "left off" is actually correct:

  Students can only take the quiz once, and continue where they left off.

Please help end the debate. :)


texts: What's the difference between Unless I do and Unless I did?

texts:
For Example:

  You won't see him again, unless you get to there (Another Country)

  You won't see him again, unless you got to there (Another Country)

Some people mentioned that Subjunctive Mood in sentence 2. Is that correct?


texts: had you done something, something else would happen or would have happened?

texts:
Example with a context (an excerpt from "The Art & Science of Java: An Introduction to Computer Science" by Eric Roberts):

  For example, executing the line
  println("Top student " + topStudent)
  would produce the following output:
  Top student = John Doe (#20456)
  Had you left out the implementation of the toString method, Java would instead use the default definition of the toString method from the Object class. The result in that case would be something like this
  Top student = John Doe@154865
  which is rather less informative.

I don't really understand what actually made the author choose to use Java would instead use over Java would have instead used in that sentence. To me personally, would have instead used sounds like a better choice because it makes total sense that if you had done something in the past, something different would have happened, but since you didn't do that, it didn't happen either. What gives?


texts: Does "learn by hard" mean the same thing as "learn by heart"?

texts:
I know what the expression "learn by heart" means, but I have just discovered that there's also "learn by hard", and I was wondering if this expression was just misspelled or if it is really used, and if it has the same meaning of "learn by heart".

Specifically, the context was the following:

  You should know the definition of a vector space by hard.


texts: How to simplify double negative: 'never met a good idea he wouldn't reject or a bad idea he wouldn't embrace'?

texts:
I still gravely struggle to understand sentences expressed in the negative..
For simplicity, I'll try to gloss each disjunct (separated by 'or') separately. Harper's the surname of the  Canadian Prime Minister in 2015.

Source: A comment below, and NOT, the CBC news article by user Dennis Brady
[1.] Harper never met a good idea he wouldn't reject or [2.] a bad idea he wouldn't embrace.

1. => 1.1. Harper never met a good idea he would tolerate.
=> 1.2. Harper only allows bad ideas.
2. = Harper never met [first disjunct removed] a bad idea he wouldn't embrace
=> 2.1. Harper never met a bad idea he would overlook
=> 2.2. Harper only embraces bad ideas.
My question Q1. Are my above decompositions perfectly right?
Q2. How can I quicken my understanding of negative sentences, so that I can progress beyond composing all these steps laboriously? Over the past few months, I've failed to accelerate and only slowed.


texts: How to understand "more than" in the sentence?

texts:
More than one student knows the answer.

What is the part of speech of "more than" ? Why should "knows" be used the single form?

Likewise,

  Many a student knows the answer.

What kinds of construction of "more than one student" and "Many a student" ?


texts:
Modern sculpture rarely surprises us any more. The idea that modern art can only be seen in museums is mistaken. Even people who take no interest in art cannot have failed to notice examples of modern sculpture on display in public places. Strange forms stand in gardens, and outside buildings and shops. We have got quite used to them. Some so-called 'modern' pieces have been on display for nearly fifty years.

In spite of this, some people--including myself--were surprised by a recent exhibition of modern sculpture. The first thing I saw when I entered the art gallery was a notice which said: 'Do not touch the exhibits. Some of them are dangerous!' The objects on display were pieces of moving sculpture. Oddly shaped forms that are suspended from the ceiling and move in response to a gust of wind are quite familiar to everybody. These objects, however, were different. Lined up against the wall, there were long thin wires attached to metal spheres. The spheres had been magnetized and attracted or repelled each other all the time. In the centre of the hall, there were a number of tall structures which contained coloured lights. These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. Sparks were emitted from small black boxes and red lamps flashed on and off angrily. It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment. These Peculiar forms not only seemed designed to shock people emotionally, but to give them electric shocks as well!

Why not use with each other there？ What is the difference between them？


texts: The mess in your room reflects on you. (Is this idiomatic?)

texts:
The mess in your room reflects on you.

Is this sentence idiomatic? (The intended meaning is "the mess=your status of mind or situation")


texts: A phrase about "my brain" and "programming"

texts:
I want to add some text about programming in relation to my brain, above a picture, and would like to know if any of the below phrases are correct:

  My brain, while programming.

  My brain, during programming.

  My brain, while I'm programming.

  How my brain feels during programming.

Please check this image: http://imgur.com/EAgtQC7

Could anyone please explain which one would be most fitting and why?


texts: Confused whether to use AFTER or OF in these given sentence

texts:
Kindly consider this sentence

I hired a taxi from the airport within minutes after arrival to reach home as soon as possible.

I just want to know whether I should use within minutes after arrival or within minutes of arrival

Thanks


texts: Is correct and natural to say "pick someone up to the airport" meaning to go to the person's place and bring them to the airport?

texts:
Could you tell me if it is correct and natural to say pick someone up to the airport meaning to go to the person's place and bring them to the airport? For example:

I'm free tomorrow, so I can pick you up to the airport.

