texts:
So I've been wondering whether I can use Present Perfect to describe an action that happened in the past, especially when it happened many times in the past. Please have a look at the following sentence:

  Those people I've invited never used their accounts after the first week or so, and now those accounts have been deleted.

The action that is repeated here is: Inviting, as in I've invited those people to the site many times.

And therefore, if I just only invited 1 person at a single time, should it be this?

  The person I invited never used their accounts after the first week or so, and now that account has been deleted.


texts: What does "mandate" mean in following sentences?

texts:
I couldn't comprehend the meaning of "mandate" in following sentences;

For post-certified aircraft, these actions should be specified as service information by the TCH or included in an updated ALS and may be mandated by Airworthiness Directives.
The initial flaw for damage tolerance analysis of the windmilling phase need not be greater than the flaw size determined as the detectable flaw size plus growth under well phase spectrum loads for one inspection period for mandated inspections.
Determining the necessary amount of physical separation distance is essential. But because each system design and aeroplane model can be unique, and because manufacturers have differing design standards and installation techniques, CS 25.1707 does not mandate specific separation distances.

In the last sentence mandate is used as synonym of oblige, but there is no definition like.


texts: Would used for willingness in the present

texts:
In Macmillan would has such usage Source：

used when you think someone is willing to do something
Bruce would lend you the money, I'm sure.

I thought this usage is only for willingness in the past. Now it can refer to the present!
I wonder if this usage is common in everyday speech (both British and American). If I substitute "could", "will" or "might" for "would", will this bring any subtle differences?


texts:
Paper is made from many materials, the most important being trees.

It is from my TOEFL preparation book and I know what it means throughout seeing the translation in my language. But I don't understand that why it put 'being' after adjective which is important. I think that the meaning of sentence should be:

  Paper is made from many materials and the important thing is trees.

not:

  Being trees is important material for making paper.

Do you understand my question? Please help.


texts: The differences between orators and declaimers

texts: What are the differences between the orators and declaimers? I am confused in these two. What is exactly the complete explanation?


texts:
Example:

  The CREATE TABLE command has the following syntax:
  CREATE TABLE TableName
      (ColumnDefinition, ...
      [, Multi-ColumnConstraint, ...] );
  In words, the parameters to the CREATE TABLE statement are a table name, followed by one or more column definitions, followed by one or more (optional) multicolumn constraints. Note that the parentheses are also part of the syntax.

What is in words supposed to mean? Does that mean in real words, like, in plain English?


texts: My ex-wife always used this word instead of "kiss". She even used the verb "snogging" in some semi-formal places. She is not a native speaker however she has studied English literature for many years. She insisted that the word is a slang and informal but NOT rude in anyway.


texts: What is the difference between "I am going home" and "I go home"?

texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences:

  I am going home.

  I go home.

I know that people don't usually use the second expression, but can we use it? Also, I don't really know, if it is gramatically correct.

As I understand, in both sentences we are talking about the action which is happening right now. We can ask questions for each of the expressions, for example:

  "Where are you going?" "I am going home."

  "Where do you go?" "I go home."

So, what is the real difference in the meanings of these expressions?


texts: Do these sentences in each set mean the same or not?

texts:
Could you possibly let me know whether both of the following sentences in each set mean the same thing or not:

A)
- I can’t wait for you until 8 p.m.

I can’t wait for you up to 8 p.m.

B)
- I can’t wait for you until one week.

I can’t wait for you up to one week.


texts: What does "he came galloping up" mean here?

texts:
He came galloping up and halted.

Does "he came galloping up" mean the person was riding a horse? Was the person coming towards the speaker?

I just wonder if the man was riding a horse, and if he was coming near the speaker?


texts: Based on what I know from English grammar, team should come after the name. The examples are "Soccer Team", "Basketball team", etc.. But recently I've seen some indie developers naming themselves as "Team [name]". Team Meat is an example of that, or Team Snore. And watching a commentary, I've heard them say "Team Na'Vi" or "Team Orange". So I was wondering if such an structure is acceptable or not?


texts: Synonym to 'legible' (but not just for text)

texts:
I'm in correspondence with website designer. The site has an area where background and text are of similar colors, so the text is not legible on the background.

The designer understood my phrase "text is not legible on the background", but I wonder if there is more specific and natural English way to say that something (not only text) is blending or mixing with background so it hardly can be seen or distinguished.


texts:
Are below sentences construction and meanings are correct?

My ID card is damaged in water (Stative Sentence)

Meaning: In above sentence Person want to only convey status of ID card that it is damaged.

My ID card has damaged In water.(Informative Sentence)

Meaning: In Above sentence person want to inform about his ID card that it is damaged in water.

My ID card has been damaged in water.
Meaning: In above Sentence person want to inform that is ID card is damaged in water form some period of time. i.e. from yesterday till date.

I would like to know more about is and has as auxiliary.

