texts: What is the meaning of "nothing on the line"?

texts:
Snow (Prisoner) appointed to get President's daughter, Emily,
who get held in MS One space prison station. Snow saw his
friend, Mace, died infront of him.

  Snow: Who cares? People die all the time. It's no big deal. How many
  people have died for you since you got here? But you're the
  President's daughter, so you're worth it, right? Looks like your
  little PR trip got all screwed up.

  Emilie :I came here to ensure that people were being treated fairly
  and decently, unlike yourself.

  Snow: You know, it's easy to be a saint with nothing on the line.


texts: Is there any verb meaning "evolve towards a final state"?

texts:
I am currently working on some documentation, and I find myself having to express to idea of evolving towards a final state multiple times.
I would like to know if a word (preferably a verb) expressing this whole concept exists already.
As far as I know, evolving feels more like something which can be done perpetually, while I would like to carry the idea that evolving in such a case have its "boundaries".
Eventually, if it is not a single word, maybe there is a formal way to shorten the whole concept?
Another idea could be something like "growing", since growing feels more physical, hence necessarily has boundaries, but it does not fit my context:
e.g.:

this transaction can  evolve towards its final state grow by requesting actions over it. You do so by either requesting a cancellation or actually capturing the funds.


texts:
I asked something about my assignment to my professor by email and she declined it because it is not fair to give more chances only to one person.
How can I respond to this email politely and show her that I get what she said and I'm totally okay with it?
Is there any better way (more polite and sincere) than " Okay, thank you" ?


texts:
Well today I was about to post a video on YouTube and I hesitate on whether to type:

  "Download link provided by request"

or

  "Downloading link provided by request"

Which one is the right phrase to be grammatical here?

P.S
I know the Internet is the Internet and we all break grammar rules but I was thinking to post this video on Facebook later on and I don't want my friends to be thinking this foo knows no English.


texts:
Can you explain how "I feel myself" can be used? I come across different sentences, some are correct others not. I can't understand what makes them wrong.

Wrong:
I feel myself thinking.
I feel myself dreaming.
Correct:
I feel myself flying.
I feel myself getting anxious.
I feel myself changing.
Don't know if they are correct:
I feel myself to have a duty.
I feel myself the equal of Moses.

Any guidelines?


texts:
1999: travels-50

  2000: travels-60

  "The figure for travels increased over the period/periods given."

When it comes to the "over" in the sentence, is this a grammatically correct sentence? I am confused because I am not sure which preposition to use. Over/in


texts:
Google search result for both questions are the same: Tuesday, June 6, 2017. I wonder if I can use these 2 sentences interchangeably.

  What day is it?

  What date is it?


texts:
All I have to do is keep Talyor in bulky sweaters for a few years.

I always think "be" should connect "to do" or "doing". Such as you can only say I'm eating. But you can't say I'm eat.

And I find another example, is keeping

  His business is keeping him busy.


texts: What is the difference between "theory" and "explanation"?

texts:
Wordweb defines theory as:

A well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world;
an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of
circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

Now, let's consider an explanation:

I fell down because I stumbled unknowingly upon a stone.

According to my very limited knowledge of English, people falling down while walking is an "aspect of the natural world". What stops this explanation from being called a theory? Thank you in advance. :)


texts:
I'm having some trouble with some word usages in certain sentences.

Data quality
Data reliability

The sentences:
_________ is the reliability and application efficiency of data.
_________ is a measure of the overall integrity of the data over specific durations of time.
I think that "Data quality" fits the first one better, because "Data reliability is the reliability...." kinda doesn't make sense.
Any help would be appreciated!


texts: Thaw seems to be used when thawing something, like food. Melt seems to be used with ice. Some dictionary definitions seem to conflict with these statements. When should each word be used?


texts: What does this mean, “Rick and Morty” references?

texts:
This phrase is from job posting site.

Nice to haves
Ability to recognize “Rick and Morty” references
Familiarity with Wordpress
Working knowledge of Github interactions


texts:
I want to ask a question about "as....as" uses. I think it is very confusing. In Meditations, 3.3 Marcus Aurelius says:

[...] you will no longer be exposed to pain and pleasure, or be the servant of an earthen vessel as inferior in value as that serving it is superior, the servant being mind and guardian-spirit and the master mud and gore.

I actually can't understand the uses of as in this paragraph and so the meaning.
By the way full text is that:

You climbed aboard, you set sail, and now you have come to port. So step ashore! If to another life, there will be no want of gods even in that other world; but if to insensibility, you will no longer be exposed to pain and pleasure, or be the servant of an earthen vessel as inferior in value as that serving it is superior, the servant being mind and guardian-spirit and the master mud and gore. — Meditations, 3.3


texts:
Please, is this poster title right? (the poster is about raw materials composing a tire)

  Which materials make a good tire?

Or I should better write:

  Which materials are in a good tire?

Or

  What materials make a good tire?


texts: Words meaning changing from good to better

texts:
I am looking for verbs that can mean changing from good to better. "improve" can means changing from bad to less bad, so I am hesitant to use it.

For example, my presentation skills have been __ through my teaching assistant duties.

By the way, are there references that help with similar questions?

Thanks!


texts: Difference between "Present Simple" and "Present Perfect"

texts:
I'm really upset. My dress is torn.

  I'm really upset. My dress has been torn.

I think these sentences mean the same. But in the active voice, they don't.

  I'm really upset. I tear my dress.

  I'm really upset. I have torn my dress.

According to English grammar rules, the present simple tense expresses general ideas.

Why do they mean the same in the passive voice?


texts: How to make sure what tense is appropriate to be used in conditionals

texts:
I came across two questions concerning conditionals in a coursebook. It goes like this,

Question 1:

  Most people (buy/will buy) state-of-the-art products if they (have/will have) the money.

The right answer is using the first conditional structure i.e. will buy and have.

My question is why not buy and have instead! Couldn't it be a general truth? How should I pick between these two? Is there a quick trick to help us choose the correct answer?

Question 2:

There is an incomplete sentence in which the students are instructed to finish it using a result clause:

  If people are not careful when they choose new products, ...

My question is if I could use both zero and first conditional structures in here and both would be correct

  If people are not careful when they choose new products, they regret/will regret it.


texts: "I can not do X" vs. "I am able not to do X"

texts:
University of Sussex

  The negative of can is cannot (one word) not can not (two words).

  I cannot do X = I am unable to do X.

  I can not do X = I am able not to do X.

University of Sussex establishes an equivalence that does not seem to be well founded, at least in the light of the results provided by Google, which show that "I am able not to do X", unlike "I can not do X", has virtually no diffusion in the English language.

So, is "I am able not to do X" legal? And, as an instance, can we really replace "I can not do X" with "I am able not to do X" in the following piece—in which X="that"— quoted from a British newspaper?

  “I hit a driver when I can hit driver, but if I need to hit a
  five-iron I don’t care,” he said. “I want it in the fairway and I
  don’t want it in a bunker. I’m doing everything I can not to do that.["]


texts: What should I answer if someone asks 'What is/was 'someone''?

texts:
A. Fabricius was Harvey's tutor.
  B. Fabricius was the first to discover the valves of the veins.

If someone asks that what was Fabricius?; which answer can I give? A or B?

Who was Fabricius ?
Which is more correct A or B.


texts: Travel mate or Traveling mate? Which one is a correct english phrase?

texts:
Today I ran into phrase "Traveling mate". I searched through online dictionaries but didin't find an entry for "Traveling mate" or "Travel mate". I am curious to know which one is a correct english word?

Traveling mate: My father is a perfect traveling mate.
Travel mate: In most cases, this allows Paul to pick up a travel mate on his way into the city.
Travel-mate: I can't remember where I saw it!!


texts: Three concerns about meaning of "stirred to the depths" and "than" and "has come of age" in this passage

texts: Every follower of Bahá’u’lláh knows well that the purpose of His Revelation is to bring into being a new creation.  No sooner had “ the First Call gone forth from His lips than the whole creation was revolutionized, and all that are in the heavens and all that are on earth were stirred to the depths.”  The individual, the institutions, and the community—the three protagonists in the Divine Plan—are being shaped under the direct influence of His Revelation, and a new conception of each, appropriate for a humanity that has come of age , is emerging.


texts:
What do we call the lowest edge of pants? Bottoms or hems?

  The bottoms of her pants are above her ankles.

  The hems of her pants are above her ankles.

Which of the two fits best for the picture?


texts: Are there any differences between 'finish' and 'finish with'?

texts:
Is it like 'finish with' is more specific and more grammatically correct? Or are there any differences between the two?

  It's time you finished your book.
  It's time you finished with your book.


texts: Is the given statement correct? I'm confused, if it should be this kind or these kinds only

texts: "He likes (these kinds/this kind) of Books."


texts:
What is the use of being in the following sentence:

  He denied any paper being leaked.

In my perception, "being" is used for state or for any action which is currently happening or happened in the past. Did he want to say that there is no paper leaking?

However if I say:

  He denied any paper has been leaked.

or

  He denied any paper is leaked.

or

  He denied any paper leaking.

are those the same?

One more example; please explain, in this context:

  "Accusing Narendra Modi of getting scared of Kejriwal and initiating police action"

can I use being instead of getting:

  "Accusing Narendra Modi of being scared of Kejriwal and initiating police action"


texts: Mr. Sinha is a very wise and (an) intelligent officer

texts:
All the staffs of this office hold the view that Mr. Sinha is a very wise and an intelligent officer.

Is the an used before intelligent officer redundant here? If we had used just one quality (wise or intelligent) to describe Mr. Sinha, the articles used would have been a for wise and an in case of intelligent – but we have both qualities to describe Mr. Sinha, so do we need to use both articles or can a single article be used?


texts: How to differentiate between an adjective and past participal?

texts:
See these examples of 'settled' as an adjective and participle

Children are settled now in new school.(adjective)
Children are settled by the teacher in the bus.(participle)
Now all my friends are settled for less.(adjective)
Now all my friends are settled by themselves.(participle)

This for example I know about 'participle adjectives' but still I am not able to distinguish between them.


texts: What's the difference between "replace" , "exchange" and "change"?

texts: When I have a problem after purchasing something at the store, I'd like to take it back to the store and change it.  These are two examples. One is that I bought a rug, but it didn't fit the space, so I'd like to change it to something different.  Another is that I bought a space heater, but there's something wrong, so I wanted to change it to a different one.  In these situations, which verb shoud I use?  Or can I use all three verbs interchangeably, saying "I'd like to replace / exchange / change this." or "Could you replace / exchange / change this?"  I looked up the differences on the internet or the dictionary, but still I cannot get it.


texts: which one is correct; "Ministry of Interior" or "Ministry of the Interior"?

texts:
I see both of them are used. In dictionaries (cambridge, collins), it has "the" whereas I have seen it used without "the" in many other places.

