texts:
I heard the term "jointy cigarette" in an video about Sir Arthur Schuster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efOzHkl6GJ8&feature=youtu.be&t=34s

But what does this mean? The web search only shows the connection to cannabis.
Is this term describing that it is a hand rolled cigarette?
Or does it relate to the inclusion of a filter or something else?


texts:
Consider:

  The government warned Tehran's citizens to stay at home, close windows, don't walk in streets, don't sport in parks and finally try to travel to another city if they can.

Must it be "not to walk"?


texts:
What's the difference between these two sentences?

  All people in the world are equal.
  All the people in the world are equal.


texts:
What is the difference between "conduct" and "operate" and "carry out" and "implement"? I have a question with the different usage of these four words.
It seems they all have the intended meaning of "working in a certain way".
Please help me to distinguish them.


texts: "for one between three" meaning in the context

texts:
"Good girl, take another five points. So, whenever you need leaves or wood from a tree in which a Bowtruckle lodges, it is wise to have a gift of woodlice ready to distract or placate it. They may not look dangerous, but if angered they will try to gouge at human eyes with their fingers, which, as you can see, are very sharp and not at all desirable near the eyeballs. So if you'd like to gather closer, take a few woodlice and a Bowtruckle - I have enough here for one between three - you can study them more closely. ...

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

What does "for one between three" mean exactly? I can not figure it out.


texts: It will have been possible to come there by evening

texts:
How can we say the next sentence correct if it's wrong:

  It will have been possible to come there by the evening

I don't know which verb should be in Perfect:

  Will have been

or

  To have come

Can we say all the ways downside:?

  It will have been possible to come there by the evening

  It will have been possible to have come there by the evening

  It will be possible to have come there by the evening

And what meaning will all of them have then?


texts: Can I drop 'That' in the following sentence?

texts:
Should I include "That" before "comes" in the following sentence? My colleague says in some places "That" can be dropped.

Which one is correct?

  What’s better than a price hike that comes with an irresistible offer?

  What’s better than a price hike comes with an irresistible offer?


texts: How should I use the word “written” in sentences below?

texts:
I always use the “written“ in passive voice as is the case with sentences:

  “Wash me“ was written on this car.

But I wonder if the way of using ”written” in sentence below is correct:

  It was written “wash me“ on the car.

I think second sentence seem ungrammatical. Please correct me if I am wrong.


texts: Past and Present Perfect tenses in one sentence

texts:
Should I use "have" or "had" in the sentence below?
Can I use Past Tense and Present Perfect Tense in one sentence?

  Salary was paid to you base on declaration you have done.

One more example:

  I was asked to do this by John and accordingly have done.


texts: What's wrong with this sentence "What potential risk would be there for me?"?

texts:
What potential risk would be there for me?

When I type this sentence, my Grammarly is telling me it's wrong. Why? Just wondering. I am responding to a person who warns me that something risky is happening if I do something.


texts:
From google search, it seems to me that "moved by something" is used in negative sentences, like expressing sadness or sympathy sue to something.

Can "moved by" used in positive sentences to mean that I am influenced or the thing gives me positive energy? For example,

  I am moved by Croatia's success in the football game


texts: "A (the) reason of it is that" (definite or indefinite article)

texts:
Hello guys) I got very confused with articles.

Here are 2 examples:

  A reason of it is that he is too lazy.*

Does it mean this is one of the reasons? Is it grammatically correct?

  The reason of it is that he is too lazy.*

Does it mean that it is the only reason of it so there are no other reasons at all?

I've read this topic: "it is *the* exception" means one and only exception? , and here they talk about the construction "to be + noun", but what about my case? Is it all the same here?

I will appreciate you help)


texts: What is the food in London like or What is the food like in London?

texts:
I would like to ask if one of the two questions is correct and if both then what is the difference?

I can't honestly decide, I prefer the first one but neither the second one feels that wrong to me.

Thank you very much.

Questions:

  What is the food in London like?
  What is the food like in London?


texts:
I've always understood subtle to mean the opposite of obvious, as in subtle difference, until I came across this line from The Duchess of Malfi

  Oh, sir, the opinion of wisdom is a foul tetter that runs all over a dead man's body. If simplicity direct us to have no evil, it directs us to a happy being. For the subtlest folly proceeds from the subtlest wisdom.

I had to revisit a dictionary to check for other possible meanings because I couldn't make any sense of wisdom that's barely noticeable. Now it seems to me that subtle here is used in two different meanings: subtle folly is folly that can barely be seen, and subtle wisdom is wisdom that's deep and penetrative. So, the way I understand the sentence is if you have deep wisdom, you're least likely to experience folly, and vice versa. How correct am I?

Edit:

The Webster dictionary has this one sense among others for subtle:

  Having or marked by keen insight and ability to penetrate deeply and thoroughly:  a subtle scholar.

So I thought this was probably the right sense for subtle wisdom. Then I ran a google search with "his subtle wisdom" (with quotes), and finally landed on the following quote from this website:

  The premise for each episode was simple, Barry Livingston says. “The boys have a problem, and MacMurray, with his subtle wisdom, lets them work it out—but guides them with an invisible hand.”


texts: Do we use "its" or "their" with a collective noun?

texts:
For example, which sentence is correct?

  The House's minority makes its voices heard.

or

  The House's minority makes their voices heard.


texts: Confusion on preposition following “report”

texts:
I'm writing a passage titled "Report [] Projects for sth." I'm not sure which preposition I shall use. "on" vs "about" vs "of"? What are differences.

Moreover, it seems readily for me to get confused with this structure "noun. + prep. + none." Is there a good method to distinguish them? How can I get familiar with these? Thanks.


texts: A word expresses destiny that ties people together

texts: In Chinese, there is a word called "yuán fèn", which means the destiny that ties people together, at special time and place. In English, is there one word that can express that meaning?


texts: Use of 'the' before gerund and change in meaning

texts:
"Playing cards is not allowed here."

"The playing of cards is not allowed here."

Why do we need to use 'of' when 'the' is placed before gerund?


texts:
What does "is credited" mean in this sentence?

  Dr. Yunus is credited for pioneering the concept of microfinance.

Does it mean...?

  Dr. Yunus is believed for...

or

  Dr. Yunus have achieved something or is the reason of something for...?

Or something else?


texts:
I have a problem with EN grammar so i need a little bit of help.

So...

  From an early age, we are searching for a social circle and people we feel with.

OR

  From an early age, we are searching for a social circle and people feeling good with.

I have no idea which will sound better. Please help me. I don't know how to make it sound better.


texts:
Jackson Pollock dropped paints on canvas seemingly at random. (Source)

I have always thought the noun "paint" is uncountable when referring to color/colored liquid/solid pigment. But the above sentence uses it as a count noun in this sense. I thought it is only countable when meaning different paint tubes.

The Macmillan Dictionary seems to confirm my guess, suggesting that "paint" is only a count noun in the meaning a set of small blocks or tubes containing paint of different colors that you use for making pictures. Can "paint" be countable when used in the sense of "color" or "pigment"? What is the difference between "paint" as a mass noun and as a count noun?


texts: "with 'X' months *infinitive*" vs. "with only months *infinitive*" vs. "with only 'Y' months *infinitive*"

texts:
Thomas Erdbrink, a journalist, in his news article "Power Struggle Is Gripping Iran Ahead of June" published on The New York Times uses a phrase which actracts me: with only months.

With only months to go in his last presidential term, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has surprised many of his critics by challenging a coalition of traditionalists.

Searching for "with 'X' months to" structures I came across several cases in which the month number is specified,

The “right to die” will apply only to those with six months to live or less.
With less than two months to live, John Doe teaches students about cancer and dying.

or in which "a few" is used,

[...] because he had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer with only a few months to live.

While examples above are clearly understandable, "with only months" is less, albeit that phrase has several hits on Google Search.
A trivial question, which I don't want to ask, could be "How many months does "only" mean?"
Insead I want to ask if that phrase is grammatical and if "only" can be used as a quantifier before countable nouns in plural form. Is it?
--
All the sentences are quoted from The New York Times.


texts: Between "the" and "firefighter" which one do you native speakers think of firstly when you say "the firefighter"?

texts:
"The firefighter saved a kid from the fire."

I've just learnt a sort of curious notion. Generally, it is said that 'the firefighter' is a noun phrase "NP". But, somaone said that's a determinative phrase "DP". Surely, I don't know syntax expertly and technically. To the best of my knowledge, if it's "NP", the head of the phrase is "firefighter". Contrariwise, If it's "DP", the head of the phrase is "the", firefighter being complement of "the". Ergo, the intense curiosity makes me say that between a determinative and a noun, which one do you native speakers think of firstly when you enunciate "The firefighter"?


texts:
Rules

If either man falls through weakness or otherwise, he must get up unassisted, 10 seconds to be allowed him to do so, the other man meanwhile to return to his corner, and when the fallen man is on his legs the round is to be resumed and continued until the three minutes have expired.
['Marquess of Queensberry Rules'-Wikipedia]

Could you help me rewrite the noun phrase "10 seconds to be allowed him to do so" as a declarative sentence? (Like: ...allow...him to do so)
It seems that both "10 seconds" and "him" are the objects of "allow". But I'm really confused about the construction of the noun phrase.
Thanks!


texts: What is the meaning of "from the ground up" really?

texts:
I saw most of the dictionaries say about the same:

from the first or elementary principles, methods, etc. to the last or most advanced; completely; thoroughly (Collins with some examples from newspapers and books)
From the most basic level to the highest level; completely: designed the house from the ground up; learned the family business from the ground up. (Heritage)

But EnglishCentral.com says the definition of the phrase is:

starting with nothing: "The young partners built a business FROM THE GROUND UP."

I feel EnglishCentral's is more accurate. Does only "up" mean "to the highest level"?


texts: rule for compound verbs and pronoun substitution

texts:
These statements are ok:

"I looked George up."
"I looked up George."
"I looked him up."

But this is not ok: "I looked up him."

