texts: What’s the meaning of "Shut the  up down there!"?

texts:
While I was reading a book, a book character screamed

  "Shut the fuck up down there!"

I can't pick apart any phrasal verbs from this sentence.


texts: Appropriateness of Replacing "while" with "and" in sentence

texts:
Sentence:

  "The senate adopted new rules to prevent representatives from serving on a committee while at the same time maintaining an interest in any company that conducts business that is affected by that committee's decisions."

Can "while" be replaced with and?


texts:
On the 10th floor, the two men pulled out their guns and started shooting at each other.
On the third floor, the office workers could hear the gunfire upstairs.

Can upstairs be used about a floor that is more than one floor above?

Is upstairs the most natural word you could think of to use here?


texts: What do you call this when cats hunch their backs and their fur stands on end? I know there is such a word but I cannot recall it. This word can be used figuratively when saying that someone gets surprised, angry or react badly to something.


texts: Do we have to use adjective complements just after adjectives?

texts:
Examples:

  I had already been very sorry but with your behaviour, I was extremely disappointed.

(Instead of "but I was extremely disappointed with your behaviour")

  I was good at software programming but at hardware technologies, I was very bad.

(Instead of "but I was very bad at hardware technologies")

  This city is not close to London, but to Manchester, it is very close.

(Instead of "But it is very close to Manchester")

What do you think about that word order? I know that they are strange but I don't know whether they are grammatically correct or not. Because as you know, something can be grammatically correct even if it is strange.


texts: Proper way to say, thanks for your "careness"

texts:
What is the proper way to say, if I want to express, thanks for your "careness"?

I mean, I want to express, thanks for being care about me, i.e., thanking them for always having me on their mind, (or my illness, my pursuit etc), and kind enough to care & ask.

I know that "thanks for being care about me" is the about right what I want to express, however, I'm feeling that it has the underline meaning that I'm being weak, which is not the case. It's more about "thanks for your concern", but "concern" is too strong, and too serious to me.

This is not for a close friend, but someone I know from the Internet. I once told him, long time ago, that I'm determined to learn so and so, and 8+ months later, he still remember, and care enough to ask "how is it going", and I want to thank him for that, in a sentence as vague and as short possible, but still to the point.

thx


texts: How to understand "They were not looking at you funny"?

texts:
A quote from the movie The Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2:

They were not looking at you funny.

How to explain the syntactic construction of this sentence? Why does the speaker put funny at the end?
I think I can understand this sentence as "they didn't think you are funny."


texts: Oxford Dictionary - Here "Oxford" is an adjective or noun?

texts: I like to know when noun is used as adjective.


texts: Difference between "outlier" and "offset"

texts:
When talking about deviated points (values) from a line formed by points (values) changing in a consistent way in a graph, which word better describe them: outliers or offsets?

What is the difference between these two?


texts: What is the meaning of this sentence about inversion of control?

texts:
This sentence is very twisted. Can anyone break it down?

  It's not "inversion of control" if the control over whether there's inversion of control is not inverted


texts: Different ways to express the fundamentalness of a problem

texts:
Consider we intend to say that a problem cannot be solved only if we look through more fundamental concepts of a theory.
I suggest these:

Problem A cannot be solved without resorting to the fundamental concepts of theory B.
Problem A can only be solved at deeper levels of theory B.

Which sentence works well? what do you suggest?


texts: which one is the most appropriate sentence?

texts:
I am curious about which sentence are correct?

1. "I mean that how can I know, which REMAP[0] is used for"

"I mean, how can I find out what REMAP[0] is used for?"

What if 2 is then why?
What if 1 is to be correct sentence what it need to?


texts: The indefinite article with the word "last"

texts: Generally when "last" followed by a noun then the definite article is used. For example: "It was the last time I won." But in the news I came across this: "I can't lose and say 'I won a last time.'" why "the" is not used in the last example?


texts: Omission of auxiliary verbs in coordinated clauses

texts:
Can I write

  This approach has been supported by the academic community and has been followed by some commercial approaches

or

  This approach has been supported by the academic community and followed by some commercial approaches

I look for the rule for omission of some words in coordinated clauses.


texts:
What is correct ? "Respected family" or "respectable family".

When the sentence is -

  "My mother comes from a (respect) family.

Is that correct -

  Respected is only used before living being ,not before non-living thing like family or institution.


texts: Could you teach me this usage of "with"?

texts:
This is from a novel "The Story of Doctor Dolittle". I can't understand this usage of "with", or what "it" indicates.

(Dr. Dolittle had cured a horse because he could talk to him.)

  And so it was with all the other animals that were brought to him. As
  soon as they found that he could talk their language, they told him
  where the pain was and how they felt, and of course it was easy for
  him to cure them.


texts: What does “capped” mean in this sentence?

texts:
This is the phrase :

  During months where no time on site is required, time spent on this project will be capped at 20 hours.

According to you, the meaning is that "during months with no site activity, one can bill a maximum of 20 hours" or "The word “capped” does not mean that you should bill for 20 hours"?


texts: Are going to give me/will give me/are giving me

texts:
A: It's your birthday soon. Do you think... you'll get some good presents?/you're going to get some good presents?

B: I already know what my mom and dad… are going to give me./will give me./are giving me.

Could someone please tell me what you think the most natural combination here would be? Thank you in advance.


texts: What is correct way to write language used?

texts: Do you say: "The following text is German" or " The following text is in German"


texts:
I've heard that the phrase "If there is/are" can be used in the sentences. But I don't know exactly how to use in sentences. Although I don't know its exact usage, I've tried to use it in the sentences below:

If there is a quite a silence at the market, there must be something wrong.
If there is a private discussion at their home right now, we don't need to go there.
If there are many fishes at that pond, let's move for haunting.
If there are similarities between their meanings, you need to be more specific when you differentiate them.
If there is a mistake in my writing, please correct it for me.

Could you please tell me the correct usage of "If there is/are?


texts:
A commercial from "Planet Fitness" and if you've seen the commercials they say "5 dollars down and then 10 dollars per month (repeats)"
It'd be really helpful because I couldn't find an answer
Thank You


texts:
If X believes that whatever abilities he has he gained all on his own. X merely ignores the factor that many of the abilities are by birth too and you have your abilities given to you by God. X thinks all his abilities are by his own efforts. X is unmindful of the fact that Almighty power may ever take any of his abilities back anytime. Which word is best here:

self-admiration

self-appreciation


texts:
If you see somone acting rude now, would a native speaker say:

  "How can you be so rude?"

or:

  "How could you be so rude"?


texts:
Here is the context.

  UH OH PISKETTI-OH, Donald Trump, that was not your plan, was it?

Is it a idiom or just a random exclamation without any special meaning?

I see it in this article.
Hero Obama Judge will see Dumbass Trump Lawsuit Next Tuesday


texts: Could you explain the difference between 'to draw' and 'to pull'?

texts:
Could you explain the difference between to draw and to pull to remember forever? I read about their difference, but I can not remember firmly. They appear in the text of the book often and alternately. I have even found a short sentence with both of them. Do they use that there was no tautology or they bring different meanings?

  She found herself looking directly into one of his eyes, a great,
  amber cat's eye, the dark mandala of the pupil, opening, compelling,
  beckoning. She was drawn towards the oval, was pulled into it, was
  through it.

A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle


texts: Should there be a comma before "but instead" in the following example?

texts:
Am I correct to include a comma before "but instead" in the following example? I am not sure if the latter part of the sentence could be considered a main clause because there is no subject, so I am not sure if I am right or not.

  The manual holds that women must not choose a programme themselves, but instead wait to be assigned to a module.


texts: Is there really a difference between the use of will and shall?

texts:
Shall I open the door?

  Will I open the door?

So far as I know , the first sentence means will you allow me to open the door?

The second question means Will I have the ability to open the door?
( it is not usually)used in the sense of seeking permission)

  You shall do it(obligation)

  You will do it ( prediction)

  I shall do it((intention- formal)

  I will do it( intention- more usual or common than I shall do it)

Do native speakers in all the countries follow the distinction between shall and will or does it change from country to country?

