texts:
Writing a paper I intend to preface all figures with giving common symbols used in many figures and I'm having trouble using articles. Help me please arrange them.
"The following symbols are used in _ (1) _ figures:
[smal picture] _ (2) _ regulatory region of _ (3) _ gene;
[smal picture] _ (4) _ coding region of _ (5) _ gene; possibly several coding sequences under _ (6) _ common promoter (_ (7) _ artificial polycistron unit), or several genes with _ (8) _ identical regulatory regions;
[smal picture] _ (9) _ gene expresses if and only if _ (10) _ particles A present; ..."
[smal picture] _ (11) _ gene expresses constitutively; in _ (12) _ presence of _ (13) _ particles A, _ (14) _ expression is blocked; ..."
All the mentioned objects are generalized, not specific.
Looking at papers written by native speakers I see that figure captions begin usually with no articles (cutting off the cases of the plural), sometimes with “the”. The reason is not clear to me. “A” was found rarely and I seem I understand it’s usage.
I guess (2)=(3)=(4)=(5)=(6)=(7)=”a”, (8)=no article because of  generalization.
(1): On the one hand, the sentence applies to all figures, so it suggests an indefinite article. But on the other hand, all this figures are in this specific paper, so “the” – ?
(9), (11): The pictures are not about the gene itself but about the conditions under that it expresses or not. This gene is generalized, so ”a” begs to be used. But we are talking about expression of the very gene that is depicted, so “the” – ?
(10), (13): Again, on the one hand, generalized particles mentioned, so no articles are needed (in the plural), but on the other hand, what is mentioned is depicted and designated as particles of the "A" type, so “the” – ?
(12): I have met both with and withoout “the”; the reasons are not clear.
I seem (14)=”the” since we are talking about the same expression that was mentioned in the same sentence (however as a verb).
I would hope that somebody of native speakers check.


texts:
Which of the following is correct?

a k-objective optimization problem
an k-objective optimization problem


texts: "Dear folks", Is it Dear people, Dear friends or Dear team

texts:
Every now and then I received emails starting with "Dear Folks" or "Hi Folks" from my boss and colleagues.

I checked Cambridge Dictionary and it means:

  people, esp. those of a particular group or type.
  Your folks are your parents.
  You can say folks if you want to speak in a friendly way to people you do not know.

I will exclude second and third meanings because the sender is a colleague at work. So my question is: Why do they use it if it mean (almost) "Dear/Hi people"? I think there is another meaning of it.

Note: I asked them and most of them think about it as "Dear Friends" or "Dear team" in informal way.


texts: usage of that that in "I wanted to ask what is that you would require from me?"

texts:
I have a sentence where it feels like it would be necessary to use the double that:

  e.g. "I wanted to ask what is that you would require from me?"

Is my intuition correct? If yes, please explain why and dissect the sentence.


texts:
A speaker describes this graph

as

  this is a curve running through space.

I understand "through" means

  from one end or side of something to the other

source Cambridge Dictionary.

So, does "through" space means the following? I really don't understand what does "one end of space" mean.

  from one end of space to the other end of space


texts: Show me the difference between the following suffixes?

texts:
Could you please show the difference in meaning of the suffix “-hood” and “-ship”, especially when they met at the same line to imply “a state or condition”

To me, they both sound the same.

For example,

Brotherhood, and friendship

How are they, -ship and -hood, different in meaning?

And you, as a native speaker, if you were to create a new word, with which situation, which of both would you choose to join it?


texts:
"White considered the manner in which a culture adapts to it's environment to be the most significant factor in it's development."
Now my question is the sentence idiomatic?Here which is a relative pronoun. Can i write the sentence in this way.
"White considered the manner which the culture adapts in to it's environment to be the most significant factor in it's development".
If i can write then how 'adapts in to it's environment' then if  'in' is preposition and if it does , then what is it's object?
I have seen it on BBC english Learning English | BBC World Service


texts:
I don't know which sentence is true and I need some help.

I believe that the faculty members will be very useful for my future studies.

or

I believe that the faculty members are going to be very useful for my future studies.


texts: What is the difference between “comprehension”, “perception” and "sensation"?

texts: I searched these words but there is no information comparing these three words at once. I probably should post the question in a psychology forum.


texts:
I want to compare two independent clauses with the phrase "is similar to". I want to compare Dave's rebellious act of escaping from authority to the rebellious act of citizens who stand up againt government.

I would like to know if the following usage is correct:

  In that sense, Dave’s rebellious act of escaping from authority
  control is similar to that of oppressed citizens defend themselves
  against government tyranny.


texts: grammar mistake in "so low that can be ignored"

texts:
In my sentence:

The impact of the proposed method for 5 jobs is so low that can be ignored.

the grammar of the highlighted part sounds odd and unusual. What's wrong?


texts: Should I use "report" or "complaint" in the context of website content flagging?

texts:
I'm translating a confirmation email to english. This email is sent to the website's user when he flags a content as inappropriate or offensive.

Something like:

  We have received your (report / complaint) at our website.

So, what word is the most suitable in this case? Or is there yet another alternative?


texts:
Could you please tell me the proper form of the word given in the bracket? Thanks!
— You are making me nervous. Would you slow down?
— Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I _____ (drive) fast.


texts: Is it correct to say "she is 13 in this picture"?

texts:
Which one is correct?

  She's 13 in this picture

Or

  She's 13 on this picture?

Or any other way of saying "she was 13 years old when the picture of her was taken"


texts:
I always learned when somebody says "thank you", I should say "you're welcome".

Coming to the US, I hear "you're welcome" almost never.  Instead I hear:

No problem
You bet
No worries

I understand these are all different ways to say "you're welcome".  Is there a reason to not say "you're welcome" instead?  Is "you're welcome" more formal?


texts:
I heard a sentence today which was "I could record him saying ... (something) . "

Is "record" also a verb of perception ?


texts: What is the meaning of "to have five or more"?

texts:
There was a confusing question in my reading test.

This is the sentence in the passage:

  "All starfish have at least 5 arms, but some have more"

Is the following statement true?

  "All starfish have 5 or more arms"

My class was confused by the word "or". Some people think the statement can be re-written as:

  "All starfish have 5 arms or All starfish have more than 5 arms"

Which then makes the statement false.

So I want to ask: as a native speaker, what does this sentence really mean to you?


texts:
Is it possible to negate get-passive? i.e.

The servers don't get deployed

meaning

The servers aren't deployed.


texts: "before initiation of" or "before the initiation of"?

texts:
I need some explanation to fully grasp the differences between the following two:

The guidelines suggest a confirmed diagnosis before initiation of the treatment
The guidelines suggest a confirmed diagnosis before the initiation of the treatment.

Both seem correct to me (are they?) but I feel there are some subtleties that I cannot fully grasp (an illusion?).
Any help?


texts:
For example:

  COVID-19 plagued New York City and its many theaters.

I am wondering if "and its many theaters" makes sense, because it's included in "New York City". Is this allowed in English? Because to me it's already implied and thus it's nonsensical.


texts:
Sometimes I use the indirect questions as stated below,

  Could you please tell me, where is this address??

Sometimes, I feel it's not correct, although it's understandable to any person. So tell me, is it grammatically correct?

I usually use phrase before the direct questions. Is that the correct way for polite questions?


texts: Consecutive relative clauses referring to one object

texts:
Consider

  Today I finished reading a book, titled "Fifteen Dogs", written by (the?) Canadian writer André Alexis, which has been / was published in 2015.

All relative clauses refer to the book. Is it a natural and correct way? Or should I rephrase the sentence


texts:
I have a question about pronunciation. I've been studying English practically for my whole life, but for some reason I have such a hard time pronouncing the FLAP T.

I do know how to make it perfectly, but whenever I try to pronounce it it sounds really forced and whenever I try to talk fast like If i want to say 'It was such a pretty day" or Whenever the 'PRETTY' word comes up I get so stucked! Don't even get me started on pronouncing words like "turtle, murder, or saying "ORDER TO".

I used to practice English like crazy when I was a kid and a teenager and even in adulthood,  making the flap T, would be extremely easy, been practicing 3 hours daily for over 5 months with words like "murder, turtle and listening to native speakers saying it and repeating it with them". Still, CAN'T pronounce it properly and fluently. Why? Do I need to focus on "tongue exercises"? JAW exercises too? I don't know, This sound is giving me such a hard time, and sometimes I just feel like givin' up on English.


texts:
I have a hard time pronouncing This is, and making it sound different than *These* is. I guess I relax the s sound at the end of this, blending it with the i as in /thiziz/.

I wonder if this is a problem of inflection or pausing; or if it is really an issue with making the last s non-sounding (not a z sound).

It could also be that native speakers make the diacritic sound in the i versus the e in these. I don't know.


texts: Is it correct to say, "what would he likes to eat"?

texts:
Is it correct to say "What would he likes to eat?"

If I ask to my friend for another friend's choice.


texts:
Here, "eats" means, informally, "food".
But have you ever heard such a usage? I wonder whether most of native English speakers could understand it.

eats, [plural] Informal. food:
The eats are good there and the prices are cheap.

Source: Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English


texts:
Which one is correct:
“XYZ is the most famous and the biggest concert in Australia.“ or
“XYZ is the most famous and biggest concert in Australia.“?


texts:
What does the phrase works by mean here? The structure of the sentence doesn't seem correct to me.

  Borgarnes water also has a particularly high surface tension, which the brand explains works by "inhibiting evaporation of the volatiles that want to escape quickly —the aromas, the bouquet."

After doing some research I guess that the author wanted to say that a particularly high surface tension gives a special aromas to the gin because of inhibiting evaporation of the volatiles.


texts:
I read this

  I know I shouldn’t read it. I should just delete it or not look at it
  and write her back quickly, letting her know she sent me something
  meant for someone else.

I looked up there are both "mean for" and "be meant for" phrase.

mean for

be meant for

But even the example from "mean for" has a "be".

  Sorry, my question was actually meant for Mrs. Roberts.