So, which one is correct?  "Ministry of Interior" or "Ministry of the Interior"?

Regards,


texts: Which of the follwing is true while reading the sentence

texts:
LA weather is perfect, but Houston has 4 seasons. The beach in galveston is warm enough to swim. Santa Monica beach is too cold for me even in summer. House in Houston very affordable. Job in Houston is very much. Houston has no state tax. I traded earthquake with hurricane too .lol.

Does it mean " I prefer hurricane to earthquake" ?
Or
Does it mean " I live in LA and I am going to suffer from an earthquake and if I had stayed in Houston I would not be concerned about a possible earthquake in LA"


texts: Is it possible to infer the date of receiving from the date of sending

texts:
I received a message from bandcamp informing me that the record was sent on 30 th april

Is my sentence correct ? Can we infer that the message was received around 30th april


texts:
One of the purposes for using present simple is to speak about facts:
E.g. "She lives in London" ... here I know 100% that she lives there, so I use present simple grammar and I add "s" to the verb when I speak
about "he, she, it"
But when I use the word "think" or "maybe", should I still use the present simple grammar, because in this case I am not sure 100% that she lives in London? There is doubt about where she lives.

First question:
Should I say "I think she lives in London", or "I think she live in London"?

Second question related to the first one:
Is the using of present simple only for telling facts, or can I use it in telling fictional story or imaginary situation?


texts:
Is it correct to use "on this day" when talking about a day in the past or should it be "on that day"

Example: I took an exam a week before, and the results finally came out on this day


texts: Would I have (had) vs If I would have (had) and Had I vs If I had

texts:
I happened to be stabbed by TonyK about "Would I have" and "If I would have."

I remember pretty well that grammar books taught me this and there were examples and I oftentimes met such structure in literature, and sci-fi books that I love so much. So is it correct to say:

Would I have (had) a gun I would have (had them shot) shot them.
If I would have (had) a gun I would have (had them shot) shot them.

Had I known him earlier I wouldn't have gone to him.
If I had known him earlier I wouldn't have gone to him.

And in interrogative sentences:

If I had got my years back, would I have changed anything?
Had I got my years back, would I have changed anything?

If I would have eaten that, would I die?
Would I have eaten that, would I die?

I remember meeting phrases like:

I wouldn't be me would I have not studied that much in the past.
Would he be a racer had his parents not bought him the car?

Edit: Here I found the rule and examples (Subject–Verb Inversion and Omitting "if")


texts: Expression "keep [verb]ing" in past continuous

texts:
Let us take the following sentence:

  You keep saying that I'm too young!

What is the grammatical equivalent in the past continuous? Given that "keep" is a verb, it should be okay to conjugate it, so I would say:

  You were keeping saying that I was too young, but recently you changed your mind.

My girlfriend, however, thinks that, as it is an expression, you need to keep it to its initial form:

  You were keep saying that I was too young, but recently you changed your mind.

Who is right between the two of us? And if no one is, then what is the right way of using the expression "keep + [verb]-ing" when talking in the past continuous?


texts: Difference between "Your father angry at me" and "Your father angry to me"

texts:
A few days ago I watched an Indonesian movie which had English subtitles. And I was confused when I saw the sentences:

  Your father angry at me

It's that different from this sentence? Or is something wrong?

  Your father angry to me


texts: "How we (are) shopping now." Is there a rule to separate Participle and Present Continuous if we use that Adjective with 'ing'?

texts:
For example, in phrase:
"How we're shopping now "

It seems to me that there is a contradiction in grammar construct:

  How we are shopping now.
  Subject(Noun) + Art(are/is) + Verb(ing) +/- now = Present Continuous

And so, we want to build sentence in the Participle form, but neologism 'Shopping' worked as Noun, Adjective or Verb (by context).

And phrase "How we are shopping now" may be understood literally about our action in current real time.

Seed of this Question:

Is it right to throw the art.'are' for build that sentence in
Participle form? And we have semantic difference in there case?
Is it will be right?

  How we shopping now.


texts: Does "my mother cars" need an apostrophe and S?

texts:
The first one sounds wrong to me but I'm not sure.

Which one is correct?

  My mother's cars

or

  My mother cars


texts: When "most" take a before it instead of "the"

texts:
Sreedhar is the most intelligent student.
Sreedhar is a most intelligent student

What is the difference?


texts: What use when I don't know the gender of a person?

texts:
When I don't know if a person is male or female, what word shall I use? I don't know but in spanish we use the male form: he.
PD: I know that I could say He/She but I don't want.


texts: If this 'would' were 'would have p.p', is it not an irrealis but past form of would?

texts:
Then she remembered; Paul and Minta and Andrew had not come back. She summoned before her again the little group on the terrace in front of the hall door, standing looking up into the sky. Andrew had his net and basket. That meant he was going to catch crabs and things. That meant he would climb out on to a rock; he would be cut off. Or coming back single file on one of those little paths above the cliff one of them might slip. He would roll and then crash. It was growing quite dark.
  (Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse)

"He would roll and then crash" is at the past reference time and when we foreshift this it would be "He will roll and then crash."

If the original sentence were "He would have rolled and then crashed," it would not an irrealis, but just a back-shifted form from "He would roll and then crash." And it puts more psychological distance from the original probability. Is this right?

Or "He would have rolled and then crashed" is at the past reference time and this incident is known now invisible narrator’s present time (= invisible speech time?), so this expression is quite different from “He would roll and then crash”. Because the latter is just the future possibility at the past reference. Is this right?


texts:
Is using the definite article here in this sentence incorrect? If yes, what's its reason? The word 'chapter' is a count noun.

Have you finished the chapter eight of your novel book?


texts: At a certain point of a document that I am writing, I need to refer the reader to the next section in the following way: "(see the next section)". My question is: do I have to omit the the or is it fine like that?


texts: "What color is your car?" vs "what is the color of your car?"

texts:
The pattern what x be y? is frequent in English and can be seen in sentences like these:

  What color is your car?

  What time is it now?

  What day does school begin?

  What size is this shirt?

Are the following alternatives as good English?

  What is the color of your car (or, what is your car's color)?

  What is the time now?

  What is the day that school begins on?

  What is the size of this shirt?


texts:
Even though Maxwell gatecrashed society events and made (30) he was photographed with powerful figures such as Russia’s President Gorbachev, he never felt embraced by society.

What is "gatecrashed society events" in other words?
What is  embraced by society?


texts:
5 Tips for Performant, Thread-Safe Java From ConcurrentHashMap

Why does this article use performant instead of performance? Are they any differences between these two?


texts:
Question1

If we tuck in a bedspread or covers on the corners of the bed and after a while they're sticking out again, what will be a natural way to express it:

  The bedspread has come undone.

  The bedspread has come out on a corner.

  The bedspread has come untucked.

And what about a shirt that had been tucked but now has come undone/untucked?

  The shirt has come out.

  The shirt has come untucked.

  The shirt has come undone.

In the above 6 sentences what will be used :come out/undone/untucked?

Another question(2)

If someone asks someone to untuck his/her shirt, will it be natural to say:

  Pull out your shirt.


texts:
Until right now, I was very sure that the formulation (we are) open to discuss is kind of idiomatic. Now I read a text that (as I have been told) has been checked by a native speaker of English and stumbled over this:

We are open to discussing the opportunities with you.

I would have written

We are open to discuss the opportunities with you.

instead.

Before I am making a fool out of myself by wrongly correcting a native speaker:
Those both seem grammatically fine to me, but I do not think the first version is normally used. Could you help me find out, if I am right?


texts:
What does "it does not pay" mean in this sentence?

  Therefore, in spite of the fact that the basic question (“What is the force on Q due to q?”) is easy to state, it does not pay to confront it head on; rather, we shall go at it by stages.

I have done some search in internet, but didn't found whole phrase translation.


texts: What is the grammatical difference between: “is borrowed” and " has been borrowed"?

texts:
These are the sentences:

  My umbrella is borrowed by Tom. May I use yours？
  My umbrella has been borrowed by Tom. May I use yours?

I wrote the first sentence as my answer in my grammar quiz, but my teacher said that I'm wrong. And the answer should be the second one.

What is the difference in these two sentence and is my sentence correct?
Thank you very much.

ps. I am the one who post the last post, but I lost my account, so I post it again.


texts:
What does "good country" mean when related to person?
I've been watching this documentary and I've met the expression in this chunk

Discussing that scene by the river with Jimmy Stewart one time, he
said to me that just before they made the shot, Ford had taken Stewart
aside and said: "Watch out for Widmark. He's a good country actor".
And, Jimmy said that that kind of put him on his guard for the whole scene.

Does this simply means a "good actor from province" or is there more meaning to it than that?


texts: "Till" or "up to" or "to" or another adverb?

texts:
Which one is correct?

  1) "I looked at the photo album till the last photo"
  2) "I looked at the photo album to the last photo"
  3) "I looked at the photo album up to the last photo"

Edit: I think the better option is "up to" but "till" seems true to some extent.


texts: difference between "in" and "out of" when talking of amounts

texts:
Tonight I was reading a text about the English language, which included the following sentence :

  One in ten people speak (English) as their mother tongue

I was surprised by this usage, and so I checked in the OALD. I found that "in" is defined (18th meaning) as "used to show a rate or relative amount" and this example is given "a gradient of one in five".

"out of" is defined (11th meaning) as "from a particular number or set" and the following example is given "you scored six out of ten".

Am I the only one who cannot tell the difference between the two expressions? Would it be wrong to say "One out of ten people speak (English) as their mother tongue" ?


texts:
edge [countable] the outside limit of an object, a surface or an area;
  the part furthest from the centre

  I gripped the edge of my desk to steady myself.

  the first spacecraft to travel to the edge of the solar system.

  on the edge of something He stood on the edge of the cliff.

