texts:
As you know, Adverbs can modify Adjectives, Verbs and other Adverbs; however, focusing adverbs seem to show different characteristics regarding it.

Focusing Adverbs vary according to their placement and can modify Nouns, Noun Phrases, Verbal Phrases..

So, my question is: Are focusing adverbs exceptions for such a rule?

Examples of focusing adverbs modifying different parts of the speech:

Only I like my cat - Noun.

I only like my cat - Verb.

I like only her - Noun.

I like her only - Entire Clause.


texts:
I have seen few words with word out of like

  Out of curiosity, Out of Loyalty

What does it mean? what are some other words we can make with this phrase.


texts: Is the tense in the main clause correct, when both the actions in the clauses are taking place at the same time?

texts:
Seeing the little girl's performance, the audience were enthralled.

When both actions in the participle clause and main clause are taking place at the same time, is the tense in the main clause correct in this sentence?

Edit Note:

@VarunKN gave a good answer about the noun audience being used with singular or plural verb agreement. However, my main question is:

-The participial clause is in active voice and the main clause is in passive voice so do we need to change the voice in the main clause. If so, what would be the change?

In my example sentence, the audience is doing the  seeing in the participial clause, but the girl is doing the enthralling in the main clause.


texts:
I would like to understand the correct way to explain the reason for something using because.

For example,

Maximum likelihood is a commonly used method in the statistic. That because it is easy in comparison with other methods.

Maximum likelihood is a commonly used method in the statistic. That is because it is easy in comparison with other methods.

Any help, please?


texts: he was a third member vs. he was the third member

texts:
In one documentary devoted to the French Revolution the narrator says (just after Saint Just and Lazare Carnot have been mentioned):

  A third member [of the Committee of Public Safety] was the crippled lawyer Couthon*.

Why was not "the" used before "third"?

P. S. In one of my previous posts Article before ordinal numbers I already posed a question regarding the usage of the articles before the ordinal numbers. But I think that the answer which I received does not cover this one. The body of the Committe of Public Safety was composed of the precise amount of members. Or would using the definite article indicate that Couthon was the third most important member or something similar? Or is it so because the narrator did not name all the members of the COPS but just three?


texts: Subordinate conjunctions optional use of comma-- rules

texts:
I noticed this usage on a website of parenthethesis around a subordinate part of the sentence: is this accurate use.
Rather than talk about his chocolates (which are great by the way, if you’re in Leicester you have to go!).

and

Sarah, noticing that the weather was changing, went back for her coat.

So the above sentence has a subordinate clause in the middle started with ''noticing'', but what is difference between splitting that with parenthesis or m-dash. Are there rules surrounding how you separate a subordinate clause

e.g

The man who is coaching my team is my father.

The man, who is coaching my team, is my father.

Is the comma use around the subordinate clause optional or are there instances where it's mandatory.


texts: Can I say; So happy does he look? - is it grammatical?

texts:
I wonder which of the following sentences is grammatically right?

  So happy he looks.
  So happy does he look.


texts:
I'm from South Asia and we speak in a way directly translated from our language structure so often. If I'm making some request "I'm partnering with Elsa for group discussion right now, let's say I wanted to show her my progress would you like to accompany me to her house?". Is there anything wrong with the sentence especially "..let's say I wanted.." or it should be "..let's say I want.." instead.
Thank you


texts:
1 My husband stayed in Paris and I have gone to New York.

(Context: Helen is the wife who has gone to New York. She is talking
on the phone to Judy and tells her where she and her husband are at
the moment. Helen's husband is in Paris now. Helen is in New York
now.)

Do you find the sentence unnatural? I hear that it would be much better to put it this way:
2 My husband stayed in Paris and I went to New York. (however, now it doesn't unequivocally say that I am in New York.)
3 My husband has stayed in Paris and I have gone to New York.
4 I have gone to New York while my husband stayed in Paris.
Could you comment on each sentence nominating one of them as the best one?


texts: “I {am / was / will be / have been} loved” What is the difference between them?

texts:
I want to know the meaning of these sentences

  I am loved

  I was loved

  I will be loved

  I have been loved

What is the difference between them?


texts: What is a simpler/more natural way to say "One defines himself with his doings!"

texts:
This is the German text I would like to translate:

  "Der Mensch definiert sich durch seine Taten."

I know all the words above in English, but if I use online translators to verify my translations like Linguee or Google, I get confused about whether I am right with my translations or not.

These are my attempts:

  "Men defines itself with its doings!"

Or

  "One defines himself with his doings!"

Both seems to me strange and not really English.

How would you translate this sentence?


texts: Creatures from the same kind like yours (meaning human beings)

texts:
Does the following bold term sound natural to you in the meaning of the creatures who are "from the same kind" (human being):

  We all are human and have to help our own fellow man.

If not, then please let  me know, what would a native speaker use instead?


texts:
In this sentence:

  The salesman would have sold his products but he was late for the appointment.

What is the meaning of would have sold?
What is the meaning of would have alone?
If you replace the words would have sold with some identical other three words, could you do that? If so, what words would you use?


texts: What's the difference between a shame and a pity?

texts:
I have read a sentence

  It's a shame that the price of this book will put it beyond the reach of many readers.

Can I replace 'a shame' with 'a pity' without changing the substantial meaning?
If this replacement has changed the meaning of the whole sentence, what is the difference coming out?


texts: Should I use 'a' or 'any' in the sentence?

texts:
Should I use "a" or "any" in this sentence?

  The Nationalist Party has won 25 seats so far. No other party has been able to win a/any seat after several rounds of counting.


texts: Elementary: Confusion with usage of plural form in present simple

texts:
Have been following a book, but I am getting confused.

See the below 2 sentences:

1) In Britain the banks usually open at 9:30 in the morning.

2) The City Museum closes at 5 o'clock in the evening.

Here question is why 'open' is in singular form in first sentence while 'closes' is in plural form in second?

The book states the following rule for pluralization:

I/we/you/they -> singular
He/she/it -> plural

In my understanding both 'The Britain banks' and 'City Museum' falls in second category (It)

Please help
Thanks.


texts:
I'm working on an order form and have to add a "send" button to process the order. By clicking the button, the user is sending/approving the listed information of the order details.

My question is about the text for that button.

Should I use Submit or Send?


texts:
Fire-detection data, satellite imagery, photographs and videos from the ground has indicated at least 80 large-scale fires in has areas across northern Rakhine State since 25 August, according to Amnesty International.

I found the line in " Independent News". Why " has indicated " is here where subject is plural? Is there any special case that permits " has indicated " here?


texts:
Painting the plains with silverwares

Can you use painting to mean metaphorically that someone just threw a bunch of silverwares on a plains?
I also see sentences like:

Painted the skies with gold

So I am wondering if it's a similar usage. Because gold I believe refers to an object just like silverwares.


texts: Why should we use 'for' before authority in this case?

texts:
This was one of our questions in our practice book:

  Fill in the blank using a suitable preposition:

  Students today do not have respect ______ authority.

I think the most suitable preposition would be to, but the answer given in the book was for.

Why?


texts: The meaning and the underlying expressions of "But the war isn’t being sold on these grounds."

texts:
I have questions concerning the sentence "But the war isn’t being sold on these grounds.":

What does the sentence mean?
How are the word combinations "isn’t being sold" and "on these grounds" used in the sentence and how are they generally used?
Where does the pronoun "these" refer to?

The context is the following:

  Despite these dangers, there is a case for attacking isis. Part of it is humanitarian: Millions of people now live in a caliphate in which many women cannot leave their homes unless accompanied by a man, and religious minorities can be sold as slaves. Allowing isis to expand, and potentially threaten Jordan or Saudi Arabia, would produce misery on an epic scale, intensify the refugee crisis already roiling Europe, and destroy America’s reputation as the underwriter of Middle Eastern order.

  But the war isn’t being sold on these grounds. The presidential candidates are not telling Americans that a greater short-term terrorist threat is the price they must pay to liberate oppressed Arabs, protect friendly regimes, and prevent a greater danger down the road. Instead, candidates are promising, at least implicitly, that if America intensifies its war, the terrorist threat will decrease.

The source is Why Attacking ISIS Won't Make Americans Safer where you can find even larger context if it is needed.

I have made my own research and I have my own suspicions what it could mean, but its meaning is still unclear for me. The most I want is an explanation in this specific case, but providing a clear, general reference links are also more than welcome.


texts:
Which variant is correct?

My grades in Geography are B, A+ and C.
My grades from Geography are B, A+ and C.
My grades for Geography are B, A+ and C.
My grades of Geography are B, A+ and C.
My grades at Geography are B, A+ and C.

Or something completely different?


texts: How to analyse/decompose ' a redundancy ... that “that becomes redundant even within the redundancy" '?

texts:
Source: 'Heavy Lifting', by Dahlia Lithwick, BA, JD. (I include post-nomials to lend credence to this)

Finally, Caitlin Halligan has 30 minutes to represent UPS. Her argument is that failure to accommodate doesn’t make UPS discriminatory but rather “pregnancy-blind.” Halligan will spend much of that time being pounded by Justice Elena Kagan, who—in a protracted one-on-one—will ask her 10 different versions of this same question: “So your reading of the statute basically makes everything after the semicolon completely superfluous?” (The troublesome semicoloned sentence is, admittedly, a little clunky: “The terms ‘because of sex’ or ‘on the basis of sex’ include, but are not limited to, because of or on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and women affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions shall be treated the same for all employment-related purposes, including receipt of benefits under fringe benefit programs, as other persons not so affected but similar in their ability or inability to work, and nothing in section 2000e-2(h) of this title shall be interpreted to permit otherwise.”) Kagan slowly builds to the accusation that under Halligan’s reading of the statute, everything after the semicolon is a “kind of double redundancy.” It’s a redundancy, if you will, that “THAT becomes redundant even within the redundancy.”
Ah. The glamour.

