texts: What is the phrase for the management's ideology in which staffs are told to perform other's responsibilities?

texts:
It happens in lot of organization. Its a management habit in some organization who think of cutting corners , that they are saving money.

These management people tend to overlap responsibilities. What I mean is if a person is recruited to be an administrative assistant for the entire department of say 20 people, with years he become manager's and Team leader's personal assistant, some time top people's driver, etc. This is one example. Other example in short would be Sales staff taking up finance tasks or Production's responsibilities, and so on.

This is not exactly "spreading too thin" while sure that is the side effect. But the main effect is the same person is absent for his original responsibilities and the the culture and the atmosphere is in chaos and wrong message is being sent.

The reason why i am asking this phrase is because it is probably already available on wikipedia or such sites which articulates its pros and cons which i have to present to a external agency which is recruited by our company to revamp the organization. I have tries on wikipedia but has not results.I am not sure it might be a single word


texts: Does the word " Humble " mean "at least" here?

texts:
I have been reading an experience told by someone about her hen. This is the sentence :

  She never fully recovered (always had the limp and almost useless left leg), but died at a VERY humble 12 years old...yep...that is NOT a misprint...she was 12 years old when she died!

I wanted to know that does the word "humble" there mean "at least"?

This is the whole story:

  My first hen, Emma, was "orphaned" as an adult when her keeper, who was in her 90's died.
  She was about 3 years old when we took her in, and then she had a stroke.
  She did the same thing...would eat and lay, but couldn't walk.
  After hours and hours of me working with her and getting her to try to walk, she started being able to with a huge limp.
  She never fully recovered (always had the limp and almost useless left leg), but died at a VERY humble 12 years old...yep...that is NOT a misprint...she was 12 years old when she died!

  No one believes me until I show pictures of me and Emma, with me being little holding her, then bigger, then bigger, then finally, I am an adult in the pictures...haha

  Don't give up hope...a stroke doesn't always mean the end, especially for a pet hen, even when others that are "pros" are saying "it's time for the stew pot".


texts:
What would happen if Mark Zuckerberg was born in India?

  What would have happened if Mark Zuckerberg had born in India?

Which one of these two is correct ?


texts: Can I use "The curtain is closing on him" as a metaphor for having the opportunity/chance to do/get something, but something went wrong, so the curtain is closing on him(it's over).


texts: Is "the" necessary in "the number of the nodes", "the list of the handles" and similar phrases?

texts:
I wrote:

  In this formula, the number of the nodes is multiplied by (H + P) because for each node, it is checked against the list of the handles, and if a match is found, a pattern is retrieved from the list of the patterns.

In this sentence, patterns, nodes, and handles are specific to the reader then I used "the" before them, I just want to double sure that the sentence above required the second "the" in of-phrases and it's not equivalent to:

  In this formula, the number of nodes is multiplied by (H + P) because for each node, it is checked against the list of handles, and if a match is found, a pattern is retrieved from the list of patterns.

Are they equal in the context I described?

What about the following sentences:

  the time complexity is O(N * (H + P)) where N is the number of the DOM-tree nodes, H is the number of handles and P is the number of the patterns. ...

  These operations depend on the size of the handles, H, and the size of the patterns, P.

Is the second "the" extra in this sentence too? because I feel I need to emphasize the items, so I need "the".


texts:
Ask: ______ music do you listen to every day?

  Answer: Less than an hour.

  A. How much
    B. How long

I  choose A.

If I use "how long", I would say

  How long do you listen to music every day?

or

  How long of music do you listen to every day?

Could you tell me if I am right or wrong? And please tell me which way you usually say in this situation.


texts: In the given graph VS In the graph given

texts:
Is there grammatical and sense difference between these two variations:

"The two given graphs reflect the percentage relationship among UK migrants in the year 2007". reflect the percentage relationships between UK migrants in the year 2007".

"The two graphs given reflect the percentage relationship among UK migrants in the year 2007". reflect the percentage relationships between UK migrants in the year 2007".

Is it normal English to say "graph given" - I mean how the native speaker was talking about the graph he has got for analysis.


texts: Is the sentence "you just look like the people that it's never their fault" right?

texts:
I want to write an informal sentence to ironically tell someone it is never their fault just because they look innocent. Does the following sentence sound right?
You just look like the people that it's never their fault.
Is there a way to build a sentence with "whose" in this case?
You just look like the people ... whose fault ...


texts:
This makes you wish the author would have written several advanced
  sequels to this amazing book.

I don't like would in the sentence. Because you usually say "I wish he had written..." So for me the sentence should be "..makes you wish he had written..."

Can you explain this usage?


texts: Please explain the use of 'could' in the sentence

texts:
Would anyone please explain the use of 'could' in the sentence below?

  We could go to the cinema tomorrow.


texts:
As a quote introduction, is it grammatically correct to write:

In the article, it says, "quote."

It sounds very much like

the dog, it barks.

Your thoughts?


texts: At the Center for Neuroscience of the University of Heidelberg?

texts:
In the sentence

  At the Center for Neuroscience at the University of Heidelberg

which I am pretty sure is correct, can I replace the second at by an "of" for aesthetic reasons? I am asking because the quote above is part of a sentence listing internships I did, currently containing 6 "at"s.


texts: "came in first place in a challenge" vs "came first " vs "won first place"

texts:
I am trying to express that X won a challenge. Which one(s) amongst the following are correct, which one sounds the best, and is there any better alternatives?

X came in first place in a challenge
X came first place in a challenge
X came first in a challenge
X won first place in a challenge


texts: "I told you this for you to make sure that I'm one of the good." or "I told you this to make sure that I'm one of the good"

texts: I'm a beginner learner and don't know which one is right. I mean, whether I should use "for" in the sentence or not. (also, one of myfriends  told me that each of the sentences had a different meaning. But I don't know, that's what they told me.) Please, explain to me. I was told I could find help here. Thank you all!7


texts: What does ' with a minimum quality and value' mean?

texts:
Other human rights imply a right to die

  Without creating (or acknowledging) a specific right to die, it is possible to argue that other human rights ought to be taken to include this right.
  The right to life includes the right to die...

  ...● The right to life is a right to life with a minimum quality and value. (Source)

Would someone please explain what this noun phrase means? I understand these words separately, but not combined. Does it imply that without some quality and under some value, the right to life nullifies itself? Which definition of quality and value apply?


texts: Was or is this the thing that you mentioned to me yesterday

texts: Because we usually use past tense for the past and present tense for present and fact. This question is a past but it is a fact (I guess). I'm confused whether to use is or was for this question.


texts:
I have received an email about one project and I want to ask for more details. Which sentence is correct and why?

Could you provide me more information about this project ?

Could you provide me more information about the project ?


texts: What is "tongue to a sentence" of N & L sound?

texts:
Ok, 1 teacher of mine once said in a class that "use tongue to a sentence to practice pronunciation" (I am not sure I heard  correctly, "tongue to a sentence" or something like that)

For example, to practice /u:/ /k/ & /g/ sound, you can learn to say this sentence out loud

How many cuckoos could a good cook cook if a good cook could cook cuckoos?

My question is that can you give me a similar example but this time is for practicing "N & L sound".

Maybe, "Nood likes nuts like a naughty noob". But seem this sentence does not make any sense.

COuld you come up with a different example of a sentence like that?


texts:
Both sentences sound right? And do they have a different meaning?

  For what needs life?

or

  What is life for?


texts: zero conditional versus first conditional

texts:
If the tree isn't watered, it (dies - will die).

This sentence seems very confusing to me, I don't know whether to choose dies or will die because zero conditional is used when the result will always happen. I heard from a friend of mine that if we talk about specific things we use first conditional.
What's the best choice for this sentence?


texts: Usage of simple future and future perfect with static and dynamic verbs

texts:
Please look at the following sentences

We'll be home by midnight.
We'll have been home by midnight.

If we use 'be home' in the sense of being present at home and according to the definition of 'by' which is either 'before' or 'at', then is it not possible that we may not be home at midnight but an hour before midnight, if we used by in the sense of before?

Also, I find the meaning of the sentence change with static verbs when we use simple future and future perfect. Does the meaning of the sentence change when we use a stative verb in simple future and future perfect? Just like the midnight example above unlike with dynamic verb?

Editing in response to Alan sir's advice

In 'By the time I reached, he had arrived'. Does this mean he was there when I reached or it doesn't specify that and probably he may have left moments before my reaching home? It is only the context that may tell us what was true at the moment of my reaching there. He could have left also, but, 'by the time' does not say that. Am I right?

Like, for example

In 'By the time we met him not only had he become sick from flu, but also he had recovered from it, so he was healthy'.

Is the above sentence correct and logical? Can we use 'by the time' in the above manner?

I mean does 'By the time X, Y, Z' does this construction have a relevance at the time of X? Does it always mean at the time of 'X', Y and Z are still true?

Like, for example

'By the time I went home, he had left for school, but had also arrived moments earlier than I reached'.

Thanks.


texts: I am not as you wish to be. Is this correct?

texts: I am not as what you expect ? Is this one also a valid? Are there any grammatical errors? I'm not as you wish to be? Please correct me if there is something wrong in the above sentences.


texts: The Use of "evenings are usually clear"?

texts:
We work during the week，but weekends and evenings are usually ________．

A．vacant
B．casual
C．empty
D．clear

This exam question, with D as the correct answer, puzzles me. Could someone show me more examples including the structure "sometime + be + clear"?

I was using the definitions of clear here.


texts: Why 'pale' yellow instead of 'light' yellow and what are the other colors used with 'pale'?

texts:
In LDOCE, 'light' is considered a synonym of 'pale' which means having more white in it than usual, and I also thought pale and light are interchangeable when it came to colors.

I'm reading 'English Vocabulary in Use', intermediate level by Cambridge University Press which is based on British English, in which there is a note that says,

  Note: With some colours, we use pale, not light, e.g. pale yellow.

Firstly, Is it something exclusive to British English?

And secondly, what are the other colours that you refer to as 'pale' and not 'light'.