I wonder if there always would be a "be" in there? Why does the first senten above omit a "be"?


texts: Does "is" turn into "was" or "were" in indirect speech?

texts:
Not sure if "is" becomes  "was" or "were" when passing from direct speech conditional to indirect speech.

Direct speech:

  The plane can make tight turns if the wind is weak.

Indirect speech:

  He told me that the plane, which crashed, could make tight turns if the wind was (or were?) weak.


texts: Looking for one word to describe 'not enough space in a building'

texts:
I am looking for one word (ideally, a noun) to describe 'not enough space in a building', 'a lack of space'. Could I use 'narrowness' or is there a better word?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, 'narrowness' means:

the fact of measuring a short distance from one side to the other, especially in relation to length  (one of the meanings)

Is 'narrowness' only about the relation to length or could it be used in general about the space being too small?


texts: How to say all questions are easy when you find out their answers in AmE?

texts:
How we can say: it is easy to understand what you could have done to prevent something bad from happening after it has happened

or

Imagine someone asks you a question and you don't know the precise answer and when they say you, you say: "oh, I knew it."
for example:

  Andy: Do you know the what would be sinA in this triangle?

  Kevin: Yes, of course. let me think! Aha. Got it. It would be AC divided by BS (AC/BS).

  Andy: No Kevin. You're answer was incorrect. It is vice versa. AC/BC.

  Kevin. Oh, I knew it.

  Andy: Yea (smilingly) [every question will appear to be easy when you know it's answer. (whereas Andy knows the answer already.)]

But how a native speaker would say it?

I've found a possibly proverb:

  You're wise after the event.

In my opinion it makes sense and it is exactly what I am going to say, but the problem is that based on this link it is mainly BrE and I need to know whether is works in AmE too. If not, then please someone let me know how an American would convey the same thing?


texts: if the situation has remained the same as the beginning when I report it, is backshift mandatory?

texts:
Please do not send them until the other records from the series have come out.

if I want to put this sentence in reported speech

I told you not send them until the other records from the series have come out or had come out

In case the other records at the time of speaking have not come out, I think I am not obliged to backshift because the situation is still the same (the other records are not out)


texts: In "It is raining", what does "It" refer to?

texts: If "it" is a noun, what is it? If instead, "it is" is the 3rd person present verb to-be, what is the subject of the sentence? (How is it grammatical to have a sentence consisting only of two verbs in that case?)


texts:
Do "How is it that...?" and "How...?" mean the same thing?
Hi
I've looked at the above post. Now I want to know the nuance of "how is it (that) S V~~?".
Tᴚoɯɐuo said,

This form of question, How is it that ...? implies that the speaker is
finding something hard to believe or difficult to comprehend:
How is it that the ship ran aground if its navigational systems were
functioning properly?
If you are not the art thief, how is it that the missing paintings
ended up in the trunk of your car?
The facts would suggest otherwise. The How-is-it form of question is
asked in light of something already known, something which has already
happened.
How is it that we are able to remain enthusiastic after all of these
setbacks?

So now, I want to figure out his feedback about "The facts would suggest otherwise. The How-is-it form of question is asked in light of something already known, something which has already happened".
The facts that the Tᴚoɯɐuo said refer to "If clause ~", do they???
And then
When the facts are really actual and have taken place, in this case, the intention of "How is it that S V" is to ask for the specific reason with surprise, disbelief, or disapproval?
For example)
How is it that you are always behind time?

How is it that you missed the appointment?


texts:
I read an article title 'Truth about denial of gravity'. The title seems to be giving an impression that the writer would support the denial but indeed he was against the denial. He believed in the gravity theory. The question came in my mind was:

Is the use of the word 'truth' right here? When you actually are denying the denial because 'truth'  means:the true facts about something, rather than the things that have been invented or guessed

So, I think he should have chosen the word 'reality' in the title because to me, the word 'truth' supports the subject and the word 'reality' shows that you are against it and means to present the facts that will support your denial to the subject. In short, if I say 'Truth about...' it means I am supporting the theory/idea but if I say 'Reality about...' it means with the help of facts I am revealing that the theory/idea is baseless.

So the title should have been: Reality about denial of gravity

Is my understanding correct?


texts:
Well, Oxford, Cambridge and Macmillan lists /ˌɛdjʊˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/, /ˌed.jʊˈkeɪ.ʃən/, and /ˌedjʊˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ respectively as the pronunciation for education. Yet, people say /edʒʊkeɪʃən/.
Can you please elaborate?


texts: Do "How was it?" and "What … like?" have different uses?

texts:
How...?
What...like?

According to English Grammar Today (on Cambridge Dictionaries Online),
How …? has 3 different meanings:

1)To ask about someone’s general health or 2) about the condition or state of something, or 3) how people experience something.

What is … like?, on the other hand, has only one: to ask for a description of someone or something (e.g. their appearance, their character, their behaviour.)
What makes this matter complex (at least for me) is that a description can be how we experience something, not only what is the physical/objective description.
That's why in English grammars and online websites, many answers for both types of questions start with 'It is great...' or 'It is nice...' or 'It is cool...' , or 'It's wonderful...' etc.
Of course, the rest of the content of the answer can vary.
My question is:

How was the film (yesterday)?
What was the film like?

If I just wanted to know if the film was either nice or not nice, was either good or not good, giving freedom for the other person to choose the content of her answer, I mean, how did she experience the film or what is the story about, the film genre, the actors etc (description), am I free to choose any of this questions for my enquiry?


texts: What is the difference between "proportion" and rate"?

texts:
The proliferation of electronic bidet seats has increased the
  proportion/rate of water used in toilets (to the total amount of
  water used in homes).

I would like to know which of "proportion" and "rate" is suitable for the above sentence I created when the sentence in parentheses is omitted. As far as I could search, I think "rate" is better, but "rate" sometimes means "speed".


texts:
The University of St Andrews ______ is the oldest university in Scotland.

A. which was founded in 1413
B. , which was founded in 1413,
C. , that was founded in 1413,

The answer is 'B'.
I wonder why 'A' is wrong?


texts: Difference between Was and Were- "It was these months towards which the whole year moved."

texts:
It was these months towards which the whole year moved.

In this sentence why did the writer not use were in place of was?

Since this is an inversion sentence as "it" is used, shouldn't the verb be according to the subject: "these months"?


texts: "She looked at his eyes that were just beautiful"

texts:
She looked at his eyes that were just beautiful

I know that this sentence is wrong but I don't know how to correct it. Do I have to change 'that' into 'which'?


texts: What tense should I use in “caught a cold and stay at home”?

texts:
I caught a cold and started to write email about that. I wrote it this way:

  I've caught a cold and I'm staying at home for a couple of days.

Yet I doubt about tense choice. Should I use Present Perfect or Past Simple in the first part of the sentence? I'm pretty sure Present Perfect fits well here: it happened in the past yet there's apparent result in the present.

Should I use Present Continuous or Present Simple in the second part? I chose Present Continuous to refer both to the present moment and to the nearest future.


texts: Meaning of a paragraph about causal effect

texts:
Author is talking about the causes of cognitive disorders (like dementia). This paragraph is about emotional causes. I think the example (bolded) is not related to the first sentence. The first sentence is saying that psychological disorders have some features that may  seem like organic disorder, but the example says that organic disorders (like hypothyroidism) have symptoms which are like depression (as a psychologic disorder). (And none of them are related to the causal effects of emotional factors on organic disorder). Am I right?

Many stress-related symptoms mimic organic disorders. For example, depression can be a predominant symptom of hypothyroidism, Addison’s disease, and brain tumors. The psychiatrist must consider these possibilities before deciding that the illness is due to emotional conflicts. In older persons, depression can have the appearance of dementia, with confusion, recent memory loss, and poor functioning. Treating the basic depression can completely relieve this pseudodementia.

Source: Richard W. Roukema. What every patient, family, friend, and caregiver needs to know about psychiatry.


texts:
Dear President-elect, the Czech Republic as well as I personally look forward to working with you and your administration and to continue developing the close relations which our countries enjoy.

Source: https://twitter.com/PREZIDENTmluvci

Don't you think that the verb "to continue" is used wrongly? Should it not be the correct form "continuing"?


texts:
Is it common in English advertising to include sentences without verbs like the following?

30-day no-hassle refunds available.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: Using past simple or past perfect in a specific sentence

texts:
I was practicing tenses and came across the following sentence:

  When Sally ______ her first pay, she bought presents for her parents.

The right answer is received. However, from my point of view, the first action which is receiving the pay is done before the action buying and so it's better to use had received. Am I right?


texts: over the vending machine / over tea / over the fence

texts:
I have seen the following multiple-choice question in a test but non of the choices make sense to me. Are they really idioms? What do they mean? (I know the meaning of the third choice)

  Jeffrey heard _ that the company he works for is going bust soon.
  a)   over the vending machine
  b)     over tea
  c)     over the grapevine
  d)    over the fence

update:
one example suggest "over tea" as answer and the other one suggest "over the grapevine". What do you think?


texts: "point me the right direction" or "point me to the right direction"? Which one is correct and sounds more natural?


texts: Which is correct, "go to swim", "go to swimming", or "go swimming"? What are the differences?

texts:
I want to go to swim.
I want to go swimming.
I want to go to swimming.

I wonder which one is correct and how to tell the difference between them.


texts: How to inoffensively ask a girl if she uses drugs?

texts:
A friend of a friend asked me recently, how to inoffensively ask a girl if she uses party-drugs or if she wants to use them right now?

He did not want to ask her if she "blows noses" if you know what I mean. Substances not meant by that question include h, meth or crack and any kind of injection is out of the league.


texts:
Let's say you're coaching kids about how to become the best basketball player.

Coach(you): you have to improve your dribbling, shooting, speed, and footwork, simply because these things are what are needed to become the best basketball player as you can be.

Is this grammatical? Pls. Help.


texts:
I am looking for an English equivalent for a proverb of my language which says: "A wolf (a bad person) will never laugh at you, but it wants to get something (an achievment) from you".

I have found a similar saying in English, but I have my doubts if native speakers use it;

  Beware of greeks bearing gifts. (With reference to the story of "Trojan horse".)

