texts:
Could you explain to me which structure was used in this sentence in the following passage.

  I developed into a very different person than I would have done had I stayed in Australia...

Should it be written also like :

  I developed into a very different person than I would have done if I had stayed in Australia...


texts: Which type of sentence is this(Simple, Compound and Complex)

texts:
I am a noob and started to learn English. I studied all types of sentences and this sentence surprises me.

  Your birthday, the most exciting moment of your life, needs to be
  celebrated with all of your friends.

Please provide some more examples.

Anyone, please give an idea?


texts: "Did you see (have you seen) what they did to our city (have/had done to our city)?": sequence of tenses

texts:
I've got five similar sentences that I'd like you guys to check. Below each one I'll write my take on the meaning. Please, tell me if they all are correct and if my understanding of them is correct as well.

  Did you see what they did to our city?

The most basic question, this one is 100% correct and neutral.

  Did you see what they had done to our city?

This is the question I'd pose when someone would return from "our" city to the place we currently live in. It refers solely to the past experience.

  Did you see what they have done to our city?

This is the one that's bugging me. I'm not entirely sure if I can use the present perfect after the past simple without violating the sentence consistency. In terms of the meaning this inquiry focuses on learning whether the subject saw what has been done to "our" city. It's more emotional, as I emphasize the changes that occured to that place. But so does:

  Have you seen what they have done to our city?

So is there any difference between this one and the previous one?

  Have you seen what they did to our city?

And the last one conveys the intention of learning whether the subject of the question saw and was shocked/startled because of the changes in "our" city. The question concentrates mainly on the effect the experience of seeing this place had on the person.

Now, is everything what I said correct and on point? I'd appreciate it if you could also point any grammar mistakes you managed to find - should any appear of course.


texts: "There is" or "There are" when detailing things together: a theater, a cafe, and a shop?

texts:
Which one of the following is grammatically correct?

  a) There is a theater, a cafe, and a shop near the park center.

  b) There are a theater, a cafe, and a shop near the park center.


texts: How to ask a person how long he has been working in an office?

texts:
Context : Let say, I have just joined to a company and I want to ask my new friend how long he has been working here.

Using Present perfect:

  How long have you worked here ?

Or

using Present perfect continuous tense ?

  How long have you been working here ?

According to the image below:

Image credit: http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfectcontinuous.html

So my answer is using present perfect continuous because I think he started in the past and he's still working at that office now. Am I right ?

Please include the reason on your answer as well.


texts: Can you utilize adjectives after objects, nouns?

texts:
I liked you hairy.

Can you construct a sentence that goes subject, verb, object, adjective? Can this be considered a complete sentence?


texts: I wonder if inclusivity would be better than inclusion in this scenario?

texts:
It is said that Amazon would add "inclusion" to their leadership principles:

Just weeks later after Bezos's memo, Amazon employees shared stories of racial and gender discrimination they experienced at work as part of an effort to add "inclusion" to the company's leadership principles

In another article: Moore's Law for Everything by Sam Altman, the same meaning was expressed using "inclusivity":

A stable economic system requires two components: growth and inclusivity.

I wonder if "inclusivity" would be a better fit than "inclusion" for the Amazon case? In my opinion, "inclusivity" is implying more specifically equal opportunities and inclusiveness without discrimination.


texts: It's expected that the rebels will succeed in bringing down a government that is increasingly unpopular

texts:
Violence flared up again today in the troubled southern region when several bombs went off in the centre of the capital. Support for the rebels is growing, and it's expected that the rebels will succeed in bringing down a government that is increasingly unpopular. There are fears that a full-scale civil war may break out.

Is it natural to use the indefinite article in this passage? If so, what would be the rule to back it up?
We've got a clear picture of the region and the capital where the unrest is taking place. We know who the rebels are, and what they stand for (since support for them is picking up). Why a government then?


texts: Meaning of "We can never discount our way to Trillium's prices"

texts:
I read a statement in an old novel which says:

  We can never discount our way to Trillium's prices.

Here, Trillium is a mall and "We" are the people owning a shop.

I really didn't understand its meaning.

Does it mean "We can't reduce our prices to that of Trillium's prices" OR "we can't give a discount which resembles with that of trillium"?


texts: Using of "fit" in meaning of "matched" about couple / partner

texts:
Is it ok to use "fit" in meaning of "matched" about couple / partner?

For example: I think that they fit (=they match).

In addition, in the same topic, is it correct to use these verbs (fit and match) as intransitive verbs? and then I should not add something after the verb, such as: they fit each other etc.


texts: Can I combine present tense with past perfect tense?

texts:
Can I paraphrase (A) into (B)?
If so, what's the difference between (B) and (C)?

*(A) He is said to have invented a lot of novel devices.
(B) It is said that he had invented a lot of novel devices.

(C) It is said that he invented a lot of novel devices.*

Thank you in advance.


texts: Using past or present tense after a verb that is in past tense

texts:
I always get confused with the use of present tense after a verb that is in past tense.
Can someone please critique the following sentences?

I was checking the system, and it showed that she no longer works/worked here. Is this true?

The system indicated that we no longer have any inventory in stock. (Past +present)

The system indicated that she doesn't work here anymore. (Past + present)

Thank you!!


texts:
Can you explain me what's difference between further and far?
I was searching for an answer but I only I only have found farther vs further.


texts:
Can you please let me know which of the following sentences is correct?
1 Because of this reason the Auckland is having greater productivity.
2 Because of this reason Auckland is having greater productivity.


texts: What does 'should' serve in "It is also important that we 'should' say no"?

texts:
It is also important that we should say no to wrong. And if there is something going wrong we must have the confidence to say that this thing is going wrong, and we must raise our voice. (The Telegraph)

Can anybody explain what the grammar under the bolded sentence is?

Observing that the journalst use "also" before important, and not "so", why does s/he use the modal should before say?

I don't know why, but the sentence of which I'm talking about seems more correct if one drops the should and, possibly, the that, no?


texts: What is the meaning of " let me stop you there "?

texts: A good many times I have come across the sentence "Let me stop you there". What does it mean?


texts:
I be quiet.

Is it incorrect?

One of my friends told me that "I be quiet" is an incorrect sentence. I don't know what to say.

Please clear this confusion.

Also, when I looked for this sentence, there was a sentence like.

  You be quiet.

If this is correct, then why is "I be quiet" incorrect? May I know please?


texts:
It is from this video. It is at 6 minute and 52 second.

  And while the financial aid for college is significant, a number of stundents are still unable to make it by without loans.

Actually it is pretty understandable that make it by means to pay for education, but what confused is the use of the preposition by there. What is it for there? Would the sentence mean the same if the presenter left it out?


texts: I AM/WAS the one who was breaking up the fight

texts:
Let's say your boss didn't know the whole story about a fight in your workplace. There was a fight that happened between your 2 co-workers and you broke up the fight. You have successfully stopped it. A few hours after that, your boss, who just clocked in, ignorantly asked you "why did you fight?" Then you annoyingly answered it by:

  Seriously?! I AM the one who was breaking up the fight.

Or

  Seriously?! I WAS the one who was breaking up the fight.

This question pertains to expression-verb tense problem, what is correct?


texts:
I have been watching a stand up comedy show on Netflix of a British comedy named Daniel Sloss.
What does bashed out mean in this context?
I imagine Christmas morning as a parent is very difficult, especially if you've young children.
It's Christmas morning, seven a.m. They bashed out of the rooms, they run downstairs, they're so happy.


texts: What's "This figure falls 19,659" referring to in this context?

texts:
Former Detroit Pistons center Jason Maxiell revealed to a national television audience that he has slept with 341 women before and during his marriage to high school sweetheart Brandi Maxiell. This figure falls 19,659 shy of the number of women NBA legend and lifelong bachelor Wilt Chamberlain claimed to have bedded in his 1991 book “A View From Above,” but that was no consolation to Brandi.

I'm not sure what "This figure falls 19,659" is referring to. It is unbelievable if that figure (19,659) is the times that Jason Maxiell had sex with women, which is still shy of the number of Wilt Chamberlain's.

What's "This figure falls 19,659" referring to exactly?

The full source.


texts: What's the difference between "I do have a pen" and "I have a pen"?

texts:
I see lot of places where we put do,  when I think it is correct without do.

Is there any difference between "I do have a pen" and "I have a pen"?


texts: a joyous and restful three days -- a three days?

texts:
Example:

  After a joyous and restful three days, I left this beautiful city.

Although it still kind of sounds weird to my ears, I know that when a noun, even though in the plural, is used to mean a certain amount or quantity of something, grammatically there should be an indefinite article placed in front of it. But, can you think of a rule that I could utilize to tell whether I actually need one? Because I don't see anything wrong with saying after joyous and restful three days, I left this beautiful city. With that change, does the sentence now sound wrong to you?


texts: "President" or "Chairman" of a (thesis examining) committee?

texts:
I am wondering what is the difference between "President" and "Chairman" of a committee.

As far as I got it, a "president" is a more honorary position when "chairman" is rather executive. Is this correct?What is the most widespead/idiomatic title to name the head of a thesis examining committee? (There is no guideline given by my university in this regard.)


texts:
Is ‘happy darkness’ semantically correct? It means a dark thing is happy, so darkness is happy.
dark shape, dark feeling, dark taste, etc.
I asked this question because I cannot understand ‘hot summer’. How period, that is length, is hot?


texts: Is this did agreed with previous remoteness or independent from it?

texts:
"There, there, get up, child," she said heartily. "Of course I forgive you. I guess I was a little too hard on you, anyway. But I'm such an outspoken person. You just mustn't mind me, that's what. It can't be denied your hair is terrible red; but I knew a girl once—went to school with her, in fact—whose hair was every mite as red as yours when she was young, but when she grew up it darkened to a real handsome auburn. I wouldn't be a mite surprised if yours did, too—not a mite."
–– L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

I’m just wondering if native English speakers really perceive did, remoteness expression, as is said in grammar books. Or is it in the same line with the backshifted tense expressions, that is, they don’t perceive it as a remoteness, but regard the preterite in did is agreed with the previous remote expression, would. Am I thinking wrong? (I'm not so sure for I can recollect expressions not following the agreement.)


texts: What is the meaning of 'don't read too much' here?

texts:
On this blog, both title and the first paragraph say: Don't/shouldn't read too much.

