texts: Could this word, there, be read both adjective and adverb?

texts:
i) What’s that over there? ii) People can take their pets
  there. iii) I believe one of the boys there thinks I'm pretty. (All three are from COCA) iv) Let’s go and see the
  pets there.

Does there function as an adjective in [iii]?
Over there in [i] seems to modify pronoun that; there in [ii] verb take. But in [iii], it is not that simple. Because I don’t find in dictionaries the word there is denoted as adjective, I hesitate to say there modifies the previous noun phrase. However it seems to functions like an adjective. In this case, do you say there functions as an adjective as a noun or adverb, or there is an omission, that is, is it the short form of ‘one of the boys who is there’?

Could there be read both adjective and adverb in [iv]?
When I add there in [iv], can it be interpreted ambiguous; that is, can there be read either an noun-modifier or adverbial adjunct?


texts: What does "draw on" mean in this context?

texts:
I don't think either of these links can help me: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/draw-on?=draw+on
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/draw-on
Does it mean "MUFG officials have no idea whether the graduates could become the CEO of the company"?

"MUFG officials wouldn’t be drawn on whether the graduates could end up running the company. Unlike international banks such as Deutsche Bank AG, Credit Suisse Group AG and Morgan Stanley, Japan’s largest lenders have never had a foreign chief executive. In recent years, however, foreigners have led other Japanese companies, such as Nissan Motor Co. and Sony Corp. and smaller lenders Shinsei Bank Ltd. and Aozora Bank Ltd."

Source:https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-09/global-push-leads-japan-s-biggest-bank-to-u-s-college-campuses


texts: How to interpret "Why do you think I did this?"

texts:
Does this sentence,

Why do you think I did this?

mean

Why do you think this is done by me? or
What do you think is the reason I did this?


texts:
When I read sites like Workplace, I see words like "cheesy" and "fishy" often used to describe unhonest and fraud workplaces.

Actually, are the "cheesy" and "fishy" synonymes in context of describing something as fraud, or they have different meaning?


texts: Does "of the one there shall be 101" convey that 100 more creatures come to join the first?

texts:
I was writing a song when I got stuck on this line. Is it correct to say:

  Very soon they'll smell the blood, of the one there shall be 101.

I'm thinking of vultures. I've been struggling with the second part of the sentence. I wanted to say that when the one smells the blood, soon after 100 more vultures will come join the first one. Does this correctly express that?


texts: "The brand new album" or "A brand new album"?

texts:
Which one is more correct:

"The brand new album of one of the most favorite groups of mine."
"A brand new album of one of the most favorite groups of mine."

To me, the first one sounds more correct.


texts: What do they want to know, when they ask 'what's she like'?

texts:
What’s she like? She’s shy, but she’s very kind. (From a Korean middle school English textbook.)

‘What is used to ask for particular information about somebody/something’ says Oxford. When they ask about a person like the example, what do they want to know?


texts: "The fog rolled in" vs. "a fog rolled in"

texts:
Could you tell me the difference between the fog rolled in and a fog rolled in? For example:

The fog rolled in and we couldn't see anything on the highway.
A fog rolled in and we couldn't see anything on the highway.

I checke the word in a dictionary, and it doesn't give examples of the word used with a when used in a literal sense. Strangely enough, I checked the word mist in the same dictionary , which is synonymous, and it gives examples with both a and the.
Could you explain the logic behind using the in my examples.


texts: Couple of non native speakers use the structures,expressions of their home language while conversing in English

texts:
I would like to share a couple of examples of such pull of mother tongue while using English.

1.what is your GOOD name? (May I know your name?)

2.Would you like to attend my cousin's  MARRIAGE?(for wedding)

3.He didn't  LIFT my call (answer call).

Tea has come. (for.. Tea has been served)

5.The parcel came today morning (for.. The parcel was delivered this morning.

6.My paper went well (for.. I fared better in exams)

friends please let me know what is your take on such usages and your reactions.


texts: What substitution can we use instead of “positive” in "positive content"?

texts:
In 1923, Hesse settled in Switzerland, where he had been living for the past ten years and remained until his death in 1962. There he adopted a stance of detachment from political struggles, which he presented as an example for Europe’s beleaguered intelligentsia. But what was the positive content of his vision, if any? Did it serve any impulse higher than an anxious need for peace and quiet? These are questions Decker does not answer.

Why is the word “positive” used here? Can’t we just say “content” instead of “positive content”?

Can you please paraphrase the sentence?


texts: This sentence is so awkward that I don't know where to begin

texts:
I think this sentence needs to be split, but I don't know where. I think it is clear what is trying to be said, but I don't know how to write it better.

The SI encouraged mom to work with pictures and ask Jonathan questions such as "What is the girl doing?" or "What is the boy doing?" or describe the picture, saying "the boy eats banana."

How do I fix it?


texts: which one is correct- Let's go on a bus/go in a bus/ go by a bus?

texts: which one is correct- Let's go on a bus/go in a bus/ go by a bus ? I am confused with these three options.


texts:
Which of the following is more correct and native way of questioning someone ?

  "Where does you learn all this from"

  "From where do/does you learn all this"

And if both of them are wrong then please let me know correct way of questioning someone


texts:
When do we use a singular noun on its own without an article?

Which article should be placed in the following case:

My father is reading a newspaper.

OR

My father is reading the newspaper.

OR

My father is reading newspaper.

In this case my father is reading the same newspaper he reads daily.


texts:
http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~kjohnson/English_Phonetics/ Listen to Example 5 please

I thought it had some roundedness to it. Is the vowel in this example really [ɑ]?


texts: How can 'important', an adjective, modify an entire clause? Why not an adverb?

texts:
[Source:]
  "More important" and "more importantly" are used as full-sentence modifiers, often in the initial position and treated parenthetically (set off with a comma). Either phrase can usually be translated as "what is more important."

    More important, the armies in the east had used up all their supplies.

  Many writers will use the adverb form, "importantly," thinking that the phrase modifies a verb in the main clause; usually, however, that is not the case. The phrase will almost invariably modify, adjectivally, the entire clause, and the adjective form, "important," will suffice.

1. What's wrong with the belief that this disjunct modifies a verb in the main clause ?

2. How does the phrase almost invariably modify, adjectivally, the entire clause? How can adjective modify an entire clause? Does this jar with the definition of an adjective?

Footnote: I already read this ELU answer,


texts: Meaning of the sentence with emphasis on the bold phrase

texts:
Consider:

  His advisers, such as Dominic Cummings, had a proclivity for honesty bordering on the suicidal.- the Guardian   ---

How does the phrase in the bold affect the meaning of the sentence as a whole? As far as I could deduce, it means that Dominic Cummings, was inclined to being  honest even if it proved disastrous to him, but is this correct?


texts:
I wrote an essay and it contained a lot of it's. Upon doing a grammar check on it, all the it's were suggested to be replaced by its.

I am currently not much familiar with the difference between the two. And when to use which one?


texts:
Does the phrase in bold mean "it makes us think about the primitive age of mid-19th century capitalism"?

  There are a couple of things that could kill the hype for the digital currency and help push demand in the opposite direction. One of them is a Lehman or Enron-style fraud event, not necessarily in the Bitcoin market, but in some other cryptocurrency market, which brings to mind the wild west mentality of mid-19th century capitalism.

Source: Forbes magazine


texts: Is it a normal casual construction using "so that"?

texts:
In this example, the tag of the node must be "UL" (unnumbered list) and the link density of the node's content must be greater than seventy, so that the node be recognized as a list of references.

Is it correct? What are alternative casual constructions to it?


texts:
Let us say that I have two physical addresses, and someone asking me which address I used to fill some document, is it correct to say : I entered my address in example-avenue, example-city.
Just wondering if this might indicate that I filled the document when I was in that location or is it clear that I am talking about the address that I used.


texts:
When someone says, "Happy New Year," how should we answer?

"Happy new year to you, too."
Or just: "Happy new year!"

Or in some other way?


texts: "given that", "if", "providing that", or "assuming"?

texts:
Does "given that" mean just "assuming"?

And, I am wondering what is the difference between "given" and "given that".

Furthermore, would you please tell me what is the difference between "if" and "providing that"?

Lastly, I have found the following explanations:

"given that":

although
assuming that; in consideration of the fact that

"given that": taking into account that, based on that (we can say that) ...

"providing that": if something happens (we can say that)


texts: "The ebb and flow of the tides ARE (IS?) now understood" - compound subject and verb coordination

texts:
Correct the sentence:

  The ebb and flow of the tides  / are / now understood.

In the above sentence I can go by two ways:

First is that according to are I should be using the before flow thus making ebb and flow as the two different entities.
Second is that since it is given as The ebb and flow , I can consider it as a single entity and use is in place of are.

Or is it that since tides is given , I need to go with are.
I'm quite confused. Suggestions please.


texts: What does the sentence "I don’t believe that there is much of what you describe." mean?

texts:
I told my friend an idea and described what the idea can achieve. My friend is a native English speaker and he said this to me:

I don’t believe that there is much of what you describe.

I am not a native English speaker. I am not quite sure about his meaning.
Does he mean I didn't tell him enough details about the idea?
Or does he mean the goals that my idea can achieve are not very significant.
Or he simply doesn't think it is a good idea?
Thanks.


texts: If it were 'there', could subject-auxiliary inversion still possible?

texts:
At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors
  hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying
  lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their
  feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn
  on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose
  trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

  The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks
  lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George
  Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them
  started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to
  the left.

  ––– Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

There’s subject-auxiliary inversion by the pronoun for locative complement, so. (1) In here, is so re-placing already there? (2) If the previous locative complement were there not already there, still could the inversion be proper (The Slytherins were there, and so were~) ?


texts: What does "refer to their own interest" imply?

texts:
I'm decent with the English language but this sentence makes no sense to me.

"Whatever reasons we may have for preserving or protecting non-sentient beings, these reasons do not refer to their own interest.".