1. How do you determine/deduce the bolded's meaning? The first that is a relative pronoun, but what's the antecedent of the second THAT, a demonstrative pronoun, (which I myself capitalised for discrimination) ?
2. What's a double redundancy?


texts: "the night held other purposes than our own..." - what is meant by "our own" when referring to purposes of the night related to people?

texts:
I am sorry for the possibly unclear title, I could not find a better one.
I understand the sentence below:

Into the little room, however, in that moment there came between us
this uncomfortable sense that the night held other purposes than our
own— and that my companion was aware of them.

However, I do not get the part about the purposes of the night being different than theirs - because there was no purpose, the people are just sitting in a room. So while I understand the night held other (maybe we could say higher or fated purpose), I cannot see what "our own" could refer to.


texts:
He invited Mr. Smith to the party that day.
He had invited Mr. Smith to the party that day.

Please tell me the difference and which of the two is grammatical?


texts: "others", "the others", "the other", and "another"

texts:
I have difficulty telling the difference(s) between "others", "the other", "the others", and "another".

How can I choose which one to use?


texts:
In this sentence:

I need a piano of my own on which to practice.
I need a piano of my own to practice on it.

Which of the two answers is correct and why?

What if "of my own" is deleted?

What should I study so that I won't have such problems?


texts: disambiguation of "quite": completely or not completely?

texts:
According to my dictionary (Cambridge Advanced Learner's), the two most frequent meanings of the word "quite" are surprisingly opposing:

a little or a lot but not completely
completely

Although there is a row of examples for each of the meanings, in my understanding the following sample sentences would match both of the meanings above:

  The two situations are quite different.

  You've made your position quite clear.

  She seemed quite chirpy this morning.

  It would be quite a nuisance to write to everyone.

  It was quite a difficult job.

  She was quite affable at the meeting.

  There's quite a collection of toothbrushes in the bathroom.

How can I resp. how would you decide which meaning is meant for each of the following sentences?


texts: What does "on a day with no 'y' in it" mean?

texts:
Can anybody explain Warren Buffett's sentence for me, please?

"The only time to buy these is on a day with no 'y' in it."


texts: Difference between "turn a profit" and "make a profit"

texts:
I came across this idiom today.

  turn a profit

  To make money; to make a profit from a particular venture.

  From The Free Dictionary

  https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/turn+a+profit

What is the difference between "turn a profit"  and "make a profit?

Take this example from the free dictionary.

  We're going to have to close the shop if we don't turn a profit again this quarter.

Is "turn a profit" and "make a profit" interchangeable here?


texts:
Here's what a basketball player said on TV:

We beat this team many times, but I feel like we haven't beat them in
the right way as far as what we can do better.

What does "as far as what we can do better" mean here? (I know what "as far as" and "what we can do better" mean independently)Thanks!


texts:
Reported speech case:

  He said I would do it

Direct speech:

  He said, "I will do it."

My sentence:

  He thought that he WILL / WOULD do it tomorrow

Question:

In my sentence should I use 'would' verb (because the case is equal to reported speech)?

or

I should leave 'will' verb because the case is completely different to reported speech case


texts: How does it feel when someone speaks in Third Person Speech(?)?

texts:
Third Person Speech, is it the right term? Anyway, I've seen some characters in the mass media, who talk as if they're talking about other people which are actually nothing but themselves.

  Ricka: Ricka wants to wish her friends a Happy New Year.

  (Actually) "I want to wish you guys a Happy New Year."

I've always thought that kind of talking skill is to show the characters' personalities where they try to act cute or something, since most of them I've seen were featured in the anime, you know, cute girls doing cute things. So I haven't thought about that there's any one actually would talk like that in English culture even in comics or games. My guess was that it's only the matter of translations: They didn't have any choice but to translate them like those to avoid killing the original materials' sense.

But I found out recently, in a game, Fallout: New Vegas, that there's this character, named Santiago, who talks just like them.

  Santiago: It is a dream come true. Santiago never thought he could work in such a wonderous den of vice and iniquity.

But he is a guy, and to my surprises, he is considered as a suave talker to the point where the player can recruit him as a male prostitute to a bar.

Do they really exist, who talk like that in real life?
What do natives feel when hearing that kind of speeches?


texts: Which between "crap" and "shit" is more rude?

texts:
According to the Oxford dictionary, shit is defined as "(i) Faeces, (ii) Something worthless; rubbish; nonsense", whereas crap is defined as "(i) Something of extremely poor quality, (ii) Excrement". In addition, to me as a non-native speaker, those carry the same meaning when used in the following sentences:

  This book is crap.
  This book is shit.

While neither are to be used in polite conversation ("This book is worthless" would be more appropriate), which of the two words is more rude?


texts: the suggested exercises/ the exercises suggested

texts:
I´d like to know whether I could say these two sentences:

  However, I have calculated that in order to complete the exercises suggested, it would take closer to....

  However, I have calculated that in order to complete the suggested exercises, it would take closer to....

To my ears both sound pretty good.

Would be there any difference between these two kinds of sentences?

Because in the example I give below I was told there was  significant difference. However I don´t see any. Would it be possible to explain it to me please?

"The concerned people are looking forward to seeing this event"

versus

"The people concerned are looking forward to seeing this event".


texts: In the first episode of Big Bang Theory Leonard says "I will do talking". But as a learner i could not understand what is the difference between "talking" and "do talking". Thanks in advance.


texts:
It seems you are incompetent to achieve our goal.
The chocolate tastes sweet when it is tasted. (Quasi-passive voice)
It is raining.
Your request, it is under consideration now.

and so on, so on and so on...
These constructions, if you observe, can easily understand the similarity among them- it is using "it" everytime. Now my question is why is it "it" always? Why is not this "this" or "that"?


texts: The nuance of using the word 'home' as an adverb/noun with or without prepositions

texts:
I was teaching my daughter the use of adverb home. I told her that we don't use any preposition before that word. That's how it is.

  I'm going home.

But then, when we talk about others home, we use preposition (does it then become a noun? I'm not sure!)

  I'm going to Henry's home.

I got confused when she asked that she has heard this in many Hollywood movies -

  Anybody home?

She asked further that if her friend asks on the phone, which question is correct -

  "Rhyme, are you home? OR   "Rhyme, are you at your home?"

She argued that if we are talking about our home we don't use preposition as I began my lesson with (I merely did to make things simple!) but then in the latest example, her friend Sonia is asking her about her (Rhyme's) home and certainly, Sonia is speaking from her home.

The case is quite similar to I'm going to Henry's home. Say, Are you at Henry's home? and so... Are you at your home?. If the second person is asking with preposition here, why don't they use preposition in Anybody home? After all, anybody is at least someone. We do say, "I saw someone at his home while passing by."

Furthermore, if two sisters are talking (they live in the same home), they don't need to use preposition in the same case of calling and asking on phone. One can simply ask another...

  "Are you home?"

The questions:

If someone is asking about your home, do they have to use prepositions? (Anybody home? over Are you at your home?)
If you are talking about your home, in any case, do you use a preposition?
If two people (living under the same roof) are asking each other, do they use preposition? Because then it becomes your own home, again, rule no.1!

I already went through this, this, this and this. But precisely, none of those questions answer my concern. Especially when someone asks you your location at your home.


texts:
Let's not make a big deal out of it.
Let's don't make a big deal out of it.

You are just trying to make us not practice.
You are just trying to make us don't practice.

Should I use "not" or "don't"?


texts: Is "height and width of knowledge" idiomatic?

texts:
"The height and width of knowledge determines the field of knowledge"
I am not sure if we say height and width to refer to two aspects that classify knowledge or any other similar concepts such as "experience" or "expertise".


texts:
I am speaking about a man who receives a piece of advice from a friend, but because the advice entails radical changes in his life he replies:

Your advice is so demanding, it is difficult to accept!

Now, while I was typing this, my fingers couldn't stop there, but by instinct went on to type it at the end.

Your advice is so demanding, it is difficult to accept it!

Are they both acceptable? If they are, is there additional information in the second variant?


texts: Is the "our" necessary in the following sentence?

texts:
Here is the sentence :

This data is coherent with 'our' chemical intuition, because the exo
form is less sterically hindered.

I really feel like some determiner would be needed, like our would be needed in that context. Am I wrong ?


texts:
I have a question regarding the use of negation:Is the following sentence grammatically correct?

  I never been have a good English.


texts:
The examples:

  Meet Val Kilmer, who's cold as ice.
  Meet Val Kilmer, who's as cold as ice.

Is the use of "as" in the first sentence grammatical? Why or why not? Does it retain the same function as in the second?


texts: the meaning and grammar of 'as hard as it takes' in this sentence

texts:
This is the subs below from TV show Suits

  Harvey"Let me tell you something. This isn’t elementary school. This is hard work. Long hours. High pressure. I need a grown goddamn man."
    Mike "You give me this, and I will work as hard as it takes to school those Harvard douches and become the best lawyer you have ever seen."

I think I know that the bold part is 'as ~as comparison'.
However, the part I don't get is why 'takes' is used in the sentence.

The reason I get to wonder is... Please look at the sentence below.

  a) It’s not as heavy as I thought it would be, actually.

If the sentence a) is separated into two parts, it will be like...

  It is not heavy. I thought it would be heavy.

Based on this rule, if Mike's sentence is divided, I think it will be like this.

  I will work hard. It takes hard(?) to school those Harvard douches.

If the words come after 'takes' I thought it is supposed to be 'hard work'

Thus, if I separated Mike's phrasing,

  I will work hard. It is hard to school those Harvard douches.
  or
  I will work hard. It takes hard work to school those Harvard douches.

By any chance, is 'as hard as it takes' idiomatic?

It is hard to analyze and understand for me as not a native English speaker.
It has been annoying me for days...
Could anyone help me with this?


texts:
Paul accuses her of being over cautious. (thearchers.co.uk)

‘of being over cautions’ is adverbial complement.

Is there one (direct) object – her – in the sentence, or two?

indirect – her, and direct – of being over cautious?


texts: their way of thinking vs the way they think

texts:
Which one is the correct one:

To encounter people and better understand their way of thinking
To encounter people and better understand the way they think

Thanks a lot for your help!

