texts: Came towards me running vs Came running towards me

texts:
He came running towards me.

  He came towards me running.

Do you find both of the sentences natural?
Can we use both the sentences interchangeably?


texts:
It turns out it’s quite hard to find anything on marks/grades at school on the Net.
I have a few questions I’ll be happy to find answers to:
In the USA the grading system is from A to F, you can easily say “get a D”, or “I got a few D’s”.

What about other grading systems like in Russia, for example, from 5 to 1.
Should I say “I got four for history today” or “I got A four for history today”.
Can I say: “I got two fours today”?


texts: Do "who" questions not get auxiliary verb?

texts:
Normally, if I want to build a question about someone's verb, then I know the following formula.

building of statement.
Adding auxiliary verb in the beginning of the sentence and make it question.
adding WH question word before the auxiliary verb

For example:

  It makes him happy > Does it make him happy? > What does make
  him happy?

Now my question is why do when we use the verb "weights" then we don't use the auxiliary verb in the 3rd stage (wh question word):

  He weights 80 kg > Does he weights 80 kg? > Who weights 80 kg?

I found just a few results for: "who does weights" and a pretty much of them are not relevant. Maybe it's not about the word "weights" but it's about the wh question "who" that behaves as exceptional for the mentioned formula, and I see it a lot in the spoken language, but I don't have enough knowledge to say it confidently.


texts: What's the difference between "consist" and "comprise"?

texts:
I have often used "consist" and "comprise" in the same sense because meaning of them seem similar. Can you explain the difference between the two words?
Example sentence; From https://en.dict.naver.com/

Your teams consist of individuals with great creativity.
The collection comprises 327 paintings.


texts:
Is the following make sense from the context side and the grammatical one. ??

She was the prime minister :

1- she had held this post and she had remained in it for 10 years.

2- she had been in this post for 10 years.


texts: How to use "Simple Past" and "Past Perfect Tense"

texts:
What is the difference between the these two sentences, and which one is correct?

(1)He passed the exam because I gave him my book
(2)He passed the exam because I had given him my book


texts:
Please consider the following sentence:

  "He walked home seriously angrily."

This sentence sounds a bit funny to my ears, even as a non-native speaker of English, an impression that is shared by an English-speaking friend of mine, who suggests to say

  "He walked home seriously angry"

instead.

But is the initial version of it really ungrammatical? "Angrily" modifies "walked" and "seriously" modifies "walked seriously". So from a grammar point of view, everything seems perfect!

Could somebody with a feeling for language and some linguistic knowledge explain to me why one should not say "seriously angrily". I guess this is convention rather than a grammar thing, pointing to the limits of prescriptive grammar.


texts: The tire has less air(don't have enough air)

texts:
If a tire doesn't have enough air, is it common to use "less air"? Like my mom is driving,so she says:

  I guess the tires have less air.

Is the use of "less" natural?


texts: Is there any difference between "work at the office" and "work from the office"?

texts:
Could you tell me if there is any difference between work at the office and work from the office? For example:

I used to work at the office a lot.
I used to work from the office a lot.


texts: What does "to charge up" mean in this context?

texts:
Here they come ten thousand strong
  Charging up the hill
  This day will be both hard and long
  They move in for the kill

  Hold the line, don't let it break
  Use your sword and spear
  A glory death, for all awaits
  All who knows no fear

Could you please explain what means "to charge up" in these lyrics from 'Free Will Sacrifice' by Amon Amarth? My best guess is that it's just a metaphor. But perhaps there is a special and rarely used meaning of this verb?


texts: Is it redundant to say "each and every volunteer"?

texts:
In the following acknowledgements I am confused that why it should be "each" and every" rather than just "every".

  We sincerely appreciate the commitment and hard work of each and every
  volunteer.

Source: certificate of appreciation by Oriental Connect International Volunteer Association Limited.

I learned from this answer that "each" means "one by one", and "every" "all in a group". But does "each and every volunteer" which indicates literally "all volunteers in a group and one by one volunteer" make sense? And is the saying equal to just "every"? I mean, what is the point that I have missed here?


texts: What does "isn't in half as much ... as" mean?

texts: Her 15-year-old son Jamie (breakout star Lucas Jade Zumann) isn't in half as much adolescent turmoil as his mom imagines, and is mainly concerned about things like her veiled loneliness and heavy cigarette habit. ("When I started, they weren't bad for you," she says. "They were just stylish.")


texts: What is the proper syntax for using the word 'advocacy'?

texts:
Please let me know if I could provide with any further information that might advocacy in favor of my application.

Is this a correct sentence? Is the word 'advocacy' in a right syntax?


texts:
According to Gwangjin Police Station, the 19-year-old Kim, an employee
  of a company that Seoul Metro had subcontracted for door maintenance,
  had been repairing the platform screen door at Guui Station on
  Saturday evening.

  He was working by himself, with neither supervisor nor any signboard to notify approaching train operators.

  The authorities have examined surveillance camera recordings and are
  set to summon related officials for questioning. The probe will be
  jointly handled by the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s special
  judicial police and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency.

Is it possible to replace "to notify" with "notifying" in the sentence?
and if it possible to do that, is meaning changed after that?


texts: Is there anything wrong with the phrase "to climb down a tree"?

texts:
One can mount a horse and dismount (from) it, ascend a mountain and descend from it, go up and down a ladder.

But once someone climbed (up) a tree,  would it be correct to ask him to  climb down (from) it?

Or should "come down" be used instead, since the meaning of the verb climb is to go up, or to go towards the top of something?

Here's the source with the answer "yes", and here's the one with the answer "no". Are there any alternatives to stay on the safe side?


texts: How to mention that someone has similar qualities to us and we can make friends with them?

texts:
Has the word "type" been used correctly in the following sentence? (I'm suspicious about it, because in the Longman dictionary it is stated that "be sb's type: to be the kind of person someone is sexually attracted to")

  When we go to a museum we can mingle with some visitors which are of our type and make friends with them.

By the way, is it okay to use "mingle" as I did?

Edit:

This is a screenshot taken from the dictionary.(In response to  user3169)


texts: Is there any rule for pronouncing the suffix "-less"

texts:
I found that the suffix "-less" can have different pronunciations, for example:

borderless   /ˈbɔːdələs/
hopeless   /ˈhəʊplɪs/
helpless     /ˈhɛlplɛs/

So, is there any rule for the pronunciation of this suffix?


texts: on a dry and barren run -- what does that mean?

texts:
From the song "I Am Australian" by the Australian pop group The Seekers.

  I came upon the prison ship
  Bowed down by iron chains
  I fought the land
  Endured the lash
  And waited for the rains
  I'm a settler
  I'm a farmer's wife
  On a dry and barren run
  A convict then a free man
  I became Australian

What kind of run are they talking about?


texts: A full head of hair vs a head full of hair

texts:
Someone who has a lot of hair on their head is said to have a full head of hair. The order of the words, I must admit, struck me as strange when I first saw the phrase (just as a full man of pride would be strange). If I said

  Jack has a head full of hair.

Would that be equally correct?


texts:
I ran a cross this sentence:

  Some experts believe that when we sleep curled up in a fetal position, we're exhibiting an unconscious longing for the sanctuary of the womb.

If curled is replaced by curling, would it be exactly the same in meaning?
Is "Verb + Ved" common in English? I somehow can't think of other examples, can I use Ved to describe verb freely as in the above sentence? For example: When he hit pierced the wood, he doesn't feel pain.


texts: How to respond to a question with adjective, which has negative meaning (e.g. unrelated, unnecessary, inconvenient)

texts:
If someone ask me "Was it inconvenient to you?", and it was inconvenient to me, which answer is correct?

Yes, it was inconvenient to me.
No, it was inconvenient to me.

On the other hand, I was actually free to talk, what should I say?

Yes, it was actually convenient. Sorry for missed your call.
No, it was actually convenient. Sorry for missed your call.


texts:
Why is it 'Russian forces' but 'THE Russian army/military'? It makes no sense to me since both terms mean the same thing. Examples from the Internet:

They waged a brief but bloody war in August 2008 over Georgia’s Moscow-backed separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, in which Russian forces occupied swathes of Georgia’s territory and bombed military and civilian targets.

(the Guardian)

Notwithstanding Putin’s reputation in the West as an authoritarian and aggressive leader, his two decades at the helm and the pinnacle of global politics have reflected the fact that he is, on balance, a calculating and experienced decisionmaker, as evidenced by his decision not to employ Russian forces to help Syria defend itself against Turkish attacks.

(the Carnegie Endowment)

Across multiple games using a wide range of expert participants playing both sides, the longest it has taken Russian forces to reach the outskirts of Tallinn and Riga is 60 hours.

(Forbes)
Now, examples for 'Russian army/military':

In the summer of 1890, for instance, a young lieutenant in the Russian army pedaled from St. Petersburg to London, averaging 70 miles a day.

(National Geographic)

His father, Yaakov Friedman, was a graveyard worker and unofficial rabbi for the local Jewish community who was conscripted into the Russian Army during World War II and killed in conflict.

(the New York Times)

Sometimes he appeared to tip his hand, praising President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, bragging about Russian grain production and fawning over the Russian military.

(again the New York Times)


texts: What the difference between sentences in terms of context

texts:
1) The pipeline was never used because the dam was never filled with water

2) The pipeline has never been used because the dam was never filled with water


texts:
He’s not the first one I’ve known who’s gone funny over a girlfriend.
  (The Cuckoo’s Calling, Robert Galbraith)

He’s not the first one [I’ve known [who’s gone funny over a girlfriend]].

The sentence seems like “Matrix clause [Relative clause [Content clause]].” And there is a subject, who, in the content clause. After this analysis, ‘who’ might be an interrogative, not a relative, I thought. But I still can’t wipe out a thought that ‘who’ might be a relative, for it seems like ‘who’ is a relative and its antecedent is ‘one.’ Which is proper?

(1) Matrix clause + Relative clause + Content clause  ('one' and 'who' is not the same)
(2) Matrix clause + Relative clause 1 + Relative clause 2 (both 1 and 2 have the same antecedent)


texts: What is the grammatical function of 'enough'?

texts:
I'd like to know the grammatical function of 'enough' in this sentence.