In this case, it's not possible to substitute the pronoun "him" for "George". What rule prohibits this substitution?


texts: Mango grows on a mango tree or mango grows in a mango tree?

texts: Which preposition is used after grow if it indicates the growth of a fruit on a tree?


texts: What is the name of this mathematical symbol in English?

texts:
The symbol looks like a mirrored capitalized E.
Because I don't know its name, I cannot Google for it.


texts:
I know some informal words for disappointing people/doing something unpleasant to them, but I want to make sure that these sentences sound natural:

"I don't believe our teacher is gonna give us an exam today! He wouldn't let us down!"
"Our teacher wouldn't give us an exam today! That'd be a bummer!"
"Did John (a friend we trusted) really do that to you? What a bummer/letdown!"

If they sound awkward, what other words could I use in these situations?


texts: Is it correct to use having been. For ex. The map having been done at home is beautiful

texts:
Where can we use phrase such as "...having been" I want to make sentences with "being" and "having been"

  The map having been done at home is beautiful.


texts: What is the meaning of Adams words: "fall 12 feet into the kitchen"?

texts:
In Romance-Comedy movie It's Complicated, Adam (Architecture) discuss his building plan with Jane:

  Jane: I have an idea. What if we move my bedroom wall like 6 or 8 feet
  that way, just so I can get more of the morning light? Not possible?

  Adam: Yes. But you'd wake up in the morning, walk out your bedroom
  door and fall 12 feet into the kitchen.

Does it mean Kitchen is underground or what? How to understand Adam words about Kitchen room ?


texts: "I’ve just had a dumb rush of luck." What does this sentence mean? And why is it present perfect tense?

texts:
Context:
“Very close. All you need to do is roll a seven in any combination. Two and five. Three and four. Six and one. You see? The odds favor you, my sweet. It’s very easy. I’ve just had a dumb rush of luck.” Bors slid the dice across the table.
This is the video version: LINK "I’ve just had a dumb rush of luck." is written in novel, but the line is changed to "I've just had a rush of dumb luck." on the TV show. I don't understand why Boris uses the present perfect tense.


texts:
I wonder what they mean by "cod delusion" as the title for this episode?
http://wsdownload.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/pdf/2012/07/120719131651_120719_6min_dawkins_3.pdf


texts: confusion in words of differents verbs, how to make their present participle forms

texts: What's the method of making the "ing form" of different verbs, in some verbs we double the last letter of that verb e.g: sit becomes sitting, dig becomes digging, and in some verbs we do not need to double the last letter of that verb e.g: go becomes going, read becomes reading. How should we know in which verb we double the last letter?


texts: "The young Einstein" - Do we always need "the" here?

texts:
When proper nouns describe a period in life, they frequently take the definite article:

"...what the young Einstein brought to the scientific facts was..."

"The Napoleon after Waterloo was nevermore the Napoleon of Austerlitz."

"The Africa of old doesn't exist anymore."

Sometimes, however, such nouns don't take articles:

"What kinds of things did colonial children, like young George Washington, do for fun?"

"... few delve into the personality of young Washington during his first experiences as a military leader."

"Yet young Einstein also made contributions to early quantum theory of such importance — ..." etc.

What is the difference between these two usages? How can one tell when not to use "the" with such proper nouns?


texts:
It's a story that happened in the past at an airport.
It starts this way

  When I got to the check-in desk my parents were nowhere in sight.
   I was waiting for them until it suddenly occurred to me that they had already checked in and they were waiting for me in the departure lounge. This was a real problem because I had given my passport to my mother so I couldn't check in.

  I immediately called my parents on their cell phone. I was right they had already gone through to the departure lounge. They were waiting for me for almost half an hour at the gate.

I think for 2nd and 3rd one we can use past perfect continuous cause we are talking about length. But I have doubts in these three bold part.


texts: Which is the most natural way of saying this?

texts:
Whose is that car?
Whose car is that?

Which of the two is the most natural way of saying it? I think #2 but may I be mistaking?


texts: Does "take a second" mean "take a second look"?

texts:
This one drives me insane, and it’s become extremely common among bloggers. All it takes to avoid this error is to take a second and think about what you’re trying to say.

Source: http://www.copyblogger.com/5-common-mistakes-that-make-you-look-dumb/

I suppose that in the sentence "a look" is missing ("take a second look"). Is this kind of omission of the noun widespread in English?


texts: Complement or Adv. Prepositional Phrase?

texts:
I'm having trouble identifying/breaking down the components of an example under Adverb Prepositional Phrases in McGraw-Hill's English and Grammar Usage book.

Here's the example with the Adv. PP italicized as shown in the book.

  We all went to a movie after dinner

Then what type of component is "to a movie" if it's not an Adv. PP? Is it a complement?


texts: What does "an outfit to [wear to] prom out of duct tape" mean?

texts:
Does it mean "an outfit made of duct tape" or "an outfit to walk without be jammed in duct tape"?
I used this link: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/prom?q=prom

"There's a scholarship from the Klingon Language Institute where you have to be a Star Trek fan. I won a scholarship for writing an essay about George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River," he says. "There are ones where you do an art project, a science project. There's one where you make an outfit to [wear to] prom out of duct tape."

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/31/this-ceo-paid-for-harvard-with-24-scholarships-totaling-90000.html


texts:
This is one of the lyrics in "Still Fallin" sung by Hunter Hayes.

The lyrics go,

  "And after every sunrise holding you,

  after all the crazy we've been through,

  every day and every minute, girl it's something new,

  I'm still learning, still burning, still wanting, still all-in, still fallin."

Here, is "And after every sunrise holding you" a metaphor for
'after long time has passed'?

What does a 'sunrise holding you' mean?
I don't get it.

If anyone's out there to help me, I'd really appreciate it :)
Thanks xx


texts: Problem with this " straight out of vogue"

texts:
Rita looked like fashion model "straight out of vogue" with an off shoulder green dress that had a plunging neckline.

What is the meaning of straight out of vogue?
I read the dictionary, and I found two definitions; one was without hesitation, and the other one was fashion that is prevalent in particular time.

Which one is correct? Why?


texts: If you have noun(s) as your subject, is your verb meant to be singular or plural?

texts:
I'm talking about the situation where you put (s) or /s in because the number/quantity of something is unknown.

For example, "Your complaint(s) is/are welcome" - is it "is" or "are"?


texts:
I read a comment in a post (meaning of the phrase "some kind of X") just now and learned an expression "I neither know nor care".

I would like to know whether the expression formal or informal.

I searched the expression on cambridge (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/spellcheck/english-chinese-simplified/?q=I+neither+know+nor+care) and oxford (https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/spellcheck/english/?q=I+neither+know+nor+care), none of them has this item.

I am aware that not being included in cambridge does imply necessarily informal, though I don't know somewhere else I can check this.

Is there an easy way to check if an expression formal or informal?

If formal/informal sounds like a matter of opinion, I would prefer the expression in a textbook as formal.


texts:
Source

What is "It was round the part of the day" in the quote below

  It was round the part of the day when I usually help Pa out in the
  field with the crops.

Source: Gone Swift as Dust, The Reading & Writing Project


texts: Is it common to use a word "Conveyance"?

texts:
I am currently working in New Zealand. Here, I was saying to somebody that "I don't have my own conveyance." Thus, I am relying on public transport to commute.

Is the conveyance an appropriate word here? I do know that back home in India, we use conveyance a lot to say about the transportation.Here, I meant that I don't have my own car/vehicle to commute.


texts:
The word "Would" has been used in text below three times.(The cases I bolded them) The first one is:

  1. But however I chose to remember it, that event would change everything.

Could you please tell me if it has been used in "imagined situation" or not?

The second and third ones are:

  2. The words of the second entry would not obscure the words of the first.
  3. Both would remain, my memories set down alongside his.

Could you please explain to me if they refer to the past tense or present tense?

  There was a message from Shawn. An apology. But he’d apologized already, in my room. I had never known Shawn to apologize twice.

  I retrieved my journal and I wrote another entry, opposite the first, in
  which I revised the memory. It was a misunderstanding, I wrote. If I’d
  asked him to stop, he would have.

  But however I chose to remember it, that event would change everything. Reflecting on it now I’m amazed by it, not by what happened, but that I wrote what happened. That from somewhere inside that brittle shell—in that girl made vacant by the fiction of invincibility—there was a spark left.

  The words of the second entry would not obscure the words of the first. Both would remain, my memories set down alongside his. There was a boldness in not editing for consistency, in not ripping out either the one page or the other. To admit uncertainty is to admit to weakness, to powerlessness, and to believe in yourself despite both. It is a frailty, but in this frailty there is a strength: the conviction to live in your own mind, and not in someone else’s. I have often wondered if the most powerful words I wrote that night came not from anger or rage, but from doubt: I don’t know. I just don’t know.

  Educated by Tara Westover


texts:
What is meaning of “in...day(s), month(s), year(s) and etc?
If I make these sentences below, what would be the meaning of them.
     -In 100 years, people will travel to the Mars easily.
     -In 10 years, people around the world will probably use automatic car.
I have studied about making predictions in English book. Then I am confused about the meaning of in...day(s), month(s), year(s). Thank you for your help!


texts: What do you call the compartment of a market stall?

texts: What do you call the compartments and what do you call the whole sets of compartments?  Are there words for it? I am trying to fathom a guess, but I am thinking there are no more specific words for these.


texts: Singular vs. plural in the term "works" for an industrial facility

texts:
The term works is used for industrial facilities, like ironworks and steelworks. Despite the -s suffix, I've seen it used as a singular form. I don't think there is distinct word for the plural form.
What is the proper use of works in singular or plural?


texts:
In my sentence, I have a plural of devices. Each device has to select a version. So when I want to write about all the devices, is it:

  The devices' selected version

OR

  The devices' selected versions


texts:
Read the sentence below-

  "Christine Sterling’s determination to repackage her Olvera Street concept into something Chinese has been matched by her total lack of understanding of our culture, history, and taste."