Context:
This is a translation from the french phrase: pour rencontrer les personnes et mieux comprendre leurs façons de penser


texts: Why do I have to use 's in some sentences?

texts:
For example: Brandon's house instead Brandon house.
How is that rule named, I'm trying to improve my English.


texts: There should be a "from" between graduating and high school. How do you see it?

texts:
>Taylor congratulated her 22-year-old future self on graduating high school.

As I see the sentence, there should be a "from" between "graduating" and "high school". How do you see it? Is it good English?


texts:
Please consider the following sentence

  One of the consequences of deforestation is loss of biodiversity.

I wonder why "consequences of deforestation" is preceded by "the" but "loss of biodiversity" is not?

here is another example:

  Deforestation is the clearing of trees without the intent of replanting them.


texts:
"By August, prices had declined by roughly one-third from their 1860 peak. "

If the price at 1860 was x, does that mean prices have become (1/3)*x or (2/3)*x ?

I know one-third means 1/3.

I just don't know how to interpret "decline by"


texts:
I knew that we use the verb "divide" with "into" preposition when we want to say to be divided into parts:

  He divided a pear into two parts.

But, why in here we can also say (as I see here in Oxford):

  He divided a pear in two.


texts: "I raised my score" or "I increased my score"?

texts:
Are both these sentences correct, and is one of them better than the other for everyday language ?

  I raised my score.

Or

  I increased my score.


texts:
When should it be dealt with? By the end of the tomorrow, before tomorrow ends, or during tomorrow?

He requests assistance on an urgent matter that has to be dealt with tomorrow.


texts: "Move from a city" vs. "move out of a city"

texts:
Could you tell me if there is any difference between move from a city and move out of a city? For example:

I lived in the city for a couple of years but decided to move from it to live in a small town.
I lived in the city for a couple of years but decided to move out of it to live in a small town.

Are both perfectly natural and correct?


texts: What determines whether a word is used as a verb or an adjective?

texts:
Are the words update and changed verbs, adjectives, or both?

In this sentence, is updated used as a verb or an adjective?

  This is to inform you that the relieving date of PRAVIN
  PATKAR(Emplid:12920)is changed  to 09-05-2014  and the same is
  "updated" in HRMS.

I ask this because so far as I know change and update are verbs. Can we use these words with "is", or should we use "has been" in the sentence?

  This is to inform you that the relieving date of PRAVIN
  PATKAR(Emplid:12920) has been changed to 09-05-2014  and the same
  has been updated in HRMS.


texts: What is the corresponding idiom "camel toe" for men?

texts:
"Camel toe" is the name of the condition when the sexual organ of the women is projecting out from the pants. Then my question is what is the corresponding alsng or idiom for this condition in men, it says when the sexual organ of the men is projecting out from the pants?

Sources:

Wikipedia -camel toe

Oxford dictionary- camel toe

Collins dictionary - camel toe


texts:
Direct Speech:
She said to me, "I was thinking of helping him but changed  my mind later on"
What is the correct indirect form??
a) She told me that she had been thinking of helping him but changed her mind.
b)She told me that she had been thinking of helping him but had changed her mind.


texts:
I've seen on the Internet: why do two wrong not make a right?

It doesn't seem right . I would ask the same question differently: why don't two wrong make a right?

Which way is correct?


texts:
I noticed that one would not always write "the boy Tommy", sometimes "Tommy the boy" is written instead.

My questions are:

1) Are they equivalent? That is to say, are they interchangeable everywhere?

2) If not, then would you please provide some counterexamples?


texts:
Some institutes are called Saifur's, Shahin's, Mijan's.

Saifur is a person's name. His language institute reads 'S@ifur's.

My question is why this institute is named with an apostrophe 's' at the end. What grammatical rule is followed here.

When to use them?
What do they mean?
Some more uses, please.
Suppose my name is Naim. I opened an institute called Naim's. Here What does Naim's mean?


texts: "What clues was..." or "What clues were..."?

texts:
The detective, Joe, tells the girl that the scene was covered with clues.
  The girl can't spot any and thinks, What clues [was/were] Joe talking about?

Which is right, "was" or "were"?
I've thought "were" since "clues" is plural; but, spellcheck marks it as an error.


texts: "she was raped" or "she had been raped" in this reported speech

texts:
A) A 21 year old girl studying in Vidynagar alleged that she was raped by a boy in a hotel in the city on August 23. Based on above complaint police arrested accuse.

  B) A 21 year old girl studying in Vidynagar alleged that she had been raped by a boy in a hotel in the city on August 23. Based on above complaint police arrested accuse.

Which one is more suitable for the reported speech? Why?


texts:
Even for native speakers, if they meet a new phrasal verb they have never used, is it difficult to understand what it means without any context?

For example, if you meet this phrasal verb 'inform on' without a context, you cannot understand what it means at all?

So, native speakers must learn phrasal verbs one by one to communicate with people in youth like non-native speakers?


texts:
What is the difference between "this medication works on me", "this medication works for me" and "this medication works against me"?
The dictionary says "to work" has 2 separated meanings

7- [intransitive] to have the result or effect that you want
His charm doesn't work on me (= does not affect or impress me).
8- [intransitive] to have a particular effect
Your age can work against you in this job.

It is difficult to understand what is the difference between "to have the result or effect that you want" and "to have a particular effect". They sound the same.


texts:
What's the difference in meaning between the following sentences:

1 Troubles of life can sometimes leave us with a frown.

2 life's troubles can sometimes leave us with a frown.


texts:
I was writing a letter for my exam practise. I have written a sentence in this letter which is

Otherwise, not only would I have said no to the client but I also would have brought so many gifts for Janet.

Is this sentence grammatically correct? Its about a hypothetical action and a hypothetical result in the future. I will have said no in the future to my client and will also carry some gifts for janet, but as I am already commited its not possible to do so.
If this sentence is wrong can you please explain a way to write such sentences?


texts: "A chinese-backed company" vs. "a china expert" vs. "a chinese expert"

texts:
A chinese-backed company
  A china expert
  A chinese expert

What is the difference between these? What does each of them mean?


texts: Past or present tense in reported speech

texts:
Should you use past simple or present simple in reported speech if the reporting verb is in the past, but the action JUST happened.

Scenario:
You just got off the phone with someone. Your friend who's right next to you looks at you and ask you "what did she want? "
you answer:  " She told me she loved me"  OR "She told me she loves me".

I'm pretty mixed-up about this. I know it should be the former, and I should stick with tense consistency, but somehow I feel like the latter better conveys that the information/ action:
 1. just happened (handful of seconds ago, you've hardly gotten off the phone) 2. Is still true

I mean if say the person in question had given you the call in the morning, I'd definitely use "She told me she loved me" . But in this case I'm pretty bewildered, and my take is that both are fine by and large.

Which is "more" correct and what would YOU use?


texts: Putting the noun "debut" before or after a modifying noun

texts:
Excerpted from Cambridge Dictionary:

The occasion when someone performs or presents something to the public for the first time

She made her professional stage debut in Swan Lake.
He started as an actor, making his debut as a director in 1990.
Her debut album

I am wondering what the difference is between these two:

He started as an actor, making his debut as a director in 1990.

He started as an actor, making his director debut in 1990.


texts:
Is there an adjective for "evidence" with subj meaning?

It would be an antonym for "incriminating".

I've checked "absolving" and "clean(s)ing" but they don't seem to be used in such a combination.


texts: what's "lf clause" in the sentence "that would suggest..."?

texts:
That would suggest that the ancestor of all living things LUCA was
  made of DNA.

The phrase "that would suggest ..." is a conditional sentence. But I can not define the if clause.
So could you please explain it to me?

The fuller text is here:

  Ida and Luca existed so long ago that if any rocks ever harboured
  traces of their existence, they were long ago subsumed by tectonic
  forces and melted into Earth’s depths. But we can find clues to their
  nature in every living cell today, including our own. Cells use the
  same genetic code embodied in DNA. That would suggest that the
  ancestor of all living things, Luca, was made of DNA.


texts:
Would you please tell me which one is idiomatic one. Or what is the difference in the context of spreading ones legs. I am bit confused since I see both usages on the internet:

He's so flexible, he can do a/the split.
He's so flexible, he can do the splits.

Here is the Ngram results:


texts: Are these uses of 'the press' metaphorical?

texts:
Source: The Legal Analyst, Ward Farnsworth

  p 178: The result is a kind of slippery
  slope.
  [An indent ought to be here.] A different sort of slope, but related enough to consider here, occurs
  when distinctions [between the first case and the later, scarier one] could
  be drawn, both in principle and in practice, but they are too weak to
  withstand the press of the policy preferences held by whoever is making
  the later decisions.

  p 241: Meanwhile employees who get
  fired may want to believe they have good claims, since that provides a
  reason for their misfortunes unconnected with the quality of their work.
  The decision in the case usually will depend on the employer’s motives,
  and there often is no way to settle this objectively—no “smoking gun”
  document where the motives are spelled out. It is a question of whose
  protests to believe, how to interpret evaluations of the plaintiff’s work,
  and what inferences to draw from remarks the defendant may have made.
  The strength of these signals is liable to be too weak to withstand the press
  of wishful thinking by either party.

Would someone please identify the matching definition? I tried to guess but to no avail.


texts: What do you call the things inside a fruit?

texts:
I am having trouble finding the right word. What do you call the hard, uneatable parts inside a fruit? For example, an avocado has one big dark one. Grapes have small ones. Watermelons have a lot of black ones.

I looked it up in the dictionary and it gives "seeds", but I wonder if that is in common use in everyday language.


texts: If I had money / Had I money, I would like to buy a car

texts:
If I had money, I would like to buy a car.

Had I money, I would like to buy a car.

Are they correct and if not, why?


texts: How to use "outperforms" in a comparative structure?

texts:
In your hand every day is a device that a thousand times outperforms the computer that drove Apollo 11 landing on the Moon, yet hardly one acknowledges it, let alone fully appreciate it.