So, the reasons are what? I don't understand anything after the comma. An explanation is apreciated.


texts: How to ask "the places you have been planning to go " informally

texts:
One of my friends ask me to have a ride with him, and I want to ask what are the places you have been planning to go (assume going to go multiple places)
How could I ask informally, what's the most suitable phrase?


texts: A most interesting book – "a" instead of "the"

texts:
Freeman’s Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML is a most entertaining book for learning how to build a great web page. It not only covers everything you need to know about HTML, CSS, and XHTML, it also excels in explaining everything in layman’s terms with a lot of great examples. I found the book truly enjoyable to read, and I learned something new!Source: Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML, p. ii, “More Praise for Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML”

Does this make sense grammatically? Obviously it does, since native speakers use it, but why is that? How does the meaning change?


texts: Correct way to express monetary loss (dollar vs. dollars)

texts:
Which of these is correct?

  Six million dollar loss

  Six million dollars loss

My guess would be the first one based on a web site (acapela-box).


texts: Can I delete the ‘for’ in the sentence ‘They would have completed the job in a few hours if not for the hard layer of rock.’?

texts: Can I delete the ‘for’ in the sentence ‘They would have completed the job in a few hours if not for the hard layer of rock.’ ?


texts: My sweater has got lint balls on it,take it off/remove

texts:
(From Reddit.com)

So what is a natural way to express it? I mean, my mom says:

  "You shouldn't sleep with your sweater on. Or it'll get lint balls(or fuzzballs).

So it the use of "get" natural? I not what can be a natural alternative to be used in this context?

And what about:

  I will tell you how to remove/take off lint balls.

Is the use of "take off" instead of "remove" natural?


texts: Difference between "in six years" vs. "for six years"

texts:
What is the difference between the two sentences?

  I have not played hockey in six years.
  I have not played hockey for six years.


texts: The meaning of the word "Right?" in response to a statement

texts: I think I heard someone make a statement and then the other person responded with "Right?" For example, the person might have said its so hot today and the other person responded with Right?". My first question is did I hear that right? I mean is that correct english. And if it is, then what does it "Right?" mean. Does it mean that the person agrees with the statement?


texts: "Dracula when I saw was the last movie." Why is this sentence wrong?

texts:
I have heard the following answer from native speaker.

  The first time when I drove was at driving school.

So I applied that to write a sentence like this.

  Dracula when I saw was the latest/last movie.

Is this sentence wrong? If yes, what is wrong and what should be modified?


texts: What does it really mean? "Business as usual is not our motto"

texts:
See this conversation

  Lady: There's gonna be a couple of interviews today, Ben.

  We want to make sure that we both find the right fit.

  Business as usual is not really our motto, so we hope you have some
  fun here.

  This is the first time we're hiring senior interns, so some of our
  intern questions may not exactly fit

  your profile, but we're gonna go for it anyway, okay?

  Ben: Fire away.

  business as usual (idiom) a way of saying that things will continue as
  normal despite a difficult situation

So, does she mean "our business will not continue when there is a difficult situation"?


texts: Help understanding a sentence extracted from The Economist

texts:
His presidency will be counted in speeches because its trials proved harder to overcome than the barriers he scaled to attain it. Often he spoke as no other president could, becoming, through his identity and eloquence, a receptacle for the hopes of Americans and of—and for—the world. Think of his speech in Berlin in 2008, when he extolled multilateralism and the rule of law, or his now-defunct conciliation in Cairo the following year. Think of his eulogy after the Charleston killings. Yet posterity might score him higher on a broader metric had he been as effective in the more intimate persuasions of Congress, as consistent in projecting empathy as at exhortation, or more resolute abroad; had he been as adept at championing legislation or facing down tyrants as he could be at stirring hearts.

This paragraph is extracted from *The agony of hope 24th Dec. 2016 The Economist

This article is about Barack Obama, and my question is the parts in bold.

Is the sentence saying that "Often he spoke as no other president could, [and he was] becoming, through his identity and eloquence, a receptacle for the hopes of Americans and of—and for—the world.(a receptacle for the hopes of Americans and of the world and a receptacle for the hopes of Americans for the world)?
Is it a good sentence?

Last question, the "at" in bold, isn't it suppose to be "in", since "as effective in sth as in sth"?

Thank you for your patience.


texts: Where is "the" used? Is there a rule? Why no definite article in "Shops are open late in summer"?

texts:
Notice these sentences:

Shops are open late in summer.
Summer is a traditionally viewed as a slow season for games.
At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest.
it's time to start thinking about what 2016's Song of the Summer will be.

In English class, they told us that "the" is used for the things that are known.  One example for this was a phrase like "The man who killed his wife".  So when we are speaking of that man, we know what he did. Somehow we know something more than nothing about him. He's not just every man in the world.

So Now I'm confused about why "the" is not used in the first and second sentences. Can anyone please explain it for me?


texts:
She plays with me.

How is this supposed to be passive?


texts: The definite article in phrases with "from"?

texts:
So, I learned that you use the definite article with specific nouns and no article with plurals or general nouns. In my practice book, there's an example that confuses me. It is a task where you have to cross out the article if it's not necessary.

There are lots of obvious of-phrases and relative clauses, but the example I'm not sure about is

  They only sell (the) sausages from Hermann.

It is talking about specific sausages (the ones from Hermann), but I feel like the article isn't really necessary. Is it? Is it wrong to put it there or not to put it there?


texts:
After a Saudi gunman killed three people at a naval base in Pensacola, Fla., some of President Trump’s Republican allies took to the airwaves to condemn the attack as an act of terrorism, call for a halt to the training program that admitted the shooter and sharply press the Saudi government to cooperate in the investigation.

Which is the subject for the clause "call for ...." ?
Why use a comma before "call" ?
Is OK to rephrase "to condemn the attack as an act of terrorism" to " to condemn the attack and calling it as an act of terrorism" ?


texts:
In the following sentence which of the two words would be more idiomatic to say either distort or denounce

It is unreasonable to ______ the statement of a man simply because he does not agree to your opinions


texts: Significance of the 'distinction' between 'subjects' and 'predicates'

texts:
I have always read that:

the "subject" is the doer in the sentence and everything except the subject is the "predicate."

But being a learner I have never been able to understand the significance of this classification into subjects and predicates.
While other classifications like gender, number, parts of speech are very obvious.
What is the thing that makes a subject stand out from all others in a sentence?
Thanks in advance.


texts: Is it uncommon to end a sentence with a contraction?

texts:
I tried to persuade X to go, but I couldn't.

I came across someone writing a sentence ending in a contraction, similar to the one above, and someone else saying that it's uncommon, and that "but I could not" would be better. Is that the case?

I know that contractions shouldn't be used in formal writing, but that's not what I'm asking about. There's a similar question on English Language & Usage, but I'm not sure that nohat's answer is what all English language learners would like to read.


texts:
The second approach to skip lines while reading a text file is
  efficient, but still bit clunky and a bit of a hack.

Hack as I googled, meaning cut roughly as verb. Sorry I should mention here a hack is a noun but still no relevant definition suits in the context.

But what does a bit of a hack mean here?


texts:
I have just finished reading a book. It was so boring that sometimes I fell asleep. I will never buy such "put-to-sleep" books like that anymore.

I would like to know if the adjective put-to-sleep makes sense, and if the sentence above is correct.


texts:
If I have a verb that I want turned into a noun, should I use -al sufix or -ing?

Example:
For verb "to archive", should it be "archiving" or "archival" ?
Hence, should I say "Document archiving is exciting" or "Document archival is exciting"?

Thanks,


texts: Is there any difference in terms of meaning in these two sentences

texts:
Is there a difference in meaning between these two sentences

When I'm doing compilations, I listen to soul music
When I'm listening to soul music, I do compilation


texts: Usage of correct prepositions when writing Acknowledgement

texts:
I am writing an acknowledgement in my dissertation.

I want to tell the following things.

  I thank Dr. AAA for his support and facilitation in conducting a field
  survey. Thank is extended for YYY for the cooperation that she gave on
  the field measurements.

There are other friends who assisted on my work. Especially Saman Indrajith who did the proof reading this thesis.

As I am a non-native English speaker, I doubt whether I am using the correct prepositions.
So, I look forward to suggestions to understand the correct preposition(s) in this type of special text.


texts:
Is it a must to not use the phrase must to in order to not must to?
In my country, Spain similar I think, the most common mistake is saying "I must to do this." Because there's one word for must or have or people don't know the other words.


texts: Meaning of the phrasal verb "tap into" in context

texts:
It is from this video. It is at 4 minute and 48 second. Here is the context:

  The point is on the one hand when we describe what we are, we tap heavily into our own identity, the way that we would like to see ourself.


texts:
I have a question about the preposition "around" here:

  The Arleigh Burke-class of guided missile destroyers (DDGs) is the United States Navy's first class of destroyer built around the Aegis Combat System and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar.

Does "around" mean the outer shell of the ship is "around" the Aegis Combat System and SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar?


texts:
I'm trying to understand the difference between considered to be and considered as according to this link on ELU, but I still can't figure out which one to choose in my sentence:

  In addition to existing threats, WSN propounds some new
  vulnerabilities which may be considered ............... an
  obstacle for its development.


texts:
Please let me know which is the correct answer?

Everyone must do one's duty.

(a) his (b) everyone's
(c) their   (d) No improvement

I believe option a is the correct answer.


texts: Three Gorges Dam or The Three Gorges Dam?

texts: Some links mention "Three Gorges Dam" with article "the" while other links simply don't. When should the article be added, if at all? Thank you !


texts:
I found this in The Longest Ride

  And the Women? They wore boots and hats, too, but between her (Sophia) sorority sisters and the rest of the women here, she noticed more short-shorts and bare midriffs than she'd ever seen in the campus quad on the first warm day of spring. It might as well have been a Daisy Duke convention. Marcia and the girls had gone shopping earlier that day, leaving Sophia feeling almost dowdy in her jeans and sleeveless blouse.

Context -

Sophia is a student living in a hostel. She and her roommates and some other girls from their college had a night out and went to a party. Now in that quoted text the costumes of the people attended the party were being described.