I am asking the question because some native speakers say that there is not much difference between will and shall and some say there is clearly a diference?


texts:
What is the exact meaning and concept of "cast" in this quote?

  “When you have once seen the glow of happiness on the face of a
  beloved person, you know that a man can have no vocation but to awaken
  that light on the faces surrounding him; and you are torn by the
  thought of the unhappiness and night you cast, by the mere fact of
  living, in the hearts you encounter.”

  ―Albert Camus


texts:
2) A definite geographical area is not necessary for society. It is universal and pervasive; but, a definite geographical area is essential for a community.

Regarding the explanation above, when we say the following, after all I am wondering which geographical area is to be considered. That is, I can not see any area, however, Could you??

The academic community

enter link description here


texts: Should “much” be omitted in “as much sarcastic as I am”?

texts:
Is it grammatically correct to write a sentence like this:

I enjoy spending my time with people who are as much sarcastic as I am.

Or the “much” should be omitted?


texts:
Why doesn't the following text include a '-ing' clause? for example, "she saw him winking his eyes"(=she saw him. He was winking his eyes). When should I use a 'present simple' clause instead of a 'continuous' clause?

  "Why was I forgotten?" Mary said, stamping her foot. "Why does nobody
  come?"

  The young man whose name was Barney looked at her very sadly. Mary
  even thought she saw him wink his eyes as if to wink tears away.

  "Poor little kid!" he said. "There is nobody left to come."


texts: Future "If" clauses and usage of present simple and present continous

texts:
what is the difference in the sentence:
We won't be able to go out if it is raining.
We won't be able to go out if it rains.
Or are there interchangable?
Thanks a lot.


texts: "Bags should only be filled 1/2 full" - does the word "only" work as "not more than" here?

texts:
A translator translated the Russian sentence from an instruction

Пакеты наполняют не более чем на 1/2.

as

Bags should only be filled to 1/2 full.

The Russian sentence literally says "Fill the bags to not more than 1/2 of their capacity".
Can the English word only in the translator's sentence mean "not more than"? Or would the use of only mean that the bags should be filled to 1/2 of their capacity, but generally not more and not less?


texts:
Which of the following is grammatically correct and why
 'the magnanimous sales of Diwali combined by our thorough research'
or
'the magnanimous sales of Diwali combined with our thorough research'

if explained, would be highly appreciated


texts:
At the dentist's:

  I was on time for my dentist's appointment, but the dentist was still busy with another patient, so I sat in the waiting room and read some of the old magazines lying there. All the while I was wondering whether to leave and come back another day .

Why past simple here and not past continuous? To me both actions are in progress they are not completed

http://teachermuriel.eu/hotpot/5_gram_mixed_tenses_gaptext_dentist.htm


texts: "you already knew" vs. "you've already known"

texts:
A tutorial says

  we say that the manager told us more. That means you already knew something about this plan.

It seems better to use present perfect tense here.

  ... That means you've already known something about this plan.

I understand people can't care about the grammar too much while they are speaking. I'd just like to know if my understanding about that grammar is right.

So, is it better to use present perfect tense there?


texts: The usage of the word "loose" in "the bun of hair loose on her neck"

texts:
She looked down at me, the bun of hair loose on her neck.

The above sentence is taken from Dreams Do Come True by Jim Bishop.

Is the word loose used correctly?


texts:
1 He hampered/hindered my studying English yesterday.

2 He hampered/hindered me in studying English yesterday.

3 He hampered/hindered me to study English yesterday.

I think 1 is OK 2 might be OK 3 must be WRONG. Do you agree?


texts: What does "In front of a dirty double-mirror they found me" mean?

texts:
In the song "I" by "Kendrick Lamar"i hear this :

  As I look around me ,
  So many wanna down me ,
  But an enemigo never drown me,
  In front of a dirty double-mirror they found me ,
  And I love myself

I can not understand what he means by "In front of a dirty double-mirror they found me".

Thanks


texts:
It's correct using would + present indefinite, after

  If it hadn't been for

? For to express the action of what is happening now?
For example:

  If it hadn't been for my parents I wouldn't live now.

instead:

  If it hadn't been for my parents I wouldn't been have born.

Or use continuous form?

  If it hadn't been for my parents I wouldn't living now.


texts: "Everyday life" or "every-day life" or "every day life"

texts:
I can see around me that the term everyday life is the correct one used broadly.

But why shouldn't it be every-day life? That seems to fit with the grammatical pattern of similar constructions:

Everyday is not a word in itself but should be every and day, as in:

  It happens every day

Just like inbetween is not a word but should rather be in and between, as in:

  You are standing in between those two

When I use these sets of two words descriptively in front of a noun (I don't know the terminology for this, but I hope you can catch the meaning from the question), I would merge the two words with a dash:

  Every-day life is hard.
  The in-between people are gone.

This is apparently correct in the latter example but not in the former. What is the difference? Why is everyday life not written as every-day life?


texts: It is a decision resulting from "animal spirits", singular or plural?

texts:
I wrote the sentence

"It is a decision resulting from 'animal spirits'" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_spirits_(Keynes)),

but now I feel unsure about if plural is fine.


texts: Question about the meaning of " reserved " in this piece of news

texts:
Chhattisgarh has seen some of the worst violence. Polling began in part of the state on 10 April and continues with two further rounds in the coming weeks.Elsewhere, voting resumed in the fourth stage of the general election on Saturday in four states - Goa, Assam, Tripura and Sikkim.Sikkim, a tiny Himalayan state, is also holding local elections, including the contest for a seat in the regional assembly which is reserved for a Buddhist monk.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-27001888
My perception: ... which would belong to a male member of Buddhist. And all contestants in the small Himalayan state are male members of Buddhist.

A million thanks in advance.


texts: "Excuse me." is very often used in our daily conversation, and I learned the phrase "Excuse us." used when involving more than two persons.  Then, how about "Excuse him / her / them."? For example, when you want your little kid to get out of the elevator ( which is packed with people and only your kid must leave ), can you say, "Excuse him." when it is a boy, and "Excuse her." when It is a girl?


texts:
Turned someone's life around by mastering falconry.

1.What does this mean? (Is it his/her life has changed or he spent his whole time in falconry?)

Can I use this in negative connotation?


texts:
The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines come off worse as the following:

to lose a fight, competition, etc. or suffer more compared with others

I am wondering whether "compared with" can properly be used with "more" in standardized tests such as the SAT (and therefore in standard written English).


texts: "him arriving and me finishing the wine"

texts:
I copied the below sentence from one of the answers to another question:

This means that he arrived and I quickly finished the last of the wine. The two events (him arriving and me finishing the wine) happened at roughly the same time- both in the past.

Shouldn't we use "his arriving" instead of "him arriving"
and
"my finishing the wine" instead of "me finishing the wine"


texts: Clothing verbs when you do not mention any clothing

texts:
Please consider the following sentences:

  You’d better put your clothes on. Henry will be here in ten minutes.
  You’d better dress now. Henry will be here in ten minutes.
  You’d better get dressed now. Henry will be here in ten minutes.

My questions:

1. For me these three sentences can be swapped, but we should consider that the third one is the casual equivalent of the initial two ones.

2. I need to know if using the first two in colloquial and everyday English sounds a bit stilted?


texts:
What is the meaning and usage of 'Lest' in the following sentences:

  Hold fast lest you should fall.

  Lest anyone should think it strange,let me know what it is.

  Lest anyone should think it's strange, let me assure you that it is quite true.

I looked up the meaning  and usage of 'Lest' in http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/lest but I didn't understand it. Please make its meaning and usage it clear to me

Source: I found them In a book named 'Lovely English conversation practic' Written by chudamani Gautam


texts:
To talk about an action that is still ongoing at a point in the future, we use the future perfect progressive with 'for' to emphasize the duration of the action:

By the end of September, I will have been working for the company for ten years.

In this case, the meaning of the sentence sounds similiar to  one with the future perfect tense:

By the end of September, I will have worked for the company for ten years.

But what about these two sentences?

By ten o'clock, I will have been painting the house for three hours.
By ten o'clock, I will have painted the house for three hours.