  There was rice enough for all four of them all right.


texts: Is the "with the blessing of" here used in a sarcastic way?

texts:
I read this from the Harper's Magazine, and here is original article.

But perhaps Ukraine’s clearest departure from the standard model of European liberalism is its proliferation of armed far-right factions, considered by analysts and ordinary Ukrainians alike to be the secretly funded private armies of the elite oligarch class. They fought in the trenches outside Donetsk and now patrol city streets, enforcing a particular vision of order with the blessing of overstretched and underfunded police departments. In some regions, they serve as official election monitors.

I do not quite understand the sentence "They fought in the trenches outside Donetsk and now patrol city streets, enforcing a particular vision of order with the blessing of overstretched and underfunded police departments.".
Is the blessing here used in a positive way, or a sarcastic way?

positive: The police departments indeed bless the private armies, since the police departments themselves do not have enough fund to patrol the city streets, and the privates armies help them carry out their duty.
sarcastic: The police department should stop those private armies from patrolling the streets, but they are not able to do that, since they are overstretched and underfunded. In such a sense, the blessing here is more of a sarcasm.

I was wondering which explanation is correct? or I totally misunderstood the whole sentence...


texts:
The first time was in March-April 2012, when I was still in Canada visiting family and relatives, and Sandra had returned to Australia. I returned to Australia 3 weeks after she.

It sounds strange, but is it correct?


texts: Is Hours used as an adverb in this sentence?

texts:
Authorities Say the Philippines' Most Active Volcano Could Be Just Hours From Erupting (The title of an article from Yahoo news)

I don't know whether 'Hours' functions as a noun in the place for complement or an adverb in the sentence.

I think it is used adverbly because if it is a noun, it has to modify 'the Philippines' Most Active Volcano', and then, the meaning of the sentence seems to be awkward, so, I think, it should be an adverb modifying the verb 'be'.


texts: The difference between ‘provide for’ and ‘provide with’?

texts:
He has provided for every emergency.
The old woman provided me with further facts.

What is the difference between ‘provide for’ and ‘provide with’?


texts: What’s the difference between "are buying" and "will buy"?

texts:
What’s the difference between the present progressive tense are buying and the simple future tense will buy as used here?

Next week we are buying a new car.
Next week we will buy a new car.


texts: "you had introduced me to him" is it right sentence?

texts:
When I want to say to someone (referred to as B1) that he(B1) introduced me to someone(referred to as B2). Can I say "you(B1) had introduced me to him(B2)"? Is that correct sentence?

Say I met a person(B1) in the morning who had introduced me to his colleague(B2). On the same day afternoon when I met the B1, I recounted this to him: "you had introduced me to B2". I am doubtful that "you had introduced me to B2," as expressed, was right or wrong.


texts: Should I write "dried" or "dried out" in the following sentence?

texts:
I blinked at this woman, so many times my eyes almost dried (out)
  completely.

I searched on Google and I found both instances:

  My eyes almost dried out completely and were more bloodshot than
  they'd ever been, mild visual hallucinations but mainly auditory.

  ... or hsv I got up in the mid night with my eyes almost dried. Out of
  lazyness to see the time I took my saliva n spread in my eyeballs to
  lubricate.

Are both options correct? Or only one?


texts:
Who sounded the fire alarm?

  Who rang the fire alarm?

What's more common out of the two "rang" or "sounded"?


texts: How many months does it has to take to build a cruise.(grammar)

texts:
With reference to the title:

  How many months does it has to take to build a cruise.

Is my subject-verb agreement correct? Particularly 'does it has to' or should I say ''does it have to''? I really need to make sure about this question word format.


texts:
He played works OF / BY Bach?

The works are by Bach, but the ones you play are also by him? or of him?


texts: One should love everyone's wife. Is it right grammatically?

texts:
I want to know whether the sentence
one should love everyone's wife is correct grammatically or not.

I think it's grammatically correct but meaning differs from the sentence

One should love one's wife.

My friend has been arguing with me that you shouldn't use everyone's in the sentence and you have to use only one's.

I said the former sentence means a person should love everyone's wife whereas the latter sentence means a person should love his own wife and both are grammatical.

I can't see anything wrong with the sentence grammatically.

Can you please tell me if I'm right or not?


texts: How to politely ask for clarification on a person's designation?

texts:
This is a dilemma I always face when talking with people. When some people introduce themselves they would just say

  Hello, I'm Martin and I'm an executive of ABC Company

There are so many varieties of executives (marketing executive, chief executive etc). What would be the most polite way to ask such person what type of executive


texts: Is 'wet' only meant to be used for water and watery substances?

texts:
Today I stumbled upon this question:

"If you dip a glass rod in water it gets wet while if you dip that same rod in Mercury it doesn't. Give reason."

I know that's a physics question and I don't want any answer. But what interests me is the usage of the word 'wet' for a substance like mercury.
Is it right to use so?
I know that 'wet' is used for water and water like substances, but what about something that's entirely different from water (or don't even resemble water)?
What if we're talking about oil, or some kind of acid, or glycerine or some kind of stuff like that?


texts: How to use the word Imagine in the sentence

texts:
I heard a friend saying

  “it takes an hour by a car imagine a bus”

Is imagine used correctly here?


texts: Common formal / informal verbs used for changing clothes

texts:
Regarding the following sentences, I think both mean exactly the same and the only point that hey differ is their formality level, where the sentences #1 sounds more casual and usable only in informal speech, whereas the latter one can be used both is informal and more formal speech:

  1. When I get home from work, I get changed.
  2. When I get home from work, I change.


texts:
Is the following sentence grammatically correct?

  A number of pillars of the ancient temple each count to 16.

I would rather say it like

  A number of the pillars of the ancient temple are counted up to 16.

Which one sounds better?

Thank you!


texts:
Example #1:

Active voice: India expected to win the match.
Passive (book answer): It was expected by India that they would win the match.
My answer: India expected the match to be won.

Example #2:

Active: I expect her to finish the task.
Passive (book answer): I expect the task to be finished by her.

For the first example (#1), the book shows only one answer but I think my answer is also correct. I just changed the sentence into passive voice in the same way as the book changed the second example (#2) into a passive.
Is my answer for #1 correct? Is my answer to #1 grammatically the same as the book's answer to #1?


texts:
Let's say you are describing your friend. And you say:

  Mr.B is our go to person. He gives/gave us advice every now and then.

I constructed a paragraph few months ago, and I used the past verb tense preceeding ''every now and then''. Furthermore, If I use ''gave'' here in this sentence, then it does not sound correct for me.(I'm not sure)

Do we put:

  simple present tense+''every now then''
  or

  Past tense+''every now and then''


texts: "She will be visiting" vs. "she will visit"

texts:
When she goes to Mexico, she will be visiting Chichen Itza.
When she goes to Mexico, she will visit Chichen Itza.

Is there a particular difference in meaning, or it is just the matter of style?


texts: I feel that when someone says "As I said," , they are not just pointing out they are repeating something they said before. They are saying you are not getting what they are saying. Is this true? What are the common moods and thoughts one experienced when saying this?


texts:
Is the usage of 'starting' in this sentence correct?

  I'll begin my diet starting from next week.


texts: Any better way to say ‘more much rarely’?

texts:
I would like to say,

  B is not so frequent as A.

Is it okay to say,

  'B is much more rarely?'


texts: Can I have your feedback on this sentence? Is it wordy?

texts:
This is like raising one's head, as far as its maximum angling capacity allows, and ‘looking up to’ the sky.

I wonder if the bold section is too wordy.  Is there an adverb that captures this meaning?


texts: What's the meaning of "establish" in this context?

texts:
From OALD, entrench is defined as:

  to establish something very firmly so that it is very difficult to change

Does establish here means to cause to be accepted or recognized?

Edit: I came across the word from this passage:

  Some people feel that this term is a bit negative, given the association with hunting and death, and they prefer more positive twists on the saying. Several organizations have even sponsored contests to come up with a new and more animal-friendly version of “to kill two birds with one stone.” However, the idea has become so entrenched in many societies that it is unlikely to fade from usage anytime soon, negative or not.


texts: Can I use "has have had" together in a sentence?

texts:
Can I use has, have, and had together in a sentence like,

Karan says he has have had three "epic fail" relationships in life.

I've seen this sentence in The Indian Express and India Today.

A guy has been arguing with me insisting that you can use like that and it's grammatical.

I said it's ungrammatical but he showed the websites above and a few more(of same article).

I still can't understand whether it's grammatical or not. I've never seen such a usage.

Am I right in saying it's ungrammatical? Please someone correct me if I'm wrong.


texts:
There's a reply I read right before, and I'm not familiar with using 'as' when I need to compare something or hear someone comparing something.

  Yes, it's heard in colloquial usage. It would be spoken more as "After she’d had her baby.”

Is it possible to use 'than' instead of 'as' here?
Is there certain time I should only use 'as', not 'than'?


texts: A controversial GRE verbal reasoning question

texts:
Source (One of many)

  To say the actors were (i)______ their director is an understatement: a director who is visibly bored by his cast and their performances is hard to (ii)______.

The choices for (i) are:

A. disappointed in
B. accepting of
C. motivated by

The choices for (ii) are:

D. lambast
E. displease
F. suffer

There are three "semi-official" answers (not given by ETS) for this problem: AF, BF, BE. Any of them makes partial sense.

I originally chose AF. Since "understatement" means to say something less important than it really is, (ii) is supposed to be severer than (i).

I wonder how native speakers of English will approach this problem.


texts: word meaning : Large ( in terms of money)

texts:
I came across this in The Mentalist-S03E04. The guy says

"I was looking for my money. He owes me 22 large, plus nine years interest."

What does large mean here?


texts:
I was reading a book and this sentence seemed a little odd to me:

  At approximately 19.45 hours the two men rose, stretched and yawned. They picked up their gear and stood at the door, ...

What does the first part mean? If it's the exact time, shouldn't it be 19:45? And if it's duration, shouldn't it be "After 19.45 hours"?

(The story here happens at an airbase, if it's of any relevance)

Edit: The book I've quoted is this:

The Sirius Crossing by John Creed.

The author is Irish and the text is set in northern England/Ireland.


texts: "second communication we have sent" or "second communication we had sent"?

texts:
This is the second communication we have sent and we are much surprised at receiving no answer.