I wonder if the word 'understanding' here is countable or uncountable

Sorry, if you find this question easy, stupid or useless, I'm a beginner.


texts: Does the sentence "what do you like to do?" have a direct object?

texts: In japanese the sentence "what do you like to do?" has the word what succeeded by the particle "o" which marks direct objects, meaning for japaneses "what" is the direct object of this sentence. Is this the same in english? Yes/No - Why?


texts:
Convey the message as you would speak it. Few people who are worth listening to speak in sentences of more than 30 words.

Could you please help me with understanding the bold sentence. I roughly understand the meaning: most of people are not used to listening to sentences containing more than 30 words. But the way the sentence is constructed is for me confusing. I suppose that the subject is "people" but where is the predicate?


texts: "Thanks to .." vs "..make it possible for .."

texts:
Do the below sentences mean the same ?

The TV sport channel  made it possible for us to watch on tennis tournament in Dubai.

Thanks to the TV sport channel  we can watch on tennis tournament in Dubai.


texts: Is there any difference between 'Had we would have' and 'If we would have'?

texts:
Had we would have taken the original square root instead of Principal Square root, our extraneous solution might/would have worked"
If we would have taken the original square root instead of Principal Square root, our extraneous solution might/would have worked.

Is there any difference between those two sentences?

If any, when should we use one over the other?

[UPDATE]
I'm not a native English speaker and I used google translator and both of the sentences showed the same result.

I tried to use Ginger to check if there is any grammatical mistake, there wasn't any.


texts: Can I say "Put 3 times the amount of water than soybeans"?

texts:
Can I say:

Put 3 times the amount of water than soybeans.

Or:

Put 3 times water than soybeans.
Put 3 times cups of water than soybeans.
Put 3 times the amount of water as soybeans.
Put 3 times as much as soybeans.

Which is the best expression in English or grammatically correct?


texts: I saw the sentence in my book ‘each one represented a goddess’, and I felt I can delete the ‘one’ of the sentence. Can I, and why?


texts: meaning of the phrasal verb "wind down" in context

texts:
It is from this article. Here is the excerpt:

  Limit exposure to bright light at night: Turn off the screens and wind down for several minutes before bedtime.

I cannot get whether the author means that one should do relaxing exercises or turn down the light for several minutes.


texts: Anyone succeeded to teach/recognize the difference in L and R listening wise?

texts:
I'm Japanese clueless about the difference in between the sound of L and R in the most case.

I thought I should just give up, but it's too much obstacle to just ignore. (It's painful to remember vocabulary too. 50% of my type miss comes from that, like "correct vs collect".) I know some native English teachers as a friend, and I ask the same questions time to time, although I've never came across with one who has the experience in success of training ear part, if not pronunciation which I get.

What's tricky for me is that..

I can pronounce them just great, apparently.
I have learnt the difference in pronunciation, and after extensive years of practice, all my English native friends tells me I'm very much fine in pronunciation, at least in American English style. Apparently it's hard to understand how I get to say and not to hear. I get that, but I'm literally just mechanically executing pronouncing by sticking tongue one way or another without knowing if it's actually sounding like how it's supposed to be. I guess the try-and-error put me in position where I could eventually pronounce them the right way. However my ear is just left there clueless!
It is indeed possible for us to learn after 18. (So why couldn't I?)
My fiancée and small percentage of my friends has also learnt roughly the same way I did, and they got them perfectly including listening. We went to California for college for a few years, use them daily in all situations get soaked in the life of English speaking world. However somehow I'm left out on listening skills. I test them time to time, just say "Light" or "Right" and ask them which one it is, and they get 100% right answer right away. I don't do terribly, probably gets more than half, but I'm always doing guessing game and that guessing does take time for seconds if not in a moment.

I was astonished to know that there were crystal clear difference to ear. Apparently it's as different as color yellow from blue, but to me it's always right in between like green. It may kinda sound like one way or another, but I've never ever been quite sure about that.

I've been thinking that this is somewhat like how some people who'd learnt music before 5 who can tell the exact pitch for any sound they hear because they've developed the sense to tell the difference in them. However on the other hand, to me I feel like totally blind on this one. It was when I was high school that I learnt that they are pronounced differently (Japanese English classes are disaster), but I suppose it was too late?

As I expected, those who knows the differences, including Japanese guys that learnt that through the time, just tells me like "Well it's different and there's nothing much there that I can explain it.."

So, have any of you experienced having the friends or students of 'diagnosed' with the same problem and had it solved? Did it involve some specific method of training? Or maybe you learnt in some specific way?

I'm just keeping on using them on ear or mouth just blindly hoping it might be solved one day, but if there were a story about them, that'll definitely help me motivated so!


texts: implications of past simple tense - a few minutes ago

texts:
I learned that the past simple tense is used for actions which are completed at a definite point in time in the past.

Then, does the sentence below imply that they are not dancing anymore now (at the moment he or she speaks)?

  A few minutes ago, they danced.


texts: What's the common phrase for "... tell you in a better moment"?

texts:
I thought tell you in a better moment was the correct phrase, but Google disagrees.

What the common/idiomatic version?

Example sentence:

  She wanted to confess her affair to her husband. However, she didn't
  want to tell him now. She wanted to tell him __


texts: "I hear about it more and more these days" or "I am hearing about it more and more this days"?

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between the following sentences?

  I hear about the issue more and more these days.

  I am hearing about the issue more and more these days.

Many will say that it is incorrect to use the word hear in the progressive aspect, but I have heard English native speakers use.


texts:
I read this sentence:

Sally died while in a car i was driving!

Can't understand here while separates 2 sentences and makes sense at the same time?

Sally died while i was driving in a car!

But I am confused by in a car, for what / by what rule did we put it right after while?
Maybe this way we emphasize what exactly is in the car
Or maybe here while has a different meaning and the sentence without it would look like this :

Sally died in a car i was driving !

I hope I asked the question correctly, i.e. I would like to understand why such a place of setting in a car in a sentence ?


texts: Can 'native to...' be combined with a non-specific place?

texts:
One of my pupils wrote 'The blue mud dragon is native to high places, such as the Himalayas and the Rocky Mountains'.

My question is whether this use of 'native to' is common. I feel that it can only be combined with a specific place and not something general like 'high places'.


texts:
As Swan said in The Current's debate, Pope Francis has no power to
  change economic policy, but he does have the power to make us reflect
  on our values at time when those values may need reconsideration.

U.S. right accuses Pope of spreading anti-capitalist thoughts

Do we need "the" in front of "time" here? If not, what is the difference between one with and without?


texts: "is still being used" versus "is still used"

texts:
I once asked a question with the title:

  Is the word cloths still being used?

And someone edited it to:

  Is the word cloths still used?

Why is the first progressive one wrong?


texts:
I was supposed to exchange houses, everything was planned when yesterday, I received an email saying that it was not possible to do it anymore .I answered "you should have emailed me as soon as you knew/ have known it

I think past simple is the best because I have known it since  yesterday so it belongs to the past


texts: What do you call the act of doing something to win political points for the next election rather than useful things like enacting policies?

texts: Politicians do this often, they smear people over and over again instead of discussing politics. In parliament, instead of discussing about policies, they sometimes waste time by making personal attacks, pointing little misdemeanors (like eating a snack in the parliament room), commenting on unproven allegations, etc. What is it called? Politicians often do this.


texts:
Let's not just dismiss the idea before we've even thought about it.

What is the use of this structure: we have even + past participle ( or present simple)?


texts:
Which one can I say?

  I abandoned or broke or aborted   my thesis because I did not like the topic.


texts:
I miss going outside.
I miss going out.

I assume that these two sentences have a slight difference in the meaning.
My image of “to go outside”, is for example, I go outside of my house and spend some time in the nature. Or to just go outside of my house for a short amount of time. “I am going outside to throw out the trash.”

“Go out” feels like to go and hang out with friends, go shopping, going metc.

Can they be used interchangeably?

This is just how I feel about these two phrases, so if I’m mistaken, please correct me.


texts:
I'm wondering how to use the verb fit. I found some examples on the internet. Sometimes a indirect object is used, sometimes it's not needed:

My clothes fit better now and people keep asking, "Are you losing weight?"

Also, different prepositions are used in these other examples.

Her elegant behaviour fit perfectly with the diplomatic corps.
These old boots are fit for the rubbish bin.
That table does not fit in the small room.
Even though you can't fit into any of your prepregnancy clothes, you still have your shoes, right?

But which of these phrases are correct?

1) Your clothes fit too tight to you and your appearance has changed before the mirror.
2) Your clothes fit you too tight and your appearance has changed before the mirror.
3) Your clothes fit too tight and your appearance has changed before the mirror.
4) Your clothes fit in you too tight and your appearance has changed before the mirror.
5) Your clothes fit into you too tight and your appearance has changed before the mirror.

The prepositions "in" and "into" look equivalent, and the rest have other different meanings. Is this right?

Is there some rules to make me more understandable all of this?


texts: What's the difference between "ask that you" and "ask you to"?

texts:
Is there any subtle connotational difference between the two passages below?

  I just ask that you keep an eye on my nephew while I am doing the
  morning errands outside, which won't detract even a bit from the
  quality of your preparation for the test.

  I just ask you to keep an eye on my nephew while I am doing the
  morning errands outside, which won't detract even a bit from the
  quality of your preparation for the test.


texts: Can we say that in the sentence : You said, "My Son, I live for you", the speaker is the son?

texts:
You said, "My Son, I live for you".