I took a picture of the page in the book. Just click on the picture. You can find the Note on the left.


texts: Should I use PresPerf or Past in a relative clause subordinated to a PresPerf main clause?

texts:
a) He has already sent me the book he has read.

or

b) He has already sent me the book he read.

I am still struggling with the differences between present perfect and past simple. I have the amazing Oxford's book 'Practical English Usage' near me and even so I cannot make a decision between the sentences above.

The first part of the sentence(s) is clear:

He has already sent me... - I use the present perfect because the book was recently received by me.

The second part is the problem. It seems that I could use both:

a)...the book he has read - The book was read by him before, until now - because of that could I use the present perfect?

b)...the book he read - The book was read by him a long time ago, during the 90's decade - because of that could I use the past simple?

Shall I use either one or the other? or shall I use whatever tense I want?


texts: questions to ask someone's outside appearances

texts:
In some situations like you lost your friend in the crowd or you ask about a new friend who you're going to meet later in a party, we would ask a question to know their appearances (i.e. height, clothes, hair color etc.) to help us recognize them.

I read a article to explain the difference among these three as below.

How does she look? --> (Positive) She is beautiful and tall.
What does she look like?-->(Negative) She looks short and heavy.
What is she like?-->(Negative and only for Personality) She is mean.

If those three are true, only number 1 can be used to ask???
Could any native English speaker share your opinions? Thanks!


texts:
The scenario is: I am going to hospital to see my friend who got injured in an accident. Suppose that I have entered in the hospital and now I want to ask someone who works in the hospital about my friend (whose name is Ali). How should I ask him or her about my friend?
The sentences come to my mind in situation are as follows:

Is there any patient, called/named Ali?
Could you please tell me if there is any patient of Ali's name.


texts: The use of the phrase "what time" in context

texts: Let's say I have a friend who is married and before the last marriage he was already married a few times. If I ask them "When did you get married?" can they answer with "What time?" if they want to know what marriage I am asking about, the first, second or third?


texts: How do I interpret “different user roles”?

texts:
The system may allow different user roles to have dissimilar
  privileges. . .

How do you interpret the phrase, especially the portion in bold?

The system may. . .

. . .allow a number of users with different roles?
. . .allow a single user with different roles?
. . .allow different roles of a single user?


texts:
Does the verb "to show" require any objects: direct and/or indirect?
eg.
We have shown the similarities between patterns of RNA.--> to whom? or is the sentence complete on its own? I know that you can write: "We have shown [somebody] the similarities.....", but this would not be my point.
Also, do you know any dictionaries which would provide such information about verb patterns?


texts:
Could you, please, help me out with this sentence

  Your dad's bought a car, that's great

Is it correct to use comma before "that"? Would it be better if I separate those 2 halves with a full stop?

Thanks in advance.


texts:
Last week I applied for a job. After the first interview, I got an email to arrange another interview with the recruiter. So I wrote an email like

...
Please let me know what possible meeting times would be most convenient for you?
...

but he did not respond. So I tried to send a reminder as below. Is there anything wrong in the letter below?

...
I hope this email finds you well.
I’ll be waiting your reply schedule the interview  ?
...


texts: About speaking --N-- words between African Americans

texts:
I enjoy watching the Kee & Peele. As you can hear around 2:00～, from this sketch, Troy and Mark are beginning to "exchange their words". Now they are saying, for example, Troy says to Mark "What the fuck do you think you are doing, nigger?", in response to it, Mark says "I'm doing my thing, nigger."

Now the question is, when African American people use these N words, which were once thought to be quite offensive, I think, does this imply voicelessly
they belong to same groups? ( Although they are almost about to fight now ).

I appreciate answers and let me thank you in advance.


texts: The difference between "can be" and "may be"?

texts:
What is the difference between "can be" and "may be"?

  Analysing reports of investigations may be observed...
  Analysing reports of investigations can be observed...


texts: Passive construction of let-imperative sentence

texts:
Active: Let him play his game.

Passive (book answer): Let his game be played by him.

I know how the book has changed the given sentence into the passive.

Following the same rule I changed Let us help him into Let he is helped by us. But according to the book my answer is wrong. The book's answer is He should be helped.
Can someone explain why I am wrong?


texts: "A start to answering..." (To + verb + ing)

texts:
I'm a native speaker, and I'm having trouble figuring out if something I said is just bad English or if it is correct (but just sounds strange).

A friend asked me a question, and I said, "I'm not completely sure, but check that website out. That's a start to answering your question."

I looked at this link, but I could not see where "start to answering" made sense grammatically.

It doesn't sound as bad to me if I say, "That'll serve as a start to answering your question."

Can someone tell me of that sentence is right or wrong? If so, what part of speech is "answering" in that question?


texts: The Difference Between 'Positively' And 'Certainly'

texts:
I can't distinguish 'positively' from 'certainly'.

According to Cambridge Dictionary, one of the definitions of 'positively' is: certainly.

  positively
  adverb
  positively adverb (CERTAINLY)
  without a doubt; certainly:
  • I positively will be there.

However, I know that the usage of 'positively' differs from 'certainly'.

For example, those sentences cited from a Reading Test in an FCE Test: 'Just imagine a date without paper,' reads one advertisement for a Finnish paper company. It adds,

  'You almost (1)____ see our products every day.' And they are right. [...]

It provides me four options:

  A. Positively; B. Obviously; C. Certainly; D. Absolutely.

As far as I knew, the key was C. Certainly. Can you explain why we choose C instead of A?


texts: What does "DM currencies" mean in this context?

texts:
"Key drivers include: 1) low/negative real rates, 2) the view that the dollar has peaked against DM currencies, and 3) lingering macro risks."

source: http://www.businessinsider.com/ubs-note-on-golds-new-phase-after-brexit-2016-7

I googled it and the result is.... Deutsche Mark. It can't be like that, I think.


texts:
In the case of the past tense verb sequestered, which preposition is correct:  in or to?

The twelve were sequestered to the jury room.

The twelve were sequestered in the jury room.


texts:
What's the best answer?

  I developed my skills _______ working as customer service.

  a) when
  b) while
  c) by

  I'm a good ______ for this position

  a) man
  b) fit

Can someone be a good man for a job position? Does it imply the man is "moral", "honest", "skillful" or even "kind"?

I think "fit" means the right size, can someone be the right size for a job? I don't understand.


texts: Why not 'heading' in "Where are you headed?"

texts:
Why do people say:

  Where are you headed?

To me, it should be:

  Where are you heading?

because you usually say "We are heading out" or "I was heading north".
The initial sentence looks to me like passive voice.


texts:
I am unsure of the use of the definite article "the" in the following case:

  During the demonstrations in the Tian'anmen Square...

Should I use the article or not?

Thank you very much for your help!


texts: Which is appropriate: passive or active voice?

texts:
The minister suffered problems.
  The minister was suffered by problems.

What is the correct one?


texts:
I know a lot of non-native-english-speakers (including myself) who use the word "actually" very often.

What are alternative words to use instead of the word "actually"?

My other favorite is "obviously".

I guess what am I looking for is some keywords to use while connecting the sentences.

Some examples:

Actually, I'm just asking to know.
Actually, I don't think that it's true.
Actually, he was so kind to me.
Actually, I'm not sure.
Actually, that was what I thought.


texts:
does that mean that those researchers wont participate any skirmish and they are waiting for a big one which it wont happen ?

  It is a study that has always had multiple goals. To extend a crude military metaphor often used in science, we could say that AI has chosen to attack its problem area on the widest possible front. Instead of a concentrated attack that might lead to the core of the problem of intelligence, there are innumerable little skirmishes, along a line that stretches across most of human knowledge. Some of these skirmishes are going well and some not so well, but over a period of a few years that can change. Perhaps understandably, those researchers whose skirmish seems to be yielding results tend to shout that this is the long awaited breakthrough. When the dust settles, however, it becomes clear that once again they have only moved the frontline forward a few yards. At the same time, other researchers may give very plausible reasons why their particular part of the line is where the big push should be made. In the history of AI, however, such “big pushes” have only resulted in moving the line forward locally a few hundred yards. So far, there is steady progress in AI, but no big breakthroughs.


texts: Can "no more" have a time-related meaning?

texts:
A. They are no more susceptible than any other team.

  B. Although we see no more insects, they own our woods.

If I'm not wrong, "A" more is notionally different from "B" more due to the fact that the former seems to be related to a quantity while the latter appears to be related to the time: before there were insects, now they no longer appears—they vanished.

Perhaps these observations seem non-senses to a mother tongue, and probably they are, but, while "A" case is clear to me, I have difficulties with the word "more" in "B" case, in which "more" seems time related.

I read on Wiktionary the more's definition, but I don't find a meaning that fits the "2" case.

Can anybody provide some guidance to correctly use "more" when it is time related? How is "more" different from "longer" in time related cases—e.g.,*Although we see no longer insects, they own our woods*?

Note. A and B are quoted from The New York Times


texts: "Be obsessing over" vs. "be obsessed with/by"?

texts:
Lucille: Whoever's behind this whole thing has his connections right in the department. Any leads?
Marv: One guy I talked to told me it was Roark running the show.
Lucille: Whoever it is, he knew I was checking out that hooker almost before I did.
Marv: What hooker?
Lucille:  The one you've been obsessing over. The dead one. Goldie.
-- Sin City 2005

I don't quite understand these two sentences with the bold words.
Does did refer to "check out" or "know"? What does the sentence mean?
Why is obsessing over being used here? I think it should be you've been obsessed with/by.
According to the dictionary, obsess over means worry about something all the time. I don't think it applies here.


texts: Meaning. "is" or "was". "Earth is the planet with life. Humans brought about extinction to the planet."

texts:
Quote from a text I'm reading now (source):

  To conclude, I hope that one day when someone else from another planet is writing on interesting facts about our planet, they don't mention this. "Earth is the only planet with life in the milky way. The most progressive life form of which were the Humans, who ironically brought about extinction on the blue planet."