Are below sentence construction are correct.

a) My car has damaged in transit.
b) This tree has fallen in earthquake.
c) Match has cancelled due to rain.
e) My cricket bat has broken in transit.


texts: there is no point in do+ing except "what verb structure here"?

texts:
Is my sentence below correct?:

  Nobody thinks that he is inferior if not superior, hence there is no point in looking down on anyone except expecting their retaliation

could I also say:

  ... except expect their retaliation

secondly, instead of "in looking down" could I say "no point to look down?" if yes should I later say " except to expect ..."?


texts: What would be proper grammar for stating a person has worked on projects ranging from three different subjects?

texts:
For example,

  I worked on projects ranging from information technology to human resources to manufacturing.

Is using "to" twice at the end of that statement grammatically correct?


texts:
Here Two people taking part in conversation.

  A: When was USA got independence ?

  B: Search in google, hello.

What does hello mean here in this conversation?


texts: How to refer the team persons in the conversation?

texts:
Situation is this, there is team of 3 persons including. I want to inform the team's action to someone outside this team.

Can I use the phrase "we three decided to take this action"? here my doubt is, when I use "We" is that include the person to whom I informing?

what is the alternate phrase to express?


texts:
Can we use "with" instead of "by" after passive voice?
For instance:
1- It can be done by you >>> It can be done with you.
2- I was asked by him to come here >>>> I was asked with him to come here.
3- Our city got cleaned by people >>> Our city got cleaned with people.


texts: Is there some prepostion required between "a wall" and "16 inches on center" in a little bit normal written english

texts:
It sound like the tutorial is saying

  today I'm
  going to show you how to frame a wall 16
  inches on center ...

I am awar of what he said, which is a clear expression in everyday speech.

The question is, is there some prepostion required between "a wall" and "16 inches on center" in a little bit normal written english, like (my version)

  I'm going to show you how to frame a wall whose layout is 16 inches on center.

Is my version more approriate for written english or unnecessary and wordy


texts: How can I convey the meaning of "coauthored paper"?

texts:
I am writing an email to five authors of a paper. In the beginning of my letter I say that "I am reading your coauthored paper ####, ###". Is it appropriate? If not how can I express this meaning?

I have searched the Internet and found no such a phrase, but I thought there should be one.


texts: How should I say "approximately more than" a given quantity or number?

texts:
I'm looking for a word that would mean " about", "around", or "approximately" while wouldn't mean "minus or plus" and just mean "or plus".

I want to say the following sentences using that word:

  I will arrive there at about 8 o'clock or a little later( i.e. at
  8:05 or 8:15...)
  I have read about 10 books on Chinese history or a few more (i.e.  maybe 11 or 12, I'm not sure).
  She  looks 40 years old or a little older (i.e. maybe 42-43).

I have found "or so" and "-odd" both mean "approximately" and are used with quantities or numbers to express the exact number is not known.

My questions are:

1- Does "or so" mean "minus or plus" the given quantity, or only mean "or plus"?

2- Can I use them in all my examples? ( and how should I use them in my examples?

3- Is there any other word that would convey the meaning I mentioned and could be used in ordinary conversations?

a- I will arrive there at 10 o'clock or so./ I will arrive at 10 or so o'clock (?).

b- I have read 10 or so books on Chinese history.

c- She looks 40 or so.

d- ---( I don't know how to use "odd" in this sentence.)

e- I have read 10-odd books on Chinese history.

f- She looks 40-odd (years old).


texts:
When using "did" in a sentence, does that put the verb in present or past tense?
Example:

  What did they teach you?

or:

  What did they taught you?

Example 2:

  What did he say?

or:

  What did he said?


texts:
The bronze, 8-foot-tall LBJ sculpture is slated to be installed at downtown's Little Tranquility Park, bound by Capitol, Walker, Bagby and Smith streets. (source)

Judging from the context, I think "bound by" here means "connected with" or "restricted by," but I can't find a similar meaning in the verb "bind" or the adjective "bound." What does it mean here exactly?


texts: Present perfect in context: "We haven't paid the phone bill yet."

texts:
A son wanted to buy a camera, but his mother told him that they don't have enough money and then turned his attention to the gas bill. Here I understand that she wanted to drop him a hint that she has to pay the bills, so there is no money to buy a camera.

  Mother: Have you seen this?

  Son: No. What is it?

  Mother: The gas bill. It arrived this morning. And we haven't paid the phone bill yet.

Sentence in bold is present perfect. I was explaining to my student that this sentence points to the thought that we have to pay the bill, so this sentence is not aimed at expressing the result we have not have now, but it points to the obligation we need to do.
This way it is present perfect, but was not used purely for it's "natural" purpose.

What do you think?


texts: To be approached vs. To being approached

texts:
I have read this sentence:

  How do I find out if a woman is receptive
  to being approached by me?

Why does the writer say "being"?

Can I say:

  How do I find out if a woman is receptive to be approached by me?

or totally omitting it:

  How do I find out if a woman is receptive to approached by me?

What is the difference between these sentences?