I know the first sentence emphasizes the duration, as it is continuous. It's not about the completion of the action (painting).
But what does the second sentence emphasize?
Is the action (painting) completed here? Is it only about the amount of time that will have been spent on painting by ten?
I also know that the future perfect is usually used to talk about the completion of an action at a certain point of time in the future. But without 'for'

I will have painted the house by ten.

Meaning, if you come visit me at ten, the house will be painted.
What about the same sentence with 'for+an amount of time'?
This is the question in a book

By the end of the day, we ....... the house for a week.
a. will have painted
b. will painted
c. have painted
d. will have been painting

Answer: a


texts: jots and tittles -- what does that actually mean?

texts:
Source: C For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Example:

  In addition to grammar, languages require rules, exceptions, jots and tittles, and all sorts of fun and havoc. Programming languages are similar to spoken language in that they have various parts and lots of rules.

Looking up jot gives "not a jot or tittle = not a bit" and "the least part of something".
Looking up tittle gives "superscript dot" and "The word tittle is rarely used." citing the Christian Bible.

I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean in the passage.
What's the actual meaning?


texts: How to implement the idioms "In the context of" and "within the context" correctly

texts:
Would it make sense for me to say>

  In the context of me failing,you ought to take me out of advanced classes?
  The decision was made within the context of saving lives.

Whenever I look at these phrases, they confuse me and particularly when I see them in books.

I interpret the first sentence like this:

  In the situation in which I fail,you should take me out of advanced classes.

I interpret the second one like this:

  The decision was made within the fact that lives had to be saved.

When I should use the phrase "In the context of" and the "within context of" and make sure I don't use them incorrectly? I am confused by the definition itself, "the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed."

I just don't see how the definition and the idioms have any sort of connection.


texts: Which of the two sentences is correct? If both are, which one is better?

texts:
I want to know which sentence is better of the two?

  I am not in mood to do debate.
  I am not in a mood to debate.


texts: "there are no special names for each city"

texts:
I got this question: What names are most common in your hometown?

My answer:

  There are traditional names like "Jake", "Jacob" and "Holmes", but they are used across the whole country, and there are no special names for each city.

How to answer this in a more idiomatic way? Also, I wonder whether the meaning which I want to convey is clear enough.


texts: Can WANT be used with PERFECT INFINITIVE to refer to the past?

texts:
It seems that "I want to have seen you when I was in USA" is not very correct. However, I can see the sentences like:

So I do feel some sympathy for him, some feeling toward him. I want him to have done better than he did. I want him to have worked this conflict through. And he didn’t do it.

or

First, they want you to have worked in the area in which you are leading.

Still, is it correct to use perfect infinitive with want to address some actions in the past (which din't take place) or is it wrong?


texts:
The following is a conversation from an English textbook (Summit 2A by Joan Saslow and Allen Ascher; Pearson Education, 2012) in which a person expresses regret about breaking his friend's camera.

  Tim, I hate to tell you this but I dropped the camera you lent me, and it can't be fixed.

  Oh, no. How did that happen?

  Well, I tripped, and it fell out of my bag. I feel awful about it.

  Are you sure it can't be fixed?

  Pretty sure. I took it to the camera shop, and they said to forget it. But I can replace it with a newer model.

Then the book suggests other ways to express regret as the following: I'm so sorry; I feel awful (about it); I feel (just) terrible (about it).

The problem is it says I'm so sorry does not conclude with about it. Really? I'm pretty sure I've heard sorry about something or someone. What am getting wrong here?! Is it something about so before sorry?


texts: Meaning of "amends a court" in a sentence

texts:
I'm need to translate this sentence:

  Critics at the assembly said that this was because of what they see at
  the lack of progress on Russia's part in the hearing to its
  commitments, such as amends a court for instance

But I don't understand this part:

  such as amends a court for instance

Can someone explain this?
Added
If it helps, it's from this video:
https://youtu.be/tGggPyg7QbA?t=21s


texts: Do I need a comma after this "At one time"?

texts:
At one time(,) I suspected that my girlfriend Hitomi was in love with my
  elder brother.

Do I need that comma? I ask this because I see sentences with and without on Google.


texts: Is it mandatory to use contractions in tag questions and the like?

texts:
Example 1:

  The weather is hot, isn't it?

vs.:

  The weather is hot, is it not?

Example 2:

  Aren't you going to study tonight?

vs.:

  Are you not going to study tonight?

Apart from convenience in pronuncation, how do the above versions differ (contraction vs. full form)?


texts: "Wait until them cooled down completely", is this sentence clear, grammatical, and idiomatic? In particular, do I use the correct form of "cool"?

texts:
It sounds like the tutorial is saying (a video link with a time stamp)

  so
  this is what they should look like when
  they're all done. deal/till them cool
  completely

I am aware that the presenter waited until the bread cooled down to cut it. Although the "deal/till" part is not audible, so I rewrote the sentence as

  so
  this is what they should look like when
  they're all done. Wait until them cooled down completely.

Is my version clear, grammatical, and idiomatic? In particular, do I use the correct form of "cool"?


texts:
What difference is there between:

Full-screen
Full screen
Fullscreen

Which of these terms means "click to switch to full-screen mode"?

I was guessing that full-screen is an adjective, and fullscreen is a misprint for full screen, but I'm not sure about it.


texts: "He has a new sports car now. He ..... it for a good price."

texts:
Could you possibly help me please by answering this question..

"He has a new sports car now.  He ........ it for a good price.  He paid 20 percent less than the regular retail cost."

was able to buy
could buy
was supposed to buy
had to buy

Thanks


texts: What word do you use to describe a predator silently moving toward his prey while keeping its body close to the ground?

texts:
I have semantic chaos in my head. 'Crawl', 'crouch', 'creep', 'cower' — those words come to my head when I'm thinking about a hunting, say, tiger. Often, when I need to express some meaning, a whole thesaurus (or something that feels like one) pops up in my mind instead of one specific and accurate word that I'm seeking. The problem is the words constituting such a thesaurus are melted together into a shapeless ugly clump in my head and it's difficult for me to separate them from one another. I can look them up in dictionaries but: 1) the knowledge doesn't last long, unfortunately; 2) often, dictionaries don't do a good job spelling out semantic and usage differences between words with similar meanings. "How can I fix this problem?" — this is your additional question you may not answer. The main question, in line with the title, is what should I write in place of the blanks.

  The tiger slowly approached the gazelle, ____ing, ready to attack at any moment.

  The tiger (slowly) _____ed to the gazelle, ready to attack at any moment.


texts:
Is there a synonym of "makeshift", but for humans?

I am thinking that the word "makeshift" only applies to object, but not living things, so I am wondering if you know any good adjective or phrase that can be used instead of it.

  I could work as a makeshift Linux administrator, but not a
  fully-fledged administrator.


texts:
Yesterday I had to answer to this seller question: -Will you come back?

I thought that I could answer like that:

I will come much more times here.

I will come here more often.

How to answer correctly to the question? Are these answers both incorrect?

Thank you for your reply!!!


texts: Can we use 'was' instead of 'had been' keeping meaning?

texts:
Here is two sentences:

By 100 AD, the Roman Empire had been defeated.
By 100 AD, the Roman Empire was defeated.

Is 2nd one going to keep meaning of the 1st one?


texts: Confused about usage of IN and TO in sentences of this type

texts:
I'm new in C programming
I'm new to C programming

Are both of these correct or one of them is wrong?


texts: 'Natural body ____' -- "smell" vs. "odor" vs. "fragrance"

texts:
natural body smell

sounds to me as "smells badly"

  natural body odor

also smells badly - something "stinks"

  natural body fragrance

a pleasant, sweet smell, also after using perfume.

Is there a neutral word that I can use?


texts: "It does send one straight into thought." meaning

texts:
What does the sentence in bold font mean? It was used by a Kiwi English speaker in a context of an email

  It is very difficult to digest Sam's departure. I mentioned his name
  today and it does send one straight into thought.

The question is about two things:

- What does "one" refer to?
- What does "send one straight into thought" mean?


texts:
I have collaborated with David in funding applications and paper
  writing.
  I have collaborated with David in applying for fundings
  and writing papers.

which sentence sounds more natural to native ears? and the reasons?


texts:
As far as I know, to open a window simply means to move the respective sash away, so that air may blow through (yeah, I know it's a clumsy defintiton).