My question:
Extinction here means extinction of all life forms or of Humans specifically? I am confused with the verb "is". Can it be a mistake? Should it be "was" or something like "is the only planet that once had a life"?


texts: What does "ain't" mean in "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it"?

texts:
This question is a follow up question of my previous question Meaning of "ain't" in: "...we ain't know what it meant"

According to the Oxford Dictionary, ain't is used for isn't in the following sentence,

  if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

But substituting isn't doesn't make sense,

  if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it

User CarSmack indicated in his comment that broke is used for broken.

Please explain in detail what is going on. Why is broken replaced by broke?


texts:
Yesterday I closed a big deal for my company, but I couldn't have done it without my team.

Is done perfectly natural in this context?


texts: The use of 'no good' and 'not good' in this context

texts:
This radio is no good. It does not work properly.
This radio is not good. It does not work properly.

Which sentence is proper? Can anyone give other such instances?


texts: Which is the subject (and what's the other thing called)

texts:
If I say:

  My sister can drive the car today

Which is the subject: sister or car?  Also, what do you call the one which is not the subject?


texts:
Which one is correct?

  This part is pertaining to server.

  This part is pertained to server.

Should I use with instead of to in the examples?

I tried an online spellchecker, which it told me I should replace pertain with concern. Should I listen to it?

I want to say server will handle that part, or that part is done by server.


texts:
When something is obvious and the other person didn’t notice a long time and then lately realised, for i.e someone come up and say

I know I’ve broken your heart

In my mother language we go and say “Good Morning” as a sarcastic expression which means “oh yes at last you realised it but it took a good time for you to realise)

Is there any similar sarcastic way to respond in English?


texts:
In the movie "Pump Up the Volume" a high school teacher reads from a students story to her class:

"And so then the Logicars questioned the few remaining Despars more and more.
 They began to fade away until there was nothing left of them and they
 disappeared from the face of the Earth."

Searching the Internet I am unable to find the information of who the Logicars and Despars are. All the links I find lead to transcriptions of the movie. I guess "Logicars" have something to do with logic, but I really don't know what "Despars" are. There's not any context; the  teacher just read this quote to the class and then says the student is a good writer and should to send his stories to publishers.


texts: Is "complement" with fact, opinion or both?

texts:
From the Cambridge Dictionary

Complement: A complement is a number of people or things that makes something complete

Context 1
Imagine a English classroom

teacher: "What are all the English verb tenses?"

Ronald: "Present Simple,Present Continuous,Present Perfect,Past Simple,Past Continuous,Past Perfect,Future Simple,Future Continuous,Future Perfect, ... I don't remember"

Jeff: "Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous, Future Perfect Continuous"

Ronald's answer is not complete. Could Jeff's answer considered complement to Ronald's answer?
Context 2
Again, in that English classroom

Zhang S.: "Which aspect of speaking should I improve first?"

Ronald: "You could work on vocabulary, structures, pronunciation."

Jeff: "You should also improve your accent, I mean, reduce your accent in English."

Jason: "Not really, not every English speaker has a good accent, even native speakers."

The list of verb tenses in English is some kind of a fact that is widely recognized.
In contrast, the answers in context 2 are some kind of opinions, for which, could Jeff's answer considered complement to Ronald's answer?


texts: Why is the  in "posthumous" pronounced as  (/tʃ/)?

texts:
I have always pronounced the th in "posthumous" as if it was the "th" in think (/θ/), but when I searched itd it was actually the ch /tʃ/:

UK: /ˈpɒs.tʃə.məs/
US: /ˈpɑːs.tʃə.məs/

I found a language log discussion, but it has not explained it.


texts: Time span of "I am not into verb-ing" structure

texts:
Does "I am not into ...ing" structure imply a present-moment feeling or a usual habitual action?

For example, if someone says, "I am not into smoking", would that mean "I am not into smoking at the moment; perhaps, ten minutes later" or would that simply mean "I don't smoke"?


texts:
What is the grammatical construct of this sentence?

  We must be knit together as one man.

More text:

  "We must be knit together as one man," wrote John Winthrop, the first Puritan governor in America.

So, is be knit together a predicative? what about as one man?


texts:
"Surely you remember the boy in you own school class who was exceptionally "bright", did most of the reciting and answering while the others sat like so many leaden idols, hating him". p.77 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

What does this simile mean? I have tried looking it up online but there is no other explanation than that it is a simile, which isn't very helpful...


texts: Shall I use a an article before "lack of"

texts:
Which one is correct?

We introduce the xx model, which exploits the lack of consistency.

Or,

We introduce the xx model, which exploits lack of consistency.


texts:
I am writing a formal text (thesis) and I would like to use the formulation

... results must be taken with a grain of salt.

Although it seems that it is used in scientific papers (see this question), I am not entirely sure if this phrase is formal enough.
My question is: would you use the phrase? And if not, what are similar expressions that convey the same meaning?
Edit: Some answers suggest that the origin of the data is important. I would like to comment on my own results.


texts:
Would you please rephrase the bold part on such a way that i could get it better? or would you rephrase the bold part in another way?

Or, does this phrase mean before?

The money could be paid as early as next week.
He started writing music as early as 1980.

If the idiom as early as is the same as early, could we rephrase the following sentence with it?

Early booking is essential. as space is limited.

Or, what is the difference between these?

I wake up as early ay as 6 o'clock

I wake up at 6 o'clock

Thanks in advance


texts: I wasn’t meant to do something. // I didn’t mean to do something

texts:
I wasn’t meant to do something.
  I didn’t mean to do something.

How different they are from each other?


texts: Why "will" & Why "ed" is added to "include"? Can you paraphrase it please? Is subject eliminated?

texts: Also included will be any variations that have arisen from solar activity.


texts:
I've always thought it should be "he is the President of the United States."

But I have seen several places where it is written "Donald Trump is P(p)resident of the United States." E.g. here and here. I thought proper noun or not, the definite article should precede the title, since there is only one office in the context. Why can the definite article be dropped?

Similarly, I have also seen sentences like "She was treasurer of the club." For instance Merriam Webster has an example "She is treasurer of the college." But examples with the definite article also abound. Like "The EVPT is the treasurer of the MIT Corporation" and "Swan is the Treasurer of a resource-rich country." Why can the definite article be dropped? If the reason is a plurality of treasures, shouldn't it be "a treasurer"? Which is the common/technically correct way?


texts:
I have a problem with: Elizabeth nervously polished the glasses for the third time in as many minutes. How am I to understand the last part ... in as many minutes. in this sentence.

Help me please.


texts: Can the verb 'abhorrent' be used in this way?

texts: Sth is abhorrent to you means that you have hatred of it or you dislike it very much. For example, 'Racial discrimiantion is absolutely abhorrent to me'.  But Can I say sb is abhorrent to me?  For instance, The guy is abhorrent to me. Is the sentence accepatble?


texts:
How can I establish time period when trying to ask someone about a question that was asked some time ago?

  I asked you a question in my last email, but I wasn't sure (this is happening now) if it went through.

My asking took place sometime in the past, but my being not sure happened a little after my asking. So would it be more correct to say "I had asked you a question"? Just how much information is allowed to be assumed that they are happening around the same time?

  I asked you a question, but you must have forgotten, since you still haven't gotten back to me.

Is it okay to use present perfect instead of simple past? I want to assume that my asking a question and her forgetting it happened around the same time, but it seems more natural to use present perfect here. Am I mistaken?

EDIT: I have additional questions:

I know this is kind of too late, but when I say "I asked you a question in my last email, but I wasn't sure (this is happening now) if you received it," don't I have to say "had received" in order to be correct? I think (write email -> try to send it -> be unsure if you received it) works here as well, but why do I have to use past perfect here?


texts: Any alternatives for the verb "to bury"?

texts:
I want to say "somebody was buried somewhere", to place (a corpse) in a grave.

But the word "bury" sometimes sounds rude or very technical to me.
Am I right or is it very normal to use "bury". If it is not appropriate, can you tell me an alternative?


texts:
For ten years hast thou climbed hither unto my cave: thou wouldst
  have wearied of thy light and of the journey, had it not been for me,
  mine eagle, and my serpent.

Found this in Nietzche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra and I was wondering what it meant. Hither means "to or toward this place" and unto means "to", so what does "hither unto" mean? I am a little bit confused. Could it be possible that unto means something else here? Even if it meant "until" or "by" it would not make much sense.


texts: "these clues four" VS "these four clues"

texts:
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore
   To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four
  First, however slyly the poison tries to hide
  You will always find some on nettle wine's left side
  ; Second, ...*

Is there any difference between these clues four and these four clues? Why is "these clues four" used instead of these four clues?

-- Excerpted from Harry Potter.


texts:
I can't figure out what the expression "pretty left of" means in the following context

  If you know my shtick, you know, hypocritically or not, I talk a game pretty left of "you work at McDonalds so you suck". Unintended angle.

It's a tweet and this is the link (second comment)

Has left a political meaning, or is it literally left?


texts:
A: Where are you going?

B: I am going to the/a gym. (first time ever B has mentioned the 'gym' to A)

My intuition tells me that I should use 'the'. But the 'gym' is an new information for A. So should it be 'a gym' or 'the gym' in the conversation?


texts: countable and uncountable word "noise" - a sound

texts:
According to the Oxford dictionary, the word noise can be considered countable or non-countable when it means "a sound, especially when it is loud, unpleasant or disturbing". But it doesn't provide any more insights as to when it is countable or non-countable. Although there are some example sentences, it is very difficult to figure it out from them.

So I'm not sure whether noise is in its correct form in the sentences below.

  The wooden queen-size bed always produces noise when we lie down on it. We had not noticed this issue until we moved in. Despite I am very careful when I turn my body from one side to another, it is still rather noisy and my wife always complains of the annoying noises.

It's quite difficult to distinguish it from its meaning as it is the same. What is the insight?


texts:
This is the second conditional " If you read more you would know what "word" means." so I can't use it to talk about the past.

"If you had read more you would know what "word" means." I believe this is  more correct but I don't know if it's natural. example:

  Bob: ..."word"...

  Jack: What does "word" mean?.

  Bob: If you had read more you would know what it means, it means...

  Jack: Now I understand.


texts:
I'm not sure about the right prepostion for this sentence:

  Do something on|off your To-Do list.