My book says NO ERROR.

But "we have sent" should be "we had sent", correct me if I'm wrong.


texts:
I read this sentence in a story:"She leaned over to pick Bella's teddy bear off the floor."
I would like to ask if I change "off the floor" to " from the floor" would there be any change in the meaning of the sentence.


texts:
Is this called fetal position? If yes, can we say:

She is sitting in fetal position.

Or: She is sitting with her head bowed closed to abdomen.


texts: Is the use of the pronoun "who" correct in the following sentence?

texts:
Sentence: "There was some doubt as to who the child's real father was."
I have a feeling I should use whom instead:  "There was some doubt as to whom the child's real father was."
What is the correct one? How to know which of these two pronouns to use in this sentence?


texts: Where I can get correction my sentences on English

texts: I finding service where my english sentences correcting a native speakers. I used lang-8.com. But correction was rare. I find same service like it. Ore another where I get help. don't matter free or not.


texts: Why sometimes in the U.S.A do they skip verbs?

texts: Reading some lyrics from American songs, I've noticed that sometimes they skip verbs. For example in F.N. by Lil Tjay he says "You a Man, I don't fear you" Isn't this wrong? I think it should be you're a man. Why do they do this? Also sometimes they use the verb to be in infinite for example I be, why do they do this?


texts:
I wonder the meaning of texas poon tappa.

I searched in Google and found this.

  the tappa is an individual that rolls into the great south and taps poons with reckless regard for safety.

But I don't understand the definition. Could anyone explain it easily?


texts:
She came to class.

Is it correct?

Why isn't any article used before "class"? Can I write:

  She came to the class.

Please tell.


texts: What is the meaning of these lines from Speed of Sound by Coldplay?

texts:
In the song Speed of Sound by Coldplay, there are the following lines:

  Every chance that you get,
  Is a chance you seize

What is the meaning of these lines? Do they mean that you should seize every chance that you get or that only the chances that you actually seize are the chances worth being labeled as the ones you got?


texts: Lots vs. Large Amounts vs. Great Deal Of

texts:
Which one of the following sentences sounds awkward, and which sound more natural?

1.

  a) He spent (a lot of / lots of) time.
  b) He spent a great deal of time.
  c) He spent a large amount of time.

2.

  a) He discovered (a lot of / lots of) gold.
  b) He discovered a large amount of gold.
  c) He discovered a great deal of gold.

In both groups I think the choice 'c' is incorrect or at least they don't sound natural.


texts: Why "buy a little happy" instead of "buy a little happiness"?

texts:
I came across the following sentence:

  Buy yourself a little happy.

I don't understand why the adjective form happy is used instead of happiness.


texts:
I think in the sentences below, “by” doesn't work and the only proper preposition is “until”, because all of these sentences are negative where “by” doesn't make any sense at all.

  -A- She won’t be back until 5 o’clock.
  -B- He will not return until Monday.
  -C- Why didn't you come until 12 o’clock?
  -D- I won’t be ready until Tuesday.
  -E- I can’t be ready until 8 p.m.
  -F- You mustn't be at home until 7 o’clock.

Whereas If we change the negative forms of these sentences to positive, we will see that "by" would be the proper preposition and then "until" would not work. Am I right?


texts: I can't add a concrete time specification when making a Present Perfect sentence, but I can do so if I use Past Perfect. Is it correct?

texts: For example, would it be okay to say, "A journalist took an interview from the actor who in 1999 had made his debut in [movie title]"?


texts:
Which one of the following sentences does use "enable" grammatically correct?

Studying different subjects enables students to broaden their horizons.
Studying different subjects enables to students to broaden their horizons.

According to dictionaries, 1 must be correct but there are so many sentences on the Internet and even in native American conversations that 2 is used.
For example:

Gift of $2m enables to US Squash to appoint Head National Coach

Illini PRA enables to students to explore public relations field


texts:
I am writing a report and comparing this year's increase/decrease to last year's increase/decrease.
Which of the following sentences is more correct and why?

Civil filings decreased 21.6% in 2020, to 19,655 from 25,076, which
follows a 13.5% decrease in 2019.

vs

Civil filings decreased 21.6% in 2020, to 19,655 from 25,076, which
followed a 13.5% decrease in 2019.


texts:
I am not able to understand the grammatical structure of the following sentence though I am  able to comprehend its meaning

  He is to be blamed equally with his brother.

I looked up the meaning of equally and with but didn't find any such use as it is used here.(no other context can be provided regarding the sentence as it is just an example sentence in my grammar book)

Somebody help me understand this.


texts:
Is the use of the phrase set agoing legitimate? By legitimate I mean that if an author uses this phrase then her\his readers catch its meaning.

Incidentally, I have not found any evidence rejecting the hypothesis that the word ``agoing'' is not an established word.

Thanks so much beforehand!


texts: What does shit mean in the expression "doesn't take shit from anyone?"

texts: Is shit in that idiom something unjustified or something justified? Like shit seems to indicate that it's not something that was deserved. Is this the case?


texts: Meaning of "somebody had someone else by X pounds"

texts:
I've seen the following sentence in an article.

Jane had Kate by five pounds of muscle.

Does it mean that Jane has 5 pounds more of muscles than Kate ?
Is that sentence grammatically correct ? I have never seen such a construct.
What would be other ways to say it ?
Would it still make sense if there was just "Jane had Kate by five pounds" ?


texts:
I've recently faced the expression "to put X in XYZ" in a post (which I think was promoting a product). And I found out this is kind of a popular expression in some memes and also there is a thread in which lots of them are provided by the commenters.
For example:

I put the fun in funeral
Microsoft: You put the "excel" in "excellent"

But I don't get what's the meaning behind it. Is it just playing for fun with a pair of words which the latter contains the first one but the meanings are far apart?


texts:
I have issues deciphering meaning of the following sentence:

  We are the Atom Cats, a gang of the most with it way out cats in the Commonwealth.

This sentence is from Fallout 4 game (which is not that important). The part I am struggling with is "the most with it way out cats". Does that make sense to a native speaker?


texts: Which verb form to use before 'understanding it'?

texts:
She won't be understanding it
She won't have been understanding it
She might not be understanding it
She might not have been understanding it

As far as I know 'understand' is a stative verb so -ing is ungrammatical and unidiomatic as well.

Right?


texts: I would like to know how a native speaker would say that someone tries to smile, however hard it may be for this person to do so (because he is embarrassed, or because he simply is reluctant to smile at something which he does not find particularly funny). It seems that "he endeavoured to smile" is not quite right (only five results on Google Books, only four with the American spelling)... What could one say, then, to express such a thing, insisting on the effort which the person has to make to smile?


texts:
I have just had a conversation and both parties were certain that the understanding and interpretation they got was correct. I was therefore wondering if somebody could confirm a general interpretation for the following:

P1: "They have one of my favourite games for - insert console name
here -"
P2: "Has it only just gotten released?"
P1: "Apparently in October"

Apart from a few mistakes in written English, could someone tell me if the interpretation of October would be for the October that has just passed OR the October coming. This is relevant for today.

Thanks.


texts:
I've been reading about how doctors avoid using the word 'cure' and instead use the word 'remission' for chronic diseases and cancer. So when they avoid using it, does this mean:
a) the treatments CANNOT cure chronic diseases/cancer.
or
b) the treatments MAY NOT cure chronic diseases/cancer.(implying there is a possibility that it can be cured)

Which statement is correct?


texts:
Does "law" here refer to a scientific law?

The first outstanding incident was the mediumship of the Eddy
brothers, which has probably never been excelled in the matter of
materialization, or, as we may now call them, ectoplasmic forms. The
difficulty at that date in accepting such phenomena lay in the fact that
they seemed to be regulated by no known law, and to be isolated from
all our experiences of Nature. The labours of Geley, Crawford, Madame
Bisson, Schrenck Notzing and others have removed this, and have given
us, what is at the lowest, a complete scientific hypothesis, sustained by
prolonged and careful investigations, so that we can bring some order
into the matter.

The History of Spiritualism   By A.C Doyle
XII: THE EDDY BROTHERS AND THE HOLMESES


texts: It already exists OR it is already existing before

texts:
Let's say a group of students is speaking in front of a classroom. In the middle of their talk about a brain research, they just said ''we call this 'paralysis analysis''. After that, their teacher reacted and said:

  "You are the one who coined that phrase, it already exists before you even call it that way."

Or

  "You are the one who coined that phrase, it is already existing before you even call it that way."

The two sentences above I think is grammatical, but what tense should I use to clearly communicate what I am trying to say?


texts:
I came across "so" inversion without "that" do you ratify this clause and supply more examples ?

The attitudes towards the use of insect in animal feed and resulting livestock products are generally favourable, so has recent scientific research shown.

X : I like pop-music.
Y : So do I / Me, too.

If like this, please demystify to differetiate between "Me, too" and "So do I".


texts:
I'm a native English speaker. On a site where I help Russians with English, one of them wrote the sentence:

  My watch has been working good since I fixed it.

Naturally, I pointed out that the correct way to express this is with well or fine, however he insisted to the contrary, instructing me as follows, and I quote:

  no, actually good has become an adverb long time ago, check some new
  dictionaries. Plus I was just told by a native speaker in the
  TeamSpeak that both variants (working good and working well) are
  valid, theres no mistake or how u put it "isnt grammatical" in using
  good. Its just a matter of choice or habit. Plus ofc the "feeling
  good", "I feel good I knew that I would" very old song n lots of
  things like that exist no matter what!

In all fairness, I wanted to consult other natives to hear their opinion on this. I'm very reluctant to believe that this is now considered correct (much less that it became an adverb "a long time ago.") I know that some natives speak this way, but that doesn't make it correct or acceptable in my book. What do you think?


texts:
Which of the following sounds better in a formal manner?

A man for whom one year has not passed(elapsed) since he was graduated from the college.
A man in whose case one year has not passed(elapsed) since he was graduated from the college.

Any comments or suggestions will be appreciated.


texts: "Ruffled some conservative feathers in the audience"?

texts:
The da vinci code

  ... lecture – a slide show about pagan symbolism hidden in the stones of Chartres Cathedral – had probably ruffled some conservative feathers in the audience.