Thanks


texts: Does the sun rise 'from' the east or 'in' the east?

texts:
A quick web search suggests that the sun rises in the east, but I wonder if I can use from as well.
I thought it'd make more sense to say sth rises from somewhere, instead of in somewhere.


texts: How to use "almost" in different tenses?

texts:
Here is a situation: I am washing my car. My friends come and invite me to go to the cinema. I say: "Just a minute, I have almost washed my car".
Is it correct to use "have almost washed" here instead of "almost washed" or maybe should I use "have almost been washing" or "am almost washing"?


texts:
I was reading BBClearning app, in that a quiz conversation given at the end of the page as follows,

Finn : And number3. Daughters-in-law. With hyphens.

Alice : True!

Finn : That's right, it has hyphens. Well done if you got those right.

I have a doubt with the sentence that it should have "have" in it as "Well done  if you have got those right"

Why the sentence has no have in it? The answer by the person Alice was not entirely happened in the past. It was just happened when he asked the question. Can someone explain why there is no "have" in the sentence?

May be my knowledge of using "have" could be wrong. So help me.

Sorry for my bad English.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
"There's work we can do as doctors to improve the experience for families as well as patients."

Hello, I want to know what "do as doctors" means.

I have no idea why "as" is placed there and what it has to do with "doctors" and "do" and that's what is making me confused.

"As such" is not the same as my question since it means "therefore".


texts: Question about passive voice and modal verbs

texts:
In South Park s19e02, there is the following dialog:

1) - The X has been fu**ed to death.
- Yes! Yes!
- What? Are you sure?
- What is it, Thomas?
2) - The X got fu**ed to death, darling.

The first sentence seems to be Present Perfect, Passive voice.

But what tense is used in the second sentence?

Is it Present Simple, or Passive voice with got used as a Modal verb?


texts: Is "good for you" or "good on you" meant as sarcasm in English?

texts:
In Swedish, kids (at least a few decades ago, when I was a kid) sarcastically say:

  Kul för dig!

This literally means:

  Fun for you!

Or, more clearly:

  That's good... for you!! (But what's it to me?!)

Alternatively:

  Oh yeah? How... fun... for you. I'm so... happy... for you... and I'm not jealous at all.

In English, there's a very common phrase:

  Good for you!

Or:

  Good on you!

Maybe it's just because I think of the Swedish phrase, but whenever an American says this, it always comes off as sarcasm to me. As if they really aren't saying that something is "good", but rather that:

  I guess that's good for you[, you boastful little]...

But maybe in English, it's genuinely a way to express that you are happy for somebody else and their success, or whatever was said prior?


texts:
The following is from The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon:

  When snow begins to melt a little, or when only a small amount has fallen, it enters into all the cracks between the bricks, so that the roof is black in some paces, pure white in others -- most attractive.

It used the phrase "enters into all the cracks," which feels better than "enters all the cracks," but I am not sure when one should use enter into and when enter in a context like this.


texts: "Oxford dictionary" or "the dictionary of Oxford"

texts:
I've done some Google search to know if people mostly use Oxford dictionary or the dictionary of Oxford. As I've understood almost everyone uses the first pattern.

I know native English speakers say, for example, both the University of Harvard and Harvard University. Why don't we use the dictionary of Oxford in the preceding example?


texts: "close to a 20% rise" or "a close to 20% rise"?

texts:
I read this sentence online

  Over the last ten years, western societies have seen close to a 20% rise in the number of children who are overweight.
  Source

I know the writer is native English speaker, but I feel close to a 20% rise is a little bit odd. Should it be like sentence 2?

  Over the last ten years, western societies have seen a close to 20% rise in the number of children who are overweight.

Are they both correct or none of them are? Is there a better way to state this idea?


texts: How to ask for the date of the homework?

texts:
How should a student ask their teacher for the due date of the homework? Should they ask:

  A: "When is the homework due?”
  B: “What date is the homework due?”
  C: “What's the date for the homework?”
  D: “When is the homework for?”

Are these correct and pertinent? Are there any other ways to put it?


texts:
I got a sentence where I was asked to correct/improve it by choosing one of the given options. I was sure of using "Few" instead of "Some" with people but it turned out that I was wrong. I thought using  "Few people" was correct. The question sentence is below:

Some people has all the luck even when they did not try very hard.

a) Some people have all
b) Few people have all
Please help me get rid of this confusion between "some / few people". Same goes with "few children/ some children". I think "few" has to do something with negative meaning sentences and "some" with positive sense making sentences?


texts: Trying to understand "no less so but no more so," I've got nowhere

texts:
I've been trying to understand the phrase “no less so but no more so” in the context below, does this mean “although she was sometimes alone, sometimes not”?

This kind of comparative structure in English or rhetoric is hard for me to understand, so can you rephrase the “no less so but no more so”?