  China's Defence Ministry said today people shouldn't read too much into a state media broadcast of live-fire military and landing drills, just days after a landslide election win by an independence-leaning opposition party in Taiwan.

Now, to my mind, this phrase is not written in literal meaning here, and I could not find it in any dictionary. Is it an idiom? What is the meaning of this phrase in the given context? Is it written to tell people should not bother about it? It's confusing for me.


texts: The way we chose/follow or the path we choose or...?

texts:
"the answer to this question will change depending on...
[1] the way we chose to solve the same issue."
[or-2] the way we follow to solve the same issue."
[or-3] the path we choose to solve the same issue (tense
issue...)"

Which one of these options (in italic) fits the context best? Notice that I need to keep "we" to show a personal approach.
More context about "the issue": if you believe this you will try to resolve the problem like this, but if you believe that you will try to solve the same problem in a completely different way. (That's why I need to keep "the same" to emphasize that point).
The sentence I'm looking for will repeat this one, but in a slightly different way:

Depending on the way we view the situation, we will offer
radically different approaches to this problem.*
(So you could see why I need the "we").

The sentence I'm looking for should start like "the answer to this question will change depending on..."


texts: I could not understand "to look for with reason or justification" in the definition of "expect"

texts:
I got some text that I can not understand when I checked the meaning of "expect" from the dictionary.

From Dictionary.com:

  to look for with reason or justification:
    We expect obedience.

I suppose "look for" means "search for" here, but I can't guess out the means of "with" here.

I found some common words, like as, to, with, in or by, are very hard to understand due to too many meanings they have.


texts: How should I say about time figuratively returning time?

texts:
I have and idea which I can't turn into a simple phrase that would efficiently transfer it. The idea is that, for each hour you (spend, or bill) today, you have to both pay yourself in the past (literally, back pay for your education or experience) and in future (cover risks). The sentence is

  One hour today should return you one hour from a year back in the past and back one hour in future.

How can this phrase be improved, made more concise, clear, and more appropriate to modern language?


texts: "Feel independence" or "Feel independent"?

texts:
Consider these sentences:

  Since I started working at the company, I feel much more independent.
  Since I started working at the company, I feel much more independence.

Which one is the most idiomatic one? I just checked the Google and it seems that feel much more independent is much more common. Why it's wrong to use the noun?


texts:
I want to say

  I'm worrying about something

Which one should I use，either “concern of something” or “concern about something”？

Thanks for your answering.


texts: I need some good expressions for someone who has just been back from a cemetery

texts:
It was almost two years ago where I first met Bob (nickname). Bob was my  new classmate. He looked very sad and I tried to ask him what had happened. He told me that someone in his family passed away.
so, I said "I am very sorry to hear that".
He is a good man, becasue he often goes to the cemetery to clean the headstone. on the other hand, it often made me helpless and nervous when I met him, because my English is weak. I was afraid of asking him where he had just been, because he would definitely tell me he had just went back from the cemetery.
I want to comfort him, but What could I say to him when he told me he had just been back from the cemetery?
I would probably not say, "oh, Bob, you are a good man.", this would make him think I as an ironic speaker.

Can you help me?


texts: Inspite of failing or Inspite of being failed

texts:
Which one of the followings is correct?

  i) Inspite of failing in her examination, Anita was not upset.

  ii) Inspite of being failed in her examination, Anita was not upset.


texts: How to understand the usage of 'one' in "out of the company of one Hermione Granger"

texts:
Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school.

It seems to me that "out of the company of Hermione Granger" is fine. I'm not sure what 'one' is doing there. Any thought?


texts:
My friend said,
"I would do it if I get the chance."
But what will be the difference if I use 'will' in place of 'would' in the above sentence?


texts: A verb for 'gentle slow-motion wriggling'

texts:
I look for a verb that conveys gentle slow-motion wriggling.

For example, the octopus tentacle ... further into the sand.

According to the classical dictionaries OEL, OALD, CALD, etc. wriggling conveys
with short writhing motions like a worm. I'm looking for a word that does not insinuate writhing.

NOTE
Words like to drill, to bore, etc. do not fit here, because of the context of the sentence. My real sentence is different but the octopus tentacle conveys the idea of the movement.

My sentence is about a tangible sensation that permeates the body slowly over time, and that sensation has a clear physicalness, it's not an imagination. However, it can't be measured although the effect of it worming through the body should be measurable. (Somewhat similar to measuring the Higgs boson.


texts:
I was little confused to use this preposition, in/on/ at in the sentences :

  1) I carry my son at my back or I carry my son on my back.
  2) I carry my son in the front or I carry my son at the front.

Which one is correct preposition to use?


texts:
I was reading this post on Stack Overflow Meta. It's a list of so-called "meme"s, which is interesting to read. However, I cannot understand what does the "cultural height" part in the answers mean. Here is an example:

  Meme: Jon Skeet

  Originator: Jon Skeet

  Cultural Height: Every Day. Ever.

  Background: Jon Skeet is an avid user of Stack Overflow, whose many
  answers (primarily in c# and .net) have earned him hundreds of
  thousands of reputation points. This makes him the top-ranked SO user.

  Related: Jon Skeet Facts.

I've tried searching online, but e-dictionaries told me "cultural height" means "height of culture", which doesn't make sense.


texts: What type of grammatical construction is "Look at the mess you're in"?

texts:
There is the sentence such as

  "Look at the mess you're in".

What is it mean? And could you write me some more examples? So maybe I'll understand the grammatical constructions better.


texts:
"THC has a quite precise modus operandi that taps into a specific brain function"

In the above example (link), quite is used before the adjective precise

But this OLD link says,

  When quite is used with an adjective before a noun, it comes before a or an. You can say: It’s quite a small house or Their house is quite small but not - It’s a quite small house.

So I'm quite confused here whether to use quite before a or after it. Which one of the following example is correct?

  "THC has a quite precise modus operandi that taps into a specific brain function"

Or

  "THC has quite a precise modus operandi that taps into a specific brain function"

And also please explain the grammar rule behind it.

Thanks


texts: Can anybody explain "rebuilding cycle" for me, please?

texts:
Does this sentence mean "U.S. banks seem to be clearly ending with the eight-year crisis cycle or ending with rebuilding cycle" OR "U.S. banks seem to be clearly ending with the eight-year crisis cycle or U.S. banks seem to be clearly rebuilding cycle"?

"When we look at the general landscape, I would say U.S. banks seem to be clearly ending with the eight-year crisis cycle or rebuilding cycle. We've seen signs that U.S. banks are truly turning the page," David Benamou, managing partner at Axiom Alternative Investments, told CNBC on Tuesday.

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/18/us-banks-are-now-truly-turning-the-page-asset-manager-says.html


texts:
Which one is correct?

  Short questions are welcome in chat, like if you want to ask about a sentence.

or

  Short questions are welcome in the chat, like if you want to ask about a sentence.

Context: Someone asks for proofreading in the chat room. After that, one other person explains that which types of questions are welcomed over there. I quoted their explanation without any change in #1. The sentence #2 was constructed by me.


texts:
I was in chemistry class when this question struck me, which sentence is more accurate?

A decrease in the mass of a reactant.

or

A decrease of the mass of a reactant.


texts: How to put all the information into one sentence?

texts:
we have conducted half-month fieldwork twice in 2018 and 2019,
  respectively.

  we have conducted two times of half-month fieldwork in 2018 and
  2019, respectively.

I want to descript our fieldwork conducted in 2018 and 2019. A total of two times; each time the fieldwork lasted half a month. How to put all the information into one sentence.


texts: What is the difference of "such as its" and "such was its"

texts:
I only heard of "such as its", but not "such was its".

What is the meaning of such was its below?

  A horse like this had never been seen before — such was its
  splendor, its majesty, its strength


texts: Sentence in simple present tense in a past tense aticle

texts:
New york time - Mirgants ...

  The unrest in Tijuana comes amid broader discussions about how to
  deal with the growing number of migrants fleeing poverty and violence
  in Central America who are amassed at crossing points in Tijuana and
  elsewhere along the border.

The main tense in this article is past.

  veered, fired ...

Why did this sentence come out as simple present tense?


texts:
Can you please help me understand what the meaning of the highlighted sentence mean? It is part of a travel diary. I am leaving the whole paragraph here so that you can get the big picture.

  Altered course so I would get as far upwind from the squall as I could. But bashing into 25 knots makes it 30 knots so I had a pretty wild ride for about an hour. At its closest point I had lightening about a mile away while going through a squall. At 3-something this morning I was able to get back on course and go back to sleep. Over the night I passed about ten ships.


texts:
I happened upon an old news footage in which Howard K. Smith said,

  [C]ivilized people are going to have to accept much more police security action and put up much tougher resistance, Israeli-like, until the fashion dies out or is discredited by defeat.

But I recall that the suffix -like should be attached to nouns to form such words as pealike and ladylike, as confirmed by the ODO.

  (added to nouns) similar to; characteristic of.

So is the correct usage Israeli-like or Israel-like?


texts: Is this true, If I say "They're having a dance." instead of "They're dancing."?


texts:
As you can see in this link, Cambridge Dictionary has mentioned that we can use both prepositions "on" and "with" after the phrasal verb "get by", but I am not quite confident whether I can substitute these two prepositions here. For instance, I was wondering whether we can use "on" instead of "with" and vice versa in the following examples without any change in meaning:

  1- We can get by with four computers at the moment, but we'll need a couple more when the new staff arrive.

  2- I don't earn a huge salary, but I get by on it .


texts: Past Tense using Time expression with Have and Had

texts:
Which one is correct statement?