What is the meaning of the strong text, given above?


texts: How can "jemand muss funktionieren" be translated to english?

texts:
The german term

  Jemand muss funktionieren

is often used to express that somebody has to continue doing his stuff (work, house work, ...) because otherwise there are negative consequences (e.g. for his children) which are not an option for him. The term is often used by persons who have to raise their children alone and have a high pressure such that they merely can do things they want to do.

However, the literal translation

  Somebody has to work

seems to have a different meaning...i.e. (translated back)

  Jemand muss arbeiten

So how can I translate it without changing the meaning?


texts:
A person was handling a small plastic can filled with small beads. His hand fumbled and all the beads popped burst and spread all over the floor.

What are correct verbs describe this movement?

  The beads popped burst all over the floor.
  He popped burst the beads and they are now all over the floor.
  The beads splashed(?)


texts: A knocked-over/An overturned vending machine

texts:
I walked past a knocked-over/an overturned vending machine.

Is one of "knocked-over" and "overturned" better than the other if I want to describe that what has happened to the vending machine has been done deliberately with force?


texts: "use Harry as example" vs. "use Harry as the example" vs. "use Harry as an example"

texts:
Alice asks Michael an English grammar question. Michael is trying to give an example to explain that, so Michael says

  let's use Harry as example

  let's use Harry as the example

  let's use Harry as an example

which one should Michael use?

As far as I know, the first one might be incorrect, as "example" is a countable noun, the speak should use an article. Is my understanding right? How about others?


texts: What do you call the "hold on" music that plays when you wait on the phone?

texts: I wonder if there's a better way to refer to "hold on" music than say '"hold on" music'. It seems awkward to use that wording to refer to it, especially when you write an official text for a government agency. I wouldn't want to use it in a formal text.


texts: Comparing "Stockings", "Leggings", "Pantyhose" and "Tights"

texts:
I was wondering what do you normally call each piece of clothing in the images below?
I have found the nouns "stockings", "leggings", "pantyhose" and "tights", but dictionaries do not provide me with enough information to tell them apart!
Also, according to the dictionary definitions, they usually are used by women / girls, while if you google them, you'll immediately find out that they can be used for men as well. However, I have no idea whether the database of these webpages has been written by native speakers!
I would be appreciative if you do me a favor and help me to distinguish these words:
Image 1: (Men's sport short covering) and Image 2: (Women's sport short covering)

Image 3: (Men's long sport covering) and Image 4: (Women's long sport covering)

Image 5: (Women's normal legs covering) and Image 6: (Women's transparent covering)


texts: the differences between the adjective clause

texts:
Please explain to me the differences  between these two sentences:

  a) The sales girl whom we met at junction square is patient.
   b) The sales girl at junction square whom we met is patient.


texts: Meaning of "as" in the following sentence?

texts:
What is the exact difference in the meaning between these sentences:

  The intercepted arc might be thought of as the part of the circle which is inside the inscribed angle.

and

  The intercepted arc might be thought of the part of the circle which is inside the inscribed angle.

What is the role of "as" in the sentence?


texts: What does "deadly" mean in the phrase "deadly secrets"?

texts:
In this audio file, at 0:55, what does deadly mean?

Causing or likely to cause death
Complete

The textbook says 1, but I think 2 is correct.

Source: The ILI English Series, Intermediate 1, Student's book, Page 101


texts: how to use multiple single words with a and an

texts:
I am trying to build a sentence that has many single words like this:

  It is not a product, a service, a desktop application, a machine, or an application but it is an architecture.

is that way or using a correct? or I should use just one a and one an like this:

  It is not a product, service, desktop application, machine, or an application..

Note:

I know that the sentence could be rewritten using neither and nor, but that is not my question. My question is about using many a/an or just one of them is enough.


texts: "linked by land and sea" VS "linked by the land and sea"

texts:
As a close and intimate neighbor linked by land and sea, China and ASEAN launched the dialogue process in 1991 and forged a strategic partnership in 2003.
  As a close and intimate neighbor linked by the land and sea, China and ASEAN launched the dialogue process in 1991 and forged/entered into/formed a strategic partnership in 2003.

Do we need the definite artice herein?


texts: Can I apply Inversions and subjunctives to the same sentence?

texts: Like, " So strange was the situation that I can sleep ". Is it correct? Also how about " The situation was so strange that I can sleep ". Which one is correct? Are both them correct?


texts: "I thought I flushed that in toilet" vs "I thought I flush that in toilet" - which is right?

texts:
Consider these two sentences:

  "I thought I flushed that in toilet."

and:

  "I thought I flush that in toilet."

Is this appropriate to use "thought" with "flushed"? Both are past tenses.


texts: Is "found" used correctly in this sentence?

texts:
a glossary of music terms found in Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

I think this sentence is incorrect because "found" is not in the passive voice when used as the meaning of "set up" or "build".

So I suppose the sentence should be changed to:

  a glossary of music terms founded in Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

Is my opinion correct? Thanks.


texts: The verb for making others fail their goals

texts:
If someone makes a plot and efforts to put barriers in someone's way that they fail their goals or don't get success, what idiom is used for this situation?

  A. to cut others' leg
  B. to cut others' ladder
  C. to pull others' leg

Can we say:

  X cut Y's legs so that Y doesn't get permission.


texts:
How to say that specific, concrete details are not required?

  Please avoid specific details and provide just a general description.

  Please avoid concrete details and provide just a general description

  Please avoid concrete description.

Does the bold parts sound idiomatic? If not, then could you please provide a more natural phrase?


texts: Specific differences between similar structures:

texts:
What are the differences between adverb structures, so much/ this much/ that much and so many/ this many/ that many? And how do I tell one from the another? How can I use them?

Thanks.


texts: What does "ever" mean in comparative constructions?

texts:
[i]

  As I matured and the protective cartilage at the ends of my bones wore away, as cartilage tends to do, the pain became more acute. And yet, instead of complaining, I tried to hide my problem. Perhaps I have always been more like Eve than I’ve ever admitted, for I distrusted the medical world immensely, and I found ways to compensate for my disability so I could avoid a diagnosis that would undoubtedly hasten my demise.
  (Garth Stein, The Art of Racing in the Rain)

  [ii]

  It is better than it has ever been. (CGEL, p144)

CGEL says, in [ii] “the comparison is between its quality now and its quality at any time within the time-span –– clearly the potential for it to be of such and such a quality still exists”. From this, I guessed the meaning of ever was at any time within the time-span. But after having consulted OALD, it seems like ever might just be an intensifier in comparative constructions, having lost the said meaning.

Which way should I understand ever in these constructions?


texts:
"Safer than with" is correct?
I have seen some sentences using this structure, I think it should be safer that not safer than with, could you please help me in this issue?
For exp:  as it does not produce vapors and has a high flash point
transportation, handling and storage are safer than with diesel


texts:
A: "Why are you so mad?"
  B: "You ...... me you weren't coming to dinner. I waited for you for two hours "

The answer is  " should have told " and I can understand why but there was another option on the test that " must have told "..I was just wondering is there any possibility we can use " "must have told" here on the blank to stress our emotions/feeling in order to make it clear that I detest to have been waited for..

Thanks


texts:
Some one asked me for my telephone number, but I am confused about what the correct response should be:

  You can call me at XXX

or

  You can reach me at XXX.

Can anyone explain the difference between these two sentences?


texts:
What does it mean to eat your hat? Does it mean to really eat the hat or does it mean you have disagreement to someone?
This expression appeared in the comments of Shawn Mooney's answer to Can we add “more” with an adjective to convert it into comparative degree?:

@kiamlaluno, I want to make peace with you, but maybe this particular post is not the place to do so. I fail to see how your suppositions about what OP might have intended negate my response. However, you and I have butted heads before when it was after midnight my time and afterwards I had to eat my hat, so please clarify. As far as my foggy mind can comprehend, the previous, linked post, together with my answer to this post, sufficiently answers OP's queries; on the other hand, your follow-ups seem but red herrings. I have eaten my hat on stack-exchange before, so...give me more. – Shawn Mooney 4 hours ago
I have never eaten anybody's hat, nor have I eaten @nohat's hat. You open your answer saying that this question is not a duplicate, but what you are supposing asked from the OP is not what the OP is asking. It seems the OP is (wrongly) using comparative for words like taller, and not more beautiful; when he says beautiful doesn't have the comparative, he means beautifuller is not an English word. Then, he is not asking about more taller, but more tall, for which there is already a question, even if that is about bigger. – kiamlaluno 4 hours ago


texts: Shouldn’t “language USE by learners” be “language USED by learners”?

texts:
A Cambridge english vocabulary says

  The Cambridge Learner Corpus is a collection of over 44 million words of English, based upon evidence of language use by learners from all over the world and from which the English Vocabulary Profile has developed. The English Vocabulary Profile shows the most common words and phrases that learners of English need to know in British or American English. The meaning of each word or phrase in the wordlists has been assigned a level between A1 and B2 on the CEFR.

use by learners in this case should be used by learners, is it?


texts: What is the term for a list of people who have permission to access your data?

texts:
I was going to wrote a code to display notice to user if the process to download a list of people who has permission to access the current user's data, like this:

  "Unable to load permission list"

But then I felt it weird. But to write it fully as:

  "Unable to load a list of people who has permission to access your
  data"

also feel too long and too verbose.

Is there any shorter and better alternative to this?


texts: Word that includes "food, alcoholic drinks, and non-alcoholic drinks"?

texts:
I searched Thesaurus but found nothing.

Example sentence:

  The __ were top quality, just like the restaurant
  review assured.


texts:
Which sentences correct for scientific truths, which always happens.

  When I mix liquid A and liquid B the new compound turns out to be
  green.
  When I mix liquid A and liquid B the new compound turns  to be green.
  When I mix liquid A and liquid B the new compound turns green.


texts: "No birds can play chess" - shoudn't it have a singular noun?

texts:
I read this as an example in Swan's book. It looks a bit strange as I'd expect a singular noun especially if the sentence begins with no.

Compare -

  No computers can work without being programmed.   No computer can work without being programmed.

Is putting plural noun change the meaning? To me, it should be a singular noun as we are talking about not even one computer can work without being programmed.

It's obvious that not even one bird can play chess, why plural then? Shouldn't it be ...