  Stand the coin on its edge.

  at the edge of something a big house on/at the edge of town

  I sat down at the water's edge.

  near the edge of something Don't put that glass so near the edge of
  the table.

  She tore the page out roughly, leaving a ragged edge in the book.

  the middle [singular] the part of something that is at an equal
  distance from all its edges or sides; a point or a period of time
  between the beginning and the end of something

  in the middle a lake with an island in the middle

  This chicken isn't cooked in the middle.

  in the middle of something Her car was stuck in the middle of the
  road.

  The phone rang in the middle of the night.

  You can’t leave in the middle of the meeting!

  His picture was right/bang (= exactly) in the middle of the front
  page.

  I have a pain in the middle of my back.

  Low temperatures in the middle of winter can kill some trees.

  down the middle Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the
  middle.

  by the middle of something I should have finished by the middle of
  the week.

  I like a story with a beginning, a middle and an end.

Normally, We say "Don't sit on the edge of the bed. Sit in the middle of it".

Now I want to change "sit" to "move".

Would I say "Don't move to the edge of the bed. Move to the middle of it" or "Don't move onto the edge of the bed. Move into the middle of it"?

Ngram shows the results of "move into the middle,move to the middle,move to the edge" but not "move onto the edge".


texts:
"As he moved up the school, he gathered about him a group of dedicated friends; I call them that, for want of a better term, although as I have already indicated, Riddle undoubtedly felt no affection for any of them.

  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

I'm not sure what "moved up the school" is supposed to mean. Is it his grade getting higher or something?


texts:
How do you likely to say for non-English speaker to use letters from the English alphabet (e.g. to write down something or to create a nickname)?

Do you say use Latin letters or English letters?


texts: Can I define "shell out" as "to pay an excessive amount of money unwillingly or angrily"?

texts:
I found some definitions of "shell out" as follows:

To spend a certain amount of money (http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/shell+out)
To pay for something, generally applies to paying large amounts of money (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shell%20out)
Having to pay an amount of money for something, especially if unexpected or having to pay more than one thinks is a fair price (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shell%20out)
(informal) Pay (a specified amount of money, especially one regarded as excessive)(http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/shell)

Can I define shell out as "to pay an excessive amount of money unwillingly or angrily"?


texts: Is it possible to say "That building is getting more and more higher."?

texts: I'm not sure if it's correct to say "more and more higher" because "more and more expensive" is possible. But as you can see, in the second example the comparative form of the adjective expensive is "more expensive", so this expression indicates that something is more expensive each time. Can I use "more and more" with the same usage with short adjectives such as "high"?


texts:
Please help me to understand when should I use an article before reason and when I should not use any article before reason.

Examples:

  (A) I have reason to do this.

  (B) I have a good reason to do this.

  (C) I have a reason to do this.

  (D) I have some reason to do this.

I meant to say all sentences in the same way, just want to confirm when should I use an article and when I should not. Please also check all sentences are correct or not.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
How should I put the genitive case in this sentence:

  The investors’ and businessmen’s trust.

Or

  The investors and businessmen’s trust.

I know if two nouns are sharing something we use one “S”, but I’m not sure if this applies to two plurals the first one end with s and the second doesn’t ?

I don’t want to use this form “ the trust of investors and businessmen” because my full sentence already has lots of “of”.


texts: What is the subject of "to find" in this sentence?

texts:
I can't figure out the subject of "to find" in this sentence from a book. It appears to me it should connect with Each habit demands appropriate conditions, making appropriate conditions its subject. But I recall that demand someone to do is wrong, as has been discussed here.

  Each habit demands appropriate conditions for its exercise and when habits are numerous and complex, as with the human organism, to find these conditions involves search and experimentation.

I am inclined to say to find is short for "in order to find". Is that the case?


texts: How to express "The work is as difficult to do as easy it sounds" in a less awkward way?

texts:
How do I rephrase the sentence

  "The work seems easy to do, but is equally difficult".

Is there a way of saying it using "As much as"?

Or can I say,

  "The work is as difficult to do as easy it sounds" ?

The latter sentence looks grossly incorrect to me.


texts: Should I use "a" or "an" when I abbreviate a word?

texts:
Taking notes, I was going to write this:

  therefore p′ is a shortest path.

But the topic is APSP which stands for "all pairs shortest paths" so I decided to just write SP instead and...

Is it written with a like this

  therefore p′ is a SP

or with an like this (because in my head I would "read" the S)

  therefore p′ is an SP


texts: "Were I to refer to" and other confusing phrasings

texts:
I came across this sentence:

  In addition, I must offer an apology to the reader on a quite different matter. I can well appreciate that she or he might take exception, were I to refer to her or him in a way that appears to make presumptions as to her or his sex—and I shall certainly not do so!

I could not figure out the sentence grammatically. For example "were I to refer to" is a very strange structure.


texts:
Where does 'deliberately' and 'physically' go in my sentence? I wrote it like this:

  A) Physical abuse is when a child is deliberately physically hurt or injured.

I also tried:

  B) Physical abuse is when a child is physically hurt or injured deliberately.


texts: actual time: more than none -- I don't understnad what that means

texts:
Source: JavaScript For Cats

Example:

  JavaScript started as a way to make web pages more interactive. Nowadays JavaScript runs in more places than just web browsers — it runs on web servers, phones and even robots! This page will teach you some JavaScript basics so that you can get up and running in no time*.* Actual time: more than none. Probably an hour or two. Also since you are a cat you are less likely to run and more likely to lay around in the sun

I don't really understand what he means by more than none in the context of that paragraph.


texts: Should I use commas around "really hungry"?

texts:
I woke up that night really hungry and I walked to the freezer only to find there's no food in it.

I'm curious about where the punctuation marks would be.

  I woke up that night, really hungry, and I walked to the freezer only to find there's no food in it.

Are the punctuation marks placed right in the above sentence?
Is it grammatically correct?


texts: What is the difference among these ("have been trying" vs "have tried" vs "are trying")?

texts:
What is the difference among these?

  Russian businessmen have been trying to work out what provoked Mr
  Putin.

  Russian businessmen have tried to work out what provoked Mr
  Putin.

  Russian businessmen are trying to work out what provoked Mr
  Putin.


texts:
I consulted several online dictionaries and did not find the answer. "To corner" usually means "to put into a position from which it is difficult to escape", but that's hardly the meaning here, is it?

Here is the quote : "

  Gold has been cornered, scrambled for, and hoarded," said the Rt. Hon.
  Winston Churchill in 1932.


texts:
This is a passage from a novel:

  Georgie shook her head and reached for the black desk phone that sat between her and Seth. "This is Georgie".
  Her mom sighed. "I've been on hold so long. I thought that girl forgot about me."
  Nope. What's up?"
  I just called to see how you were doing." Her mom sounded concerned. (Her mom liked to sound concerned.)
  "I'm fine," Georgie said.
  "Well..." Another sigh. A fortified sigh.

What is a fortified sigh? I looked up fortify in the dictionaries, but none of the definitions seems to be applicable to the context.


texts: Is it possible and normal to use the words without any verbs in everyday English? (look at the example)

texts:
Is it possible and normal to use the words without any verbs in this particular example?(The highlighted part I mean)
Are we allowed to add an irrevelant sentence in the middle of it? ( the added sentence is in parentheses )

  This story and also these kinds of stories are usually about money & marriage. The story of envy, jealousy, comparing your life with your friends' lives and in this particular case ( I know this is gonna sound weird ) the story of being the wife and, moreover, the main breadwinner of the family.


texts:
I wrote the following sentences:

  He drives not so much quickly as recklessly.
  He does not drive so much quickly as recklessly.
  He does not drive quickly so much as recklessly.

Which one sounds best to you? I would be grateful for any comments.


texts:
Glasgow based duo Happy Meals have spent the last year since the release of their debut Apéro touring the globe, experimenting with new sounds and forms, and are now ready to introduce Fruit Juice.

The use of present perfect with the last year seems strange, last year is past   it is finished and have spent the action begins in the past and continues up to now.
Maybe the present perfect is used because their new release has just come out
or will come out soon.
Can somebody explain me why?


texts: What's the logic behind this definition of 'to hold' ?

texts:
I'd like to dredge below this (legal?) definition of to hold, that differ from the norm.

  5.6. (Of a judge or court) rule; decide:

Would someone please explain the etymology and the reasoning behind these stricter meanings? Please explain the steps or thought processes, for want of doing so by myself in the future? I tried http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=hold&searchmode=none


texts:
I'm having a hard time with the slang in the movie Focus. I have just heard the following line:

All eyes on me until I make the mark. And once I fan him, I tug my lapel. Two fingers mean it's a prat poke. Three fingers mean it's an insider. If it's a cordeen or an ox tongue, I'll scratch my nose.

Context: the leader of a group of pickpocket thieves is giving instructions about how they will pickpocket people in the streets.
What do "cordeen" and "ox tongue" mean in this context?


texts: What does "specific" exactly mean in this context?

texts:
The agreement is specific to those provisions specified in the manual.

In the example above, does "is specific to" mean "match"? I am not sure if this sentence means "The agreement matches/fits those provisions". The meanings of "specific" defined in dictionaries seem vague for this context.


texts: Is “that” required in “The music company was afraid that...”?

texts:
Sentence:The music company was afraid the accelerating decline of sales of compact discs would not be compensated by increased internet revenue.

  Solution:The music company was afraid that the accelerating decline of sales of compact discs would not be compensated by increased internet revenue.

I was given the following example. By using "that", the sentence is corrected.

I can't tell why and what's the difference in meaning with or without the word "that".

This was the given explanation:

  "The original sentence has one independent clause (the music company was afraid of something) and then includes another main verb (would not be . . . revenue), but there is no conjunction to create a compound verb, so that second verb doesn’t have the same subject (company). Logically, the subject for the second verb should be the decline of sales, but this noun is in a prep phrase, so it can’t function as a subject of the sentence. One way to fix the sentence is to replace the preposition of with that: The music company was afraid THAT the accelerating decline of sales of compact discs would not be compensated by increased internet revenue. "

Can anyone please help to explain this further?


texts: Which article is to be used in "press a point"?

texts:
I read a sentence in a book, "Word Power Made Easy" which was:

  I do not wish to press a point unduly, but it is possible that you have learned more new words in the short time it took you to cover the chapter than the average adult learns in an entire year.