Last year also I have not received any increment, or
Last year also I had not received any increment

Both statements are suggesting that one has not received any increment last year.
Correct me if I am wrong.

My questions are:

Which sentence is correct?
Is the time expression "Last Year" correct to use in the sentences?
"Had" is used to suggest past of Past. But the second sentence does not suggest that what has happen after he had not received increment?

E.g. 2013__I have not received increment___2014 (Till the time)______________
     2013__I had not received increment___(Second Past?)___2014 (Till the time)_________


texts: ...crisis where you'll freak out... -> why Where?

texts:
You'll certainly have some kind of crisis where you'll freak out about how important something is to you.

Can I replace Where with That or Which? If not, why I couldn't?


texts:
I've been studying English for several years now and recently I've started to follow a Facebook group in which there are mostly people from the US. Beside the fact that they use so many acronyms (some of them are quite difficult for me to understand, as we don't use them so much in Italian!),I've found some very curious grammar forms that I've never seen before and even Google couldn't help me.
A woman wrote "So we weren't gone on holiday." It is correct?


texts: 'make of someone', 'demanded of someone' cause difficulties

texts:
Could you explain logical conjectures for preposition 'of' in highlighted words.
Why not 'make with Calvin' and  'demanded her mother'? I would like to here not just translations, but explanations to apply (of) it in other cases.

  But Meg was still not satisfied. And what do you make of Calvin? she
  demanded of her mother

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle


texts: How do we tell our currently running year of age?

texts:
I'm wondering how to tell other people that I have completed 20 years of my life and I'm about to turn 21 in a few months.
My guesses are:

◆ My 21st year is currently running.

◆My 21st year is going on.

◆ I am running 21st year.

◆ I'm pursuing the 21st year.

I know these sentences sound awkward. I just want to know how native speakers say this in conversations.


texts: What does “get to （be）” mean in these sentences?

texts:
When you get to be 89, you get to say what you want.

（https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2z6XQm25P8，8：28）

What does "get to be 89","get to say" mean in the above context?
I guess it means "become", but I am not sure. and I need some simple examples in plain English of using "get to ".

thank you.


texts: Why "fiber optic[s]" and not "optic fiber"?

texts:
The preferred term to talk about those fast network cables (which are called "fibre optique", literally optic[al] fiber, in French) seems to be "fiber optic[s]".

Grammatically there are two ways I can understand it:

fiber optic: an optic that's made of fiber
fiber optics: the optical characteristics of fiber

None seems to match the meaning I feel it's trying to convey, i.e. a fiber-y material that can transport optical information (i.e. light).

If I were to follow the standard adjective-before-name order we find in English, I'd get something resembling "optical fiber" or "optic fiber".

Why is it like that? Is it a special case or are there other words "made" like this?


texts:
Is there a single adjective to describe a person who can sit for a long time doing homework, reading or working?

For example, "Jane is so ... . She can sit at her desk for hours without getting tired of sitting."


texts: Can I reduce "couldn't find anything" to "nothing" in this sentence?

texts:
Can I write

  I checked it, but nothing

instead of

  I checked it but couldn't find anything

?


texts: Nothing vs. none (How much did you pay?)

texts:
I'd like to know why the answer to "How much did you pay?" is "nothing," rather than "none."
As far as I can tell, the answer to how much/how many should normally be "none," as in:

A: How much water did you give the plants?
B: None, I haven't got around to it yet.

I suspect the reason it should be "How much did you pay?" -> "Nothing." is that if you have a "how much" question with no direct object, the answer should be "nothing," but I'm not sure whether that is correct or not.


texts: participial phrase into subordinate clause

texts:
Longer life spans mean more people, worsening food and housing supply difficulties.

In the sentence above, how can I change the participial phrase ("worsening food and housing supply difficulties") into a subordinate clause?

For example, will "as it worsens food and housing supply difficulties" make sense?


texts: how can say with one word or shortly that three meal service of day

texts: how can describe with one word or shortly that three meal service of day in the a rest menu. Breakfast+lunch+dinner= what would be described


texts:
When pronouncing words like "thing", "sing", or any word ending in -ing, I say it and have heard it as "eeng", which would be transcribed as /iŋ/. However, every dictionary I've come across, like Webster's, Oxford, and toPhonetics (I know, not actually a dictionary), transcribe it as /ɪŋ/. I don't think I've ever heard -ing pronounced as "ihng" ('ih' indicates a short vowel as in it), but maybe I'm not listening closely enough.
Is there an explanation as to why it's /ɪŋ/?


texts: "Seven high" but "Eight high", another meaning?

texts:
Reading this article, there is a line saying,

The gun lobby, led by the National Rifle Association, has for years systematically blocked plans to modernize the agency’s paper-based weapons-tracing system with a searchable database. As a result, records of gun sales going back decades are stored in boxes stacked seven high, waiting to be processed, against every wall.

When you look at the picture of the boxes of the records stacked against the wall, it is eight-high.

Is this kind of a metaphor how tall they(the paper of records of gun purchases) are against the wall? Or is there another meaning?
(Googling by "seven high meaning" didn't produce anything).


texts:
Why is this incorrect?

  If it is rain tomorrow, we won't go to the park.

and why should it be this?

  If it rains tomorrow, we won't go to the park.

[edit]Now I added 'Why' in hope it's understood as needing help.
Well, I didn't know the sentence is so obviously incorrect, and I still don't understand why. Please help me.


texts:
When you say "teams in excess of" or else "teams/crews up to", do you mean the number of teams included or totality of people involved?

I have seen different use of the expression which made it confusing for me.

Lets say one supervises 5 teams which amounts to total 200 people. What is the best form of using these phrases in this context?

Is the word "teams" here corresponds to people involved or number of teams


texts: The meaning of "one would notice no inequality."

texts:
Mrs. Brown was never so violent and could not have been so, but if any
  half-dozen of lady Wentworth's sonnets were to be mixed with the same
  number of Mrs. Browning's , or with those of any woman who ever wrote
  in English, one would notice no inequality.

What is the meaning of "one would notice no inequality."
Does it mean the equality of their sonnets?

I am glad of some one would kindly teach me,


texts:
When we enquire someone about one's qualifications and hobbies. Are the following questions correct and if so, can you please give justification.

What are your qualifications?

or

What is your qualifications?

Please also clarify how to inquire about hobbies


texts:
Is it correct to ask someone that

May I have a contact number of Jimmy's dad who fell down in the party last night. or May I have a contact number of Jimmy's dad who felt/fall down in the party last night


texts:
He is as clever if not cleverer than his brother.
Ranjeet is as fast as or perhaps faster than Rohit.

Are both these sentences correct?
As per Wren And Martin High School English Grammar And Composition (BY N.D.V. PRASADA RAO S. CHAND) The first sentence is better like this:

He is as clever as his brother, if not cleverer.

Or like this:

He is as clever as, if not cleverer than, his brother.

(Chapter No-22 Conjunction.Page 255, example: This is as good as that, if not better.)
Now in second sentence conjunction OR has been used so can I use the punctuation comma here too? If I can, then how can the 2nd sentence be right?


texts:
Can you help me with these?

Which of them are correct or sound more natural?
How far into the sentence does the reported speech go- I feel like if I transform everything it changes the meaning and the time reference- past instead of the present.

I miss you.

I'd lie if I said I didn't miss you
I'd lie if I said I don't miss you.

He's not performing up to par.

I'd lie if I said he was performing up to par.
I'd lie if I said he is performing up to par.

What if I want it to mean this:

He's been performing up to par. (Some backshifting should take place, right?)

1.I'd lie if I said he'd been performing up to par. (turning present perfect in past perfect)

I'd lie if I said he's been performing up to par.

How about backshifting and tense agreement in general?

For instance:

"What are you gonna do tough guy?" "I was thinking of slapping you around till you cried/ till you cry."


texts: I want to ask someone why on earth he moved from A (a city with high standards of living) to B (a disastrous one), because it's unreasonable and I'm nosy, through a polite idiom. Is there anything for this purpose??


texts:
I made up some sentences. Are they correct and what is idiomatic?

I have been in this country awhile.
I have been in this country since not long ago.
I have been in this country for a not long time.
I have been in this country for not a long time.


texts:
This short extract is from the essay Political Ideals by Bertrand Russell:

  In dark days, men need a clear faith and a well-grounded hope; and as the outcome of these, the calm courage which takes no account of hardships by the way.

What does 'by the way' mean here?

incidentally
along the way


texts:
After 'as', what form of word should come? A noun, an adjective, an adverb or simple past form of verb?

  as require

or

  as required


texts: How to ask the hair stylist to cut off your hairs less or more on some parts of your head

texts:
How would you ask the hair stylist to cut your hairs some more or some less on some parts of your head? Do the following sentences work:

  Cut less hair off this area.
  Cut more hair off this area.

If they don't sound natural, then please let me know how can I ask them such a thing?


texts: TO more accurately detect and TO more efficiently solve a person's problem

texts:
I'm wondering if we have two adverbs in English in the basic case below:

Knowing a patient's medical history enables a health provider

to detect a patient's medical problems more accurately
to solve a patient's medical problems more efficiently

In this case if I want to put point 1. and 2. in one sentence, is it relevant for me to put it:

I> Knowing a patient's medical history enables a health provider TO more accurately detect and more efficiently solve a patient's medical problems.

or II> Knowing a patient's medical history enables a health provider TO more accurately detect and TO more efficiently solve a patient's medical problems.


texts:
The non-Finnish degree granting eligibility to apply must be equivalent of 180 ECTS credits or more.

Is "The non-Finnish degree granting eligibility to apply"  the same as
"The non-Finnish degree that/which grants eligibility to apply"?
Does it mean that in order to apply, the degree must consist of 180 credits or more?

  The degree from a foreign university must in the awarding country give eligibility for corresponding Master’s level studies.

The structure of the bolded part of the sentence seems rather complicated to me, especially "give eligibility for".