I want to know if it is absolutely necessary that the speaker is the son. And how do you change the sentence to indirect speech.


texts: What is the properly way to say "I made a mistake due to carelessness", meaning that I did it accidentally and without intent?

texts:
What is the properly way to say "I made a mistake due to carelessness", meaning that I did it accidentally and without intent, and I'm very sorry about that?
Something close in meaning to the Russian "Я ошиблась по невнимательности" or "Я совершила ошибку нечайно".
To make the context clearer: at work, I did not fully understand the client's requirements, and did some of the work wrong, and later I may have to discuss this in a meeting with the client.
There are many words that look almost like synonyms for "carelessness" to me: inattention, inadvertence, remissness, thoughtlessly and so on. What are the differences in the use of these words? What can be used in this situation? Which one fits best in my case? Might it be better to rephrase this with more words?


texts:
From The New York Times:

Mr. de Blasio called for stricter laws to curb sexual assaults on crowded trains that are known as grinding.

Why do they use that and not which? A quote from Grammarly:

Remember, which is as disposable as a sandwich bag. If you can remove the clause without destroying the meaning of the sentence, the clause is nonessential and you can use which. (https://www.grammarly.com/blog/which-vs-that/)

It seems to me that the above example can be trimmed to

Mr. de Blasio called for stricter laws to curb sexual assaults on crowded trains.

and therefore trains should be followed by which.
Another example from New Yorker with the same issue:

For one thing, the modern traveller is often reminded of the Zionist and Israeli collective farms that are known as kvutzoth and kibutzim.


texts:
So I am enjoying this sketch That One Guy Who Still Says “These Nuts” (from the U.S, only available in some countries),
What does "these nuts on your chin" mean when Vince says from 1:10～?

I was worried about these nuts on your chin.

Googling  "on one's chin" doesn't produce anything but "take something on one's chin".


texts: Which is the better choice – "electoral roll", "electoral register" or "voting list"?

texts:
I'm writing about the election of board members, and need to refer to the list of people who may cast a vote. In this context, which would be the better choice – "electoral roll", "electoral register" or "voting list"? I have found some rather weak support for the two former suggestions being used only in political elections, so that the last suggestion – "voting list" – would seem to be the better option in this context, but I'm not sure...
Thank you!
Update: I'd like to thank you all so much for all your help! I failed to mention before that I am not writing about the election of board members, but rather translating a document that someone else has written about the election of board members (I figured I would only complicate things by adding this extra information). Seeing that the list I'm asking about is not a "thing" in an English-speaking context – whereas it is in the present context – I will go with Jeff Morrow's suggestion list of eligible voters, seeing that that is not a technical term in the same way as "electoral roll" or "electoral register".


texts:
I have ordered for a cup of tea

Or

  I have ordered a cup of tea

Which one is correct and why?


texts: This photo {has been taken vs. was taken} in Okinawa

texts:
A. This photo has been taken in Okinawa

B. This photo was taken in Okinawa

Which one would be correct? In the case that if I don't want to specify a date


texts:
Now, as we often say:

  I have never traveled to the city by road. (I always go by air)

Which preposition should I use in the context given below:

  There are two different roads which takes us to the city-- A and B.

I have never traveled by / on / through the road B.

Thanks in advance.


texts: When do you just say "He plays" instead of 'He plays computer games", "He plays tennis"?


texts: Is this a comma rule? (Phrase, phrase, clause.)

texts:
This sentence doesn't need a comma after "heat":

  The stuffy heat made him nauseous.

This needs one:

  The muggy air, stuffy heat, made him nauseous.

Because we included "the muggy air."

Is this comma placement correct? What's the general rule?


texts: Meaning of preposition in the following context

texts:
It is highly creditable for him to have risen to eminence from poverty and obscurity.

What does the preposition exactly mean here?

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


texts:
Is it right to say "I was talking to a 49er" to aim that "I was talking to a 49-year-old man"?

I know that it's meaningless to say it, but my question is:

"Is (age)er = (age)-year-old man"?


texts: Is this sentence 'I know him a teacher.' acceptable?

texts:
I made the sentence like 'I know him a teacher.'
I want to express the sentence containing the meaning of 'I know that he is a teacher.'
Can I use the sentence 'I know him a teacher.' instead of 'I know that he is a teacher.'?

I would like to know whether the sentence I made is right or not.


texts: What's the difference between "Is the song good?" and "Is the song any good?"?

texts:
What's the difference between

Is the song good?

and

Is the song any good?


texts: When you help someone escape from a place

texts:
The phrasal verb get somebody out means: "to help someone escape from or leave a place." I hvae heard get someone "away" is used in this sense too, but I couldn't find any reliable dictionary which approves that. I need to make sure whether they are interchangeable or not. Please have a look on my example below and let me know whether thay can be substituted for each other in this context or not:

  Dugging a tunnel under the wall, they got five other prisoners out of the prison.
  Dugging a tunnel under the wall, they got five other prisoners away from the prison.

Are these two sentences mean the same thing?


texts:
Is the phrase "to provide the means to" idiomatic in English? I often see the phrase in cases where, I think, "the means" are/is not definite. For example:

  1) 'Lamp holder' or 'socket' means a device which holds the lamp in
  position, usually by having the cap inserted in it, in which case it
  also provides the means of connecting the lamp to the electric
  supply.

  2) Although the UN doesn't make laws, it provides the means to help
  resolve international conflicts and formulate policies on matters
  affecting each and every one of us.

Shouldn't it be "a means" or "means"?


texts: "I go there always" vs "I go there every day"

texts:
I go there always.
  I go there every day.

Do these sentences have the same meaning by using adverbs ALWAYS and EVERY DAY?
If not, what is the difference?  I am not able to differentiate between these sentences, could you please explain.


texts: Is the "counting nouns" such as "a cup of" "a bottle of" virtually dead?

texts:
I am wondering especially when I travel internationally, even some native speakers do not use these "a cup of", for exapmple, for water, or "2 cans of beers". They sometimes say, "2 beers", so naturally I use myself too because especially to say "a cup of" is, you know, somewhat awkward, so I abbreviate it but I can make it thorough. Am I correct to understand here? Except for the scenes when we have to emphasize the numbers of the things we would like to buy/want?

I think these "counting prepositions or nouns" ( I don't know how I should call them ) are the standard English, but personally, it looks like they are dying......

For exmple, here,, in the famous Twin Peaks, Cooper always say, "2 cups of coffee", "a cup of joe" ( no matter what the size of the cup is. and in the video, he says, "damn fine, a cup of coffee", is this polite way to say?? ). I think after 90's the "correct mannar" has started to die??????????????

Thank you for your answers, people, now, could I summarize like the followings?

1) These "counting prepositions or nouns or you can name it", are they standard way to express ah, especially ordering or counting things??

2) Or, there is no concensus at all about this issue. Thus, as words change as
  time goes, just they are as they are so??????

Thank you for you answers in advance.


texts:
“I found your wallet today in my trunk.”

OR

“I found your wallet today, in my trunk.”

?


texts:
I'm trying to make an exact transcript of this video:
https://youtu.be/sKOlfR5OcB4

There are several parts that I can't determine.

22:43 This (??? construction) is called the two fluid model for liquid helium II.

It sounds to me like "far", but doesn't make any sense.

33:40 Moving (??) the detector away from the heater increases the delay.

Although it doesn't need any word between "moving" and "the" to make sense, it still sounds like there's a very short word there. Or not? I can't be sure.

35:35 The model is (????), but many of its elements survive.

Sounds like "false" to me. But I don't feel it goes very well with "survive". In my understanding, "some elements survive" would suggest that the rest parts of the model are not just incorrect or untrue, but are already gone, no longer there anymore. So I figure it should be some word synonymous with "discarded" or "dead" or "destroyed" or something. I just don't know whether my understanding is right.


texts: Should I use "who" or "which" when referring to a specific animal species?

texts: I'd like to know what option to use, specifically when referring to a species by its scientific name.


texts: How to ask someone to move from their seat?

texts:
For example, if there was a sofa in the room, and there were 3 people sitting on it, and there was a little space between their seat. How do you ask them to "move" or to "come close" to each other so that I can fit in, and have a seat with them?

Note: It's that one word that I'm looking for here that I used to know that you can use in this particular situation, but unfortunately, I'm non-native English speaker, that's why sometimes, I forget some words; It is used when you want to ask your seatmate to move to that empty space, or something like that.

Thanks for the answer.


texts:
He makes everything look good
  He makes everything to look good

I am wondering if someone tries to make everything look good or to look good.
Please help me understand


texts:
I do not know whether I can use the form of must in subjunctive:

  The participation subjugated to the constraint that,

  the car must be  new
  the car be new

Must expresses the duty, but it is not a verb. Does have to have to be used ?


texts: to come out {on to | to | on | into | in} the streets

texts:
Thousands of people came out onto the streets to attest their support
  for the democratic opposition party.

Can we rewrite the sentence in these ways? what would they mean if possible?

Thousands of people came out on to the streets to attest their support for the democratic opposition party.
Thousands of people came out on the streets to attest their support for the democratic opposition party.
Thousands of people came out to the streets to attest their support for the democratic opposition party.
Thousands of people came out into the streets to attest their support for the democratic opposition party.
Thousands of people came out in the streets to attest their support for the democratic opposition party.

And I saw another sentence that it says "to come out onto pitch".  So can I say that  to come out onto <somewhere>" is used when you go to <somewhere> which is much larger and more "open" (without roof) from a place which is "closed" like a room.


texts: meaning of the phrase "someone being someone"?

texts:
It is from Crash Course World History. It is at around 4 minute and 30 second. Here is the context:

  The Mongols were not agricalture-y and state-like enough. Although of course The Mongols being The Mongols, there are an exception to the rule: The Mongols did settle in a recognizable state Yuan China.

This usage of the word being confuses me, but I suspect the host means by  that because the Mongols are the Mongols....


texts:
Is it necessary to use article for singular, countable noun? Would it be ALWAYS wrong to NOT use article(a, an, the) for such singular noun?
When is it appropriate to NOT use article for noun?
I am always confused about whether I should treat amorphous object, such as beauty, happiness, and so forth, as countable or uncountable noun. Is there any clear guideline?


texts:
My friend made a statement to which I replied

  “After 2 weeks you won't have the same say.”

