texts: Difference between "have" and "have been"?

texts:
Tell me all you know.

First of all I thought they both mean doing a continuous action until the very present, until I saw the other post on pretty much the same topic. I feel what that post provide is incomplete so seek to get a more complete understanding of their difference.

Here is what it says: have is less of a continuous action than have been.

Have worked here, may indicate that you have been working or are working until now. It may also indicate you no longer work here but did in the past. This however sounds to be like a situation in which "had" is more appropriate.

One of the comments on that post, provide an exception. If you say "I have worked here since two years ago" it means you still work here. Now, I am confused how so trivial a preposition may change what "have" means. Hope someone can provide more exceptions like  this.


texts:
I've come across some phrases with the word "beat" while reading a book. And though I looked it up in the dictionary, I failed  to explain them by myself. I collected those "mysterious" phrases here:

  New York Department of —what? After half a beat of confusion, I
  snatched up the phone. “Hello?”

  “Are you saying that things are not okay for you at your grandparents’
  home?” said Dave, without missing a beat.

  <..> Dave (who chuckled, but awkwardly, and always a beat too
  late), he liked to laugh <..>

  “Oh,  ” said Mrs. Barbour, after a beat or two of surprise.

  “I’m sorry,  ” I said, a beat too late— <..>

It seems to me that "a beat" means "a moment" in all those cases (according to the context), but (2), in which it might mean "a piece of information" or "not losing the rhytm of speech" or whatever (?? I'm not  sure). But all in all, I've never heard of such usage of the word "beat" and so that I have some doubts. However, someone probably could help me to understand them.

Thank you for any piece af advice!


texts: One word to describe for urge for improvement

texts:
I am wondering any word that can describe urge for improvement.

I have learnt some of the words like, motivated, ambitious are something related to personal improvement. But it doesn't directly describe a person who urges for improvement. It merely mean he is being motivated/ambitious, therefore they definitely urge for improvement.


texts:
...and people got pissed by cheap beer.
I want to say that people got totally drunk by cheap beer.
Can I use "...and people got pissed by cheap beer."?


texts:
It would be great if someone explained to me the difference of the following sentences:

Tell me some things about yourself.
Tell me some things for yourself.

If you explained the general difference in usage, it would be even better.

This may sound like a stupid question but in my mother tongue we use different prepositions.
Thanks


texts:
In British Movie "Pirate Radio", There is scene where Elanore broke with Simon because Elanore fallen love with Gavin  & Simon sit with crew members discuss his feelings with them.

  Simon: Can you tell me one thing? Before she left this morning, did
  you. . . You didn't. . .You know?

  Gavin: Just one little pop.

What does "one little pop" means here?


texts:
What's an antonym for the slang "straight up"?

  He was straight up roasted by the President during the meeting.

I mean to say "indirectly" or something along the same line.


texts: Can I "adopt something as a solution to something"?

texts:
Is it correct to say "take algorithm A as the basic method to solve the problem B"?

The Oxford Learner's Dictionary gives the following explanation:

  adopt somebody (as something)
  (British English, politics) to choose somebody as a candidate in an election or as a representative

I want to know if it is correct to say "adopt A as B" in the context stated above.


texts:
I heard a lot of people saying this phrase repeatedly 'Where is the human rights'

To me it sounds wrong.

Does anyone think it's wrong the way I think? Could you correct it in case you think it's wrong?


texts: The dinner is cooked. vs. The dinner is ready

texts:
The dinner is cooked. (A)

The dinner is ready. (B)

There could be any difference? I like (B). (A) is not friendly/familiar with me and makes me analyze and interprete the status of the dinner: not directly forms the image of the meaning.
What's the real meaning of (A)? (A) means the dinner is ready now? It's done already?


texts: Is this a modifier or a supplementive denoting result?

texts:
The men on the expedition felt overwhelmed by their most ancient
  memories in that paradise of dampness and silence, going back to
  before original sin, as their boots sank into pools of steaming oil
  and their machetes destroyed bloody lilies and golden salamanders.
  (One Hundred Years of Solitude, tr. by Gregory Rabassa)

Does the bold phrase modify previous NP or denote the result of previous action?


texts:
In the line below is it correct to use the 's with et cetera ?

  I was reading headlines of New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time et cetera's articles.


texts: "Go Back to square one" VS "Go back to the drawing board"

texts:
I am going to say:

  In spite of all my efforts, I couldn't pass the final exam and I have to attend all these sessions from the beginning again and start everything from the outset! The same old story!

But I was wondering which one of these two options can be indicative of what I said above?

a. Now, I have to be back to square one
b. Now, I have to go back to drawing board

As you can see within the dictionary definitions:

"To be back to square one" means:

  If you are back to square one, you have to start dealing with something from the beginning again because the way you were dealing with it has failed.

Also,

"To go back to the drawing board" means:

  If you say that you will have to go back to the drawing board, you mean that something which you have done has not been successful and that you will have to start again or try another idea.

To me, they both seem to be the same and I cannot fond any distinction between these two idioms. I was wondering if you could help me with it.


texts:
We can say:

  I feel good when I'm hanging out with my friends.

This this the active voice. But why it is also correct to say

  Hanging out feels good.

when the passive voice is used? Why the verb feel doesn't change its form to felt:

  Hanging out is felt good by somebody.
  Hanging out is being felt good by somebody.

Is it because the verb feel is a special verb? What are the other examples of the verbs that don't change the form when used in active and passive sentences?


texts: Should it be "German society" or "the German society"?

texts:
This is a line I came across in someone's bio. Apparently the author is not a native speaker of English.

  Since 2005 I have extended my research on education to the German society.

I am under the impression that an article should not be used when referring to a country's society collectively. Google search results show that most journalistic writings do not use the definite article before a nation's collective public, i.e. "German society", "Chinese society", "Japanese society". There are some search results on Google Books and Google Scholar that have the definite article before a nation's society, but I am not sure they have been authored by native speakers of English.

Should there be the definite article in this case?


texts: I'm confused that this sentence "Jo meets a woman who tells you that she teaches English"

texts:
I'm confused that this sentence

  Jo meets a woman who tells you that she teaches English

in this sentence, what is the "you" ? Jo ? me ? she?


texts:
1)between the years of 2001 and 2010
2)between the years 2001 and 2010
3)between 2001 and 2010
4)from 2001 to 2010

Can you please tell which one of these is correct? If there are also other variants, I would be glad to see them.


texts: Different people like different things - how to say it in a more informal way?

texts:
I am translating a text, and I should be as precise as possible. I am wondering whether there exists such an expression 'who likes what' (it sounds weird to me) meaning 'different people like different things' or 'taste differs'? What do native speakers say that could be close to my 'who likes what' ('one likes different things')?

It does sound weird but I am trying :-)
Thank you in advance!


texts:
Tortoises walk with the speed of 0.133 m/s. Rabbits run with the speed of 20 m/s. The difference in their speed is Δv = 20  - 0.133 ≈ 20 m/s. Can I say the speeds difference/velocities difference of them is almost 20 m/s? Can the difference in velocities be called as "velocities difference"?
How can I refer to this Δv concept later on without having to mention the objects involved? I also don't want to confuse Δv = vobject 1 - vobject 2 with the Δv = vfinal - vinitial.


texts: how to say "I want to take revenge on somebody"

texts:
I don't leave you alone until I take revenge on you for these bitter days

Have I correctly written that? I am seeking for other phrases rather than the bold one.

Thanks in advance


texts: What is the meaning of "handicap down around eight."?

texts:
In Crime/Drama movie Drugstore Cowboy, Cop and his team raiding Bob' house for drugs with warrant

  Bob: Why you gotta mess with the clubs?

  Cop: What are you hittin' these days?

  Bob: I got my handicap down around eight.

  Cop: Eight? Bullshit. Where do you play?

  Bob: Mayfield. I hit a 75 last time I was out there.

  Cop: I don't play public courses. Mayfield is for pussies.


texts: Could "prequel" be used as an adjective?

texts:
I can say:

  Prometheus is a prequel to the original Alien movie.

However, is this possible too?

  Prometheus is a prequel movie to the original Alien movie.

If the word "prequel" doesn't have an adjective and only does have a noun form, could I use the form: prequel movie, prequel lives, prequel universes, prequel games etc.? Or this cannot be done in English?


texts: Present simple for expressing the future

texts:
While it's perfectly clear to me that one can use the present tense to talk about scheduled and fixed events in the future:

  Our train leaves tomorrow at 9pm.

and so on, I've seen and used this structure myself many times while talking about plans for the future. My question is: is it grammaticaly correct? And if so, why is it never covered in any textbooks?

Examples:

  Tomorrow, you have to tell him why I haven't handed in my essay yet.

and

  I have a date next week.

and a little more complex one

  Here's the plan: I'll find a parking spot, while you go look for a place where we can eat. Then you call me and tell me where you are so I can join you"

In the last example, would there be any difference if instead I'd go with "Then you call me and I'll join you" or stick to the present tense in the first part, as in: "I find a parking spot..."?


texts: What sort of constituent is "especially dumplings" in "I like Chinese food, especially dumplings"?

texts:
Compare the following sentences:

  I like Chinese food, especially dumplings.

I know " I " is a subject, "like" is a predicate, and "Chinese food" is an object, but what about "especially dumpling"?  What kind of grammatical constituent is "especially dumpling"?

I think this sentence is similar to:

  I like Chinese food, for example, dumplings.

I think "for example" is a parenthesis, although the meanings and the functions of "for example" and "especially" are different.  I can't figure out what sort of grammatical constituents they are.


texts:
For example:

  Anything that even looks like a baby is also cute.

Is it correct?


texts:
Which one is preferable? I think the first one, but still:

  A: This tree looks strange.

  B: Yes, it looks as if it's going to fall.

vs.

  A: This tree looks strange.

  B: Yes, it looks like as if it's going to fall.


texts: Using "always" in front of an adjective?

texts:
If I used "always" in front of an adjective that is preceding a noun, would I hyphenate "always" and the adjective?