Please help me to find its English Equivalent.


texts: "How do you say that in Russian" is it correct in the following context?

texts:
Many time when my friend talk to me in English and I want to know the parallel word of this English word but in Russian language. So, what is the right why to ask it?

I always say "How do you say that word in Russian". But to me it sounds a little strange and I would like to know the acceptable sentence that people used to say in this context


texts:
Is there any difference between "name of film" and "film's name"?

How can I say that I need to remember film's name?


texts:
I saw this on a t-shirt one of my friends is about to make for a sports event.

  Let’s get rock (or "rocks", I am not sure).

And there is a dirt bike on it too.

The event is dirt bike racing, my friend is Hungarian just like me and he does not speak English well. Therefore I don't think it is figurative or a word play. My worry is that it is a mistake. That is why I wanted to ask native speakers after having browsed the internet to find something similar.

What does "let’s get rocks" mean? It does not sound right to me. Any thoughts on it?


texts:
Another way to come up with ex ante arguments is to imagine how a
  legislature would think about the problem facing the court. Legislatures
  make general rules for the future; they don’t resolve individual disputes
  that have already occurred. So if a legislative committee or a government
  agency were considering a rule about how banks should handle hostage
  takers, it less likely would be distracted by the equities of any one case.
  Its role would be to make decisions that have consequences ex ante—going
  forward.

Source: p 6, The Legal Analyst, Ward Farnsworth

The plural definition here is 2.1, but which doesn't make sense in this context. Since that (independent) clause is discussing "any one case", shouldn't it use the singular of Definition 1 (= The quality of being fair and impartial) ? One case can't be equitable in different ways, then it's not equity?


texts:
We are doing online marketing and we have a campaign for a smartphone where we say
“If we send you one, will you review it for us?”

Using “one” fits this case perfectly as “smartphone” is singular.
Let’s imagine we need to come up with a similar phrase for “headphones” or “earbuds”. How would this sound if these were “headphones/earbuds” instead of smartphones?

“If we send you , will you review  for us?”

Any ideas?


texts:
Quite unexpectedly, the 2008 WDR picked a theme perfectly in keeping for a world once again worring over food security in the face of rising food prices.

Hear is the source:

Development Econonics through Decades, Shahid Yusuf, page 44.

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/2586


texts:
What's the difference between the following:

  By the age of 45, most men had died.
  By the age of 45, most men had been dead.

I was told the second is wrong but I don't know why.


texts: Term a plea "frivolous" or term a "frivolous plea"?

texts:
I read an article in "The Hindu" which was titled as:

  In 2015, SC had termed ‘frivolous’ plea on Rahul’s citizenship

Now, the article (source) talks about a plea filed by Rahul which was described by SC as "frivolous". So, it got me into thinking that the title should be more like

  In 2015, SC had termed a plea on Rahul’s citizenship as "frivolous".

Am I right?


texts:
But he did mature into a fine young man. At least he looked pretty good - all the girls thought he could play the part. He had a special tutor called Regin, whose job it was to see that he knew how to behave as a true Prince

What is the difference between two sentences:

whose job was to see that he knew how to behave as a true Prince
whose job it was to see that he knew how to behave as a true Prince


texts: Which one is the most natural in the eyes of a native speaker?

texts:
She was an indescribably unique person.

  She was indescribably unique.

  Unexplainably(indefinably) unique. That’s how I’d describe her.

Initially I wrote as the first one, and then I thought 'A is a(n) ~ person' is a bit awkward, cause A is definetely a person, so I changed it to the second one.

But then again, what I want to emphasize here is that she is 'indescribably unique that it's hard to describe her', and in English we put the part we wanna emphasize at the beginning of the sentence. So I finally changed it to the third one. (I changed the adverb cause I have to repeat 'describe' if I use indescribably..)

But I thought it's unnecessary to divide the sentence in two, and I'm still not sure which one among those three is the most natural one in the eyes of native speakers.


texts:
I've read some essays in order to improve my english but I am confused about the below sentence.

"In the future, having job experience will put you at a huge advantage against your rivals who apply to the same position. For example, both candidates are graduated from the same college, have similar grades and an acceptable resume."

If we use "are graduated", i think this will be passive, is it right?
Should we use like that?
Or, Can we use both "with are" and "without are"?

Thanks.


texts:
Is it correct to use such as for instance ? or it should be such as instead ?

Example:

  Other techniques can be considered, such as for instance techniques B and C.

Also, in the above sentence we shoul use and or or ?


texts: What’s it looking like in there? Vs What’s it look like in there?

texts:
What’s it looking like in there?
  What’s it look like in there?

Or

  What’s it looking like inside the the dmv?
  What’s it look like inside the dmv?

Are any of the grammatically correct?


texts: "a rural area in Beijing" vs. "the rural area in Beijing"

texts:
Consider the conversation.

A: "Where are you from?"

I: "I’m living in a rural area in Beijing."

"A rural area" is used here because there are several separated rural areas in Beijing and I'm living in one of them. Am I using the correct article in this context?


texts: Using the pick it up the pace idiom, specifying the speed rate

texts:
The idiom pick it up the pace means to increase tempo. I need to describe a specific rate of doing thing that is being increased. For instance:

  You could start out with one training a week, and then pick it up
  the pace up to 3 times a week.

I'm not sure if the usage pick it up the pace up to sth is correct. In the dictionary I referenced to above, there was an example describing the fact of increasing speed rate, without specifying a concrete speed.


texts:
In a movie, "Jerry Maguire", there's  a famous catchphrase  "you had me at hello".

And what about: You got me/had me with that frown( that is, you convinced me with that frown, I don't want any lecturing, I agree to what you're saying")

Can "with" be used instead of "at"?

You had me with hello.
And can this line be simply used to mean "to persuade" and not "charm"?


texts:
In drama movie Bombshell (2019), Megyn admits that she too face sexual harrashment from Roger,
Fox News CEO

Megyn: Roger harassed me. Ten years ago. I had turned down a law-firm
partnership for an entry-level job here at Fox. Roger would call me up
to New York to dangle prospects.

What's the meaning of "dangle prospects"?


texts:
But you can't find anything while you're crying.
  But you can't find anything when you're crying.
  I'll tell you about it while Frank saddles the horse.
  I'll tell you about it when Frank saddles the horse.

When should I use when, and when while?
Are these sentences correct?


texts: “As can I.“ Is this grammatically correct?

texts:
I know English has inversion features. And So does my first language.

  She can speak Swahili and so can I.

— this sounds totally correct.

Then how about using as instead of so:

  She can speak Swahili and as can I.

— this sentence reads little kind of strange though. regarding “as do I.” is grammatically correct, what do you say about this one.


texts: Can "perpetration" be done in "a positive manner"?

texts:
I read a definition of the word "commitment" on Wiktionary.com which was:

  Perpetration, in a negative manner, as in a crime or mistake.

I want to ask why the writer is emphasising the "negative" aspect of it. Is it because they want to mark it different from "an inadvertent manner" not "a positive manner"?


texts:
Laura looked faint, and her face paled white around freckled, sunburned cheeks and peeling nose.

Is it more like the area of cheeks and the nose? Not like surrounding regions?


texts:
It was only recently that we've begun to discover the answer.

  It was only recently that he got well.

What is 'that' indicating, or modifying in the both sentences?
I think it is indicating, or modifying 'only recently'.
Can 'that' be substituted with 'when' ?
if written as 'That he got well was only recently', it does not make sense?
I think it is grammatically correct, though it reads odd.


texts:
Source:

  A Culips listener on Facebook recently requested that we do more interviews, so here’s another one! This time it’s our friend Jade who’s talking to you. In this episode, Andrew asks her about her life growing up in the province of British Columbia, about going off to university, and about what she’s up to now. Listen in to learn about Jade and the dynamic life of another Canadian!

What does that exactly mean and why is university used without an article?


texts: Hasn't been opened yet vs isn't open yet

texts:
During a conversation, which is the more natural of the following two sentences? Are both correct?

  There have been delays, my bank account hasn't been opened yet.

  There have been delays, my bank account isn't open yet.


texts: "I wonder how much it {cost/costed} to get all of that paint on." - Should 'cost' or 'costed' be used?

texts:
My friend and I are debating whether or not "costed" should be used in a particular sentence.

  "I wonder how much it costed to get all of that paint on."

I understand "costed" to be used when something like "priced" or "valued" would work, like

  "He costed the vacation to be somewhere around three thousand dollars"

meaning he calculated the cost of the trip. I don't think that using "costed" in the first sentence serves that purpose. In response to these thoughts, my friend said this:

  "'Costed' is inflected for the dummy pronoun 'it' which is coreferential with the infinitive phrase 'to get all of that text painted on.' 'To cost' is a transitive verb where the agent is the thing being purchased, which is 'it'. Have you only ever used 'to cost' as a where the thing being purchased is a patient?"

As you may be able to tell, my friend is a bit more linguistically inclined than I am, and I don't really understand what this whole thing means. Can someone translate, and tell me if he's right?


texts: Which one is grammatically right? : " Population" or "Populations"

texts:
I'm not sure whether the plural form below would be correct.

Many public officials are seeking out ways to increase the populations of their towns.

At first, I thought that it would be better to use the plural form because it refers to the people that live in various towns.
However, if I consider the situation of people living in each town(there's no one who has his/her address here and there), I think it might be proper to use the singular form.
Could you tell me which form would be grammatically right?
Thank you for reading. ;)


texts: Meaning of understatment and annual round

texts:
Can please explain me the meaning of the following sentence:

  Painting the town red is an understatement in Bali especially when the
  Mimaisa Festival makes its annual round.


texts:
I've noticed that people use present perfect when emailing other people, but I'm not sure how to utilize that verb tense. Will my example below work?

  "To this email, I've attached the copies of the photos you asked for. Also, because you told me that you didn't get the other copies, I've made more copies for you. I've also attached them to this email."

Or should I use the following?

  "To this email, I attached the copies of the photos you asked for. Also, because you told me that you didn't get the other copies, I made more copies for you. I also attached them to this email."