Now I don't know if that sentence is correct. I think

  “After 2 weeks you will not have the same opinion.”

is more correct.


texts:
  "Three up... two across he muttered. "Right, stand back,
  Harry."        He tapped the wall three times with the
  point of his umbrella.        The brick he had touched
  quivered –– it wriggled –– in the middle, a small hole appeared –– it
  grew wider and wider –– a second later they were facing an archway
  large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that
  twisted and turned out of sight.        "Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."   (Harry Potter and the
  Sorcerer's Stone)

From the context, ‘twist’ seems to mean ‘bend slightly not to out of sight’; ‘turn’ ‘curve enough to be out of sight’. Is it what the two words really mean?


texts: Most of the foreign remittance come or comes?

texts:
Most of the foreign remittance come from RMG sector.
or
Most of the foreign remittance comes from RMG sector.

Which one is right? Should I use "s" after come? Can anyone elaborate for me?


texts: How to write thanks to many people for different purposes

texts:
I would like to add acknowledgement section in a paper. There are two groups of people who provided different sort of help. The acknowledgement looks like:

  I would like to thank X, Y, and Z for their feedback, and A, B, and C
  for proofreading.

However, with real names, the actual sentence look too long. In addition, the two ands in and A, B, and C which do not seem right two me.

Are there any suggestions to improve it? i.e. would it look better to reformat it like:

  I would like to thank X, Y, and Z for their feedback. And A, B, and C
  for proofreading.


texts: Communicating that a phone call is becoming indistinct

texts: I was taking part in a phone interview, but it was a windy day and that was affecting my ability to hear the interviewer. I wanted to let them know about the problem, but couldn't think of the correct way to phrase it. What should I have said?


texts: Difference between "illegal" and "very illegal"

texts:
From my understanding of English, "very" means "more than the usual" or "to a higher extent".

I've seen on several places the expression "very illegal", such as here as an example: https://youtu.be/ytDamqTjPwg?t=8m23s

  The bigger point here is, [the Pump & Dump scheme] is very illegal!

However, I don't understand the meaning here. If I apply my previous knowledge, it would mean it's "more illegal than usual", and from the context of the example quote above we're talking about illegal stock exchange practices.

But "more illegal than usual"? It just doesn't make sense to me, something is either illegal or it's legal. I can understand some crimes might be considered more damaging than other crimes. It leads me to think "very illegal" is a particular expression, plus it doesn't fit in the example context above.

I am not familiar with the literal translation of "very illegal" that would be "très illégal" in French. The closest meaningful expression I could find appended around the word "illégal" is "vraiment illégal", which would mean "it's illegal but you might have thought it isn't". In English without being certain about the expression, I would translate that as "really illegal", or "truly illegal", or "actually illegal" (even though I dislike the word "actually").

I wasn't able to find a definition on Google.

What is the difference between "illegal" and "very illegal" in general?

I've been monitoring the answers and considering each one, and it seems clear that very is an emphasis on the illegality. Even though I do not know if all of the following is relevant as some answers have low votes, from all answers so far various facets appear as I interpreted:

very might emphasize the likelihood of being prosecuted for the crime (-> several mentions (A, B, C, maybe D)
very might emphasize how flagrant or unambiguous a crime is (-> several mentions (A, B, C)
very might emphasize the morality of the crime (-> most upvoted answer)
very might emphasize the severity of punishment of the crime (-> one answer with high votes)
very illegal might highlight that a illegal activity that doesn't immediately stand out as illegal for a target audience is not only illegal, but is also emphasized in some way (-> some mentions A, B)

The following do not answer the question but are interesting nonetheless:

Prefixing very might not be necessarily needed for crimes in which morality, severity of punishment or likelihood of being pursued are obvious to the targeted audience; adding it should be meaningful for the interpretation by the target audience as opposed to if it wasn't prefixed.
very illegal is informal (A, B), there are much better words for some situations (misdemeanor, felony, capital offense...)
One answer mentions highly illegal. As it stands out I cannot summarize it here.

There does not seem to be a strong pattern emerging from the answers for which facet everyone agrees about. I have the disturbing feeling that maybe my objective question is unexpectedly leading to subjective but valid answers. Even though the currently most upvoted answer may be the best answer, it might only reflect some valid facets of a more complete answer.

However it clearly highlights the emphasis aspect that seems to be common to all facets so I'm accepting that answer.


texts:
What does "never mind" really mean?

I am trying to find out the answer for it. I have been hearing that for years, but I don't use it myself because I do NOT know the true meaning.


texts:
The term “sea level” is sometimes used with and sometimes without the definite article. For example:

a) Longer-term changes in sea level are influenced by Earth’s changing climates.

b) The sea level appears to have been very close to its present position 35,000 years ago. (https://www.britannica.com/science/sea-level)

What might be the difference between these usages?


texts: I am thankful to Almighty Allah=God he/who bestowed us with this favour

texts:
I am a bit confused about "He and Who" over here.
One of my friends told me that "Who" can't be used with name of "Allah".
I was really confused.
I gave her several examples:
Such as;  (Start with the name of Allah=God who is the most kind of merciful.)
Actually,  I don't know how to use "Who" with the name of "Allah".

I am thankful to Almighty Allah Who bestowed us this favour.
I am thankful to Almighty Allah He bestowed us this favour.


texts: Is the following sentence good in formal writing?

texts:
I want to send an email to my professor and thank him. I asked him to change my presentation day since I have an exam on that day and he accepted my request.

Is the following sentence good :

"Thank you very much for your understanding."


texts:
I heard the following speech in the movie:

  No, you should see Spaceballs. It's, like, really funny. 'Cause
  it's, like, a spoof of Star Wars, but it's also, like, a spoof
  of, like, different sci-fi movies. Like, Planet of the Apes and
  Star Trek. Like... But it, like, really puts, like, Star
  Wars in its crosshairs.

Idiom "in the cross hairs" means "in a position to be criticized or attacked", for example:

  Her independence put her in the cross hairs of some local
  politicians

So I guess that the last sentence from the movie could be said as:
"It (meaning SpaceBalls) puts Start Wars in a position to be criticized by it(meaning Spaceballs)".

I am wondering whether "by it" is required in a sentence like this? Can I say

  It puts StarWars in the cross hairs


texts:
This is an example from OALD:

  I can’t seem to get the hang of this game.

As you may know, 'get the hang of something' means to understand something. But I don't understand the meaning of 'I can't seem to...' here.


texts:
Let's say I'm driving a long way home from work and have lost track of where I am in relation to home. I suddenly notice the exit sign for the city of Van Nuys, which is 45 minutes from home. I get surprised because I thought I've driven a lot farther and should've been much closer to home. Are these idiomatic to say?

"I'm only at Van Nuys?!"

"I've only hit it this far?!"

"I've only made it this far?!"

"I've only made/hit it to Van Nuys?!"

"I've only made it as far as Van Nuys?!"

"I've only come this far?!"

Is there another more common saying?


texts: Proper usage of the suffix 's in this sentence

texts:
So I was reading a post explaining a quote on ELU when I saw this sentence: "Caliban is indeed a character in a Shakespeare play."

So my question is: Shouldn't the suffix 's be used on Shakespeare in this sentence? Wouldn't "Caliban is indeed a character in a Shakespeare's play" be the grammatically correct form?

If I'm wrong, could someone explain in a simple way to me when I should and shouldn't use the suffix -s, or redirect me to a post addressing that issue?

Btw, the sentence was found in this post: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/175668/an-explanation-of-the-preface-in-the-picture-of-dorian-gray.


texts:
should I write :

  [ 1 ] I am OK

Or

  [ 2 ]  I am okay

Do they differ in meaning or OK is a shortcut of Okay?
When we use OK and okay?


texts: How is the best way to say about hidden money?

texts:
you've got money stashed
you are the money hidden

How is the best way to say about hidden money


texts: proper time span expressions between two-day work and two days of work

texts: Which one of the following time span expressions is proper "two-day work" or "two days of work"?


texts: 'I want separation' vs. 'I want a separation'

texts:
Which is correct, 'I want a separation' or 'I want separation'?

And, do they differ in meaning?


texts: Grammaticality - 'As you would a lion in a cage'

texts:
Source, 90% down the page: US TV series The Good Wife, Season 6, Episode 11, entitled 'Hail Mary'

  Diane [Lockhart]: Your Honor, we have found the Brady violation, - and we ask -
  Judge Cuesta: Oh, yes, you have your Brady violation - because you delayed me.
  Diane: Uh, Your Honor, with respect, I did nothing of the kind.
  And we insist that you see this Brady violation.
  ...
  Diane: Your Honor. I ask leave to approach?
  Judge Cuesta: With great caution, Counselor. As you would a lion in a cage.

Am I right that Judge Cuesta really means: As you would [approach if you were] a lion in a cage? He warns Diane to mind warily what she wants to ask, after being permitted to approach the bench. Am I right that this is called an ellipsis? If so, which specific kind is it (as per the linked Wikipedia page)? Any other terms describing this issue?
Anyhow, the ellipsis just seems too excessive here? Is it ungrammatical?

Context: Judge Cuesta foiled and returned to the court from  a deceitful meeting with one of the Illinois Governor's staff about a spurious promotion to the Illinois Supreme Court. Now Cuesta thinks that lawyer Diane conspired in this scheme to stall  while her legal team tried to find the 'smoking gun' to acquit her client, and one of the main characters, Cary Agos.


texts:
Someone wrote:

  Oops!, I realized the student hadn't asked me if I was going to that school (she didn't know me), she just wanted the teacher to keep asking the questions.

I offered this sentence:

  Oops! I realized the student wasn't with me and she just asked the teacher if she was going to continue, speak up, while I thought she (is with me and) means if I was going to the Speak Up school! What an embarrassment!

The story is about misunderstanding of "are you going to speak up"

He said "to be with sb" means to understand someone but I think it could also means to adress someone to talk with them, right?
If no, what is the proper phrase for that?


texts:
I have the feeling that there is something wrong with the articles and the sentence in general...