Most of the sources contained "the" in place of "a" in the idiom. So it got me into thinking whether the "a" version would be acceptable?


texts: "I saw him TAKE it" and "I thought he KNEW it"?

texts: I'm confused by the use of these two tenses  "I saw him TAKE it" and "I thought he KNEW it" Why I saw him + infinity form verb but I thought he + past tense??


texts: An English equivalent for the proverbial sentence: "if gold rusts, what will iron do?!"

texts:
I've been looking for a proverbial sentence which literally says:

  People usually sprinkle salt on "every perishable thaink" that is going bad or has started to rot! But, imagine the case when the "salt itself" goes bad! What a mess it could be!
  Connotation: If salt rots itself, undoubtedly, you would lose your hope avoiding some "perishable" things to deteriorate!

Where "salt" means "a good person" and the word "perishable" indicates all the people who have a higher tendency to be deprived or do something irrational or potentially are able to do any unjustifiable action.

The only English equivalent I came up with was what I mentioned within the title:

  If gold rusts, what will iron do?!

Although I think within a context it would be self-evident, but I'm not confident whether if it is the way a native would convey the same mesaage!

Now please let me know what would you normally say in the same case? Is there any similar saying in English?


texts:
From TheFreeDictionary:

  give a damn (v): show no concern or interest; always used in the negative

But then in example, it says...

  "She doesn't give a damn about her job"

This means, she gives least importance to her job.

But then,

The UrbanDictionary says:

  don't give a damn: don't care

So, can we write above example in both ways?

  She does not give a damn about her job = She gives a damn about her job

I read this thread here but no concrete answer.

What about the similar expression?

  Give a hoot = Don't give a hoot?   Give a shit = Don't give a shit?


texts: What does the question "What are the very serious diseases caused by mosquitoes?" need, subject or complement?

texts:
What are the very serious diseases caused by mosquitoes?

I'd like to know whether the word "What" is used as a subject in the question above . Thanks.


texts: We America.... and not We Americans -what is this special use?

texts:
I was reading articles on the New York Times and found this.

None of this means we, America, just have to do what the world wants, but we do have to take it seriously, and we do have to be good listeners.
We, America, ''have to work even harder to build bridges,'' argues Mr. Wright, because info-tech, left to its own devices, will make it so much easier for small groups to build their own little island kingdoms.

Why is that? How do we call ourselves the nation itself (America) rather than its citizen (American)?


texts:
Is it grammatically correct or colloquial to use "for" with present simple tense as in the following examples :

  I do this business for ten years.

  I teach Math for five years.

  I run this company for years.


texts: "Metaphoring road trips with life and its success", how to write this statement correctly?

texts:
I have written an article which compares life and its success with road trip but I am getting trouble in deciding perfect heading. So please tell that is the above statement correct or it can be improved.

Thanks in advance.. :)


texts:
Do I need to place a comma before -but- in this sentence? I suppose not, because there is no independent clause after but. Or am I wrong? And which option is, stylistically, preferable?

According to the Explanatory Memorandum, the Act equips disputing parties with an auxiliary tool to refrain them from commencing legal proceedings on the merits of the case but instead helps them to negotiate an out-of-court settlement.
According to the Explanatory Memorandum, the Act equips disputing parties with an auxiliary tool to refrain them from commencing legal proceedings on the merits of the case but helps them to negotiate an out-of-court settlement instead.


texts: "Have ever done before" or "ever did before"

texts:
What is the difference between

a) I've done a lot of exercise in my life, but I've done more in the last few days than I've ever done before.

b) I've done a lot of exercise in my life, but I've done more in the last few days than I ever did before.

Thank you.


texts:
Category killers and niche retailers compete effectively with department stores, which typically have slower inventory turns, high operating expenses, and larger inventory losses, but are experiencing more difficulty competing with value merchants such as Giant with their relentless emphasis on efficiency, cost reduction, and disciplined inventory management.

Is the bolded prepositional phrase attached to "Giant" or
is it attached to "competing"?


texts:
From the Cambridge Dictionary

have yet to: If you have yet to do something, you have not done it

They have yet to make a decision.

I also read the tutorial on Yale and the post "Be yet to do" vs "have yet to do".
I guess I understand the meaning of it. I'd just like to know the difference between the example above and the one below

They are going to make a decision.

When should I use which?


texts: “Think of A as B” vs. “Think A B” vs. “Think A to be B”

texts:
I’m wondering if there is any difference between the forms: “Think of A as B”, “Think A B” and “Think A to be B”.
Which one is the most often used? Is there any preference of each form?


texts: Is it correct to say "you can jump down from that much height" or "you can jump down from that high"?

texts:
This sentence is from a dictionary
I told you that you'd feel awful if you drank that much wine.
So, I think we can say "Wow, you're so fit/athletic, you can jump down from that much height". And in this case, "from" is a preposition which is followed by the noun "that much height".
But we also say "I can't walk that far" (Oxford dictionary). In this case, adverb "far" is modified by adverb "that".
Is it correct to say "Wow, you're so fit/athletic, you can jump down from that much height"
or "Wow, you're so fit/athletic, you can jump down from that high"
or "Wow, you're so fit/athletic, you can jump down from that much high"??


texts: Are "essence" and "essential" interchangeable in meaning?

texts:
In Merriam-Webster Learner's dictionary, the word "essence" means:

  noun [singular] the basic nature of a thing.

For example, the essence of love is unselfishness.

The word "essential" means:

  noun [count] sth. that is basic or necessary---usually plural

For example, the essentials for success is ...

From the means, they are different. But are they really different? "The essentials for success are...." and "The essence for success is...." are the same in my opinion. So are "essence" and "essential" sometimes interchangeable in meaning? If ignore the single or plural form.


texts:
One would never defeat one’s circumstances by working and saving one’s
  pennies; one would never, by working, acquire that many pennies, and,
  besides, the social treatment accorded even the most successful
  Negroes proved that one needed, in order to be free, something more
  than a bank account.

Letter from a Region in My Mind

Can I understand the bold word as "accorded that"?

Thank you.


texts: I still remember the first time i listened to this song

texts: I feel like this sentence is grammaticaly incorrect when saying it but I can't find the mistake, or I feel that i could put "at" at the end. So, what is the right thing? Is it the original sentence, or is there is really a mistake, or can i put an "at" at the end?


texts: He is/was the guy I was telling you about

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between the 2 sentences below in each set, and in what scenario do we typically use each one?
1st Set:

He is the guy I was telling you about.

He was the guy I was telling you about.

2nd Set:

I was wondering what the difference is between the 2 cars.

I was wondering what the difference was between the 2 cars.

I find the subject of is and was confusing since some people tend to just use contractions when texting. For example, "he's or hes" (to mean he is or he was). Also, some people tend to speak very quickly making it difficult for me to clearly distinguish what the person is saying.


texts: Can healthy be use in every circumstances in stead of healthful?

texts:
From what I found, healthy can have the meaning of healthful, moreover the Oxford dictionary consider them as synonyms since 1552 (according to an unverified source). However, there still seems to be a big fuss about healthy being used in place of healthful.

I did not know about healthful until fairly recently and have been using healthy with the very meaning of healthful in a lot of occasions without being told that I was off.

Therefore, I would be glad if you could show evidence that healthful is not a word redundant with healthy.

Nota: I am aware that there are two questions addressing this very problem on ELU but the answers were lacking solid conclusions.


texts: What does "It was due to" mean in context?

texts:
A robotic submarine deployed to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane in the southern Indian Ocean has had its first mission cut short.The Bluefin-21 was sent to search the sea floor for wreckage after signals believed to be consistent with "black box" flight recorders were detected.But the drone exceeded its operating limit of 4,500m (15,000ft) and was brought back to the surface.It was due to return later on Tuesday if weather conditions permitted."To account for inconsistencies with the sea floor, the search profile is being adjusted to extend the sonar search for as long as possible," an update from the US Navy - which operates the Bluefin-21 - said. (Source--BBC News)

I am unsure whether the highlighted phrase means "it was because of". My perception is that The robot returned but it was in order to ( it was due to) make a comeback later on Tuesday if weather conditions permitted. ( second conditional )


texts: Difference between "how", "the way" and "like" in the given sentences

texts:
I love you how you loved him.

  I love you the (same) way you loved him.

  I love you like you loved him.

In cases like this one, is "how" = "the same way"/"the way"/ "like"? Do all the sentences mean the same thing?


texts: Uncountable nouns taking singular verbs when they are used as a body or a group

texts:
1) The team is  at the top in this competition.
  2) The team are full of high spirits.

There are certain nouns which take singular verbs when referred as a group or body. A team is probably never divided therefore it is a team. So, in the second sentence are we trying to point out each member of the team and using plural verb?

Also, since each member of the team is of high spirit then collectively its a group/team, so should it not take singular helping verb. Suggestions please.


texts: The difference between 'It is important that...' and 'It is important for...to...'

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

It is important for him to study in the UK.
It is important that he studies in the UK.

I also wonder if there is any difference in 'It is + adjective+ for + to infinitive' and 'It is + adjective + that...' in general.


texts:
This passage is from TOEFL:

  Those who are considered to be gorgeous can make millions of dollars
  due to their looks, while musical geniuses with modest looks may
  remain in obscurity.

I wonder if I can (or not) paraphrase considered to be into considered as.

Because I saw some considered as phrase in Teentimes; for example:

  "In some ways it is considered as a protective feature to prevent
  terrorism."


texts: Tense for something I did yesterday and also will be doing today

texts:
My boss just asked me which task I was working on yesterday, and which one I will be working on today. I wanted to reply that I was working on the same task, but the sentence structure seemed awkward to me.

"Yesterday and today, I will be working on (task-name)"

What is the correct way to express this?


texts: Past tense of "I want to go away on a trip"

texts:
I wanted to go away on a trip this weekend.
I wanted to went away on a trip this weekend.