Ex: "And the always-flashy Usain Bolt wins again!" as opposed to "And the always flashy Usain Bolt wins again!"


texts: Confused! Is it ok to say "This is my photograph of my girlfriend"?

texts:
In the dictionary

  photograph: a picture obtained by using a camera and film that is sensitive to
  light

  Did you see Leo’s photograph (=a photograph of Leo) in the newspaper?

So, when we say "This is my photograph".

Does it mean "This is a photograph of me" or "This is a photograph belonging to me"?

"my photograph" could mean "it is a photograph of my girlfriend & it belongs to me"?

Is it ok to say "This is my photograph of my girlfriend" = "This is a photograph of my girlfriend & it belongs to me"?


texts:
for we did not know whether to go outside Chios by the island of Psyra, keeping this to our left, or inside Chios, over against the stormy headland of Mimas.

I cannot picture the course of this voyage.
Especially, the bold parts.


texts: This is a paragraph from the English version of ‘Ich und Du’ by Martin Buber published by Bloomsbury on page 19. Can anyone tell me what do the ‘that’ and ‘it’ in ‘with that which meets it’ refer to?


texts:
I have a question about the correct preposition to use.  Suppose context is a driving car:

  The car went into/onto a curve.
  The car went into/onto a path.
  The car went into/onto a road.

Should it be "into" or "onto"?


texts: So + adj + as to + verb / so +adj + to + verb

texts:
Can I use those forms interchangeably? I think 1 and 1' don't mean the same thing but 2 and 2' mean the same thing.

  1-She was so radiant as to be almost beautiful.

  1'-She was so radiant to be almost beautiful.

  2-You’re so clever as to solve it.

  2'-You’re so clever to solve it.


texts: What is the meaning of "co-opted" in this sentence?

texts:
I am reading Anthology for Music in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries, and on page 173 I get stuck in understanding this sentence:

  In some cases national and political connotations were an explicit
  factor in the creative process; in other cases a composer’s works or
  style were co-opted after the fact, sometimes for very different
  purposes than the composer may have intended.

The author says that the creative process accelerated in the rapidly changing interwar years because old structures became inviable. I thought that due to such explicit factors composers's works or style were strongly affected by dimensions that themselves had not intended.

Am I right? How to embed the phrase "co-opted after the fact" into my understanding in this context? Could anyone please help explain the phrase in depth to some extent? I can find little about that phrase on the Internet myself. Thank you.


texts: Where should I put the apostrophe for the word positions?

texts:
I feel that my skill set and personality fit the positions responsibilities and requirements perfectly.

is it:
position's
positions
or positions'

My best guess is position's because of ownership.. But I am not 100%. Its for a cover letter for a job so id like to get it right! Thanks!


texts:
Does the "as" in the following indicate two things happened at the same time?
If so, is it natural for one tense to be present perfect and for the other to be simple past?

A missing Indonesian submarine has been found, broken into at least three parts, at the bottom of the Bali Sea, army and navy officials said on Sunday, as the president sent condolences to relatives of the 53 crew.


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

Can you maybe call him and tell him to meet us there?
Can you call him and tell him to meet us there?


texts: "I shall not go unless you do not accompany me" -Is this correct?

texts:
This was another sentence found in an university question paper to make correction.

  "I shall not go unless you do not accompany me."

Is the correction to do with changing "shall" to "will" ? or anything else?


texts: Hi, I am looking for good clause that has meaning of "lessen load."

texts:
I am looking for a clause that has a meaning of "lessen load."

Here is the sentence that I was writing:

  As a good son, lessening father's load is a natural duty.

Thank you!


texts: a verb to mean to start "not being on speaking terms"

texts:
There are many terms describing 'ending a relationship'. I'm looking for a dynamic (not static) verb to stop a not necessarily romantic or sexual relationship but to stop relationship for example with your family members or intimate friends because of a quarrel or disagreement.

  I'm not on speaking terms with my brother.

How do you paraphrase this sentence with an dynamic/active verb?


texts: The verb "like" with the form "to do sth" and "doing sth"

texts:
Here I can see the verb to like with another verb in two forms.

I like watching TV.
I like to watch TV.

Did I understand it right?

The firtst form I use when I mean something in generaly.
The second form I use when I would like to do something now or in this time.

The same way to verbs to love and to hate.


texts: What does "I'm not sure if I agree." mean?

texts: I, as a non-native speaker, used the sentence "I'm not sure if I agree." thinking it means that I have a level of uncertainty about where I stand, and apart from that I can lean anywhere, I can even be very close to agreeing. I was told that this expression actually means "I disagree". So which one is it? Is the meaning literal or is it more on the idiom side? What would you think I'm leaning towards when I say that sentence?


texts: "A play full of allusions to Shakespeare"

texts:
Can you please explain to me how a play or movie could be full of allusions to someone like Shakespeare?

Do they give credit to these famous people or just make fun of them?

  The film is full of allusions to Hitchcock.

  A play full of allusions to Shakespeare.


texts:
You're so stuck up on the verdict. It's frustrating to reply to you because none of your points address what I'm saying. Forget the jury's ruling. Look deeper into it than its surface. I did misrepresent your argument though. I apologize.

It is a quote from an internet discussion. It concerns the verdict in the trial. Can you tell me what the meaning of "so stuck up" could be in the context. I know that pharse "stuck-up" means snobbish but in my sentence it does not fit. I would interpret it as "You are so blindly confirmed that the verdict was OK". But not sure.


texts:
Is the below sentence correct?

  "The sound of his footsteps echoed the walls, signalling his arrival."

The part before the comma is in past tense(echoed) and the part after the comma is in present continuous tense(signalling). So is that sentence right?


texts: What is the difference between "Soccer" and "Football"?

texts:
I am very confused about these two words. I mean these two words are used interchangeably. which make new comer so much confused. i need full explanation which can differentiate these two words with examples.
Thanks...


texts: Is "Your account is pending activation." correct?

texts:
Your account is pending activation.

I have seen this sentence on some websites after an account creation. Is this sentence correct? If so, is pending activation an adjective?


texts:
I'm not sure which grammatical number to use in the following sentence from a mathematical text:

The points of S whose Galois conjugate lies in the same sub-interval have the same prototile.
The points of S whose Galois conjugates lie in the same sub-interval have the same prototile.

The problem is that each point has exactly one Galois conjugate, therefore the plural sounds strange to me.


texts:
What does the clause 'it should' mean in "…has access to resources it should”?

Security involves ensuring that the request only has access to resources it should.


texts:
During the lock down period when students couldn't go to school, I watched a number of clips all recorded by EFL English teachers encouraging students to take part in online classes. The content of the messages they tried to share with their viewers was the same, but they used different wording. The following ones specifically attracted my attention:

Language learning is a process that should never stop.

Language learning is a process that should never be stopped.

In your opinion, are both theses sentences grammatically correct and mean the same thing?


texts: Difference between for and with in this context

texts:
A - It appears that your son is taking my granddaughter to the ball tonight.

B - He is?

A - I'd rather see that not happen. There's no point in being presented if it's improperly, And your Daniel is not a proper companion for a girl like Serena. He's a, um, temporary distraction. I need her to focus on her future.

B - Hers or yours?

A - I am willing to purchase all the paintings in this gallery in exchange for you convincing your son not to accompany Serena. Before you answer, remember... A grown man with children is in a very different position than a young man. The money could be useful now. Not to mention, how much this sale would mean to your wife's career as an artist.

B - Your money was no good for me then... And it's still no good with me now And you can rest assured that like me, my son can't be bought.

--

It's one clip of the drama "Gossip girl season 1 episode 10".
I want to know the difference between "no good for" and "no good with" in the last line.

--

It needs little more descriptions. B was on intimate terms with A's daughter. The news bowled A over. A visited B and told B to split up with her daughter, giving a lot of money. But B didn't take the proposal. Eventually B and A's daughter parted. And the same situation happens except for two characters' change: B's daughter for B's granddaughter and A for A's son as the script says.

Please help me!
Thanks!!


texts: Can I say "go in the direction the voice came from"?

texts:
Let's say

When I walked in the park, I heard a cat was meowing.
So I tried to look for that cat.

I'd like to explain this situation like

"I went in the direction the voice came from."

Does it make sense?

Thanks!


texts: What is ‘intelligent’ complementing in the beginning of this sentence?

texts:
I have the following sentence and diagram:

To sound intelligent on political issues was Wayne’s goal.

The infinitive phrase is the subject of the sentence. What is intelligent complementing exactly, sound? Is it a subjective complement since sound is intransitive?


texts:
Here is a quote from Law & Order: SVU, season 13, episode 4, around 12 min 36 s:

  I work in the same company for 10 years.

Why is it all right to use the Present Simple tense in this case? I was taught that we should use either the Present Perfect Simple or the Present Perfect Continuous tense  when an action started in the past and it's still in progress (even if this is a habit).

What is the difference between the above sentence and this one:

  I have a cat for 10 years.

This is clearly incorrect (as far as I know).

I know that we use the Present Simple tense for facts, habits, etc., so it is correct to say:

  I work in the same company.

But adding for the 10 years should force the speaker to change the tense to a perfect one. Why didn't it?

Edit: Here is a larger part of the conversation:

  [The man] Let's try this again. I am,  I'm a good citizen. The only
  trouble I've ever had is speeding ticket.

  [Detective] Really? Because there is a domestic assault complaint
  against you in 1994.

  [The man] Are you ...? I had an argument with my girlfriend. In
  college. Our roommate called the cops. And it's 15 years ago. I was a
  kid. I'd like to go through your lives.

  [Detective] OK. Why don't we calm down. So what line of work, again?

  [The man] I am a pharmaceutical rep. I work for the same company for 10
  years. Just got a promotion. That's why I moved to New York in June
  [...].


texts: Is this grammatically correct to use if outside?

texts:
Say I have this sentence.

I threw a ball to the inside of a basket. If outside, it would hit the grass.

I am wondering if the "If outside" is grammatically correct.

Maybe it will be "If threw outside" or something.

Any advice? Thanks in advance.


texts: "Mary is at home." / "Mary is in the room."

texts:
We use preposition "at" with home:

  Mary is at home.

and we use preposition "in" with room / kitchen ...:

  Mary is in the room.