Is there a specific verb which would describe opening a window in the way the first window (from left) in the image is opened? My intuition is to tilt out, but I have never seen it used in this way
Similarly, is there a specific verb describing the way the second window in the image is open?


texts:
I'm looking for a word that means: stuck over one thing.

Context: I'm doing (repeating,using) one thing over and over again.

Examples: Every time when I create my music I use the same FX chains on every piece.
Every morning when I come to work I recompile my software with a current day timestamp.

Either one word or an idiom would be acceptable. Yet, I prefer one word.


texts: Does a gerund require a preposition after it?

texts:
If the gerund has a direct object after it, should I put the preposition "of" between them?

For example:

"Thinking of you makes me happy" - this gerund is formed from a phrasal verb, so it should be used with the same preposition as the original verb. This is clear. But what about the following:

"She likes reading poems", or
"She likes reading of poems"

"He has already finished washing the dishes", or
"He has already finished washing of the dishes"

I've asked another question connected with this one, but I haven't got a precise answer. Moreover, I've found such information:
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/59703-Prepositions-after-Gerunds
https://www.englishforums.com/English/PrepositionAfterAGerund/bzwdhh/post.htm

I've also got the same information in Russian from several really qualified English speakers.

So, now I understand that a gerund cannot take a preposition "of" after it, unless it is formed from a phrasal verb with the corresponding preposition (e.g. think of), or in case if the "-ing" word is not a gerund, but a verbal noun ("The washing of the dishes took two hours").
However, I've got totally opposite information in here, so I formed a separate question about it.
Does the gerund with a direct object take a preposition "of" after it? If it does, why? Are there any rules proving that it is grammatically correct? If so, is there a possibility that it may be used only in informal speech, or even in slang?


texts: difference between "despite" and "notwithstanding"

texts:
Translator changed my sentence from;

"our verbal warnings, notifications and instructions notwithstanding, he failed to provide..."

to

"despite our verbal warnings, notifications and instructions, he failed to provide..."

Is there a difference between two ?


texts:
Is there any difference between educational data and education data, or can we use them interchangeably?

I have read the two terms used in a similar fashion:

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/ceds/:

  CEDS is a specified set of the most commonly used education data
  elements to support the effective exchange of data within and across
  states.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/why-students-should-own-their-educational-data/54329:

  Why Students Should Own Their Educational Data.


texts:
I hope this is the right stack exchange to post this question in, I avoided the English one because my question concerns English grammar, and English is not my mother tongue. I'm reading fiction online as way of practicing my own English and writing, and came across this sentence which confused me a lot:

  Overhead arrows streaked out into the night.

The context is a battlefield where archers are sending arrows flying towards the enemy, but I'm having a hard time understanding this phrasing.

From what I know, 'streak' is a noun that signifies either a chain of events (so a continuous line of events), or mark/stain of some sort. I'm guessing from the context that the imagery behind the sentence is that the arrows are leaving a line behind in the sky? But I fail to understand what rule determines which nouns can be used as a verb, and how and when exactly can I turn a noun into a verb, and which circumstances can I add an adverb particle (like "out").


texts: When you are going to know indirectly / politely the name of the person you're meeting or talking to

texts:
Please imagine you're going to know the name of someone very politely at first meeting. E.g. in a party or similar occasions.

In my mother language, there is a specific way of saying the same thing. This is a translation. Please let me know if it word in English? If yes, does it sound natural or it is considered to be too formal?

  And to whom do I have the pleasure of meeting with?

If it is not natural, then please let me know what shall I say instead?

The same goes with the first phone conversation.

  And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?

Please let me know if it requires some clarifications.


texts:
I have this English sentence,

  The "XYZ" has been successful at mopping up the working-class vote.

Since I want to make sure that I've correctly understood the meaning of the two words (the verb succeed and the adjective successful), I would like to know if I can modify the sentence above and get the same meaning:

  "The XYZ" succeeded at mopping up the working-class vote.


texts: "On-screen" usage as an adverb and/or prepositional phrase

texts:
I want to use the phrase "on-screen" correctly, so I have looked it up on online dictionaries and found it defined as an adverb or adjective but not a prepositional phrase which is a bit confusing considering the results I found in Google Books and the example in the Collins Dictionary which is:

  adverb

  on a screen, esp a computer screen

  A simple help menu is available on-screen.

If it is an adverb in the example above, then what does it change/describe?

In the Cambridge Dictionary, it means:

  On-screen: adjective, adverb [ not gradable ] US

  on the screen of a television or computer:

  I easily adjusted the colors by using the on-screen menu.

As it means literally on the screen of a computer, would the sentence be correct if it was rewritten like this:

  I easily adjusted the colors by using the menu on-screen.

?

Does in its original version act as an adjective, and would it act in the second one as an adverb or prepositional phrase?

The sentence I want to use the phrase in:

  Her eyes would be set on-screen.

Is this a correct usage of the phrase, and what would it function as?


texts: word to abstract top and bottom just like "side" abstracts left and right

texts:
Think about a ball, it has its sides and its ...

The sides obviously refers to left and right positions, but what about top and bottom positions, is there a word to abstract them?

If there exists such a word, I'd like to know.


texts: Should I use the plural after a disjunctive "or"?

texts:
When using a disjunctive or with two alternatives, is it better to use the plural or the singular?

  A bike or a car are suitable vehicles for your journey.

vs

  A bike or a car is a suitable vehicle for your journey.

The second version is correct from a formal logic perspective but the plural version sounds better to my non-native English speaker's ear.


texts: Pronouns when considering potential plurality

texts:
Situation1:

  ... and if the cat(s) run into the building, it's going to be a lot more difficult to find.

..

  ... and if the cat(s) run into the building, they're going to be a lot more difficult to find.

Situation2:

  ...the chemical reaction is dependent upon the interaction between the enzyme(s) and its complementary substrate(s).

..

  ...the chemical reaction is dependent upon the interaction between the enzyme(s) and their complementary substrate(s).

I run into these kinds of situations all the time in my writing, and I never know which to go with. Should I tense the rest of the sentence (after the noun) with what's most probable? i.e., if there is a much higher chance of multiple cats running into the building, should I go with the plural pronoun? Or, should I always assume and use the singular?

Is there any kind rule/guideline for this? Thanks in advance.


texts: "it is impossible" or "that is impossible"?

texts:
Tell me please if there is any difference between it and that in the following context.

  Person 1: Last week I bench-pressed 150 kilos.

  Person 2: It/that is not impossible because the week before you bench-pressed only 135 kilos.

As a non-native speaker I cannot see the difference between it and that, so please help me see it if there is any.


texts: In "The population of Pakistan is less than that of China." what is less?

texts:
What is LESS in this sentence?

  The population of Pakistan is "less" than that of China.
  a) adjective
  b) noun
  c) pronoun
  d) adverb

Why is less adverb here? Is he using population as a verb?  This question is from my book of job exams. I am really confuse because the answer is "adverb". Adverb is a word or phrase that modifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree. So why less is adverb here?


texts:
There is a phrase in our language that its literal translation to English will be "The friendship of auntie bear". In order to explain when we use this phrase, I will tell you the story behind this phrase:

  A man had a bear friend. One day, while this man was sleeping, a
  number of flies collected on his face. The bear decided to help his
  friend by driving them off, so she lifted up a stone of 20 man's weight
  and threw it to the face of the man in order to kill the fly. The fly
  escaped, but the man died due to the hit.

So as you see, this phrase is used to refer to a friend that loves you and wants to help you, but he makes serious problems (and even kills you!) by doing stupid things for you. (This is when we say a wise enemy is better than an ignorant friend.)

I'm wondering if there is a word or phrase in English for this kind of friendship.


texts: I was reading some comments on a video clip, and someone says that the song is whack. What does it mean?


texts: Help to understand this sample sentence in the Oxford dictionary

texts:
‘That was until we discovered congee, the soupy rice porridge which is to East and Southeast Asia what oatmeal is to Scotland.’