As in, do any of the things that you have on your To-Do list.
Is on correct because it's an item on the list?
Or off since you are taking something to do off the list?

Which preposition is correct, or are both possible? If so, which would sound more natural?


texts:
How can I express the below Idea in a single sentence?

  Right now I have no driving license. Therefore I can't drive and I don't drive any vehicle. But I am thinking that, "if I had taken a driving license it was possible for me to drive vehicles"

So can I say it like this?

  If I had taken a driving license, I would be able to drive.

or like this?

  If I had a driving license, I could drive.


texts: **How many times and how much** in comparison

texts:
A is more expensive than B.

I can't find the rule for how to ask correct questions beginning with the above-mentioned question words. I thought of two variants:

  How many times more expensive is A than B? or How many times is A more expensive than B?

  How much is A more expensive than B? Or How much more expensive is A than B?

If there are some other ways to express the same idea it will be hepful.


texts: What does the expression "increasingly cast in terms of" mean?

texts: I had never ever seen this phrase before!! The context is shale gas, and here is the whole paragraph for you to understand :"The issue of shale gas has become part of a wider debate about the perceived conflict between Europe’s competitiveness and its unilateral climate policy. This debate is increasingly cast in terms of ‘cheap shale gas versus expensive renewable energy’. In this debate, the contrast is made between an economically depressed Europe and an America that has both embraced shale gas and avoided saddling itself with a burdensome climate policy. The fear that Europe’s energy-intensive industries will migrate to the US in search of cheaper input costs is voiced, among others, by the EU’s energy commissioner, Günther Oettinger."Many thanks for your help! :-)


texts: Regarding comparative form: the structure after 'than'

texts:
I found the following exercise in "Grammar Practice" (written by Penny Ur, p.122, 2016):

  Write sentences that express your own opinion, using the comparative form of the adjectives given.
    1. Biology / literature (interesting, boring)
  (abbrev.)

If a learner writes "Biology is more interesting than literature is more interesting" as the answer, is this okay from grammatical and semantic perspectives? I think this answer is understandable from these two points.
However, that answer might feel strange to some teachers or students because the subjects ('biology' & 'literature') share the same complement ('more interesting').


texts:
Basic Question: When to use "six", when to use "sixer"?

Which is correct/better in the following and why?
1. "The boy hit a six." or "The boy hit a sixer."
2. "A sixer was hit by the boy." or "A six was hit by the boy."


texts: What’s the difference between “chomp” and “munch”?

texts:
What is the difference between “chomp” and “munch”? As far as I know both mean: To eat something noisily.

1) I chomped on popcorn during the movie.

2) He was munching on an apple.


texts: Difference between "off", "down", "up" and "along"

texts:
Consider:

  I live off Downing Street.

  I live down Downing Street.

  I live along Downing Street.

  I live up Downing Street.

Are these sentences all acceptable? If so, do they mean exactly the same thing? That is, you walk along the street and you'll find my house on either side of the street.


texts:
Is there any difference?

I read somewhere said that "move aside" implies a little bit of ordering rather than asking.
Is it true?

Mom was cooking dinner and her little daughter was blocking her way.

Mom: Can you move over/aside, please?


texts:
I am having a problem understanding the meaning of the phrase "Can you not".
For example, is it that the sentence "Can you not teach him that?" can either mean "Are you not able to teach him that?" or "Can you stop teaching him that?"?
Please kindly tell me if the ambiguity does exist and how native speakers distinguish them. I can't find explanation anywhere else.


texts: How come "happen to be" comes to mean the 'less emphatic version' of 'be'?

texts:
Well, I know "I happen to be busy" means "I'm busy" in less emphatic way. And I know the original meaning of "happen to" is "come to do by chance" like:

  "I happened to notice your poster, and...".

But what I was wondering is the thinking process(?) between those. How come "by chance" transforms(?) in meaning conveying the soften tones stripped of any sense of 'chance'?


texts:
Madam Hooch from the book of Harry Potter in Russian translation she is called like Madam Hooch or Madam Tryuck(it's mean trick). I found a translation of the word hooch - marijuana or alcoholic drink.

Is there another translation of this word?


texts: "Did I hear that correctly?" or "Did I hear that correct?" Which one is correct?

texts:
This is a conversation in the film "A Wish for Christmas", you can download its subtitle on the internet

The boss is talking on the phone:

  Boss: Frankly, the way things are going,    Christmas is turning into
  one big, giant headache. I know. Christmas isn't all it's cracked up
  to be. I've tried to make it work. If you don't like it, then maybe
  you should talk to him. I have to go. Christmas is not happening. I'm
  sorry.

After that, a man says

  Man: Uh, ahem, did I hear that correct, boss? Because I got five
  employees coming in to work on Christmas,  but if it's not
  happening...

  Boss: What? No, no. That's not what I meant. No.   It's happening.

My concern is that the sentence "did I hear that correct?" sounds unfamiliar

Because "Correct" is an adjective & is never an adverb.

So, I expect he says "Did I hear that correctly?" "correctly" is an adverb & modify the verb "hear"

However we also have object compliment,

Eg: I painted the house black. "Black" is an adjective and a compliment of the house Source

Besides, we've got this structure "hear somebody/something doing something" in the dictionary

Eg: He could hear a dog barking. I would say "barking" is a compliment of "a dog"

I am not sure if I can say "I hear that correct", in this case "correct" is an adjective and a compliment of "that"

So, Which one is correct?

Do you say
"Did I hear that correctly?" or "Did I hear that correct?"


texts: How to find adjective form of a noun or noun form of an adjective?

texts:
How to tell the noun form of an adjective or adjective form of a noun?

For example, adjective form of the noun "curiosity" is "curious".


texts:
While reading a comprehension i did go through a message sent by one person to another. The first person mentions:

  "but this is seriously ridiculous but i kind of knew that this might
  happen so now we fully understand we we stand with you guys!"

Can anyone describe its meaning, all that i knew is this is written out of anger blaming for something wrong. Also I know that use of double "we" is also wrong.


texts: How to paraphrase this sentence "others serve the state chiefly with their heads..."?

texts:
Others, as most legislators, politicians, lawyers, ministers, and
  office-holders, serve the state chiefly with their heads; and, as they
  rarely make any moral distinctions, they are as likely to serve the
  devil, without intending it, as God.

How to paraphrase this sentence?

Does "without intending it" mean "without thinking of it" and what does "it" refer to?

I found a sentence from the Bible "For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform", I'm not sure if "it" refers to evil/devil.
"serve the state with...",does it mean "use...to serve the state"?


texts: When someone transmits their disease to you

texts:
Please imagine there is a contagious disease like cold and your colleague who sits right next to you is affected. You notice it, but don't tell anything to him. Tomorrow morning when you wake up you immediately realize that the co-worker has transmitted his cold to you. You go to work an as usual meet him again. Does the self-made sentence below sound idiomatic and natural to you to be said:

  Your cold was spread to me.

For me, it seems to be grammatically and idiomatically natural.


texts: Tell someone that something vs. Tell someone about something vs. Tell someone something

texts:
I wrote a sentence as below. A friend of mine posted his difficulty of waking up in the morning so I want to advise him to use snoring prevention product. Following sentence was the first line that I wrote.

I would like to know you can understand the meaning of my sentence.

  "Someone told me that his hard morning like you."


texts:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump backed boycotting American motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson Inc on Sunday, the latest salvo in a dispute between the company and Trump over tariffs on steel.

According to Collins dictionary, salvo can mean:

  countable noun
  A salvo is the firing of several guns or missiles at the same time in a battle or ceremony.
  countable noun
  A salvo of angry words is a lot of them spoken or written at about the same time.

It seems that the definition 2 is more close to this context, but I am not sure how to understand it in this context. Can someone help to elaborate a bit?

The full source.


texts: Is this sentence acceptable: I am running faster than you do

texts:
I would like to know if the following sentence: "I am running faster than you do" is a correct sentence.

I know most of the time it should be "I am running faster than you are" or "I run faster than you do", but I just want to know if in a specific context this sentence can be used.

For example, I am a track and field athlete, and I am training with someone else. I know how fast he can run and he's now watching me practicing. This guy always beats me when we practice together. But this time is different.

I see the timer as I am going to go through the finish line this time and I know that I am faster than he usually is. So I yell, "Look! I am running faster than you do!"

Is this sentence acceptable in the context above?


texts:
This guy is point to the wall and refers that as "joists"

Is he confusing joists with stud?


texts: Does the phrase "apology for the sake of apology" make sense?

texts:
I came upon the phrase

  (offer) an apology for the sake of apology.

Does it really make sense? I ask this question because it is exactly the direct translation of my native language (Japanese), and if translated into Japanese, it has a perfect meaning.

The English phrases found in the Japanese dictionary sometimes don't make sense or can't be used at all. So I wonder if it makes sense in English, too.


texts: Does "Joey Kangaroo" have a supplementary meaning?

texts:
My twins love Peppa Pig, and whenever it is possible I let them see the original English version. There's a rule of thumb that all "young" characters, except the piglets themselves, have a name which starts with the same letter as the name of the animal, from Suzy Sheep to Zoë Zebra). The one and only exception is the little brother of Kylie Kangaroo, whose name is... Joey.

A search with Google returns more that 30K results, so I was wondering if for an English-speaker (probably a British English speaker, or maybe an Australian English speaker) "Joey Kangaroo" means something specific. Does anybody know if this is the case?


texts: Should I use "it" or "them" or some other pronoun when I say "I need to sweep **them/it** into a dustpan and dump **them/it** to the garbage"

texts:
This is a sub-quesiton from this post.

If I am supposed to merge these two, please leave a comment rather than giving a down voting.

suppose this scenario, there are 9 coffee beans on the floor, I treat them as rubbish.

question_1
Should I use "it" or "them" or some other pronoun when I say "I need to sweep them/it into a dustpan and dump them/it to the garbage".

I guess both works, and I need a double confirmation.

question_2
should I treat "the beans" as countable or uncountable when I treat them as rubbish?