Is there any rules or Is it common to use it like that?

I couldn't find rule mach with above use in Cambridge Dictionary:

  We use at:

  to refer to a position or location which we see as a point
  to talk about locations at companies, workplaces when we see them as a place of activity
  to refer to activities which involve a group of people:
  with school/college/university
  to refer to an address
  to talk about public places where we get treatments, such as a hairdresser’s or doctor’s surgery
  to refer to most shops


texts: Someone told me that native speakers seldom begin a sentence with "because" in conversation. But I am wondering what are the possible authentic alternatives for "because"? Examples are invited and more than welcome!


texts: Why weren't 17th-century readers dazed by ambiguous pronouns in long sentences?

texts:
John McWhorter PhD Linguistics (Stanford). The Power of Babel (2003). p. 241 Middle.

Milton's it (in green) feels ambiguous and bungled. He ought to have rewritten the referent, as I would've never deduced it without McWhorter's clarification beneath.

Yet Milton would've known not to use a pronoun, as he was canny enough to predict if this ambiguity would daze his readers.

So why didn't he regard this as a blunder?
Why didn't this ambiguity bewilder his readers, as it does me?


texts: What is the difference between these two sentences has vs had

texts:
I was reading a story and I got confused about why the writer wrote:
She always goes to her art studio on Saturdays. But today she had stayed at home, waiting for me.
Instead of
She always goes to her art studio on Saturdays. But today she has stayed at home, waiting for me.
Why he used past perfect instead of present perfect?


texts: Why do people say "too little too xyz" instead of "a little too xyz"

texts:
I've heard people say for example "It was too little too late". But isn't it more suitable to use "a" instead of "too" there?

English is not my first language so I am sorry if this is an obvious question


texts: What does "standard-bearing" mean in this context?

texts:
Does it mean "main"?

Leaving the euro is one of the FN's standard-bearing policies, both a mark of its anti-establishment stance that attracts voters angry with globalization, and a likely obstacle to its quest for power in a country where a majority oppose a return to the franc.

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/26/france-marine-le-pen-euro-exit-wouldnt-be-chaos.html


texts:
As I'm learning vocabulary, I've learned new words such as stroll, canter, gait, gallop, trot, walk, run, sprint,  etc.. could anyone make a list of words that talks about such things in an ascending order of speed? (Sorry for my incorrect grammar... )

p.s. I've learned that the world 'gallop' can only be used to a horse. So when making the list, please add information as to what animal (or human) the word can be used to.

p.s. Also, if there are other words that describe walking or running that I didn't mention, feel free to add more as I want to learn more words!


texts:
My first reference that I use for English words is Wiktionary. I primarily do so because it's a not-for-profit project, so I don't have to worry about it suddenly charging for subscriptions, or that it will have advertising that links to malware.

But recently, I received some comments saying that I shouldn't trust Wiktionary when it says some spellings are superior to other spellings:

  I've argued with Wiktionay for years that it has no business declaring
  one spelling to be the alternative to another. They should use a
  heading that doesn't lend superiority to one form such as
  Spellings or Other spellings. Wiktionary entries vary as to how one word is given the "main" entry and others the "alternatives".
  Sometimes there's a Google Fight, sometimes it's first come first
  served, sometimes there's a small battle between who is right among
  British English and American English! Do not trust these Wiktionary
  labels!

and

  Another piece of advice: Don't expect any dictionary to be
  prescriptive unless it's older than Webster's Third New World
  Dictionary. By this time all major English dictionaries published in
  Britain and USA had firmly chosen the path of descriptivism. That
  means they claim to describe how the language is used, and
  specifically do not tell people the correct way to use the language.
  For questions of usage you would do better to consult style guides,
  such as Strunk and White.

So now I'm wondering how much I should trust Wiktionary.

Currently, my thoughts are:

Wiktionary is a single source of information. As with any information source, if you really want to be sure, you'd want to check multiple, independent, sources.
Wiktionary theoretically has the same vulnerabilities as Wikipedia. These include people engaging in internet vandalism, people editing a wiki to push an agenda, people who are editing Wiktionary in good faith but who are biased, and lack of editorial oversight. However, as Wiktionary isn't as high-profile as Wikipedia, and Wiktionary is slightly more difficult to edit than Wikipedia, I don't think these are major problems.
Wiktionary sometimes incorporates information from out-dated public domain sources.
Wiktionary provides information that a dictionary shouldn't be providing.

With regards to point 4, what information does Wiktionary provide that a dictionary shouldn't provide? Is it merely being prescriptivist in the spelling of a word, or are there other ways it's providing information it shouldn't? For example, should I use Wiktionary to decide whether talking about "a Japanese" rather than "a Japanese person" is offensive?


texts: The reference of "which" in "I will not feel sleepy and inactive, which is the exact situation when I’m studying alone."

texts:
When writing the following sentence:

Which I’m working in a group, I will not feel sleepy and inactive, which is the exact situation when I’m studying alone.

I want to express that "feeling sleepy and inactive" is when I'm studying alone, but when I review this sentence, I feel as if "which" is referring to "not feel sleepy and inactive", which is obviously not what I intended to express.
Am I right about my interpretation? If so, please suggest any better ways to express my idea.


texts: Teaching English as a 2nd language to a dyslexic adult

texts:
I have a student who has Dyslexia, the reading & writing disorder. He is over 30, he has difficulties differentiating "p" and "q", "o" and "a" and vocabulary learning is a very challenging task for him. He now would like to learn English as a secondary language, which could help him in his career.

I can teach general students grammar and vocabulary without a problem, but in his case it is quite different. He is very eager to learn, but he just can't differentiate the vocabulary, e.g. "contact" and "contract".

What is the best strategy to teach him English?

His mother tongue is Cantonese, but I don't think it's related.


texts: "Have you been swimming?" and "have you just swum?"

texts:
If I meet my friend as he is leaving the swimming pool, I know I can ask: Have you been swimming?

But can I also say "have you just swum?" instead of the question above?

If so, do the two questions have the same meaning?

Or, is there any slight difference?

And which of the two is better?


texts:
I want to know the correct usage.
Among the two sentences which one is correct?

  I want to install Photoshop on my computer

or

  I want to install Photoshop in my computer.

In which scenarios should we use 'in' and 'on' ?


texts: Using "lacking" without specifying an exact area

texts:
There is an adjective "lacking" which could be used in a form like "lacking in sth", e.g.

He is lacking in confidence.

Is it possible to use it without providing specific area, e.g.

He is lacking.

Meaning that he is just lacking in general, missing something that I cannot define right now.


texts:
Context: "Therefore, we should assume that if we are in trouble that overcomes us with despair(,) and if there is no way out we can see, there are people around us with a different perspective that may reveal unknown angles or vantage points to our problem."
Should a comma be used here? Is it obligatory or simply a choice of style?


texts:
the “scrap grubbers” who make the waste industry far more industrious than it is wasteful.

Can it is be discarded here?

If yes, will this make the sentence less natural or counter to normal usage?

Source:LARB


texts:
everyone. I'm revising English and I've come across one thing I can't understand.
In my grammar book (English Grammar in Use) there are examples of nouns that can be singular or plural. The thing is that I don't understand why in this example
"a species of bird - 200 species of bird" in the last phrase "bird" is not plural?

Thanks in advance,
Anna.


texts:
I've just started learning English grammar. I have a book with a lot of grammars. There is a unit for present continuous and there is an exercise in which the reader should write sentences based on a picture. Here it is.

In the Key To Exercises section of the book it's stated that the answers for 3 and 7 (marked in the above picture with semitransparent red circles) are:
She is sitting on the floor and She is wearing a hat.

But I think She isn't sitting on the floor and She isn't wearing a hat are the answers.

Isn't present continuous for activities that are getting done and are not finished yet?
I think Jane has worn a hat, and she is not in the middle of wearing activity. Another alternative may be She has a hat on her head.


texts:
I didn't think him to be so honest.

How can we change this sentence into comparative degree without changing its meaning or sense?


texts:
Mr William presented with lower back pain.
  Mr William was presented with lower back pain.

Which sentence is correct?


texts:
"The other kids keep bullying me."

"You shouldn't put up with it."

Is "put up with" the most idiomatic expression to use in this context?


texts: will and would for expressing the present situation and certainty of the present

texts:
She would/will know the secret between us.

What is the sentence below that has the most similar meaning to the meaning of this sentence above?

Maybe she knows the secret between us
Maybe She is going to know the secret between us.
Either 1 or 2 according to context.

I've looked up "would and will" in dictionaries and checked they can be used for describing the present situation and certainty of the present and read some answers on this site, but I'm still not sure what the sentence means.
I think it could mean 1 or 2 according to context.


texts: "I want you in/on/at/for an important topic"

texts:
which sentence is correct :

I want you in an important topic
I want you on an important topic
I want you at an important topic
I want you for an important topic


texts:
Question:
What kind of preposition should I use OR both of them are acceptable for different cases?

  1) OF and/or TO

In attempting of driving faster
In attempting to drive faster

  2) OF and/or TO

In attempting of running faster
In attempting to run faster


texts:
He changed the music style to fit trend and used the media as his new tragedy

This above a line from a movie but what I heard instead of 'used the' was like 'use the'.
So I wonder what's the right sound and how to distinguish it from 'use the'
And I want some examples and other accents!!!


texts: I am wondering, if we want to express that sth is left in a condition, for example the condition of being idle, can we write "sth is left idle"? Here, is the verb "left" considered a linking verb?


texts: Why is "libertine" the right answer to this question?

texts:
When staying in a hotel, Bernard would arrange for his valet to bring him his newspaper in the dining room so that everyone would realize that he had a manservant; this (i) ____ embarrassed his nephew who, though equally rich, preferred a more (ii)_____ life-style.

Blank (i)
A. ostentation
B. arrogance
C. dissimulation

Blank (ii)
D. opulent
E. libertine
F. understated

I filled in the blanks with A. and D., but the answer given is A. and E. Why would libertine be an answer? Libertine  means an dishonest person, so how would it fit in this instance?


texts:
What is the subject of "were treated to it"? "Were" is plural and I have no clue what is its subject.