Because motives, like concealing the birth of a child or killing one’s own infant in order to avoid stigmatization, did not apply for married women, it was not acceptable within society when they actually did kill their newborn.

I should have added some more context I guess.

This is about infanticide in the 18th-century. It's supposed to mean that unmarried women who got pregnant because they were sexually forced into a relationship couldn´t avoid a trial if they killed their newborn because the patriarchal/religious society punished them heavily in any case. There were more reasons one could think of than to avoid stigmatization which were all mentioned before this sentence in the essay. Those were, for example, not being able to provide for the child and being cast away from the household these women worked in resulting in poverty.


texts: Difference between the pronunciations of "The"

texts:
I have heard normally people speaking the in two different ways.

  First the,  th-uh
  Second the, thee

I think there is something with vowel sound.  Is there is really a difference or just accent.


texts:
Although the "that" and "which" are objective in the following sentences, why the writer has mentioned them?

  Students of general English will not have such specific needs, of
  course, and so their lessons and the materials which the teachers
  use will almost look different from those for students with more
  clearly identifiable needs.

And

  During the war, people would eat all kinds of things that we don't
  eat now.


texts: Is "money" considered singular or plural?

texts:
I am writing this sentence:

  If you have anyone here, I can give it to him/her, and he/she will transfer them to you.

Have I used them correctly in that sentence, or have I should have said it?

Thanks.


texts: It is in a kid book. It says, "thunder rumbled". I wonder if it is ok as it is, or the article "the" should be mandatory for the sake of the story.


texts: "to your own private" - what is the meaning in this sentence?

texts:
I could totally relate to this someday.
  To conquer the world and then fade out to your own private and
  peaceful happiness away from it all with only your family sounds close
  to heaven.

to your own private - what is the meaning in this sentence?


texts: Do all four given sentences mean the same thing? Are they grammatically correct?

texts:
Have I told you he stopped responding to my letters because I'd offended him in the last letter I sent him?
Have I told you he stopped responding to my letters because I offended him in the last letter I'd sent him?
Have I told you he stopped responding to my letters because I'd offended him in the last letter I'd sent him?
Have I told you he stopped responding to my letters because I offended him in the last letter I sent him?

Do all these sentences mean the same thing? Are they grammatically correct?


texts:
I cannot recall where exactly but in a book that discussed some common mistakes in English I got to read about why the sentence What is it called in English? is purely (or at least highly) ungrammatical. In LDOCE 5th edition, there is the following entry:

In this sense, the above-mentioned sentence is correct (?) but these alternatives were offered if one is to ask such a question:

  What is друг in English? (friend)

  What is the English equivalent for Liebeskummer? (pangs of love)

  How do you say un mirroir in English? (a mirror)

Does that question really sound that outlandish or is the author being the grammar police?

(The book also mentions that if I am holding or pointing to an object, I can ask What is this called in English? but I have never asked it, to be honest.)


texts: "for that matter" - not only for generalization purposes?

texts:
There have been already two questions asked about "for that matter":

“for that matter”
The exact meaning of “for that matter”

I read them carefully and the following dictionary entries:

"for that matter" in MacMillan Dictionary
"for that matter" in Cambridge Dictionary
"for that matter" in Oxford Living Dictionaries

The meaning explanations seem to contradict.

One group of explanations point out that "for that matter" is used to introduce a generalization or extension:

  He doesn’t like young women, or any women for that matter.
   Ming's never been to Spain, or to any European country for that matter.
   He didn't eat the cucumbers, or any food at all for that matter.
   I didn't complain about the food. I have nothing but praise for the staff for their service, for that matter.

Whereas the other group of explanations just say "used to indicate that a subject, though mentioned second, is as relevant as the first":

  I am not sure what value it adds to determining public, or for that matter private, policy.
  I don't like bread and rice, or porridge for that matter.

So, is "for that matter" not only for generalization purposes but to add any kind of information to a statement? Even for correction of something what has been said (as "public policy" vs. "private policy" in one of the examples above)?


texts:
Cambridge dictionary defines spiel as "A speech, especially one that is long and spoken quickly and is intended to persuade the person listening about something". Based on this, is the following sentence okay?

  She called me and gave her usual spiel about how she's broke and needs money


texts:
I have a question about the usage of "go down" in this dictionary:

  It all goes down in her notebook.

I was thinking this sense of "go down" should be used with "in history", not "in a notebook".  Do native speakers think that the example sentence is weird?


texts: What is the structure of this sentence with commas?

texts:
In the sentence below

  The processor puts the data it wants to write on a bank of electrical traces, the data bus, by raising the voltage on some to represent ones and leaving voltages unchanged on others to represent zeros.

What is the relationship between 'a bank of electrical traces' and 'the data bus'?
Does the sentence mean the processor put both on 'a bank of electrical traces' **and '**the data bus'?

Thank you in advance.


texts: What is the correct way to frame this sentence?

texts:
What would be the correct usage?

  The box of chocolates is over.

OR

  The box of chocolates is finished.


texts: Can progressive aspects express the ongoing effect of an activity?

texts:
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber. Harry swallowed.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked Ron.
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."
Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet -- what on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Harry tried hard not to listen to her. He'd never been more nervous, never, not even when he'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that he'd somehow turned his teacher's wig blue. He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.
(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

The progressive form doesn’t seem to denote Fred’s ongoing joking activity for of course he's not joking now, but the imperfective effect of the activity. That is, he joked in the past but still now Ron hasn’t got the conclusion that his words were only joke. Is this what the aspect is saying? I mean can progressive aspects express the ongoing effect of an activity?
If that's not the case, does the aspect express the internal viewpoint: Ron reminds of the event not as an outsider but an participant in it?


texts:
I want to list this in my résumé: In an invited talk, I explained the application of X technique and then demonstrated with example A.

My current phrasing is

  Invited talk on the application of X technique; demonstrated with
  example A

But I am not sure if my usage of demonstrated with is idiomatic. Does my phrasing sound native? Please let me know if you have any better way of phrasing my experience.


texts: What does *rippled outward* mean in this sentence?

texts:
What is the precise meaning of the sentence? What does ‘rippled outward’ means in the bold sentence? Does buckling means throwing here? And, if so, then how an earthquake can buckle the earth’s crust into the air?

The first effect was to bury a crater almost forty kilometers deep
into the earth’s crust, simultaneously ejecting some one hundred cubic
kilometers of earth into the atmosphere in a twenty-thousand-degree
fireball that reached into space. All living things within several
hundred kilometers were simply vaporized. Earthquakes of magnitude
12 or 13 rippled outward from the impact, violently buckling the
earth’s crust hundreds of meters into the air. This seismic activity
triggered a massive tsunami, perhaps a kilometer high, that swept
across the Gulf of Mexico and struck the coastline with enough force
to travel twenty kilometers inland.


texts: How should I use 'please' in a complete sentence?

texts:
Please?
Please do this.
If it please (you)
May it please you to

This first seems an interrogative phrase, so I guess not a complete sentence. That second may seem an imperative, and or, interrogative, it doesn't seem to contain a subject. This third seems a phrase, closer to a complete sentence maybe. It seems a phrase, maybe a subjunctive phrase? I may not get subjunctives. I may think it like, If it pleases you. That last seems closest to what I may get to utilize. It seems a dependent clause, I may not get which.
May you write something like this?

I may like to speak to you, may it please you to.

or,

May it please you to, I may like to speak to you.


texts:
The next Friday I will tell you how I decided/would decide regarding your proposal.

Not sure what tense to use in the second part of my sentence. Is the future in the past appropriate option?


texts: Is it grammatical and idiomatic to use 2 successive verb followed by one objective?

texts:
I said "I've accepted and upvoted it" just now, then I realized this kind of expression may be not grammatical.

For example, grab and eat an apple, is this grammatical?

Which piece of gramma this of expression follows?


texts: Which articulation is correct for natural things (cold, green, day, time) - A or The?

texts:
I am making the photobook, there are sceneries and one sentence phrases on the pages.

I am not an English speaker, and in my language, there are no such things as articles whatsoever. This question, what is the correct way to write it in English?

I have written it one way first, but now I am totally confusing.

A day is increasing in January. it is not the specific day, it is a day in general. So does the cold, that comes at once. Would it be something specific, I would know, though there are such notions as cold, frost, day, time, I am completely lost with the correct articulation here.

Please help

Also, I appreciate if the correct word for cold is found.
In the 1.sentence the speech is about the chill, and in the 3rd, about freeze (the worst cold, when the temperature falls far below zero C). I cannot use "cold" word in both places but am unsure about words chill and freeze in this context.

Unsure about 11. fieldwork. I mean the agricultural work in fields.

Eugene

Cold comes unexpectedly (quickly). Frost covers everything and grows on trees.
Snow covers the ground with a thick blanket.
Cold comes rapidly, so does the darkest time.
A day is increasing and the sun is shining.
The low sun casts long shadows, but the coldest time is still to come.
The coldest time comes suddenly.
Winter is gradually leaving (declining).
White snow is melting.
The snow cover melted, revealing the bare ground.
Green is in a hurry to take its place.
Fieldwork has begun.
Crops and vegetation grow rapidly.

I have added a new text completing the book

Dandelions cover the ground with a yellow carpet.
In the middle of Summer, you can read all night long.
July is called "the month of hay" in Finnish.
So, autumn has come and so the harvest time.
“Golden Autumn” comes with its bright colors, rich yellow and red colors, clear azure sky.
Harvest is taken in bins, and everything is ready for winter.

Explanations - 17. Golden autumn is really nice, but last year leaves have fallen while still green because of the frost. The season change in northern Europe happens very quickly and does not last more than a week or maximum two. It could be snow snow snow time till May, and then everything would melt in under a week when the Warm wind brings suddenly the very warm air from the South. This is why I have written "suddenly", "rapidly", every change in the season does happen within a couple of days. You go to the bed in "fallgold", and wake up in the winter season. One snow storm makes the scenery.