  No bird can play chess


texts: Which is the more appropriate term: graphics assistance or graphic assistance?

texts:
When referring to graphics (Art and Media), can I choose to use both "graphics assistance" and "graphic assistance" or is only the former the more appropriate choice?

She would like to thank Zepo for graphics assistance.


texts:
Which on is grammatically correct?

  I didn't need to say anything. So I kept quiet.
  I needn't have said anything. So I kept quiet.

If both are correct, What is the difference in meaning?


texts: Is "... be as adj. than ..." correct grammar?

texts:
A coin is tossed twice. Alice claims that the event of two heads is
  at least as likely if we know that the first toss is a head than if we know that at least one of the tosses is a head.

This is an excerpt from Introduction of Probability SECOND EDITION. Is this correct usage? I thought we should use "as adj. as"

Regardless of the correctness of the above passage, how is my rewrite below? Does it contain grammatical errors?

  Alice claims that the event of two heads if we know that the first
  toss is a  head is as likely as if we know that at least one of the
  tosses is a head.


texts: Tense agreement in a particular situation

texts:
Regarding the sentence marked in yellow, I am especially unsure about "was" or "is". Which one should I use if both the 1880 and 1852 articles still exist today?

  In the same 1880 text, the author mentions that his 1852 article was/is the first detailed account of what he calls the greatest scientific experiment of the century.

Can I use the combination "had been and still was". Does it sound well in English?

  In 1880, he was perfectly aware that the credibility of his 1852 account had been and still was quite low.


texts: When fixing a comma splice with a semicolon, is it sometimes necessary to alter the second clause?

texts:
For example:
a. I want to eat chocolate, I’m allergic.
Most people would fix this by adding a conjunctive adverb:
a. "I want to eat chocolate; however, I’m allergic."
Would it be incorrect to say "I want to eat chocolate; I’m allergic."?


texts:
We had an exercise on Subject and Object pronouns in school.
I have a question on the same.
Can we use them and they interchangeably?
Like in the following instance:

  It's them over there.

  They did it.

Is this usage appropriate?


texts: what is the difference between 'incantation ' and 'invocation'

texts: What do we call the action of calling God's name(s) praying to Him for curing a disease. Is it incantation or invocation or something else?


texts: "fulfill or achieve or accomplish my goal"?

texts:
I know "achieve my goal" is correct.

Is it good to say "fulfill my goal" or "accomplish my goal"?

Thanks!


texts:
Which of the following sentences is grammatically sound?

The ETA to close the task is the first of January

The ETA to close down the task is the first of January.

What difference does it make if I replace close/close down with complete?


texts: "He had had his nap" or "he had his nap"?

texts:
I am reading Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections, and I came across this sentence:

  He'd had his nap and there would be no local news until five o'clock.

Why did Franzen choose to write the sentence using the past perfect instead of the simple past? My understanding of past perfect is that it is only used to denote an event in the past that occurred before another event. Should I consider the "local news until five o'clock" as that latter event?

I know that the past perfect subjunctive of "have" is "had had," but I do not believe that he is conveying that mood.


texts: A:90% effective B:worked roughly as well

texts:
The context is that A vaccine is 90% effective while B vaacine worked roughly as well. The phrase "worked roughly as well" gives me the impression that B is a bit less than 90% in effectivity/efficacy. Do you have the same impression?
The truth is that B vaccine is 94% effective. So the word "roughly" has worked otherwise.

But, surprisingly, participants who received a lower amount of the vaccine in a first dose and then the full amount in the second dose were 90% less likely to develop COVID, compared with participants in the placebo arm.

Last week, Pfizer and BioNTech reported that their RNA-based vaccine was around 90% effective after the trial reached its primary endpoint, and an interim analysis of Moderna’s RNA vaccine showed it worked roughly as well.

Source: Nature  Why Oxford’s positive COVID vaccine results are puzzling scientists


texts: Is there any difference between "differ widely" and "differ dramatically"?

texts:
The phrases "differ widely" and "differ dramatically" are both translated to "very different" or "have great difference" in my learner's dictionary.

It seems that "differ widely" means differences in many places.
I guess "differ dramatically" means totally different.


texts: ...having difficulties with preparing VS difficulties preparing

texts:
I am not sure what is the difference between these:

I have difficulties with preparing the materials.
I have difficulties preparing the materials.

Thank you!


texts: Is it possible to use "single out" with "as"?

texts:
I have got hard time understanding this sentence:

  George Gilder (1994), who prides himself with having predicted the demise of television and the birth of the telecomputer as far back as 1989, singles out television, ‘the Cathode Ray Tube’ and the wireless technology of radio as instrumental in the formation of a pervasive medium empire, the ‘“master–slave” architecture’ of ‘a few broadcast centers’ that ‘originate programs for millions
  of passive receivers or “dumb terminals”.

Does the author try to say television and other things should be separated (but from what) as instrumental in the formation of a pervasive medium empire.

Source: David Holmes' Communication Theory


texts: I watched the video 3.35 - 3.45 and they talked about, who should pay bill in date ? She said I'm broke if boy work somewhere he can pay I'm about equality. they explain that 'believe in something' but I dont understand. Why she said I'm broke after said We are equality. Is that any different means ?


texts: Use and the meaning of the word EPISTEMIC!

texts:
Can you guys explain the meaning of the word epistemic and the use of it in a sentence? I cannot relate the meaning that I found to the sentences:

  Epistemic - relating to knowledge or to the degree of its validation.

The sentence that I cannot make sense of with the above mentioned definition:

  The Black Swan is the result of collective and individual epistemic limitations, mostly confidence in knowledge.


texts: Is "Do you even listen to yourself?" idiomatic?

texts:
I wrote an answer for the question What does the phrase "listen to yourself" mean?. In my answer I mentioned that the question "Do you even listen to yourself?" is both idiomatic and rhetorical. It is indisputable that "Do you even listen to yourself?" is rhetorical, but then there was a comment that it was not idiomatic since it literally asks someone to listen to what they are saying.

Well an idiom is a group of words that mean something entirely different from their literal meaning, like "raining cats and dogs" — to rain heavily.

So I thought "Do you even listen to yourself?" is idiomatic because it indirectly asks the speaker to review/analyze what they are saying, yes they have to literally listen to themselves about what they are saying, but "Do you even listen to yourself?" tries to urge the speaker to consider what they are saying even before they say it, or urges the speaker to not saying anything else that is not suitable/stupid as their previous responses were already not suitable/stupid.

So I wonder, is "Do you even listen to yourself?" idiomatic or have I got it wrong?


texts:
“Tony Abbott and his Canadian counterpart, Stephen Harper, have condemned carbon taxes during their first bilateral talks in Ottawa this morning.” (part of Aussie ABC audio; Original source)

I hear Stephen Harber instead of Stephen Harper. Is the presenter really pronouncing Harber? Or am I not differentiating voiced, b, from unvoiced, p? Which is the case? If I’m wrong, would you let me know how to differentiate between the two?


texts: Usage of "How can we" and "How we can" in the following case

texts:
Correct

This is how we can improve XXX.

Correct

How can we improve XXX?

May I know, which is the correct form?

Would you mind telling us how we can improve XXX?
Would you mind telling us how can we improve XXX?


texts: How to understand the sentence "people are living longer"?

texts: Does the sentence People are living longer mean people will live longer or people have tendency to live longer? Does the usage of the present continuous tense in people are living longer and children are leaving home result in the same meaning?


texts: Do I need an article like "some", "several" here

texts:
I wrote:

  The students took spelling tests against the word list using the proposed tool on desktop computers.

Should I say "on some desktop computers". Because I feel the computers that are used are a limited number.


texts: nucleus vs nucleolus vs nucleoid vs nuclear - meaning and origins

texts:
Can anyone explain what's the difference between the 4 words:

nucleus
nucleolus
nucleoid
nuclear

Is there something special about the suffixes -eus or -id and -lus which implies about their meanings?

Also think about these words in scientific context.


texts:
"This is the results of a questionnaire that asked visitors to the Parkway Hotel how they rated the hotel's customer service".

"A visitor to the American Museum of Natural History here in New York will find a darkened corner in front of the Planetarium where several dozen video screens are installed."

"visitors to somewhere" is that structure simply equal to "visitors of that particular place" ?


texts: using "attribute" to connect result and the cause

texts:
Is it okay to use verb "attribute" when connecting some resultant situation with a person who might have caused it to happen?

For example,

  The situation in our small company is deplorable. Profits have dropped
  almost to zero. However, I don't attribute this to our boss. Rather, I
  would blame the whole lazy staff and managers.


texts: -ed and -ing adjective, how to use it properly?

texts:
Why is it grammatically correct to use these -ing adjectives:

annoying habit
exciting news

and NOT these -ed adjectives:

annoyed habit
excited news


texts: Why is it "at upper left" as opposed to "on the upper left"?

texts:
A photo in an article with a caption that reads:

  Law enforcement officers during a raid of a gambling house in the 1940s. At upper left is Mike Elliott, whose campaign for Multnomah County sheriff would be financed by gambling racketeers. (Oregonian archive)

(source)

Why is it "at upper left"? I thought it is idiomatic to use the preposition on and with the definite article, "on the upper left". Is at upper left correct?


texts: "How hard is it to..." vs "How easy is it to..."

texts:
While I was reading this question from another Stack Exchange site, I got a little bit confused.

The title of the question is:

  "How easy is it to start Magic from scratch?"

In my opinion, I would assume that OP found the game easy to learn (an assumption); however, they were unsure of how easy it actually is ("easy, but no that much", etc).

However, in the body of the OP's question, it says:

  "But I feel like Magic is way more complex, thus more difficult to learn than other card games."

Having said that, I think it would be more appropriate for the title to say:

  "How HARD is it to start Magic from scratch?"

Am I correct? Is there a difference between these two ways? FWIW, I'm not a native English speaker.


texts:
Can you sense whether "barking outside" is a sing of approval or not? I am not familiar with such kind of English writing.

JM Rieger tweeted:
President Biden’s dogs Champ and Major can be heard barking outside after Biden signs an executive order lifting a ban on transgender people serving in the military


texts: Proper way to ask someone what they think about the reason of something

texts:
Let's say Person A is crying. I want to ask Person B that why Person A is crying.

Why do you think he is crying?
Why do you think is he crying?