Trump's pardoned a bunch of the perpetrators and conspirators for keeping mum but that only goes to back up the fact that, indeed, something illegal actually occurred. It's hard to imagine such willful ignorance at work on a daily basis, yet were treated to it again and again. Pizzagate, Uranium One, Benghazi, crisis actors, hydr0xychloroquine, 'covid is the flu' — nothing is too inane to escape this guy's dutiful attention to suspect and contested accounts and his shamelessness in promoting them.


texts:
I edited this question, since the original (or current one, revised by ColleenV) post has this sentence.

  For instance, in “She told me that she has a gun”,

I edited this sentence to

  For instance, in “She told me that she had a gun”,

because I was taught in my country, that if the main verb is the past sentence, the verbs after the "that clause" follows the same time tense of the main clause "generally" (if the verb in the main clause is the present tense, either the past tense can apply after the that-clause, or if the verb in the main clause is the past tense, either the past tense or the perfect past can apply (in this case, it is "She told me")).

But ColleenV advised me "Dude, you are not correct, has is O.K" (frankly saying).

But according to this English site (in English), the idea is same with mine too, accordingly,

  Some verbs (generally those connected with reporting) can be followed by an indirect object (underlined) plus a that-clause acting as the direct object:

Examples

  He told us that it would take a long time.

  She convinced me I was wrong.

(as it is based on the premise that the verb "convince" is under the same category with the verb "tell", which is the reporting verb.

So, which one is correct? Is it mine or Colleen's advice?

Thank you for your tip no matter which is correct in advance.

Thank you very much for your answer typleA.

Since, excuse me, I am not a native speaker, it would take a lot of time to "discuss" this issue if I have to make a through research in English. So excuse me to quote a source in my own language.

The above site is listing the patterns when the agreement of the time sequence would not apply. And one case is listed accordingly, it says,

  (2)
      現在なお続く状態や習慣を表す場合

Translated

  (2) When the case in question is still continuing even now or in case when it it is habitual. (So literally, same with your answer.)

  The station master told me that the first train starts at five.

  He said that he rises early every morning.

  ただし習慣的な事柄でも現在どうなっているかを考慮しない場合には過去形にすることができます。

Translated

  However, the case in question does not need to address if the situation is still going on or what is happening now on it, you can have the verb in that-clause as the past tense.

  He said that he rose early every morning.

Thanks!


texts: What does the phrase 'get even' in this sentence mean?

texts:
Lyrics of the song (passage):

  There's nothing worse they can do

  There's only one thing to do

  Get even

  So cut it up

  wrap it up

  out of it

  out of luck

I've already asked one question about the word 'even'


texts: What does "problem is bigger than any one city" mean?

texts:
But mayors and councilors can only do so much about a problem that is far bigger than any one city or town.

Does it mean the problem is the biggest problem and no city and town can deal with it? And mayors and councilors have done their best?


texts: What does 'Goethe's foreign treasures' mean?

texts:
Does it mean 'foreign treasures that Goethe himself created(wrote)', that is, his literature, or 'foreign treasures that he mentioned'?

Many European citizens feel that their national culture is threatened
by moves towards economic and political unification. Some cultural
communities in Europe, however, welcome this trend since their
particular identities have not always been respected by nation-states.
We are exhorted to preserve the variety of cultures in Europe, whilst
at the same time urged to recognize commonalities, collaborate,
integrate and unify for the common good. Is this a paradox? Can we
preserve our identification with local, regional or national cultures
whilst still embracing European integration? The idea of any local,
regional or national culture as an isolated, unassailable entity is
simply untenable today in a continent with such excellent
communications. Also, historically, no region can claim cultural or
ethnic ‘purity’. All European cultures have been ready to take on
Goethe’s ‘foreign treasures’, to adapt and refine them before
passing them on again.

Aspects of European Cultural Diversity


texts: "Don’t use products that are not ____ if you want to protect our planet." (ENVIRONMENT)

texts:
Don’t use products that are not ____ if you want to protect our planet. (ENVIRONMENT)

This is a word formation question. I can't find the suitable form of the word 'environment' given above.


texts:
Should I use recently with simple past or present perfect?

  I recently bought a mobile. It has very good features with a four-GB ram. I just love the mobile.

  I have recently bought a mobile. It has very good features with a four-GB ram. I just love the mobile.

I have found a similar example on this site using simple past tense. As an English speaker which one would you prefer in the given context?


texts: get paid doing smth, get paid for doing smth, get paid to do smth

texts:
I didn't find anything helpful in the dictionaries.
What is the correct way to use "get paid" when explaining what the person does to earn money? They earn money by doing something like training/coaching people...
You can get paid for coaching kids.
You can get paid coaching kids.
You can get paid to coach kids.


texts:
I'm going to carry out a survey about how to equally share the household chores in your family, and my friends and I are thinking of some questions to ask some people.

I would ask:

  If you can eliminate one of the household chores, which chore do you choose?

Now my question is that I don't know whether "eliminate" here is correct. If not, can you correct it for me?


texts: What is the gesture of hiding your mouth called?

texts: What is called the action of hiding your mouth with your hand? I find it to be a very peculiar behavior, but I am thinking this was something that was done by aristocrats in the real word, so certainly there must be a word. Is there a word associated with such gesture?


texts:
Here's a list of games. You can buy whichever you want.
Here's a list of games. You can buy any you want.

I, as a non-native speaker, understand it as:

The first sentence means that only one game can be bought.
The second sentence means that any amount of fames can be bought.

But the problem starts with the use of any with an amount.

You can buy whichever 3 you want.
You can buy any 3 you want.

Are both sentences grammatically correct?

Here are more examples with the word amount:

Here's the sack of sugar. You can take whichever amount is needed. (Is whatever also possoble?)
Here's the sack of sugar. You can take any amount is needed. (This sounds really bad to my ear)


texts:
Is the term "Whore", either to mean someone who is promiscuous, or someone who is a sex worker, archaic in Australian English?

When I see the word "Whore", I tend to think of Shakespeare (along with the word "Strumpet"). I do, occasionally, hear it in American music, and I've encountered neologisms consisting of something plus whore, such as "Rep whore".

Google NGrams says that "Whore" declined in popularity but has bounced back in American English, and not just because sex workers are being talked about more, but by contrast in British English (the closest thing to Australian English), it hasn't bounced back much. Not that I trust NGrams much for a derogatory, non-standard term like "Whore".

Is "Whore" archaic in Australian English?


texts:
I want to say sorry in advance since it might sound really ambiguous and hard to get what I want to know.
Anyway today, I was going to explain to a delivery guy who was trying to get into my apartment that my phone is not connected to or registered for the callbox at the front of my apartment because my phone is California number but the call box only works with NY number.

Can I just say that the call box isn't working cause my phone number is California number?
Do you think people will get what that is??


texts: Words used for worst performance by artists

texts: Can we say excruciatingly painful performance by the singer. Or there any other words , phrases that could be used instead?


texts:
I am sure that we can say these:

  A: I am hungry
  B: Me, too
  B: So am I
  B: I am, too
  B: I am hungry, too

  A: I am not hungry
  B: Me, either
  B: Neither am I
  B: I am not, either
  B: I am not hungry, either

My question is that

Can we say "Tom, too / either" and "Him, too / either"?

For example:

  A: Mary is hungry
  B: Tom, too
  B: Him, too (A & B know who is "him")

  A: Mary is not hungry
  B: Tom, either
  B: Him, either (A & B know who is "him")


texts: Why is it vanishing instead of vanished?

texts:
The Vanishing Glass

  . . . . . .

  Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could. “Out of the way,
  you,” he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry
  fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no
  one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning
  right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls
  of horror. Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa
  constrictor’s tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling
  itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the
  reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. As the snake
  slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice
  said, “Brazil, here I come… Thanksss, amigo.” (Harry Potter and the
  Sorcerer's Stone)

From the following content, it seems like The Vanished Glass is more suitable than the title. What does the title mean?


texts: What is meaning 'talk in terms of something'? I don't understand about this idiom. Does anyone know?


texts:
Which is correct usage here?

I didn't hear you calling my name.
I didn't hear you call my name.


texts: refrain/ restrain or abstain from physical activity?

texts:
I need help with this sentence:
"Based on the above condition the patient should restrain/ refrain or abstain from physical activity"?
Which verb is the best choice?


texts: Idiom for "not doing something that makes oneself look more awkward" in an already awkward situation?

texts:
Is there an idiom meaning "not to do something that makes oneself look more awkward" in an already awkward situation?
For example:
"We'd better say nothing [or keep silent] so that we don't look more awkward!"


texts: To perform/have/make/do Wudu (do vs make)

texts:
In a nutshell, Wudu is a ritual performed by Muslims before they pray; ablution. You wash some body parts with water and you say some religious, short word-prayers in the process. The order of washing your body parts is important.

These are some of the verbs that collocate with Wudu explained in detail via the links below: To perform/to have/to make/to do Wudu

My question is I feel that do Wudu fits better than the seemingly widely used verb make Wudu. Though both are used I believe.

For starters, I feel that make Wudu is to prepare a container filled with water and another (drain basin kind of) to get the water you wash your limbs and other body parts with, a tradition used long ago when you perform Wudu. This is a usage I think in the old times before the use of facets.

Vaguely, do is for actions while make is for building/producing/preparing something.

If you have checked the links, if needed, what would you use? Do Wudu or make Wudu?

A Youtube video-with a chant skipped- that shows you how to
[perform] Wudu step by step
A step by step wikihow with pictures: How to Perform Wudu


texts: I don’t really get the meaning of the first part of the comment

texts:
Funny but sad, how much do parents who are handy with their hands miss
  out on. If you are gifted with children, you have to accept the breaks
  and burns as well. At least you left your mark on your home.

https://www.quora.com/What-did-you-do-as-a-child-that-you-hid-from-your-parents/answer/Chris-Hawkes-11?share=2f5c077e&srid=hnyk7


texts:
Please take a look at the following sentence from this article:

  Maybe the usage is colloquial, slang, technical, inaccurate, euphemistic, misleading or inappropriate, and the writer wants to distance him- or herself from it, or to suggest irony, scepticism, distaste or outright derision:

I would like to ask you two questions:

What is the purpose of the hanging hyphen right after him?
Why wasn't used himself?