  This city had become a home to her. She was alone in it, but as alone in it as she had been everywhere in her life ------ no less so but no more so ------ and at least here it was a place she’d chosen. (Taken from  Heat of Lies)


texts: 'It is not difficult helping others' is this sentence correct?

texts:
I'm a student from south Korea. I'm learning English at school.
Today, I took an English test at school.
I've learned about

  'It is ~ for ~ to ~'

sentence in school.
And I marked

  'It is not difficult helping others'

sentence to 'X' (wrong).
But, my teacher changed the answer to 'O' (right). Is this sentence correct?


texts: 'Of' versus 'for' used in a catch phrase 'love of learning' or 'love for learning'?

texts: Which would be appropriate for use as a catch phrase 'love of learning' or 'love for learning'?  The catch phrase would be included as part of core values in the word L O V E.


texts:
TORPEDO ROOM CHIEF: Flood down tube one.

  Man: Flood down tube one, aye

What does it mean, "Flood down something"?

I find this line in Midway 2019


texts: Meaning of "Shouldn’t you be living in a proper house?"

texts:
She turned her bleached face to him and gave a small nod. Elizabeth
rammed the key into the lock and twisted it back and forth. Dexter looked at
the shop-fronts opposite. One of them had a dull red light over the door; its
number was painted in numerals as tall as a man.
‘Morty!’ he said. ‘Shouldn’t you be living in a proper house?’
‘Oh shutup. You’re worse than Mum.’
Dexter fell back to the edge of the pavement and they went past him into
the building. The street door clashed behind them.

explain: "Morty" is Elizabeth's nick name

Does "Shouldn’t you be living in a proper house?" mean "why should you be living in a proper house?"

As an non-native this type of question confuse me.

Does "You are worse than Mum" mean literally and "Mum" here is her Mum?

Source: The Children's Bach by Helen Garner.


texts: Are the constructions of both these sentences grammatically correct?

texts:
Now, I have posted related questions to what I'm about to post right now.

Things in our country were worse then than how bad things are in certain parts of Liberia.

Things in our country were worse then than things are in certain parts of Liberia.

If I used the former sentence, would it be deemed grammatically incorrect?
Would it be okay to use the former sentence on paper?
Do they mean the same?


texts:
I want to dredge below these two terms; I'm not asking about the definition or concept, which I perceive thanks to http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/dedind.php and my math studies.

How do these two words consist with their respective meanings in logic?

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=deduce&searchmode=none:

  deduce = ...from de- "down" (see de-) + ducere "to lead" (see duke (n.))...

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=induce&searchmode=none

  induce: ...from in- "into, in, on, upon" (see in- (2)) + ducere "to lead" (see duke (n.))...

What is being 'lead'? Does the 'down' start at the theory? Why not start 'down' from  the observation?

Similarly, why lead INTO the theory? Why not lead INTO the observation?

Couldn't I reverse the direction of the approaches and thus upend these words?


texts: Why "change my schedule around", instead of "change my schedule"?

texts:
I heard some people say

  I changed my schedule around,

instead of just saying "I changed my schedule." when they, for example, are making college class schedule.

Can I use this expression without "around"? If not, what's the difference between just "change" and "change around"?


texts: Will a gerund form of "hope" be acceptable if followed by an infinitive?

texts:
I am hoping to make Scotland my permanent home.

Is it correct to use ‘hoping to make' in this way?


texts: Does anyone know the other reason for using future perfect here?

texts:
I wonder the reason why it has been here used FUTURE PERFECT!

  The building is hardly there to satisfy the needs of structure but, whatever its purpose or plan, structural needs will have had a vital hand in shaping its form.

Moreover, what does "structural needs will have had a vital hand in shaping its form" mean?

Source:
Understanding Buildings: A Multidisciplinary Approach


texts:
Searching for the meaning of the word "smoldering" on Google Translator I found the sentence bellow as an example:

As I was walking back the last night it there was the remains of a pallet smouldering in the smoke.

The use of the it before there was seems strange to me. Does it make any sense? Shouldn't the sentece be just...

As I was walking back the last night there was the remains of a pallet smouldering in the smoke.


texts: Trying to understand both the grammar construction and the author's intent: Although (being) of the opinion that... /Destite the opinion that

texts:
At the very beginning of a new book, I stumbled over this:

The context sentence:

  The flying lessons were courtesy of her husband, who was the town’s
  First Selectman.

The problem sentence:

  Although of the opinion that if God had wanted man to fly, He would
  have given him wings, Andy was an extremely coaxable man, and
  eventually Claudette had gotten her way.

What puzzled me on the first read was the preposition of after the conjunction although, and it wasn't immediately that I understood that it subordinates to Andy and the part which seems to be missing in the sentence is "Although (being/he was) of the opinion that..., (he) Andy was..."

Having grasped that only intuitively, I'm still at a loss for the explanation of the grammar construction used in the sentence (what I should look for in grammar books).

Would it make any difference if the sentence began with "despite" instead of "although":

  "Despite the opinion that if God had wanted man to fly, He would have
  given him wings, Andy was an extremely coaxable man, and eventually
  Claudette had gotten her way"?*

What might the author mean to stress by using the "although of the opinion"? That Andy, in particular, was among (the few) those who do share the opinion? Or that he was an exception from (the most) those who do not? Or whatever else?


texts: What would you say it hurts when you laugh?

texts:
Let's say two people are talking, and one of them starts to laugh so hard he is in pain (nothing medical to worry about, just out of breath or something). What is he likely to say?