I guess it means "the university giving you the degree have prepared you for your master's level studies(are able to study master level courses)"?   But I don't think that makes sense.


texts: People often say "i'm going on a date" but what about if I just wanna say "I'm in/on a date" which preposition should I use?


texts: The business of making banners, posters, flyers, etc

texts: There's this company making banners, flyers, handouts, and billboard posters down the street where I live. What are such companies called in English? I can say this has something to do with advertising but I'm not sure how the business must be addressed.


texts:
A leap year falls once every four years.

  A leap year falls once every fourth year.

Which one is more common? Are there different meanings between these two sentences?


texts:
Can we use the must have with 'I guess' for the past actions?

Example:  I guess you must have watched that video twice.

Is 'I guess' valid here or should we replace it with 'I believe'?.


texts:
The sentence "She didn't even know who Pirandello was" is in reported speech but my student asked why "was" goes at the end of the sentence.
Many thanks.


texts: How to understand “take place" in the following sentence?

texts:
How to understand the meaning of "place" in  "take place" and "take the place of" ?

Why does "take place" use "place" not "the place " and “take the place of”  use "the place" ? What's the difference between "place" and "the place" ?


texts: Why "at the moment" and "currently" are present continuous and present perfect?

texts:
I teach English. Recently, as I was getting prepared for one of my classes, I came across an exercise in a coursebook that was pretty confusing.

The exercise gives students a list of time expressions (like: now, nowadays, this year, now, usually, etc.). The students must decide which of the given time expressions should be used with the present simple or with the present continues or with the both. The exercise seems to be pretty easy, but some of the answers that I found in the  teachers book key got me confused and I can`t wrap my head around them.

So the key in the teacher`s book says:

currently - Present Continuous and Present Simple

at the moment - Present Continuous and Present Simple

It kind of contradicts everything I`ve learned about the present simple.
How can "at the moment" and "currently" be used with this tense, as they express the idea of something temporary?

EDIT

I`m afraid most of the examples that you gave have no explanation attached to them, or completely miss the point of my question.

Let`s start from these:

  He needs your help at the moment.

As we all know, the verb "need" cannot be used in the continuous form as it belongs to "non-progressive" group of verbs. It's simply a verb that doesn't take continuous form, even when used in the "present continuous" context.

  Adam currently lives in London.

Ok, this example looks interesting, but no explanation is given to what exactly "currently" means here. Usually "currently" is typically used with the present continuous as it suggests an ongoing action or process (i.e. "I`m currently working on this very interesting project) Please, tell me why currently is used with a sentence describing a permanent state.

  I don't have any money at the moment.

-The verb "to have" when used in meaning "to possess", doesn't change its form to progressive, even when used in the present continues tense context.
So, this sentence doesn't really touch my point, as it presents a very typical, continuous context.

  I currently work in a computer company.

Again, why use "currently" if the sentence refers to a general state.

Please, when giving further examples, don't use "non-progressive" verbs, or special verbs like have/be as they don't take continuous form.


texts:
Which form is correct and why?

I am used to work independently.
I am used to work independent.
I am used to working independently.
I am used to work independent.

Regards
Martin


texts: How to ask someone (e.g. my kid) idiomatically to "hurry up" when he/she is dilatory?

texts:
When, for example, your kid is dilatory and we are running out of time, how to express "hurry up"?

I'm not asking how to educate kids, that is another story. I wonder how do Americans or British people say in this scenario.

I may say it as per the grammar:

"Hurry up, John, you've been having this meal for 30 minutes. Don't
talk anymore and don't play the toys".
"Be quick, Mary, we are late,
don't play with Max anymore, just say goodbye to him, we are leaving
now".

I wonder how do Americans or British people say in such scenario.

And do you (Americans or British people) have any other words to say to speed up your kids?


texts: How to combine "Select an apple for Mary" and "Select an apple for John"?

texts:
Here are several possible sentences I currently can figure out.

Select an apple for Mary and John respectively.
Select two apples for Mary and John respectively.
Select each apple for Mary and John.
Select an apple for each Mary and John.

For 1, it sounds correct. But as we overall have to select two apples so I have some questions when I see "an apple" in the sentence.

For 2, it is just a counterpart of 1.

For 3, it sounds weird and should be wrong.

For 4, we usually say "for each people". I don't know if this construction is right and if this sentence conveys my meaning.

Follow-up question

According to @Steve Ives,

  Select an apple and a pear for Mary and John respectively.

  which means select an apple for Mary and a pear for John.

The above interpretation should be correct. I often construct sentence in this way. If this is correct, then one could infer the following sentence can convey the meaning; although it is odd.

  Select an apple and an apple for Mary and John respectively.

which should be equivalent to,

  Select two apples for Mary and John respectively.

This contradicts to what @user3169 said. So which one is correct? I am confused.


texts: How to correctly say "I attach great importance to documenting my code."

texts:
A friend explained me that the sentence `I attach great importance to documenting my work." sounds french. I can I better say so?

The context is a cover letter in which I would like to express some strengths I have in my field of expertise.


texts: the possessive s to make up an ownership of something?

texts:
Here is the situation:

The students of each subject have to make sure they have done their homework and bring their homework back to school.
The tutor of each subject will correct the homework for their students.

Given that context, what is the difference between these three:

  My school's homework tutor vs my school homework's tutor vs my school homework tutor (without s)

School is an attributive, school homework is also an attributive.

I have read some of the similar questions on ELL, but I can not solve the above  question.


texts:
When the professionalism of the marketing increases, customers will
feel that (or like) the product is greater.

I need to say this sentence in a more native way. After reading about "the more ... the more" role, I feel like it could be better than the previous sentence. But I still don't know how to construct it.

The more professional your marketing is, the greater your product is.

But I actually didn't mean that the product will be greater. The product is the same. It is just a feeling of the customer but I don't know how to add it to the sentence. Here are my trials and let me know which one is correct please.

The more professional your marketing is, the greater your product they feel.

The more professional your marketing is, they feel the greater your product is.

The more professional your marketing is, the more they feel great about your product.

The more professional your marketing is, the greater they feel about your product.

We don't have to use "the more" role. So, please feel welcomed if you have any other suggestions.


texts: What is the difference between "jarring" and "grating" when we refer to sounds?

texts:
Definition of jarring

  incongruous in a striking or shocking way; clashing:the telephone struck a jarring note in those Renaissance surroundings

grating

  sounding harsh and unpleasant:her high, grating voice


texts: What is the meaning of "let freedom ring"?

texts:
I have found this phrase on New York Times recently. And I couldn't figure out the meaning of let freedom ring. I tried searching the meaning on the dictionary too.

Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.


texts:
All those pipelines you monitored yesterday I need their report in my office today.

Is the above sentence correct? I am concerned about "their" in the second clause, which refers back to the pipelines.


texts:
I am currently a sophomore year student in Computer Science at the university and i want to start writing my CV.

I want to mention in the introduction to my CV that I was once a QA at several Hi-Tech companies and I am debating how to write it in proper English.

  "Prior to study at the academy I worked as a QA at several Hi-Tech companies from 2015-2018"

or

  "Prior to my study at the academy I worked as a QA at several Hi-Tech companies from 2015-2018"

or

  "Prior to studying at the academy I worked as a QA at several Hi-Tech companies from 2015-2018"


texts: The feeling you get when you suddenly go down a very steep surface

texts: You've probably got this feeling while riding a roller coaster, that moment you suddenly fall to the bottom of a curve. It's like your heart and your stomach are being pulled down. I get this every day while going to work on my bike. On my way to work, there is this U-shaped curve in the street. Every time I get down to the bottom of this and then go up, I feel this tickling feeling which kind of makes me gasp for a moment. What's this feeling in English? If there is no particular word for this how do you describe it in English?


texts:
He is the man who I know has helped my son in the final examination.

What should be used here who or whom? why?

I know it's a very common mistake, I have also tried to know the rules, still, i make mistakes in it.
Can you suggest me some tricks to get the answer always spot on?


texts: Which is correct: "The next chapters will be dedicated to conduct case studies." or "The next chapters will be dedicated to conducting case studies."?

texts:
Which is correct?

"The next chapters will be dedicated to conduct case studies."

or

"The next chapters will be dedicated to conducting case studies."

Please also indicate what the general rule is in this sort of cases (i.e., -ing or not -ing).


texts: May I say "The client sent me a letter >asking< to [do something]"?

texts:
Can I say:

  The client sent me a letter asking if we could change the information for them.

or should it be:

  The client sent me a letter and asked if we could change the information for him.

I'm confused with the first one, why past tense can be used with verb+ing?


texts: How do people distinguish "data" refers to traffic and "data" refers to content?

texts:
In Chinese, we call mobile phone data as traffic, and we call the content -- such as files, photos -- on the phone as data.

Scenario
Someone is playing my cell phone. I tell him,

  My data is important. Don't get them lost. (I mean don't delete my photos or files.)

  My data traffic is not imortant. I have a unlimited data-traffic plan, you can use it as you want.

But in English, people call data traffic as data. Then how do people distinguish them?


texts:
I wonder if I should say "he ate the chocolates like "a small naughty kid" or "a naughty small kid"?

Naughty is an specific idea and small is about size, so I guess it should be the second one. But somehow, I feel it is awkward to say so. Which one is correct?

Also, is "a jagged wide scar" correct?


texts: Is "I want you to..." more offensive than "I need you to..."?

texts:
I wrote an email to request somebody to do something for me. In the email I said "I want you to ...". Somebody told me that instead, I should say "I need you to..." or "Please help me", so that the person who reads my email would not feel disrespected.

I am not an English speaker. Can anyone educate me a little bit if "I want you to..." is more offensive than "I need you to..."? Thanks ahead!


texts: Is it supposed to be Johns game or John's game?

texts:
I am confused between these two and wanted to know which sentence to use:

  1)I was working as a developer on Johns game.

  2)I was working as a developer on John's game.

From the little research that I did, it seems like I need to go with the first one. Because John's basically means "John is". Kindly let me know if I am correct and which one should I go with.

More context.