Winter and Spring do really rush and there are "white nights" and "dark time" in December, at least in the local language. It looks almost "evil" when the sun is very low, the sky is almost black and suddenly turns red.


texts: Opposite of supplier - someone who does not deliver, but take goods away

texts:
I have an application that manages input/delivery/unloading of goods (from truck) on specific warehouse. There is user role of "supplier" for clients that supply and deliver this goods. There is also generic role of "carrier", currently used with same meaning as "supplier". Now we want to extend application with new type of warehouse where goods are loaded on truck and sent, but I do not have a good translation for the role of carrier that is taking this goods away.
In local language (Slovak) terminology is clear:

"dodávateľ" - supplier, someone who deliver goods
"dopravca" - carrier, someone who transport goods, either in or out
"odberateľ" - ???, someone who takes goods away

I googled the translation for "odberateľ" but google translate offers:

customer - this has generic meaning like with carrier but I want specific meaning
purchaser - this is not correct since our carrier does not buy goods (at least not directly), he just takes them away
subscriber - while literal and most correct translation in other cases, this is related to subscription so I do not see how it would fit ( but maybe my view is skewed because of social networks and meaning of subscriber in software development)
buyer - same as purchaser
client - same as customer

I also tried translation for "odvoz" (noun for carrying goods away):

transport - generic
removal - incorrect meaning in our case
disposal - incorrect meaning in our case

Closest I got is to use the word "exporter", but that is clearly connected with "importer" instead of "supplier" and has some connotations to foreign trade, while we send goods to both local and foreign clients.
While searching on EL&U I also found "consumer", but it has no carrier connotation as I see it (and again my view may be skewed because of meaning in software development).
Is there common word for role of carrier (opposite for supplier) that only takes goods away, better than "consumer/exporter"? Or is usage of consumer/exporter in this case valid?


texts: A word describes a place where people from different nations live

texts: I want to know if there is a word that has similar meaning to "community", "society", "country" or any word describes a group of people. but the special thing in this group or this place is that there are people from different nations or different communities happened to be in that same place. Is there a word like that?


texts: What is the difference in meaning between "spill coffee on the floor", "spill coffee over the floor" and "spill coffee all over the floor"?

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between spill coffee on the floor, spill coffee over the floor and spill coffee all over the floor?

Yesterday I spilled coffee on the floor.
Yesterday I spilled coffee over the floor.
Yesterday I spilled coffee all over the floor.


texts: What does 'turn on' mean exactly in this context?

texts:
The dialogue is about a mole who would provide them secret information about the inner circle.

  – I don't buy it. Didn't you tell me yourself, nobody turns on
  al-Qaeda?

  – The Jordans have worked him for a year, dinners, money. They
  convinced him... it's his patriotic duty to turn on al-Qaeda, and
  get rich doing it.

(Film: Zero Dark Thirty - United States, 2012)


texts: Is it grammatically correct to use "while" in this context?

texts:
I wrote this sentence :

  Also, the courses will hone my abilities in information gathering and analysis, information digitization, and development of appropriate applications.

But a friend edited it for me and wrote:

  Also, these courses will hone my  abilities to gather, digitize, and analyze information while developing  applications appropriate for each user in every situation.

Please notice that he used while. I don't think it's grammatically correct.  What do you think?


texts:
Last night I heard a lady cry/crying.
My book says the correct answer is cry.
.
Last night I heard a man scream/screaming.
My book says the correct answer is screaming.
.
I couldn't get it.
How do we use these verbs?


texts:
The Don puffed on his cigar and said, "Santino, what do you think?"
  Hagen knew what Santino would say. Sonny was chafing at being under
  the Don's thumb.

What is the mean of chafing here? I've found several meaning of that word in a dicitionary

Is meaning 3.

  Become or make annoyed or impatient because of a restriction or
  inconvenience

suitable here?


texts: Class of people that contain vs contains

texts:
Can you please help with which one is correct?

That class of people contains unrelated members.
That class of people contain unrelated members.

My grammar software assigned both as correct. I would think class be assigned as singular and hence should be 1.


texts: "If at all", what would this phrase mean in a context

texts:
I am currently reading this article, and there is a paragraph saying,

  Despite apparel and home goods companies doing their best to assure Wall Street this earnings season they are working hard to mitigate the tariff impact — by shifting production outside of China and taking price increases — investors in the space remain very nervous on the bottom line impact. The outcome of the holiday season for many retailers truly hang in the balance on whether they can mitigate tariffs to a material extent (if at all).

Would the last phrase, "if at all", mean in this context, "to the fullest extent"?

Or is the phrase modifying this line,

  whether they can mitigate tariffs


texts: Is "disproportionate" word correct in this context or should I use other?

texts:
Imagine the next situation, I am talking with a friend about this article: Haiti: photojournalist shot in face as senator opens fire outside parliament ...:

  Friend: Ehh, Did you read this one?

  Me: Ahh yes, I read it this morning.

  Me: I think his reaction was disproportionate, he could has handled the situation in a better way ...

Disproportionate means:

  too large or too small in comparison to something else, or not deserving its importance or influence

  There are a disproportionate number of girls in the class.
  The country's great influence in the world is disproportionate to its relatively small size.

Source: Cambridge Dictionary

I am using disproportionate to refer an action of him, I am not talking about: shapes, numbers (for example: ehh look that team is disproportionate, it has the double of players than the others), ...

So, as I asked: Is "disproportionate" word correct in this context?


texts: What's the meaning of "it's kind/nice of you?

texts: My teacher had told me that "it's kind/nice of you" is an expression of praising but I have heard this phrase from others as an expression of thankfulness.Which one is correct?


texts:
What is the correct way to say?

  A user can enter their address when checking out.
  A user can enter their address when going through checkout.


texts:
I don't want to make the same mistake. Therefore, I did my homework on my potential colleges. Moreover, I have my ultimate goal of becoming a research dentist. All that combine, my next obligation is to find a new college where I could embark upon my dream.

In this sentence, is usage of 'all that combine' correct or 'all that combines' or 'all that combined'?


texts:
In my English exercise book there is this sentence:

  The young lady is well dressed.

It asks to rephrase it in a new sentence, and provides this solution:

  The well dressed young lady.

I think that the sentence above should be:

  The well-dressed young lady (a hyphen between the words well and dressed).
  Am I wrong?


texts: "Be unable to do" or just "unable to do"?

texts:
Is there any difference between these sentence fragments:

Things that will make you unable to do [this and that]
Things that will make you be unable to do [this and that]

Are both of them even correct? If yes, are they synonyms or there is a difference in meaning?


texts:
"%40 of population is fat."

as opposed to:

  "The %40 of population is fat."

I know the definite article is used when referring to specific things but where and how could I make this distinction.


texts: When I talk about my hobby, which one is the best option?

texts:
I'm talking about my hobby of fishing. Which one should I opt for and why?

  I like going fishing
  I like go fishing
  I like to go to fishing


texts: Meaning of "As music rubber hosed the air".

texts:
"Irrational youths stop to stare, as music rubber hosed the air."

Music rubber? or rubber as music? Hosed the air - what may it mean?


texts:
Cop Mike defeats another cop Marcus on footrace at the
hospital:

  Marcus: Look, all you need to know is that I'll be running down
  criminals till I'm 100.

  Mike: You the last brother that needs to be talking about running down
  anyone after the hospital.

What does it mean, "You the last brother"?

I find these lines in Bad Boys for Life 2020


texts: How to understand "getting kicked inna head"?

texts:
I am reading this post, and meet the following words:

  Repeating yourself (three times) while programming is about as desirable as getting kicked inna head.

How to understand "getting kicked inna head" here? I guess its meaning should be something like "make sb mad", but can't find its definition in website.


texts: Is "To swim like a stone" considered a common idiom in use?

texts:
Are there any authentic idioms meaning the inability to swim?

I am not sure that the idiom "to swim like a stone' is widely used and even whether it's an idiom.


texts: What is the difference between get through and get over it?

texts: Do I get it right that if I 'get through' things I make some effort or struggle with something? But if I 'get over' things I always win and it always ends up well?


texts:
I am not sure which one works better in this context: to solve or to solving?
...The scholarship in this master's program is a chance for Dania to learn techniques, unexplored in India, designed to use subterranean water as one main source for human supply. However, it is essential to find  sustainable alternatives to avoid draining it all. This is a Challenge she can work to solving by adding the insights this program provides to her training as an industrial engineer.


texts:
After an argument with Sandra, Paul works on the landscape to cool off. Later, after seeing Paul's landscaping work, Sandra's friend praises his work. After hearing that, Sandra, who still angry with Paul, says:
"Don't believe Paul's man-of-the-land routine".
What is meaning of man of the land here?


texts: "Oxygen rich environment that scales love so much?"

texts:
I can not understand the meaning of this part of sentence.
Below is original.


texts: Difference between (sight / view / spectacle / scenery / landscape / scene)

texts:
Consider:

The sunrise is quite a sight to behold.
This is a house with a fine view over the valley.
An erupting volcano is a wonderful spectacle.
She enjoyed the mountain scenery very much.
The two hills with the valley formed a beatiful landscape.
Taxes and buses were part of the street scene.

Are these words interchangeable in the examples above?


texts:
Is it okay to use "though" and "but" in a sentence like this:

  If you were wondering why I have two accounts it is because the other one is too public though I'm still using it but I'm no longer posting or updating my status and whatsoever effin stuffs.

Is this right?


texts: Tense agreement for an action in the future and others before it but also in the future?

texts:
For the example marked in yellow, I want to know the correct tenses that should be used in the second sentence, written in italics.

  I am afraid there will be a lot of false alarms that will render the new tracking system impractical. I mean, a few times a week the Aireon’s software will trigger alarms for airliners that have just disappeared in the middle of the ocean when in reality nothing serious happened. Expensive rescue mission will be initiated just to be canceled after a few hours.


texts: Why—and based on what—do we use “she” with “ship” in the English language? Why do we consider a ship female when we know that it is not alive?


texts: Which one is correct - 'Packet status have OR has been changed'?

texts:
Packet status have been changed

or

  Packet status has been changed.