So far I've only seen "a thousand times faster than", but as "outperform" already means "faster", I don't know where to put "a thousand times" in the sentence. I want to keep the word "outperform" because the "out" has a connotation of a positive excess. Maybe something like "outperforming a thousand times"?


texts:
Given this considerable dichotomy, between the me that was significantly impressed by Mann's obvious talent, and the more emotional, "enjoyment-centric" me left wanting more by a narrative that seemed dry and lifeless, I’ve resolved to revisit this work in a few years (it's only 150 pages) for a follow up.

Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53061.Death_in_Venice

I would like to ask you to help me with understanding the passage in bold from the above excerpt. I understand that the author expressed the experience of reading Mann's novel. One side of his reader personality was impressed, the other has the objections. What does it mean "left wanting" from the context? Does the word "left" function as a verb?


texts:
That is true in nearby possible worlds too.

  That is true in the nearby possible worlds too.

Which one of the above sentences is more idiomatic. "Nearby" seems to me one of those words that require "the". Does it?


texts: Is there difference between "Ship Databases" and "Ships Databases"?

texts: I am writing some menu labels for a website and I'm not sure if I should use the word "Ship" or "Ships" to identify what is inside the linked databases. Those databases obviously contain more ships, not just a single one. So is it correct to use "Ships Databases" which sounds like "The databases contain ships" or "Ship Databases" which sounds "The databases contain general information about 'ship' items"?


texts:
I am using this "glance" app. Every day some special wallpaper shows up on my homescreen. I bumped into this line:

On this day: Titanic sailed into cinemas.

Is "sailed into" used as metaphor?


texts:
In the following podcast at 1:57 the reporter appears to say: "How is your life changed in the last few years?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DFyqiS-ZCY#t=126

I'd like to understand why not "has changed" is being used and what the justification for "is changed" is. Anybody, please?

I appreciate your kind help.


texts: Can I use "with respect to" on a certificate of appreciation?

texts:
I'm translating a Persian gratitude certificate (like the ones in this Google image search) and there is a statement at the beginning giving respects to the person. It would be "with respects/regards to Ms. (Name)" in word by word translating.

The sentence is respecting someone for her great sense of responsibility, so can I say "respectfully presented for your great sense of responsibility"?

As I noticed "with respect to" means "being related to something" or "concerning to", I want to make sure if it's possible I use this phrase to show only respects, and if not what are the alternatives?


texts: What is the meaning of "that" in the sentence, "they went that overbaked ~"?

texts:
What is the meaning of "that" in the following sentence,

  She baked five pies. And when they came out of the oven, they went
  that overbaked the crusts were too hard to eat.
  So she say to her daughter, "Darter," says she,
  "Put you them there pies on the shelf, and leave'em there a little,
  and they'll come again." She meant, you know, the crust would get
  soft.

(Source: TOM TIT TOT : AN
ENGLISH FOLK TALE ILLUSTRATED BY EVALINE NESS)

?

Does "they went that overbaked the crusts were too hard to eat" mean "they went overbaked that the crusts were too hard to eat" ? or "they went very overbaked the crusts were too hard to eat" ?

Does "that" is "a inversion of that in the sentence" or "that is used to give emphasis to an adjective, overbaked"?

Does "Put you them there pies on the shelf" mean?
Is this sentence, "Put you them there pies on the shelf" a grammatically correct sentence?


texts: Meaning of "she didn't know what to think"

texts:
some weeks later, the door of Esmeralda’s
  cell cracked open. A shaft of blinding light
  entered from the world outside. Then the
  door closed again. A human form, holding a
  lantern, stood before her.
  “Who are you?” she asked.
  “A priest,” was the simple answer.
  The sound of that familiar voice made her
  tremble. She knew immediately that her
  visitor was Claude Frollo.
  “Are you ready?” he asked.
  “For what?”
  “To die. Your execution will be tomorrow.”
  Esmeralda clenched her pale, thin fingers.
  “Why have you done this?” she asked sadly.
  “What have I ever done to harm you? Why
  should you hate me so?”
  “But I love you!” Frollo exclaimed.
  Her tears suddenly stopped. In spite of her
  fear, she stared at him in confusion. A drop of
  cold water fell upon her cheek. She didn’t
  know what to think.

Dose it mean: she didn't know what is wronge or right?

Or dose it mean:she didn't know what to do?


texts: Concerning the meaning of "week for week, month for month, year for year"

texts:
Does the expression in bold within:

  “The human ability to understand capitulates when faced with the sheer number of deaths, week for week, month for month, year for year,” Judge Bührmann said. Going through the names of each patient, their medical records and the details of how and when they had died left him feeling “like a bookkeeper of death,” he said.

mean:

  week after week, month after month, year after year

?

Source: The 9th paragraph of this newspaper article.


texts:
By "takes twitter to at a tag", does the author actually mean "takes twitter to put a tag"? Still, the meaning is not clear. I guess the author meant "put a tag (of DANGER! DON'T TOUCH!)".  I am not sure.

Adam Crigler tweeted 17h ago:
Replying to @realDonaldTrump
Are we betting on how long it takes twitter to at a tag to this?

Source twitter


texts: What does "I did my George Washington report on beavers instead" mean?

texts:
I read a figure book. at the figure, i think that a girl reported to the student about not George Washington but beavers.

I am confused with interpretation of the sentence . I am not native speaker.

What does "I did my George Washington report on beavers instead." mean ?

Does it mean "I did not report on George Washington. But I did report on beavers" ?


texts: cleft and pseudo cleft sentences(All (that) I did was **touch** the window, and it broke.)

texts:
Why is the following example (A) correct as a cleft sentence, but not sentence (B)?

As I have learned, we can only use 'pronoun, noun, gerund, or infinitive', not the base form of verb (help) after noun clause. I get confused.

A "All (that) I did was touch the window, and it broke."

B "What makes me feel happy is help the poor."

Are these following sentences correct grammatically and logically?

All (that) I did was (to) touch the window, and it broke.

All (that) I did was touch the window, and it broke.

All (that) I did was touching the window, and it broke.

What makes me feel happy is to help the poor.

What makes me feel happy is helping the poor.

What makes me feel happy is  help the poor.


texts:
That is not the sort of behaviour I expected of you (Oxford dictionary)
Question: Can I use 'from' instead of 'of' here? :
That is not the sort of behaviour I expected from you


texts:
I have a question about the meaning of this sentence:

" To say that I was surprised is somewhat of an understatement. "

What does it mean?
Does it mean that I wasn't that much surprised? Or it means that the word surprised isn't enough to describe my feeling.(Because I'm very very surprised!)
or both?
Tnx


texts:
He seems to agree with most of us in that they're trying to conquer the world.

He seems to agree with most of us with that they're trying to conquer the world.

We say "agree with the idea", but in this context "in that" seems to be more appropriate, but I don't know exactly why I feel that way.


texts: Can "literature" be used with plural verb?

texts:
In general, available literature regarding measurement of boxers’ brain tissue performance using EEG, CT scan, and neuropsychological aspects is/are not much consistent and factors such as sample size, technical limitations and sport experience affect inhomogeneity of results.

Oxford Dictionary says that literature is uncountable. So, my question is, "Should literature be used with a plural verb or a singular verb, as in the above example, when the author means more than one piece of literature?


texts: Can 'suggesting' (a gerund) be followed by a pronoun and an infinitive verb?

texts:
I have read that suggest (the verb) is never followed by a pronoun and an infinitive verb.

Can suggesting (the gerund) be followed by a pronoun and an infinitive
verb?

I have read:

  Adriana flew down to India despite all the words of caution she got at home, suggesting he could be fake or a con man, etc.

Thanks in advance.


texts: In which parts of speech this word belongs to?

texts:
The most  outcome would be 326 votes for Clinton to 212 for Trump.

I want to know that the bold word "likely" is in which parts of speech?


texts:
What's the main difference between "check" and "check in"
How many bags are you checking?
vs
How many bags are you checking in?
Is this difference related to the AE/BE difference?
Or they're just synonyms?


texts: Is it correct to say "They crossed 10km"?

texts:
I came across the following task in my book:

  They carried/crossed 8,120km in the longest windsurfing journey.

Obviously "crossed" is intended to be the correct choice here, but I have never actually heard the verb used in this way. I'm more used to hearing "..crossed a river..", or "..crossed a road.."

Is it really appropriate to use "crossed" with an exact distance, or would "travelled" or "went" be the correct choice here?


texts: What does "Do you think" mean in this sentence?

texts:
A Conversation Between a Robot and a Human
Robot: Oh, Frankie.
Woman: Oh, oh, look what you made me do.
Robot: What?
Woman: You made me prick my finger. Oh, I wish you wouldn't keep doing that. I hate being slapped on the back all the time. You don't know your strength.
Robot: Umm, oh!
Woman: What's the matter?
Robot: What's that red stuff on your finger?
Woman: Blood. My finger was pricked by the needle.
Robot: Oh, oh, oh,oh, oh, ...
Woman: Oh, don't say you're going to faint. I've heard of people fainting at the sight of blood, but robots fainting!
Robot: Oh, maybe I'm really becoming a person now. Do you think?
Woman: Maybe, you never know. Mm, could you give me that iodine to put on my finger? It's the yellow stuff in the cupboard.
Robot: Iodine, OK.

What does "Do you think?" mean in this sentence?
Is it short form of "What do you think"?


texts: "Been quite a trip, it has" - Correct or Incorrect?

texts:
I came across a phrase which was used in a random American TV series. The phrase looks like this:

  Been quite a trip, it has

I highly doubt it's grammatically incorrect. I also have tried to find similar topics related to this one, unfortunately I haven't gotten any answers yet. Is it a dialect type of phrase? I'd like to hear your opinions.


texts: Meaning of phrases and word in this passage

texts:
For homeowners in London, New York or San Francisco, this is all excellent news as long as they plan to sell up some day. Sky-high housing costs mean that more of the gain of new job creation is captured by landlords (or homeowners who get out) than by employers or workers. Technology has raised the return to living in high-skill cities, but has done nothing to make it easier to find a home there.

what is the meaning of the phrases in bold?

what does 'it' refer to?

http://cetking.com/economy-based-rc-in-cat-2015/


texts: In the sentence does the adverb [newly] apply to the verb [were] or to the adjective [cognizant]?"

texts:
This is the complete sentence:

  Certain Italians who were newly cognizant of Greek and Roman cultural accomplishments initiated a classical cultural rebirth after a long period of stasis.


texts:
This question and answer shows the difference between "must have" and "should have" in the past.