Oh, my (blank) hurts!

How many options can you think of to fill in the blank and what are the most common?


texts:
[Bender explains why he drinks so much]
  Bender: Nah, I'm trying to watch my input. I need plenty of wholesome nutritious alcohol. The chemical energy keeps my fuel cells charged.
  Fry: What are the cigars for?
  Bender: They make me look cool.

Why he use "They" but not "Its"?
Is it a mistake?

In addition:

  Leela: "What if I just help the two of you find a bigger apartment?"
  Bender: "I don't know...I've got a lot of great memories of my old place." [pushes button]
  Bender: "And now they're gone!"

And why does he use "they" for "memories"?


texts: The use of the verb "call" in the sense of "think"

texts:
Does the following sentences sound natural?

  Can you call yourself a good teacher?

  You did the excellent job, so you call yourself a genius.

What I am trying to say that I think the persons has some qualities to be considered something.


texts:
Normally, dictionaries suggest using "take/have a bite (of something/out of something)" but not "take/have a bite off something".
So, we normally say "take a bite of the loaf" or "take a bite out of the loaf".
But I remember some native speaker in this forum say "I tore a piece off the loaf" or "I tore a piece from the loaf".
But I can see the similarity between "take a bite" and "tear a piece".
Why can't we say "take a bite off the loaf"?


texts:
I read "have a thing about" is actually having strong feelings about something either negative or positive.

My question is whether "have a thing about" is used for negative feelings as well?

And is "have a thing for" used only for positive or romantic feelings?


texts: Is this "as superior as" construction grammatically correct?

texts: Such an excellent king, as superior to my uncle as a god is to a beast,


texts: Why do we say "study window" not "study's window"?

texts: Do you know why we say study window not study's window although we mean the window which belongs to a study(room)? I want to know the reason.


texts: Is this line- 'The less genuine the windows is, the better it is' correct?

texts:
Can anyone tell me, is this line correct or not?

"The less genuine the windows is, the better it is"


texts: sentence meaning "to be wrapped up in oneself"

texts:
Halloween Joke:

  Why do mummies have trouble keeping friends? They're so wrapped up in themselves ...

What is "wrapped up in themselves"?


texts:
How to ask properly about the stage of a student at the university? Are the following ways considered natural?

  In which /what course are you?

(meaning about the year. 1st course, 2nd course, 3rd course etc.  this is the way it's used in eastern Europe, but I'm not sure it's correct for the native English speaker ears)

  In which / what year are you?


texts: Article choice before a means of transportation

texts:
How much is a plane ticket from London to Paris? The answer is only a web search away, and more and more Europeans are being enticed by cheap prices to take short flights for holidays, family visits or business. It's fast enough for a weekend trip and can cost much less than the train.

Could someone explain why "the" is used in the above sentence?
Would it sound weird if I use "trains" instead of "the train?"
Considering it is almost the first sentence in an essay, talking about a general idea about the means of transportation, I thought "trains" (the plural form without articles) would be more appropriate.

Even other than this sentence, I've noticed that "the" is often used before a means of transport (ex. the bus. the train, the plane etc) instead of "a" or plural forms with no articles, in situations where I think the writer is just talking about a general idea, or facts about the means of transportation, not referring to a particular transport.
Is it something idiomatic? or is it just I haven't fully grasped how the articles are used in those contexts?


texts: Is 'oblige' the right word: 'thinking ... oblige us to avoid self-serving bias...'?

texts:
[Para 4:] Rawls argued that citizens would willingly embrace this principle if they reasoned behind a “veil of ignorance” -- without knowledge of their age, race, gender, intelligence and so on. In this “original position,” citizens would care most about the interests of the least advantaged, because any citizen might turn out to be among them. Such reasoning may seem artificial, but Rawls asks us to reflect on what we mean by a just society. A just society is a fair society, he argued, and thinking about fairness obliges us to avoid self-serving bias by abstracting from all the specific things we know about ourselves.

I guess that Definition 1(.0) applies (= Make (someone) legally or morally bound to do something:), but is this use of oblige perfectly right? How cacn mere `thinking about fairness' to bound or affect in any way self-serving bias (ie: bias that only advances yourself)?  What law or morality does the author imply?


texts: Which Tense is appropriate to tell Fact Telling in English Past or Simple Present tense?

texts:
While introducing someone if I Use past tense sentence is it correct to say or not?

  a) I joined this company in the year 2005.

Reason being I am asking this question is because this is fact which I am telling and to tell fact we use Present tense.
So can we use present tense also?

  b) I join this company in the year 2005.

Similarly,

If I clear the exam and want to tell this to my parents.

  a) I cleared the Exam. (Past Tense)

  b) I clear the Exam (Present Tense)

Which one is the correct Tense to describe fact?


texts: Should I capitalize because if comes after a question?

texts:
Can I start a sentence with "because" if it comes after a question mark?