The second sentence sounds wrong, but why does "go away" not become "went away"?


texts:
I found this sentence from my dictionary. I wonder why "had" is before "a moment".

  Hardly had a moment passed before the door creaked open.

I also wonder about other words like never, once in a while, scarcely, etc. when they are at the beginning of a sentence.

Are they adverbs?
Could you tell me about their grammar rules?


texts: Looking for a word for: "not easily recognizable"

texts:
I am looking for a word.

The word should mean something that is:

  "not easily recognizable"

E.g.

'His hat was not >>easily recognizable<<'

'The problem was not >>easily recognizable<<'


texts: "circumstance" or "circumstance of a situation"

texts:
Remember,  the  four  of  you  may  be  proficient,  each  in  your  own  subject,  but  if  you  don’t have the sense to act suitably to the time and circumstance of a situation, you may have to go hungry.

This sentence is from " Selected Myanmar Tales"
I am so confused with the usage "circumstance of a situation". I have just learned that "circumstance" means "special situation". Is it needed to add "situation"
after the word "circumstance" ?


texts:
Exactly what kind of a noun is "language" in this metaphorical sentence?

  Music is beautiful language.


texts: Usage of "just" in the phrase "just want"

texts:
What is the meaning of just in the prayer sentence:

  Lord, we just want to ask for your grace

Does the word in some way minimize the request?

Put another way, what is the effect of using just in a sentence such as the following?

  God, we just want to thank you for the gift of Salvation


texts:
Does it make any difference whether I use more or most in this sentence?

  Whoever of the two of you makes more/most hits in the last round,
  wins the whole game.


texts: Meaning of 'to take in on one's way back'

texts:
I know the meaning of 'to take in' is similar with 'to understand', and
'on one's way back' is 'to go back to where he/she was', but I don't understand
the sentence below.

They brought jays here from all over the United States to look down that hole, every summer for three years. Other birds, too. And they could all see the point, except an owl that come from Nova Scotia to visit the Yosemite, and he took this thing in on his way back. He said he couldn't see anything funny in it. But then he was a good deal disappointed about Yosemite, too.

-from  'Baker's blue-jay yarn' by Mark Twain

I guess the context above means that the owl neither understands the story about the hole nor has a sense of humor, and only understands what happened there on his way back to his place (Yosemite). Also, he isn't impressed with Yosemite.


texts: In my opinion, "A boy didn't read every book"is ambiguous, it can express"a boy didn't read any book" or "Not every book were read by the boy".Am I right?


texts: Does "shore" require the "r" sound in the pronunciation (UK pronunciation)?

texts:
In the Cambridge Dictionary I see the pronunciation of the word shore is represented by /ʃɔːr/. In the WordReference dictionary it is instead pronounced as /ʃɔː/. The "r" sound is silent in the last one. Are they both correct?

Also is the word sure pronounced exactly the same as shore?


texts:
In the sentence given below

  It would be well for us to admire what is worthy of admiration in such a people, rather than to carp about their errors.

I think the reference is made to some of the people who arr worthy of admiration, then why what is used. I think it should be who


texts:
Not everything what appears so is chocolate.

I am not sure if the sentence above is OK. Does it make sense to a native speaker?


texts: What is "leave" in the sentence "We saw Fred leave"?

texts:
Words "leave" and "arrive" belong to which part of speech (noun or bare infinitive) in the following sentences:

  We saw Fred leave.

  Did you hear them arrive?


texts: Phrase meaning "crashed in thunderous white"

texts:
The  big  breakers  came  in  slowly;  their  shoulders  growing  tall  and green.  They  crashed  in  thunderous  white, and we would sit in silence, the breezes scrubbing the hot sun from our faces.   (Source)

In this paragraph, what does the phrase "crashed in thunderous white" mean? Moreover explain its composition to me from grammatical point of view.


texts:
I am not sure how I should be using the word "documentation".

A documentation (on/of) X will be created soon.
A documentation (on/of) X is coming soon.
In the near future, I will create a documentation of X.


texts: Not only DID he exceed/he EXCEEDED, but he HAD also drank alcohol. (Past tense)

texts:
How come sentence1 is more correct than sentence2, in terms of BETTER FIT with its relative clause?

  Not only DID he exceed the speed limit, but he HAD also drank alcohol. (From a website)

Vs.

  Not only he EXCEEDED the speed limit, but he HAD also drank alcohol. (My construction)

Both introductory clause (sentence 1 & 2) are in the past, aren't they? BUT, how come, if I were to construct a sentence, the sentence#2 would be incorrect?

Source: Grammaring: Test your grammar #47
(scroll to reach #47)


texts:
For example:

  There's two options here

or

  There are two options here

I hear a lot of people say the first line (or something similar), but isn't that incorrect? Isn't it plural and therefore you should use "there are"?


texts: Can I use the continuous aspect in the past and present tense?

texts:
Is the following sentence correct?

  "Has Sarah been watching us this entire time?"

And can you say "Sarah is watching" when it comes to watching people?


texts: "[I]t literally scared her to death" - Why is "I" in brackets?

texts:
Quoting a phrase from an article:

  Grubb’s first overdose was on Aug. 15, 2015. Her mother found her blue on her bedroom floor, a tourniquet around her arm and a needle next to her. Paramedics revived her. “[I]t literally scared her to death,” David Grubb said of his daughter. “I mean, she knew that it happened to other people, but I don’t think she really thought it could happen to her, that she could control it.”

Why is "I" in brackets?


texts:
He has born on Tuesday.

Is this sentence grammatically correct?
I want to express that the person I mention was born on that day.  Is this sentence correct?


texts: “[NOUN] in veins” eg. “MUSICIAN in veins” meaning

texts:
Phrase: "Musician in veins"
Is it correct? Can it be misinterpreted? Is it easily understandable for english speaking person? How do YOU understand it?


texts: What are the similarities and differences: attend vs tend?

texts:
I recognise and thus do not ask about the other homonym tend evolved from the French 'tendre' (ODO's Definition 1), and only about Definition 2.

I beware of the Etymological Fallacy, but I observe that under 'Origin' is written 'shortening of attend'? Their usage seems identical.
For example,    Definition 1 of tend = 'Care for or look after; give one’s attention to'
resembles Definition 2.1 of attend = 'Give practical help and care to; look after' ?

By the bye, what are the phenomenons involved here called (for example,


texts:
I offered him up to fix his car.

Does this sentence have meaning that I offered to fix his car?

  I offered him up to take a rest after the voyage.

Does this sentence have meaning that I offered a rest to him?


texts:
Would you tell me the reason why native speakers often say store nearby instead of nearby store?

  There is no store nearby.
  There is no nearby store.

One of my friends gave me this answer:

  I would naturally use "There is no store nearby / There is no nearby store" in this sort of context:

    A: Did you go to the nearby store?
    B: There is no nearby store.

  Speaker A is presupposing that there is a nearby store.
  Speaker B is denying that presupposition.

But I don't understand yet.


texts: Behavior of something caused by a known exterior cause/phenomenon

texts:
I would like to know the proper form to refer to the reaction of an object X to an exterior cause Y. Is it correct to say

  X's behavior towards Y

Or maybe

  X's behavior against Y

Is more appropriate ?


texts: "how comes down" vs. "It all comes down"

texts:
Meaning of come down on Cambridge Dictionary

  to fall and land on the ground

A tutorial sounds like

  This is why Hebrew may come across as aggressive, but it's basically the way we
  stress words. How comes down to the language, people.

whereas the official TRANSCRIPT gives

  It all comes down to the language, people.

Which one is correct? What does that mean? The meaning on Cambridge Dictionary doesn't seem to apply here.


texts: What this means? "I am focused only on the essentials, to the exclusion of all else."

texts:
"I am focused only on the essentials, to the exclusion of all else."
This is a line from movie Ad Astra.
I am not quite sure what does the rear part of the sentence mean. Does this mean I am focus on the something, and therefor ignore others?
Can I rewrite it this way?
I am focused only on the essentials.
I am focused to the exclusion of all else.
Thank you in advance!


texts:
Can I use "to inquire" with an indirect object and does its meaning change in this following sense, to ask  information, whether I use "as to/ about" because the prepositions used with it change its meaning. I wonder if there is a difference between simply "to inquire" and " inquire about" in American English especially?

  The CEO inquired the account manager (as to/about) why there is
  a deficit in the annual budget at the end of the year. However, because he
  could not get a good answer, he appointed a committee in order to
  inquire into the records.

or

In case the product you bought have not arrive in a time that it should have so you tell your friend:

  I will  inquire Amazon as to whether they will able send the products
  before new year.

  May I inquire (as to) why  you need this information?

I read an useful thread on ELU so I know prepositions used with it changes its meaning besides it can have different uses in different countries.


texts:
What is understood if I say "I'm an English teacher"?

  "I teach English", or
  "I'm a teacher coming from England"?


texts: Which verb is the adverb "anymore" describing in the sentence "I didn't know they did that anymore."?

texts:
I didn't know they did that anymore.

Which verb is the adverb that "anymore" describing, the first "did" or "know" or the last one "did"?


texts:
Profanity is socially offensive language. What is language free from cursewords. Is there a word to express the opposite concept of profanity? Should I use simply politeness here or is there a more sophisticated word to cover this concept in the following sentences?

  [the word] is an important quality which needs to be internalized in children in young age.

  Consider [the word] seriously in this place. They won't take it easy in here.

  (On a sign in a public place): Please Observe [the word]


texts: Is it okay to finish an informal letter with "that's it for now"?

texts:
That's it for now, give my love to your father.

  Write back soon.

  Yours,
  X

Someone has said that it is a mistake and one should write 'That's all for now...' Is it okay to finish an informal letter this way?


texts:
Can we use past tense of verb for present tense?

E.g.

a) If you finished this burger in 5 min I will give you one more.

I want to use Finished because I want to emphasis on completed action and not hypothesis. means if he did finish his burger then I will surely give him one more.

b ) If you finish this burger in 5 min I will give you one more.

Or should I simply say but this but it gives Idea of hypothesis. It also suggest his ability to finish burger. If he could able to finish it I will give him one more burger.


texts:
By the same token, did ye ever hear o' one Torrigiano--Torrisany we
  called him?' 'I can't say I ever did. Was he a Frenchy like?' 'No, a
  hectoring, hard-mouthed, long-sworded Italian builder, as vain as
  a peacock and as strong as a bull, but, mark you, a master workman.