They must have told the Police
They should have told the Police

As I got, using must conveys a logical necessity and  should means a moral/right thing to do. Then, how could I say such a sentence to convey obligation? I mean to say they were obliged or forced to do something? Is it actually applicable for a past sentence?


texts: Correct phrase for "ignoring pending operations" in a document stating the balance of a bank account?

texts:
I am writing a certificate stating the balance of a bank account:

  The balance of bank account X is 10,000 USD, ignoring pending operations

By "ignoring pending operations", I mean that there might be some ongoing transfers that would make the balance differs from 10,000 USD.

What would be a more correct phrase for "ignoring pending operations"?

E.g., in French, the proper phrase typically used by a bank would be sous réserve des opérations en cours de traitement.


texts: Which phrase or word does “as” belong to?

texts: As, in order to will, it is necessary to be free, a difficulty no less great than the former arises: that of preserving at once the public liberty and the authority of government.Source: Rousseau, A Discourse on Political Economy


texts:
Is the grammatically correct to say "Being not happy" instead of "being unhappy"?
I have tried to search the Internet, but I did not find an answer.


texts: "Sooner forgotten" Why is it not "soon forgotten"?

texts:
I came across a line when reading Alice Munro's stories:

  Another possible reason for his growling dislike has just occurred to me, and it’s odd that I didn’t think of it before. We were both flawed, obvious victims of physical misfortune. You would think such people would make common cause, but it could just as often happen that they don’t. Each may be reminded by the other of something sooner forgotten.

It appears to me the last sentence means:

  Each may be reminded by the other of something that would soon be forgotten/we'd soon forget.

A different sentence with soon would make sense to me, not the sentence as written. But what does "sooner" mean here in this sentence? Sooner than what?


texts:
In Google style guide I found the following sentence (emphasis is mine):

  Some projects require that an if must always always have an accompanying brace.

Is this always always a typo, or some kind of amplification?


texts:
I have two questions regarding below sentence.

  The idea that individuals are more than merely subjects of sovereign states grew rapidly after the collapse of communism and the bipolar world.

Does adverb 'merely' modify the noun 'subject'? Because if the 'merely' modifies the verb 'are', I think it should be placed before 'more than'. Is my assumption correct?

If my assumption is correct, can I change 'merely' to adjective 'mere' as given below?

  The idea that individuals are more than mere subjects of sovereign states grew rapidly after the collapse of communism and the bipolar world.


texts:
The proposals aim to save £515,000 while creating a modern facilities management service for primary schools.

  The Glasgow City Council body Cordia has refused to pay janitors Working Context and Demands Payments, which range from £500 to £1,000 per year.

  Unison has said these payments would cost Cordia about £120,000 per year. BBC

What does Working Context mean? I couldn't find clear answer on the internet.


texts:
Let's open https://www.gatesnotes.com/

The title of the site is "The blog of Bill Gates"

Why "The blog of Bill Gates" and not "The Bill Gates' blog"?

Is it the possessive case or not?


texts: What are some other sentences with the same meaning as "I'm calling in regards to a laptop I recently purchased."

texts: I'm struggling to come up with any other sentences that inform the listener at the other end of the phone of the reason for the call; so, any sentence of the form "I'm calling ... [reason]". The main sentence format I'm interested to know is the one with the word "concern". I'd appreciate it if you could educate me on this type of sentences.


texts: What is the exact location does this sentence took place?

texts:
Source: IMDB plot summary of The Untouchables (1987) Caution: spoilers.

This is the sentence my question related to:

  Nitti, is tried and convicted for the murder but set free anyway.

Before this sentence, it describes Ness takes Nitti outside with baliff, & shooting took place.

  He takes Nitti out of the courtroom with the bailiff and discovers that Nitti has permission from the corrupt mayor of Chicago to carry the weapon.....  two exchanging gunfire through the building.

but this above sentence is telling is tried & convicted for the murder but set free anyway. does this sentence takes place after Ness takes nitti outside or before taking outside. totally confusing for me.

What is the exact location does this sentence took place ?


texts: Is there any mistake in the remark of president Trump?

texts:
I saw the sentence made by president Trump on the internet.
The sentence is here.
interesting how the US sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call.
I don't understand the 'interesting how'. How do I translate this sentence?
Please, tell me.


texts: Is it correct to use zero article in this sentence?

texts:
There is an exercise in Gateway B1 Student's book, page 13, where you need to choose the correct article.

The answer key for this sentence:

  The results show that ∅ / the teenagers who eat with their families five or six times a week usually get top marks at school.

says that we can't have 'the' article here, but why?

In my opinion, we're not talking about all of the teenagers in the world (not talking about teenagers in general), we're just talking about a particular group of teenagers who usually have dinner with their families. Shouldn't we use 'the' article instead?

There is another sentence in the previous exercise:
I don't like (the) food at school.
We're not talking about food in general, right? And the answer key agrees with us saying 'the' is the only possible option here. Where is ∅/the logic?


texts: (Educational Bureau doc)Is it grammatically correct for putting a "which" in this sentence?

texts:
Is it grammatically correct for putting a "which" in this sentence?

The government should designed the curriculum for all students until high school which all students will be having some subjects in common(Core subject) and some subject to be opt for(Elective subject)

Thank you~


texts:
I am writing a story and a girl screamed at somebody and to help the people reading I want to tell them how mad she was, but I can't think of anything, the sentence is:

  She was so angry she could...

I thought maybe I should try:

  She was so angry she could punch a locker

since she is in a school, or

  She was so angry she could not speak

but that would not make sense she screamed at someone.


texts:
I would not take you nowhere

I could not understand this sentence. Shouldn't it be like this
"I would not take you anywhere"


texts: "what+noun" can take modifiers when asking?

texts:
can I ask questions in this way?

"What food made in that factory made you sick?"

"what kind of man-eating animals living in the reality are the most dangerous?"

or say:"You should know how terribly harmful the food is!"


texts: Is the comma appropriate in "...for a few years, expecially in those parts"?

texts:
People's interest in their ancestors' background has been increasing for few years, especially in those parts of the world where the majority of the population has immigrants from different parts of the planet.

Before the start of a phrase (especially....), I inserted a comma to avoid confusion. Can I use it to avoid confusion?.


texts:
I messaged my friend asking if a person(say Mr. ABC) replies to his messages. So I texted him saying: " Does Mr. ABC reply to your messages?"

He corrected me saying that it was "did" and not "does"

I told him that I was right in using "does" and gave the following explanation:

Did is used when you have told me that you had sent him a message and then I ask if he replied to you. Basically boiling down to which action was done first.

Does is used in a more general sense when you want to gather information about something by asking a question and when the said action hasn't been done yet.

Usage of 'did'
Eg: I tell you to check if Mr ABC eats the oranges.
So afterwards, I'll come and ask you: did Mr ABC eat the oranges?

Usage of 'does'

Eg: I would like to know if  Mr ABC eats oranges or not so that I can know what I must offer him.
So, does  Mr ABC eat oranges?

Is my reasoning right?


texts:
I am looking an idiom that describes new beginning.

For example if someone failed in any task and is going to start it again from beginning, with new plan.


texts:
May I ask if we would like to describe some artists who are presented in an exhibition, whether we should say they are 'featuring artists' or 'featured artists'?

Many thanks! :]


texts: Use of the definite article before superlative adjectives

texts:
We achieve the best financial outcomes through highest ethical standards according to our Compliance Code, cost controlling, and protecting our assets, environment, and people.

Is it correct to write this sentence without the article the before the superlative adjective highest?


texts:
I think the following sentence is incorrect

  He thinks her a fool.

Because in such constructions after somebody adjective is used, and the sentence should be

  He thinks her fool.

Am I right?


texts:
It is from this video. It is at 9 minute and 15 second.

  Like, you might ask the English major down the hall who roots for a rival basketball team to read over your essay. But you are not going to ask her to seed your picks for March Madness.


texts:
Could someone please let me know whether "by far" can be used comparatively.
Actually, almost all dictionary examples have used it in a superlative comparison, however I'm quite sure I have heard native speakers use it in comparative structures!
Is it a common mistake by native speakers in informal speech or it is something grammatically natural?
Also, it is worth mentioning that I could not find any English grammar rule acknowledging this is wrong to use it in comparative constructions.
Examples:

Superlative: It is by far the best car in the world. (Which is perhaps the most common use of the term.)
Comparative: This restaurant is by far better than that one.

As a non-native one I cannot find anything wrong with it, but I have no clue why no dictionary has used it in comparative form?


texts: "looking back from now": is it looking back from the future to now or looking back to the past from this moment?

texts:
original sentence (1999 China's post-grad entrance exam):

  People looking back 5 or 10 years from now may well wonder why so few companies took the online plunge.

http://www.langlib.com/Reading/SentenceAnalysis/ReadingSentence/NjYxLTQtNA==

And how should I rewrite the sentence that means the other way?


texts:
Here on this website, I have found a sentence containing the preposition at before the noun level and it seems correct to me: experience at/in/on high school levels

  I have student-teaching experience at the high school level.

However, I wonder now whether one could also say on ... level in other contexts as in

  On a certain level you should try to immerse yourself in the language you want to learn ...

So I think with at it would be correct but I am not so sure about the preposition on here although my gut feeling tells me it is wrong. But I am not a native speaker, of course. Could someone of you tell me whether it is wrong or right?


texts: Should I say I took the GCSE in 20XX or I sat for the GCSE in 20XX, any difference between the two?

texts:
I have just come across a video about IELTS, and it reminded me of GCSE.
I am wondering whether there are any differences in these two sentences:

  I sat for the GCSE in 2005.
  I took the GCSE in 2005.