Which one is the correct way of asking this question?

If I ask it the first way could Person B can say "I don't think he is crying". Note the question.


texts:
A U-turn is turning your vehicle around in the street to go back the way you came. To make a U-turn, signal and use the far left lane or the center left turn lane. You may make a legal U-turn:

  Across a double yellow line when it is safe and legal.
  In a residential district:
  If there are no vehicles approaching you within 200 feet.
  Whenever a traffic sign, light, or signal protects you from approaching vehicles.
  At an intersection on a green light or green arrow, unless a "No Uturn" sign is posted.
  On a divided highway, only if an opening is provided in the center divider.

Approaching from behind? Or approaching from front ? Over the crossroad for example.


texts: What does "This is all" mean in this particular case?

texts:
This post says

  This is all in the context of the data-generating distribution (or underlying distribution of the data). You can check another answer I made for more details on this.

Remove the "in the context of ..." part, the first sentence is "This is all".

Neither cambridge or oxford gives a definition or explanation.

"this is all" is part of "this is all I know" or "this is all I have", what does "this is all" mean here?


texts: Should I use singular or plural in this sentence?

texts: Mrs V, together with her children, jog or jogs in the park every weekend.  Thank you.


texts: The differences between They and You/One/We?

texts:
What is the difference between those 2 groups mentioned in the title?

Examples:

1

  One says you are immortal.

  They say you are immortal

  You say you are immortal.

2

  They say you've lived for 3000 years!

  One says...

  You say....

I know 'one' is a formal version of 'you', but what's the difference between those 2 and 'they'?


texts:
Nobody knows how the Indian cricket team is going to cope with the difficult and seamer-friendly wickets in Australia.

Choose the option which is closest in meaning to the bold-italic phrase in the above sentence.

put up with
put in with
put down to
put up against

My attempt :

put up with: tolerate
put in with: to partner with
put down to: attribute
put up against: to place someone into competition with someone else

‘cope with’ means 'put up with'?

Can you explain in formal way, please?


texts: Is there an idiom similar to "no such thing one can't do for a friend"?

texts:
The title is as close as I could get it. There's a Russian idiom, meaning that you will do everything for a friend. Actually, not only for a friend. It may be for love, or anything else. If I were to translate it literally, I'd say:

  What can't be done for a friend (or for love, you name it)?

Do note, that the question above is rhetorical. Is there a similar idiom in English? What would be the closest translation?

UPD Let me add some more context. Your friend asks you something. You find it weird. You wouldn't do such a thing if not for him. But you do it, saying the phrase being discussed.

UPD Let me add some more context (2nd try). Your friend and you have different idea of what is right to do in some particular situation. You decide to do what he suggested. But make it clear, that if it were you alone, you'd do it your way.


texts: What do you call a person who usually talks about a matter he/she doesn't know much about?

texts:
I thought to terms below and found them inappropriate:

Ignorant = A person who doesn't know generally = incorrect

Talkative = A person who may know a lot too! = incorrect

Awkward = A person who may know a lot but cannot express his/her knowledge appropriately = incorrect

Liar = A person who lies but may know a lot! = incorrect

Shallow = A person with shallow knowledge but may not try to force his/her ideas to the others = incorrect

Windbag = A person who talks a lot but may know a lot too = incorrect

Facile = Easygoing = incorrect

Can you suggest a better word or phrase?


texts: Is there another term for "motivate" with a negative tone?

texts: For example, there's someone at work that I really don't like, and she's good at her job. She makes me want to work harder and outdo her. Can I say, "She really motivates me"? To me, it sounds a little like she motivates me in a good way when it isn't. Is there another word that I can use? Or can "motivate" be used here?


texts: What is meaning of this newspaper extract?

texts:
There have been exceptions — the Nepali Maoists, for example, managed to partake in power after peacefully ending the civil war — but if the Indian Maoists’ denunciation of these steps taken by their Nepali counterparts are any indication, such a step does not seem to be in the offing.

I am unable to comprehend the meaning of the last line.


texts:
I have come across an interesting opinion of a native speaker. They claim the following:

The Council's decision allowed (the) building of the new swimming pool to go ahead. CORRECT
The Council's decision allowed building the new swimming pool to go ahead. WRONG
Zoo regulations do not allow feeding the animals by visitors. WRONG
Zoo regulations do not allow feeding of the animals by visitors. CORRECT

Do you agree? If yes, how can you explain the difference?


texts:
Woman: We separated two months ago. And it was not my decision.
Friend: I'm so sorry. What happened? Did he find someone else?
Woman: No.
Friend: So why does he not want to be with you anymore?
Is the last sentence phrased naturally in this context? What would you native speakers say?
(I tried searching "why does he not want to be with" on Google and it only had 6 hits)


texts:
Tell me please which word I have to use in the following context.

  I know how to use the computer,andI guess everyone/anyone knows how to use it nowadays.

I cannot see any difference in the meaning of the sentence if use any pronoun. Is there any?


texts: How to stress the importance of an object

texts:
I have a question about the usage of transitional phrases in the sentence

The project will help us to build stronger links to some German universities, first of all the University of Bonn, but also Humboldt State University and possibly other institutions.

I could formulate sentence 1 in the following way with slightly different meaning

The project will help us to build stronger links to some German universities, in particular the University of Bonn and Humboldt State University.

However, I would like to show in the sentence that it is the University of Bonn which is the most important for us, and other universities are less important.

How can I do so? Is the first sentence correct?


texts: Is rendezvous pronounced like run-they-who?

texts: I know that pronunciation in English is not very consistent, but I heard rendezvous being pronounced like run-they-who, which felt very strange. Is this really the right way to pronounce it, and how did it turn out like this?


texts: I have always known that after a preposition you have to use the following verb in the gerund form, however, it seems I have wrong al this time and I  would like to know the reason. Sentence: "I have to leave for work now", as far as I know, this sentence is well constructed, but why?


texts: I saw this phrase at quite a few places but never understood it. What does it mean when one says that "the answer is a qualified yes"?


texts: Will I be using proper grammar if I ask someone, “Is there anything more you would like to say?” I need to know if I’m able to use the word more instead of the word else.


texts:
It's from the 4th episode of the 3rd season of Breaking Bad. The context is that Walt's house was bugged unbeknownst to him and he is mad about it. So he is having the guy take it out.

Walt: Just make sure you get all of those things.
The guy: A,these things cost $800 apiece.
B, you're not that interesting. So yeah, I'll get all of them, Walter.
Walt: Great line of work, by the way.
Real upstanding field.

I know what upstanding mean. I can't figure out in what sense field was used there.


texts: Can we add other contents after closing a direct speech's quotation with a full stop?

texts: When we write direct speech sentences with a question mark ending, we can write something after. For example, <‘Can I come in?’ he asked.> Then, can we write something after when we end the direct speeches with a full stop? For example, <'I didn't expect to win.' I said.>


texts:
Today I went through a link in Oxford stating

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/spelling/verb-tenses-adding-ed-and-ing

  If the verb has only one syllable and ends with a single vowel plus a consonant (e.g. stop), then you need to double the final consonant before adding -ed and -ing:

  stop-stopped-stopping

but then I remembered the words: come and flow.

If we follow this rule it would be comming and flowwing when we add -ing suffix. However it would make the words look strange and alienated cause i have never seen anyone write it like that (at least to the extent of my study). So can you guys help me clarify this situation? Thanks in advance.


texts:
Reading this article, there is a line,

Biden also recalled the Senate of yore, as he has done multiple times as president: “It used to be you had to stand there and talk and talk and talk and talk until you collapsed. And guess what, people got tired of talking.”

I thought first Biden recalled he has been the old decades member of Senate, since the word yore is defined by Merriam,

time past and especially long past —usually used in the phrase of yore

But when I think like that, the following line

as he has done multiple times as president:

will not make sense.
So,
Does the expression "Senate of yore," mean what the Senate has been doing for over the decade?
Thank you for your precious time.


texts: The word "late" means "till a later time"

texts:
I got up late today.

Here the word late means at a later time than usual and the opposite of early.

Now,

  I worked late at work today.

  He stayed up late last night.

Are these sentences fine where late means until a later time than usual.

I didn't find any examples like this in dictionaries.

Thanks in advance.


texts: What's the official grammar term for such clauses?

texts:
What's the official term for these clauses of sentences? "Descriptive clauses"?

The male of this airborne species of fireflies has a special
biochemical light at the end of its body, that familiar lighting
visible on warm summer evenings.

Jenny was never happy about Max, that lanky and scruffy junior
always loitering at the school's entrance.

I never could quite get the meaning of their tradition of making that
religious cacophony, a mixture of all kinds of sounds and noises at
their temples almost every Saturday night.


texts: passive - present perfect vs passive - simple present

texts:
Life is beginning to look up a bit- the heavy rain has stopped .
The rain has stopped and people are walking away
After the rain is stopped slowly His father leads him to the village
The librarian says you have to go home now,the rain is stopped.

Need explanation on when to use passive - present perfect and passive - simple present.
what is the meaning of below sentences:

train has stopped
train is stopped

Give me one example using above two sentences.


texts: Which types of prepositional phrase is "toward its employees" in Philosophy guiding the organization's policies towards its employees is not bad?

texts:
The philosophy that guides the organization's policies towards its employees is not bad.
  The philosophy  guiding the organization's policies towards its employees is not bad.
  The organization's policies towards its employees is not bad.

In the first sentence, the phrase towards its employees is an adverbial prepositional phrase acting as an adverb which modifies the finite verb guide, isn't it?

In the third sentence, the phrase towards its employees is an adjectival prepositional phrase acting as an adjective which modifies the organigation's policies isn't it?

In the second sentence, guiding the organization's policies towards its employees is a participle phrase acting as an adjective which modifies the *philosophy, isn't it?

But my question is about the phrase towards its employees in the second sentence. I don't know whether it (towards its employees) is an adjectival prepositional phrase which modifies the organization's policies or an adverbial preposition phrase which modifies the word guiding in the second sentence.


texts:
There is a question I’ve read in a speaking test that I don’t know how to answer.

  ‘Do you like to give yourself aims or targets?’

To me ‘aims’ and  ‘targets’ are synonyms, how do I answer that?


texts:
What do the two following sentences mean?