Why did I drink? Because I was thirsty.

or

Why did I drink? because I was thirsty.

I know this style of question has been asked before, however I've been told you should never start a sentence with "because". Yet, if a question mark ends a sentence then how can I continue without capitalizing the "b" in because? In this case, should I have to avoid "because" all together and instead write

Why did I drink? I was thirsty.


texts: Appropriate sentence/ Tense to be used for declaring something

texts:
Which Sentence Should I Use when I pass the exam ? I mean at the time of announcing the result.

a) I cleared the Exam. (Past Tense)

It refer to past event of passing exam. I mean result were declared first and then I am announcing to my family.

b) I clear the Exam ( Present Tense )

It refer to current status of passing exam.

c ) I have cleared the Exam ( present perfect )

I think this is correct sentence to be used because it is referring to past event having impact in present .


texts:
I was reading newspaper and there was a sentence

  WFI Recently exempted the phogat sisters from the national camp being held at lucknow

I am not very sure about where we should use being. But i know that being is generally used in passive voice. So if we consider this as passive voice then it should be "national camp was held at lucknow"

  WFI Recently exempted the phogat sisters from the national camp was held at lucknow

Or i think we can also write first sentence without being

  WFI Recently exempted the phogat sisters from the national camp held at lucknow

can someone please explain where we should use being ?


texts:
I was WhatsApping with my native English speaker friend when he wrote the following phrase:

  I have knowtest

Unfortunately, I lost the exact conversation this was said in. It was said in a context related to an online article. I said something along the lines of

  I haven't planned anything on Saturday yet. Have you seen that Sequel To Movie You Like has such good reviews?

I did ask him what the word means. He tried to explain, but I did not understand his explanation. I have asked him if he meant a type of exam, but it appeared to have nothing to do with a test or exam at all. Neither does it appear in any dictonaries I checked. What does it mean? It appears to have nothing to do with tests at all.


texts: USED TO with different forms of infinitive

texts:
Is it possible to use different forms of infinitive with "USED TO"?

1 I used to have finished my work by the time she came home.
or should it be
I used to have finished my work by the time she come home.
2 I used to be reading a newspaper when she came home.


texts: Look at all those Eggman's robots! -- is this grammatically correct?

texts:
In Sonic Heroes, Tails often says: "Look at all those Eggman's robots!" when there are a lot of robots that belong to Eggman in the area.

Now, all over the web, this is sarcastically referred to as "impeccable grammar", which I can't understand why, for my native isn't English.

As much as I can figure, an "Eggman's robot" isn't a noun, which makes it wrong and sound funny, also when translated to my native.

So why exactly is this phrase wrong?
Is "Look at all those robots of Eggman!" a correction?
If not, what is?


texts:
Real can be used as adjective as well as adverb.

As an adverb meaning of real is very

Therefore I think its usage in the following sentence is correct

  The real important thing to remember is that language learning requires a lot of practice.

But according to my book it is wrong and instead really should be used.


texts: "there is no such" vs "there is no such a..."

texts: I often meet two constructions which differ, as it seems, only by the choice of article: "there is no such [condition ...]" and "there is no such  a [condition ...]". What actually is the difference between them?


texts: Is it the same to say 'with neither' or 'without both' in context?

texts:
Is it the same to say 'with neither' or 'without both' or 'with miss' in this context? What part of speech is 'neither' here?

  He had, in short, all the Byronic ennui with neither of the Byronic
  outlets: genius and adultery.

THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT’S WOMAN by John Fowles


texts: Earring, don't use is or are? Pronouns “it” or “they”

texts:
I know that sunglasses, scissors, pants are plural. How about earring? If it's a pair (both left and right are alike), do we say "I love them" or "I love it"?
I got a present from my friend who is a native speaker, in the gift card she wrote “I hope you like it”
So, how should I reply?


texts: What's the term for a placeholder word with many meanings that can only be determined by context?

texts:
These are placeholder words like "yeet" and "jawn", which have no meaning in themselves, but can take nearly any meaning depending on their context.
What is the term for these sorts of words?


texts:
"- and Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell tanking up the pitch -" cried Lee valiantly, though the singing was now so deafening that he could hardly make himself heard above it.

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I've looked up "tank up", but none of definitions listed seems to make sense. What does "tank up" mean in this context?


texts:
I am confused about the usage of "had" along with "forget". Let's take some serious example.

  People usually took bath in rivers. Now, they've changed their tradition. I mean, they're bathing in their home, wasting a lot of water.

I want to say this using "forget". When I think of it, it usually comes to me like this:

  The humans had forgot the rivers.

I'm also confused with this phrase. Is this right? Or instead does forgotten play a role? As it has already happened in the past, how can I phrase it? Any alternative choice that I can use here in order to avoid my confusion?


texts:
Here is a sentence from a game that is based on interior designing:

  Whether your furniture tastes veer more AllModern or Mr. Starck,
  there’s a home styling situation for everyone in this game.