I want to know if there are other better ways of saying it.


texts: Is the phrase 'the best out of bests' correct?

texts:
Quite commonly used in India, the phrase "the best out of bests" is claimed to denote that you get something that is unmatched and of above-all quality. However, I avoid using this most of the times. But then...

  Is the phrase 'The best out of bests' correct and accepted in English?

If that is correct, how does the word 'bests' function there? An adverb or a noun?


texts:
So I am doing a camp for vision impaired kids where I play movies for them with audio descriptions on. The other day I played the animated film Hotel Transylvania 2. I asked in a different post about a line from the film description, and here is another question.

Kids asked me what a "mountain sense water" is, because there is a line in the description that sounds like "Transforming into a bat, the vampire twirls over the surface of a mountain sense water, flying." I know "mountain sense water" is probably not what it is, but I just can't make out what it really says. The scene is Dracula follows Mavis, both in bat forms, plunging from their hotel tower, and soars over the surface of a lake at the foot of a mountain. Does a lake in foothills have a name that I am not aware of?

The audio clip can be found here.


texts: When do we not put a comma before "because"?

texts:
In what situation do you put a comma before "because"?

And, when do you not put a comma before "because"?

I've always assumed that you put a comma, because the clause introduced by "because" will always be independent, because it cannot stand on its own, because it wouldn't make sense on its own.

Is this the case? Could you think of an example where it doesn't take a comma?


texts:
I'm quite puzzled by the word "levelling" in the following sentences. What does it mean in the following sentence?

Above all, there is something about the curious business of chewing and swallowing together that is levelling; it is easier to work out if you like someone when eating than when eyeball to eyeball in an interview room. source


texts: How to express "a person who talks really quickly & carelessly" in English?

texts:
When I teach English to children and adults, I realize that some speak slowly but carefully and make less mistakes, whereas some speak really quickly, carelessly and make more mistakes.
Can I say "he speaks so impetuously"? or are there any other better or more common terms in English?


texts: "get used to cycle" or "get used to cycling"

texts:
I tried to pass an exam at www.newschool.co.uk site.
One of the questions was to choose correct variant among phrases:

A: I just can’t get used to cycle on the left-hand side of the road!

B: I just can’t used to cycle on the left-hand side of the road!

C: I just can’t get used to cycling on the left-hand side of the road!

D: I don’t get used to cycling on the left-hand side of the road!

I choosed A but the site said that the correct variant was C. In school I was taught that the gerund (-ing) cannot be used with the particle 'to", while infinitive needs it. Have the grammar rules changed in the last 40 years?


texts: Which sentence is more natural: "Scotland had free prescriptions." or "Prescriptions were free in Scotland."

texts:
A native speaker was talking about her experience when she went to a doctor in Scotland. She says after she was prescribed some medication, she did not have to pay anything for the prescriptions. She was happy about it and she said:
"Scotland had free prescriptions."
This sentence structure attracted my attention, because I would not able to say it like that. Instead I would say "Prescriptions were free in Scotland."
Do both sentences mean the same? or is "Prescriptions were free in Scotland."  not a good sentence.?


texts:
I've been confused with the relative pronouns. I bring the following examples and the result after removing relative pronouns? Are they correct?

  1a. This is the window which has been broken by me. ==>
  1b. This is the window has been broken by me. (present perfect passive)

  2a. This is the window which will be broken by me. ==>
  2b. This is the window will be broken by me. (future passive)

  3a. This is the window which is broken by me. ==>
  3b. This is the window broken by me. (present passive)

  4a. This is the window which was broken by me. ==>
  4b. This is the window was broken by me. (past passive)

  5a. This is Peter who will be playing football tomorrow. ==>
  5b. This is Peter will be playing football tomorrow. (future continuous)

  6a. This is Peter who was playing football yesterday. ==>
  6b. This is Peter was playing football yesterday. (past continuous)

  7a. This is Peter who is playing football now. ==>
  7b. This is Peter playing football now. (present continuous)


texts: How to use a word to express "Number of volunteers I want to recruit" for a volunteer program

texts:
I'am writing an online announcement for volunteer programs. On webpage, the program is described as following format:

  Program Name: xxx
  Program Description: xxx
  Begin date: xxx
  [word-request-here] -> Number of positions provided for volunteers to apply for /or/ Number of volunteers I want to recruit in this program

How to use a few words to decribe 4th column ?


texts: Difficulty doing something or difficulty to do something

texts:
I know you can't say have difficulty to do something:

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

But to my surprise, I saw it in an English textbook that I'm teaching:

I believe it should be:

  insomnia: difficulty getting to sleep and sleeping well

I just want to make sure the writer has made a mistake.


texts: Pretty self-explanatory (I know this is a common question). I'm not sure. Can someone help me out?


texts:
Flight attendant: You have to stay in your seat.
Passenger: Oh, I just have to use the bathroom./I just have to go to the bathroom.
Flight attendant: You're going to have to wait till we have landed.
Questions:

"use", "go to", what is natural here?

Would it be more normal to use "toilet" instead of "bathroom" if on a standard plane?


texts:
I found Ben Gunb's boat. I had never seen a boat such as ancient Briton made.
But I have seen once since .
That is what it was like.
What is the meaning of
' that is what it was like ' ?
Thanks in advance .


texts: Present perfect for an event that took place 2 days ago

texts:
FUTURE PUNX, DIÄT, DESTROYER, SHIT & SHINE
Hi friends. Just a few records – but some big news J The DIÄT record release show w/ Merchandise has been amazing! Thank you all for coming! Tonight we will celebrate.....

Could you explain me why present perfect for this event the"record release show" as it took place 2 days ago  , it was 26th august and I received the email 28th august.
is it because he thanks people for coming now(effect on present) that present perfect is justified?


texts: ‘For the second time’ or ‘The second time’？

texts:
In 1908 Lord Northcliffe offered a prize of ￡1000 to the first man who would fly across the English Channel. Over a year passed before the first attempt was made. On July 19th, 1909, in the early morning, Hubert Latham took off from the French coast in his plane the 'Antoinette IV'. He had travelled only seven miles across the Channel when his engine failed and he was forced to land on the sea. The 'Antoinette' floated on the water until Latham was picked up by a ship.

Two days later, Louis Bleriot arrived near Calais with a plane called 'No. XI'. Bleriot had been making planes since 1905 and this was his latest model. A week before, he had completed a successful overland flight during which he covered twenty-six miles. Latham, however did not give up easily. He, too, arrived near Calais on the same day with a new 'Antonette'. It looks as if there would be an exciting race across the Channel. Both planes were going to take off on July 25th, but Latham failed to get up early enough. After making a short test flight at 4.15 a.m., Bleriot set off half an hour later. His great flight lasted thirty seven minutes. When he landed near Dover, the first person to greet him was a local policeman. Latham made another attempt a week later and got within half a mile of Dover, but he was unlucky again. His engine failed and he landed on the sea for the second time.

His engine failed and he landed on the sea for the second time.

Can I use the second time instead of for the second time？
What is the difference between them？


texts: Does "the 4th place" need "in" before it?

texts:
"Our company is the largest steel manufacture in the U.S. and the 4th
  place in the world."

Should I put "in" front of the 4th place?
The first sentence is SVC. Our company = manufacture.
The second sentence should be the same structure as SVC, so it should be "Our company = the 4th place" or "in the 4th place"? Or, it doesn't have to be SVC? I would like to use the word "Place" or "position"in the sentence.


texts:
What does this sentence mean?

  He is a  less interesting student than his brother.


texts:
I have heard about the following sentence:
   He is concerned ___ the plot.

What will be the suitable preposition in the blank?

My assumption:   in.


texts: same as VS the same as (What's the difference?)

texts:
A: I’ll have coffee. B: Same for me, please. VS The same for me, please.

He gave me five dollars, same as usual. VS He gave me five dollars, the same as usual

'same' goes toether many times with 'the'. Is there any spefic rule that we can omit 'the' when it's used with 'same'

Is there any case that we must omit the article 'the' when it's used with 'same'?


texts: Could the structure with "preposition + adjective " be possible?

texts:
i am looking at the sentence, "The bird will fit in just fine ". I think that the structure of the sentence has "preposition + adjective " . [ in(preposition) + fine ( adjective) ]

Could the structure with "preposition + adjective " be possible ?

what does "The bird will fit in just fine " mean ?
 does it mean "The bird will fit in just being fine" ?


texts:
Fill in the blanks with words given within parentheses by applying appropriate tenses :
Yesterday while I _________ (travel) in a bus, I _______ (happen) to see a gentleman whom at first I _______ (think) I ___________ (not see) him before. Then I ________ (realize) that he _________ (be) a friend of mine during my school days.
My attempt : Yesterday while I was traveling in a bus, I happened to see a gentleman whom at first I thought I haven't seen him before. Then I realized that he had been a friend of mine during my school days.
The only thing which confuses me is the portion... "I thought I haven't seen him before." Grammarly app suggests that it should be "I thought I hadn't seen him before."
Can anybody please check it?


texts: When to use Simple Past or Past perfect for two past in English?

texts:
Suppose today I received call for an Interview from XYZ Company in which I was interviewed 2 years back. Now I want to tell them about this how would I say?

  a) Two years back I had gone there for an interview but did not get selected.

  b) Two years back I went there for an interview but did not get selected.

I know it is all about simple past and past perfect tense. In above sentences there are two pasts one is going there for the Interview and not getting selected in the interview. Both of my answers have same meaning.  Hence which tense is proper to use in my answer?


texts: Grammatical role and meaning of "looking that"

texts:
What are the grammatical role and meaning of the "looking that" in the following sentences?:

  One other painting I really want you to look at is of a young woman
  surrounded by pumpkins. You will notice that the woman's face is so
  realistic looking that it's almost like a photograph. The woman's
  nose is a little less than perfect and her hair is kind of messed up.
  This is realism.


texts: Are any of these expressions inherently condescending

texts:
I know it depends on the context but I want to get a general idea of whether the following expressions are inherently/likely condescending, in most cases, when used before or after answering a question.