John is the name of a company/owner of the game.


texts:
we got into a spot of bother with the police
Question: Can I use 'a scrap of' and 'a trace of' in lieu of 'a spot of' . WHy?


texts: Which is better, 'the better able we will be to ~' or 'the better we will be able to ~'

texts:
Or, is it simply a matter of preference?

The second form of this argument suggests that the more we learn about
whales the better able we will be to protect them.
The second form of this argument suggests that the more we learn about
whales the better we will be able to protect them.

Advances in Animal Welfare Science 1984


texts: Is the following sentence conveying what I want to express?

texts:
I can't think of any better wording to express the sense I want to convey.

  To whatever extent, this thing seems unimportant to you, we need to rethink seriously about it.

The sentence wants to convey that someone X thinks something is not that important and another person Y doesn't agree with him, then the later says the former the aforementioned sentence. But to me the sentence looks a bit stilted. Is it natural way to say so?


texts: Nuance of “Why” which has comma after it

texts:
On Twitter, a phrase in an advertising was mentioned as a mistake by a native English speaker.

Why, Subaru?

I think the advertising tries to say “Why don’t you choose Subaru?”
However, this sentence seems to sound wired to some people.
Some said the comma after why is unnecessary in their reply.
However, it doesn’t make sense to me. Could somebody tell me how “Why, Subaru?” sounds like?


texts: Plurals ending in -es in words for which the last letter is not e

texts:
There are words, like potato where the plural form ends with es (potatoes). In which cases does a word have a plural ending with es, but the singular doesn't end with e?

Is there a rule for that, or do words like potato have an irregular plural?


texts: meaning of the phrase "I would know" not in a condtional sentence?

texts:
It is from a song by Katy Perry. Here is the part:

  You change your mind like a girl changes clothes
  Yeah, you PMS like a b**** I would know.

That doesn't seem to be a conditional sentence and I cannot think of any connoted one.


texts:
Which is correct?

The new schedule for the examination is on Tuesday, 23 March 2021

OR

The new schedule for the examination will be on Tuesday, 23 March 2021


texts: difference between "used to" and "have in the past"

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning between:
"I have smoked in the past, but I don't smoke now" and
"I used to smoke but I don't smoke now"?


texts: What is the best option to note the serial number on a presentation?

texts:
I'm writing many presentations (by Power-Point) while each one of them is just a part (another part) of one subject, and I want to put serial numbers on each one of the presentations (on the first page, where my name is mentioned)

Can I write

  "Part no. 1"

To me it sounds a little weird, I do not know how to explain it, but I think that I never saw such thing.

If you have another / better option, please let me know and I'll be very grateful.


texts: "She smells...." -> just who's sniffing at the moment?

texts:
Linda smells bad!

  Patricia smells the flower.

When you say the first sentence, the one who sniffs the scent would be the others than Linda herself. On the other hand, on second phrase, the one who is sniffing the flower is obviously Patricia.

Then here I'm curious that when natives hear the speakers say up until the moment right after the smells,

  Linda smells....

  Patricia smells....

how would they think which is the one who's sniffing right now? Do natives think the verbs in "smells bad" and "smells the flower" two different things?


texts: Please let me know the nuance and teach me which is correct

texts: This new sports complex is _________, so people can enjoy the games whatever the season is. (A) encased (B) enclosed (C) encircled (D) enveloped


texts: Which is the correct way of writing years - '90-'91 or '90-91?

texts: While writing years (like 1990 to 1991) with apostrophes, should the apostrophe come before both the years (as in '90-'91) or just the first one (as in '90-91)?


texts: Confusion between 'once every' and 'twice/thrice'

texts:
Are these two expressions the same thing:

once every two weeks
twice a week

Suppose if I say:

This magazine is issued only once every two weeks.

Will the following mean the same thing:

This magazine is issued twice a week.

Do they mean the same?
And where does the term 'biweekly' stand in this context?


texts:
Would anybody like to discuss the usage of very time? I googled to know about it, but I didn't find anything about. Please, say the proper usage of at this very time/at that very time.

Sorry, no context is available.


texts: How can I convey going through an entire avenue when giving directions?

texts:
If I want someone to go by an entire avenue ( from the beginning to the end) to arrive to my house. What should I say?

  Go all over Benavides avenue?
  Go all the way Benavides avenue?

Thanks in advance!


texts:
I have a question regarding determining the sequence of events.

  "It is taking her a bit longer than usual to get back on the game because she had come back from Germany last night. So I gave her a friendly warning just now and she promised me that she would try her best to pull herself together.

"It is taking her a bit longer than usual..."—happening now, so I used present tense
"had come back from Germany last night"—about last night, so I used past perfect
"I gave her a friendly warning just now"—about what happened a bit before now, so I used simple past.

Is this logic correct? According to what I've learned so far, I think I must use "had come back", since I was talking about what is now ("it is taking her a bit longer than usual...") before talking about her come back from Germany, and I talked about what happened about 10 minutes ago after talking about last night. But then, I do think that I'm kind of reporting events in chronological order and "had come back" just sounds so weird to me.

Another question--

  "Big brother thought you bought too many flowers, so he looked at Mom's text message that asked you to get some flowers. Since he couldn't really figure out what 'some' meant, he decided to call Mom. He has just confirmed with Mom that she never asked you to buy so many flowers. Since what you bought is way more than what she needs, I will return them. She might ask you to go buy some more if she runs out, though, so I don't see why he is going to return them."

I saw the example above in a friend's email (I tweaked it a little for practice). I can't figure out if the tenses are alright. It seems like they are all over the place. My main question on this one is: Can you start off with past tense to talk about a past event and then use present perfect for a slightly more recent event?

Can you please advise? Thank you so much in advance!


texts: "it was about what managers believed annoyed their workers about each other"

texts:
Here is a diologue from a passage.

Rob:
The Institute of Management recently questioned 2,000 managers to find out their
pet hates of office workers. Pet hates are the small annoying habits that really irritate someone.

Jennifer:
So this
survey asked the managers
what annoyed them about their staff?

Rob:
No, it was about
what managers
believed annoyed
their workers about each
other.

Well, I couldn not understand the structure of the sentence "it was about
what managers
believed annoyed
their workers about each
other."

Isn't this sentence more grammatically correct  " it was about what managers believes in things which make their workes annoyed each other"

Thank you in advance


texts: Trying to understanding logic of some transforms

texts:
I wanna learn logic of how meaning changed. Is it possible? Should I memorize or learn logically?
An example:
Have -> Own
Have to -> Obligations
How has transformed the meaning that sentence with "to"?
An example:
Would -> past of will
Would like -> Want


texts: There is a wardrobe next to the bed at / on/ to /in the right

texts:
Which of the following are grammatically correct when a wardrobe is on the right side of the bed.

  There is a wardrobe next to the bed at the right

  There is a wardrobe next to the bed on the right

  There is a wardrobe next to the bed in the right

  There is a wardrobe next to the bed to the right


texts: "my hours are set", "coverage", "time window"

texts:
I am working on composing a letter to my boss requesting that she give me more assignments, but such that I be eligible to meet company's mileage-reimbursement policy. Meaning that if she just gives me more clients but doesn't get the timing right, I won't get paid for my travel time and mileage. So, I'm asking her for two things: more cases, and to get the timing right.

To make my case, I will explain to her that my current hours are inconveniently scheduled because I can't benefit from the above policy. So, I'll start by saying,

  "As it stands, the manner in which my work hours are set, within
  the set time window in which I can see clients, makes it difficult
  to see other cases and still be able to receive coverage for travel time and
  mileage."

Is this phrased well?
Do you recommend using a better word in place of set, like scheduled?
Is coverage acceptable, or do I have to use reimbursement?
Is it time window, the window of time, or both?


texts: Can I use "If I Would had... I would have + (past participle)" in conditional sentence?

texts:
I know how conditional if clause sentences work. But I found situation where someone use "would had" in sentence which looks like III conditional at first sight.

"If I'd had my phone with me, I'd have texted you to say where I was."

Is it an exception? Can someone explain me why?


texts:
Does it have anything to do with a complex for horses? Google couldn't help me.

  "This Arizona compound includes a main house, two guest houses, a stable complex, an outdoor patio, an in-ground pool and a helipad. Overall, there are 10 bedrooms and 12 full bathrooms."

Source: The  Obamas just bought an $8.1 million mansion - here's what $8 million will get you around the country.


texts: Should we use "with no options" or "without options"?

texts:
How we should ask or write to a user to run a program "with no options" or "without options"?
Example :
Usually we run rpmfusion-packager-setup with no options
or
Usually we run rpmfusion-packager-setup without options


texts: What's the Difference in meaning between 'to-Infinitive' and subordinate conjunction 'that'?

texts:
I'm wondering about 'to-Infinitive' and subordinate conjunction 'that'.

Is there any difference in meaning between following sentences?

I believe him to be honest.
I believe that he is honest.


texts: How to understand "He is at one with himself"?

texts:
I'm learning "VOA - numbers and their stories - Number one", and found a sentence I can't understand well:

  (My brother had drunk too much)

  Now my brother is a wise and calm person. He is at one with himself. He recognizes when he has had too much alcohol to drink.

The full text is here: http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/words-and-their-stories-number-one-139576908/118908.html

I found some translations said that it's meaning is "His mind was calming down at that time".

It makes sense to me, but I don't feel it complete correct because the sentence is using is so it's not telling something at some time point in the past. It's just decribing what kind of person my brother is, and what kind of state my brother in.

So my understanding is "He is such a person that he is in harmony (usually/often/always)".

Is my understand correct?

And is my opinion about the translation I referred correct?


texts: Compare "Whenever I see Graham, he's wearing/wears a tracksuit." in meaning

texts:
Is there any difference between these sentences?

  Whenever I see Graham, he's wearing a tracksuit.

  Whenever I see Graham, he wears a tracksuit.