Is there a reason why people use present perfect when emailing?


texts: Using "Until" to mention the aim of doing something

texts:
An English learner wrote:

  Next time I will try to make a plan till counteract her plot.

A native speaker didn't correct it, when he was revising the passage. (Maybe it was neglected).

I doubt if "till" can be used for mentioning the aim of something, similar to "to" or "in order to" or "so that". right?

In general, can "until" be used to convey the aim?


texts:
Could you please help me to rewrite this sentence.

Since the death of an actor X. Y has elapsed ten years.

I want to use the relative clause.

An actor X. Y., of whom death has elapsed ten years.(I suppose that this sentence is wrong.)

Thank you for your help.


texts: Don’t seem too forward / Don’t seem overly friendly

texts:
Let’s suppose someone is behaving in a very impolite and perhaps rude way with you and you dislike his manners toward yourself. In such a condition, do the following sentences mean the same and can they be used under these circumstances?

  Don’t seem too forward.
  Don’t seem overly friendly.

I wonder if you clarify the meaning of each one.


texts: What does the phrasal verb "work in" mean in this context?

texts:
In this paragraph:

  For my Spanish class in my junior year… um… we had to do a project
  that involved making a movie. And I had never worked with a video
  camera before ‘coz I never owned one. And my friend and I decided to
  do an action flick because that would be something fun. So I decided
  one day… the thought just came to me as I was brushing my hair that we
  could do a B-movie, horrible movie. And we could call it Attack of the
  Killer of Sombrero. And a sombrero is a big Mexican hat, so it
  worked in with my Spanish class.

The Longman dictionary says "work in" means to include something or to add something to another. However, I don't think that's correct. I guess "work in" in that context means to be suitable. Or I can write: "..., so it was suitable with my Spanish class".

Could you advise whether my guess is correct?
Thanks.


texts: Meaning of "sanitised" in the mentioned context?

texts:
What is the meaning of "sanitised extremes" in the following context?

  Disappointed voters are abandoning the centre-right and
  centre-left for newly sanitised extremes. Outside the slowed and aging
  West, illiberal politics appeal to rapidly growing revisionary powers:
  China, for example, and to some degree, India, Turkey and Iran.


texts: Very Simple Quesiton About Usage of "over"

texts:
I have a simple question. I am wondering the reason why there is "over" in this sentence:

The boss of robotics company Boston Dynamics has confessed he once
nudged his one-year-old daughter over to work out how people balance.

If I sad this sentence I would say "he once nudged his one-year-old daughter to work out how people balance." without "over". So does "over" contributes any additional meaning to this sentence? If it does, what is this? If it is not, why is there "over" in it?


texts: "Storing all the information and passing it to consumers" or "Store all the information and pass it to consumers"

texts:
Storing all the information and passing it to consumers through the World Wide Web also entails costs.

What if I use store in place of storing and pass instead of passing there?

Store all the information and pass it to consumers through the World Wide Web also entails costs.


texts: How to distinguish between: "from then on" and "since then"?

texts:
I am wondering if the bold parts could be used interchangeably? If not, why?
 Two examples have been excerpted from the very site:

Since then, the two children lived alone...

From then on, the two children lived alone...

Meanwhile, is there any situation they cannot be used interchangeably?


texts:
The next time you come over it might be nice if you brought something.

The statement is about a possible future event, but how can one 'brought' something in the future? Why should the past verb be used?

How about this way, what is the difference: the next time ....if you bring something?


texts: The meaning of "in person" in a sentence

texts:
I came across the sentence:

  Those who can listen to my lectures in person.

Does "in person" mean

  Those who can attend in my lectures in person, and listen to me.

or it means

  Those who can attend in my lecture, and listen to my lectures that I talk in person.


texts: What does "people whose tags of you" mean in this sentence?

texts:
Looking at Google+ settings I have found the following sentence:

  People whose tags of you are automatically approved to link to your Profile

I don't understand how to parse the sentence, since "whose tags" should be referred to people but then there is "of you." It is not clear what the subject of the sentence is: Who or what is automatically approved?

As English learner, should I use such construction in sentences I write?


texts:
According to Cambridge,  going to is used for predictions, intentions and commands. However, in my coursebook Interchange, which is also published by Cambridge, there is this example:

  I'm going to be 30 tomorrow.

To me, this sentence doesn't contain either a prediction, intention or command, which makes the use of will a better alternative. Am I correct, or is this sentence really about a prediction, as in, I predict that I will be 30 tomorrow?


texts: “Is [S] taking advantage” or “Does [S] taking advantage…”? –Which one is correct?

texts:
Which one is correct?

Does your business partner taking advantage of you?
or
Is your business partner taking advantage of you?

For me they seemed correct but I'm not familiar with the English rules for 'does' and 'is' when asking question.


texts:
I know that we say 'My best friend'. What is the difference between:

My favorite drink
My best drink


texts: An artist called 5haus sent a song to an artist called deadmau5 on his twitch channel. When deadmau5 read the sender name (5haus) he said: "original already", does it have a positive or negative meaning? I think that possibly it has a positive meaning because maybe he liked the name, or it could have also a negative meaning thinking about 5haus "copied" his name style. Or maybe is that a joke? Thanks for your comments!


texts: I knew I have to play in a different condition - is the sentence grammatically correct?

texts:
I knew that in the future I have to play in a tough and different condition. I haven't played in that condition yet. Now if I say to someone today that -
1. I knew I have to play in a different condition. That's why I practiced harder.
or
2. I thought I will play in a tough condition. That's why I practiced in mud.
then are my sentences grammatically correct???


texts: What does "brush up" mean in this sentence?

texts:
Ellis' hand placement wasn't the only thing that alerted fans on Friday. He also made a joke about mistaking Grande for a menu item at Taco Bell. While greeting Grande at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, Michigan, Ellis said, "I’ve got to apologize because I have to brush up my -- my 28-year-old daughter tells me, ‘Dad, you are old at 60.'"

According to dictionaries, brush up means "practise it or improve your knowledge of it". But I am not sure how this definition could fit in this context? Is it relevant to the aforementioned "a joke about mistaking Grande for a menu item at Taco Bell"?

The full source.


texts: Improving fluency without being able to talk to other people?

texts:
I am looking for tips/tricks to improve English fluency without talking to natives. I do speak English on a daily basis, however I speak English to a lot of other non-native speakers.

I am Dutch and have a slight Dutch accent. This bothers me but I have not been able to focus on getting a better accent going.

Would repeating certain things or reading out loud have any effect? Or would listening to audiobooks help?
All the books, tv and movies I read/watch are English already and I type in English most of my day.


texts: Are there any differences between these two sentences? - "reading books" vs "book reading"

texts:
Both of them may be grammatically correct. But which one sounds more natural, or is there any subtle differences between them? Thank you!

  It helps me to be productive in reading books.
  It helps me to be productive in book reading.


texts:
There are pens on the table. Some pens were brought by him.

Can "some pens" in the example refer to the pens on the table?
I would like to clarify if grammar allow such a construction in this case?


texts: Do I need a comma in "He bought a pen and an eraser(,) and went home."?

texts:
He bought a pen and an eraser(,) and went home.

Based on the rules I'm aware of, I don't need the comma.
However, when perceiving the sentence as a reader, I'd fall into something like

action, enumeration, 1, 2, 3, ... wait the third one is not enumeration, it's another action.

When having the comma, it'd be something like

action, enumeration, 1, 2, there's something different ahead, it's another action.

Is the comma ungrammatical, or is it an optional comma, like an Oxford one?


texts: What is the meaninf of "There are such things in the world as human rights"?

texts:
Does the phrase "There are such things in the world as human rights" mean that human rights can be compared to nothing else ? That they are unique ? (and, thus, that they are very important ?). I d'like to be sure to understand exactly what the author implies with this sentence.

Thanks,


texts:
Even if the interview went terribly yesterday, Cheryl got the job.

  You have not talked to Cheryl since her interview. You imagine that
  the interview went terribly, but you think she probably got the job
  anyway.(original explanation)

I was studying "even if", I came across this sentence.Even though I am able to understand what "even if" implies and connotes, I still have a problem with its usage that for me the sentence should have written

  Even if the interview went terribly yesterday, Cheryl would get the
  job. ( my sentence)

Because if we use "got", it reduces the meaning of imaginary which the sentence have to have.


texts: Differences between "for ever" and "forever"

texts:
What are the differences between "forever" and "for ever" in the
  meaning and usages?


texts: The difference between past tense and had pp?

texts:
Less well known at the time was the fact that Freud had found out, almost by accident, how helpful his pet dog Jofi was to his patients. He had become a doglover in later life when Jofi was given to him by his daughter Anna.

If i replace had found out with the verb of past tense found out, there is any meaning difference? If any, what is it?
And how about had become? Can i use became instead of it without any meaning difference?

They both seem to be interchangeable with past tense to me. My understanding is right?


texts: The expression “I'll take it as take out”

texts: If I order a coffee and want to take it out. (To go..) The expression "I'll take it as take out." makes sense? And use that in common?


texts: Improving the sentence if there is a need

texts:
Some categorically suspected having seen the guard and thief together.

At first I thought there is no error. But then I thought maybe we can change it to 'Some categorically suspected to have seen the guard and thief together.' (perhaps there is a determiner error as well. the guard and the thief. I am not sure.)

In other words, the given sentence is saying that 'some suspected that they had seen the guard and the thief together.'  So how can we write this sentence without that? Is the usage of 'having seen' wrong in the original sentence?


texts: How to interpret this complex passive sentence? and reference of nouns in expressions

texts:
A- First of all, I'm unsure about the order of the adjectives and the punctuation in the title of my question. Should it be:

Passive complex sentence; or
Complex passive sentence?

And :

First line and second line of my book
First and second line of my book
First and second lines of my book

And then :

Below, you can see page 77 of ST_Lite_JxE081_v00.02 .It is a Security-Target (a document that indicate some security specification of an IT production) for JCOP Smart cards.