While I was going through the examples for the word Congee in the Oxford dictionary, I bumped into the sentence. I am not sure how I should understand or parse the sentence to make it grammatically correct? And what is the sentence trying to tell us?


texts:
What does it mean when tights or stockings have runs?
For example:

her tights have runs.

Can we use the same word for socks?


texts:
The exec was making a presentation to the company board."Computers
  have allowed us to cut costs," he explained. "We expect even more
  dramatic improvements as computers become increasingly
  self-sufficient."

I don't use backshifting because the situation is still true. Am I right?

The exec was making a presentation to the company board. He told them computers have allowed them to cut costs. Then he explained that they expect even more dramatic improvements as computers become increasingly self-sufficient.


texts:
M1: What was the name of your second to last song?

M2: Toxic Evolution.

M1: It's f***ing hard, man. That's the one I did her to.

M1 said the last line about a girl he killed. Not sure about this line, "did" means "killed"? I know that there's "do in", but I got a different situation, right? Because of the incomprehension the last line makes very little sense for me.


texts:
Dean: I'm here to kick off the first day of a new tradition at our
  school called Green Week

  Pierce: What? First we get a month of black
  history, now we're blowing seven days on the Irish.

  — Community

It may be kind of a slangy phrase as it came from a TV show. I guess he was saying now he need to contribute seven days to the Irish— figuratively because of the colour green.

Is this the direct meaning of the phrase or a rhetorical one?

Can someone provide another example of this usage of blow?


texts:
It is from Crash Course US history. It at 1 minute and 12 second. Here is the context:

  Now, both parties realized that it was important to coordinate their electoral strategy to make sure the vice presedential candidate got at least one fewer electoral votes than the presidential candidate.

Would it mean the same if the host said ...candidate got at least one electoral vote fewer than...? What confuses me is the use of the word vote in its plural form.


texts: how to use two plural words in one sentences correctly

texts:
I just confused about how can I use two plural words in one sentence.

For example,

1- The multivariate dependencies structures between two variables are complex.

2- The multivariate dependency structures between two variables are complex.

Dependence means the relationship between variables (say, age and blood pressure).


texts:
Which of the next sentences are correct? Could I use the word "should" after the phrase "it is recommended"?
It is recommended that governments should set new targets
or
It is recommended that governments set new targets


texts: What is the meaning of ''this on his thing'' in this sentence?

texts:
He said this guy was just like this on his thing

I didn't get what this sentence means. Can you explain it?

Kindest Regards!


texts:
Is "or" in the word "doctor" a suffix like "or"s in "inventor" or "actor", or not?

I've seen some people taking an example of "doctor" to explain the suffix "-or".

If it should be a suffix, "doct" should be able to be used alone,

but I've never learned or seen "doct" used alone anywhere including dictionaries (except for Urban Dictionary).

I'm so curious. Anyone please tell me. Thank you.


texts: What article should I use for "air conditioning"?

texts:
Which sentences are correct?

We didn't have air conditioning.
We didn't have the air conditioning.
We had no air conditioning.


texts:
In this movie clip (at 2:01), actor Jack Black says:

  That was so intense I, like, can't even with this place.

What does he mean he can't even with the place?


texts: what do you think about these 4 past perfects?

texts:
Gillian visited (to visit) her friend Ann in Hull. She went (to go) there by train. Before she arrived (to arrive), Gillian had fallen (to fall) asleep and nearly missed the station. After she had left the train, she noticed (to notice) that she had forgotten (to forget) her bag. But a nice woman had thrown  (to throw) it out of the window before the train left (to leave).
After Gillian had seen (to see) her friend, she was very happy. Before they
 went (to go) to Ann's house, they had had (to have) a huge ice cream. During their visit the two girls talked (to talk) a lot about school, their friends and of course about the boys. They had (to have) a great time together. Before Gillian left (to leave) her friend again, she had bought (to buy) a souvenir for her mum.

I think these 4 past perfects are not necessary: because of before  the sequence  of events are clear without past perfect. Am I right ?

May be there are too much " before" and "after" and it makes the text confusing  and past perfect is necessary

I don't see a reason to emphasize these actions

https://learningapps.org/180269


texts: What is the difference and which one is well expression between these sentences?

texts:
I am curious to Know the best one from these sentences.

  I found the following sentence on the Internet
  I've got a some sentence when I ran across on a web

Would you let me know that does the 2nd sentence weird?
Also which one is well expression?


texts: Two dangling prepositions "(...) in on."

texts:
In the game "Fallout Shelter" there is a description of one of ingame items that caught my eye. It's about a weapon ("Armor piercing sniper rifle"), and "Vertibird" is a type of combat aircraft:

  Kill the soldier, and the Vertibird he flies in on.

This "in on" is giving me trouble here. In obviously describes relationship between the soldier and the aircraft. On feels like description of soldier's action, but I can't really understand what action it might be.

What is the meaning of "on" here? What rules govern such constructs?


texts: Should I use past tense for this sentence because of precise time (this morning)?

texts:
I 've already drunk three coffees this morning (I drank three coffees this morning)

morning has already gone (it is lunch time now)


texts:
I heard this sentence in a series.

I would be a fan of your work if you could get us two seats on the
next flight.

What is the conditional type of this sentence?


texts: What does "Sail the Seas of Value" mean?

texts:
So, I was browsing a site which sells old books and this was written by the seller for one of his books:

  Sail the Seas of Value

What does that mean ?

I see a similar question here but the answer there hasn't been satisfactory.


texts:
In "Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book" by Austin Freeman", ِDr. Gervis was talking to his friend, saying:
"I think I had better run up to town and confer with Thorndyke," said I. "How do the trains run?"
"There is a good train in about three-quarters of an hour," replied Foxton.
I think that he meant to ask him "how fast trains are?"
And the other meant to say "there is a fast train".
Is that right?


texts: Why can "it is normal" be transformed into "be used to"?

texts:
I found a question in an English book for 12th grade about sentences transformations. The book called "Action Pack" by Cheryl Pelteret, Liz Kilbey and Judith greet. It is in Jordan Kingdom in the middle east.

The question is "Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first".

The third sentence is "It is normal for me now to get up early to study" they transformed it to "I am used to getting up early to study now".

They used "be used to". I don't know what just happened here, is there a rule in English talks about transforming sentences from "It is familiar" or "It is normal" to "be used to" sentences? I didn't find anything like that on Internet! So what is this rule?


texts:
Dear respected friends,
I've read a quote confusing my mind. Here is the passage:

Writer David Foster Wallace said that he thought good nonfiction was a
chance to “watch somebody reasonably bright but also reasonably
average pay far closer attention and think at far more length about
all sorts of different stuff than most of us have a chance to in our
daily lives.”

My issue starts after "but also" part. I think it simply means that " but also it is [viz. "good nonfiction" which is mentioned in the beginning] to watch reasonably average person who pays* closer attention and thinks at far more length about all sorts of different stuff...."* Shortly, I think it is a reduced clause by deleting"who". Therefore it should have been put "s" after "pay" and "think". But it wasn't.
Could you explain the reason why?
By the way, the book is "show your work" by Austin Kleon.


texts: Can you call your aunt without her name?

texts:
In Turkish we can call our aunts or uncles without using their names like:

"Aunt! Where are you?"

"Hey, uncle, how is it going?"

Is this appropriate in English?

UPDATE:

Calling without name is not coldness in Turkish, the reason I ask the question is actually I am translating a fiction that I wrote into English which takes place in Turkey.


texts: What do you think is the best choice? choose (a/b) / (1/2/3) - related to Usage of Unlike

texts:
Here's a sentence I've made.
When I was a third grader in college, I participated in a contest.

A. Unlike most of the students who had been working on the project for more than a month,
B. Unlike most of the students, who had been working on the project for more than a month, (comma added)

.

I had just a few days fot the contest.

I had only a few days for the contest.

I just had a few days for the contest.

I only had a few days for the contest.

So I worked on the project extra hard in the days leading up to it.


texts: Is there a word for 'trapped in a good way'?

texts:
Is there a word for the concept of being unable to leave a place, or end a condition, which you find pleasurable, rewarding, safe, etc...?