Also somewhat similar:

  I like to listen to music when I drive

  I like to listen to music when I'm driving

I was reading John Eastwood's "Oxford guide to English grammar". From page 82 he starts explaining the difference between the present simple and present continuous tenses and gives some examples but I was wondering whether in these examples the second variant of tense is possible and what it can possibly mean if it is.


texts:
In an article at Quora there's a mention that the terms shovel and spade might be interpreted as racist and cause someone to feel offended. I doubt not that there's always an idiot capable of feeling offended at any given subject but I'm still curious what the cultural connotation of those two particular terms might be.

  I was taught we can’t call it a shovel or spade. Might be racist somehow. So we had to call it an entrenching tool.


texts: Quitting a job - email subject "I'm moving on"

texts:
I have resigned and I'm now looking for a suitable email subject. The email is intended for a working group I was part of. I have already written an email to my collegues. This one needs to be a bit more formal. Be aware that many recipients are non-native English speakers, so it needs to be clear without ambiguity.

Current version: I'm moving on - thank you

While I'm quite fine with I'm moving on according to the second definition in Wiktionary, I just want to know if there is a similar/better word to describe the same thing. I wonder whether I'm moving on would primariliy be considered as a relocation, which isn't the fact. I still live at the same place, I'm just changing the company.

I also don't like to say I'm leaving, because that sounds to negative.

I'm advancing or I'm progressing makes me think of a standstill in the old company, which I don't want to be understood.


texts: Does "Vietnamese-born Australian" include child born in Australia by Vietnamese immigrants?

texts:
Ok, I often hear people in Australia say  "Vietnamese-born Australian", but I am not sure that term refers to:

A child was born in Vietnam by Vietnamese parents then the child and his / her parents moved to Australia
A child was born in Australia by Vietnamese parents who moved to Australia from Vietnam

Also, are there any difference between "Vietnamese-born Australian" & "Vietnamese Australian"?


texts: Concision (noun to verb) and present prefect tense

texts:
The below two sentences are from GMAT sentence correction. I have two questions.

  Incorrect: Hospitals are increasing the hours of doctors, significantly affecting the frequency of surgical errors, which already are a cost to hospitals of millions of dollars in malpractice lawsuits.

.

  Correct: Hospitals are increasing the hours of doctors, signiﬁcantly affecting the frequency of surgical errors, which already cost hospitals millions of dollars in malpractice lawsuits.

1) I feel both are correct. The corrected sentence (I think) is a concise version, which made noun [(are) a cost)] to verb (cost) and deleted the word "of". Is there any other reason for changing this sentence?

2) The word "already" is a signal word for "Present Perfect" (for reference click here). So can I rephrase the sentence to

  Hospitals are increasing the hours of doctors, signiﬁcantly affecting the frequency of surgical errors, which have already cost hospitals millions of dollars in malpractice lawsuits.


texts:
What does "off to the races" mean and how to use this idiom?

Can you give me more examples to use this phrase?

I only found this definition, and it didn't click with me:

  (idiomatic) In or into a process of energetic engagement in some activity; in or into a phase of conspicuously increasing satisfaction or success.


texts: How is it valid to say : "we are also be talking about"

texts:
So, I read the sentence "But we are also be talking about ...[a subject]" somewhere and at that moment I just thought it's a mistake. However I googled it and interestingly found many similar cases!
Now, would you let me know how is this sentence composed and what's the role of 'be' in this sentence, please.
I've already heard something like "we will also be talking about", but how should I interpret this case?
And the last but not least question is that is it possible to extend it to other tenses and say something like "we were also be talking about..."?

Please feel free to edit the title of this question and remove this sentence consequently as I could not find a better one.


texts:
A friend of mine will organize an event in London. Because I am living in Paris, I would like to say that

  I wish this event was also in Paris.

Do you think that my sentence is correct?


texts: Does the article change the meaning of the expression "Student with [a?] physics background"?

texts:
I have heard natives say both

  student with physics background

and

  student with a physics background

so I assume both expressions are grammatical.

Is there any difference in meaning?


texts:
What is the common way to use language for documents?

My document language is Persian
My document language is in Persian
My document is in Persian
My document's language is Persian..,


texts: Can "so that" be used with a negative clause?

texts:
There is an example sentence:

  "Turn in your report so that I can comment on it."

I call it as 'so that+ positive clause'

Here's the problem. Does 'so that+ negative clause' sentence make sense to you guys? For instance,

  "It keeps annoying me so that I can't focus on my report."

Is only " so that+ positive clause "right?


texts: Is it correct to say "postpone a partially done task"

texts:
We can definitelly say "to postpone a task" if the task hasn't been started yet.
Could you please explain whether it is correct to say "to postpone a task" if there is already some progress on the task (i.e. the task is partially done)?

If not, than what would be the appropriate phrase?


texts: Is it fine to use other prepositions other than "in" for months?

texts:
In the following sentence (from Duolingo French course):

  It is windy, in early April.

This is the correct answer and I wrote the following:

  It is windy, at early April.

I found this got rejected. But while I already know in is the correct preposition, I now wonder if it is grammatically correct, or not but used often, to use other prepositions such as at or on to refer to months.


texts:
The following is from The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant

  When all was ready, the bull whacker, using that astonishing
  combination of tender endearment and paint-peeling invective
  unique to drivers of animals and machines, would cajole his team into
  motion.

What does 'paint-peeling' mean here? rough, harsh?


texts:
1) She would go to the graduation ceremony if she had not broken her leg last week.

  2) She would be going to the graduation ceremony if she had not broken her leg last week.

What is the difference in meaning ?


texts:
I wrote:

  However, as a future work, these patterns can be extracted by/using some heuristics through/and an unsupervised method.

Sometimes, I make sentences that need more than one means ("by"). What is your suggestions for such sentences.


texts: The use of the past perfect tense after the word "before"

texts:
Tell me please why the past perfect has been used in the foĺowing sentence.

  Stars were people's clock and calendar before they had invented either.

should not it have been used before the word " before"? For example:

  Stars had been people's clock and calendar before they invented either.


texts: What are some idioms that means something along the lines of "switching it up every day to not do the same thing over and over"?

texts: It doesn't have to mean exactly that by the way, but it should be concise, because I don't want to use something that would be a mouthful.


texts: while(past, past continuous), what's the difference?

texts:
I'm learning the word, 'while'.

While she waited, he mended her shoes.
While she was waiting, he mended her shoes

Is there a difference?
thanks :)


texts: Been there or Were there in this sentence? - Tense-Usage

texts:
Look at the bold clause

  He's been to France. It was fun. Although, he already was/has been here before.

Which one should I use?

I mean, to me, since the context creates some sort of timeline, I think I should use Past Simple

But, I also didn't say when that happened (in the bold clause), so, I'm confused.

And, I mean, I've been trying to learn Present Perfect for the past few months, and I'm trying to learn from context now (because I have tried without it, and it didn't work). I can use in a few cases, though, because the difference between these 2 is all subtle. And I'm not confident enough to use Present Perfect. May you help me?


texts: Should I say "It's difficult 'to me' / 'for me' to express my self"?

texts:
What is more common or more correct (or both of them equals)?

  1) It's so much difficult to me to express myself

or

  2) It's so much difficult for me to express myself


texts:
I'm not a native english speaker. I have been taught in school that if you use a comma, you should not use and after it.

I went to university, my university teacher said the same and he said that if i don't follow that rule, I'll fail my Toefl exam.

I was reading the FAQ of a Stack Exchange site and I saw this:

  Writers Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for authors, editors, reviewers, professional writers, and aspiring writers.

According to my teachers, it's a mistake; the sentence should be "Writers Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for authors, editors, reviewers, professional writers and aspiring writers."

Why was I taught this rule in the first place, and why does the Toefl mention it?

By the way, I have been taught the same rule in french; you should not use et after a comma.


texts:
From VOA:

  Jewel’s first holiday album, “Joy,” came out in 1999 and has sold over a million copies. She says her new one, “Let It Snow,” has the same spirit as the first.

What does the word "spirit" mean? I cannot find a proper meaning in the dictionary. Thanks.


texts:
I am proofreading this text and I am tempted to replace is with can be to make it more interesting and dynamic to the reader.

The attitude of his employer is always correct, but it is crushing to the others.

Is the following sentence milder?

The attitude of his employer is always correct, but it can be crushing to the others.

While I was replacing is with can be, it struck me that often when we say that something can be interesting we simply mean that it is interesting.


texts: How to distinguish grandma of your dad side & grandma of your mom side?

texts:
grand‧moth‧er /ˈɡrænˌmʌðə $ -ər/ (grandma) ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable]     the
  mother of your mother or father

Some other languages use different terms for grandma of your dad side & grandma of your mom side.

Ok, let see this situation, the grandma of my dad side & grandma of my mom side all came to my house. How would I call them / distinguish them through the titles?


texts: "A student who is researching" vs "a student researching"

texts:
Can I shorten the sentence like this?

1- This is Peter, a student who is researching nuclear physics at a university .

2- This is Peter, a student researching nuclear physics at a university.


texts: "This is precisely why he did that, for those who are weak"?

texts:
In a translation, I came across this sentence:

This is precisely why he loosened the restrictions, for those who are weak.

I don't know why, but in my mind, after the expression This is why followed by a comma, I expect a to phrase to begin:

This is why I came, to help you with your dissertation.

Is the first sentence I gave correct or does it sound strange at all?


texts: What kind of place would a place be when attached to the word "auto"?

texts:
In this video,

From:0:23

  "ABC's Markas Morzan, auto-Texas, where 2 tornadoes touched down."

Could someone teach me what "auto" means here?


texts: Use of who and that when the group referred to are constituted of animals and men

texts:
I am not sure if we should use "who" or if we should use "that" when the group we refer to are not 100% human or 100% animal. This is something I never thought of, but I think it's a really good question, because I doubt there's a clear rule on this.

For example:

  The man and his loyal dog who were reincarnated as two humans have now
  become the rulers of this desolate planet.


texts: her former flame’s new girlfriend - what does "flame" mean?

texts:
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tsarnaev-boston-marathon-bombing-legal-woes-140543802.html

  On Aug. 25, a New York City woman caught up in a messy child custody battle with her ex-boyfriend got into a fight on the phone with her former flame’s new girlfriend. According to the police, heated words were exchanged, and the girlfriend, who also has a child with the man, was subsequently arrested and charged with harassment after she allegedly threatened the other woman’s life.