As written, I could read that part as if the writer wanted to distance somebody else from it, not himself.

Please let me know your thoughts on this.


texts: Is this an accurate parse of "as the weather was nasty he remained at home"?

texts:
As the weather was nasty he remained at home.

He - subject

remained - predicate

at home - adverbial modifier of place

as the weather was nasty - adverbial modifier of cause

Are they correct? Or maybe "was nasty" should be a predicate?


texts:
Would you possibly tell me which one you apply?

I do not want a pen, but a bag.

I want not a pen, but a bag.


texts: “Good for the eye” or "good for the eyes" or "good for eyes"?

texts:
Which ones in these options are grammatical and why?

  Carrots are good for the eye.

  Carrots are good for the eyes.

  Carrots are good for eyes.

Similarly:

  I have cut back on coffee. It is not good on the tooth.

  I have cut back on coffee. It is not good on the teeth.

  I have cut back on coffee. It is not good on teeth.

My gut feeling tells me "the eye" and "eyes", because the definite article + singular noun can mean something in general, as does the plural. Is it correct?


texts: What does "augment information" mean in this context?

texts:
I'm trying to translate an article which is about wearable smart watches. I don't know what does "augment information" mean and I don't know how to translate bold part as well in the following context :

[snip: (The author, comparing smart watches vs traditional watches and he/she is unsatisfied, because of these expensive smart watches.)]
Another thing is how some of the existing crop of wearables are
already semi-smart and augment information our smartphones do not
provide. Casio, Timex, Suunto, and other "watch makers," all
manufacture highly intelligent wrist computers that do not need to be
plugged in on a daily basis. This generation of “smartwatches” feels
like a wide array of compromises, middle-of-the-road overall quality
and expensive accessories (seriously, $80 for a metal band from
Motorola?).


texts:
Please look at the following sentence

  Having lived all my life in India, I can speak Hindi very well.

Does this mean I still live in India, or can it also be used if I have just moved from India to USA? If yes, then can it  also be used if I have been living in USA for 1 year, when I speak these words?

  a. Having known her, I can tell she won't be happy.
  b. Knowing her, I can tell she won't be happy.

What's the difference between #a and #b? Can #a ever be used, because it is difficult to 'un-know' someone after knowing them. In light of this should always #b be used ?

Also, if I want to say that I have known her 5 years and still know her, then which form must I employ

  c. Having known her for 5 years, I can tell she won't be happy
  d. Knowing her for 5 years, I can tell she won't be happy.

Thank you.


texts: How to summarize "water bill" and "electricity bill" into a word?

texts:
In my country, China, people pay electricity and water bills monthly.

I'm writing some code (I'm talking about programming, but it doesn't matter if you know nothing about programming) about that, so I created two variables named WaterBill and ElectricityBill for the corresponding bills.

Now, I want to create a variable which can denote WaterBill or ElectricityBill both.

I know I could name it Bill (both WaterBill and ElectricityBill are bills, I know), but I wonder, is there a word which denotes the bill you receive on a regular time schedule -- especially for water bill or electricity bill --precisely?


texts:
what Merchant does in The Death of Nature is to show us that far from
  liberating women, in reducing nature to a mechanism without soul or
  intrinsic meaning, the Scientific Revolution
  and its accompanying technologies also reduced women's status in
  Western society, even to the extent of aiding the persecution and
  massacre of women who were healers. (Source)

"Healer" means one who heals diseases. This is the general meaning of the word. It sometimes, in a more specific sense, mean one who heals through faith. What is its meaning in the above sentence. Does it refer to all women, or only some of them? What does it mean when says persecution and massacre of women who were healers?


texts:
I wrote this sentence:

  We suppose that two items are similar if they have been bought together by many people.

Should I say?

  We suppose that two items are similar if they were bought together by many people

That sentence is the premise of a theory, it is a fact, not opinion.

item means product in this context


texts: "He had left all he had" vs. "He had left all"

texts:
He left all he had to found an open entrance scholarship to the school

VS

  He had left all to found an open entrance scholarship to the school.

what is the difference between these sentences? also,
after to we should use present form of verb(find) but here writer used past form of verb(found)....why?


texts:
I am planning for a tattoo with an image of a target, and the caption I thought of is "Aim life with money". Money being an arrow, and life being the "center of the target".

I want to make a point, something like "live life to its fullest, and this is only possible with money so focus on your career". The reason is that I lost my job and now miss the fun in life because I can't afford it.

Am I getting it (the caption) right? Does it express what I'm trying to convey?


texts:
In the sentence: "Rough and ready does not refer to time, but means of low or poor quality."

Is 'means of' a prepositional verb?

I searched for it in the internet but I didn't find a full reference for prepositional verbs and also 'mean of' wasn't in the available lists.


texts: As opposed to this question What is the antonym of "delegation"?, if one is not delegating to a subordinate, but rather asking a superior to take on a task, what would that be called? (other than begging for mercy:)


texts:
A quote from The Economist (Higher education: The attack of the MOOCs):

  The new money should allow Coursera to build on any advantage it has
  from being a first mover among a rapidly growing number of MOOC
  providers.

I'd like to know, would it be OK to change it to

  The new money should allow Coursera to build on any advantage it has
  from being a first mover among the rapidly growing number of MOOC
  providers.

P.S. Does the indefinite article before "first mover" indicate that Coursera is "one of the first movers", but not the very first?


texts:
I have a question:
It is correct to say " I was doing x when y happened"
Also it is correct to say " While I was doing x, y happened"
BUT is it right to say " When I was doing x, y happened "
In other words, when an action happens during another action in progress, can we bring "when" before the progressive tense or we can only say "while" or "as" before it?


texts:
why there is contradiction between "to give professional sittings" and "not give séances as a professional medium"?

at first the author says that Mr. Livermore helped her to give professional sittings but it is stated in the letter that she will not give séances as a professional medium. anyone can clarify about this?

  It was in this year 1871 that Kate Fox's visit to England was brought
  about through the generosity of Mr. Charles F. Livermore, a prominent
  banker of New York, in gratitude for the consolation he had received
  from her wonderful powers, and to advance the cause of Spiritualism.
  He provided for all her needs, and thus removed any necessity for her
  to give professional sittings. He also arranged for her to be
  accompanied by a congenial woman companion. In a letter [The Spiritual
  Magazine, 1871, pp. 525-6.] to Mr. Benjamin Coleman, a well-known
  worker in the Spiritualist movement, Mr. Livermore says: Miss Fox,
  taken all in all, is no doubt the most wonderful living medium. Her
  character is irreproachable and pure. I have received so much through
  her powers of mediumship during the past ten years which is solacing,
  instructive and astounding, that I feel greatly indebted to her, and
  desire to have her taken good care of while absent from her home and
  friends. His further remarks have some bearing possibly on the later
  sad events of her life: That you may the more thoroughly understand
  her idiosyncrasies, permit me to explain that she is a sensitive of
  the highest order and of childlike simplicity; she feels keenly the
  atmospheres of everyone with whom she is brought in contact, and to
  that degree that at times she becomes exceedingly nervous and
  apparently capricious. For this reason I have advised her not to sit
  in dark séances, that she may avoid the irritation arising from the
  suspicion of sceptics, mere curiositymongers, and lovers of the
  marvellous. The perfection of the manifestations to be obtained
  through her depends upon her surroundings, and in proportion as she is
  in rapport or sympathy with you does she seem receptive of spiritual
  power. The communications through her are very remarkable, and have
  come to me frequently from my wife (Estelle), in perfect idiomatic
  French, and sometimes in Spanish and Italian, whilst she herself is
  not acquainted with any of these languages. You will understand all
  this, but these explanations may be necessary for others. As I have
  said, she will not give séances as a professional medium, but I hope
  she will do all the good she can in furtherance of the great truth, in
  a quiet way, while she remains in England.

from http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0301051h.html


texts: Admission in or to the engineering college

texts:
Rina was trying for admission in/to the engineering college.

What is the difference between the two preposition used here. Are they both not correct. In or to the engineering college?


texts: Is the preposition necessary in this sentence? What is the reason why we should use preposition?

texts:
When we make passive voice of 'I gave him an apple.', should we use preposition 'to' like 'an apple was given to him by me.'
If we should, why?


texts: What do you call a chalkboard punishment?

texts:
Simpsons Chalkboard Punishment
The video shows many instances of Bart Simpson writing on the chalkboard (e.g. I will not burp in class). Is there a way to properly refer to this punishment? I can't think of a single way to say this in a normal sounding way.


texts: What to call light food served at cocktail parties, that can be eaten on the thumb?

texts:
At receptions, small pieces of food are often served, that can be eaten "on the thumb" even when holding a cup of champagne in the other hand.

What to call this kind of food in English?

I was convinced this could be called "thumb food", but Google proves me wrong.


texts:
Can one say

a. He isn't foolish to believe what they say.

b. He isn't an idiot to believe what they say.

c. He isn't smart to have made this discovery.

d. He isn't a genius to have made this discovery.

e. He isn't smart to write such songs.

f. He isn't a genius to write such song.

?

The idea is basically that : The fact that he has done .... doesn't mean he is ...

Many thanks.


texts: "had seen" vs "saw" which is correct and why other not?

texts:
Among the below two Which is the correct sentence?

  He saw me yesterday.

Vs.

  He had seen me yesterday.

I know that we use past perfect tense to express an incident whose effect is still present. So is had been correct?


texts: Which one is correct between 'which has the below files' and 'which have the below files'?

texts:
I'm trying to tell to someone know that some text file is lacked with some words. so I trying to say as the below but I'm not sure which one is correct between

1.please update the update.txt file which has lacked with the below words.

2."please update the update.txt file which have lacked with the below words


texts: What is the meaning of '... which is thought too precious to repudiate ...'?

texts:
Interpretation is a radical strategy for conserving an old text, which is thought too precious to repudiate, by revamping it.