I know the lexical meanings of the word "veer", but am not sure if any of them fits here.


texts: Is it correct to use ..."a quarter past to five" instead of "a quarter past five" for 5:15 ?  I have watched  "a QUARTER PAST TO" in a you tube video.I also googled it but couldn't find it. The link to the video is https://youtu.be/0_-HYgJNimY


texts: Is "of" strictly needed in "out 'of' the [door]/[city]"?

texts:
A1. I stuck my head out the door just to check that the place wasn't burning down.
A2. I stuck my head out of  the door just to check that the place wasn't burning down.
B1. There may be some changes in migration, but people really like to seek out the city as a destination to live.
B2. There may be some changes in migration, but people really like to seek out of the city as a destination to live.

Can anybody explain if "of" is mandatory just after "out" in sentences like ones above? If not, is there a rule governing this kind of "of" usage?


texts: Which one is natural? some place where nobody is, some place where there is nobody

texts:
I am making up some sentence out of my head.
But I am not sure which one is correct or natural.

  You don't need to look for some place where nobody is.
  You don't need to look for some place where there is nobody.

and, Can I exchange "nobody" with "none/no one"?


texts:
I've read lots of posts that talk about "type of", "sort of" and  "kind of".

This post focuses on a particular scenario rather than a general discussion.

I guess the following expression is idiomatic.

  Most of my time is spent experimenting with different designs and ideas and seeing what
  looks good, because attention to detail is important in this kind of work.

I got a sense that kind of work is a very commonly used expression and other 2 expressions seem not that commonly used. So, is it still idiomatic if I substitute "type of" for "kind of"

  attention to detail is important in this type of work

or substitute "sort of" for "kind of"

  attention to detail is important in this sort of work


texts: "the instructor blew his whistle and off ran the runners."

texts:
The instructor blew his whistle and off ran the runners.

Why not:

  The instructor blew his whistle and the runners ran off.


texts: Can uneasy be used as a mixture of awkward and difficult?

texts: Imagine you're reading a book about something you don't understand much, like Latin or organic chemistry. Now imagine the text of the book itself is pretty clear but there are huge Latin quotes/chemistry equation in between sentences, which mean you're always looking for the next bit of text and you have trouble getting in the flow. You could say that this book is a somewhat difficult read, or an awkward read (I think you could say that at least). Could say that this book is an uneasy read? I know this isn't the normal meaning of uneasy, but would it work?


texts: Using "which": I don't know which book you want vs I don't know the book which you want

texts:
I want to know how to use "which" in spoken English. For instance: I am a shop keeper and a customer came and asked about a book. That book I have neither seen nor heard of. What would my answer be?

  I don't know which book you want.

or

  I don't know the book which you want.


texts: How to agree with a negative statement: with "yes" or with "no"?

texts:
This question here asks about answering negative questions:

How to answer a negative question in English?

I have a completely different question. I want to know:

how do we agree or disagree with negative statements in English.

Example:

––This is not a duplicate question.

––Yes, it is a new one.

or

––This is not a duplicate question.

––No, it is a new one.


texts: What's the difference between "person who waits for..." and "person waiting for..."?

texts:
Which one is right?

  Just an ordinary person who waits for an idiot.
  Just an ordinary person waiting for an idiot.

I've been confused about this thing. I need someone help me to answer this or give me a correct sentence.


texts: The definite article used to speak about things in general

texts:
Crime is a serious problem nowadays.

The definite article is not used in this sentence with the "crime" since the word means "activities breaking the law" in general, it's uncountable in the sentence given above.

But are the following sentences correct? Can the word "apple" be used with the zero article? I suppose that it can't as "apple" is a countable noun, and the definite article before the "apple" is necessary when speaking about any particular kind of fruit.

  Apple is the most common fruit in the region.
  Apple is my favourite fruit.

  (Should be "the apple" in both sentences.)

Please correct me if I'm wrong.


texts:
I am wondering which choice works properly in each example and if there is any preference over the other, please let me know why?

1. What is the use of theoretical knowledge when it has no practical application?! Also, I believe that, the most efficient type of knowledge is the .......... one.
a. experiential
b. empirical

2. English grammar has never been theoretical. It has always been........
a. experiential
b. empirical

Looking at each option semantically, I think, in either case, both words work properly, but based on the dictionary definitions, it strikes me as if the only where the adjective "experiential" is often used these days is in the collocation "experiential learning", while the adjective "empirical" is the exact opposite of "theoretical" which is in my question.
Please kindly help me to clear this ambiguity.


texts:
It is important to remember this principle.

Can the above sentence be changed to the sentence below? Do they mean the same thing?

  This principle is important to remember.


texts: Is it appropriate to use "I can be a little bit careless" when talking about work?

texts:
suppose a department manager, he doesn't want to be the kind of person who focuses on details. So he says

  I suppose I can be a little bit careless sometimes.

I am afraid that the word careless is not appropriate to use when talking about work, since it usually a bad word.