B- May I ask you to help me interpret the first and second lines of Application note? I cant understand it.


texts: Is using "I am writing to" in an email considered too formal or old-fashioned?

texts:
I have seen in a letter writing textbook (also many websites like this) while preparing for my English test that we should begin a letter like this :

  Dear ...,

  I am writing to ...

I have not seen this format in the last few months that I have lived in an English speaking country. Is the above format considered old-fashioned?

The most common format I have seen is like this:

  Hi..,

(They never say "I am writing to ...": they just start immediately.)

I am confused about which format to use in my work place to sound normal and at the same time stay polite.


texts: the usage of the word - Can we save "the word"? What can I use instead of it here?

texts:
"Save" means "to keep and store up (something, especially money) for future use". But I thought this verb is used only with some words(save the day, save money, save time etc.), and doesn't fit in every context, as in

  W : "Why don't you tell me that you love me?"

  M: "I'm saving it."

It's wrong, right? Here, what I want to write was that,

the man didn't tell her that he loves her yet, because he's waiting for the right time to say it. Or he's trying to find the right way to say it. He's just "verb(which has the meaning of "save")"ing to say "I love you" to her. Maybe he'll say it to her later.

I initially wrote "save" here, but then I thought it's very awkward and I've never seen anything like this usage in English.

What is the proper word to use instead of "save" here?
And in what context or situation can I use "save" in English?


texts: Question about "in such a way as would make them seem magical and occult"

texts:
I have a question about the sentence "liked to do things in such a way as would make them seem magical and occult" from the novel "Waterland" that was written by Graham Swift. Link here.

Below is the sentence in which I have a question.

  And my father, who was a superstitious man, liked to do things in such a way as would make them seem magical and occult.

I know from the Oxford Dictionaries that "such ... as ..." above means

  such

  Of the type about to be mentioned

But I don't know which meaning of the word "of" is used in this explanation. I am not very clear about "of the type" in the explanation.

Is the word "as" a conjunction in the sentence "in such a way as would make them seem magical and occult"?

Which meaning of the word "as" is used in the sentence "in such a way as would make them seem magical and occult"?


texts: Is it natural to say "learn somebody's spirit" or "affected by somebody's spirit" or "follow somebody's spirit"?

texts:
Please imagine somebody around has a good characteristic, say, the spirit of initiative, the spirit of creativity, or the spirit of perseverance. What I want to express is that I learn from them or moved by or affected by their characteristics, so that I behave like them.
Can I say "I learn her initiative spirit", or "I was affected by her initiative spirit and follow her action" or something like that?


texts: ....the court on Thursday ruled that it is/was not a foreign national's fundamental right to get an employment visa

texts:
Closing the doors to a foreign citizen seeking employment in India, the court on Thursday ruled that it is not a foreign national's fundamental right to get an employment visa in the country.

This question is from an error correction exercise which suggests to replace is by was as the reporting verb is in past so reported speech should also be in past but isn't it wrong ? The reporting speech is sort of a fact and is good in present tense.


texts:
I am from Mexico, so English is not my first language. I'd like to know when can I say "that is" or "to be" because in Spanish is the same

For instance:

I want a room that is big in Spanish: Quiero una habitación que sea grande

I want you to be more intelligent: Quiero que seas mas inteligente

as you can se "to be" and "that is" means = "que sea"

when can I use "that is" and when "to be"


texts: Do we say "you infected me with your disease" or "you transmitted your disease to me" or other common ways to express the same idea?

texts:
In the dictionary

  infect (verb) to make a disease or an illness spread to a person, an animal or a plant

  infect somebody/something
  It is not possible to infect another person through kissing.

  infect somebody/something with something
  people infected with HIV

But we also have the verb "transmit"

  [transitive] (formal) to pass something from one person to another
  synonym transfer

  transmit something sexually transmitted diseases

  transmit something to somebody Parents can unwittingly transmit their own fears to their children.

And the verb Spread

  [intransitive, transitive] to affect or make something affect, be
  known by, or be used by more and more people

  (+ adv./prep.) The disease spreads easily.

  Within weeks, his confidence had spread throughout the team.

  Use of computers spread rapidly during that period.

  spread something to spread rumours/lies about somebody

  The disease is spread by mosquitoes.

So what is the common way to express the idea.

"you infected me with your disease"

or "you transmitted your disease to me"

or "you spread your disease to me"


texts: meaning of "congress to the mayor's president"

texts:
I'm trying to understand the following sentence:

  The (New York) city council is congress to the mayor's president.

Can anyone please teach me its meaning in a grammatical sense?
Also, what (who) does the "mayor's president" refer to?

I'm wondering if it means "the city council to the mayor is like Congress to the U.S. president”. Am I mistaken?


texts: 'each felt a breast' vs. 'each felt the breast' (with genial instinct filled)

texts:
From "A Tale. June 1793" by William Cowper:

  In Scotland's realm forlorn and bare
  The history chanced of late,--
  This history of a wedded pair,
  A chaffinch and his mate,.

  The spring drew near, each felt a breast
  With genial instinct filled;
  They paired, and would have built a nest,
  But found not where to build.

Each chaffinch has only one breast. Would it be okay to say "each felt the breast with genial instinct filled"?


texts: How should I ask about a contraction meaning?

texts:
Please help me to ask the sentence below properly.

to what word the contraction "d" refers to in "he'd"

Thanks in advance.


texts: Is 'spaced out' appropriate in this context?

texts:
I want to use a word/phrase to mean separated/distant in the context of time, Can I use  phrase 'spaced out' in this context?

  Surprise quizzes have been spaced out lately, just 2 in 5 weeks.

or

  My visits to this restaurant have been very spaced out.


texts: differentiating between the usages of "seem"

texts:
I am wondering if the explanations correct and whether what is the difference between different "seems".

He seems happy.
He seems a happy fellow.
He seems to be a happy fellow.
He seems to work hard.
He seemed to be happy

"Seem" also enters into an 'impersonal' construction which employs 1) the 'dummy' subject it + an active tensed form with "seem", followed by 2) a that clause (sometimes called a 'content' clause) which expresses the assertion which is hedged or qualified.

It seems that he is happy (but he may not be).

It seemed that he was a happy fellow (but he wasn't).

It will seem that he is working hard (but he will in fact be spending his time answering questions on ELL instead of working).

He is seemed to be something.


texts:
I think the first "pattern" means "story", but I can't guess the meaning of the second one. Does it mean "identity", "crime", or something else?

"Identity tools can empower isolated victims who worry about their story's credibility or language barriers. Blockchain systems can also highlight problematic patterns before anyone officially reports them. The advisory firmGrant Thornton published a detailed list of factors that often correlate with human trafficking operations, including travel habits and payment methods. Earlier this month, the Vatican publically encouraged law enforcement agencies to learn more about cryptocurrency so that traffickers won't be able to hide their patterns through digital currencies like bitcoin."

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/un-will-use-blockchain-ids-fight-child-trafficking-2613948


texts: Can you tell me about the use of the hyphen and apostrophe in these sentences?

texts:
Virat-ton brings the team to the semifinals.

  Potato prices have risen up sharply.

The first sentences could say Virat's ton and similarly Potato's prices. Another example:

  Potato-peels taste amazing.

What's the rule?


texts:
I've had an English test recently.
And there I had to choose a correct item:

The online courses really take the pressure off because you can spend your time till you understand it all.
The online courses really take the pressure off because you can take your time till you understand it all.

I chose first item (with spend), as I remembered some sentences with spend time such as: I spent a lot of time cleaning that room. But I made a mistake!
The correct answer was The online courses really take the pressure off because you can take your time till you understand it all.

Why am I incorrect?
What is the difference?


texts:
Can I use this both forms interchangeably:

  People who didn't use to (such abbreviations)...
  People who are not used to (such abbreviations)...

I don't really feel /see the difference between these forms. For me the first sentence would be more natural, but in the text I was reading, the second form was used and it drew my attention.

What would be the difference between them?

Thanks.


texts: How to get a native-like English style of speaking ?

texts:
So this might be a common question for non-native speakers, how to speak like English american natives ?!

I've been using a podcast that is fairly good but it doesn't contain all various aspects of a daily life, that's why I was wondering that it might be the question of many other English learners as well.

The most problematic issue we face with learning English, there may be a lot of people who don't want to speak like natives though. That's not my case 'cause I really like the language and I'm sure so many others feel the same.

By the way, Is there any website or any other methods to fulfill the aim?
Even once I was trying to find the curriculum of schools in US to find out how to kind of put my feet on natives shoes, But I faced a bigger problem.
long story short, I feel like I'm done with the grammar and I think it's about time to step further and be just like them, I'm even trying to memorize songs and lyrics but I guess that won't fly with the daily life.


texts: would you please show me what the phrase mean?

texts:
I have found the following in a grammar book, but would you please show me more simply- perhaps by a vivid example or more clear explanation- what as much as mean? is this a comparison and contrast  case here?

Prices have increased by as much as 300 per cent.

We also use as much as to say that a quantity or amount is larger than expected.

In addition, is there any phrase or word that we could substitute for the bold part which mean exactly the same meaning??

There are a small number of people involved, possibly as few as twenty.

Thanks


texts: What's the difference in since and from in "I've not seen her since/from August"

texts:
Everywhere people have provided explanation for "since" vs "for" but what is the difference between since and from?

Another example:

  It has been raining from/since morning.

I know 'since' is right but why is 'from' wrong?


texts: How can I say the order in one chart is not like the order in another chart?

texts:
I'm trying to write a clear, beautiful, formal sentence about the order of data sets in this chart:

As you can see, the order of the values for "non-curved" data points (from higher to lower)is light-blue, green and blue.

And the order of the values for data points in the set called "curved with radius 0.2916" is light-blue, blue and green.

I want to say that they are not compatible. Is this a good word for what I'm trying to say?.

What would be the best (clear, beautiful and formal) way to say it? Do you have a suggestion?


texts: What is the meaning of this sentence in departed 2006 synopsis?

texts:
Source.

  Costello notices him and asks him if he's the son of a man Costello
  knows.