This is an excerpt from Susan Sontag's Against Interpretation. I am not sure if the highlighted passage is related to the noun "strategy" or "old text". In any event it does not make much sense to me.


texts: Manner: a way in which a thing is done or happens

texts:
Does ‘manner’ only mean quality, not a thing?
I mean, does yellowness or happiness can be a way, but does a car or cake cannot be a way?


texts: What's the difference between a/an and the?

texts:
For example:
"I sent a report about a wrong item."
VS.
"I sent a report about the wrong item."
I'm confused. Thank you in advance.


texts: "could" vs "could not" in this sentence?

texts:
"His dance was unbelievable! I don't know if even (I could do
  it/could have done it)"

Just something that I want to say about a friend's dance performance last night.I think it should be "could have done it" but "could do it" does not sound wrong to me too.


texts:
The word 'set' is defined in certain dictionaries as:

[OED] put, lay, or stand (something) in a specified place or position
[Random House] to put (something or someone) in a particular place

The latter dictionary’s explanation for ‘set’ starts with ‘to.’ Does this imply ‘this word means to-‘?


texts:
Cambridge dictionary suggests that "New Year" is the same as "new year". but the following examples suggests that they have different meaning:

  The building work will happen in the new year.

But The Guardian usually use at instead of in

  Sifting through contradictory evidence is common when it comes to choosing the right thing to do to improve our health, not least at new year when many of us promise to leave old habits behind and make a fresh start. See the source here

What is the difference in meaning?


texts: Use of "neither" and "nor" in thesis dedication

texts:
I am including a dedication page in my thesis with the following dedication:
"To my parents Jack and Jill, and brother Jerry. This journey would neither have been possible nor worthwhile without your endless love and support."
I'm just wondering if the second sentence is grammatically correct? (I am not a native English speaker)


texts: Change ' what was stolen?' into active voice

texts: the question was in one of my grammar course books. Is it possible that the same question could be written in active voice? How would it be then?


texts:
In the movie Juliet, Naked, Ethan Hawke's character says in a scene:

These are my sons, Cooper and Jessie. Come here, guys. Give it in for your dad. (clip on YouTube)

He gestures for a hug. "Give it in for someone" sounds very strange to my ear though. People say "bring it in" when asking for a hug. Has anybody else heard "give it in for" or "give it for" used as a hug suggestion?


texts: The difference between meanings of 'would'

texts:
Could someone explain what this modal verb actually means here?

  I loved hanging out by the campfire after dark. I loved the way bits of fire dust would float up and disappear into the night air. And how the fire lit up people's faces. I loved the sound the fire made, too. And how the woods were so dark that you couldn't see anything around you, and you'd look up and see a billion stars in the sky.

1) Making a polite request - it just doesn't fit in both cases
2) Talking about the future in the past - I suppose it's possible to read the second example this way (because when woods were so dark guy hadn't seen stars in the sky, then he'll look up and from the point of now he said that phrase with 'would')
3) Using conditionals.
4) past habits
I think the first example could mean habitual behavior of the fire dust (because the action was repeated more that one time)


texts:
If it should rain tomorrow, the party would not be held.
  If I were to be young again, I would go to America to study.
  If the sun were to rise in the west, I would not break my word.

(from a Korean English Grammar book)

Present real conditional (1) has its reference time in the future, and
present unreal conditional (2) and (3) have their references in the present; so I guess 'would' in all three can be replaced by 'will.' Is this possible?


texts: What is the meaning of "about" in "Love isn't all about flirting..." and "Love is about..."?

texts:
Love isn't all about flirting, hugs, kisses. Love is about having the ability to take all those things away and still having feelings for that person.

  (Source: 16quotes)

What is the meaning of about in this sentence?

What does about refer to?


texts:
I am confused about "turn on" or "turned on" when submitting a maintenance request.

Is it correct to say this and why?

  The kitchen faucet keeps leaking when turned on?


texts: Is "though" in the following sentence used correctly?

texts:
Though we do not know when she was born, we do not know where she is buried.

or is it wrong?


texts: "ask for assist" or "ask for assistance"?

texts:
What is the proper/better wording?

  ask for assist

  ask for assistance

I always thought the later (ask for assistance) until seeing someone using "ask for assist" on some SE site, and before editing it I checked it only to find out that "assist" is also a noun. Even more, here it says:

  assist is a helpful action or an act of giving

So appears to be the correct wording, but still not sure.


texts:
What does grid search mean in the following sentence?

  To expedite your request for grid search, please fill out this form completely, one form for each school site, and mail it with the fee in the amount of $310.531.


texts: What's wrong with this sentence, and how can I write it correctly?

texts:
I need to identify the mistake in the following sentence:

  I don't like football and so does Michael.

What's wrong with this sentence. And why?


texts:
In the following figure, is it automatically correct and clear to say that

  X is axially symmetric to Y with respect to Z

?

Is there any better way to express this fact?


texts: Can an -ese noun, meaning people, used if it accompanies non- at the head of it?

texts:
Apart from the usual -ese ending words denoting a person/people, which is not usually accepted as natural, 'non-***ese,' --- would it be more accepted? Is this because the writer himeslf is a non-Japanese person and would not mind, maybe, sounding derogatory?

I found this example:
If you’re a conspicuous non-Japanese living here who rides the trains or buses, or goes to cafes or anywhere in public where Japanese people have the choice of sitting beside you or sitting elsewhere, then you’ve likely experienced the empty-seat phenomenon with varying frequency and intensity.


texts:
From the Cambridge Dictionary

  This drug may have the effect of speeding up your heart rate.

I guess it means that the drug results in speeding up heart rate.

  The medicine had the effect of making me sleepy.

Similarly, the medicine results in user sleepy.

Both of them use a pattern like A has the effect of X, where A represents the reason/cause and X represents the result.

However, this one seems more complicated.

  The effect of the redundancies on morale has been extremely damaging

the pattern becomes A has the effect of X on Y and A is omitted, is my understanding correct?


texts: Meaning of "at the last hour" in this context

texts:
Having already left the cathedral, Claude
  Frollo knew nothing of what had happened.
  Wanting to be alone, he had taken a boat
  across the Seine. There he walked in the hills,
  lost in his dark thoughts.
  “By now, she is dead,” he whispered to
  himself. “I have killed her!”
  Frollo felt no sorrow for what he had done.
  If he had to, he would do it again. He would
  rather see her in the hands of the hangman
  than in the arms of the captain. But then he
  thought of her at the last hour—the cruel
  rope about her neck! Suddenly, the first waves
  of guilt swept over him.

Sorry mybe my question is easy but as none native speaker I doubt whether its meaning is:

1:He thought of The time they wanted to hang the girl?

2:  He thought of her for the last time?

I think 1 is correct.


texts: Can I use landscape in the meaning of situation?

texts:
Can I use "landscape" instead of situation? For example, "The current American situation is not good because of COVID-19."

Can I replace "situation" with "landscape"? e.g. the current situation of America is not good because of COVID-19.

When I searched Oxford Learner’s dictionary, it says

  the characteristic features of an area of activity

  We can expect changes in the political landscape.
  Their songs altered the landscape of popular music.

But I feel like this definition only works for some idiomatic phrases such as "industrial landscape" or "political landscape".


texts: The phase was found in this sentence “Nancy found doing dishes a thoroughly mudane task, Although Peter found a kind of zen pleasure in the chore


texts:
This is really the best compilation I have heard for years . The nnnnn is really a great band. I have never heard from them before

Is present perfect a good choice or would past perfect be better ?
I ve chosen present perfect because it is a very recent compilation. I think past perfect would be OK if I had written before the comp was released


texts:
In Polish language there is a phrase which literally translates to "send someone on a tree".

The meaning is to give evasive and/or disrespectful answer, in order to get rid of someone.

An example, when senior developers answers "RTFM" to the junior's answer without even analysing the problem (and probably not listening, because he was chatting on Facebook etc.).

Is there any English phrase/idiom with similar meaning?


texts:
I learn English at this file, and I have a question. I have the sentence

  "Jet engines make a lot of noise."

(Page 6)

Why is it a lot of noise instead of a lot of noises?

Please help with clear description.


texts: Using an adverb and a prepositional phrase interchangeably

texts:
Can we use an adverb and a prepositional phrase interchangeably in the following sentences?

  A.
  (With adverb) She used to reach there on time daily.

  (With phrase) She used to reach there on time on a daily basis.

  B.
  (With adverb) She used to reach there in a well-prepared manner daily.

  (With phrase) She used to reach there in a well-prepared manner on a daily basis.


texts: "tiger's numbers keep growing“ vs ”tigers' number keeps growing“

texts:
Which is more acceptable?

I have found quite a few examples like "the panther's numbers are expected to hit...",

Can a specific figure be called "numbers" and be used as a plural form?

Shouldn't the word number be used mostly as a singular word?


texts: What is the difference between ‘was really’ and ‘really was’?

texts:
The animal was really a puma.
The animal really was a puma.

What is the difference between these two sentences?


texts: Is there any difference between 'based on' and 'on the basis of'?

texts:
Are 'on the basis' and 'based on' exchangeable? For example, can I speak
 this sentence

  His article was written on the basis of earlier accounts of reference frames.

as the same as another

  His article was written based on earlier accounts of reference frames.


texts:
From a Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange answer (emphasis mine):

  How did people calculate sine and cosine or logarithms or even multiply big numbers before there were calculators? They used books with tables inside, along with the training to use those tables properly. Or they used slide rules.

  Life gets done. The tools change. But life still gets done.

What does "life gets done" mean? Is it a phrase? I know "to get something done" means to do something, but "life gets done" makes no sense for me, and googling it does not help.


texts:
Is the following correct in English:

  Since the works have been started end of last year, two activities out of ten have been completed, then the works have been stopped for more than three months and poorly resumed mid of the recent month.

I feel that I repeated "have been" many times and my letter became weak.

Please advise how to avoid repeating that. Is there another construction that can be used?


texts: It's been too hot the last / the past few days

texts:
Is it grammatically  wrong  to say

  It's been too hot  in the last / the past few days

  It's been too hot for the last / the past few days

I saw this following sentence also, can we omit in it?