I guess it is uncountable, and again, I need a double confirmation.


texts: What is the difference between matter and substance?

texts:
I cannot fully understand about the difference between matter and substance? In other questions I found question about the difference between material and substance, but I do not know about matter. Does matter include substances?
Help me please.


texts: Will you mind [mine/my/me] interrupting you?

texts:
Suppose a person is speaking and if I want to interrupt him, what can I say?

1)Will you mind mine interrupting you?
2)Will you mind me interrupting you?
3)Will you mind my interrupting you?

What is the correct construction?


texts: Verb forms for "any" and "none" — have or has?

texts:
That car is way better than any car any of us have/has ever driven.

  None of us know/knows which direction Ron's house is (in).

I have two questions here.

In both the cases, are we to use the singular verb, or the plural?
In the end of the second sentence, is using the preposition where it's been used, necessary? Would it be okay if it had no prepositions in it?


texts: What's the difference, "It feels like spring." and "I feel like spring."?

texts:
When I was watching a video on You tube, a man said, looking at flowers, "It feels like spring." and soon after that he also said, "I feel like spring."
Is there any difference in meaning? Or are they interchangeable?  Then how about these sentences?  Today is Friday, and I might say, It doesn't feel like Friday. Can I also say, "I don't feel like Friday."? Could you explain the difference?


texts: What does "Strong agrees, saying" mean in this context

texts: is "Strong" a verb or a persons name? what does "Strong agrees, saying" mean?


texts: What does "speaking for someone else" mean?

texts:
Is it the same as "speaking on behalf of" ? Or does "speaking for someone else" mean trying to give an opinion about something that someone else is experiencing without you yourself going through that experience ? If so, what is a single word or a phrase that can be used to express that ?

EDIT

Let's say a bunch of friends including John and myself are discussing about going on a picnic. I know that John doesn't like picnicking. So I say, in the presence of John, "John doesn't like to go on picnics". And John says (annoyedly) "speak for yourself". In this context, which one is meaningful; "speaking for John" or "speaking on behalf of John" ?

Thank you.


texts: Possesive pronoun used after relative clause

texts:
The man who came at yesterday's party, his car has been stolen at GIP Market.

I want to Express that   a man came in a yesterday's party and his car has been stolen by some one  from GIP Market.so is the above sentence is correct?


texts:
Is "It'll make it quicker" natural in the following dialogue?

Peter: Why not take the taxi to the airport?

John: Great idea! It'll make it quicker (by taxi).

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: percentage, rate, or ratio which is correct?

texts:
My salary for last month was $1,000 and for this month was $1,100, that is, my salary increased by 10%.

In this case, which of the following is correct?

  The rate/ratio/percentage of change in my salary for this month with
  respect to my salary for this month is an increase of 10%.


texts:
Is the following sentence correct

  America has raised a tariff wall to protect home industries from foreign competition

raise means to end something. So the sentence means America has ended tariff barrier to protect home industries.

Doesn't it sound weird?


texts:
which is the most grammatical of those sentences?

There is very little doable about this issue, we just have to work harder.
Other than working harder, we can do little about this issue.
There is very little to do about this issue; we just have to work harder.

  Although they all might be correct, I would like to know which one is the best.


texts: What does ‘along’ mean in this sentence?

texts:
A view along the coast of Dorset in the United Kingdom.

There are several definitions for this word. I’m not sure which one is correct.


texts: Would a native speaker use the word "dismiss" to talk about "school"?

texts:
In our country people use dismissal time to talk about end of a day at school:

  What is the dismissal time of this school?

And sometimes:

  What time does the school dismisses?

I have checked few online dictionaries but none have used the word dismiss to mean end of a day at school.

I wish to know that how far it is appropriate to the ears of a native English speaker.


texts: Why is 'on and above' used so frequently?

texts:
Why is on and above used in the following sentence, rather than on or above alone?

But foreign policy statements are made all the time on and above the sidewalks of New York.
-- Bright Lights that Mask the Darkness (New York Times)

And why, more generally, does Google Search show 362,000 results for "on and above", almost as if there is no overlap in meaning and usage between these prepositions?


texts:
Do we use definite article before colors?

  This command gives me all the clickable content in the red color.


texts: present perfect or past perfect in this sentence?

texts:
Consider this sentence:

  Yesterday I said to my friend "Excuse me to being late". When I said the sentence I realized that I have said / had said a wrong sentence to him!

However, the sentence occurs in the past, but I think that since he is reporting his feeling or though just after the saying maybe "have told" is possible.


texts: How do you say that someone is too busy to have time to do anything else?

texts:
When it comes to saying that you have no time to do something, what do you say colloquially, idiomatically, metaphorically, or formally?

For instance:

  I am too busy to write the letter these days as I have a load of homework assignments.


texts: How can we phrase multiple promotions from X to Y to Z

texts: Jumping from X to Z do not show the progress and might be perceived as exaggeration. Received successive promotions from... or else is there any other structure can be used here.


texts:
Source

I am doing grammar tests and came across the following:

  My brother (do) a degree at university so I (see) him very often, unfortunately.

The aim of the test is to fill each gap with the verb either in
present simple or in present continuous tense.
I fill it up like this:

  My brother is doing a degree at university so I am not seeing him very often. unfortunately.

Unfortunately, I filled it up like this, because I thought that it is a temporary situation.  But the answer is this:

  My brother is doing a degree at university so I don't see him very often, unfortunately.

So the question is: Why do we use the present simple, rather then a present continuous in the second part of the sentence?


texts:
What are the meaning of "mediate" and "tag-mediated" in the sentence below?

  To test this hypothesis  two  versions  of Echo  were  ran  for  each    experiment, one  in  which  interactions   were  mediated  by  tags  and  conditions (hence   subject  to  coevolution)   and  another  in  which  interactions took place randomly. The tag-mediated simulation fit the data better than the purely random one.


texts: Is 'the' a must here: within [the] production of electrical power for new buildings

texts:
Solar energy is quickly becoming dominant within production of electrical power for new buildings in many countries
Solar energy is quickly becoming dominant within the production of electrical power for new buildings in many countries

Is 'the' an imperative here?


texts: "make it a point to get to know my teammates in Lithuania" Redundant?

texts:
Hello as always thank you for your constant support from the bottom of my heart.

I happened to be reading an article about a basketball player in Lithuania, and encountered naive phrase which I wrote at the title.

He is saying...

  I’m huge on being a true team player,” Ball told Yahoo Sports. “I feel if you bond good with the people you play with, you will be successful. I made it a point to get to know my teammates in Lithuania, and to try to win together.

I feel somewhat ( personally ) the raised part of his speech is redundant.

make it a point to get to know my teammates in Lithuania?

Could that mean or could it be better to say "I tried to get to know my teammates in Lithuania better"?

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely

Thank you for your comments. I didn't know with shame that "make it a point to do something" is an idiom. ( but does adding "to get to know after that sound a bit "colossal" ? ) Thank you anyway. Solved.


texts: Differences between "We climbed high so that we might get a better view" and "We climbed high that we might get a better view"?

texts:
Is there any differences between "We climbed high so that we might get a better view"
and "We climbed high that we might get a better view"? Is the second sentence informal?

Thank you in advance!


texts: Will already finished vs. will already been finished

texts:
Situation: At present, I am currently playing COC (Clash of Clan), then I go to sleep, then I wake up. I want to ask what is the difference between these two:

  After I wake up, the tower that I am upgrading will already have finished.

To

  After I wake up, the tower that I am upgrading will already have been
   finished.

Note: If you spot any grammar mistake(s) in this particular sentences that I have written, please correct me, I really wanted to be fluent in English. Also, after I woke up or after I wake up?


texts:
WikiDiff https://wikidiff.com/intensely/intensively says that both are adverbs and only have the difference that "intensely" means 'in an intense manner' while "intensively" means 'in an intensive way'. I cannot understand how this word is used in their example :

An intensely private man, he kept chit-chat to a minimum.

How and when to use the word "intensely"?


texts: How to Identify simple tense or passive voice in sentence

texts:
Please help me with below example and explain how to indentify quickly if simple tense past/present and passive voice.

  My clothes were scattered in my bedroom.

It means when I entered in my bedroom my clothes were in scattered state.
Or
It means my clothes were scattered by someone

  Three people were killed.

It means three people were killed (maybe in an earthquake or a flood).
Or
It means three people were killed by killer.

My question is whether the meaning of my sentences is that cloths were scattered by someone or just in the state of scatteredness when I entered the room. Clothes were maybe scattered by a cyclone or something.


texts: What message is conveyed by "He asks if he is allowed to ..."

texts:
I want to know whether the following phrase makes sense

The letter is about asking permission for eating during the class time.

I asked a native speaker and he answered yes, it is easy to understand, but he also recommended the  following rephrasing:

The letter asks if students are allowed to eat during the class time.

But I think that these two phrases convey different messages; the student who writes the letter already knows that eating during the class time is banned, but in the second phrase, it seems that he doesn't know it and only ask a question to become aware.
Am I correct?


texts: The story may not be interesting; the story may be not interesting

texts:
The story may not be interesting.
  The story may be not interesting.

For I’m not sure if ‘not’ can be placed both before and after ‘be,’ I looked up the COCA. It seems that both are possible. Are both grammatically acceptable? If they are, isn’t there semantic difference between the two?


texts: an idiom or verb for "pretend to great learning"

texts:
What is a verb to describe the act of pretending that you know a lot of things? In other words, is there a verb that describe how a 'sciolist' behave?

  He always [pretends to great learning].

Idioms also work but preferably an idiomatic verb phrase not like know-it-all e.g.

In my native language we use "sell knowledge" meaning act or say sth as if you are very knowledgeable but you are not, you just pretend it and what you know at best is nothing more than surface knowledge. I want to find an English equivalent. By the way it has a negative connotation actually it's disapproving.


texts:
Does "Cobra Kai is a deep cut" mean "Cobra Kai is very impressive" (a deep cut into your memory)?
Elon Musk tweeted on Nov 18:
Cobra Kai is a deep cut


texts: If you agree, you 'nod'; if you don't agree, you _________?

texts:
It is all about gestures and not uttering a word.

If you agree, you nod i.e. move your head up and down. But what if you don't agree? Do we have a word to describe the gesture?