Question -

What is the meaning of the first bold part of the quoted text?
And in the second bold part of the sentence does it describe Sophia's costumes which she wore in the party at night or is it talking about Sophia's costume earlier in the day?
And what is the meaning of Daisy duke convention?

Thanking you in advance.


texts:
Suppose someone is knocking on my door,

My mom ask me: Who is it?

Me: That'll be Rihanna. / That would be Rihanna. / That should be Rihanna. / That is Rihanna.

Which is most certain, and which is least?


texts: What's the meaning of "finish dead last"?

texts:
From NPR

Last year, Consumer Reports did a survey of thousands of U.S. flyers. Spirit finished dead last. In fact, Consumer Reports said Spirit's rating was among the lowest of any company they've ever rated.

I know that finish last means wind up as the last position in a race, competition etc. But What's the meaning of dead in the middle of the two words? After looking up the dictionary, I found that dead could be mean completely. So does the sentence implicate that Spirit not only finished last, but also was far behind other companies?


texts:
In our area, we have a common saying that,

"Failure may make you feel bad, but humiliation is what make you work hard"
(Sorry for my bad English translation)

Does English have any proper saying for the above example like proverb or something?

If not, please suggest me a better way to say that.

The above sentence is like my motto. So I want to say it proper and keep it. So your help will be extremely helpful to me.

Thanks in advance.


texts: "Touch a point on the screen" or "touch ON a point on the screen"?

texts:
I have difficulty understanding the difference between these two phrases.

Does “touch (an item)” express a more general meaning — I mean, is it used when you do not specify the item? For example: “Touch a point (anywhere on the screen)”?
Is “touch ON (an item)” used when the item is specified? For example: “Touch on the point (this point) on the screen.”?


texts: Does the word "circumstance" mean "circumstance of a situation"?

texts: On vocabulary.com, the word "circumstance" is defined as "the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation or event". If so, can we say that the word "circumstance" means "circumstance of a situation"?


texts: What does 'reducing variance' mean in the passage?

texts:
Does it mean 'reducing variance with the previous human situation', that is 'not in the situation of extinction'?

During the past ten thousand years or longer, man as a whole has been
so successful in dominating his environment that almost any kind of
culture can succeed for a while, so long as it has a modest degree of
internal consistency and does not shut off reproduction altogether. No
species of ant or white ant enjoys this freedom. The slightest
inefficiency in constructing nests, in establishing odor trails, or in
conducting nuptial flights could result in the quick extinction of the
species by predation and competition from other social insects. To a
scarcely lesser extent the same is true for social carnivores and
primates. In short, animal species tend to be tightly packed in the
ecosystem with little room for experimentation or play. Man has
temporarily escaped the constraint of interspecific competition.
Although cultures replace one another, the process is much less
effective than interspecific competition in reducing variance.

Sociobiology: The New Synthesis
By Edward O. Wilson


texts:
I would like to know if I should use "risk of cancer" or "cancer risk" is sentences such as the following (I've seen both of these "risk terms" being used in academic writing):

  Smoking is associated with greater risk of cancer.
  Smoking is associated with greater cancer risk.


texts: More than three months on - parapharse that expresson for me, please

texts:
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/crimea-euphoria-fades-russians-104555489--business.html

  But more than three months on, she is worried that her wage of 9,000 roubles ($260) a month is not stretching as far as it used to, and fears she will be forced to take on extra work to cover the rising cost of food and utilities.

How would you paraphrase that expression? But don't use on, of course.


texts: I would like to ask what is the correct preposition after the phrase "get stuck" when you want to figuratively express that you are bogged down. For example you are dealing with a logical task and you are not able to find out the correct solution. Is it "I have got stuck with/on/with…"?


texts: The use of commas for essential information

texts:
Daniel the golfer visited this place yesterday.
Daniel, the golfer, visited this place yesterday.

If two Daniels, one of whom is a swimmer and the other is a golfer, visited the place yesterday, should commas dropped to use "the golfer" as essential information and to refer to who the writer is referring to?
I suppose so.
If there was only one Daniel, who visited the place, I think 2 is the only correct sentence.
Am I right?


texts: Is it correct to say moon starry nights?

texts:
I'm trying to say very briefly that the night was starry and there was the moon also.

Question

Is it correct to say moon starry night? If not, do you see any option?

Edit

Maybe mooned starry nights?


texts: Should we use “the” when there is a post-modification (the + noun of + noun)?

texts:
Which one of these are correct, why, and what are the nuances?
1

a) This is a time of crisis
b) This is the time of crisis.

2

a) I was in a web of troubles.
b) I was in the web of troubles.

3

a) Some people have a tendency to curse when they are annoyed.
b) Some people have the tendency to curse when they are annoyed.


texts: "Pardon me" when someone says something remarkable?

texts:
I always thought you could use pardon me (or I beg your pardon if you want to be more formal) in the sense "Do you really mean that [typically something quite offensive]? I disagree.", e.g.,

You were really rude towards Alice yesterday.
Pardon me!?!?!? [Alice got what she deserved]

but no such meaning is listed on https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pardon_me
I have also always thought excuse me could be used quite interchangeably with pardon me in this sense.
Have I misunderstood something here?
In other languages I speak expressions for apologies can be used like this.


texts: The informal name for windscreen washer fluid

texts: What would be the right term for windscreen washer fluid that e.g. gas station's personnel would use? C.f. traffic turn indicator would be called blinker. So I'm looking for an informal name used by common people.


texts:
what is the meaning of "then...as now" in this context?

  During these years of public mediumship, when the girls were all the
  rage among those who had no conception of the religious significance
  of this new revelation, and who concerned themselves with it purely in
  the hope of worldly advantage, the sisters exposed themselves to the
  enervating influences of promiscuous séances in a way which no earnest
  Spiritualist could justify. The dangers of such practices were not
  then so clearly realized as now, nor had it occurred to people that it
  is unlikely that high spirits would descend to earth in order to
  advise as to the state of railway stocks or the issue of love affairs.
  The ignorance was universal, and there was no wise mentor at the elbow
  of these poor pioneers to point the higher and the safer path. Worst
  of all, their jaded energies were renewed by the offer of wine at a
  time when one at least of them was hardly more than a child. It is
  said that there was some family predisposition towards alcoholism, but
  even without such a taint their whole procedure and mode of life were
  rash to the last degree. Against their moral character there has never
  been a breath of suspicion, but they had taken a road which leads to
  degeneration of mind and character, though it was many years before
  the more serious effects were manifest.

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


texts:
In the days when I was sitting in his class, he omitted so many needless words, and omitted them so forcibly and with such eagerness and obvious relish, that he often seemed in the position of having shortchanged himself—a man left with nothing more to say yet with time to fill, a radio prophet who had outdistanced the clock.

Source: Steven Pinker: Sense of Style, pp. 1–2.

Can you please explain to me what the bold passage from the above excerpt means. I am not really able to find the meaningful interpretation of that. The literal reading does not make any sense to me.


texts: Constructing nouns from verbs that have taken effect

texts:
My native language is agglutinative, we can create a noun from the native word for "to blow one's nose."

Let's say a used napkin or hankie. Can I define the equivalent native word in English as that which has been used to blow one's nose? Or is it that which which..?

Or something that was used for sleeping?
Can I say, that which has been slept on or that which has been slept upon?


texts:
I know to speak English.
  I know how to speak English.

What is the difference between the sentences above?


texts:
I was watching a talent show. One of the contestants copied a judge in a horrible voice. The judge being sulky, in a lighter mood though, said to him:

I hope you lose your voice.

Apparently it seems to be her wish that he loses his voice. Why didn’t she say:

I wish you lost your voice.

How would we differentiate between:
i.  I hope you do  this.
ii. I wish you did this.


texts: What is the most common opposite word for "postpone"?

texts:
Consider this:

The meeting has been postponed.

How would the above example be said in AE or BE if the word "postponed" were to be replaced by its antonym?


texts:
How do we say that something will be done in the future only if something else has been done in the past.

For example:

  Tom will receive money if he had filled in the form*

or should that be have filled, have had filled or something else entirely?

If possible, when providing an answer, can you explain the rule(s) that should be applied in such cases..


texts: What `be` can add to following statement?

texts:
Context: I asked a reason for a statement in Question and answer forum. I got two possibilities in this scenario.

1. How can it be possible?

            OR
2. How can it possible?

My question is how be changed context and meaning of my scenario?

PS: Any source of reading required please comment.


texts: "adopt a scenario where" or "adopt the scenario where"

texts:
In this sentence:

  We adopt a scenario where we have four machines.

Is the sentence above correct ? or we should replace a by the ?


texts: What does "on the backs of stories" mean?

texts:
It is from Crash Course US history. It is at 6 minute and 10 second.

  For this Weyler was called "Butcher" in the American yellow press, which sold a lot of newspapers on the back of stories about his atrocities.


texts: Do you use the indicative mood in an if-clause and the subjunctive mood in a main clause?

texts:
Please look at the first sentence in the following passage. Do you sometimes use this kind of sentence? That is, the indicative mood in an if-clause and the subjunctive mood in a main clause?

  If you currently add up the electoral votes of those three states, you
  would have 96 electoral votes. Even if a candidate won North Dakota,
  South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Vermont, New Hampshire. Connecticut and
  West Virginia, they would only gain 31 electoral votes total from those
  eight states. Here is where it can get a little tricky. On a rare
  occasion, like in the year 2000, someone can win the popular vote but
  fail to gain 270 electoral votes. This means that the winner may have won and collected their electoral votes by small margins, winning just enough  states with just enough electoral votes, but the losing candidate may
  have captured large voter margins in the remaining states.

    Does your vote count? The Electoral College explained - Christina Greer


texts:
The definite article the is implied to point to something specific rather than indeterminate. It is clear that the nouns that have explanations after them should be preceded by the, like in

Walking around Prague I saw the house that was painted red.

However, if a noun is preceded by an adjective, which, by default, specifies the noun, should the be used, like in

Walking around Prague I saw the red house.

?
Or should a be used in both cases, because (painted) red is not specific enough for the definite article to be used? Would it be different for

Walking around Prague I saw the house where Queen Elisabeth lived.
Walking around Prague I saw the Queen Elisabeth's house.