I like apple of all kinds.
I like apples of all kinds.

P.s: I think the meanings relate to the idea of liking all types of apples, but I'm not so sure.


texts:
In a conversation with one of my friends, I said:

  I have been working at XXX company for a half year.

In fact, I was trying to convey I have been in this position for half a year and I'm still there now.

Well, what turns out is, the sentence made him feel I was not working at the XXX company any longer as the time I said it.

In the end, he corrected me with "I have been working at XXX corporation for half of a year.".

I am unsure if "for a half year" in the sentence has that implication?

Also, I am wondering what the correct way to express the ideas/implications:

I have been working at XXX company for some years, and I have left/am leaving now.
I have been working at XXX company for some years, and I am still working there.


texts:
Is the phrase "dick around" a bit rude or vulgar? Or is it neutral?
You're not spending money to dick around for 12 weeks and put your nose to the desk for the last two …
— Kaylee Kean
I know I don't have time to dick around with people who aren't serious.
— Derek Stonebarger
Source:  Merriam Webster


texts: A holiday postcard - 'We eat ' or 'We're eating.......in a restaurant every day'

texts: When writing a postcard from holidays. One should write: We eat in a restaurant or we're eating in a restaurant? Most sources I've found suggest Present Simple - 'every day'. However in this case it's a temporary situation (a week).....


texts:
In which of the sentences would the "both" be right, grammatically?

  a) "Such conditions are both dominant during the..."

  b) "Such conditions are dominant both during the..."


texts: "What if you asked him if the sun rise / rose in the east?" Universal truth

texts:
Two confusing sentences:

  What if you asked him if he love / loved you?

  What if you asked him if the sun rise / rose in the east? (universal truth)

Is there any rule that we should use only past tense in case of 2nd conditional?

Even in case of universal truth?

Thanks in advance.


texts: "When I was there, I would sunbathe / sunbathed a lot"

texts:
When I was in Sharm El-Sheikh, I .... a lot

A) Have sunbathed B) Was sunbathing C) Would sunbathe D) Sunbathed

I am certain it's either "Would sunbathe" or "Sunbathed" but can't tell which one.


texts: Is the sentence correct? I'll be back on Monday from my leave


texts: with structure: with remote Australian mine sites often long distances from professional emergency services

texts:
With remote Australian mine sites often long distances from professional emergency services, on-site emergency response crews need to feel confident handling just about any type of crisis.

I couldn't fathom the with structure here. Is there a rule(formular) here?


texts:
The season of strikes seemed to have run itself to a standstill.
  Almost every trade and industry and calling in which a dislocation could possibly be engineered had indulged in that luxury. The last and
  least successful convulsion had been the strike of the World's Union
  of Zoological Garden attendants, who, pending the settlement of
  certain demands, refused to minister further to the wants of the
  animals committed to their charge or to allow any other keepers to
  take their place.

  from The Unkindest Blow, a short story by Saki

Does "calling" include "trade and industry"?


texts: The Earth/the moon does not shine by its own light - "Both/and" or "neither/nor"?

texts:
The earth does not shine by its own light.
  The moon does not shine by its own light.

When these two sentences are joined, which words should be used, "both ... and..." or "neither ... nor..."?


texts: What does 'Maytey' mean in John Clare's poem?

texts:
What is the meaning of 'Maytey' in John Clare's poem titled 'To an April Daisy'?

It starts with the line, which is "Welcome old Maytey peeping once again."

Does it mean 'mate' in a familiar style?


texts: Difference between 'infected with' and 'infected from'

texts: Is there any difference between 'infected with corona virus' and 'infected from corona virus'


texts:
If you don't get the question, that's exactly what I want to know.

Imagine we have a ordered list of fruits.

["Apple", "Banana", "Peach", "Orange"]

I want the 3rd fruit in that list. But you don't know which one I want.
How one asks which member in the sequence I want.

like:

  What nth fruit do you want?

Now, I know that this is wrong. I'm looking for the right expression to ask this. I hope my question is now clear.


texts: Can 'hardly' replace 'rarely', or must I say 'hardly ever'?

texts:
I wrote the sentence

  Fiona goes to the theater once in a blue moon.

which means that

  Fiona rarely goes to the theater.

Can I use hardly instead of rarely in the sentence?, resulting in

  Fiona hardly goes to the theater.

Or must I use hardly ever? A dictionary  cannot answer this question.


texts: "Need to do something" versus "need doing something"

texts:
The OALD shows that need can be used as "need to do something" and as "need doing something." The examples shown by the dictionary are, among others, the following ones:

  He needs to win this game to stay in the match.
  This shirt needs to be washed.
  This shirt needs washing.

Could I rewrite the first sentence as follows?

  He needs winning this game to stay in the match.

Does the sentence have the same meaning as the first one, or do those sentences have a (slightly) different meaning?


texts:
There are this books called

  a brief guide to writing academic arguments

  a brief guide to writing from readings

  a brief guide to business classics

as far as I know brief means a piece of writing that doesn't contain too many words

how can a book be brief?


texts: What is the difference between in sale and on sale

texts:
English native speakers use this phrase 'on sale', but I have never seen people use 'in sale'.

Why don't people use 'in sale' ? I want to know why they don't.


texts:
In this topic in japanese SE:

What exactly is a subject

It is stated that in English:

  [A] verb is not an action that can be performed, it is a word that may or may not represent an action.

Is this true? In which sentences a verb is not an action?


texts:
Of the below sentences, which is correct?

  On the new platform custom OEM syscalls are prohibited, support team
  confirmed it after request.

  On the new platform custom OEM syscalls are prohibited, support team
  confirmed it after a request.

Also, should I use definite article with support team when it's known what team I'm talking about? Can it be omitted in casual speech?


texts: Do you say "the gut of a pen, a mobile phone, or a machine" when you want to refer to the inner part of a thing generally?

texts:
In English, people often say "stuff" when they refer to things generally, you don't need to say specifically what they are.

For example, "please move your stuff (you don't need to say specifically the books, mobilephones, etc) off the table".

In Vietnamese, we often say "the gut of a pen, a mobile phone, or a machine" (translated literally from Vietnamese to English) when we want to refer to the inner part of something generally?

Do we have a similar word to generally refer to the inner part of a thing (such as a pen or a machine)?


texts: X is out in the sentence or take X off inside sentence

texts:
My question is about using any of the following synonyms properly to talk about a grammar explanation.

Which is better?

  X is out in the sentence.

or:

  Take X off inside sentence.


texts: Is it idiomatic to say "...this would have been equivalent to an increase from X to Y"?

texts:
I am seeking help with the construction of the part in bold.

Act B replaced Act A. Act A was based on weeks, and Act B is based on hours.

  The entrance requirement was significantly increased [under Act B] from 700 hours to 910 hours of insurable work; under the old Act [Act A], this would be equivalent to an increase from 20 weeks to 26 weeks of full-time work.

Now, a native speaker suggested that "would have been" would be a better fit. Like this:

  (1) ...under the old Act [Act A], this would have been equivalent to an increase from 20 weeks to 26 weeks...

This makes sense to me as the old act has been replaced by the new one. In other words, the old act is dead. Compare: "Your father would have been proud..." that is the father is dead now.

My problem is with what follows equivalent, a change in the number of weeks.

  (2) ...under the old Act [Act A], this would have been equivalent to increasing the requirement from 20 weeks to 26 weeks...

Neither 1 nor 2 sounds right, it does not feel like how someone would speak. Which one is idiomatic?


texts: "rate they are going" meaning in this context

texts:
She used to come for Christmas every year, then, Thank God, she took offence because Fred and George set off a Dungbomb under her chair at dinner. Dad always says she'll have written them out of her will - like they care, they're going to end up richer than anyone in the family, rate they're going ... wow," he added, blinking rather rapidly as Hermione came hurrying towards them.

  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

What does "rate they're going" mean in this context? Isn't it missing 'the', "the rate they're going"?


texts:
What should I call the cup while brushing my teeth: a brush cup or brushing cup?

Some people might say "a cup you use for brushing", but I am looking for an adjective form.


texts:
I was in my son's English class (beginner) and there was a picture of a lobsters on it. The teacher wanted the kids to form a correct sentence using 'lobster(s)'. A kid said:

"These are the lobsters."

Was it correct? I feel like it sounds a little bit off because I'd often hear:

"These are lobsters"

instead, unless it's:

"These are the lobsters that we caught this morning"

or something. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to grammar, so I can only feel like it's off, but having no explanation whether or not it is wrong.

I'm not a native speaker, so kindly forgive me if my question is silly.

Thank you very much for your help!


texts: Is it necessary to repeat "had" in the following sentence?

texts:
I followed the dog. Luckily, as if it had become tired, or (had) reached its desired spot, it
  stopped.

Do I need the second had? Why or why not?


texts: Using present simple or present continuous

texts:
I'm catching myself to think about present simple or present continues when I'm constructing sentences like this one (it happened again) and I'm getting more and more confused.
What do you folks think is the correct way to write this sentence:

  Being able to help people to feel safe when they are crossing the
  streets makes me happy.

or

  Being able to help people to feel safe when they cross the streets
  makes me happy.

In my opinion, they are both correct, although I lean towards the second sentence in terms of correctness.

Many thanks,
Peter


texts: Should I use "won't", "wouldn't" or "shouldn't" in the following conditional sentence?

texts:
If planets are falling on Earth tomorrow, they won't/wouldn't/shouldn't look as
  small as a star (today)."

The "if X are doing Y tomorrow...they won't" construction has the most results on Google, so I'm leaning towards won't. Still, I'm not very sure ... is this the correct option? Why?


texts:
I was reading a novel when I came across this line

I'm pretty, smart and more than that, I love you more than anyone else.

Is the "more than that" in this sentenced used correctly? If not, would it be incorrect to replace with something like "most importantly" or any phrase with the word "most"?
Thanks for your help.


texts: "A good number of" to mean a suitable amount?

texts:
According to Merriam-Webster, the idiomatic meaning of "a good number of" is similar to that of "a good many", both of which express the idea that there is a lot of something. For example:

  An actress who has appear in a good number of [many] movies.

However, I would like to know if it's acceptable/natural to use it more literally to mean "a good/desired amount" of something. Since amount refers to quantities that are measured in bulk or mass, and shouldn't grammatically be used for things that can be counted (e.g. hours or children).