All the words I can think of for 'unable to leave' seem negative, e.g. trapped, imprisoned, stuck, ensnared.

Example: "We spent every cent on our dream house, and we are finally  in Palm Springs."


texts: Is "hear our king teaches me" grammatically correct?

texts:
I would like to hear our king teaches me.

Is that correct? Should I use teach instead of the 3rd person singular as it has a modal verb, or must teach be in a conditional sentence that requires the simple past?

I was trying to make a plain opinion or it have to be infinitive to teach or gerund teaching. Could someone please explain to me the whole rule?


texts: Which sequence comes first in this paragragh?

texts:
Source

  Rosalyn tells Danny the truth about his father, and tells him not to repeat it. Outside, a car squeals up onto her driveway. Irving enters the house, yelling at Rosalyn, telling her that he knows she was in Pete's car because she had left her sweet and sour nail polish on the dashboard. This tipped him off to know he was in danger. During the drive, the mob guy in the backseat put a canvas bag over Irving's head and then pointed a gun at his neck. Rosalyn defends herself, telling him not to scream at her. But Irving is frantic since he knows how much danger she put him in.

What I understand is: Irving enters the house & scold Rosalyn for driving in pete's car, & then Irving enter the pete's car?

What confused me is sentence starts During the drive means what? Did Irving was in the car after scolding Rosalyn in the house?


texts: Which preposition does the phrase "I can't guarantee" need to get?

texts:
My classmate asked me today to tell him in what time we should be tomorrow in the collage, then I told him: "I think it should be on 9:00 o'clock but I can't guarantee (on/for) it."

Then I had a doubt: Which preposition does the phrase "I can't guarantee"  need to get in this case - if any?

  1) "I can't guarantee for it.

  2) I can't guarantee on it.

  3) I can't guarantee it.


texts: What is the correct VERB for this action?

texts:
In American movies, I often see the police use a tool (which looks like a stick and is powered by electricity, I think) to move from head to toe of a person to check if there is something on their body. So can anybody tell me what the verb is to describe that action, please? Thanks.

Is it "electric-screen", I wonder?


texts:
I ran across the following sentences:

  On the other hand, a runnable process is always stored in exactly one
  runqueue: no runnable  process  ever  appears  in  two  or  more
  runqueues. Therefore, until a process remains runnable, it is usually
  bound to one CPU.

The above "until" means "before"? I suspect it means "while".


texts:
It's from the third episode of the second season of the Walking Dead. Here is the context:

Rick: (in the background) The principal's car right out of the
teacher's lot in the middle of a school day. Shane steps out of lunch
and makes a beeline to Kingsley's Hyundai...(chuckles) Wires the
ignition,peels out,drives down Dylan drive to that chicken farm out
there. You've heard this before,right? So he pulls it into one of the
big holding pens. Kingsley,he waxed that thing every month;had the
auto shop vacuum it out every week. Shane,he parks it in this huge pen
with a couple of hundred Rhode Island reds. He busts open bags of seed
in the back seat,rolls down all the windows,and then starts sprinting
back to school. It's three miles away easy. He's back in time to
finish his sandwich before the bell. And then the bell rings


texts: Uses of past perfect in reporting speech

texts:
"The student told us she believed it was pre-planned. The accused's daughter had also come to the police station with her. She told us her father had done something unbelievable and must be punished," the investigating officer of the case told TOI.

Why was the past perfect tense used in the second sentence ?

Can we replace it with the following sentence?

  The accused's daughter also came to the police station with her .

Link for above article

https://www.pressreader.com/india/the-times-of-india-mumbai-edition/20180708/281865824229339


texts:
I mean, we'd love to leave people pristine so we could be able to study them but it's not ethical.
  I mean, we'd love to leave people pristine so we are able to study them but it's not ethical.
  I mean, we'd love to leave people pristine so we could study them but it's not ethical.

It always baffles me when it comes to the usage of Could. I know Could is used for general ability whereas Be able to for a specific occasion but this doesn't do much good to me most of times.(Don't they number 2 and 3 both mean 'a possible occasion in the present or future'?) I've looked up a good many related Q&As in this site but they were all the same to my non-native eyes and not a single question was about the put-together one, "Could be able to" at that. Could anyone be nice and parse those threes above step by step and clarify what's the differences?

PS: The original sentence, which I got from COCA, is the first one. (could be able to)


texts: is it grammatical "from as the most perspectives as possible"

texts:
He tries to consider things from as the most perspectives as possible.

I would like to ask whether this sentence is grammatically OK? I try to express that the concerned guy does not jump to conclusions and considers all pros and cons of things. I want to apply the pattern of this type: come as fast as possible. But not sure if my sentence is appropriate.


texts: Is it grammatical to put 2 question marks in one sentence?

texts:
The only difference between these 2 sentences is the punctuation

  Adverbs often answer the questions "how" and "in what way".

  Adverbs often answer the questions "how?" and "in what way?"

I guess the first one is grammatical. The question is the 2nd. Is it grammatical to put 2 or more question marks in one sentence?


texts:
A gerund is a verbal, and always functions as a noun. It is formed by adding "ing" to the verb.
I have recently found out that gerund must be modified by a possessive noun or pronoun. However, it is important to distinguish between a present participle and a gerund, something I sometimes have trouble with.

The noun or pronoun before the gerund is called the subject of the gerund, and should be in the possessive form. However, what if there is a word of negation (no or not) positioned in between? Below are the two examples I thought of. I believe that both of them are gerunds and not participles.
Which is the correct construction according to the above grammar rule?

She is  worried about me not knowing the truth

or

She is worried  about my not knowing the truth

Now, I know I should be confident in using the second example, given the rule. However, I just want to make sure that there is no exception or changed even when there exists a word of negation separating the noun/pronoun and the gerund.

Thanks a bunch in advance.


texts: I'm wondering about the difference between "change into" and "change to"

texts:
Could I get an answer to the question in the title?
I can't figure out how to use it.

I changed my hair from dark brown to blonde.
The play changed the shy girl into a very outgoing girl.


texts: Subject-verb inversion in free relative clause starting with 'how', in Dubliners by James Joyce

texts:
(1) “You can keep it,” said Harry, laughing at how pleased Ron was.
  (2) “I always said he was off his rocker,” said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.
  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, p.200, p.302)

  (3) His questions showed me how complex and mysterious were certain institutions of the Church which I had always regarded as the simplest acts.
  (James Joyce, Dubliners)

In (3), it seems that subject-verb inversion has occurred after interrogative phrase, probably because of the heaviness of the subject. Can I similarly invert the sentence in (1) and (2)?

If so, are they just options, or is there some semantic difference, for example emphasizing the clause?


texts: How should I refer to a friend who is a girl but not a girlfriend?

texts: When I'm talking about my friend, who is a girl, but not a girlfriend, what word or phrase should I use? If the gender was unimportant, it would not be a problem. But if I want to note that the friend is female, not male, how should I say that, to avoid ambiguity?


texts: Is this sentence correct and understandable

texts:
The message shown when X Button is clicked on Y Page, has been changed
  to “Z”.

There is a page Y.
There is a button X on page Y.
There was a message appears when the button was clicked.
The text of the messaged was changed to text "Z".


texts:
Is the word 'have' required in this sentence or is it just meaningless here?

  Yet I have had to watch him surpass me time and time again!

Would removing 'have' from the sentence change its meaning in any way?


texts:
When in a sentence I want to use the present perfect of get, I say have/has gotten.
A friend of mine (who is American) corrects me, saying I should use have/has got. From my English classes, I remember that the past participle of get is gotten.

Why does my friend tell me that it is not correct to use have gotten?

If that makes any difference, my friend lives on the east coast, closer to the New England zone.


texts:
does "planned out" means "she thought that he behave differently or is not dutiful"?

From the
time that he accepted the new situation he acted and wrote as a dutiful
son, and it is not uncharitable to suppose that this entirely filial attitude
may not have been that which this elderly lady had planned out in her
scheming brain.


texts: Why is "rapid decrease in blood pressure" used more often than "rapid decline in blood pressure"?

texts:
There's only a smattering of google-hits for "rapid decline in blood pressure", and significantly more for "rapid decrease in blood pressure".