?
What are the criteria that determine how specific is a noun, noun phrase or noun-adjective combination? I'm especially interested in the guidlines for scientific/academic writing.
Any help would be appreciated.


texts: What is the grammatical logic and meaning of "going to" in the sentence "we are going to need them"?

texts: Even though I am a native English speaker, I am old and have forgotten my English grammar lessons. Need a little help to understand why I would write a sentence that way using the words going to even though I've always done it that way.


texts: Can I write this? - "Although [reason 1], although [reason 2], and although [reason 3], this thing didn't happen."

texts:
Let's say that I want to express that although all the conditions were there for something to happen, it didn't happen.

Is it correct, in order to emphasize the contradiction, to write a repetition of although like this:

  Although [reason 1], although [reason 2], and although [reason 3], this thing didn't happen.

Thank you.


texts: Is it right to ask, "Where are you packing your bags to go?"

texts:
I want to ask the place the person is going when I see him/her packing their bags.
Should I say:

  "Where are you packing your bags to go?"

Or should I say

  "To go where are you packing your bags?"

Are both correct or incorrect? Is there are better way to ask it?


texts: When I say "hello guys" in an online forum, Is it considered that I'm talking to some men? Or it's for every human beings? Thanks in advance


texts: “Sandra told Mrs. Smell that Daddy's a big sloppy...”

texts:
Sandra – told Mrs. Smell – that Daddy's a big – sloppy – kike.

This is a sentence from Salinger's story Down at the Dinghy. On the Internet it is often interpreted as the evidence of the innocence of the child who pronounced it. The hero here allegedly confuses "kike" with "kite". But both "kike" and "kite" are after all derogatory terms for a Jew. So where is the point of confusion of these words?


texts:
I hand a picture to a friend. That friend takes a look at the picture.
Me: When you look at that/this, what does it make you feel?
If I refer to the picture (I don't have it in my hand; my friend does) or maybe more the thing that is on the picture, what is natural "that" or "this"?


texts:
I knew, and for the life of me, I don't remember.

What's the name for a person in one's care: a child left in nurse's care, the VIP for a bodyguard, the civilian in military escort, a pupil for the teacher, a tourist for the guide etc; the counterpart for caretaker?


texts:
Is it correct to use the word forever in the sentence implying that something changed since that moment?

This is the particular sentence I'm struggling with:

  In 1926 human conception of the universe changed forever

(If you find a better option, please tell me!)


texts: What's wrong with 'the students' cheating displeased themselves'?

texts:
The students’ cheating displeased themselves.

It seems to make sense, but a book says it’s ungrammatical. I can’t find any reason for it. What’s wrong with the sentence?


texts: Is it correct to say "the hem of your T-shirt is folded up. Let it down"?

texts:
Look at the hem of my T-shirt above.
Is it natural to say "the hem of your T-shirt is folded up (not nice). Let/put it down" in everyday English?


texts:
Source: p 12 and 48, The Law of Contract, 5 ed (2012), O’Sullivan and Hilliard

  p 12: In order
  to work out whether there was a valid off er in our car example, we ask whether it
  should have appeared to you that I was off ering to sell my car, not whether it was my
  actual intention to do this. Th is is known as the principle of ‘objective intention’ and
  is discussed further later. So a party might be bound by a contract even though this
  is the last thing he intends.

  p 48: Even if certain terms of economic or other signifi cance to the parties have not
  been fi nalised, an objective appraisal of their words and conduct may lead to the conclusion
  that they did not intend agreement of such terms to be a precondition to a concluded
  and legally binding agreement...

Googling "intend a contract" produces limited, inconclusive results, but  'intend disrespect' less so. Neither the ODO nor Merriam answers this question definitively.


texts: Type 2 Conditional - Should verbs be consistent?

texts:
From EF (Education First), The type 2 conditional is used, with if clause in simple past and main clause in present conditional or in present continuous conditional, to express an unlikely or hypothetical condition and its probable result; and the time is now or any time.

EF's examples

  If the weather wasn't so bad, we would go to the park.

  If I was the Queen of England, I would give everyone a chicken.

  If you really loved me, you would buy me a diamond ring.

  If I knew where she lived, I would go and see her.

I'm confused because--should I use the past tenses of the verbs I'm meaning in the present time and in the future time?

My example

  If we were to be together to prove that there's/there was no end, so
  help me, would hold your hand forever even you're/you were pretend.

What I mean: If we were to be together (right now) to prove that there is no end another way of saying loving forever (not an end that just existed in the past, but end that has existed in the past up until now), so help me (is this correct? An idiom for "I promise," but type 2 conditional says it should be used with present conditional in the main clause. If the idiom were meant for "I would promise," then it's? fine, but it was? not.), would hold your hand forever even you're pretend (even if you're just meant to exist in my imagination, same issue about what to use present tense or past tense).

Also, please answer the mini-questions I've put along the way in typing this question and correct the grammar of my question itself. I want to learn.


texts:
Being connected through multiple connections at the same time would be
  a good protection against this, as you'd maintain an acceptable speed
  even if one of your connections was to go slow or disconnect
  altogether.

Context.

I'm unsure of whether it should be was to go or were to go slow.

It's one of your connections, so that makes me think it should be singular as in was.

However, it's preceded by a pluralized noun, connections, so that makes me wonder if perhaps it should be were. Also, my instincts tell me that were to go sounds better.

Are one of these wrong, or are both correct?


texts: Can I say "what's up" or "what the heck is going on" to a teacher?

texts: I would like to know how provocative are the expressions in the title. I would like to say something similar, but not in a provocative or offensive way, since I would say it to a college's serious English teacher. By the way, do they have a different meaning?


texts:
Joe: …but still, y’know, so, uh, yeah, so when he was actually
  checking out of the hospital, um, they actually told him, “Hey we, we
  know that you don’t have a job. And you, you told us you don’t have
  much money. So, uh, y’know, don’t worry about the hundred bucks. Uh,
  we’ll just write it off.”

  Source: A.J. Hoge, Effortless English, Real English Conversation

May I ask about verb tenses in the context above?

1) Does the verb will (in the contraction we'll) shows promises in the context above?

2) But I am not sure why Joe use past continuous verb tense in the first bold part instead of, for example, simple past?


texts: What's the alternative synonym of “ledger”?

texts:
What's the alternative or synonym of "ledger" in below sentence?

  In a manual accounting system, each account is kept on a separate page
  or card.  These pages or cards are placed together in a book or file
  called the general ledger.
  In the computerized system that most companies have today, accounts are
  maintained on magnetic tapes or
  disks. However, as a matter of convenience, accountants still refer to
  the all-inclusive group of company accounts as the general ledger, or
  simply the ledger.


texts: Present participle of 'feel' and change in meaning

texts:
"I feel lucky"

"I am feeling lucky."

Do both sentences convey same meaning?I have read that emotive verbs are not used in participle form on account of their meaning?


texts: Emphasize 'Only when allowed' in contrast to NOT being allowed

texts:
In Dutch I can let the user choose between (a software setting):

  Alleen indien NIET toegestaan
  Alleen indien WEL toegestaan

for which I think the English translation should be:

  Only when NOT allowed
  Only when allowed

But as you can see, that translation misses the visual emphasis (capitals) for the positive choice.
Is there something I can do with the translation that would let me use emphasis for both choices?

Notes:

1) This is a configuration setting with a 3rd choice: N/a

2) I do not have the option of making this (much) longer like in

  Only when overtime is NOT allowed
  Only when overtime IS allowed

That is exactly the issue, it seems: there is no noun to refer to.


texts: Do you have to use the article "the" when the location of the thing in question is determinate?

texts:
"The hair on his face reminded me of a dog's fur."

  > "Hair on his face reminded me of a dog's fur."

  "The eyes on his face reminded me of the devil's eyes."

  > "Eyes on his face reminded me of the devil's eyes."

The bolded phrasing seems to be wrong, or is it? I am not quite sure, but it seems that if the location is determinate and use the article "the" or the determining possessive pronoun "his" the thing in question must also use a determining possessive pronoun "his" or the article "the".


texts:
Which word is an appropriate choice below?

  They are trying to clear roads blocked/obstructed by fallen trees.

The confusion is because, in the context, both word choices seem correct. Both means to hinder the movement.


texts: Question about expressing sorry when you are alone in front of mirror talking to yourself about what you should not do in the past

texts:
Imagine that you have told your friend that she had an ugly car, yesterday.
Now today you are alone standing in front of the mirror, talking loudly to yourself. You want to tell yourself that it was not a good thing to say her that her was was ugly. And you want to use should or I'd better in negative and past tense.
Are these correct?

I shouldn't told her that, yesterday.
I shouldn't tell her that, yesterday.


texts: "Like" as nonstandard adverb and informal interjection for the approximation: function or meaning?

texts:
Two examples from Dictionary.com for like:

  (1) I did it like wrong. [Adverb. Nonstandard. a) as it were; in a way;
  somehow] (2) Like, why didn't you write to me? [Interjection.
  Informal. (...to preface a sentence, to fill a pause, to express
  uncertainty, or to intensify or neutralize a following adjective)]

  (1a) I did it, like, wrong.
  (2a) Hey, why didn't you write to me?

Collins possibly shows (1) and (2) as instances of the same thing, but labelled differently depending on AmE/BrE. The AmHDotEL shows be like as an idiom for to say/utter, and has an intriguing usage note saying : "If a woman says "I'm like, 'Get lost buddy!'" she may or may not have used those actual words to tell the offending man off. In fact, she may not have said anything to him[...]".

Could you have (1a) as an instance of (2) i.e. the person hesitates and pauses but just means plain wrong and not wrong somehow?
In what way is (1) Nonstandard as opposed to informal; could you say something like (1) at work for instance? Does that mean used by younger people?
In (2), what other word or phrase would mean the same thing or play the same role as like here? Is this about emphasis, hesitation, are you saying "in a roundabout way", is that to "be like", or are you asking the person to themselves summarize why they did or didn't do something; or is it really just like (2a)?


texts: "'Whatever word he says" or "whatever words he says"

texts:
Do not believe whatever word he says.