Do you think it's right that ...
Does it make sense (to you)?
Did I answer your question?
Have I made myself clear?


texts:
I have some doubts about the use of "uncountable nouns" here. I know we use "some" with them because using an article is not correct, but when we say something general, is "some" required or correct?

Like in this example: Which is correct or are both?

  1) Some British wine is sweet.

or

  2) British wine is sweet.

I think the 2nd one is right, because the 1st one seems unnatural. Could you help me?


texts: What's the difference between died and has died?

texts:
My rabbit died.
My rabbit has died.

Which sentence is correct?


texts: Is "telecommunications industry development insight" a correct/clear title?

texts:
I am translating a prensentation. And the work in progress translated title is "telecommunications industry development insight". I know instinctively that this is not quite right because one cannot stick so many nouns together like this. I want to know if this title is correct and exactly what rule or grammar of English this violates if does. Or if it is about semantic clarity, then please suggest a better version.

One little note, is the word "development" redundant? Is it already implied by "insight"? Insight is about explaining how something becomes what it is today and what to expect from it tommorow right? If so I can delete "development" and "telecommunications industry insight" is acceptable right?

Thanks!


texts: Prepositional phrase after the verb “was"

texts:
What is the role of the prepositional phrase with his friend in the sentence below:

  He was with his friend when I saw him today.

Does it function as an adverbial or complement?


texts: difference between she/he is IN and she/he is AT (a country)

texts:
I'm confused whether I should be saying:

He's in Japan.
He's at Japan.

They both sound alright to me but I'm wondering which one is more grammatically correct.


texts:
I'm trying to fill in a job application form and came across a problem. in one of the project descriptions I was in the process of testing something. but I'm not sure how I'm supposed to write it down.
"I helped test prototypes"
or
"I helped testing prototypes"
which one is the correct one or are both correct or neither?


texts: Could tell me if "what" is needed to be changed?

texts:
Experimental results derived from a single subject are, therefore, of limited value; there is no way to know what the subject’s responses are typical or atypical of the response of humans as a group.

I think the "what" above is not natural to me and came up with these two answers: "whether" or"if".
Could you please tell me if my answers are correct?


texts:
In an interview with a Czech neurologist, I've heard that much of the mental health (such as the ability to reason, communicate and process information) in older age mainly depends on the amount of informational ballast we create. The argument states that with this additional information, we unnecessarily wear some of the basic mental mechanisms off (Even though there's not the effect of "too much memories").

I want to express that the mental processes gradually damage by use. Is the verb "wear off"used correctly here? What if I wanted to say "all tools are being damaged by use", would the phrase fit here?


texts: Is there an idiom that means "x making barely enough money to live"?

texts: I am wondering if there's an idiom that means that you are making barely enough money to live. Sometimes, I want to tell my co-workers that I am having a hard time with money, but I don't know how to say it well. Is there an idiom for that?


texts: Vowels followed by consonant and mute "e"

texts: When I was learning English, a long time ago, I was taught that a vowel was long only if followed by a single consonant and a mute "e", as in mete and fate.  However, I find enough exceptions to this to make me question my memory of the rule.  Can anyone enlighten me?


texts: Has been done. what is the correct way to use it?

texts:
I just want to know that I am using this pattern correctly or not.

I normally say "This amount has been paid by a check".

Is the use of "has been paid" correct here?


texts: What's the difference between 'accessories' and 'ornaments'?

texts:
Suppose a person is wearing earrings, and gold chains around the neck etc. for decoration of oneself. That could mean ornaments, I guess. However some understand it as accessories instead of ornaments but I could understand accessories as completely different meaning because accessory is something having a secondary function.

What's the difference between the two words accessories and ornaments?
In the sentence, "We must not take any of the ornaments inside," can we also use the word accessories instead of ornaments?


texts:
You can watch movies with projector in your grave because the inside of graves is dark.
You can watch movies with projector in your grave because the inside of graves are dark.

Which verb is appropriate here? Asking this because graves is plural.


texts:
I start learning the English language in a more native way. I listen to a course on the internet.
A man, who gives this course, said this:
This is pure glass (this sentence has been taken from a movie)
My question here, why we do not use a with pure glass?


texts:
I've Googled 'intricated', but it's suggested 'intricate' instead. Also my browser highlights this word.

On the other hand I can find it on wiktionary page:

  simple past tense and past participle of intricate

So is this word exists? Can I say that page/post or something was intricated?


texts: Is there a diminutive form of adjective in English language?

texts:
My native language is Russian, and it has very many diminutive forms. For example: the Russian word "малый" means "small" or "little", and this word has a diminutive form "маленький"... but I have not found much information about diminutives in English.
I heard something about the "-y" suffix, so is "littly" or "smally" a correct form?


texts: Reading comprehension: how many times did Lee blow into the device?

texts:
How many times did Lee blow into the device? Is it 5 or 8?
My English is not great, just need to figure out this report.

Thanks!

  At approximately 0427hrs LEE blew into the second ASD. LEE got three
  consecutive 'NOGO' responses as she was not blowing
  sufficiently/correctly into the device.

  PC ** HEAD used a new, unused clean AS mouth tube and showed her how to blow into an through the ASD mouth tube, and instructed her to
  provide the sample again.

  LEE continued to not blow into the device when advised. LEE had no difficulty blowing on the first device and PC ** HEAD determined that
  she was intentionally not blowing on the device.

  After five further 'NOGO' attempts PC ** HEAD stopped the ASD analysis opportunity and advised LEE that her first FAIL reading would
  be the final/only result.


texts: Contact the team about/with/on/regarding this issue

texts:
I understand there are always more than one way to say something but which preposition is correct in this sentence?

Contact the team regarding/with/on/about this issue.


texts:
Francis Fukuyama's widely discussed the End of History and the last Man (1992) brought Kojève's ideas about modern history and politics to a wide, if not always discerning, audience, and growing concerns about globalization have in the interim only rendered them more timely.

Source: M. Lilla, The Reckless Mind, p. 117. (Some parts of this book are available on the internet; but this passage I have not found.)

I would like to ask you if there is "if not" used in my sentence correctly. I was thought that the relevant sense of "A if not B" means something like "A or even B", where B is (in context) a stronger form of A, and the implication is that "it might well be B, but I'll only insist on A"
but this meaning does not fit into the context of the above sentence. Here the meaning should be "albeit" or "although".


texts: How to say that a room has a lot of flies?

texts: I want to say this line to someone that room has a lot of flies. How can i say this ?


texts:
The coffee is too hot for me  to drink.

  The coffee is too hot for me to drink** it.

I want to know whether I need to put "object" after "infinitive" in "too--for--to" pattern.

In which condition we need to put "object" after "infinitive" in "too--for--to-" pattern?


texts: Can future tense be used with “this week”?

texts:
I saw an answer to an exercise on EnglishPage:
The students are usually taught by Mrs. Monty. However, this week they are being taught by Mr. Tanzer.

Can we use “will be” here?

I think with “will be”, it means the teaching will take place in this week but not currently. Is is right?


texts:
Smaller quantities (of herbicides) are used in forestry, pasture systems, and management of areas set aside as wildlife habitat.

What is the meaning of

  set aside as wildlife habitat."

Before omitting which, what was the original sentence?
I think it is correct to say:

  Smaller quantities (of herbicides) are used in forestry, pasture systems, and management of areas which are set aside as wildlife habitat.

It is edited version.


texts: How to interpret the construction "...something of evidence, the evidence being ..."?

texts:
While reading an article I stumbled upon this:

The p-value is used in the context of null hypothesis testing in order to quantify the idea of statistical significance of evidence, the evidence being the observed value of the chosen statistic T.

I don't quite understand the second part of this sentence. I think it means "where the evidence is the observed value of the chosen statistic T". How exactly should I interpret the words "the evidence being ..."? And, by the way, what is the name for the corresponding grammar section?


texts: "which led to police issue an Amber Alert" [sic]

texts:
Budd, 43, is wanted in connection with the death of Justin Bird, 17,
  and the abduction of his ex-spouse's 17-year-old daughter, which led
  to police issue an Amber Alert for the girl yesterday. (Jonas Budd, suspect in abduction and fatal shooting, located in Saskatchewan - CBC news Feb.19 2015)

Is the bold part grammatically right? or Is it supposed to be "which led police to issue an Amber Alert"?  Thank you.


texts: I've seen this phrase often and I always get confused by how many kids are implied in it without any other context. Is it 4 kids or 2? Because twins are a set of two, so by saying "the two twins", at least to me, it sounds like you're saying two sets of twins. But I've seen it used for just one set of twins. So, can someone please tell me which it is?


texts:
I found a expression: "Keep out of each other's hair".

Is it wrong if I say without "of"? I mean, is "Keep out each other's hair" is correct sentence?


texts:
The huge 747 plunged through dense cloud cover on approach to Hamburg
  airport.

As far as we were taught, it should be:

  The huge 747 plunged though dense cloud covering on the
  approach to Hamburg airport.

Is that right?


texts: There is something wrong VS There must be something wrong

texts:
Do the selected phrases mean the same and are they completely interchangeable?

  There is something wrong in you code.

  There must be something wrong with your code.


texts: the meaning of "one of which" in this context

texts:
I read the novel "What ever happened to Baby Jane?". There's a phrase I'm not quite sure.

  The untended oleander bushes, one of which stood beside the shallow porch of each unit, were scraggly and shapeless, their leaves dingied over with dust and soot.

At the very first place, I thought "one of which" means; one of the many bushes. But the next semi-sentence made me confused because it said "of each unit (apartment)". So is it mean "each one of the bushes stood beside the shallow porch of each one of the unit?"


texts: "what are you in the mood of today" is it correct?

texts:
"what are you in the mood of today"

is that a correct way of asking someone what they wanna do (moodwise)
i know " what do you feel like doing " is more common way but just wanna know whether the earliar mentioned way is also right or not


texts:
What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences?

  I asked where she kept her jewellery, but she didn't tell me where.

  I asked where she kept her jewellery, but she wouldn't tell me where.


texts:
I watched the interview with Alexander Wang on Youtube.
In the video, he said 'The people in the industry are crazy enough to go along with the ride because they love it so much'

I looked up the dictionary but there's only go along "for" the ride.