I didn't quite understand this sentence.


texts:
If I was the head of a department in a company, what would I then call the people in that department (who work under me)?

If I was the boss of a company, would the people in the company be my employees or are they only employees of the company or the person who owns the company?


texts: Any difference between implementing and implementation

texts:
I use the word "Implementing" sometimes as a noun. Does it have the same meaning as "implementation"? Are they interchangeable in all contexts?

Thank you.


texts: Is the correct response "here you are" or "here you have"?

texts:
If the question is:

  Would you give me a leaflet in Russian, please?

Which answer is correct?

  Yes, here you are madam.

or

  Yes, here you have, sir.


texts: What does it mean to call someone a "cheap person"?

texts:
I'm brazilian and I'm quite fluent in English, however sometimes I have trouble with some expressions. This time it's when someone is called a "cheap person". What does it mean?

I saw this in the following article http://www.esquire.com/women/advice-98-year-old

Is this a poor person?


texts:
I have a question about the phrase "to this day": (from Frederick the Great by Giles MacDonogh)

  link
  They started appearing even before his death on 17 August 1786, and they still crop up to this day.

Should "to this day" be read in the sense of "to a point in time" ("he worked from 1 pm to midnight") or "at a point in time" ("at this moment")?


texts: "give something to someone as I had been given"?

texts:
Say I received much love from the community as I grow up and now wish to give such love to younglings in the community. Is it correct/natural to say "I give love to them as I had been given"?

What could be some other common phrases expressing the same meaning?


texts: Everybody believes that Reggie is the one who "has knocked" Chris down after the Big Game. Can we say "knocked". If not can anyone tell me why use "has knocked" here. Thank you.


texts: Word to be used for "standing with your toes pointing out"

texts:
If someone is standing this way, what should be used:

  Don't stand with your feets out.

  Don't stand with your feets angled out

  Don't stand with your feet sticking outward

  Don't stand with your feet pointing outward.

Source:http://posturedirect.com/how-to-fix-duck-feet-posture/


texts: Difference between "daily" and "every day"

texts:
When can I  say "I use this daily" or "I use this every day"? What about hourly?

Is it correct to say "I will send this hourly"? It seems incorrect, to me.


texts: Difference between "Watch you head" and "Mind your head"

texts:
I would like to learn what the difference between words 'Watch' and 'Mind' in meaning of 'be careful of' is. Imagine that you want to warn a person that the ceiling is low:

Watch your head!
Mind your head!

What is more preferable and why? Are there any geographical prefernces? Can both of the verbs take the same subjects?

Thank you in advance


texts:
https://streamable.com/vawsc
“I am sixteen thousand years old — counting as you count.” Then he turned to Nikolaus and said

Does the reader pronounce the first consonant in 'thousand' as /t/? As opposed to how he pronounces it in 'then'.
Does he have a phonic rule where he pronounces /t/ after 'n'?


texts: When you get surprised by a not skillful persons's skill after a period of time when you didn't met them

texts:
Please imagine after a couple of years you meet someone who didn't know much about a particular skill or in a field such as automobile mechanics or poetry or even cooking etc. His / her record showed you that he shouldn't be able to do any specific task in one of those fields, but in an occasion you find them very specialist in one of these fields. It marvels you and you are going to show your surprise and wonder. Does the self-made sentence below sound natural in this sense:

  Since when have you become such an expert?

If not, please let me know how can you bring it up in a more idiomatic and natural way.


texts: present perfect or past simple for actions in this case

texts:
Is it possible to write this

  I've already contacted him  for that book, he emailed me he has still copies left  ...But since then nothing, although I have sent many emails he did not answer

Are both past simple correct? or would it be better to use present perfect  because  have contacted have sent are present perfect.

I use the past simple for the second one for expressing that it is definitive state: I have a strong feeling my emails will never be answered.

For the first one, I don't know, maybe I should have written I already contacted. The first action is contacting  and it is before replying so if emailed is past simple contact can not be present perfect because it happened before


texts: Why it is "A question bank" and not "A questions bank"?

texts:
Why we call it "A question bank" or "Question bank" in a singular form of "question"?
Why it is not "questions" in a plural form,
'cause it implies for many questions.. not just one?
Is it sth related to compound-nouns?


texts:
They were strangers to each other at the time, but nineteen years later,
  convicted of murder and on the brink of execution, they stood together at the
  center of a legal vortex.

  (Source: the Introduction chapter in In Search of Sacco and Vanzetti: Double Lives, Troubled Times, and the Massachusetts Murder Case That Shook the World)

I am not sure whether "legal vortex" can be understood literally; i.e., they stood together at the center of the precipitous events that were linked to the law. Or does "legal vortex" have some specific meaning?


texts: "take himself on out of the agent’s office at a rapid hike"

texts:
This line from Stephen King's 1408 reads like it is fraught with grammar issues and non-idiomatic usages.

While Mike was still in the hospital, a man named Olin—the manager of the goddamned hotel, if you please—came and asked Sam Farrell if he could listen to that tape. Farrell said no, he couldn’t; what Olin could do was take himself on out of the agent’s office at a rapid hike and thank God all the way back to the fleabag where he worked that Mike Enslin had decided not to sue either the hotel or Olin for negligence.

First off, "take himself on out of the office" sounds slightly stilted. I would've written "went on and take himself out of the agent's office". Is the use and placement of "on" idiomatic here?
Also "at a rapid hike" sounds very non-idiomatic. People go on a hike. I think it is intended to mean "at a rapid pace" here.
Finally, the entire line reads very garbled. My reading is

[what Olin could do was] [[take himself on out of the agent’s office at a rapid hike] and [thank God all the way back to the fleabag where he worked]] [that Mike Enslin had decided not to sue either the hotel or Olin for negligence].

It reads like a run-on, and I don't know what the part after "that" is doing in this sentence. Is "so" omitted before the "that"?


texts:
When referring to a car, we tend to say "in the car".

  "I am in the car"

but when it comes to plane, the sentence is either

  "I am on the plane" or "I am in the plane".

The term

  "on"

would suggest being on top of something. "I am on the chair".

while the term

  "in"

is referred to being inside something. "I am in the basement"

Is it incorrect to say "on" when saying "I am on the plane" ?


texts: The difference between /ɪ/, /i/ , and /ə/

texts:
I sometimes use Cambridge Dictionaries Online and this useful website doesn't only help on words' meanings but also their pronunciations.
I can  pronounce new words  almost correctly even I heard  before how are they pronounced on the site.
But I'm still confused on the difference between /ɪ/, /i/, and /ə/.
I know how to pronounce /ə/ which is also called schwa sound.
I know how to pronounce /i/, but I don't know how to pronounce /ɪ/ properly. By the way does it have a special name?
I just picked up a random word. The first picture shows American pronunciation and the second picture shows British pronunciation. But the subject is not the differences between them.
My second question is that in both pronunciations the first vowel sound is supposed to be pronounced /i/ not /ɪ/, I think. Is there a big difference between the last sound /i/ and the first one /ɪ/ ?


texts: Can I use "I have long [past participle]" for an action I've done in the past?

texts:
Here is a phrase that I used in a review

  I have long beaten the game but I still come back from time to time to listen to this tune.

I don't know if the phrase "I have long beaten" makes sense. What I was trying to say was that: even though I beat the game a long time ago I come back to it from time to time just to listen to a particular tune.

Does the sentence convey the meaning? Should I rewrite it?


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

  If Tom were to do my homework, I would watch a film.
  If Tom did my homework, I would watch a film.

I know that both of these questions express unlikely or imagined condition. I'm not sure but I think. There's is difference in the meaning between two sentences. Here is my opinion:

In the first sentence, the speaker thinks that  it's impossible for Tom to do his homework or Tom isn't able to do his homework or Tom is a baby. So, the speaker is  imagining a impossible thing.
In the second sentence, the speaker thinks it's a bit possible for Tom to do his homework.Tom is the speaker's friend and Tom is able to his homework but he isn't willing to do. So, the speaker is expressing his imagination and saying "If Tom did my homework I'd watch a film".

For more clearification of my openion i would say:
I'm not sure but I'm just guessing the possible meaning of those sentences like this:

both sentences are all about imagination but first sentence indicates impossible imagination and second expresses unlikely but expected imagination. AM i correct?

Am I correct in my opinion ? If not, what is the correct meaning?
  Please explain it in details.


texts:
What is the plural of 'gif'?

'Gifs', 'Gifes' or is it simply 'Gif' itself?. When I type gifs or gifes, the spellchecker tells me they are both incorrect.

Why does that happens?


texts: Is there a better way to say "did you find yourself here unexpectedly"?

texts:
I was preparing a title and I had decided to go with Oh, no! Stumbled upon the void?
since its a title for the web that I decided to go without the "Did you stumble" part.
But when I looked up in the dictionary I understood that stumble upon doesn't convey the meaning.

Definition of stumble across/on/onto/upon
: to find or learn about (something) unexpectedly
I stumbled across/on/upon this book by chance.
We stumbled onto/across the ruins of an old fort.
They stumbled on/upon a bizarre plot.
He stumbled onto the truth.

So is there a better way than to say Oh, no! Stumbled upon the void?


texts: Which is correct: "be interviewed by us" or "interview with us"?

texts:
Which of the following 2 sentences is correct, and why?

You'll get an opportunity to be interviewed by us.
You'll get an opportunity to interview with us.

Context: If a person performs well in the test, after an interview, we might select him for a job.


texts:
Are these sentences grammatically correct in e-mail?

  I saw your catalogue of 'Canadian Used Car & Truck Values' and I can't find my vehicle. Therefore, I have a question. How much is value of my car?
  -- Information of my car --

This information is sorely needed for me.


texts: "Fell onto" x "Fell on" What's the difference?

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

  The water drop fell onto my head
  The water drop fell on my head

Could anyone explain me difference between these terms?


texts: Could you write the sentence in bold in other words?

texts:
Now he starts to stir. The fluttering of his eyelids is a response to some age-old, unexplainable instinct that the sun is nearly down and his time is near. Tonight, he is particularly hungry and as he lies there, fully awake now, in red-lined Inverness cape and tails, waiting to feel with uncanny perception the precise moment of darkness before opening the lid and emerging, he decides who this evening's victims will be. The baker and his wife, he thinks to himself.