Should ‘word’ be singular or plural after ‘whatever’?


texts:
If the weather keeps up, they'll be swimming their horses round the
  track.

What is the meaning of swimming their horses here?


texts: hire as a noun in Present-day British English

texts:
An Australian coworker of mine wrote, "The deposit is equal to a month's hire."
I'm wondering whether "hire" in British English can mean "money you pay to hire (i.e. rent) something," as it is used here.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts:
From an episode narrated by David Attenborough.

  The buds stayed dormant until spring sunshine, filtering down through the snow, triggered them into action, and they opened even before the snowy blanket above them had melted.

Why it is not simple past? As past perfect means that action happened before another action in the past.

  ...they opened even before the snowy blanket above them had melted.

Shouldn't it be simple past:

  The buds stayed dormant until spring sunshine, filtering down through the snow, triggered them into action, and they opened even before the snowy blanket above them melted.

Please explain.


texts: word for hesitation, "well" or "actually"?

texts:
"Aren't you going home?"

  "Well, can I stay a little longer?" / "Actually, can I say a little longer?"

Both "Well" and "Actually" work here? Do they have the same meaning?


texts:
What's the meaning of
 "you're supposed to"?
For example:

  "You're supposed to stop when at a red light."
  "You're supposed to unpack once you get there."


texts: Is it correct to say 'warmer weather rots the fruit'?

texts:
Although commonly used as an intransitive verb, I understand 'rot' is also a transitive verb. So is it correct to say

  "Warmer weather rots the fruit."


texts: Can any one explain me the below phrase?

texts:
A new ‘internship visa,’ approved by the Union Cabinet to help foreigners gain professional experience in India, does not include a “restricted category” to thwart applications from countries such as Pakistan and China.

This part in the sentence, does not include a "restricted category", confuses me like it is not allowing restricted access or there is no restricted category. Can any one clarify me clearly?


texts: Phrasal verb for carbonated drinks exploding out of the can after being shaken?

texts:
What's the phrasal verb for carbonated drinks exploding out of the can after being shaken? "Exploded out" doesn't sound right, because it doesn't sound idiomatic. I also checked pop off, but it seems to be used for physical non-liquid things like the cork of a champagne bottle.

For example:

  The drink ____ out of the can after he shook the diet coke can and opened it.


texts: Confused between 'Near something' and 'Near to something'

texts:
I get confused when I read 'near' and 'near to' something. I often hear people saying 'near' without 'to', but then 'near to' is also correct. For example read the following sentences:

Where is your book?-Near my bed.
Where is Wall Mart?-Near to my house.

Now, can I write them like this:

Where is your book? -Near to my bed.
Where is Wall Mart?-Near my house.

Help me in solving this. Thank You.


texts:
To eavesdrop means you secretly listen to the conversations of others. Some types of people are very good at eavesdropping. Nosy people, people who like to gossip and spies are all good eavesdroppers. The only difference among my examples is that spies get paid and could get killed for getting an earful.

Why does it use 'among', not 'between' when there only be two items (nosy people and spies)?


texts: What is the meaning of "deep route misery"?

texts:
It's a song (Chemical - CRASHDÏET) about drugs(in my opinion), but I can't understand the
"deep route misery" in the lyric. I know "deep misery", but the "route" here is really confused. So could any one explain that for me? Thanks.

lyric:

Don't you know
it runs deep down in my bones
And I want it now
I need it now
Can't you see
this deep route misery
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
that you inflict
It makes me sick
Feel good chemical
Feel good chemical
I gotta get this off my chest
how could you say I was obsessed
cause I can't conceal
a love thats real?
so I broke your golden rules
your regulations too
But I can't rewind
time is so unkind.
Feel good chemical
Feel good chemical
All I need is another hit
yeah one last fix to keep the blues at bay
All I need is another kick
just one last kiss of death then I'll be on my way
All I need is another hit
yeah one last fix to keep the blues at bay
All I need is another kick
just one last fix of that I feel good chemical


texts: is "from within you ", two successive prepositions possible?

texts:
forgetting about those subjective misgivings that arise from within
  you

I was reading an passage and that phrase was in there. I couldn't understand
exact meaning because of that "from" and "within".

What do they mean and which case can two prepositions be natural?


texts:
I put on some music. My wife starts singing along. I look at her, then abruptly turns the music back off.

My question is about the part in bold. Is it grammatical and correct with the information I have given you?
Would then abruptly turns the music off again be more natural?


texts:
From this sentence,

  As an initial estimate I think we'll be looking at April to
  improve the existing system but for a new system it would take at
  least nine months.

Does it mean that the speaker will finish making the existing system completely better in April OR that he is going to begin improving the existing system in April and it will be finished sometime later?

To sum up, my question is what really is the meaning of the word "improve" used in this context.


texts:
When I want to conclude a Series of results in  (math) context, I use "Hence, Therefore, So, Then ...", trying not to repeat them ; For example I don't write "A so B so C so..."; instead I write "A So B then C Hence...".
("A", "B" and "C" can be a short sentence, like "a < b", or can be as big as a paragraph).

Question 1. What is  the differences among these words? Is there any priority using them in various places of context?
Question 2. can you add some other words like "Hence, Therefore, So, Then ...", (noting priority)?

Thank you.


texts: Can anybody explain "reduce something to something" for me, please?

texts:
Does it mean "reducing the member countries of the EU"?

With previous opinion polls also showing such opposition, Le Pen has said for months that if elected she would not abruptly withdraw from the euro but instead hold a referendum after six months of negotiation with the rest of the EU on a range of issues including leaving the border-free Schengen agreement and reducing the EU to a loose cooperative of nations.

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


texts: "Girls wearing glasses" vs. "Girls who wear glasses"

texts:
I'm having slight difficulties with a particular kind of sentences. I'd like you to check on my interpretation of differences occuring in the following sentences:

A1. They're just a bunch of guys having too much free time
A2. They're just a bunch of guys who are having too much free time
A3. They're just a bunch of guys who have too much free time.

B1. She's the one paying for our trips.
B2. She's the one who is paying for our trips.
B3. She's the one who pays for our trips.

C1. I have a thing for girls wearing glasses.
C2. I have a thing for girls who are wearing glasses.
C3. I have a thing for girls who wear glasses.

While the difference between C examples is quite evident for me, as to me it expresses the state of being that is more established, and might refer to habitual behaviors (these guys might be unemployed, wasting their life away, thus they have too much free time), I'm not sure if the main difference between A and B examples is simply the contraction of the A ones? If so, does that mean that As may be regarded as more colloquial than Bs? Or perhaps it is perfectly fine to use them interchangeably?
Am I right? Are all these sequences correct?
I also have to note that it was pointed out to me that one can't use the verb "to have" in the continuous form in the first set of examples, though I'm not sure why. I believe it doesn't imply possession the same way "having fun" doesn't.


texts: What is passive voice misuse in the following text?

texts:
I am writing an essay and this is a part of my introduction:

This essay is twofold; first, the undergoing changes are elaborated.
How these changes have negatively affected our life is something that
is discussed in the latter part.

Grammarly highlights the passive verbs and marks them as "misuse". Does it mean that I would better to use active voice? Or there is another problem with these usage? I think they are grammatically correct. Unfortunately I do not have a premium account therefore I can't see why grammarly has tagged them as error.


texts:
a. My friends in high school are all unemployed now.
b. My friends from high school are all unemployed now.
c. My friends when I was in high school are all unemployed now.
d. My friends from when I was in high school are all unemployed now.
Which are grammatically correct and meaningful?
The idea is simple:
All those who were my friends when I was in high school are unemployed now. I am no longer in high school and neither are they.
To me (a) implies that I am still in high school and therefore doesn't work. I am not sure though.


texts: "Comprehensive quality" vs "comprehensive qualities"?

texts:
To be exact, Which one is correct?

We should strengthen our comprehensive quality?

or

We should strengthen our comprehensive qualities?


texts:
In my native language we say "dissertation court".
Can we say dissertation court in English? or we can just say dissertation seminar?


texts: Which perfect tense to use in a defining clause with Simple Past?

texts:
When answering a question on here, I wrote a sentence similar to the following one:

  I left the place I've been at previously at 3AM.

The intended meaning was that I have been at that place for a length of time, and then left it at 3AM. One user suggested that Past Perfect would be more correct here:

  I left the place I had been at previously at 3AM.

On one hand, it makes sense - obviously me being at that place must have preceded me leaving that place. On the other hand, my intuitive reading of this phrase is that at some point even further in the past I had been at that place at 3AM, and at the time I'm speaking about currently I left it:

  I left (the place I have been at previously) at 3AM.

  I left (the place I had been at previously at 3AM).

Am I correct? Are both sentences grammatically correct? If not, is there any other way to resolve the ambiguity? Also, does the meaning change when to leave is in Present Perfect?

  ?I've left the place I've been at previously at 3AM.

  ?I've left the place I had been at previously at 3AM.


texts:
This is a famous game of thrones quote:

  The lion does not concern himself with the opinion of the sheep.

what is the difference between this sentence and this sentence:

  The lion does not concern himself with the sheep's opinion.


texts: Which version is correct: the passions (is) described

texts:
The passions described on the face of the statue survive the hands that made it.

Is this sentence correct or we have to say "is described"?
If it is correct, why did we not put "is described" to make it in passive voice?


texts:
You are a cry boy now.
You are a crying boy now.

What does the each sentence mean? When would you choose each form to mean what?


texts: What "were to " means in these sentences?

texts:
a : What time do you usually get off work?
b : It depends, but If I were to get off work early, I can.
If I were to be born again, I'd like to be born in the states.
If I were to be a journalist when I grow up, I'd like to write about music.

What does "were to " mean in these sentences?


texts:
After my arrival to/in Prague, I will send you the message.

I am not able to decide which prepositions fit in the context. I have made some Internet research but still not sure. Thank you.


texts: Meaning of the phrasal verb "get to" in the given context

texts:
It is from Crash Course World History. It is at around 5 minute and 33 second. Here is the context:

  So this idea that the Islamic empire wasn't always a califate for much of its history, it was just an empire is very important. Because it gets to how not-different ways of organizing people are when it comes like us and them.