If it sounds off, what would a native English speaker say?


texts: What functions do these participles have?

texts:
(In the school chapel)  Around me the students move with faces
  frozen in solemn masks, and I seem to hear already the voices
  mechanically raised in the songs the visitors loved. (Loved? Demanded.
  Sung? An ultimatum accepted and ritualized, an allegiance recited
  for the peace it imparted, and for that perhaps loved. Loved as the
  defeated come to love the symbols of their conquerors. A gesture of
  acceptance, of terms laid down and reluctantly approved.) And here,
  sitting rigid, I remember the evenings spent before the sweeping
  platform in awe and in pleasure, and in the pleasure of awe; remember
  the short formal sermons intoned from the pulpit there, rendered in
  smooth articulate tones, with calm assurance purged of that wild
  emotion of the crude preachers most of us knew in our home towns and
  of whom we were deeply ashamed, these logical appeals which reached us
  more like the thrust of a firm and formal design requiring nothing
  more than the lucidity of uncluttered periods, the lulling movement of
  multisyllabic words to thrill and console us. And I remember, too, the
  talks of visiting speakers, all eager to inform us of how fortunate we
  were to be a part of the "vast" and formal ritual. How fortunate to
  belong to this family sheltered from those lost in ignorance and
  darkness (Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man)

I am not familiar with the English past participle usages and phrases used as supplementation. I suspect, but am not quite sure, that the two are mixed at the highlighted part. Would you explain the constructions?


texts: Is it okay to say "I (should) better do X" in past-tense narrative?

texts:
Example sentences:

  From now on, I better focus on the outside world. What would I find on the other side?

  From now on, I should better focus on the outside world. What would I find on the other side?

Can these two sentences exist in the universe of past-tense narrative? Or you have to modify it into something like this?

  From now on, I had better focus on the outside world.

Or is there a better way to phrase this so it's suitable for past-tense narrative?


texts: contexts for "to learn" vs. "for learning"

texts:
Consider the following sentences

  We came here to learn English.

  We came here for learning English.

I suppose most of us here would agree that both of them are grammatically correct.

And I thought they mean the same thing until a native speaker told me there is slight difference depending on contexts.

However, he didn't explain the difference and contacts. Could someone help with me on this?


texts: I wonder if it is neutral (in a sense close to that no positive or negative things implied) when an American utters "that makes sense" after hearing an explanation. I would like to know if it is used as a neutral expression under normal circumstances. For example, is it understandable for a student to use "that makes sense" after the professor answered her or his question? Thanks.


texts:
So I got an invitation to go to a free dancing class . I want to answer my teacher that I will be able to attend the training. What is the best way to word this ? Here's what I came up with, but it does not sound like a native speaker, to me.

" Hi Ms. Gale,

So, I am able to clear up my schedule this weekend, and I would love to go join  the training session with you. "

How would you say it ? I feel like I always have this "so.." in front of everything I say, but I would like to break this habit and be able to use like something else.


texts: "Have worn it" or "have been wearing it"?

texts:
Please have a look at this sentence (Viv Quarry present perfect answers)

  When I left school I cut my hair and have worn it short ever since.

Will it be possible to use the continuous form "I have been wearing" if I still wear my hair short(unfinished action)


texts: What is the difference between "Of Mice and Men" and "On Mice and Men"?

texts: I mean, apart from the fact that the former is the title of a famous novel. Can you define the difference? What are the different shades of meaning here?


texts: Casual vs Cavalier vs Nonchalant vs Indifferent

texts:
I'm having a hard time deciding if casual, cavalier, nonchalant and indifferent could be used interchangeably in such contexts as the following:They (except the last one) are examples cited in Merriam Webster's either Unabridged Dictionary or Citations.

Cavalier

He has a cavalier disregard for the rights of others.

People are cavalier with facts, let alone with opinions.P. 9 JOURNALISM MADE SIMPLE David Wainwright W. H. Allen, London 072 W13j 1972

Nonchalant

She faced the crowd with the nonchalant ease of an experienced speaker.

The team may have been somewhat nonchalant at the beginning of the season, but they now know that they need to work hard.

Casual

were casual with their hogs and let them run through the peanut fields after harvest.  P. 62 Roon Frost GOURMET Vol. XLI No. 4 April, 1981

Indifferent

How to remain indifferent to one's pleas both in times of trouble and in times of joy.


texts:
Being a non native speaker of English I was shocked when one of my friends used this sentence:

  Did you called me yesterday?

According to my understanding it should be:

  Did you call me yesterday?