Since I was going to use the plural form of the word "status" here, I wrote have been. Am I correct?


texts:
In clauses like "This claim is disputed." and "disputed claims", it seems that the verb "to dispute" can be used to mean that the thing we are talking about is controversial and some people disagree with it.

But in another form of the verb, disputation, it seems that (according to my searches) it does not necessarily convey that meaning (or that meaning is not common for it). What should I used instead? I want to use it in a sentence like: "The reason is that people are not aware of the existence of disputations over claims."


texts: "Did you see him today" vs "Have you seen him today"

texts: Can I say both sentences at 5 pm of current day.i seriously don't understand. I know perfect is used for show effect of past action on present and simple past is completely detached from present.still can someone clarify when to use which of these sentences.


texts:
Here's the context.

  I admit that I'm not the best driver in the world and if I'm being totally honest, it's not at all unusual for me to drive above the speed limit. But, most of the time, I try to drive as responsibly as I can and, most importantly, I try my best not to get in the way of other drivers. Over the years, I've developed a lot of patience as well. Slow drivers don't bother me at all now. I can live with drivers cutting in front of me. I can even put up with drivers who blow cigarette smoke out their windows in heavy traffic. But there's one thing that I really have a hard time with / have difficulty with / have trouble with / struggle with and that's excessive use of car horns. From what I understand, car horns are meant to be used as a way of alerting other drivers and not as a way of punishing them.

Here, have a hard time with / have difficulty with / have trouble with / struggle with are the interchangeable?
I think they are similar in the meaning, but I guess there's a subtle difference in nuance.
Could you let me know that?


texts: Is there a word for superstitions which are meant for good?

texts:
In the Bengali language there are two types of superstitions: The good one is called Sanskar and the other one is called Kusanskar.

Ideally, Kusanskar is what we would call superstition in English, i.e., "excessively credulous belief in and reverence for the supernatural." They come to society automatically out of fear and irrational thinking, in the public mind. They can also be made by some so-called heads of society to gain respect for themselves from the fear in public. For example:

  In early days, Christian priests sold tickets to heaven to the public. The public, out of fear driven by blind faith, bought them and did not question their legitimacy.

The priests created this phobia intentionally, and it had no value in the public interest. This manner of public thought is called Kusanskar in Bengali and superstition in English.

But some misconceptions were made intentionally to do good for humanity. They are called Sanskar in Bengali. They are blind faith by society, but at the end of the day they do good for the public. For example, it is a blind faith/custom here in India that:

  A married Hindu girl should wear Sindur.

It may seem to be blind faith, but it had a good intention: to let other people understand whether an Indian girl was married or not. So it should not be taken as bad, rather it has a good intention.

So, what should we call these blind beliefs? Personally, I don't think superstition fits here well. Somehow, it makes any belief stigmatized.

Notes

I am not asking about the cultural situation or examples, but about the words themselves
Google Translate did not give an alternative


texts: the meaning of the sentence "find herself less than average in height"

texts:
The tallest girl in her class may stop growing at fifteen
  and find herself less than average in height.
  Please suggest the sense of the sentence
  find herself less than average in height.

My different opinions about the meaning of this sentence are:

  1.The tallest girl see that she was not tall any more.

  2.The tallest girl see that she was not tallest in her class as usual.


texts: Can "unless" be used in unreal past (with would have)?

texts:
I found conflicting information about the subject:
BBC World Service states that:

  And we cannot use unless with would to talk about unreal future
  situations:

  If he didn't take everything so seriously, he would be much easier to
  work with.
  If he weren't so bad-tempered, I would help him to get the
  work done.

  We cannot use unless with would have to talk about unreal
  situations in the past either:

  If you hadn't driven so recklessly, you wouldn't have had this
  accident.
  If you hadn't had that last glass of wine, this would never
  have happened.

While Education first website shows usage in all conditionals. What is correct then?

Why I cannot find anything about this usage besides that BBC website?


texts: Is "You are influencing your negative behavior over me" grammatically well-formed and natural-sounding to native speakers?

texts:
I don’t believe this sentence sounds right:

You are influencing your negative behavior over me.

I'd instead rephrase it more like this:

Your behavior creates a negative influence over me.

Is that better? Is my assessment accurate?


texts: I am a little confused about this sentence

texts:
I am a little confused when I saw this sentence emailed from a customer.

He said:

  We want tobeco mini 25mm new one in many colors.

P.S. "Tobeco mini 25mm" is a product name.

What is meaning of this sentence?

They wanted the product which is new version in many colors for choosing, not old version.
They wanted this product and will order many colors of it(Not mentioned the quantity) .
They wanted the one for each color(If there are 2 colors, they want 2. 1 red and 1 pink).

Which one should be correct? If this sentence grammatical and if he omitted some words?


texts:
The owner of the bar had had enough. He exploded into a tirade of frightening Russian which nobody understood.

Is it clear that it's frightening for the people he shouts at or should I rephrase the sentence?

Would using "terrifying" be a better choice?


texts:
I wonder  the structure of the sentence in bold. Can I put it like: The shaman possesses the power. The power is to conjure different collective intensities of being. The being admit transcendence through the metaphor and experience of the ecstatic journey.
By the way does 'conjure' mean implore somebody to do something here?

  The shamanic spectacle is associated with revelation and rebirth. The ostensible purpose of the spectacle is to achieve social reintegration. The shaman stands out in the tribe as a figure who possesses the capacity for transgression. This is because the shaman possesses the power to conjure different collective intensities of being that, through the metaphor and experience of the ecstatic journey, admit transcendence. (Celebrity, Chris Rojek)


texts: How to say "why do so hard since an easy way available here"

texts:
Common phrase to say "why do so hard since an easy way available here"
Id much appreciated to see both formal and informal ways


texts:
I'm wondering to what tense this constructions belongs to? I think
it is Past Simple. But I thought that if in the sentence we use any verb the auxiliary verb was / were no longer using? Just ad ED in the end of the verb.

For example :

  I was informed.

Why we use WAS?

I thought was and were are using only when we have no any verb in sentence.


texts:
'What about the wedding?'

'It can wait'.
'That can wait'.


texts: What does "there is an element of" mean?

texts:
Does it have any meaning or does the writer lacks something after of?

  "A partnership with private-sector entities signals a commitment to shareholder value over political priorities," said Fotak, who is also a senior researcher at the Sovereign Investment Lab of Italy's Bocconi University.

  "Of course, there is an element of if you can't beat them, join them."

From "Asian sovereign investors face off with funds in hunt for private deals" by Anshuman Daga, July 17, 2017.


texts:
I heard it on a TV show. The girls moved in a new house. A man comes to the house and says: "Killer house, guys." There was a murder happened in this house, but that seems not to be what the man intended to say, because the girl had clarified it later by asking: "You meant nice house, right?"

I guess it means good or attractive house. It might also be harmful or dangerous house?

So, what does it truly mean?


texts:
Does "ostensibly" mean "apparently", "apparently, but not actually" or "apparently, but (most likely) not actually"? If different meanings are possible, then which one is the most common? And how can I use context to infer the intended meaning?

Although my question is general, it occured to me while reading  this footnote on page 12 of Mathematical Logic
by George Tourlakis:

  † A finitist – and don’t forget that Hilbert-style metatheory was finitary, ostensibly for political
  reasons – will let you have as many integers as you like in one serving, as long as the serving
  is finite. If you ask for more, you can have more, but never the set of all integers or an infinite
  subset thereof.


texts: Positive sentence for "it won't take long"

texts:
How would you rephrase "it won't take long" to a positive sentence?
Is "it will take short" idiomatic?

More context: "it" refers to any activity like shopping, or hair cutting, or tidying up.


texts:
He looked at the stone figures all around them, breathed deep in the chill of silence of the crypt. (A Game of Thrones)

I think he should have put breathing deeply instead of breathed deep, for two reasons:

first, there is no adjective for the word breathe
second, breathe should be followed by adverb deeply not an adjective deep.

I want to know how this sentence works. How do you explain this condition?


texts:
I think a participle clause and main clause  having different subjects is exception to the rule of participles. I found the following sentences in a grammar book and in some internet resources which I suppose to have different subjects:

The weather being nice, we decided to go for a picnic.
It being a cloudy night, I couldn't see the moon.
Saroj being late, I couldn't catch the bus.

All of them contain "being". It would seem that we can use different subjects in participle clause and in main clause with the help of being. Are they correct sentences to use? Are there any other conditions when we can use different subjects in a participle clause and in main clause, or in subbordinate clause and main clause?
I've read this source too: https://english.lingolia.com/en/grammar/sentences/participle-clauses


texts: "Easy TO me" or "easy FOR me" in this context

texts:
I have heard both of the expressions :

  This work is easy to me.
  This work is easy for me.

What are the different uses of to and for in this context?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Is it right if I say, "May I know from which countries my sales are being executed?"?

texts:
First I like to say I'm not a native speaker and sometimes I face troubles to make sentences and English learning is a continuous process.
I usually sell products and I want to know what are the people of those different countries who buy my products. So, I have a confusion with sentence making and I like to know is it grammatically correct?
If I say, "May I know from which countries my sales are being executed?"
Is it grammatically correct or sound appropriate? Please somebody help me out, thank you.


texts: use of whatever with subject verb and object

texts:
Which of the following is correct being grammatical?

  He can't do to people whatever he wants.

  He can't do whatever he wants with people.

  He can't do whatever he wants to people.

He is the subject; whatever he wants is the indirect object; people are the direct object.

What structure should be followed?


texts:
Speaking about someone from a rural area, should we rather say "he's living in village" or "he's living on country"?

Country as a word has other meanings, such as the entity including the whole territory, so I'm cautious when this word is concerned. But that's only my feeling, and I'm not a native speaker.


texts:
What is the meaning  of the word "out" in the sentence below?

  This here is Charlie Ledbetter... sitting in his cell out at the state penitentiary.