I cannot really get what the host mean by the phrasal verb because what this and other dictionaries give, doesn't seem to fit.


texts:
Brazil is suffering from a severe recession. Its president, Dilma Rousseff, is being impeached on charges that she manipulated government accounts; an interim government, led by Michel Temer, is in charge.

Not yet medal contenders. The Economist. July 30, 2016.

I don't get why 'charges' has been used instead of 'charge' above? Should it not have been 'charge' as she manipulated government accounts is just a single accusation. So, why then 'charges' has been used?


texts: Is the Sentence "More importantly, as being a GeorgeTown student, I always have the will to " Structurally Correct?

texts:
English is my second language and I am trying to learn from your expertise.

Is the following sentence grammatically and structurally correct? Is it meaningful? If not, how could I correct it or make it properly meaningful?

  More importantly, as being a GeorgeTown student, I always have the will to ...

Thank you!


texts:
“I need you with me,” she said. “Don’t go away again.”
But I hadn’t gone away! I had been abducted!
I could feel the sleep pressing down on her.
“I need you with me,” she said. “I’m so afraid. I’m so afraid.”
It’s okay, I said. I’m here.
She rolled to the edge of the bed and looked down at me, her eyes
glazed.
“Get me through tonight,” she said. “That’s all I need. Protect me.
Don’t let it happen tonight. Enzo, please. You’re the only one who can
help.”
I will, I said.
“You’re the only one. Don’t worry about that nurse; I sent her home.”
I looked over to the corner, and the crinkly old woman was gone.
“I don’t need her,” she said. “Only you can protect me. Please. Don’t
let it happen tonight.”
I didn’t sleep at all that night. I stood guard, waiting for the demon
to show his face. The demon was coming for Eve, but he would have to
get past me first, and I was ready. I noted every sound, every creak,
every change in air density, and by standing or shifting my weight, I
silently made it clear to the demon that he would have to contend with
me if he intended to take Eve.
(Garth Stein, The Art of Racing in the Rain)

I guess that guard is predicative for I and has no article because Enzo is the only guard. If he were one of many guards, the matrix would have been I stood a guard. (As in: Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy’s a prefect - Harry Potter book one, p99) Is this right, or is there other structure for the example?


texts: "If we didn't possess this mechanism, our surroundings would appear shadowy" - why not "had not / would have appeared"?

texts:
From ScienceDaily:

  From a big-picture perspective, if we didn't possess this powerful oculomotor mechanism, particularly when blinking, our surroundings would appear shadowy, erratic and jittery, researchers said.

Why is it not like this:

  From a big-picture perspective, if we had not possessed this powerful oculomotor mechanism, particularly when blinking, our surroundings would have appeared shadowy, erratic and jittery, researchers said.

After all, we do possess this mechanism, so we should use the had not possessed / would have appeared to indicate the counterfactual nature of the statement, shouldn't we?


texts: What does "change my time for the reservation" mean?

texts:
Does it mean "change my time to suit the reservation" or "change my reservation (time)"?

"I'd like you to change my time for the reservation."


texts: Which preposition should be used for websites?

texts:
Which prepositions should we use when we're talking about websites? For example:

Register On StackExchange / Register AT StackExchange

Trade ON Forex / Trade AT Forex

Answer questions ON Quora / Answer Questions AT Quora

Which one is correct?
Thanks


texts: what does the word " stop" mean when it comes to context of living room?

texts: I looked it up in Longman Dict, but I couldn't find it.When a landlord is talking about doors, stops and locks, what does it mean?


texts: When should I use "turn" over "turn into"?

texts:
Yes, it did affect the yearly kernel summit last year (and this year
is still up in the air), and most conferences got cancelled or turned
virtual.

I'd like to know when should I use "turn" over "turn into" on the phrase cited above and why?
Could I even use "turn into"? Because I'm not sure too.


texts: What does this "forget" mean and how to use it?

texts:
How do you use this "forget"?

Forget that he is just a boy who has no experience!


texts: Is the clause "I ever have" in the sentence "the best gift I ever have" grammatically correct?

texts:
I am hesitant whether the sentence "the best gift that I ever have", is appropriate for expressing that the gift that will be given to me in the future (might happen or might not) will be the best gift that I ever have.
To date, I haven't got the gift yet, but if in the future I receive that gift, I will consider it as the best gift ever.
So which one is the best to say it?
1.The best gift I have ever had.
2.The best gift I ever have.
3.The best gift I will ever have.
Second question :
Is this sentence classified as conditional sentence? If so, what this thing is called in English conditional sentence?
Personally speaking, I just know that "ever" is only used for present perfect tense in several contexts of second or third conditional construction or, generally speaking, in the common/normal sentence.
So, what category does it belong to when we intend to write "ever" for future tense?
I hope you understand my questions. :)


texts:
The environment now is as toxic and destructive as I have ever seen
  it.
  (Source: Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs by Greg Smith (March 14, 2012). The New York Times.)

I wonder. Why does the sentence not end with "....ever seen"? There is this strange it at the end, and I do not know the grammatical structure underlying beneath it.

Usually when "as...as" construction is used, comparative deletion takes place, omitting the part of speech that is being compared. Like this:

The man was as strong(adj.) as I am __ (slot for the omitted adjective, strong).

So why is it, which represents "environment", a noun that is being repeated in the subordinate clause(? I think it is..), used in the sentence?


texts: "Your working in London next summer might be a great experience"

texts:
I know I can use these modal verbs when talking to a specific person, but I am wondering if I can use all these three modal verbs with a generic subject "you" or "people".

Working in London next summer could be a great experience.

Working in London next summer might be a great experience.

Working in London next summer will be a great experience.

Do they all work with a generic subject "you" or "people". For example:
a) Your working in London...
b) People's working in London...


texts:
This was in a test so no other answers are possible. Which one is correct?:

  That was the second time I _______ rafting in Antalya.

  1) tried
  2) had tried
  3) have tried
  4) am trying

The last 2 answers are obviously wrong so which one is it, tried or had tried?
The answer key says it should be "had tried", is that correct? If yes, then why?

Note: the question is not part of a longer passage. It was put in the test just like this, on its own. The answer key claims that since there's the word "was" in the sentence and according to the meaning, the answer should be in the past perfect tense.

There is nothing in the test to indicate that 'trying' was done before anything else, so I decided to go for 'tried'. The verb 'was' doesn't refer to any action done before 'trying'. It refers to a 'time', not an 'action'.


texts: Necessity to use present in a clause time (when)

texts:
Are both sentences grammatically correct and what is the difference in term of meaning:

  Let me know when it arrives.
  Let me know when it will arrive.

I think the second is better because with "know "you are not obliged to use present let me know when it will be here? He will be here on monday


texts: What's the (business) term in English for an action where a customer returning product to seller because they are not satisfied?

texts: The closest term I can find is "return order", but I feel that it's very similar with "repeat order", so I'm afraid it has a double meaning.


texts: I often see people write “I’m going to cry” but does it make any sense? In situations when you feel like you will start crying in the moment, shouldn’t you better use something  like «I’m about to cry» instead?


texts:
Could you explain what does this phrase mean 'I see where this is going' ? For reference, I heard it in this YouTube clip. The interviewer asks

  If it took 8 men 10 hours to build a wall, how long would it take 4 men to build it?

A woman responds

  I wanna say 20 but... Logically it's right, but I'm, um, I can, I see where this is going.


texts:
Is the proverb

  "an old fox understands the trap"

considered as  a common English proverb?
If yes, what does it exactly mean?
If no, what is the exact equivalent for that in everyday speech?


texts:
Which one is correct ?:

1)-"If you had been eating well you wouldn't be scrawny."

2)-"If you was eating well you wouldn't be scrawny."

3)-"If you ate well you wouldn't be scrawny."--> this's incorrect because it's second conditional to talk about future/present ( If you did this, this would happen, even if the verb is in the past.) right ?


texts:
In one of my online English classes there's a lesson about the Victoria Falls which has the following sentences:

  Today, visitors can land at the nearby airport and easily visit the falls. The adventurous can take a rafting ride down the rapid-filled gorges or bungee jump from the Victoria Bridge.

I did not find the word rapid-filled in both my dictionary and Google. Can anyone help explain?


texts:
Can't figure out what the correct way to construct the following sentence is. Please help.

  He is probably not as influenced by his views as you are

Or

  He is probably not as influenced as you are by his views.

Should 'as you are' be placed near to the first 'as' or at the end of the sentence.

Thanks.


texts: I found one Yuri slumped on his seat -- "one Yuri" - usage?

texts:
Usage example with a context:

  All Wednesday, the road out of Debaltseve into government-held territory thundered to the sound of retreating armour - tanks and troop carriers full of exhausted, sometimes defiant soldiers.
  In a bus by the side of the road, I found one Yuri slumped on his seat, across the aisle from a sleeping colleague.
  He said the situation had become increasingly dire and individual units had taken their own decisions to leave. They were running out of ammunition and in danger of being surrounded, he told me.

Could you please tell me more about the usage of this type of grammatical construction (when you have a person's name and the word one as a quantifier before it)?


texts: What is the meaning of the Mathew words to Ray in phone?

texts:
In A Walk Among the Tombstones, Actually Mathew has to save the girl lucy in the hands of Ray who is kidnapper,

Now kidnapper wants money & so Mathew defining the place for collect the money through phone.

  Mathew: You check the money. When you're satisfied, you let the girl
  go.Your man takes off with the cash.You and I wait until you feel
  good.Then we go home.

  Ray: You could grab me.

  Mathew: You'll have that knife you keep talking about, a gun, too,
  if you want one.


texts:
Can you give the right context for each below?

I am afraid of nail cutting.
I am afraid of nail trim.
I am afraid of nail trims.


texts: 'be fit for', 'fit', or 'be fitting for' what is the correct usage and why?

texts:
After checking the old post, I found this Difference between 'it fits something' and 'it is fit for something' -- "The key fits the lock" vs. "The key is fit for the lock" quite informative. However, I still have some doubts on fit.