  He's had two new cars in the last / in the past three years

as

  He's had two new cars  the last / in the past three years

Is there a strict rule in using of preposition or non-preposition when we use the last/past ?

What is the structure when I refer to weeks, months ?


texts:
What does "stable to firm" mean in this sentence?

  *Asia methanol prices stable-to-firm on further supply uncertainties. The import prices of methanol in the Asian market were assessed as stable-to-firm during the week ended 8 August, reflecting higher buy-sell indications amid further uncertainties in the supply situation.*


texts:
"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.
  Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.
  "Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here –– another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."
  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

It seems that ‘when’ has the meaning of OALD’s conjunction #4: “just after which”, He had just drifted off to sleep when the phone rang. In this explanation, would ‘which’ in ‘just after which’ refer to the previous clause: ‘he had just drifted to sleep’?

And in the example above, would it refer to ‘“Hogwarts, dear?” she said’?


texts:
On an other Stack Exchange forum, I asked a question and I wrote this sentence :

  I started to worry when I realized that it had been minutes and
  minutes (I would say at least 10) since the bubbles were getting out
  of it at a pretty high outflow (bubbles were constantly getting out).

Is it right ? I am specifically wondering it about the end of the sentence that I putted in bold (can we say "at a pretty high outflow" ?). By the way, does the word "outflow" fits well to the context here ?


texts: What is "Vermittlung" (finding two parties, one needs something one offers something) in English?

texts:
I am looking for a verb which is called "vermitteln" in German. According to dict.leo.org did not give good results. An example sentence would be:

  German: Die Firma vermittelt Jobs.

  English by Google Translate: The company provides jobs.

However, "provide" seems to be the wrong word. It is not the company itself where people work, but the company finds people who want to get a job and have some abilities, as well as other companies which need those abilities. (So a recruiter who has his/her own company.)

How is this verb called in English?


texts: Can the verb "roll" be used for an object that does not move?

texts:
I would like to know which of "roll" and "rotate" is better in the following sentence I created.

  A printer has a roller inside to feed paper. The roller is supported by a shaft to a printer casing and rolls/rotates on the shaft.

I looked up "roll" in some dictionaries and found that it is usually used for a moving object, so I think "rotate" is better in the above sentence, but the name "roller" causes me to use "roll".


texts: Can sentences be grammatical if commas are added?

texts:
"He with the hat knows her with the scarf"
  "He, with the hat, knows her, with the scarf"
  I pity them who lost their money on gambling.
  I pity them, who lost their money on gambling.

I know 1,3 are wrong, but if I add commas in 1 and 3, are 2 and 4 correct?
To me, without commas added, 1 and 3 sound wrong. I  mean 1 and 3 seem to convey very awkward meanings.

In this case, I think commas must be needed because "he", "her", "them" are already definite in the context, so those parts set apart by commas are not essential information. For this reason, if commas are added, I think 2 and 4 are, at least, grammatically correct, although there's more-natural wordings than 2 and 4.

Is my thinking correct?


texts:
She has returned five days ago.

I want to express the idea that she has returned, and that she returned five days ago. So I'm thinking the above construction is permissible, and I vaguely remember seeing such a construction in texts on the web, etc., and this is a source of confusion for me, as to what is really permissible, whether strictly or not-so-strictly.

Also, if the above is just not correct, what about this?:

  She has returned, five days ago.


texts: What is this construction "would have been ...to have done"?

texts:
"It would have been hard for you to have said it more eloquently," said John.
From White Horse Gery James.

Is it the same as "it would have been hard for you if you had tried to say it more eloquently?"


texts: In what situations should I use Wh words?

texts:
My question, How do I use the WH words correctly?

Does some rule exist for their use?

Do I only use them to ask questions? Or how can I use them in affirmative sentences?

For example:

"What" and "That" have the same meaning, but they are used in a different way.

Which is the best school?
I liked the pie that she did.

How not to confuse the use of those words?


texts: Pupils find "a golden hair tress", but it's jewelry made of gold, not a lock of blond hair?

texts:
A quote from The Telegraph:

Many archaeologists spend years digging through dirt just to find one piece of buried treasure.
But it only took a group of lucky schoolboys a single morning to unearth a precious golden hair tress dating back to 2,300BC.

Now, a tress is a lock or a portion of hair. Here's the definition from MW:

Tress: a long lock of hair; especially :  the long unbound hair of a woman —usually used in plural

Why then does the newspaper use the term to describe an object made of gold? What dictionary contains a definition of tress as a hair ornament?


texts:
What does the 2nd "that" refer to in this following passage?

  The story of Cabeza De Vaca and his companions has its origins in the Caribbean archipelago, that immense arch of green gems set against a turquoise sea that was Spain's first foothold in America.


texts:
I was shocked when my teacher told me that this sentence is wrong:

  Do not congratulate him for his success.

Could anyone explain why we can't use for here? I know that on is another competitor. But both can be used interchangeably according to my knowledge. Please clear my doubt.


texts:
Excuse me, do you know where the Walmart’s at?
I am paying attention on ‘s and usage of at. any help will be appreciated


texts:
I made a video on a computer (where I clicked here and there and did stuff). I am not seen in the video; only the screen is seen.
I commented on and explained the stuff I clicked.

What is the word for a person who does this explanation?

I want to put a text into the video stating some data and also stating my name as the person who did the talking. Like this:

Company: ...my company...
Date: ...the date...
person-who-did-the-talking: ...my name...

So it has to be one word.

The translations from my mother tongue word "Sprecher" (German) range from "speaker" over "spokesperson", "talker", "narrator" to "enunciator" and "announcer". I have no idea which one to use, or if any of them even fits here.


texts: Does "show" take a gerund or an infinitive?

texts:
Please help me choose the correct one.

The novelist shows his two characters (enter/entering) a truce.


texts:
I wrote this sentence

  The content of a node is extracted if it matches the conditions that are defined (over/on/by/using) the attributes of the node and the context.

Which preposition is used for define in this case? Conditions are defined by means of the attributes of the nodes and the context. for example suppose a condition stating the node tag must be "H1".


texts:
Extracted this from Times Magazine,and I am confused by the use of " about 40 percent of whom". Just couldn't seem to get this use of language.Would anyone explain to me this? And sometimes I read " of which", I often end up facing the same confusion.

Original text as below:

  As a philanthropist.Bacall has raised more than $10 million for his non-profit,which supports refugees,and as the CEO of Elite Hospitality Group,a development and management company,he employs more than 1000 people,about 40 percent of whom he estimates are foreign-born.

Thank you for helping me.


texts: takes or taking, which one of them is correct in my case?

texts:
I have the following sentence:

  Laravel framework gives you something and in return takes something
  else. It gives you the ease and the simplicity while takes you the
  performance.

Firstly, is the whole sentence grammatically correct as it is now?
Secondly, which one of them is the correct, and why?

takes from you
taking from you
takes you


texts: Differences between two sentences (Any vs All Possible)

texts:
Considering the following two sentences, is there a difference between them? If so, do "all possible" and "any" make the difference?

Note, serializable and serial schedules are two different types of schedules in distributed database systems. However, the word "equivalent" here means that they give the same results when executing a set of transactions. For example, given that a is a serializable schedule and b is serial. They are equivalent if they execute the same set of transactions and give the same results.

  "A serializable schedule ensures that the execution of n
  transactions is equivalent to all possible serial schedules of
  the same n transactions."
  "Formally, a schedule S of n transactions is serializable if it is
  equivalent to any serial schedule of the same n transactions"

In other words, can I say that the meaning of the former sentence is different than the latter one?

Thanks!


texts:
Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/podcast-russias-language-police/25444722.html

  Retweeting a Twitter tweet or liking a Facebook post that the Kremlin doesn't like can now land Russians in prison.
  And salty language in theater performances, films, and the media can now lead to stiff fines.
  The stated goal of the former is to combat extremism. The purported objective of the latter is to promote traditional values and preserve the "purity of the Russian language."
  But few doubt that the real point of both is to tighten the Kremlin's control over discourse - and therefore, over politics.

Few doubt, to my mind, is supposed to mean that there are a few people who have doubts that the real point of the policy is to tighten the Kremlin's control over discourse. I don't get it. Shouldn't it be the other way around like few doubt that the real point of the new policy is to promote traditional values and preserve the purity of the Russian language but in reality it's about tightening control over what people can express?


texts: How would you interpret the meaning of "dreadful" in "dreadful secrecy" here?

texts:
In Hamlet, Act 1, scene 2 I read the following line (emphasis added):

This to me in dreadful secrecy impart they did.

For making it easily comprehensible, let me tell you that "impart" here means "tell or make known". The part I'm not getting here is in bold. According to Shakespeare dictionary "dreadful" here means exactly what it does in modern English (fearful, terrified) and according to this site it means "extreme", yet according to this one,  "dreadful secrecy" here means "swearing to secrecy". I, personally, tend toward the interpretation provided by "Genius" but don't know if "dreadful" was really supposed to mean "extreme" in Shakespeare's times. Furthermore, the Shakespeare dictionary is a very trusted resource which runs contrary to the interpretation. Please help me out.


texts: What does "play games" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I have a paragraph which is about how to talk to women if you are a man. The writer said that a man should be direct when he talks to women. The paragraph has a sentence:

  Being this direct is easy when you know there is no need to play games with women, to impress them, to hide your sexual intentions toward them, and that they actually enjoy when a male speaks to them like that, while communicating with women is also easier when you know they are usually indirect.

I want to ask that "play games" in this sentence mean "deceive other people", right? Or it has another meaning?


texts: What is meant by ‘cash cow’? - Test 3, Q4, p 27, by Mark Shepherd

texts:
The government’s favourite cash cow, taxation of petrol, has recently found a friend in
  the shape of proceeds from speed cameras. All around the country, unsuspecting
  motorists are being flashed by these anonymous boxes by the sides of the road, which
  annually generate millions of pounds for the Treasury.

  Mastering the National Admissions Test for Law, Mark Shepherd (Routledge, 2013)

What is the "cash cow" as referenced here?