Interestingly, former gave 193,000,000 results and the latter 60,100,000.


texts: What does "in a sandpaper-dry kind of way" mean?

texts:
He was the quintessential newsman: cynical at times, but unrelentingly
  curious and full of life, and often hilariously funny in a
  sandpaper-dry kind of way.

Could you tell me please what it means?

Does it mean:

  His laughting made noise like lustle of rubbing a surface with sandpaper.

The fuller text:

  When I began my career in journalism—I was a reporter at a national
  magazine in those days—there was a man I’ll call Claus Schmidt. He was
  in his mid-fi fties, and to my impressionable eyes, he was the
  quintessential newsman: cynical at times, but unrelentingly curious
  and full of life, and often hilariously funny in a sandpaper-dry kind
  of way. He churned out hard-hitting cover stories and features with a
  speed and elegance I could only dream of. It always astounded me that
  he was never promoted to managing editor.


texts: Ask help to understand the following sentence,

texts:
It should be observed, of course, that no school, vocational or not, is helped by a confusion over its purpose.

The words in bold are where I do not understand. Any kind of help are going to be appreciated, thanks in advance.


texts:
I have always used the phrase "some water" and "a little water" interchangeably. Recently I took an English quiz and the question was :

  Please give me (a little / some) _____ water to drink.

I marked 'some' as the correct answer but found out that 'a little' was correct. Searching similar sentences on Google also confirms this. Is the use of 'some' here incorrect?

PS: I found many sentences where 'some' is used in this construction :

  Please, may I have some water in a cup

Is there any reason for using the specific phrase in that context?


texts:
Brian Vellmure specializes in connecting dots, distributing
  intelligence, and driving change at the intersection of
  customers, technology and organizational growth.


texts: Difference between (in / for / ∅ / during / over) the (past / last) three years

texts:
Microsoft has steadily improved its operating cash flows in the past three years.
Microsoft has steadily improved its operating cash flows in the last three years.
Microsoft has steadily improved its operating cash flows for the past three years.
Microsoft has steadily improved its operating cash flows for the last three years.
Microsoft has steadily improved its operating cash flows for the past three years. ("for" omitted)
Microsoft has steadily improved its operating cash flows for the last three years. ("for" omitted)
Microsoft has steadily improved its operating cash flows during the past three years.
Microsoft has steadily improved its operating cash flows during the last three years.
Microsoft has steadily improved its operating cash flows over the past three years.
Microsoft has steadily improved its operating cash flows over the last three years.

Which of them are idiomatic and preferred? Are they interchangeable?


texts: Zero article with the word "sense" in context

texts:
Tell me please why an article was omitted in the following sentence before the word sense.

  If you're an ace at picking out fabulous fabrics, accessories, and shoes when you get dressed each morning, you probably have (a) discerning fashion sense.

It is from Vocabluary.com.
I am aware that the word sense can be used as a mass noun meaning a sane and realistic attitude to situations and problems (this definition is given by the Oxford Dictionary), but It seems to me it was used there meaning a keen intuitive awareness of or sensitivity to the presence or importance of something( by the Oxford Dictionary). Tell me please If I am wrong, and If am, then why?


texts: What is the correct pronouns to refer to "some"?

texts:
In the following sentence:

  Some have a headache today.

I would like to express it using a pronoun. For example:

  Some have pain in their head today.

However, I'm not sure what is the correct pronoun to use here. It their the correct pronoun here or should I use another one?

EDIT: By "some", I mean "some people".


texts:
Which one is correct?

  it didn't sent the messages

OR:

  it didn't send the messages


texts:
Sometimes I talk with people I didn't know before on Skype (writing and voice ) and when we want to say bye I am confused about what to say:

"nice to meet you" or "nice to know you"


texts:
I wanted to know what is the correct collecation for (for example) significant other who has not come to someone's life yet( an unknown person or a probable person who gonna come in the future ).
Is it to say immediate significant other or prospective significant other? Or it might be something else.
Thanks


texts: which is the right one / preferable sentence? Physics. An air bubble is released from a given depth under the surface of sea

texts:
If you can please explain it in a few words which is right / wrong or in which book can I see to this topic

Calculate from how deep the bubble arrived.
Calculate how deep from the bubble arrived.
Calculate how deep the bubble arrived from.


texts: Does “expect” expects a “that” after itself?

texts:
I try to speak about an expectation of some future event. For instance I am waiting for someone and I have a schedule and I believe that there is a high chance of that someone to be late.

I feel ok to say something like:

  I expect you to be late.

or

  I expect that you will be late.

Is there any particular difference? Does the tense i.e. present simple vs future simple have a meaning here?

What about the same pair in the same tense:

  I expect you to be late.

vs

  I expect that you are late.

Does it become much more different in the meaning from one another?

What about these:

  I expect that the weather will be calm tomorrow.

or

  I expect the weather will be calm tomorrow.

Are these ok? Is there any difference in the meaning?