What is the exact difference of below 2 sentences, or are they identical?

The resume is fit for the position.
The resume fits the position.

In spoken English, do native people say: 'this guy is fitting for the job', and 'this guy is fitting the job'?


texts: "I just obtained my driving license "or "I have just obtained my driving license"-----Should I use past tense or present perfect in this expression? Or both of them are ok?


texts: "particularly not knowing that thought leadership even existed"

texts:
A sales representative in Australia jumped on SAS’ Hub to ask if anyone had experience dealing with a specific competitive situation, Graebe says. Within 24 hours, he had six answers representing four countries and seven departments.
  “There is no way this sales representative could have gathered this type of feedback via email as quickly and broadly as he did via the Hub,” Graebe says, “particularly not knowing that thought leadership even existed.”

What does last sentence mean?

  particularly not knowing that thought leadership even existed


texts: What do you call the act of synchronizing your flight to that of another plane so that you remain on its side never overtaking it?

texts:
I am not quite sure if there's any word for this very precise idea, but I would like to know how I can succinctly express it. So I am looking for a verb or a noun that would allow me to express the idea of a plane or many planes synchronizing its or their flight to another reference plane either in the middle of the group or not, or next if it's a single plane or not, so that they remain on it's side and never overtake the reference plane or fall behind, where we would never have a V shape formation, a \ formation and whatnot, just a _ formation so to speak.

For example:

  The planes flew side by side next to Jimmy's plane so as to form a
  straight line.


texts: Confusion regarding the usage of "till" and "until"

texts: Can you explain the difference between the till and until using some examples? I am confused in this. When should I use till? And, When should I use until?


texts:
I am going to write down several equivalent ways of saying "treat you to something".

(1) Yesterday, John treated me to lunch.

(2) Yesterday, John bought me lunch.

(3) Yesterday, John and I had lunch. It was his treat.

(4) Yesterday, John and I had lunch - his treat.

(5) Yesterday, John and I had lunch, which was his treat.

Grammatically, I am pretty sure that (1) to (4) have no problem. Does (5) make sense?


texts: Missing verb for a certain movement by hand

texts:
Supposing we are in a theatre, and a puppet show is on. What verb should be used to describe the movement by which that person on stage moves the puppet?

Here's what I am thinking of:


texts: What do we call these two parts of the s-curve?

texts:
I'm translating a text where a 4-parameter dose-response log curve is fitted to experimentally obtained data. The text says:

  The obtained dose-response curve (S-shaped) should contain points on the upper and lower plateaus and at least 4 points in the linear region and bending regions.

As I understand, there should be data points at the very top and the very bottom of the curve, and 4 data points belonging to the range that includes the "linear region" (where the curve goes at a slant linearly) and the two "bends".

Do they call them "bending regions", "bends" or "inflecting regions", "inflections" or something else?


texts: Where is the subject of the question ""How many people are in your family?"?

texts:
What is the subject of the question?

"How many people are in your family?"

What is the rule this question was formed with?
I mean, as I know, usually, to form a question with verb to be we have such a structure:

Wh + To be (auxiliary) + subject + object ?

I assume that subject in the question is "family"?

But what is the "people" then?

I am sure that the question is grammatically correct but just curious which rule does this question follow? Wanna find info on the internet to read about it, but dunno what to google. Is it a subject question? Thanks in advance.


texts: The word "stuff": possible combinations of words

texts:
Good/great/lovely stuff!

These are collocations used for praising something. Can the combination of words "nice stuff" be used along with them?


texts:
I've been learning grammar for quite a while now, but I still come across some "grey areas" where I don't quite get the difference in meaning.
Let's say my friend wants to lose some weight
I can tell him:

You should stop eating that much
You have to stop eating that much

As I understand it, both options are natural in this context, but 1 means that I think it might be a good idea and useful for my friend to stop eating that much, but it's not the only way to go and there are other options to lose weight, however, this one is the best of the options.
and number 2 means (as I understand it) that in my opinion, him stopping eating that much is the only way for him to lose weight, all other ways don't seem effective or appropriate to me.
Do you think I correctly understand the difference in meaning?


texts: By the time Julia Roberts was 23, she had won two academy award nominations, she had also become the world's most popular female actress.


texts: A word/phrase/idiom for 'going & coming back'

texts:
In my mother tongue, there is a word that describes the entire event of...

  your going to one place and coming back.

The beauty of this word is it is very useful as in one word, you describe the entire thing and with a bit of negation!

Let's build an example:

  I want to have a driving license (InE) ~ Oh, that's not an easy task with local RTO (Regional Transport Office). You'll have minimum [the word in my mother tongue].

If I say, you'll have to visit the RTO thrice, it works but then the word 'visit' has no negation in it.

Few more examples:

  Did you go to her place? ~ Yes, I did/had three [the word in my mother tongue] (i.e. comings and goings), but she did not seem to be interested in the project.

The closest word that comes to my mind is the word 'visit'.

I'm asking natives; do you use 'visits' for the following example?

  My 'visit' to the place was a waste  You'll have to have several 'visits' to get the work done  I wasted my time for the 'failed visits' I made.

Or there is another word/phrase/idiom to pass a clear message? Please mind the negation.

Note: I know the use of 'have been' for the places but that's not I'm looking for. Typically, the word I'm searching for is a 'noun' as in my second-last example.


texts: "One buttock-playing"; A musical terminology by Benjamin Zander, How should I translate into a non porn phrase?

texts: I found the phrase "one-buttock playing" in the transcript of Benjamin Zander: The Transformative power of classical music on TED talk (min 11:26) http://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion/transcript?language=en. To translate "one-buttock playing into my native language will produce an impolite phrase. How should I do? I haven't found any musical term related to that phrase.


texts:
what does " layers of clothing" mean in the text below?

  Make sure you have everything you need for test day laid out in advance so you avoid last-minute stress-this includes your ID, a snack, your test ticket, and layers of clothing in case the test room temperature is hot or cold.


texts: What is the correct replacement for a 'band' of snakes?


texts:
In the short story "In the Eye of the Beholder" by Jeffrey Archer there's a sentence that goes:

  By the time Gian Lorenzo had began his apprenticeship, Paolo had been appointed captain of Roma.

Why is the phrase 'had began' correct in this sentence and exactly how is the phrase different from 'had begun'?


texts: How to translate "highly swept" when used for an aircraft

texts:
The following paragraph discusses RQ-180 aircraft. What is the meaning of highly swept that has been used as an adjective for body?

  The aircraft uses a version of
  Northrop’s stealthy “cranked-kite” de-
  sign, as does the X-47B, with a highly
  swept centerbody and long, slender
  outer wings. Northrop Grumman en-
  gineers publicly claimed (before the
  launch of the classified program) that
  the cranked-kite is scalable and adapt-
  able, in contrast to the B-2’s shape, which
  has an unbroken leading edge. The RQ-
  180’s centerbody length and volume can
  be greater relative to the vehicle’s size.

I don't understand what sweep means in aircraft wing context. Another example follows:

  Maintaining a
  high degree of laminar flow on a swept
  wing is an achievement in itself, because
  spanwise air flow tends to induce turbulence and is not made any easier by possible spillage from overwing inlets.

Having looked up the entry "sweep", I don't seem to understand what it means with wing.


texts: What is difference between "loosen" and "unscrew" for lid/cap?

texts: For example, could you help me "loosen" or "unscrew" this lid/cap? Which one is correct and more common?


texts:
What are you laughing at?!

What are you laughing about?!

I can see that both are natural. Is there any difference between when you would use which or are they completely interchangeable? And if they are completely interchangeable, which one is more natural? The one with "at"?


texts: "I want to just say..." vs "I just want to say..."

texts:
What's the difference? Are they really different, with a nuance, or is it just a matter of preference? Does one point to your level of fluency more than the other?

Made up examples.

"I just want to say that for all the experience she claims she's had, she is not all that competent."
"I want to just say that for all..."

Would the position of just set the tone for what the speaker is about to say? In "I just want to say..." the speaker might be about to make a comment directed at another comment made earlier or someone and perhaps oppose it or critique it . In "I want to just say..." on the other hand, the speaker may be wanting to add a piece of information, which would keep the tone more neutral.


texts: What does "so long in the fleece" mean here?

texts:
Latterly, Wykys had grown tired, let the business slide. He was still
  sending broadcloth to the north German market, when – in his opinion,
  with wool so long in the fleece these days, and good broadcloth hard
  to weave – he ought to be getting into kerseys, lighter cloth like
  that, exporting through Antwerp to Italy.

(Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel)

What does "so long in the fleece" mean?


texts:
It seems difficult to pronounce the th sound from "the" after the s sound from "that's"

So my question is: Is it ok to omit the s sound? (see below)

  "That the thing"


texts:
The first option tends to follow the classic addiction model, insofar as [in that?] the foods that are known to trigger the most intense cravings are eliminated indefinitely. [National Post]

  The depiction of sex in the show is arguably one of its distinctive aspects, and cheesy only insofar as sex is fundamentally absurd. [The Atlantic]

I can't understand these sentences. I've read dictionary, it says "insofar as" means "to the extent that", then I replace "insofar as" with "to the extent that" in my mind but I still can't understand. Could someone put this sentence in another way?

Can 'insofar as' be replaced with 'to the extent that'? And what is the difference between 'insofar as', 'as far as' and 'so far as'? I'm so confused.


texts:
I would like to know what a priori means in the following sentence:

  In SLAM both the trajectory of the platform and the location of all landmarks are estimated on-line without the need for any a priori knowledge of location.

Does it mean "previous"?


texts:
I want to indicate the following goals by using gerunds. Grammarly indicates that the first gerund (Finding) is ok but the second one "Sharing" is incorrect.
My end goals are:

Finding reliable sources of food to use in the dry season in Nubien and exploring the possible effects on its economy due to climate change.

Sharing the findings in my thesis with the authorities of Nubien so that they can have accurate information to regulate the use of resources among the economic sectors.


texts:
For example, if someone's heart is shot with a gun, I can say

Someone is shot with a gun.