What does that word mean in this context?


texts: How are the word piece, song and work used to describe music?

texts:
After researching the use of the words: piece, work, song, I am becoming confused about how these words are used to describe music (or how they relate to music).
So far, it seems that a work of music = a large piece of music.
A piece of music is a smaller part of that work.  Is that correct?
A song is something that is sung, but a piece/work of music is composed/work. A m I correct?.
Yet, I can say: I have just heard a wonderful piece/work of music. (referring to a song ).
I suppose an English teacher might disagree with a musician about the use of these words. I would appreciate any examples or definitions to help me understand these words better.  Thanks


texts:
I've read a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald called Afternoon of an Author.

There is a phrase I don't understand at all:

  He passed a sporting goods store and looked in the window unmoved except by a first baseman's glove which was already dark in the pocket.

What does "dark in the pocket" mean in this context? By searching I only learned that "pocket" is the part of the baseball glove, but the phrase still doesn't make any sense to me.


texts: Questions about Passive Voice in Present Tense

texts:
What would be the Active Voice for below sentences?

a) He is arrested by police.

b) A car is cleaned by him.

Also, Why past participle is used while constructing passive in present tense?


texts: What does the phrase "try filling in" mean here?

texts:
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase "try filling in" in the following text from the description of the game Genshin Impact:

You can use earth elemental combat skills to create a “starfall” and
put it in place of a missing stone statue to unlock a treasure chest.
You can try filling in or destroying other similarly incongruous
features, such as collectibles, rock piles or monsters, to uncover
bonuses.

I am not sure which of the lexical meanings given here fits in the given context.


texts:
I saw the sentence “Check out my social media feeds.”
What’s that mean?


texts: Reducing the adverbial particle and the NP1 and "to be"

texts:
Preparing the rats for the dissection session, they came across a queer phenomenon.

I think it was this before the ellipsis:

  While they were preparing the rats for the dissection session, they came across a queer phenomenon.

Here the adverbial particle while and the NP1 which is exactly the NP1 of the main sentence and a form of the verb be has been omitted.
Could you give me a link which explains this kind of ellipsis and the like?

Another instance:

  Obviously sad, she entered the room.

which has been:

  While she was obviously sad, she entered the room.


texts: "We started" or "We've started" or "We've been started"?

texts:
My question is: which one is correct in this sentence?
"A couple of months ago we -started- rehearsing again."
So the point is, we didn't specify the exact date and the activity is still going on.

I'd also be grateful if you'd tell me the differences between the 3 version.


texts:
My feeling so far is that "long-lasting" is more relevant when something that has a non-homogeneous, "dynamic" nature is distributed on the timeline, e.g. "long-lasting drop in sales", "long-lasting storm", etc. - sales volume drop may vary month over month, and so may intensity of the storm.

"Long-standing" in its turn, is more about the "fixed" state/status and is more relevant when we mention smth which dynamics is not essential (if present at all), e.g. "long-standing agreement" = there was an agreement, "long-standing belief" = they believe, etc.

Any comment on that please? ;-) Thank you guys!


texts:
Assume that there are many car's catalogs, and each catalog lists a different type of car. I would like to know whether the sentence below I created based on this assumption is correct:

This type of car is more expensive than any other type of car listed
in each catalog.

I think changing "each catalog" to "these catalogs " may cause the sentence to sound more natural, but I would like to make clear that each catalog lists a different type of car.


texts: The usage of the 2,700-square-foot colonial

texts:
I have a question on "the 2,700-square-foot colonial", which I think it should be "the 2,700-square-foot colonial house". Colonial is an adjective word. I know the grammar 'the + adjective', which denotes that kind of persons/things. But in this context, it specifically refers to that single house.

So, is it an idiomatic usage? Or any grammar rule could support the usage?

  Located at 1428 N. Genesee Avenue, in Los Angeles, California, the
  2,700-square-foot colonial was sold in 2013 for $2.1 million.

This is the source.


texts:
Example (Putin Would Eat President Trump for Lunch):

  Topless photos and macho adventures aside, Putin is no showman. He's a colorless career bureaucrat with the steely core of a KGB man. The popularity he enjoys is nothing like stardom: It's a mixture of fear, love and submission. Putin doesn't do deals, as Trump does, or as Berezovsky and Chichvarkin once did, because he has never been a businessman. Putin is a man of the state. And the state can't be gamed or beaten. No deal is ever final until it takes its due.

How do you understand that phrase?


texts: "Would have done..", a corpus-based enquiry

texts:
In ordinary times, before 9/11, she was the type of girl mothers
  hauled into his office seeking solace for not having dates and fitting
  in with the hot crowd at school. While guiding her to an understanding
  that her parents' divorce wasn't her fault, he would have searched
  for ways to assure Morgan that she might spend high school and college
  with fewer boyfriends than the hottest girls in her class, but would
  have many deep friendships, while concentrating on the things she was
  good at — her science projects, her music, her sailboat racing.

  -- From The Ripple Effect by Paul Garrison

  One day in mid-May 1919, the historian and journalist Heinrich
  Friedjung was probably browsing through the showrooms of the Dorotheum
  auction house in central Vienna. After leaving the Franz Josef room on
  the first floor, where the auction of furniture and household goods of
  the late former imperial Austrian minister president, Ernest von
  Koerber, was in progress, Friedjung would have gone up to the
  second floor. When he stepped into the Rössler room, nothing could
  have kept him from examining the books on display there. Friedjung had
  at this time been cultivating a many-layered interest in Ernest von
  Koerber for nearly twenty years, and he would not have missed out
  on his possibly only chance of examining Koerber's library. He would
  have searched for the inscribed copy of Friedrich Naumann's
  Mitteleuropa.

  -- From Empire and Identity: Biographies of the Austrian State Problem
  in the Late Habsburg Empire by Fredrik Lindström

I have searched in Google books for "would have searched". I found the two above examples didn't quite fit with the normal hypothetical use of "would have done.."

My best guess is that those bold structures are past form of "will have done..", signifying the author's presumption about past events. Or, they are just past form of "would have done..", a more tentative assumption than "will have done.."?

Could you please parse them for me? If the text was written in the present narrative tense, would the "would have done.." form remain the same?


texts: Could someone explain to me this sentence? I do not understand the structure

texts:
I found this sentence below in one essay but I do not understand the structure.
"Plant-derived plastics, biodiesel, wind power and solar power are all things that are a step in the right direction, but the powers that be need to enforce the limits on CO2 emissions for the polluting industries in their countries for these to be effective."
What does "that be need" mean? And why does it not say "that are needed"? I am confused mainly by the structure that follows the comma ("but the powers that be need to enforce the limits on CO2 emissions for the polluting industries in their countries for these to be effective"). Where is the verb?
If someone could explain it to me, I would be so grateful.


texts:
I am puzzled by the use of the word details in this comic strip and in particular its bonus.

Transcript:

  Man: Just go introduce yourself. What's the worst that could happen?
  Woman: The worst? Like, what if he's a rapist?!
  Man: A rapist?! Naaaaw.
  Woman: Fine, you go introduce yourself to him.
  Man: But... But I don't wanna get serial killed!
  Unknown man (bonus panel): Where the hell are my details?

The definition I found for detail are the following (Oxford Dictionary):

  An individual fact or item
  A minor decorative feature of a building or work of art
  Itemized information about someone

None of these definition seem to fit with the strip. I am guessing it's intended to be a joke about the man being, in fact, a killer, but I don't understand the punchline.


texts:
I need to know which of these options is the correct one and why:

The Spanish cooking makes it easy to have a nice meal.

The Spanish cooking makes easy to have a nice meal.

I don't know if I need the pronoun "it" or not. By the way, is "a nice meal" correct, or should I use another adjective, such as "good"?


texts: Translation of country and city names in legal documents

texts: I would like to know if it is right to translate the names of countries or cities in official legal documents.  For example, should I translate the name of the Italian city of Torino into English as Turin, or should I use the official Italian name?


texts: at vs in vs to vs from in this sentence. Which to use?

texts:
I am trying to convert the following news to a sentence to learn vocabulary words.

Boris Nemtsov funeral: Russia restricts foreign mourners.

Which of the following sentences are correct?

Russia restricts foreign mourners to Boris Nemtsov's funeral.
Russia restricts foreign mourners at Boris Nemtsov's funeral.
Russia restricts foreign mourners in Boris Nemtsov's funeral.
Russia restricts foreign mourners from attending Boris Nemtsov's funeral.

They all seem to be correct. Which is the perfect sentence to use?


texts: and all that / and (all) that / and all (that)

texts:
Happy New Year.
Indeed, I have learned "and all that" / "and (all) that".
<and all? or all but?> Well, the thing is he is really attractive and all but he is not funny. I hate it
My question No.1: I am curious whether "and all (that)" could be also used.
My questions No.2: could I take the meaning "and all that" / "and (all) that" /"and all (that)" as the below one?
What does "... and all" means?

and all is a colloquial expression—do not use it in formal contexts. It means, approximately, “and everything else that is associated with that”. It is used at the end of a clause, and it is dismissive: it characterizes what that clause says or implies as unimportant or unimpressive. It is almost always followed immediately by a clause (usually headed by but) which expresses what the speaker regards as, in contrast, more important or impressive.


texts:
Which one is correct and why

When did you bought the sim card?

Or

When did you buy the sim card?


texts:
I'm looking for an different way to express a sentence such as:

  I build on the fact that human beings are equal.

The synonyms I found don't correspond with the meaning of starting from a concept, stating a postulate.  I'm putting forward a philosophical assumption, a basis for further argumentation.


texts:
The RCMP are investigating a tire slashing spree in North Vancouver.