This is from "Rewards and Fairies"  !The Wrong Thing"
by Kipling.

http://pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/digi300.pdf

I do not understand what "long-sworded" means.
I have searched in dictionaries but could not find any.

I am glad if someone kindly teach me.


texts: Which one is the better form to use with `whether`?

texts:
My question is whether...

Or

My question is that whether...

Which one can be the best option?
For example, let’s say:

My question is (that?) whether they have everything copied or not...

If it shouldn’t have that, in what case am I supposed to use it as well?


texts:
She lay asleep on the bed.

Is "asleep" an adverb or adjective in the sentence above?

I found that "asleep" can be used as an adverb in Merriam-Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asleep). But I am not sure "asleep" is an adverb in the sentence above.


texts:
Which one is correct grammatical?

Give me 5 kg of Sugar.
Give me 5 kg Sugar.

What is the difference between above sentences?


texts: What is the difference between "split the money" and "go dutch"?

texts:
I refuse to be treated tonight; let's (  ________  ).
a. ante up
b. split the money
c. go dutch
d. up the snakes
e. divide out

I can't figure out what to choose between "split the money" and "go dutch".
Don't they mean the same thing? Like not one person is paying all the costs for the meal, but people who ate are all pitching in? What is the difference between them? What is the correct answer to this question?
(Also, I interpreted "I refuse to be treated tonight" here as meaning "the speaker does not want to be treated, that is, she is not going to let people pay for the meal for her," have I understood it right?)
Thanks in advance!


texts: How to analyze this sentence and get the exact meaning of it?

texts:
I came across this sentence this morning,

  The lunch lines at the little midtown restaurants have grown so long that lunching out itself is in danger of oblivion.

It's hard for me to analyze the sentence. What's the exact meaning of this sentence? What is the subject of it? It uses "have grown" to suggest that the subject should be "lines"? It seems awkward anyway. Is "line" a noun or a verb here?


texts: How to express many measurements of distance, height, etc

texts:
C.brachyotis roosted in the spots with distance x ± 0.y m, height x.x ± y.y m, temperature x ± y.yoC, humidity xx.y ± x.xy%, light intensity xx.y ± xy lux, sound intensity yy.x ± xxy db, wind speed y ± x m/s, oxygen percentage level x ± y %, ammonia compound xy ± y ppm.

Is this sentence easily readable by audience?


texts: Meaning of "If it was proper to speak of days" in the novel 1984 by Orwell

texts:
He(Winston Smith) was growing fatter and stronger every day, if it was proper to speak of days.

This sentence is in Orwell's 1984 and I don't understand the meaning of the phrase "if it was proper to speak of days".
Could you tell me the meaning of that?
Thank you.


texts:
I was talking about gossiping and said "As fun as it sounds, it's actually very toxic." I wanted to mean that 'even though gossiping sounds fun, it's very toxic.'
I think I've heard people say this kind of sentence this way, but I'm not sure if my sentence was correct. Could anyone please help me use this phrase correctly?
A few examples would be appreciated.


texts: How to interpret "in the three years we lived in this house"?

texts:
Was watching movie Unbreakable, and there were these two sentences. I was a bit confused whether interpret it as the 3/5 years already passed or that it is just the 3rd/5th year still going.

  A. You have been working here for 5 years and never been sick!
  B. Audrey, do you remember me ever getting sick? In the three years we lived in this house?

How am I supposed to understand this? That the 3 years / 5 years have already passed or that it is almost 3/5 years so that it is just 3rd year he lives here / 5th year he is working somewhere.

Thank you


texts: "Defined by me" or "by I" or "by myself"?

texts:
I'm writing something and I'm in that position to write "... as will be defined by [me/I/myself]."

I'm so confused which word is the correct one, right now I'm seriously considering "by Yours truly," I need help.


texts: Is it 'cold to touch' or 'cold to the touch'?

texts:
Do you need the article 'the' in the following sentence. Please explain.

  The gun felt cold to touch.
  The gun felt cold to the touch.


texts:
Source:http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-editorials/hit-wicket-down-under-modi-scores-big-for-congress-by-likening-gods-own-country-to-pirates-own-somalia/

  So Modi may also have ended up aggravating many tourists in thrall of Kerala’s smiling and highly literate and clean and green joys.

What bold part means , green and literate joys?

What speaker intends to say by

  Hit Wicket Down Under

?


texts: What does "pulling out one's fingernails" mean?

texts:
What is the meaning of

  "pulling out one's fingernails"

Is the meaning of the expression similar to

  "pull teeth"

or does it have a different nuance?

Here is a sample sentence;

  It took until they were pulling out their fingernails before they finally reacted.

I hope this makes a sense.


texts:
The positive sentence is:

  I do my homework at 6 pm.

However, is this negative version correct?

  I don't do my homework at 6 pm.

I'm confused about the double use of do.


texts: Is it okay to lose the subject in formal writing?

texts:
In conversation we can talk like,

  Think you can do that?

Or,

  Hoped you might find it helpful!!

Here in the first sentence I excluded "You" and in the second sentence "I". I feel in both the sentences the meaning can be understood by the listener. Now is it okay to exclude those subjects in formal writing too?


texts: What is the difference between 'divert' and 're-route'?

texts:
Because of an accident, my train was diverted or 're-routed' to another station?

Are they both correct? If so, which one is more common in colloquial AmE?


texts: Can we use affirmative sentences word order in interrogative questions

texts:
In case of interrogative questions, when we already have questioning words like When, Which, Where,... with subjects in 3nd person form (he, she, it) I tend to omit auxiliary word and use affirmative sentence word order. Which seems to be incorrect according to English grammar. I want to know is it totally wrong and prohibited to use this word order, or it could be used sometimes, and if so, when and why? Let's see some simple examples:

Affirmative: This bus goes to London.
Correct question with Wh* word: Where does this bus go?
Incorrect form which I tend to use: Where this bus goes?

Another example:

Affirmative: This dog likes you.
Correct: Who does this dog like?
Incorrect(?): Who this dog likes?

When and why "we can use" (or "can we use"?) the word order showed in examples above under number 3?
PS: "When can we use a wrong word order?" - feels to me like a double questioning. Seems unnatural to me. Am I wrong?


texts: How to use the terms we devise in an article?

texts:
In an article I defined a term which may not correspond to its general meaning. I devised the term "context" in order to describe an algorithm on the source of a Web page:

  After introducing some anchors, the user specifies the range of the nodes which are affected by a single anchor or a group of anchors. We call this range of nodes “context”.

In the other parts of the article like the following sentence, how should I refer to this term? should I always put it in quotations? can I use plural of it as it is in the sentence?

  The input of the algorithm is the DOM tree of the webpage, the list of anchors and the contexts created by the user.

In general, what are the guidelines for using such terms?


texts:
The following is from 'The Blackhouse' by Peter May

  The real bastard was a short, stocky man with thick, sandy hair
  Brylcreemed back from a low brow.

I know what a 'brow' is. I also looked up a 'low brow' in the dictionary but it doesn't have a physical definition here  Where about is a 'low' brow located on person's brow in a physical sense? Is it somewhere right above one's eyebrow?


texts:
Cited from an article on Khan Academy:

Jacob distributed a survey to his fellow students asking them how many hours they'd spent playing sports in the past day.

Does "the past day" mean yesterday or any arbitrary day in the past? Or does it have other meaning? Thank you in advance.


texts:
"have never heard" or "had never heard": Which one should I use in the sentence?

"Today, I attended a birthday ceremony. I was there for a few hours. The place was decorated well. There I heard a song that had a very good melody. it is so amazaing that I can not forget the melody of the song. I had never/have never heard that song before."


texts: Difference between the following sentences

texts:
I drove down there.

  I drove up there.

What's the difference between them?


texts: How to use Human beings, Mankind, people, Humans, Humankind & Human being

texts:
I had some doubt about the usage of Human beings, Mankind, people, Humans, Humankind & Human being. I noticed that there are some questions about those words in 'ELL' community, but none of them brings all words on to the same page.

I went through a lot of articles and made the following short note for my self.
I believe that I have manipulated above-mentioned words correctly. Please advise me if I have made any mistakes.

Human beings(/ Mankind/ People/ Humans) have always believed in god.

Humankind/ (Human being) has always believed in god.


texts:
I'm writing programs in Swift language.
Which do you feel natural "question queue", "questions queue" or "queue of questions"?


texts:
There are various ways in which something can be wrong, but in this
case, if you had to explain it, you'd probably say that it would be
unfair to other users of the library who may be just as interested in
the book as your friend is, but who consult it in the reference room,
where anyone who needs it can find it. You may also feel that to let
him take it would betray your employers, who are paying you precisely
to keep this sort of thing from happening.

What does it all mean, Thomas Nagel, Chapter VII
I don't know the use of "precisely" in the context above. Which word does it modify? "paying" or "keep"?


texts: How to explain that the same answer was given before

texts:
A student out of the audience asks something similar to a question a lecturer answered previously in a dialogue with another student. What can the lecturer say in responce in this situation? Of course, I'm asking about idiomatic and colloquial phrases. Should the lecturer give the answer in the present simple or in the present continuous?

The same [that I said before] is referring to your question too.
What I said 5 minutes ago applies to your question too.

I also consider possibility of using verbs 'belong', 'concern', etc. Could you suggest something appropriate for this type of situations?


texts: Five concerns about this short driving related text

texts:
The cars that are going straight have the right of way. Which means we have to wait for them before we make our left turn. Where do you wait? The rule of thumb, if the light is green we want to wait up here in the intersection. As soon as this line clears and we have enough gap then we're able to execute our left turn safely. The right of way rules for a right turn if we reverse it . Let's say we're making a right turn into this roadway and there are cars that are coming from this direction that are making a left turn into the same roadway. The vehicle closer to the turn would have the right of way. Therefore the car to the right gets to go first over the car that's making the left into the same roadway. There's lots of different variations on turns these are some of the right of way rules. Hope that will help you with that and help you to pass your road test.