In short, what's opposite to 'nodding'?

Actually, the Indian Head Shake is 'YES'; so, getting confused!


texts: Verb + Preposition + Clause or Verb + Clause?

texts:
My question is straightforward:

Should I use a preposition between a clause for verbs that ask a preposition?

Examples:

  I am afraid of that you are infected.

  I am afraid that you are infected

  I am clueless about who I am

  I am clueless who I am


texts:
What is the meaning of get another shot in the following sentence.

Both now get another shot at correcting these anomalies, and the first step among many more to follow will be made on Thursday.

I think in such cases have a shot at something/give it a shot type constructions are used.

Is the sentence given grammatical


texts:
Suppose in a classroom, the teacher asks a student to analyze an option in a multiple choice question. The student didn't hear it clearly and asks

Sorry, I didn't hear it clearly. Am I supposed to analyze the option B or D?

... Am I expected ...?

According to an ELL post

When the two are used in the affirmative sense, I'd say they are relatively synonymous.

How about this kind of situation, general questions?
Do they mean the same thing?


texts: Which sentence is correct? Passive or past?

texts:
Car were drowned by water (actually in the water).
Car drowned in water.

Sentence 1 is passive, if I use 'by' then water acting as an agent but where the car drowned? 'In the water' is not mentioned.

Should I say in passive like "Car is drowned by water in  water".


texts:
Page 3: ... However such issues can still arise – as was seen in the Brown case, considered later, and the ongoing issue of the ‘rights’ relating to assisted suicide...

3. This was originally question 3 here: such issues is plural, so why's the verb (after 'as') singular?  Is this verb called the copula?

User StoneyB kindly replied:

  The verb is singular because its subject is singular.

Is "such issues can still arise" "the entire superordinate clause" in StoneyB's words? I do accept this as the subject, but how can clauses have grammatical number? What does this mean?


texts: looking for a verb meaning "to work to the extent less than you can"

texts:
Suppose you want to say to your employer or a recruiter that you always do your best. Is there any term to say that means you do not try less than you can?
In other words, how to fill the blank in the following sentence?
 I never .... = I always do my best.
 To be more clear, what is the verb that means "to work to the extent less than you can".


texts: Peoples say "request to" is wrong but I see a lot of sources have that kind of sentences

texts:
This question is with reference to the question I recently asked about "request you to" vs. "request that you" and I closed it that the answer found satisfiable. And also I was convinced that "request you to" might be some specific usage belongs to India/Pakistan only and native English speaker would never accept that.

However, today when I was reading the book "Oxford Guide to English Grammar", I came across a definition with an example "I request you to leave the building". Refer below image.

So which definition is correct? Why I see different definitions everywhere. The book I mentioned above must be a global reference for English grammar, right? Then why it has some example which is not even accepted by the native English speakers?

Also I need to know why should we only use "that" with "request". I need some detailed definitions with credible sources to refer.

I'm totally confused now. Please help me. Thanks in advance.

Question update 1:
This question is not just about Indian English. I believe that "request you to" is still widely used by different country peoples all over the world. I have seen numerous webpages & articles are still using that.

Also I agree that "request you to" usage is outdated in American english but I disagree that it is ungrammatical for other peoples just because they don't use it anymore.

Question update 2:
As I have got enough explanation below in the comments and discussions that the usage is no longer valid in America. Now I want to know opinions about it from other country peoples. Please comment your opinions.


texts:
Miguel you're cracking. I get it, but drinking away your problems won't help either.
Does "cracking" convey, losing one's composure?


texts:
Let's say you were watching a video yesterday, but you felt you had to go to bed coz' you got tired from streaming videos all day. And then you pick back up to where you left off yesterday, and you say:

  Oh! This is the last part where I left off yesterday.

Can you really say this without the ''pick up'' included in a sentence?


texts:
She sometimes felt uncomfortably observed, as if living under the
  unblinking eye of a security camera. Florence wasn’t sure what she’d
  want to hide from her own son. Yet what best protected privacy wasn’t
  concealment but apathy—the fact that other people simply weren’t
  interested.

Am not sure if I'm parsing this right. My guess—there is an ellipsis: Yet what (she was sure about was the fact that) best protected privacy...and so on. But if so, then shouldn't it be Yet that, not Yet what? What here means "the thing which" and it doesn't make sense if we do such a swap in the original sentence: Yet the thing which best protected privacy...??? But it is OK if we use that, not what: Yet (she was sure) that best protected privacy... What do you think of this?


texts: What is the correct phrase? Should it be "I couldn't help to think that" or " I can't help to think"

texts: I had a sentence that goes like this "I ----- help to think that you said I should give you the goods for free" do the omitted word sound like "couldn't" or "can't" so what's the correct word and the meaning of the statement


texts: What does W.C. Fields' classic: "I refuse to be participated" mean exactly?

texts:
I saw this quote "I refuse to be participated" mentioned as a "W. C. Field's classic". What does it mean exactly ? Is it a fancy way to say "I refuse to participate" ?

Extended quote :

  To "Ecumenism" with its pomps and its works the reply of the faithful Catholic must be W.C. Fields' classic: "I refuse to be participated."

Source : p.145 of http://www.huttongibson.com/PDFs/huttongibson_robberchurch_book.pdf


texts: How to understand this sentence from The Black Swan: Second Edition

texts:
In page xxxi of PROLOGUE, a sentence like below rises up:

  As I explained in the chapter called "The Uncertainty of the Phony", for all of their intellectual appeal, these niceties have no serious implications Monday to Friday as opposed to more substantial (but neglected) matters.

I don't really know the sentence from "no serious implications Monday to Friday as opposed".

Why here suddenly comes up a "Monday to Friday", I can't get through to it.


texts: Is it idiomatic to say "I'm with development team?"

texts:
I saw in many US movies, people say I'm with the fbi, so is it idiomatic to say:

I'm with the development team.
I heard you have changed team, are you with the infrastructure team now?


texts:
A "Dear departed" is a dead person, as referred to at a funeral. Longman explains it this way: British English literary a person you love who has died.

However, I often see "dearly departed" in articles, books, films and even songs.

Does "dearly" convey several dead people?
Is it an adverb here that means "at a great cost"?

What in the world does "Dearly departed" mean?

Here's the NGram chart


texts: "The front door slid open" grammar explanation

texts:
The front door slid open.

I am curious about "slid open" in this context. Is "slid" a verb or an adverb? Is "open" a verb or not?

Is a "slide open" a phrasal verb like "push open"?


texts: Can I use a pronoun "others" in this context?

texts:
- Do you learn Japanese?
- Yes, I do.
- What other languages do you learn?

I want to shrink the last question to:

- What others do you learn?

I want to be sure that I understand the grammar part of "other/others" correctly.

Thanks!


texts: What does "butt onions" mean in gambling?

texts:
Lines from Rounders (1998):

  Joey Knish : [to Mike, gently grabs his arm and tries to find an empty seat at another table]  come here, you don't want to "butt onions" with these guys because they can chew you up, and take your whole bankroll. (clip)

What does "butt onions" mean? Apparently "butt" is the verb here. How do you butt onions? Is it gambling slang?


texts: What's a professional way of saying "I'll keep this time frame available"?

texts:
In job hunting, when scheduling for phone interviews, I usually give them the times that I'm available. Then I'd follow with a sentence: "Please let me know if you plan to call at a certain time frame so I can keep it available."

What I mean is that I'll make sure I don't add other appointments on that time frame. Am I saying it correctly or are there better/more concise way of saying it?


texts: What does the word "it" refer to in this context?

texts:
'Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!' said Hermione, her voice
  shaking. 'All cats chase rats, Ron!'

  'There's something funny about that animal!' said Ron, who was trying
  to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. 'It
  heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!'

  'Oh, what rubbish,' said Hermione impatiently. 'Crookshanks could
  smell him, Ron, how else d'you think —'

  'That cat's got it in for Scabbers!' said Ron, ignoring the people
  around him, who were starting to giggle. 'And Scabbers was here first,
  and he's ill!'

  Ron marched through the common room and out of sight up the stairs to
  the boys' dormitories.

I am not sure what "it" refers to in "That cat's got it in for Scabbers!". Is it referring to the cat itself or something else?

-- From Harry Potter - and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 8.


texts: What do you call the infoboxes with text and sometimes images on the side of a page we find in textbooks?

texts:
Is there a generic word for it. I would call them infoboxes, but it's not a word, so I am assuming there's a word for it that I am not aware of.

For example:

  The infobox on the side of the page read "Fig 5.13. Men tend to have
  bigger feet than women".


texts: "Medical reports indicate that the murder was committed with a sharp instruments."

texts:
Medical reports indicate that the murder was committed with a sharp instruments.

My question:

Is it possible to say the verb indicated in the past instead of the verb indicate in the present? And which is correct with this sentence, indicate or indicated?
Is the meaning of the sentence will becomes different?


texts: What is the function of "of" between "was" and "him"?

texts:
source

  One of Cinder’s few memories of the man was of him being carted away
  to the quarantines while Adri raved at how he could not leave her with
  this thing.

I think without the "of" is coherent.

One of the memories was (him being carted ...)

PS:
Now, I know "one of the memories ... was" is correct.


texts: The difference between 'way' and 'manner'

texts:
I wrote a sentence

  They live in a beneficial way through education.

An editor changed it to

    They live in a beneficial manner through education.

What is the difference?


texts: Should I use "years ahead" or "years after" in this case?

texts:
You had the chance of living for one hour on this same day 10 years ahead and fulfilling one wish to see yourself in the future.

Should I use 10 years ahead or 10 years after or something else in this case?


texts: Is "affinity" an appropriate equivalent to "Critical Chance" in games context?

texts:
In the game Monster Hunter World, the "affinity" is used to describe "the probability of a weapon doing critical hits to a monster".

Is this really an idiomatic usage? Or is it better to just use "Critical Chance"?


texts:
I will send a mail in the evening or I will send a mail evening,
Which one is correct? Actually what i am saying is,
he can expect an email today  evening from me.