To give further clarification, below are two sentences that I wanted to use, but am not sure whether or not they adhere to rules of phrase usage.

  A good number of community service hours to have would be around a hundred.
  To mean I should aim for around 100 hours of community service.

  A good number of students to have in a classroom would be under 40.
  Since I can't say "a good amount of students...".

So what do you think about using those constructions? Is it acceptable to use them in such ways?


texts:
I have a reading passage, then a lecturer casts doubt on the reading using three main points. I want to write a summary of the reading and the lecture.  Now I want to ask you about this conclusion:

  The reading says .... . However, the lecturer mentions.... . the lecturer gives a compelling argument (or compelling arguments ?) to clarify his point view which demonstrate that the lecturer was correct (or true?)

I also want to ask about which in that sentence. Have I used it correctly?

If you know a better way to say that please let me know.


texts:
I'm doubtful about the following passive forms:

  She was suggested to take off...
  She has been suggested to take off...

I suggested her to take off for some days.

So, when the sentence begins with "She", which one is correct?


texts:
I cant understand the structure (and meaning) of the bold part. Is it right? is it possible to paraphrase it in an easier way?
Why is bad behaviour such a concern to parents? Why does this issue
motivate so many parents to ask the advice of friends or to buy a parenting
book to look for solutions? The answer is complex and multifaceted
and slightly different for each one of us. It might be linked to any or all of
the following: the powerful feelings children being challenging and pushing
limits bring up in parents;...
Cooper, A., & Redfern, S. (2015). Reflective parenting: A guide to understanding what's going on in your child's mind. Routledge.


texts: What does "Never wanted to mix, he didn't" mean in this context?

texts:
... There was a rush to buy the cook drinks and hear more details(about Frank).

  "Always thought he was odd," she told the eagerly listening villagers, after her fourth sherry. "Unfriendly, like. I'm sure if I've offered him a cuppa once, I've offered it a hundred times. Never wanted to mix, he didn't." ...

The sentence seems to be elliptical. I think it could mean either: "I never wanted to mix(get along) with him, because he didn't want to." or "He really didn't want to mix with anyone else."  What does it truly mean?


texts:
A statement read

  Today, mention of the word ‘Aadhaar’
  would not lead a listener to the dictionary meaning of this word.
  Instead, every person on the very mentioning of this word
  ‘Aadhaar’ would associate it with the card that is issued to a
  person from where he/she can be identified.

My doubt is: Here which refers to the Aadhar Card but to my mind Aadhar card is not some place
Is this construction wrong?


texts: "I was doing something" with present perfect

texts:
Yesterday I posted this message on an online forum:

  I've fixed that bug while I was reviewing the code.

But I'm not sure it's correct. I understand that I was reviewing the code is a finished event and the act of fixing the bug is finished as well, but its consequences affect the present (something is now working because a bug no longer exists).

Is my reasoning correct or should I always use simple past when I was doing something is in the same sentence (or context)?


texts:
Which is correct in both meaning and grammar, 'argue' or 'to argue'?

  As a general rule, historians find it difficult to isolate events in history and argue their impact upon society. [bare-infinitive parallelism]
  As a general rule, historians find it difficult to isolate events in history and to argue their impact upon society. [to-infinitive parallelism]

Is there no difference in meaning between the two sentences?

In my opinion,

to (isolate ... and argue ...) : subsequent acts
(to isolate ...) and (to argue ...) : separate acts

Thus, I think that 'argue' is a logically correct expression.


texts: He's "religious Christian" or "Christian religious"?

texts:
When having two continuous adjectives, how should I choose what will be first in a sentence? or it doesn't matter?

For example:

  He's "religious Christian"

or

  "He's Christian religious"?

I want to say that he's deeply religious and goes to church twice a week. But both are adjectives: religious and Christian and I'm not sure about the order in such case.


texts: Come down a mountain or come down from a mountain?

texts:
When somebody is descending from the slopes of a mountain which is the correct way to say this:

They're coming down a mountain (bridge, hill).

or

They're coming down from a mountain (bridge, hill) ?

If both are correct, how do you explain the difference?


texts:
Read below the sentences

  My wish would had completed.

  If I would had been to London.

Are they grammatically correct? What's the use of "would had" in them?

Do both the following sentences mean the same thing?

  If I would had been the president.

  If I were the president.

I've been learning English Grammar recently, So as a new comer I'm having these doubts. Could someone please help me? I've searched everything from the web, but the information was unavailable.


texts: What does 'The documentary American Factory looks at' mean here?

texts:
What is the meaning of verb 'look at' in 'The documentary American Factory looks at'?

  The documentary American Factory looks at a former American automobile factory now operating as a Chinese business.

VOA Article: Obamas and Netflix Present 1st Joint Film Project, ‘American Factory’


texts: What is the difference between revenge and avenge?

texts:
Please explain me. I tried the dictionaries but they do not help.

For example ODO gives the following for revenge:

    Inflict hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong done to oneself:- I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you

    1.1 [WITH OBJECT] Inflict revenge on behalf of (someone else):
     - it’s a pity he chose that way to revenge his sister

    1.2 Inflict retribution for (a wrong or injury done to oneself or another):
     - her brother was slain, and she revenged his death

... and it gives this for avenge:

    1 Inflict harm in return for (an injury or wrong done to oneself or another):- he vowed in silent fervour to avenge their murders

    1.1 Inflict harm in return for an injury or wrong on behalf of (oneself or another): - we must avenge our dead - they avenged themselves on the interlopers

As you can see these two sets of definitions seem interchangable.


texts: Different time periods for different civilization

texts:
During their Classic period, Mayan Civilization produced monumental
  structures inscribed with intricate hieroglyphic texts that
  archaeologists are beginning to decipher.

Why is the use of 'their' wrong here? Maybe the Mayan's had a different time scale then us, so won't using 'the' be incorrect? How can we correct the sentence and what is the error in its present form?


texts:
These failures can not only motivate us to find a successful way to accomplish our goal but also help us to grow in wisdom and in spirit.

I learned that "not only A but also B" and "B as well as A" are interchangeable. But I wonder if I can apply this to the above sentence.


texts:
Does the sentence “Max knew Dave from some years ago”
mean the same as
“Max has known Dave for some years”
Thanks


texts:
Just found this in a book I read - "You'll should not take this strategy far, as...."

Why did the author use this construction (will + should)? Is it correct (personally, I don't think so, but I am not a native speaker) and what does it mean?

Thank you very much


texts: Difficulty pronouncing "maths", "baths", "hundredths", "sixths"

texts:
My native language lacks dental fricatives, as does the variety of English commonly spoken in my country ("Dis is a ting."). Within a month or so I have to learn how to speak in a way that's intelligible to native British speakers. I'm finding considerable difficulty pronouncing the -ths sound in "maths", the -ths sound in "baths" and the "-dths" sound in "hundredths". The closest I got is "mafs", "barvs" or "bars", and "hundretts", respectively. I'm able to say "math" (the way Americans say it) without a problem, but I suspect it would sound odd in Britain.

"Sixths" lies beyond my abilities altogether.

How can I remedy this issue? Is there a compromise sound I can substitute, say "f" or "v" for the voiceless/voiced dental fricative respectively, without being laughed at?


texts:
In my school time, we learn that tense are of three types 1. Present Tense 2. Past Tense and 3. Future Tense. but i have heard that there is no Future Tense. is it true that only Present and Future is there and no Future Tense?

So my question is Actually how many tense are there? and How do we define the word "tense"?

How do we differentiate between these type of tenses?


texts: Which sentence is grammatically correct? (a, the, or no article)

texts:
1 Today's lecture will be one hour long, with focus on income taxation.

2 Today's lecture will be one hour long, with a focus on income taxation.

3 Today's lecture will be one hour long, with the focus on income taxation.

4 Today's lecture will be one hour long, with its focus on income taxation.


texts: "... is five story" VS "is a five-storied ..."

texts:
Can we use both constructions without thinking about the difference?

  This is a five-storied house.
  This house is five storey.


texts: Does pronouncing -ed ending of past tense verbs really matter?

texts:
I am having a very hard time pronouncing the -ed ending of the past tense verb. When I hear a native speaker speaks these past tense verb, I hardly notice the -ed sound.
So could I ignore them? Or some of them?


texts:
I'm making slides for my colleagues that summarize some of my experience in our domain. The team is international and I am not a native English speaker.

One of the slides should contain ten tips a about processing speedup. And processing is a noun here — it means the act of transforming the information.

How do I say that correctly in English:

10 Tips for Speedup Processing
10 Tips for Processing Speedup
10 Tips for Speedup the Processing

???


texts: Do people say this kind of sentences to others? I don't often see this kind of sentences. I often see sentences like "I would/wouldn't like someone to do something", but not "I like/don't like someone to do something".


texts:
When you drive a car and you see something wrong with your car, so you must stop it. What is correct to say immediately and after 1 hour? My version is in brackets.

My car breaks down. (immediately, if it is by itself)
My car has broken down. (after 1 hour, if it was by itself)
My car is broken down. (immediately, because of poor service)
My car has been broken down. (after 1 hour, if it was because of poor service)

This example with the car is important for me to better understand the language.

Is it possible to use passive voice in these sentences or only active voice with some variations?

Thanks!


texts: Is there a word or idioms for "political necessity"? For example, let's say politicians need to do something or enact a policy no matter how unpopular it is, because of a political necessity. What do you call them? Is there a word? If not, is there an idiom that express this idea directly or indirectly? If so, how so?


texts:
Which is the best way to say that a movie is directed by someone, or a book is written by someone? (without saying directed and written).

  One of my favourite movies is Indiana Jones by/from/of Lucas.

  I enjoyed reading The Stranger by/from/of Camus.


texts: "Out of something or someone"/ "short on something or someone"

texts:
I needed 10 watches but I realised that I had only 9. So what should be used:

  1.) I am out one watch.

  2.) I am one watch out.

  3.) I am one watch short.

  4.) I am short on one watch.

And if we're talking about a person:

  1.) We're one player short.

  2.) We're short on one player.

  3.) We're out one player.

  4.) We're one player out.

So what sounds natural #1,#2,#3 or #4 in both the contexts?