Then, if someone is shot with a gun, and there are people consisting of the person who is shot with a gun, can I roughly say

They are shot with a gun.

?
'They' indicates the people.


texts:
I want to know if the following sentence makes sense.

  In the room is cool.


texts: How to indicate someone's spirits are very gentle

texts:
Please imagine an emotional man / woman who's morale is like a child and even sometimes seems to to be a bit sensitive. Which one of the following adjectives can indicate such a message that the man in our question has such nice and delicate spirits:

He has a very..........morale.

  a) gentle
  b) delicate
  c) tender

I hope I could make myself understood. However, this is a direct translation from my language to English. If you got my point, and think that there is a better / more common way to convey the same message, then I would appreciate it if you let me know about it.


texts: exhibit vs. exhibition ( both of them as nouns )

texts:
I know that "exhibit" means "display". Also, "exhibition" means "display" ! One can say:

  It was the best exhibition of talent i've ever seen.

Is it correct to say this one?

  It was the best exhibit of talent i've ever seen.

What's the difference between these two sentences?!
"exhibit" can be a noun itself ! Why make a noun of a noun, like "exhibition"?!
Is there any differences in the usage of "exhibit" as a noun, and "exhibition"?


texts: Your friend is sick? "Get well" vs "Be well"

texts:
If your friend is sick, which would you choose: "Get well" or "Be well"?
And if you use neither of them, what do you personally use?


texts: "What it makes sense for people to accept?"

texts:
Although these writers all deploy much of the social contract idiom, then, at the end of the day their arguments rest on accounts  of  what  it  makes  sense  for  people  to  accept,  not  what anyone accepts in fact.

  Moral Foundation of Politics by Ian Shapiro

I don't understand what author wants to mean by saying "what  it  makes  sense  for  people  to  accept".
I think this means : Their arguments rest on accounts of the sense that acceptance make for people.
Am I right of not?


texts: what's the meaning of - He looks like he's on something

texts:
In the context of him being angry and disoriented, it means he's on some drug, right?

Google didn't help me


texts: Difference between would be and might be

texts:
Could you tell me the difference between these two sentences:

  A: He would be going to railway station.
  B: He might be going to railway station.


texts: What is the verb that better matches up with "achievement"?

texts:
Is it better to say

  Earn an achievement

or

  Obtain an achievement

Which one is correct? Is there another verb that is more suitable for "achievement"?


texts: Are "because of" and "due to" interchangable?

texts:
Since they can both be followed by a noun or noun phrase.

Food prices have increased because of higher oil prices.
Food prices have increased due to higher oil prices.

Is that always the case?


texts: Is it natural to write "You must read the book, as must your brother"?

texts:
You must read the book, as must your brother.

I want to use this sentence to express the following meaning:

Your brother must read the book;
You also must read the book like your brother.

Is it natural?


texts:
I've got this sentence in an email from an internet site where I learn foreign languages. What does it mean?

  Way to go! You are on a 1 day streak!


texts: Which is correct: the master’s dissertation will  be  added  to your curriculum

texts:
I'm unsure about the position of the adverb officially in the following sentence:

  The graduation year is when the master's dissertation will be added to your curriculum.

My gut tells me it's

  The graduation year is when the master's dissertation will officially be added to your curriculum.

but I'm not sure why. I suppose the adverb should be placed after the first auxiliary verb (in case of multiple verbs)?


texts: Can I use 'glutton' for someone playing video games a lot?

texts:
One of the meaning of glutton is "a person with great capacity for enduring or doing something" which is very close to an informal word in my native language which means eater e.g. we say he's a video game/driving/computer eater which means he does these activities a lot and often it implies that he's good at them, too. Can I use glutton to make this concept in English?

  He's a glutton for videogames/driving/computers.

If not, any suggestions? (I did some search online but I frequently came across glutton for punishment that's why I thought it might be wrong to use glutton in this way)

Edit: Let me expand the scope to verbs and expressions. I'm looking for a way to express this concept in a concise and idiomatic fashion.


texts: How to thanks someone for taking time in the past

texts:
I want to send a thank you letter to my boss, is below correct?

  When I look back at the past year sure I will remember, how you have took from your time and effort to my request.


texts: What is the difference between "blatant" and "flagrant"

texts:
I'm English learner in Korea.

In Korean, "blatant" and "flagrant" has no difference.

However, the Word Smart 6th edition told me, don't confuse them.

But I can't get the difference between them.

Can you explain it with some examples?


texts:
Historical enclaves are scattered throughout the island.

  Historical enclaves scatter throughout the island.

I prefer no. 1 as "scatter" means "make sth drop or throw". I think no-one can make enclaves drop or throw. I want to know which is better to use in the sentence,  scatter or are scattered.


texts: This is a bill of the food vs. This is the bill of the food

texts:
This is the bill of the food I ate last night.
This is a bill of the food I ate last night.

According to me, #1 suggests that we are talking about just 1 specific bill. Whereas, I think, but not sure, #2 might suggest that there are other bills of the food and we are talking about one of those bills.
Are my interpretations correct, or I am missing something, does it mean something else?


texts: Is there a specific verb for "going by a vehicle" like in other languages?

texts:
Is there no a specific verb in English for "going by a vehicle" like there is in some languages*? In some languages (especially Russian and Ukrainian, Albanian and Hebrew) there's a word that is specific for those who are going by a vehicle -whether they're the drivers or the passengers or even the car by itself.

For example:

I'm going now on the way.
"Imagine a car going on the way and then it stops gently."

Are "hitchhike", "trek", "swan off" commonly used in that sense?


texts: I have a problem with using the saying "as...as". I have read an example in the dictionary "You're as tall as your father", another is that "He doesn't earn as much as me", and it has another say "He doesn't earn as much as I do". I wonder if the first example can be said "You're as tall as your father is"?


texts:
What does it mean to make note on sth?
For example "to make note on my feelings"
Doese it mean to notice it or to make note of it?
I read this sentence in a presentation about Reiki Energy. The sentence is "make note on any thoughts or feelings that come to mind during your session."


texts: What is the literal meaning of "let the cat out of the bag"?  Why would someone put their cat in a bag? What did the cat ever do to them?


texts: "How much it cost?" or "How much does it cost?"

texts:
I want your help please.
I know that correct question is "How much does it cost?" but I saw many questions like this with different structure like this "How much it cost?"
So, which of these two is correct?
Thank you.


texts: Meaning of “aimed to open thought onto its outside..."

texts:
I was reading an article called Two’s A Crowd in Aeon magazine online, and came across this passage:

  Instead of treating different fields of enquiry as cut off from one another, Deleuze and Guattari tried to show where one discipline seeps into another, challenging the centrality of any one of them. Ultimately, they aimed to open thought onto its outside, pushing against the tendency for theoretical work to close in on itself.

I’m having trouble understanding the part in bold. Specifically, the part that says “to open thought onto its outside pushing against the tendency for theoretical work to close in on itself”is confusing to me. When I looked up the keywords in the dictionary, I saw it means to reverse open the thought pushing against the espoused interpretation by philosophers who favour obscurity over clarity that the theoretical work close in on itself and with it our comprehension of the topic at hand ,sorry for going adrift but that’s it it is the oddity of philosophy for all of us who enjoy reading yet grappling with the language of which we are non natives . but I still am getting confused.

I don’t get the meaning of this text; could anybody explain please?


texts:
The meaning of caveat in Oxford Dictionaries
is "warning or proviso of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations.""

In Etymology Dictionary
"warning, hint of caution," 1550s, Latin, literally "let him beware," 3rd person singular present subjunctive of cavere "to beware, take heed, watch, guard against," from PIE root *keu- "to see, observe, perceive." Legal sense "public warning preventing some action" is from 1650s.

Mid 16th century: from Latin, literally ‘let a person beware’.

There's no literal similarity from its origin,how to understand literally?


texts:
Hello everyone:

I know that the phrase be at my/his/her+ superlative adjective is normally used in a context like this: I am always at my most peaceful when I am with her. But I was wondering if I could use it in a context like this: I was at my most relaxed when a violent knock on the door shattered my peace.

Thanks


texts: Can we change past simple in past perfect in this case?

texts:
The Blind Baron asked me if I was interested in learning drums and I took him up on his offer. I had always wanted to learn how to play, but the opportunity never presented itself, and I never pursued it.

why it is past simple for presented and pursued? Why it is  not past perfect because this happens before he has learnt and joined the Blind Baron.

I had always wanted to learn how to play, but the opportunity  had never presented itself, and I had never pursued it until the Baron asked me...


texts: English Definite Article "the" with "Same"

texts:
I know we often use the English article "the" before nouns. But I have noticed this is not always true.

According to the Oxford dictionary, "Same" is used as Adjective, Pronoun, and Adverb.

Oxford Dictionary Link: https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/same

As Adjective:
All examples in the Oxford dictionary use "the" before nouns when "same" is used as an adjective. A few examples from the dictionary are below.

  Examples:
  1. She was saying the same thing over and over.
  2. I'm the same age as you are.
  3. He's worked at the same place for quite a few years.
  4. They drank out of the same glass.

Question 1:
So, can I say this is universally true? Whenever "same" is used as an adjective, "the" is placed before it.

As Pronoun and Adverb:
When it is used as a pronoun or adverb, in some examples "the" is placed before it but in some, not.

A few examples from the dictionary are below when used as a pronoun.

  Examples:
  1. I'll resign and encourage everyone else to do the same.
  2. there are several brands and they're not all the same.
  3. All age groups are welcome to participate and sponsorship of same would be very welcome.
  4. It turns out that the head of same is a prominent member of the Australian Kurdish community.

A few examples from the dictionary are below when used as an Adverb.

  Examples:
  1. treating women the same as men
  2. he gave me five dollars, same as usual.

Question 2:
As from the above examples, when "same" is used as a pronoun or adverb, in some cases, "the" is placed and in some, not. Can someone explain to me this?

I have also visited this StackExchange link, but it does not answer my question Does the adjective 'same' ALWAYS have the definite article 'the'?