So for today evening, I can say in the evening or just evening?


texts:
Using Present SImple with the movement verbs we can mean the Future:

  1) She comes by train tomorrow

  2) The steamer sails on Monday

  3) He doesn't return towards here the day after tomorrow

But can we say the same but in the Passive voice:

  4) She is come by train tomorrow

  5) The steamer is sailed on Monday

  6) He is not returned towards here the day after tomorrow


texts:
It is from Crash Course World History. It is at around 2 minute and 4 second. Here it goes:

  But when you boil all the unnecessarily fancy words out of that quote, that sounds like people I am very interested in learning about. In fact, I love some fallicentuousness.


texts:
I don't know if is correct to use "the month" with "starts".

Is correct to use "to" Store or is "at" better?

Here below the phrase:

  The month of the Special Summer starts to Archivio Dondup!

Note: Archivio Dondup is the name of a store.


texts: The interpretation of Would be in the given sentence

texts:
Q. Who's the guy standing behind you?
  A. Standing behind me would be the guy who helped finish your syllabus two weeks ago.

Here, does would be work the same way as is?
Standing behind me is the guy...?


texts: Is "It was just one, isolated voice, venting frustration" a correct example of the comma usage?

texts:
When I read the following piece quoted from The New York Times I wondered why the journalist doesn't use "an" before "isolated voice".

  As the Garden emptied Wednesday night, a fan near the upper press box shouted, “Phil Jackson!” to no one in particular. It was just one, isolated voice, venting frustration. But the sentiment could quickly become contagious.

I don't know why, but I suppose a best phrasing would be:

It was just one, an isolated voice, venting frustration.
It was just one isolated voice venting frustration.
It was just one venting frustration; an isolated voice.

Can anybody explain which is a better phrasing between "1" (with "an"), "2" (without the parenthetical commas), "3" (moving the phrase at the end, after the semicolon)? Or, is the journalist's phrasing better?


texts:
Is it grammatically correct to construct a sentence with the word 'mention' as given below ? Secondly here does the word 'mention' use as a verb?

  There is a specific mention regarding the fundamental rights in chapter 2 of the constitution.


texts: A having, a resting, a growing and becoming?

texts:
Can anybody explain this quote for me, please? I understand "have, rest, grow, become" but I can't understand this quote.

Not a having and a resting, but a growing and becoming is the
character of perfection as culture conceives it. —Matthew Arnold

Source


texts: Here the word "meaning" is qualifying which subject?

texts:
An English teacher uses this kind of sentence:

  We all know the first meaning of the word kite that is what you flew yesterday, but we also use the word meaning a kind of bird.

My confusions are:

  Is the phrase meaning a kind of bird is a PARTICIPIAL phrase?
  If it is then which subject is it qualifying-- we or kite?

Note: As it was spoken so I am not sure if there was a comma before "meaning".

Thanks in advance.


texts: I understand "X is in the game", but without a definite subject this phrase becomes meaningless to me. It's been used by EA Sports and other companies to advertise they have something special about their games but this lack of specification of what's special about it troubles me.


texts: What is the difference between "unless" and "not unless"?

texts:
For example, "I can't spar with my dead brother, not unless he climbs out of his grave."
I looked up the term "not unless" in Merriam-Webster site and it's an idiom that means "only if".
So from my understanding, I think the above sentence means, "I can spar with my dead brother only if he climbs out of his grave."
What if I remove the not preceding unless?
"I can't spar with my dead brother, unless he climbs out of his grave."
So if the dead brother climbs out of his grave, he can spar with him.
What exactly is the difference between "unless" and "not unless" then? They both seem the same to me, at least based on this example.


texts: what is the meaning of "Should we not be able to assist you at present"?

texts:
What does "Should we not be able to" mean in the following sentence? does it have a positive meaning or a negative?

Should we not be able to assist you at present, we will be keeping your information on file for future possibilities.


texts: "is started to be" or "starts to be" which is grammatically correct?

texts:
When I started turning the steering wheel, it emitted a strange sound.

I am trying to rewrite the above sentence such that the steering wheel is the subject. I would like to know which of the following is correct.

  The steering wheel emitted a strange sound when it was started to be
  turn.
  The steering wheel emitted a strange sound when it started to
      be turned.


texts: why should Allah punish you if you thanked him and believed in him?

texts:
I would like to know if there is any kind of negation in this question.

Thanks a lot


texts: Is there a generic word denotes 'less possibility' in English?

texts:
'probability' refer to 'greater possibility', but how to denote a generic word that mean 'less possibility' in English?

  probability>possibility>___


texts: What does "solipsistic universals" mean?

texts:
I want to know what is the meaning of "solipsistic universals" in the following paragraph:

  To say this will be a personal book does not mean that it is purely subjective, a mere sharing of anecdotes and fantasies, or a self-indulgent "confessional" filled with solipsistic universals.

I guess with what I got from the context that the author tries to tell that he/she doesn't want to indulge in his own ideas or generalize them without giving satisfying proofs/references. Am I right? Please elaborate on this.


texts: The correct usage of "is" vs "was" in the given context

texts:
Which one is correct:
I have recently completed my degree at the state university, which was a 4-year course.
or
I have recently completed my degree at the state university, which is a 4-year course.


texts: Should I choose "has, lodging", "later, lodged", or "had, stayed" as the answer for this exercise?

texts:
I am having trouble choosing the answer for this question :

  Q  The magistrate ______ remanded  her in judicial
  custody till October 1.  Police sources said Ms.
  Saraswathi would be_______in the Salem Women's Prison.

  a) has, lodging.
  b) later, lodged.
  c) had, stayed.
  d) All of these.
  e) None of these.

The answer is option B. I am confused between lodging and lodged. When should we use would+be+v+ing and would+be+V3? I am not able to eliminate any option, but I think maybe 'stayed' is wrong here.


texts:
Exact: (synonym : Precise)
in great detail, or complete, correct, or true in every way.

Precise:
exact and accurate.

The bunker's precise location is a closely guarded secret.

Accurate:
correct, exact, and without any mistakes.

My researches' gist:

Based on my search, exact amount/location/thing is the most detail-oreinted and the most correct one, an accurate amount/location/thing is a less exact, but still too close to the true and the precise... is the least true one but with a very small standard deviation (at least scientifically and when it comes to aiming and target or the weight of something with decimal numbers etc.)

Some people believe that they are interchangeable in everyday speech without any difference in meaning, some other divide them scientifically. [Source]

But there are some other sources that claim something else! Like:

In scientific contexts, though, "exact" and "accurate" may have different meanings. For example, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter is exactly equal to pi=3,1415...

R=3,14 is an accurate approximation of that ratio, to within 0,01.

Accurate: with small error;
exact: with no error.
[Source]
{Based on this part, I think "precise" is something with more error than "accurate".}

Now, I wonder what word fits the best for each case below and why:

  1 - I still owe you £7, don't I?" "Actually, it's £7.30 to be .........."

a. exact
b. accurate
c. precise

  2 - He is a very ........... accountant. He makes no mistakes at all.

a. exact
b. accurate
c. precise

  3 - This is a .............. machine. It works without any error.

a. exact
b. accurate
c. precise

  4 - He's a very careful person. He always performa his tasks with high...................

a. exactness
b. accuracy
c. precision

Bringing up this question, I was going to discover the nuance between these quite similar words and find out where and when can I use each one?

Added examples:

a. Can you tell me the ...... time?
b. Yes, it's 4:26.

a. exact
b. precise
c. accurate

I forgot the ........ age difference between them, but I think they're two or three years apart.

a. exact
b. precise
c. accurate

a. Try to remember his ........ words. It's very inportant for us to make a decision.

a. exact
b. precise
c. accurate

Can you remember her bitthday's ......... date?

a. exact
b. precise
c. accurate

Some English words may have no ............ equivalents in another language.

a. exact
b. precise
c. accurate

Some resources that I have studied:

http://www.softschools.com/difference/precise_vs_accurate/34/

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/exact-vs-accurate.72978/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-exact-and-vs-accurate/amp/

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-exact-accurate-and-precise

https://english.stackexchange.com/q/96814

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.englishforums.com/English/AccurateVsExactVsCorrect/bwprbl/amp.htm

https://www.google.com/amp/ask.metafilter.com/101373/Exact-and-precise/amp

https://www.waywordradio.org/discussion/topics/exact-vs-precise/

https://www.waywordradio.org/discussion/topics/exact-vs-precise/

https://www.google.com/amp/ask.metafilter.com/101373/Exact-and-precise/amp

https://www.e-education.psu.edu/styleforstudents/c3_p4.html

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hRAFPdDppzs

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_LL0uiOgh1E

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Dh2iFZC20

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KEeSQvMCPLg

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SLlTTB33vnY


texts:
I'm looking for a collocation to use with the word hospital which would mean "going to hospital".

I'm translating a medical academic paper and I need to say "20% of more than 350 million people going to hospitals prefer tertiary referral hospitals.". This is a frequent expression and used extensively in tables as well throughout the text. Since it is an academic paper, going to hospital does not sound right to me.

In Turkish you can say applying to hospitals but my Google search gives job applications for hospital vacancies in English.

PS Please note that your are not referred/rushed/taken or admitted to the hospital, you go there by yourself. That is the meaning I'm aiming for.

Thank you.


texts: Who are the "people living in houses behind trees"?

texts:
Are they supposed to be wealthy or with relatively low-income? And what's the cultural background about this phrase?

This is from a song called 'the upper classes' by the Auteurs.

http://www.songlyrics.com/auteurs-the/the-upper-classes-lyrics/

And some of the lyrics:

  House guest here

  Can't believe that the vanishing point appeared

  Can hardly believe people live in houses behind trees

I had thought this is a fixed phrase because in China only the richest people can afford trees in their yard. And I guess the expression refers to monetary status. But I can't make sure


texts:
I'm translating a French text and they used the word "sousou" :

"Tiens, quelques sousous pour t'acheter un bonbon."

-> "Here, some ? to buy a candy"

A "sou" is a coin and "sousou(s)" (s added for plural form) is a slang-like childish expression for "sou". Sousou doesn't exist in french but if you ask anyone about it they know the expression... Is there something somewhat equivalent in English?