Both are the same meaning?


texts: Phrasal verb: "radio went off / down / out "?

texts:
What phrasal verb do we use when talking about a radio, TV or another device that suddenly stops working?
went off / down / out?
This the context:

When Radio 4 unexpectedly went ___ during an evening broadcast of Midweek in 2012, a tweeter wondered whether nuclear war had broken out.


texts:
In respect to the delay caused today, we will email notice in future.

What does the meaning of "in respect"?


texts: An update (for,in,of) the given time slots?

texts:
An update for the given time slots.

Is it grammatically correct? Is "update" correctly used here? Actually, I want to tell someone that there is a change in the document. So, can I say the above written statement?

Should it be like this?

  An update for/in/of the given time slots.

Which one is correct out of the 3 options given?


texts: On the picture vs over the picture. "On" vs "over"

texts:
I have an image being displayed somewhere, and on the description below it explains:

  There is a watermark over the image

Meaning that I added a watermark image on top of the image, covering it a little.

I feel that it is better to say:

  There is a watermark on the image.

Is there any difference? Does none of them mean what I want to express?

Or maybe I should just say 'it's on top of the image' and be happy?


texts:
What differences between two sentences below:

The solution for this problem is to use another type of mapping

and

The solution for this problem is using another type of mapping

And in general, what differences between using "to + inf" and "v-ing"?


texts: What are the grammar rules when making questions using auxiliary verbs combining all the three tenses or either of them in a single sentence?

texts: Should I repeat the main verb after every auxiliary verb or can I simply skip it after the first or second auxiliary verb and use it after the last auxiliary verb in a sentence? For example, can I say ”Have you ever(I've skipped the main verb ”fall” here) or would you ever fall in love with someone you met on the internet?”


texts: Is "got" okay to replace "became" in "I strayed a few blocks in the wrong direction and became hopelessly lost"?

texts:
Is it okay to use got instead of became in the sentence below?

  I strayed a few blocks in the wrong direction and became hopelessly lost.

In the past, I regarded become + adjective/past participle structure and get + adjective/past participle structure as almost the same, but in so many cases I was wrong in fact. The difference between the two usages is pretty hard to define exactly for me who is not a native English speaker. I am trying to find it out.

Thank you.


texts: What is the meaning of "The trial must not be countenanced" according to the conversation given down below?

texts:
Conversation from the movie named SPIDER MAN

GOBLIN: Spiderman is all but invincible. But, Parker, we can destroy him.

NORMAN: I can’t.

GOBLIN: The trial must not be countenanced. Parker must be educated.

NORMAN: What do I do?

GOBLIN: Instruct him in the matters of loss and pain. Make him suffer. Make him wish he were dead.


texts:
Recently I learned that in English you say things like

The latter was calculated by approximating the surface area to that of a spheroid.
The only thing approximating to a real dessert was baklava, a particularly mean and thankless example of its kind being dry, almost syrup and nut-free.

(Taken from Oxford's Online Dictionary.)

Note the preposition to.

Now, would you put to into the following sentence (concerning a formal method)?

Our nonrelational program analysis will overapproximate [to] the actual program semantics.

Please don't answer unless you are good at English. (You can move the question to the English community, but to date I have been under the impression that most English teachers are not that aware of the computer science vocabulary. They are typically having a hard time trying to understand the meaning of the above sentence.)


texts:
I want to buy a house. so I'm thinking now what and how can I buy ...

What is the correct preposition with "I'm thinking * buying"?  I use Google books and I found the following:

  I love my place in France and I'm thinking on buying one in Florida ... link

  I'm thinking about buying a place in Manhattan ... link

  I'm thinking of buying a tie and can't decide which of these two. link

In my following dialog, which one should I use? if all of them are correct, which one is commonly used?

I want to ask my friend to advise:

  I'm thinking of / about / on buying a house, you bought one before ... what do you advise?


texts:
Based on this:

  link
  May wanted to push her language skills, so before joining Davis Polk, she did an intensive Mandarin study in Beijing for two months.

what does "push her language skills" mean?


texts: Translation of an expression "a dream commuter"

texts:
What the expression "a dream commuter" could possibly mean?

I met the expression in the title of the article.

Thank you for your help in advance!


texts: Parallel constructions in "than" sentences

texts:
Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the Gate:
"To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.

And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his gods?"

-From Thomas Babington Macaulay, "Lays of Ancient Rome"

I learnt that we should use parallel constructions in "than" sentences, so why use "facing fearful odds"?

I would think "face fearful odds" is more apt. Please help me clarify.


texts:
consider below text:

  Throughout literature we find recurring tales of forthright people who are outspoken in condemning illegal practices only to be brought low themselves when they, or members of their family commit such acts.

As I search, I found that (given to here) to be brought low means decline of someone's position, credit, or dignity.

I think, the writer tries to make the point of "These guys, when one of their family commit such acts, They only  bring low themselves   "

I have tow questions:

  Am I right about the author's intent ?

  I cannot understand that only in the middle of the sentence. For me, it is more sensible to write sentence having pattern of that "X only when Y ". I am confused about the structure used in the original text.


texts: You don’t sound like... vs You don’t sound

texts:
Could you say which sentence is more used if both are correct?

  You don’t sound American.

vs

  You don’t sound like American.

TIA


texts: Is there a graded "grammar list" of English grammar subjects?

texts:
In some languages like Japanese, there's a tradition of an explicit order of "grammar points" which the students often study in that approximate order. Taking the standard JLPT test, for instance, there's a list of "grammar" one should know for the JLPT N5 (the easiest level), then more advanced "grammar" for JLPT N4, and so on. Here "grammar" is understood broadly: a particular morphological rule is a "grammar point", an often-used adverb that is tricky to get right may be a grammar point, a particular syntactical structure of the sentence is also one, and so on.

I wonder if there are, similarly, useful lists of "grammar" in English that one could use with students to either test or teach against. I think it might be useful especially to get a sense of "what's missing", and in making sure more basic material is covered before more complicated grammar is studied (should a student study the past progressive tense if they don't understand or cannot fluently use the "going to" construction yet?).

Are there such things?


texts: Which of the two following sentences are grammatically correct (context: myths)?

texts:
In context, I wrote an analysis on the basis of creation myths. I describe the limited power of one of the gods compared to another. Is the first or second sentence correct in grammar, or both?

  ...[he] used his magic to create flora and fauna, but his magic was limited.

  ...[he] used his magic to create flora and fauna, but his magic limited.


texts: what is the difference between "you can go first" and "you go first"

texts:
What is the difference between "you can go first" and "you go first"?

If me and a friend of mine for an example ask the teacher a question at the same time which one should I use


texts:
According to the OALD remaining is used only before a noun. But in the following sentence

One option to see through their project of a life-time is to elect Mr. Hunt, a one-time advocate of remaining in the European Union (like Ms. May), and risk not realising the end goal.

Noun does not follow the word remaining.

Meaning of of a life time

So it should be used as

  One option of a life time to see through.........


texts:
I asked a colleague:

  "are we restarting (some application) today"

He responded with:

  "i don’t understand the verb tense of your question: did we ? will we?"

Am I using the wrong tense here? Is what I said/wrote incorrect?

Perhaps I am missing something, because I don't get why he doesn't understand. I guess I could have said "will we (be) ..", is that the correct form/tense?

Thank you


texts: Meaning of " It can be [noun or adjective]"

texts:
What is the meaning of "It can be false" and " It can be true." ?
How to interpret meaning when sentence structure is "Subject + can + be + Noun(or adjective )." ?

I am non-native speaker. Please explain.
Thanks in advance.


texts: What are the differences between "emigrate" and "immigrate"?

texts: My teacher said,emigrate can be explained as move to another place, former place and later place are in the same country. immigrate can be explained as move to another country from other country. But what she said are different in  the Oxford Dictionary. Did she right？


texts:
"The input activates this innate structure, but only input of a very specific kind (i + 1) will be useful in altering a learner’s grammar."

What is the ground for omitting the article "the" before the word "input", as in "input of a very specific" in the above sentence?


texts: How can I interpret "from" in this case?

texts:
I have a question about "from across the street" in the following quote:

Should he really send in his explanation? He wondered about it. If nobody believed him, and in this case that would be understandable, he could bring Mrs. Grubach in as a witness, or even the old pair from across the street, who probably even now were on their way over to the window opposite.
(The Trial, Franz Kafka)

I think two interpretations are possible.
The first one is "bring A from B" as in "I brought this book from the shelf."
The second one is "bring A, which is situated across the street."
But I think the second one is more natural here because the sentence is not about yanking this old couple from their house.
I think it is more like, "a man from America."
Which interpretation is correct?


texts: meaning of "maintaining moral and ethical standards" in context

texts:
One of the issues from the pool of GRE analytical writing issue topics is as follows:

  To be an effective leader, a public official must maintain the highest ethical and moral standards.

  Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.

In above-mentioned statement, I do not understand what "maintaining the highest ethical and moral standards" mean. Does it mean that the leader should act according to the morals in his personal life, or that the leader needs to encourage other people to do so?
Or, maybe it can convey both meanings and it depends on how I interpret it.


texts: British English phrase for encouraging normal behaviour?

texts:
Is there any short idiomatic phrase in British English for encouraging people to not be annoyingly deviant in talk/behaviour and instead talk/act more like people in general?

Also, the context that I am going to use the phrase in requires that it includes a direct reference to 'common people', 'ordinary folk' (or something synonymous in 1-2 words).

My starting point is a Swedish phrase that translated verbatim would be: 'be like folk'. My assumption is that British English requires something more specific to make sense. Or, would 'be like folk', 'be like others', stated as demands, suffice to convey about the same (reproachful) meaning of encouraging a normal behaviour?

Imagine, for instance, that a character gives another character a most scathing review: 'I'm adamant that you need plenty of therapy until you learn to be like'... Yes, like what? Would "people" suffice? Or, would it at least have to be "common people"/"regular people"/ "normal people"/"ordinary folks", or anything similar, to be correctly understood by British English speakers?