  Succulent, available, and unsuspecting. The thought of the unwary couple whose trust he has carefully cultivated excites his blood lust to a fever pitch, and he can barely hold back these last seconds before climbing out of the coffin to seek his prey.

I don't get the meaning of the sentence in bold clearly.

I don't know "whose" refer to whom? and "trust" is noun or verb?


texts: "a wooden object covered in magically turning cogs and wheels" meaning

texts:
Luna was not there: the thing that was making such a racket was a wooden object covered in magically turning cogs and wheels. It looked like the bizarre offspring of a workbench and a set of old shelves, but after a moment Harry deduced that it was an old-fashioned printing press due to the fact that it was churning out Quibblers.

  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I don't understand "a wooden object covered in magically turning cogs and wheels", especially the phrase "covered in".

I looked up "cover in". It seems to me that this sense might fit for my context:

  To become coated in something. In this usage, "cover" is often used in the past tense without a noun or pronoun between "cover" and "in."

  After hours of gardening, Eva was covered in dirt.

  I was quickly covered in blood after the ball hit me in the face.

Have I gotten it right?


texts: Is "indices" or "indexes" the plural of "index"?

texts:
I've heard both plural forms of index, indices and indexes. I usually use indices when referring to the computer science term for database index, but I'm not sure if it is correct in that context.

Are both indices and indexes correct? If  only one of them is correct, which one?


texts:
Typically, adults in their late twenties or thirties who develop
  asthmatic symptoms will recall having had mild asthma as a child and
  are surprised that they continue to have asthma in adulthood or, as
  they describe, have it "come back after so many years."

Does it mean 'make'?


texts: what does "lies wonder" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I can't understand this sentence:

  Aviezar Tucker observed that "At the foundation of all work in philosophy of history lies wonder. Wonder at social change in time, wonder about the conditions of knowledge of the past that is so significant for our understanding of ourselves and our social present".

would you please help me?
thanks in advance


texts: The precise difference between "can" and "might"?

texts:
Are "can" and "might" exchangeable? How exactly do they differ?

In the following sentence, can we use either?

  What human beings do can be intentional in that they have voluntary
  control over what they do.

Here by "can be intentional" I mean some of what human beings do are intentional.


texts:
By 2040 we should have at least a few more billion people connected to cyberspace, some very intimately. The range of available connectivity, devices, and media will continue to diverge with haves and have-nots.

I suppose the right definition is "to move, lie, or extend in different directions from a common point; branch off" but I don't understand what exactly will be diverged. Perhaps someone could explain the idea of the sentence in other words?


texts: proper placement of the word either in a sentence

texts:
Is the word "either" correctly placed in the following sentence?

  Leftover materials either have to be left behind to be destroyed or kept for your own personal use.


texts: Use of "as far as something/someone is concerned"

texts:
I make the decisions as far as finance is concerned.
Where spelling is concerned, he’s never been a strong student.
There’s no reason to wait, as far as I’m concerned.
So far as those big companies are concerned, we're just another little company that they can step on.

The first two sentences have been taken from the dictionary of Macmillan Publishers Limited, and the last two from Cambridge Dictionary. All these sentences have been used to explain the meanings of as far as something/someone is concerned. But in the second sentence only the word concerned has been used; as far as... has not been used. Please tell me why. Where as far as can be omitted?

Though these dictionaries explained the meanings of as far as something/someone before giving the examples stated above, I couldn't not understand it properly. It would be better if I got other alternative ways to rewrite above sentences. It would help me a lot. Please suggest the alternative ways to rewrite them.

Thanks!


texts:
Will you please tell me what "didn't look up to it" in the senteces below means?

''The press were writing up right through that season that I should have been in the side, then in the first innings I made 22 in two hours and they said I didn't look up to it so they changed their mind,'' Moss said.

''One minute they're saying you should be in the side, the next he didn't look up to it. I thought I did all right in the second innings.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/george-bailey-hopes-to-echo-debut-of-onetest-wonder-moss-20131118-2xrar.html#ixzz38lZfstni


texts:
Of the following three options, which is grammatically correct? Does the comma influence the answer?

As a pillar of its religion of progress and cult of technology, our
society cultivates its great illusion, ___________________________ .
(A)which is related to time  (B)related to time (c)relating to time


texts: Is there a proper term for pseudo-Biblical names?

texts:
Most given names fall into one of these five categories:

Pre-Christian Latin and Latinate names. Examples: Vincent, Anthony, Julia, Lucy.
Pre-Christian Greek names. Examples: Philip, Nicholas, Helen, Chloe.
Biblical names. Examples: John, Paul, Elizabeth, Ann.
Ethnic names. Examples: Malcolm, Edward, Linda, Alice.
Made-up comical names. Examples: Ace, Chase, Rain, Serendipity.

What do you call pseudo-Biblical names, such as Christopher, Christine, Angela, Annunziata, etc?


texts:
I think he felt discouraged because of all the criticism he'd
  received.
  His report contained serious criticisms of the finance director and of
  the entire board of management.
  I didn't mean it as a criticism.

Hi, there. I am very confused about this word "criticism". Sometimes it appears in a sentence in the singular form, while other times it may be plural.
So I wonder when to use its singular form and when to use its plural form.


texts:
Kass hastens to add, though, that the candidates must also demonstrate emotional and psychological stability, coupled with an extremely strong sense of purpose. In effect, the would-be astronauts must be equipped to accept that they will be living on Mars for the rest of their lives.

I don't understand the word would-be.


texts: Does this sentence make sense? “There's no such thing as an oversized commitment that is too big for one to dedicate oneself to.”

texts:
I was writing an IELTS essay on this topic:

  Some people think that environmental problems are too big for
  individuals to solve. Others, however, believe that these problems
  cannot be solved if individuals do not take action. Discuss both views
  and give your own opinion.

My argument is that individuals do matter in protecting the earth. One sentence I used to summarize my point and counteract the opposite argument is:

  There's no such thing as an oversized commitment that is too big for
  one to dedicate oneself to.

I know the expression "There's no such thing as a free lunch." So, I think the structure of my sentence-- "there is no such thing as a..."-- is alright.

Still, I am not sure whether it is ok to follow the operative noun (commitment) with an adjective clause. Do people do that in their writings?


texts: What is the meaning of the word mapping in this sentence?

texts:
In the book titled What the Future and Why It's up To Us by Tim O'Reilly there is a line as follows:

  How can we all become better at mapping future trends?

Here a keyword in this sentence is the verb "mapping". What does it mean by "mapping future trends"?


texts:
I co-manage a PtokaX based DC++ hub in my college.(Only relevant if you know what DC++ and hubs are) We had a script which registered a bot named Infobot to the hub. Since, those scripts were getting slower because of very bad programming skills and also, I had some newer features to implement, I rewrote the entire script and created another bot with the name [BOT]Info.

The prefix [BOT] is to maintain uniformity across a wide list of users. Now, to inform all the users about this change, I am mentioning:

  Infobot has been deprecated. | Comments welcome at <forum link here>

My question is, am I correct in using the word deprecated here? Or should I instead be using replaced as follows:

  [BOT]Info has replaced Infobot. | Comments...

as the older script has been deleted. In my opinion, I'd be using the word deprecated when I'm telling about this change to another co-managers of the hub(?) and replaced should be preferred word.


texts: "If He Does... He Will..." in the Past Tense

texts:
I tried to figure out how to say a sentence like this in the past tense:

  I think that if he does that, he will be late to the party.

I want to write it in the past tense but I'm not sure how. I thought of something like that:

  I thought that if he did that, he would be late to the party.

Could anyone help me with this?


texts:
In a computer game, why do they call a skill which is always on as "passive skill", whereas a skill which needs user's operations as "active skill"?

It feels like, to me, it's upside down. You call the living volcano as 'active volcano' not 'passive volcano', right?


texts:
There is a sharp spherical boundary differentiate the occupied and
  unoccupied states.

I wrote the above sentence, and check it in "WriteSmoke" software to see whether it is correct or not. The software gave a positive response and told me the sentence is correct. However I felt strange and thought that the "differentiate" should be "differentiates". So I modified the sentence and let the software to check it again. Surprisingly, it still told me the sentence is right!!

So with "s" or without "s"? Are both situations right?


texts:
Is it correct and grammatical to say:

I am sitting on a chair now and do nothing.

Or better:

I am sitting on a chair and doing nothing.

?


texts: Elephant is the strongest animal. Is strongest here abstract noun?

texts:
This is one of the question asked in Kid's grammar paper, the question was, underline the nouns in the sentence and mention the type of noun.

Elephant is the strongest animal.

Kid underlined elephant and animal. But his teacher says strongest is also a noun and its abstract noun.

We think strongest is not noun here, instead it's adjective.

Are we correct, if not can you guys explain please.


texts: "Hours dragged on for eternity" or "dragged into eternity"?

texts:
What's the correct expression?

Example sentence:

  The forty-one minutes dragged into/on for eternity. Fortunately,
  they passed.

(I'm open to other suggestions.)


texts:
From the article "Delhi launches doorstep delivery of govt. services" in The Hindu (emphasis mine):

  The applicant would have to call 1076 and fix an appointment with a mobile sahayak, who will go to their home and help with filling forms, payment of fees and collection of documents.

This is an excerpt from a reputed newspaper.Can anyone explain me What is the use of "would have to" in this sentence? Can I use "will have to" instead of "would have to"?


texts: We ARE / WERE just done with our meal now?

texts:
If finished our meal last minute, and my friend call me and ask us to come to have a meal with him, which of the following two is correct in this context?

  We are just done with our meal now, Thank you.

or

  We were just done with our meal now. Thank you.


texts:
Do we have any other word which can replace "rancorous" in the following sentence, so that the final statement should sound natural:

  It had been a spiteful encounter where each glove impact was welcomed with rancorous applause.