When it says ... as soon as this line clears , what the word line is reffering to? Line on the road? Would a line on the road clear? A line on a traffic light? Does a traffic light have a line on itself? I am confused. And what does it mean when it clears ?
I cannot understand this part saying: The right of way rules for a right turn if we reverse it ... Is the word "rules" a verb here? A plural noun?
Get to go ? Does it mean should go ?
Over ? What does it mean?
What substitution would you use instead of "variations" in this text?

A million thanks in advance.


texts:
What is the antonyms of "come closer"?

Example two person sitting on a bench.

One of the person sit to close to another.

Another person say "xxx"?


texts:
1.

  He cut the pie and chomped a substantial piece of it

2.

  He cut the pie and chomped a substantial piece off it

3.

  He cut the pie and chomped a substantial piece off of it

In my understanding, [2] is wrong, but I'm not sure.


texts: Difference between "restive" and "restless"

texts:
I was doing some exercises where I had a chart with a mixture of words which I had to use to complete some sentences. One sentence looked like this:

Both parties were becoming...................waiting for the mediation proceedings to begin.

I thought that the correct answer would be "restless", yet according to the answer key it is "restive".

From what I have managed to find out it appears that:

restless - unable to rest, relax, or remain still
restive - difficult to control or impatient in the face of restraint or authority

So to me, contrary to what the answer key says, "restless" seems to be the correct answer.

However, I also read that:

Restive is often merely a synonym for restless.

But even if the above is true and "restive" can be used as a synynom for "restless", why does the answer key deem "restless" as incorrect in the given example? It makes no sense. Is there something I don't get?


texts: Is this sentence a question or a statement?

texts:
What political journalist, what party whip, would not want to know the makeup of the WhatsApp groups in which Theresa May's enemies are currently plotting?

If this sentence is a question, then I don't understand why the word order for the sentence is "subject + verb". The usual word order for the interrogative sentence is:
(wh-word +) auxiliary + subject + verb
Is "What" in this sentence a question word?
Is this sentence a common linguistic phenomenon?


texts: How many subjects are there in this sentence?

texts:
In this sentence:

  The "No" was stronger than her craving to be in Frisco's arms and forget this dreary existence.

Did I distinguish all subjects in the sentence? Can it be that her craving is a complex subject?


texts: Can a that-clause be used a clause of purpose like so that

texts:
The following quote is from "Mansfield Part" by Jane Austen:
After some minutes spent in this way, , Miss Bertram, observing the iron gate , expressed a wish of passing through it into the park, that their views and their plans might be more comprehensive.
Can we construe the that-clause in bold as a so-that clause?  If not, how can we understand it correctly.  Generally speaking, is it possible to omit "so" of the so-that clause?


texts: Is this sentence "If/let's say we found it, what would we have done?" grammatically correct?

texts:
"If we found it, what would we have done?"
  "Let's say we found it, what would we have done?"

I don't think they are not grammatically correct, because we didn't find it. For this reason, the sentence should express a hypothetical situation. So, they should be rewritten as in

  "If we had found it, what would we have done?"
  "Let's say we had found it, what would we have done?"

But interestingly, after giving a survey on whether they sound natural or not, I have got a lot of votes from native speakers that they sound natural.

I guess they wouldn't regard "if we found it" or "let's say we found it" as a hypothetical situation of the past, but the real situation of the past.

I want to hear your opinions on it.


texts: meaning of the phrase "as far as one is concerned with"?

texts:
I have found it in this video. It is at 4 minute and 51 second. Here is the context:

  The brain doesn't atrophy because the brain is the most important organ as far as we are concerned with survival.

I am aware that the phrase as far as someone is concerned means to in someone's opinion. But the preposition with. It seems to me it has a diffetent meaning I cannot find in dictionaries.


texts:
If we bring water to a boil and the water currently has a lot of bubbles at 100℃, what should I call the water in this state?

boiling water
boiled water

And if both are used in different contexts, what is the difference of their meanings?


texts:
My sentence is

  A less student would take the first approach.

Here I have no intention to compare. What I mean is a not so smart student.

Is my sentence okay?


texts: What function does "that" have in "Not that I didn't like him, …"?

texts:
Not that I didn't like him, but just that it upset me so, having him look at me, and me trying to think of something to say.

A. Would you please tell me what are the bold parts are? that is, a conjunction, clause, and the like?

B. And, what about the following? what does it mean?

, but just that

C. Eventually, I am wondering what the following means:

...having him look at me,

Thanks in advance

Excepted from the collection of Alice Munro, the part"how I met my husband"


texts:
Can Noun phrases have multiple complements?

Example:

  experiments that are feasible and that can also provide useful scientific observations for climate monitoring.

Would the entire sentence be a noun phrase?


texts: Is "When it could be [past participle]" a valid question?

texts:
I wonder if someone tell me is "When it could be [past participle]" a valid question?

E.g "When this computer could be restarted".

I've searched google and didn't find a similar example.


texts:
  “Has your mother made a will?” Strike asked.

  Bristow looked startled.

   “I—yes, I believe so.”
        “May I ask who her legatees are?”

   “I haven’t seen it,” said Bristow, a little stiffly. “How is this…?”

   “It’s all relevant, John. Ten million quid is a hell of a lot of money.”

  Bristow seemed to be trying to decide whether or not Strike was being insensitive, or offensive. Finally he said:

   “Given that there is no other family, I would imagine that Tony and I are the main beneficiaries. Possibly one or two charities will be remembered; my mother has always been generous to charities. However, as I’m sure you’ll understand,” pink blotches were rising again up Bristow’s thin neck, “I am in no hurry to find out my mother’s last wishes, given what must happen before they are acted upon.”         “Of course not,” said Strike.
  (The Cuckoo’s Calling, by Robert Galbraith)

Is the bold structure a Whiz-deletion? Or is ‘given’ a preposition to denote ‘considering’? What is the complement for the preposition, upon? For the sentence doesn’t make sense to me, I’m afraid there’s not more to give you what I don’t know about.


texts: Which of the two versions is correct and why?

texts:
The results are expressed in terms of percentage slowdown on a standard and a high-end PC.
The results are expressed in terms of percentage slowdown on a standard and high-end PC.


texts:
We know that the proper and original meaning of "will" (verb) is, roughly, "want"; similarly, "shall" means "must, ought to".

But "will" and "shall" are normally used as the auxiliaries of the future tense.

(Please note that my question is not, or at least is not directly, about the use of "shall" and "will" in the future: it's about these two verbs in their original meanings of "must" and "want" respectively.)

So, here's my difficulty: if I say "I will go", or "I shall go", that will be understood by everybody as a future; what am I to do, if I mean to say "I want to go" or "I must go" respectively? (Well, you might answer, of course: just say that, "I want to go" and "I must go"! But suppose I want to use "will" and "shall".)

If, in speaking, I pronounced "will" or "shall" with emphasis, or, in writing, I wrote these two words in italics (or underlined them, etc.) — thus: "I will go", "I shall go" —, this would probably be understood as an energetic future, but still as a future (admittedly, in the case of "I will go" this energetic future would often be not very far in meaning from an energetic volition: as in "Whether you agree or not, I will go!" But, even then, this is not the same as "I want to go").

How can I use "shall" and "will" with the meaning of "must" and "want", and avoid every possible confusion with the future tense?


texts: A student takes a quiz (exam), a professor [verb]s a quiz, exam, etc

texts: I cannot seem to find an appropriate verb to use for a professor when he holds an exam, quiz, etc. so that students take it and get evaluated. Can we say a professor takes an exam? I suppose this is for the student side, right? Then, what is the verb for a professor?


texts: When someone says, "I will be out of the office through 5/24/17," include the 5/24/17 date or does it mean that they are returning on 5/24/17?


texts: How to correctly use "in an otherwise" in sentences?

texts:
I have come across the following sentence sentence and I understand what it means.

China is a rare bright spot in an otherwise ravaged global economy

However, I am unable to construct sentences using "in an otherwise" phrase.


texts: "would prefer to have" v. "would have preferred to"

texts:
I would prefer to have traveled by train.
I would have preferred to travel by train.

My textbook says that these sentences have the same meaning. But I have a feeling that the first sentence shows that you have a preference now. And in the second sentence you had a preference before.
For example I took the plane yesterday and it was my intention (I didn't want to take the train). But today I find out that something interesting happened on the train (they served free deserts). And I say: "I would prefer to have traveled by train." I cannot use the second sentence, because it implies I wanted to take the train yesterday, but somehow took the plane.


texts: What does "capacity" mean in this sentence?

texts:
As stated we operate solely in a Business-to-Business capacity, our
  marketing communications are sent to professional email addresses ...

  (http://www.antoniofalco.com/privacy-policy/)

  The data we gather is held under the premise of legitimate interest
  for the purpose of providing a professional, useful, and personalised
  service to relevant parties i.e. you, in a business-to-business
  capacity.

  (https://www.insidefoodanddrink.com/index.php/about/privacy-policy)

Does "capacity" mean "relationship"? I searched dictionaries but couldn't find the meaning that fits in this context. What does it mean?


texts: Can I use single adjective with auxilary IS

texts:
Can I use only one adjective with auxiliary IS?
I/he + am/is + adjective
<paragraph>
    <pronounce>I/he</pronounce>
    <auxiliary>am/is</auxiliary>
    <adjective>decided</adjective>
</paragraph>

I am decided.
or must I use a phrase for example: "the decided man"?
<paragraph>
    <pronounce>I/he</pronounce>
    <auxiliary>am/is</auxiliary>
    <phrase>determinant + adjective + noun</phrase>
</paragraph>

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 9th edition (eng-eng)
decided BrE /dɪˈsaɪdɪd/ ; NAmE /dɪˈsaɪdɪd/
p.s. могу я писать "я зеленый", или я должен обязательно написать "я есть зеленый человек"


texts:
May I know which one is grammatical?

the battery power is limited on mobile devices
the battery powers are limited on mobile devices


texts: I just can't understand this sentence structure

texts:
I felt like I was taking one step forward and two step back because for every sentence I understood, there would be two that I'd get completely mixed up.