  More than 150 tires were slashed overnight in the Capilano University
  area down to Park and Tilford according to police.  (150 tires
  slashed overnight in North Vancouver - CBC news Dec.4 2014)

I don't quite understand what 'down' means here.
So the slashing happened from somewhere to Park(street) and Tilford(street) in the Capilano University area?  Thank you.


texts: Is it natural to use "cases" in the context?

texts:
Woman:  Do you think he'll ever come out of his coma?

Doctor: I don't know. Cases like this are always hard to predict, so I can't say. We can only hope for the best.

Is it natural to use "cases" here or is there a better option?


texts: Today I read a paper and I saw the phrase "ISIC rev2 3-digit industry level". I am wondering what "rev2" stands for, I did a search but cannot find any explanation so far.


texts: Test question: The {people | peoples} of Europe are white-skinned

texts:
This question is from a test:

  The {people | peoples} of Europe are white-skinned.

Which is correct? Can we use either?


texts: "I had my hair cut by a barber." Is that sentence grammatical?

texts:
I had my hair cut by a barber.

Is that sentence grammatical?
Can we add the by-phrase "by a barber" to the construction subject + have + something + done?


texts:
I am not sure I am reading a sentence right in this passage:

Chang Lee gripped his fingers tighter around the gun and screamed at potential looters from the rooftop of the small strip mall where he stood. The 35-year-old had never held a firearm before the LA riots. Lighting up the blocks around him, Lee could smell the fires burning in Los Angeles' Koreatown. (source)

"Lighting up the blocks" does not seem to make much sense to me. A "block" is a residential/commercial area delineated by streets. I don't think the subject of the sentence, Chang Lee, is capable of "lighting up the blocks." During the LA riots buildings were set ablaze by protesters. The sentence seems to be a mistake unless "blocks" here refers to something else. What is this sentence saying?


texts:
I implemented the system with that unexceptional idea and I have got the second best graduation project.

Is second the right word to use here? Is my grammar correct?


texts: Do you natives say "will you mind doing something"?

texts:
I know that it is polite to say "would you mind buying me a newspaper?".

But can we say "will you mind buying me a newspaper?" though I feel it is uncommon.


texts:
It's not as good a restaurant as it used to be.
It's not as a good restaurant as it used to be.

Which sentence is correct?


texts:
I want to form a sentence to describe this image.

In Russian the entire sentence is: "Мозги даны человеку не для истерики, а для того, чтобы смеяться". I want to say the same in English.

I've made a few variants but I don't know which of them is/are correct:

Brain was given to man to laugh, not to get hysterical.
Brain was given to man to laugh, instead to get hysterical.
Brain was given to man not to get hysterical, but to laugh.
Brain wasn't given to man to get hysterical, but to laugh.

I think the first one is correct. I think it is featuring obvious opposition of laugh and hysteria. In the second sentence, in my view, there is something negative (like it was said in a fight). I like the word order in the first sentence more than in the third.


texts:
I am wondering whether or not there is any difference between these. Would you possibly explain your invaluable explanation in a more detailed way?

that idiot of a doctor

a real palace of a house

a fine figure of a woman

..............

that doctor of idiot

a house of a real palace

a woman of a fine figure

Any help would be appreciated


texts: Electronics Engineer or Electronical Engineer

texts:
Which one is the correct phrase for an engineer whose study field is electronics?

I think, "electronics engineer" is more correct, but sometimes I hear "electronical engineer". The phrase "electronical engineer" seems to me that there is an engineer made of some electronic components.


texts: Improving "numpy could transfer each element to string type"

texts:
This is a list of integers (list_1).

[0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

This is a list of string (list_2).

['0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', '10']

numpy is a tool, could turn list_1 to list_2

How can I improve this expression, "numpy could transfer each element to string type"


texts: What is the meaning of “footloose” in “Now I gotta cut loose, footloose”

texts:
I have searched in Dictionaries for the word “footloose” and found many senses. Yet I have to admit that I cannot figure out which one is more appropriate in the lyrics’ context.
Actually I can’t get any line which contains this word, such us:

Now I gotta cut
Loose, footloose


texts: A word describing a word of mixed-language etymology

texts:
I am looking for a word that denotes a word composed of at least two parts, at least one of which is from a different language than the other(s); a word with mixed etymology.

An example is antimatter where we have the Greek prefix for not, anti-, with the Latin word for substance, māteria.

If pressed, I might suggest "bastard word" for these specimen, but it does not sound quite right. Other examples of such words are also much appreciated!


texts: How to use the verb "to hope for" in the right tense for something that hasn’t happened yet?

texts:
I am sending formal mail to a German company so I was wondering whether the following sentence is ok to use in that correspondence?

  We are hoping for the best results.

Does this sentence make any sense? Is it grammatical in English? Is it idiomatic?

Is this a use of the future tense, or if not, should it be and if so how?

Should I say we here when it’s just me writing the message?


texts: The use of the verb thank in the progressive form

texts: Can I use the verb "to thank" in the present continuous (progressive) form such as in "Are you thanking me...? ( I am a nonnative speaker of English)


texts:
I found this sentence in a New York Times article:

  They rented not so much a home as a fraction of one.

It seemed confusing to me that I spent minutes trying to understand it. And here are my versions which I think are better:

  They didn’t rent a home so much as a fraction of one.

  They rented not a home but rather a fraction of one.

Is the original meaning too confusing? And are my revisions ok?


texts: What is the meaning of "As a whole" in this sentence

texts:
People responding to a survey are different from the target population as a whole.

If the phrase as a whole is taken out of the sentence, the meaning would still be the same correct?

If so, what extra meaning does the phrase add in this case?


texts: How to understand this sentence? (adding this to correct the typo)

texts:
This happened even before Justin Trudeau, Rachel Notley, and Kathleen Wynne arrived on the scene to carbon-tax-and-spend humanity into prosperity and cleanliness.

This sentence is originally from an article online, I feel there is a gap between "to carbon-tax-and-spend" and "humanity into prosperity and cleanliness"
Is there a need for a verb or something in the middle part?


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

We were planning to participate in Jack's wedding.
We planned to participate in Jack's wedding.


texts: "There is a pen on the desk." vs. "A pen is on the desk."

texts:
A pen is on the desk.

Can I say it in this way, too?

  There is a pen on the desk

Do they have the same meaning? If not, what's the difference?


texts: What does 'The Odd Couple' mean as a phrase?

texts:
I'm watching tv series called The odd Couple i tried to understand the meaning of that expression by watching it but i'm still not satisfied about the true meaning of it

What does 'The odd Couple' mean?

My thoughts:

in brief The odd Couple means :

two people  with the following characteristics:

live in One appartment
with zero common
each one of him is divorced or has been dumped by his wife.
bachelor

update:

Two people who live together or are intertwined romantically that are grossly different from each other and would not normally get along under other circumstances. For instance, one person in the couple could be an introvert and the other an extrovert, although there are normally several distinct differences between the two partners to have the term "odd couple" used to describe a specific relationship.

An odd couple can also refer to two heterosexual bachelors living together, who are enjoying their singledom to the fullest.

Also Known As: incompatibility, roommates, strange bedfellows

the picture can describe more:


texts: The difference of a sentence with and without the phrase "in use"

texts:
Cambridge Dictionary defines "in use" as

  being used

and gives example

  Is the washing machine in use right now?

An ELL post ("Could you...?" vs. "Were you able to...?") says

  I understand the difference in use between 'could' and 'was/were able to' to refer to a specific achievement.

If I get rid of "in use", will the meaning be affected?


texts:
a. Tom pushed me such that I would fall, but I managed not to.
b. Tom pushed me in such a way that I would fall, but I managed not to.
c. Tom pushed me so that I would fall, but I managed not to.
d. Tom so pushed me that I would fall, but I managed not to.
Which of the above is correct if the intended meaning is
Tom deliberately pushed me in such a way as to make me fall.


texts: Should I add "counterparts" to the end of this paragraph?

texts:
I am writing an introduction:

  Humanities courses are very useful to students. Yet, in my opinion, schools should focus more on science and mathematics courses. The benefits of these courses vastly exceed the convenience of humanities courses. There are main three advantages for mathematics courses over humanities.

Should I add counterparts to the end of the paragraph?


texts:
A student's grades reflected his/her teacher

A student's grades are a reflection on his/ her teacher

A student's grade are a reflection of his/ her teacher

Could anyone possibly tell me if these mean the same?

Thanks in advance


texts: Is the "my going there" the same as "if I go there"?

texts:
I want to say;

  If I go there, there will be a problem.

Is it possible to say is as below;

  My going there will create a problem.

Feel free to provide different examples.

Thanks.


texts: What do we call the relief person in a shift work (the next shift worker who comes to continue the work)?

texts:
I'm translating a sentence from Russian that says that a chromatography room operator failed to inform the next shift worker that he needs to test a further three filters:

  Cause of deviation: the operator failed to inform his сменщик that he had only managed to subject one filter out of four to integrity testing.

The word сменщик in Russian means "the next shift worker** (who continues the work of the previous shift worker). Multitran offers choices such as "shift replacement, reliever, relief, relief worker" etc.

What is the most natural term to use in English for this purpose?


texts: What do we say "A big Flower Pot" in English

texts:
I have a Big Pot in which there is a Big Plant. But I don't know what do we say it in english in my native language, we say it, "Gamla"
Also, there is no Flower it! :P
It looks like this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/r4z35d4kn2f6b57/Nature-Pot-and-Plant-Photograph-520x693.jpg


texts: Saying "I know he is ..." without "I'm not sure"

texts:
I want to say this about someone:

"I know he is one of the winners." I'm not 100% sure , but some 80-90%".

If I say just "I know he is one of the winners", that means "I am sure that he is one of the winners". Right?
What verb should I use instead of 'know'?

"I guess he is...",
"I think he is ..."


texts:
Jack walks up to the girl at the bar and starts flirting, but the girl just looks at him weirdly and walks away. Enjoying this, Ethan grins at Jack, pissing him off.

My question is about the last sentence. Is it clear that Ethan grins at Jack which pisses Jack off?