  (a) A cost for motorists
  (b) A policy which is unpopular with everyone
  (c) A policy which only the government likes
  (d) A source of easy revenue for the government
  (e) A policy driven by economics

  (a) to (d): INCORRECT. See (e).
  (e) CORRECT. Based both on the widely understood meaning of the phrase, and
  the context in which it is used (being likened to taxation on petrol, and being
  said to ‘generate millions of pounds for the Treasury’), it is apparent that ‘cash
  cow’ refers to an easy source of revenue for the government. It is also a cost for
  motorists and likely an unpopular policy, but these are the consequences of it
  being a cash cow, not the meaning of that expression itself.

  Ibid.

I read the explanation above, but I still think that (d) is right. How is (d) only the consequences? I fail to perceive why the following is wrong: A 'cash cow' is (d). Of course, it can be other things too.


texts: Why "He was made to pay" and not "he was made pay"?

texts: I understand that after the verb MAKE, the verb that follows should be written without TO, Example: "They made him pay all the money" however, why it sound so correct to me: "He was made to pay" Then again: "They made me pay". Is it the presence of the object pronoun that makes the difference?


texts: "I would do anything I want" or "I would do anything I wanted"

texts:
Let's say I have a question like this

  What would you do if you won a lottery

What's the proper way of answering it?

  I would do anything I wanted

or

  I would do anything I want

Here's another example

  If you were in danger, he would do anything he had to protect you

or

  If you were in danger, he would do anything he has to protect you


texts:
I need to convey a message that " if I put a weight on something(assume a newly bought pillow). It is more likely to get torn". My question is of the below sentences which sentence is more accurate for the above scenario and why.

If you put a weight on it , it is torn(damaged) easily.
If you put a weight on it, it gets torn easily
If you put a weight on it, it will get torn easily.
If you put a weight on it. It is more likely to be torn
If you put a weight on it, it is more likely to get torn
6.If you put a weight on it, it will torn easily


texts:
For newbies, those who have simply e-mailed or surfed
  the Web, the “community” of the Net is an odd sort of mysticism. How can
  anyone think of these pages full of advertisements and spinning icons as a
  community, or even as a space? To the sober newbie, this just sounds like
  hype high on java. [Source]

What does the last sentence mean? Is this an idiom? Is java meant coffee here, or does it refer to the software?


texts: "ones" substitution for plural uncountable nouns

texts:
Can you please clear it out if we can replace such nouns as "trousers, scissors" with the word "ones"or should we not? Which answer is correct?

Which jeans are you going to buy?
the most expensive ones.
the most expensive.
The most expensive jeans.


texts:
I was asked to answer this question:

  Have you previously applied for XXX? If so, please state the year of application and the outcome?

I want to answer this

  I have applied on 2013 and I wasn't accepted because I had no TOEFL yet.

I don't now if "had" is correct. I also tried this:

  I have applied on 2013 and I wasn't accepted because I wasn't taken the TOEFL yet.

Which version is correct?


texts:
Please help me figure out the meaning of the following sentence (used as a title) form the description of the app "Dadish 2":

Rad dad radish adventures await

I know that the phrase "rad dad" means "excellent dad". However, I am confused by the words "raish adventures await." Maybe there is something wrong with the sentence structure here.
Here is a description of the app from Google Play:
He’s a dad, and a radish, and he’s back in his biggest adventure yet! After an impromptu “Bring Your Kids To Work Day” goes awry, Dadish sets off to find his missing children. Along the way he’ll wade through swamps, ride rockets, climb a big tree, and even visit outer space! Help reunite Dadish with his missing kids in this charming and challenging platforming adventure.


texts:
It's a very difficult question I am gonna ask from Charles Dickens' A tales of two cities.

Mrs. Southcott had recently attained her five-and-twentieth blessed birthday, of whom a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were made for the swallowing up of London and Westminster.

what does this part of the sentence mean "of whom a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance"

I know it's a tough question- ppl will complain  random things about the post rather than answering it. But thanks for trying.


texts:
I want to translate a sentence from Persian to English, the sentence I want to say is:

  The children should numbers from up to down and conversely

but I am not sure does it correct?


texts: 'Inform about' vs 'Inform of' vs 'Inform on'

texts:
This question concerns 'inform on' also, and so doesn't duplicate inform about vs inform of (where user 'Maulik V' asserts the following that I edited):

Inform her of X  =  Here, we are informing her that X happened. And that is all!
On the other hand, Inform her about X
= Not only will she be informed that X happened,  but also the details of X.

Yet how does inform on change all this? What of 'Inform her on X?
I already know, and so ask not, about the following ODO's definition 1.1:

inform on =  1.1. [no object] Give incriminating information about someone to ... authority


texts:
While conversing with someone I said this line in a hurry:

  As sun rises up in morning my enthusiasm for work decreases.

I am pretty sure that this sentence is totally wrong grammatically, I need to know how to correct it. I wanted to convey that as the morning time  progresses my enthusiasm for doing work also reduces gradually.


texts: usage of any+single in “Sorry, for some reason I can't remember any fairy tale now.”

texts:
Consider the sentence:

  “Sorry, for some reason I can't remember any fairy tale now.”

I'm not sure is this correct or no, but for me it sounds much better if we change "fairy tale" to plural. So main question is what would be more correct, with "fairy tale" in plural or singular


texts:
"Obviously the direct answer to the question is supposed to be, "I
  wouldn't like it at all!" But what's the next step? Suppose you were
  to say, "I wouldn't like it if someone did that to me. But luckily no
  one is doing it to me. I’m doing it to someone else, and I don't mind
  that at all!" This answer misses the point of the question. When you
  are asked how you would like it if someone did that to you, you are
  supposed to think about all the feelings you would have if someone
  stole your umbrella. And that includes more than just "not liking
  it"—as you wouldn't "like it" if you stubbed your toe on a rock. If
  someone stole your umbrella you'd resent it."

[Thomas Nagel, What does it all mean?]

What do the words "that" and "as" mean?

Thanks


texts: What's the word used to describe this amount of volume?

texts:
When you are watching TV and you turn the volume up or down with the remote control say from 17 to 16, 9 to 10, etc., how do you describe that single amount of volume?
Is the word notch correct to describe this single amount of volume i.e. turn the volume down a notch, turn the volume up a few notches?


texts:
Sorry for my bad English. I have two sentences, can you tell me which sentence is correct.

  "Examine the effectiveness of ModSecurity by penetration testing vulnerable Web Server"
  "Examine the effectiveness of ModSecurity by performing vulnerable Web Server penetration testing".

If neither of them are correct, can you give me the correct one? Thanks in advance!.


texts: (Indefinite) article for something that only one exists

texts:
Let's say there is an alarming device and it has only one light to show color. Then I could say,

It raised a red alarm.
It shows a red warning (or light).

But then, as it only has one light, there cannot be multiple alarms or warnings. Can I omit the article in those?


texts: To which part of the sentence the "which"s refer?

texts:
Thus, in a last analysis it can be seen that the chief cause of the
  downfall of the Sasanians was the material and spiritual bankruptcy
  of the ruling class, which especially became apparent after the
  bad government of Khusrau Parviz, and which must account for the
  crumbling of so great a power before the attacks of a hungry
  people newly arrived on the scene... Read more

Do both "which"s refer to "the chief cause of the downfall of the Sasanians"?
Does "a power" mean "the Sasanians" in here? If not, what does it mean?


texts:
I know the meaning of tend and there is but I cannot get exact meaning and grammatical rule of there does tend to be in the following sentence:

In applied mathematics (mechanics, statistics, decision mathematics, and so on), there does tend to be more focus on solving problems and less on developing abstract theories. (source: How to Study for a Mathematics Degree by Lara Alcock)

-----Edit (clarifying my question)
What is the difference between the following forms in meaning and what are the grammatical structure of the sentences?

There is more focus on solving problems.
There tends to be more focus on solving problems.
There does tend to be more focus on solving problems.


texts:
It's from Adventure Time:

  We'll work together and use that serum you made. The one that was "Ah!
  So Spice!" And spice-bomb him non-stop 'till his butt falls out! How's
  that sound?

To make it clear, they're just pranking the guy to irritate him and make him go away.

What does this phrase mean, both literally and idiomatically?

I know that hair or teeth can fall out, but I can't picture a butt fall out.

Or does fall out mean leave here as in:

  It's late, George. I have to fall out.


texts:
Suppose I want to ask a listener about whether future action happened.

I think the following construction isn't suit for the case

  Will this action happened in the future?

Because I think will something/somebody + infinitve is used for giving order. Is the future progressive more suitable for the case?


texts: Which is the most common question with "sound": Do you hear the sound?; What makes the sound?; What is that sound?; What sound is it? What sounds?

texts:
Say, you suddenly hear a sound,

Which is the most common question to ask?:

  a) Do you hear the sound?
  b) What makes the sound?
  c) What is that sound?
  d) What sound is it?
  e) What sounds?

According to Ngram, What sounds and What is that sound? (dark green and light green lines respectively)  seem to be the most common forms.


texts: What is a married girl's parents' home called?

texts: Is there any name for a girl's parents' home in English language? I'm asking this because my language has the term "Maika," which connotes her (married girl's) parents' home.


texts:
On Collins dictionary, one of the meanings of "sad" is: "If you describe someone as sad, you do not have any respect for them and think their behavior or ideas are ridiculous.", and it says that it is usually used before nouns in this meaning. So since it says it is usually used before nouns, is it wrong if I say like "Man... You people are sad." to some people for meaning that I despise them? Does it mean that I find them saddening instead? I think what I mean can be understood from the context. Am I right? Also, do you agree with that it is usually used before nouns instead of after nouns in this meaning?

You can see the Collins Dictionary definitions here: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/sad The one I am referring to is the forth definition.


texts:
Please explain how to change this interrogative sentence into passive voice.

  Is he the musician for the evening?

I am not sure how to do it.


texts: "What if we change X" vs "What if we changed X"

texts:
When you want to say that something can be changed, the following expressions can be used:

What if we changed X
What if we change X

I'm wondering if both are correct and when one is preferred over the other.