Is there anything about the nouns 'decline' and 'decrease' that makes the latter preferable, or is it just a coincidence?


texts: Is it possible to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition without sounding too formal?

texts:
The sentence

  "I am only willing to talk to people on whom I look down."

replaces:

  "I am only willing to talk to people I look down on."

but the problem is that the first sentence sounds too formal, so is there a way to say this informally without ending with the preposition "on"?


texts:
The ODO has an example sentence:

  I lost track trying to count the sheer bald-faced, brazen, well-swilled out-and-out lies being palmed off as fact or being suggested for our consumption as reasonable readings of the text.

It appears well-swilled should be synonymous with other adjectives in the lineup, but I can't find this word in dictionaries. Another example I found:

  Our sixteenth-century forebears used adjectives such as "shameless, fat, well-swilled, stinking, papistical … ," as historian Timothy George wrote on our May 16 editorial page.

Swill means to drink, wash, rinse. But what does "well-swilled" mean here? Urban Dictionary has an entry that suggests it means "intoxicated". This definition does not appear to sufficiently fit the above sentences.


texts:
How are you to-night, Helen?  Have you coughed much to-day?
  —Jane Eyre

Why does Jane Eyre have  a hyphen in to-night?
Does it signify that the pronunciation in Emily Brontë’s day was [tunáit], not [tənáit], or what?


texts:
Why can't I say “She died from drinking 18 cans of Coca-Cola”?
Instead, the correct sentence would be “She died of drinking 18 cans of Coca-Cola”.
Why does that happen?


texts:
What does "in the back of" mean? Does it have the same meaning as "at the back of" which is opposite to "in/at the front of"?
Can I say "John sits in the back of the classroom"? If so, I am wondering whether "in the back of" is British English and "at the back of" is American English. Am I right?

Reference website:http://learn2speakenglishonline.blogspot.com/2010/11/preposition-differences-britishamerican.html


texts:
I have yet another question about the verb "deviate".  Suppose there is a plan, and part of the plan includes uttering the prepared text "do no evil".  If I write the following sentence:

  He deviated from the prepared text of the plan.

Could it be ambiguous, because it could mean either 1) he did not utter the prepared text "do no evil" exactly, or 2) he committed evil (in violation of the prepared text "do no evil")?


texts:
Is there a word or an expression for "Someone who looks for problems and is not interested in solving an issue pragmatically"?

In particular in my case I described a solution that was OK within the context given. Someone else presented a hypothetical situation: "If ... then it is not OK." Based on this hypothetical, they insisted that the solution I provided was not good. The hypothetical was an assumption, and it was completely unknown whether it would ever occur. My feeling is that this person merely wants to discredit my solution.

What do you call such a person?

I think this person wants to promote his/her own answer and is thus trying to find irrelevant "issues" with the answers of others.
But I would also be interested in the expression for someone who does it without bad motives.


texts: "I am plying violin since I was 5 years old" is it correct sentence grammatically?

texts:
I have confusion with a sentence. Is there anybody who can help me? The sentence is given below.
I am plying violin since I was 5 years old -is it correct sentence grammatically?
If it is correct then what type of clause this would be- since I was 5 years old


texts:
Actually I'm doing a Grammar exercise that require me to identify mistake in a sentence. Here's the sentence:

  (A)When hearing the weather forecast, we decide (B)not to go camping (C)in the (D) mountains.

The correct answer is A (when)
It should be corrected to On hearing.

Could you explain the answer for me? I think V-ing is correct too...


texts:
My son and I were in the car.

He wanted to go to the library to return the books.

  "You haven't finished reading the books."

  "You haven't finished reading these books."

I told him.

The books were at home.

As the context above, I should use "the" or "these"?


texts:
I came across a web site for touring.
They said in the web page that "... was held in early 2015, and in Fall 2014".
I am so confused by the sentence above, because our teachers used to teach us "in the early 2015", "in the Fall in 2014", "in the late 90s".
Is it incorrect if "the" is omitted?
Please help.


texts: "Stop making me laugh so much" Vs "Stop cracking me up so much"

texts:
Scenario 1)

Suppose someone is lying to you and you want to tell him / her sarcastically that his words sound too funny (because of the obvious lies he is making up);

Scenario 2)

Suppose someone is cracking very funny jokes for a long time and you've laughed your head off.

For me both of the following sentences make perfect sense and are usable in either former or latter scenarios.

  1) Stop making me laugh so much.

  2) Stop cracking me up so much.

What's your idea? What do you think of these sentences of mine? Would they sound idiomatic in both senses or they have some slight nuances?


texts:
What does Trump mean by saying, "Comey's testimony ... is no more than a lie" in the following context?

  The President's response could signal that he is convinced he has done nothing wrong and that Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday is no more than a lie.

Full article on CNN


texts: Is using "similarly" in this sentence correct?

texts:
They all are dressed up similarly for the party.

Is this use of similarly correct/appropriate? I did not get many results when I looked this phrase up on Google. I also tried the phrase with "alike" and "same" in place of "similarly" with no better results.

Can anyone suggest an alternative for similarly here?


texts: To which person "who" refers in the following sentence

texts:
J sits third to the left of G, who likes grapes.

In the above sentence, to whom does who refers – J or G?

This is the first time I've encountered an ambiguous situation related to using "who." Thank you.


texts: I want to know the most common way to describe various weather

texts:
I've learned the way to say weather with 'if' in my previous query. Now I'm interested to know more about describing weather because it varies depending on the weather.
So they are

• If it is sunny, ~.
• If it is cloudy, ~.
• If it is windy, ~.

but

• If it rains, ~.

Q1. How about 'snow'?
Q2. How about when you simply state the current weather? Is it "It's sunny[or cloudy, windy, rainy, snowy, stormy]"?
Q3. How about in this format, 'Today's forecast is ~'? Will the '~' filled with sunny, cloudy, but not rainy and it's "The forecast is rain"?
Q4. How about snow? Will it be "Today's forecast is snow"?


texts:
It was a mini dialogue, and there was a woman who has lost her umbrella, so it was asking me for the speaker (the woman), so I wrote "The person of lost umbrella".

Should it be "The person of lost umbrella" or "The person whose umbrella is lost"? I wrote the first one in my test, but I don't know if it is right or not.


texts:
It is estimated that there were between twenty-five to forty African American deaths.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Race_Riot)

Could the wikipedia quote above be considered "standard" English in reference to the "to" usage? Or, is this "to" usage a tollerated mistake?


texts: Choosing between past perfect and present perfect

texts:
Why Is it incorrect to say had not been seen in this sentence?

  The people next door disappeared six months ago. They have not been seen since then.


texts: environment regeneration, the right usage of phrase

texts:
Is it natural way to say:

  He takes steps to help environment in regeneration.

thanks.


texts:
I was asked to work with my friend's friend whom I don't know. As I enter his room, he asks me:

  Who is this?

I reply:

  This is James. I have been/am sent here by Ory.

Which one is appropriate, have been sent or am sent?


texts:
Man can also mean human beings as an uncountable noun, so does that mean I can say:

I am man.

or

Man are not smart.

without the article?


texts:
I understand that when using have to in a sentence, the meaning is clear - something needs to be done and there is no choice about it. For example:

  You have to have car insurance to drive a car.

However, it would be wrong to say

  You should have car insurance to drive a car.

because it would mean that you have a choice.

Is this correct? Is there a degree of how mandatory is the action and can it be changed by using got to vs should vs have to?


texts: "If you could come, it would be great" VS "It would be great if you could come"

texts:
I am confused about these sentences

  If you could come, it would be great

and

  It would be great if you could come

I think the first one refers to the past. I.e. it's like the party is over now. And I am calling one of my friends and saying "If you could come, It would be great".

But I think second sentence refers to the future. For example I am calling my friend before the party and saying "It would be great if you could come".

Am I right?


texts: This case is too/fairly heavy, but I can still lift it. Which is better?

texts: This case is too/fairly heavy, but I can still lift it. Which is better, ‘too’ or ‘fairly’ ?


texts:
I was writing a review on Goodreads and a question emerged after these sentences.