Could you re-organize this sentence?
I have no idea what the main subject and verb is from the part 'because ~'.
I would really appreciate it if you could help me get out of a tight spot.


texts: Is this use of "for the ages" grammatical?

texts:
... he understood that he needed to grapple with Turgenev and Tolstoy to come into his own and fashion art for the ages.
   (Source)

This is in the plural here. But I think it should be singular because Hemingway was trying to make art for his age. "For the ages" refers to the now and the future, like "now Mandela belongs to the ages(history)".


texts: What does "there ain't no one for to give you no pain" mean?

texts:
This morning on the radio, I heard America's hit "A Horse with No Name". As usual when I hear it, I wonder what the following sentence mean.

  'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain

Wikipedia says that it is "oddly" written and also written under influence (while this explanation seems disputed afterwards). So because it is so odd for me as a non-native English speaker, I just never understand the meaning of that one sentence in the song.

What bugs me most is the seemingly triple negation as well as the "for to". What would a correct version of the sentence be?


texts:
I remember hearing a sentence in Game of Thrones season 3, it went like:

Ser Barristan, if they come to war, kill that one first.

Daenerys tells Ser Barristan to kill one of the rude master of second sons if they start a war. She said the above sentence.
I interpret this sentece in two ways:

If they come to [the area of war], kill that one first.
If they come to [war with us] ("war" as a verb), kill that one first.

I am confused which one is correct now. Can anyone please tell me if "war" is a verb or a noun in the above sentence?


texts: What does 'born' mean in a product's "born on date"?

texts:
Is the date on my Fickle Pickles® jar the expiration date?
  No, our products are manufactured with a born on date. Fickle Pickles® will be good 18 months after the date on the jar.

What does "born" mean in this quote?  It is from a pickle company's FAQ.


texts:
I have a question about these sentences. I would like to know which one is correct.
A)

I would have stayed at home and do nothing.
I would have stayed at home and did nothing.
I would have stayed at home and done nothing.

B)

I would have gone to Europe and go shopping.
I would have gone to Europe and went shopping.
I would have gone to Europe and gone shopping.

For me, A1 implies a hypothetical instance in the sense of 'if it were me, I would've...', and A2 implies that I regretted something in the past and I would've done something differently. A3 feels wrong to me.
Same applies to B1 and B2. But I'm on the fence about B3. It feels right... but wrong at the same time.


texts: Singular noun in "Each curve and jumping ramp"

texts:
I came across this sentence in The Wizard of Oz Vocab Builder:

  The water-skier generally maintained an upright position but hunkered down at each curve and before each ramp.

Why curve and ramp are in their singular forms here? It's more reasonable to encounter many curves and ramps, furthermore, isn't it by using "each", it automatically indicates there are many? Or is it just a typo?


texts: "Doesn't talk please VS Don't talk please"

texts:
Why can't we use "doesn't talk" instead of "don't talk"?
when referring to he/she why is "doesn't talk" wrong?

e.g. When you are talking in class and your teacher said: "don't talk please." Why didn't she use "doesn't talk" in that case?


texts:
Source

  The man awkwardly starts his pitch before Jordan takes the pen away.

What does mean by "start his pitch" means ?


texts: Using "other" before singular countable nouns

texts:
Grammar resources say the word other is used  before only plural nouns as a determiner, but I met the following sentence in my grammar book so I'd like to ask if it is grammatically correct to use the word other before singular nouns?

  Is there any other reason not to go?

It doesn't sound grammatically wrong but how can we explain it?

http://www.grammarbank.com/forms-of-other.html

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/other-others-the-other-or-another


texts: Which is more appropriate - 'experience in design/experience in the design/experience in designing' ?

texts:
Consider the following sentences:

A: He has 2 years of experience in design and development of software.
B: He has 2 years of experience in the design and development of software.
C: He has 2 years of experience in designing and developing software.

Which of these sentences is more appropriate? Can we use 'the' as in sentence B here?


texts: Question about meaning of the word "crushing" in a supposedly impartial piece of news?

texts:
Sisi secures crushing win in Egypt presidential vote.Source: Euronews.com, Sisi Secures Crushing Win in Egypt Presidential Vote

My question has to do with the meaning of the word "crushing". Does the headline imply that many of the electorate who are against the winner are losing their hopes?

I have my doubts if the word "crushing" means "landslide winning".

I checked a dictionary, but cannot decide if it here really refers to winning by large number or the losing or even suppressing of hope.


texts: "They're going gorilla watching" - is there a verb at the end of the sentence?

texts:
In this sentence:

  They're going gorilla watching.

what's the function of the verb watching?

Is it a verb? a noun? ... maybe gorilla watching means "mirador de gorilas", in spanish?

In English, I have not seen a verb at the end of a sentece.


texts:
Many critics of Emily Bronte's novel Wuthering Heights see its second
  part as a counterpart that comments on, if it does not reverse, the
  first part, where a "Romantic" reading receives more confirmation.

In this above portion what I understand that, many critics say Wuthering Heights second part is dissimilar to first part. And the first part is romantic on the other hand second part is not. I don't know if I am right or wrong. I will be grateful if anyone help me to understand this sentence.


texts: 'What a big cheeks'? or 'What big cheeks'?

texts:
My brother just got his wisdom teeth extracted, and his cheeks are really big now. So cute.

I want to express my feeling by saying "What a big cheeks!"  But I feel weird about this sentence:  Because I am saying "cheeks" I should not use "a", but if I say "What big cheeks!" it feels even more weird…

Any suggestions?


texts: What's the different between write more and do more writing

texts: "Jakes stopped acting to do more writing". I saw this sentence and wondered that if I can write " Jakes stopped acting to write more". Do they have the same meaning? or my sentence is more informal ? Thank for your help..


texts:
I wonder if you could explain me these sentences might have the same meaning? Are they interchangeable?

Don't hurry.

Take your time.


texts:
What's the name for the string attached to a zipper to help close or open a bag?
I don't know the name in my native language. Example of use:

I'd like to add xxx on my bag's zippers.

Or

I would like to purchase a bag with xxx.


texts: Does news "broadcast" on television or "telecast"?

texts:
When it comes to news do we say news 'telecast' or news 'broadcast' on television? What's the correct term?

Like in an example do we say

News is broadcasting or news is telecasting


texts: What does "But I don’t think I will. Now." mean in this paragraph?

texts:
“Now. I’m an artisan,” he said. “Like a cat who makes – tables. I don’t like the word artist. Maybe I never did. I sure the fuck don’t know what it means. I’m a cat who works from his balls, with his hand. I know what it’s about now. I think I really do. Even if I go under. But I don’t think I will. Now.”

It's from James Baldwin's "If Beale Street Could Talk"

At the end of the paragraph, the character is saying "But I don’t think I will. Now." I didn't quite understand what he wouldn't do. Is it art that he wouldn't do? Or the character is just talking nonsense at that moment?


texts: Why usually is the word "halfway" used with "down" rather than "up"?

texts:
I saw many times that the word "halfway" is used together with the word "down", and for me it's not understood why we cannot use in these sentences "halfway up".

An example for such sentence:

  The bird had it nest on a ledge halfway down the cliff.

since we are talking about a cliff then it doesn't make sense to me why we should use here "down" rather than "up". Do we normally start from top to the bottom or opposite? As I understand it, we should start from the bottom to top. Isn't it?


texts:
Not knowing anything about this mystery record and band other than what label it was on, I went straight to the source for some information. I asked Robbie Fields, the Posh Boy, what the story was with it and he was quite happy to share the story with me for this feature.

  391 was an essential part of the learning curve for the new Posh Boy label.

  The background: I had been a huge fan of The Nuns in 1977. In fact, the Nuns were arguably the first “punk” group I saw, headlining the Whiskey with The Dickies in late ’77. This was the Alejandro Escovedo era Nuns that played as a group, with three lead singers. I had hung out with singer Jeff Olener at the Masque after that first Whiskey show and become friendly, albeit in a fan worship kind of way.

  Later, I had seen Jeff after they opened for The Sex Pistols at Winterland in San Francisco. The band that I managed, F Word!, were lucky to be the opening act several times for The Nuns at S.F.’s Mabuhay Gardens.

I understand the first past perfect I had been a huge fan it is a flash back, does it work the same way for had seen to indicate I am still continuing the flash back, was it necessary to use past perfect.  But "Later, I had seen after they opened..." seems strange

http://www.punkvinyl.com/2005/10/10/selections-from-the-punk-vault-391/ is the reference


texts: Which is the correct usage- 'vain of' or 'vain about'?

texts:
Which is the correct preposition to be used after 'VAIN'? Of or about? Does context make any difference?
What will we use in this sentence and why?
She is vain _______ her achievements.


texts:
A: Who could have done this?
B: Whoever did, we'll find him.
Is B's response with "whoever did" grammatically correct and natural?


texts:
You may ask why would the color on the same side of each stick being the same?

Is it right to use being in this sentence? Or should I use the be instead of being?


texts:
How to name values that are displayed on utility meters?

Please consider using this term in sentences like:

  I need to tell XXX to the inspector.

  When we moved from here XXX were 164m^3 of cold water, 86m^3 of hot water and 1026 kWh.


texts:
The phrase: Male Birds Belt out Their Song by Putting a Little Muscle into It ...
continuation of the text:
Some male songbirds can sing more notes than females because they have stronger
muscles to make the sounds. Some scientists used to think it was all about how well the birds could force air out of their lungs, but new research says it has more to do with muscles in the songbirds’ throats.


texts: Alternate idiom or phrase meaning "drought followed by a storm"?

texts:
I am writing a short article where I have to describe following situation. Nothing good happens for a long long time, and people are desperate. Then things change and soon go to the opposite extreme, where things become so good that it becomes unmanageable and creates another problem which is not as serious as the earlier one.

For example, an airline company goes several years with few passengers interested in flying with them (drought). Then all of a sudden, things change, demand far exceeds the number of seats available, and the company is overwhelmed dealing with so many bookings (storm).

I cannot use 'drought followed by storm' because of the part highlighted in bold above. The second problem is a "good" problem to have, but the first one is not. We couldn't think of storm and drought that way.


texts: May "by the way" be used in formal professional writing?

texts:
I saw many times on forums or chats discussions the expression by the way.

I understood its meaning, but is it a familiar expression or could I use in professional documents or messages?

If it is not, what kind of expression would be similar but polite?