I have tried to check following combinations on Google, but couldn't find even 10% of the results that I found for "rancorous applause".

  hateful applause, spiteful applause, resentful applause


texts: A million dollars "is" still needed, or "are" still needed?

texts:
Suppose that I'm trying to raise money for a fancy black tie gala, and I want to let the guests know how far we still are from the goal.

Should I say

  One million dollars is still needed to reach our goal.

or

  One million dollars are still needed to reach our goal.

I've heard people say it both ways and neither of them sound outright wrong.


texts: How should I say the date expression written 'on 27 July'?

texts:
How should I say the date written 'on 27 July' correctly? I was taught that such date can be read only as 'on the 27-th of July'. So my question is whether it's omitted only in written form and we have to say 'the implicit information' (or how to put it...) or it can really be said as it's written adding only -th-: 'on 27-th July'.

EDIT: I often come across this form of date in Wikipedia: 'on + number + year'. And I want to know if this written form is correct for British English. Then, if it is correct, then does it mean that one should add the words the and of when he's reading this date from that text?


texts: When I was introducing people to a dish, I'd like to express it can be eaten cold or hot, but I want to use the word serve express the same meaning, do I say this dish can be served chilled or hot or can serve chilled or hot?


texts:
What does 'followed for' mean in the following sentence.

It is explicit there are 121 000 subjects. But can we rewrite this sentence without ' followed for'. Does it add a special meaning to the sentences scientifically?

  The study included more than 121,000 men and women followed for an
  average of 24 years.

How about my sentence:

  The study included more than 121,000 men and women whose   average age
  is 24 years old.

Could you give me some more examples in this usage to understand how to use it properly please?

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/study-urges-moderation-in-red-meat-intake-201203134490


texts: In the given sentence, should I mix the tenses, or should I keep them in harmony?

texts:
I thought you were one of those people who didn't like dogs.

  I thought you were one of those people who don't like dogs.

Are both the above sentences grammatically correct?
Is there a difference in their meaning?


texts: I do not know how I should use "think different". How is it different from "think differently"?

texts: I think that "differently" is adverb and "different" is adjective, so I cannot say "think different". But some people use it.  How are they different? They have different meanings?


texts: Which context has the verb "admit" been used in here?

texts:
I read a definition of privy in "Merriam Webster" dictionaries which was

  Admitted as one sharing in a secret

I don't think the verb admit means to confess here. Does it mean "to acknowledge" in this context? I am also having trouble in understanding the sentence structure relating to the "as one" part in there.


texts: 'Work on the remote' or 'work remotely'?

texts: What is the best way to name a kind of work when you do your job from home? (For example, I want to write an essay about it.)


texts: Which of words make up a predicator in a sentence?

texts:
They would make me feel alive.

Is 'would make feel' is a predicator here? Why?


texts: what does it mean of "despite all evidence to the contrary"

texts:
I am reading an article but I am not able to understand the specific meaning of "despite all evidence to the contrary" in the paragraph below:

  Our first bad boss has it all figured out, at all times—despite all
  evidence to the contrary. The manager we call the Know It All is also
  maddeningly stubborn.

See the full article that I am referring to.


texts: The act of declaring and revoking a structure a church

texts:
What is it called when a building is announced to be a church, like, effective now, tada, this is a church?

And conversely, what is it called when a church is revoked the rights of such, as in it looks like it's been a church but is used like a museum?

I rejected churchify/dechurchify because it's not listed in Webster. I rejected canonize/excommunicate because those seem to refer a person.


texts:
What does "but" mean here?

  If we are able to identify two things (a, b) or two occurrences of a
  thing, there must be some difference between them, otherwise it would
  make no sense to say that there are two things, or two occurrences of
  a thing, but one thing.

  Source: On What it Means to ‘Be’ (philosophy blog)

I understand it's saying that we should say there's one thing instead of saying two things or two occurrences of a thing, but the inclusion of but in this sentence seems ungrammatical.


texts:
can i use it for animals in the following sentece?

1- I have a dog named Don. It is a very good dog.

I know most people would use "he" instead of "it" in the following context and my grammar book says when we want to personified an animal we can use "he" or "they". But my question is, if I used "it" in the above, would that be grammatical?


texts:
I read the lyrics of Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams and I found this:

I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind

What is the actual meaning of the first sentence?


texts: Difference in meaning of sentences when will and would are used

texts:
I asked him when he would go there.

vs

  I asked him when he will go there.

Which one is correct? If both are correct, what is difference in meaning between them?


texts: You're my friend for all / whole my life

texts:
Which of the two quantifiers is the correct one in the following context?

  a)  You're my friend for whole my life.

  b) You're my friend for all my life.

The meaning is to say that this is the friend forever but using these words - plus minus.


texts: Using 'to be going to do something' instead of future simple ('will')

texts:
In Oxford English Grammar Course by Michael Swan & Catherine Walter (OUP 2011) I have come across the following example:

  Jennifer's eight, and she doesn't know what she's going to do. One day she says she's going to be a dancer, and the next she says she's going to work with animals.

In the place of the person describing Jennifer I'd say:

  One day she says she'll be a dancer, and the next she says she wants to work with animals.

My point is that we use 'to be going to do something' when we have already decided to do something and one day doesn't seem as enough time to make a decision.

Am I wrong?


texts: ِDifferent ways to use "case" in sentences

texts:
Suppose there are some options or solutions which are selected based on some cases... What are different ways (patterns) to make a sentence with case?

For example:

  if it is the problem..... in such case ? (to refer to the mentioned problem), we should select this option ... , in cases (or in the cases?) (that/in which or where ?) we don't need this thing.... we can select this option. This option is for [the ?] cases where ? this thing exists...

Is my usage of cases, the articles, prepositions like "for" and relativizers like "where" and "that" are correct?


texts:
I am writing an email to someone and I want to express my concern that I am unsure if I should do this particularly if this will receive proper attention. I do not know what kind of expression I should use. I know this is a bad description so here is the situation.

I sent my script to a magazine and I was expecting feedback from the responsible editor 8 months ago, so it is seriously delayed (4 times the length they claim it should have taken). I contacted the responsible editor twice, the first time she apologised and said it will not take longer. But the second time (3 months later) I contacted her there is no reply.

I want to write to the chief editor of the magazine and raise this issue because while my script is under review I cannot send it elsewhere. I feel I am wasting my time and I think I deserve some transparency. But of course I have to write it in a polite way rather than just spitting out my anger.

How would you start such a letter/email without giving explicit impression that 'I had enough' and 'here I'm telling on the responsible editor'?

Many thanks!


texts:
Annie is talking to his fake Dad & telling him about his real Dad character during wedding anniversary before Annie's mother

  Annie: Dad always does something really special for the anniversary.

  Fake Dad: Like what?

  Annie: One year he had a star named after her.

  Fake Dad: He had a star named after her? Well, that's nice, but isn't
  that a little... corny?

What do you mean star named after her means?

Is Annie saying her real dad calls her wife with star names during their Anniversary?

for example: Hi, Miss Beauty Proxima Centauri.


texts: You will hear interesting stories, learning about events that were taking place (?) here

texts:
I wrote a sentence that was considered awkward by fellow translators, on a couple of counts. I'm singling out one particular construction they found awkward:

  During the tour, you will hear interesting stories about the city, learning about memorable events that were taking place here.

Would a native speaker find this construction awkward? Would it be better to use "that have taken place" or "that took place", or maybe to remodel the whole sentence to avoid using any of the options?

My another question about the same sentence concerns the use of "learning".


texts:
Does anyone know why verbs like "come" and "go" don't take, optionally, a connector or to-infinitive form. For instance:

  1.- Go: Darling!, go (and) see who's knocking on the door!

  2.- Come: Come (and) see this girl. She is gorgeus!

Are there any other verbs which obey this structure?


texts: Could you replace "applicable" & "eligible" with much simpler words still mean the same

texts:
From the California Driver Handbook:

To apply for a Class C driver license, you must:

Present an acceptable birth date/legal presence documents establishing your identity, residency (if applicable), and birthdate.

Provide your true full name.

Provide your SSN, if eligible, which will be electronically verified with the Social Security Administration.

[Plus six other requirements.]

Based on my perception, I still have my doubts if the word applicable here really means if needed or if exist .
I have no idea what eligible in this specific text really means.


texts: Do we use an article before a name that refers to a technique or an algorithm?

texts:
Say I'm reading a research paper that has introduced a new technique for cutting down trees, and the authors named it "Super Cutting".
Now, in my own paper, when I refer to this technique, which alternative should I use:

(1) That paper presents a Super Cutting technique.
(2) That paper presents the Super Cutting technique.
(3) That paper presents Super Cutting technique.


texts:
When I say "Sorry for bothering you" that means I'm still bothering you .

But if it has just finished at the time of speaking but  lasted for a long time shall I  say: "Sorry to have bothered you." or "Sorry because I have been bothering you."?


texts: Reply to someone who says "you are the best"

texts:
Someone appreciated my work and wrote "You are the best, thanks."

How should I reply to this as a courtesy?


texts: How to lay emphasis on sentences like this

texts:
As we say:

  The situation is getting more and more difficult as the sale decreases.

Can I say:

  The price is going up and up as the people buy more and more.

Similarly:

  ...going down and down the road.

  Note: I can just say, going up and going down without repeating the preposition.

But I wish to emphasize it.

Please explain.

Thanks in advance.


texts: "according to my experience" vs. "in my experience"

texts:
The post get-out-of-jail-free card for being late says

The formal term for being late for a work shift or school period, at least in AmE, is tardiness. A document which allows a student to enter the classroom after class has already begun is a tardy pass or tardy slip, though simply late pass is also common. But these are for children, and in my experience, in the present-day, such things would be unusual in the American workplace. Borrowing school terminology may therefore be seen as demeaning or disrespectful, in which case inventing a novel term may be preferable.

Does the following sentence mean the same thing as the one above?

But these are for children, and according to my experience, in the present-day, such things would be unusual in the American workplace.

Ngram Viewer shows both are in use, though the former is much more common.
Do they mean the same thing? If yes, are they interchangeable? If not, when should I use which?