When I was just a wee little boy I would finish this book thinking "Wow. Wonderland Rocks." Today I finished this book with the thought "I miss being a child able to enjoy utter nonsense."

So, where should I place the periods ending the quotations (inside or outside)? Should I use commas before those quotations?


texts: Do we say "to slide down with your legs going first" or "to slide down legs-first"?

texts:
Ok, my little daughter likes going down the slide. But the problem is that sometimes she wants to slide down head-first like in this picture, which is very dangerous.

  head-first, headfirst /ˌhedˈfɜːst◂ $ -ˈfɜːrst◂/ adverb

  1 if you fall head-first, your head goes down first, and the rest of
  your body follows afterwards

  dive/fall/jump/plunge head-first

  I fell head-first down the stairs.

I want her to slide down with her legs going first like this

So, what should I say?

Sweetie, please slide down with your legs going first or please slide down legs-first

Also,
what about other parts of the body going first such as "butt-first" or "hands- first", etc?

Note: We have the adverb "head-first" but no "legs-first"


texts:
You should come by some day.

You should come by someday.

Is there a difference between these? Are both technically correct?


texts: What is this stuffed pastry called in English?

texts:
I'm currently making these:

It's a puff pastry stuffed with meat, mushrooms and spices, a roll cut into such small pieces. I wanted to brag about these on a forum except I realized I have no clue what they are called in English.


texts: When have you come? Vs when did you come?

texts:
I know that the adverb "when" can not be used in questions referring to present perfect. I have referred to many grammar books such as Raymond Murphy's and Micheal Swan's and all those books say that "when have you come" is wrong but they haven't explained any reason for this. The other "wh" words like "why" can be used in the present perfect. I know that " when" can be used in all the tenses except the present perfect.

I have heard this expression from some speakers in India. I would like to know whether "when" is used in the present perfect in questions by the native speakers. If not ,is it a matter of grammar or usage.

The question is not a dupicate because Iam not asking the difference between "when did you come?" and "when have you come?"

I would like to know only why it is wrong?


texts: What does "What have you been up to lately?" mean?

texts:
What have you been up to lately?

Can 'lately' be replaced by 'recently' because with lately, it makes me feel that the sentence means what someone is doing till late night Isn't it? Or to make that meaning, replacing 'to' with 'too' will work?

This sentence is ambiguous to me. If someone is up, it also means awaken, doesn't it?


texts:
Reading this article, there is a line,

Critics on the right say the bill’s enormous price tag, which many argue is inflated by items on the progressive wish list, will turn off moderate voters who worry about Democrats ramming through a left-wing agenda. Republican opposition to the bill may even become an asset if the country struggles to escape the pandemic or the surge in spending results in runaway inflation, others say. Some on the left fear that concessions made to satisfy moderate Democrats could temper support for the party among progressive voters.

Would the bold part mean that the stimulus package includes so much progressively-leaning items that the it might scare away moderate democrats?
Thank you for taking time.


texts:
I have read the meaning of "madam" on Google and it is said to be a respectful title for a woman, or a woman who runs a house of prostitution:

A woman who is running a brothel where prostitutes work for money is an example of a madam.

Please clarify.


texts: Would it be correct to say "this is of him" instead of "This is his" or "This belongs to him"?

texts:
Would it be correct to say "This is of him" instead of "This is his." or "This belongs to him."?
The same question I would ask about "It is of me." instead "It is mine.", or "It of of you." instead "It is yours.".

For my non native English speaker ears, it sounds weird but maybe I'm wrong.


texts: What is the English name for the palm's spots of the "working hands"?

texts:
People who are used to going to the gyms, after sometime they get thick skin in the palm — under each finger — because they work with their hands a lot.

What are these hard spots called in English?

When I put the word callus into my dictionary it showed me the same meaning as "warts", because we call "wart" everything on the skin that is hard, even-though there are big differences between them and the locations are different.

n.b. No specific word for it in my language, therefore I can not see the translation on a dictionary.


texts: How can I say "it's actually the opposite" in a single phrase?

texts:
"It's a bit confusing to talk about evolution as a process driven by randomness. In reverse, most of the processes we talk about in evolutionary biology can be described in strict mathematical formulas. The best way to think about it is to take them as the results of the probabilities of the actions on nature."

Which phrase can i replace the "in reverse" in the text to indicate that the reality is the opposite than the common belief holds.


texts: In titles, do you capitalize all words in a proverb like "Better late than never" or only the first word?


texts:
Is it ok to omit "which is" from "which is why", and simply use "why" to start a subordinate clause?

E.g. "My television was broken, why I spent the evening reading a book."

"So" might be better to use, but my question is if it is correct to use "why" on its own in this case.


texts:
What does the highlighted expression mean, is it a dramatic effect?

  SIGHTS During: a car in one’s lane or a barrier approaching, the frightened faces of the people in the oncoming vehicle right before impact, hoods crumpling, glass fracturing, passengers being thrown forward in their seats, airbags deploying in white clouds, each moment in time cut into small flashes rather than a conscious stream


texts: Which is right in this content: hear or hearing?

texts:
Friend: what's up?
  Me: Hearing my friends screaming over a pillow.

Should hear be used instead of hearing?
If not, why then?


texts: "that is what is going on here" - awkward or not?

texts:
That is what is going on here.

This sentence seems weird to me, as there is double "is", plus "what" and "that".

I tried to google the whole phrase and got zero results.

What I want to say is: "that" (the actual issue) is what is going on here (actually happening, not what we led to believe).

Is the sentence okay?


texts: Which definition is used for the verb "to edge" here?

texts:
Regarding this article,, there is a paragraph saying,

  Against the yen, the dollar traded at 109.56 yen , up 0.05% from late U.S. levels, having gained 0.15% on Monday to edge near six-month high of 109.73 hit on Dec. 2.

Which definition is used for the bold italic verb to "edge" to make the sentence understandable?

From Merriam

  transitive verb

  1
  :  to give an edge to

  2
  obsolete :  to set (one's teeth) on edge

  3
  a (1) :  to finish (an edge) with a binding, band, strip, or trimming

   (2) :  to decorate an edge of (something, such as a book) (3) :  to level an edge of (a rafter); also :  to square an edge of
  b :  to serve as a border to :  fringe

  :  be on an edge of

  4
  archaic :  to urge or egg on

  5
  :  to move gradually or by pressing forward edgewise

  :  force (as from a position) by the application of pressure

  displace

  6
  a :  to strike (a bowled ball) in cricket with the edge of the bat
  b :  to incline (a ski) sideways so that one edge cuts into the surface of the snow

  7
  :  to defeat or surpass (an opponent or rival) by a small margin

  — often + out
  < … Miller edged out Mattingly by 50 percent to 46 percent. — John B. Judis, New Republic, 18 Nov. 2002>

  intransitive verb
  :  to move in one direction by degrees

  :  move edgeways

Thank you for your kind support. Regards.


texts:
Source: Poroshenko faces judgement day as Ukraine votes without rebel east

Example:

  The demoralised mood of voters has been picked up by an astonishing 132 parties that use boastful slogans and colourful characters to draw in the media and prompt endless TV debates.

What exactly are they saying? What do they mean by draw colorful characters in the media?


texts: What are the differences between “All right” and “That's all right.”

texts:
When someone says “Thank you”, we may say “That's all right.” I wonder, what does “that” refer to ? What's the meaning of “all right”?
When you agree someone's proposal, you would say “OK” or “All right.” What are these sentences short for?


texts: Good evening. My question refers to proportions. I would like to ask you whether it is better to say '10 of 100 people' or '10 out of 100 people'? Is the second phrase ('out of') more formal than the first one ('of')?


texts: What is the meaning behind this sentence?

texts:
The sentence is “ I thought you might like this”
Is the meaning of this - that I thought but you do not like it, or it just represents that in the past moment someone thought you might like it?


texts:
Knowledge of Geology.— Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.

Can I change this sentence by putting "he" between "walks" and "has"?

  After walks (he) has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.

Source: A Study in Scarlet, Arthur Conan Doyle