I really want to keep the kind of childish feeling of the word, I was thinking of something like "cocoins" but would an English speaker ever use that word? Any better idea?

Thanks !


texts:
Take a look at this example:

She might affect ignorance but don't be taken in because there's more to her than meets the eye.

Why to is used? The sentence clearly means that she has something of her personality you can't notice immediately. However it sounds a bit strange to me since in that context I would have used in or of, which I think give a better sense of "that hidden thing" owned by her personality. What tricks me is that, to my sense, the preposition to represents a one-way like concept, going from one point to another (e.g. "Give it to me", "I went to Rome", "Tell the truth to the police",...), while in that sentence nothing is moving "through to"; the preposition is kind of descriping a quality of the girl.

Is there a grammatical explanation? Are there other examples of this peculiar use of to?


texts: Which definition of "situation" applies in this context?

texts:
The professor gave them a piece of advice."Remember," he said to them, "the four of you may be proficient, each in your own subject, but if you don't have the sense to act suitably to the time and circumstance of a situation, you may have to go hungry."

The sentences are taken from the story Too Much Knowledge Maketh Fools.

When I look up the meaning of the word "situation" in a dictionary, I find some definitions but I cannot decide which one should be chosen. I think it might be "a state of affairs".


texts:
I'm working in IT company and here we have daily standup meetings where people report theirs statuses to the customer. I'm trying to improve my team's reports quality by collecting good sentence starters.

I'd really appreciate any help. So far I have this

Successful:

[Today] I was working on [ticket#]
[Today] I’ve done next tasks: ticket#,
[Today] I fixed next tasks: ticket#
[Today] I made some changes to [ticket#]
Most of the day I was working on [ticket#]

Issues

[Today] I’ve faced issues with [issue description]
[Today] some issues has happened with [issue description]

Blockers

I’m blocked [in some area] by [situation description]


texts:
It is important to note that no legal systems have restricted men from touching household chores nor compelled women to do so.
It is important to note that no legal system has restricted men from touching household chores nor compelled women to do so.

what would be the number (singular or plural) of noun after 'no'?


texts: Did I use in person correctly in my sentence?

texts:
Is my Sentence grammatically correct?

I wanted to ask you in person but there were people always around.


texts:
Of course I may lose my bet, but according to the law of average, I will not. [Source: A Message to Garcia]

What does " the law of average” mean? What is the meaning of the sentence? Some dictionaries include "the law of averages".


texts: What is the part of speech of "nearest" in bold?

texts:
Mr. Hobson often rented horses to the students at Cambridge
  University. But, he did not really trust them to take good care of the
  horses. So, he had a rule that prevented the students from riding his
  best horses. They could take the horse that was nearest the
  stable door. Or, they could not take any horse at all.

I think in this sentence, "nearest" is a preposition, but how can it have superlative degree?If it is a adjective, how parse this sentence?


texts:
I asked a question at another SE

  Is there some connection between these 2 empirical cumulative distribution functions?

This description can be viewed as

"Is there some connection between these 2 math objects?"

or

"Is there some connection between these 2 math formula?"

question

Is this expression "Is there some connection between X and Y" clear and idiomatic?


texts:
What is the meaning of "nothing could be less like ..." structure? Sometimes I see it with a "than", and other times without "than".

Say this example -

  Nothing could be less like A

If we go by the literal meaning, it means to me that everything is similar to A. Am I right?

  Nothing could be less like A than B

Here also it means that everything is similar to A, instead of B

Am I right on the assumption? If not please tell me the meaning and explain how it comes, because if literal meaning is accepted, the meaning I suggested above is going to be true. Or is this construction an idiom?


texts: What is the difference in meaning between "be going to" and "will" with an "if-clause" in the context of showing someone around?

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between be going to and will with an if-clause in the context of showing someone around? For example:

  If you look to the right, you will see an old castle.

  If you look to the right, you are going to see an old castle.


texts:
In late winter, after an early-morning Crossfit workout, I sit quietly in my car. The next class, sprinting to warm up, races out of the gym and past my car on both sides.

The Source: J. C. Herz: Learning to breath fire… Page xi.
LINK

Could you please help me with the meaning of the second clause. How shall I read it?

The next class – sprinting to warm up – races out of the gym…

or

The next class: sprinting to warm up…

What does it mean "past my car on both sides"? Thank you.


texts: What do you call a person who does plating and casting in metal?

texts: Our grandfather worked in a foundry doing plating and casting in metal. What job title includes these skill?


texts: Listening comprehension of a short TV commercial

texts:
I've been struggling with the listening comprehension of a very short TV commercial. Could you please listen to the approximately ten-second conversation from the link indicated below and tell me what MAN 2 is saying in the statement in bold font? I've written down what I think I heard.

  MAN 1: If you had only one choice, what would it be?
  MAN 2: Will you actually get it?
  MAN 1: Only one.
  MAN 2: That's a difficult question.

  (Man2 pondering)

  Man 2: Dokodemo door (a Japanese word).

  (Then follows an announcement in Japanese.)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRNugIpIxKk


texts:
Is it be or get?

Ex.

  ''self-discipline is key, and this is how you are not going to be influenced by people around you easily.''

Or

  ''self-discipline is key, and this is how you are not going to get influenced by people around you easily.''


texts:
If I accidentally order a food and I loved its taste, can I say the following?

  This food came across unbelievably tasty!


texts: How to describe a situation that makes you nervous?

texts:
I'm looking for an adjective to describe a situation that makes someone feel nervous.

"Nervous situation" - doesn't sound right to me.


texts: "New York City" "Boston City" "Beijing City"

texts:
I guess some cities actually have the word "city" in their names, e.g. New York City, some others not, e.g. Boston, Beijing.

In some informal situations, people might use "New York", "Boston City" or "Beijing City".

In formal situations, "New York City" would have the word "city"; "Boston", "Beijing" or some other cities like them would not have the word "city".

Is my understanding right?

However, I found some news use "New York City" while some use "New York". Could you give us some examples of the contexts?

source: wiki1 wiki2 news1 news2


texts: what is the meaning of "but lexophile that I was?

texts:
I read this in "Word by Word" by Kory Samper:

  But lexophile that I was, I never considered spending a career on words.  I was a practical blue-collar girl.

What is the meaning of highlighted part? Does it mean same as "I was just a lexophile"?


texts:
I am totally opposed to abortion.
  I totally oppose myself to abortion. (I made the 2 sentence)

I know that the 2 is awkward.
Anyway, could two sentences have the same meaning?

I think that the 2 sentence is quite understandable, though it is not an usual expression.


texts: Should I use "other" or "another" in the following case?

texts:
The dogs were put in pairs, one with a lever that stopped the shocks,
  and other/another with a lever that didn't.

Should I use other or another?


texts: Should I say "at the shopping" or "while shopping"?

texts:
Can we say

  Conversation started at the shopping.

or

  Conversation started while shopping.

Which is correct?


texts: Don’t use that supplement or your stomach will (hurt / be hurt / be harmed / be damaged)

texts:
I would appreciate it if someone could tell me which one of the following self-made sentences does not sound natural. (To me, the only natural one is the #3 and other sentences do not sound idiomatic and natural. I don't know why! Perhaps because I've heard the #3 many times.)

  1) Don’t use that supplement or your stomach will be damaged.

  2) Don’t use that supplement or your stomach will be harmed.

  3) Don’t use that supplement or your stomach will hurt.

  4) Don’t use that supplement or your stomach will be hurt.

P.S. please let me know which ones and why do not sound natural in this sense?


texts:
For example, "pencils have a cap" means each pencil has a cap and a group of pencils has a cap?
If so, how can I differenciate these two meaning naturally?????


texts: ''A'' couple of people who ''do/does'' the same

texts:
Let's say you are storytelling, and you say:

  "I currently take three or four ''mini-retirements'' per year and know a couple of people who do/does the same.''

This is a subject-verb agreement issue, which is confusing me right now, because I don't know which is to follow correctly if it is:

  ''a couple'' then I will follow it with does

  "people" then I will follow it with do

Which is which?


texts: Could the correct choice be both "leaving" and "left" in this sentence?

texts:
I got this question on Facebook:

Complete the sentence and you may know that two options are correct

  We did not notice any student ______ the hall of the exam.
  A. leave
  B. leaves
  C. will leave
  D. leaving

I suggest only D is suitable or "left" which it is not mentioned, what do you say?


texts: What is the history behind "Blonde moment"?

texts:
Why when someone does something stupid they use "blonde moment"?
Isn't it racist or sexist?

I am not blond, but to me it is not polite to say such a thing.


texts: 'Help someone 'with' something' - is it always the structure?

texts:
These sentences are commonly found on the Internet and in the books...

  My mother helped me with homework.   My sister helped me with shopping.

Is it always like that? "....helped [someone] with [something]...

Are these correct?

  My sister helped me in (doing) shopping.   There were many options (of whatever) to go for but my mother helped me in selection.

What if my sister has a better tool to unscrew a nut in a robo to dismantle it?

  It was very difficult to dismantle the little robo. My sister helped me with a tool and we could do that job easily!

The above sentence uses with but than the context is different!


texts: Using "Would not" for imaginary situation without "If"

texts:
I just saw this dialogue from video game (Witcher III) and wondering if this sentence is grammatically correct? and could someone please explain it.

  We are not done. It's yours, this gold. I would not want you to say you were inadequately compensated.

is the Would not in this context used for imaginary situation about future?

and what type of conditional sentence is this?


texts: The right word for search with looking over something in cursory way

texts:
I am trying to write but stumbling to find a word for the following situation. Here is line what i wrote

  And one more hidden reason I found that is the greed to store these
  beauty of right now life as a perfect part of the picture, so that
  someday if I fumble the picture of life what past painted

I used word fumble but I feel it is not the perfect word to say that if I look back on the picture, look back with a cursory search for some colors that are perfect to give bliss or say to feel some past again. I want some aesthetic and more perfect word. I looked over dictionary but the synonyms makes me feel more that I used some less perfect word. Please help me.
Please point out any other mistakes, grammar etc., too.