Cambridge Dictionary gives this definition, which could be a proof.

  not taking or showing enough care and attention

Is my understanding right?


texts: Using "on this test" instead of "by using this test"

texts:
Does "on" has the meaning of "by using"?

I can't diagnose mental problems just by using this test. (or just by)

I can't diagnose mental problems just on this test.

Can I use the second one instead of the first one?


texts: "Invited them for lunch" vs "invited them to lunch?"

texts:
What's the correct form?

Example sentence:

  He explained that his professor had invited his lab for/to lunch.


texts:
There are two sentences:

He works here.

and

He doesn't work here.

Why don't we use He doesn't works here. What is the rule that governs when to use s at the end of a verb?


texts:
I saw this sentence

  At the end of the day, George subtracted his fish from the fisherman’s. The fisherman had beaten him by forty-seven!

I am wondering, whether forty-seven is the difference of the result or it means that the fisherman result is forty and Gorge result is seven.


texts:
Merriam-Webster defines delegation as "the act of empowering to act for another". In such a context, what is the antonym of delegation? Thesaurus.com suggests keeping, which seems a bit weak.

I can think of something like preservation, but it could be misinterpreted. Any suggestions?

I am a manager. Some tasks, I might want to delegate. Others, I might want not to. The former are instances of a delegation. What are the latter instances of?


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

texts:
1.As a general rule, historians find it difficult to isolate events in history and argue their impact upon society.

2.As a general rule, historians find it difficult to isolate events in history and to argue their impact upon society.

Is there no difference in meaning between the two sentences?
In my opinion,

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

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

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


texts:
I saw two usages for this phrase:

  1: do you have any time available? no, I'm booked solid (for a person)
  2: the restaurant is booked solid! (for a place)

is that equivalent to overbooked?

When can we use this phrase?


texts: Is it "call us at 181" or "call us on 181"?

texts:
Could you tell me if I have to use on or at when talking about calling a particular number? For example:

If you need help with your phone, call us at/on 181.

Are both perfectly natural and correct?


texts:
Can someone please explain to me the usage of the article in this particular situation?
Over the years/Over years. When we use it and when we are omitting it?
Secondly, why we, for example saying I gained experience through the years?
I didn't specify in what years I gained it. Is it implied somehow, and therefore the definite article is used? or is it like with many proverbs repeated so many times that people just use it as it is?


texts: have + past participle, versus did + verb?

texts:
Here are some pairs of sentences. I don't know the difference in meaning between each sentence in each pair.

  How many apples did you eat?
  How many apples have you eaten?

  How many bags did you use?
  How many bags have you used?

Questions:

1. What is the difference in meaning between the two constructions?

2. Grammatically, what is the structure of "How many bags have you used"?

For example, for "how many bags have you used?", I notice that "used" is a past participle, but I'm still not sure how I might construct this sentence. I suspect my knowledge of grammar is lacking.

Here is one attempt:

"[You] [used] [five bags]" -- simple subject-verb-object sentence that uses very simple grammar that most beginners learn.
"How many bags did you use?" -- constructing a question, that can be answered with the previous sentence, by using "how many" at the beginning and doing an inversion of the [subject + verb] and [object]
"How many bags have you used?" -- ???? No idea how to construct this sentence! Does it have something to do with the passive voice? Where did the word "have" come from?


texts:
There ____ an apple and two bananas on the table.

My kid's teacher said the answer is is, but I think it should be are. Can someone help me with it here?  Thanks!


texts: Who does "they" refer to in this sentence?

texts:
“I never wanna be the guy who stops loving someone for loving the way that they want to love”

Who does "they" refer to,  "the guy" or "someone"?
P.S.  This sentence is from a movie line, when a boy finds out the girl he loves is gay, he is very sad, but eventually he decides to continue loving the girl even though she is gay and says this line to the girl.


texts: "Were not doing" versus "would not do" versus "had not been doing"

texts:
In my previous organisation we were not doing so much of work.
  In my previous organisation we would not do so much of work.

Do both the sentences mean the same thing or there is any difference?

And also what is meaning of the sentence below?

  "We had not been doing so much of work in our previous organisation"


texts: Future in the past expressed by simple past?

texts:
This is the original text I have:

  October 31, 1906: "No, you had not told me that you did not expect to make any flights this year." (Source)

Does the sentence have the same meaning as:

1) No, you had not told me that you would not expect to make any flights this year.

or

2) No, you did not tell me that you would not expect to make any flights this year.

UPDATE

My grammar problem is like this:

You had told me that you expected to make a flight.
You had told me that you would expect to make a flight.

"you expected" sounds to me like a future in the past and I do not understand why it is like this and not "would expect".

Or simply the meaning of "You had told me that you expected to make a flight." is  "You expected to make a flight, this is what you had told me."


texts: Where we are exactly if we're "at the sea"?

texts:
I'm familiar with some serious discussions about preposition particularly when it comes to kind of "at" vs "in" involved. I know that "at" suggests a point in space and "in" requires being confined, enclosed in the area. Taking all the information we know  into consideration, where does one imply to be exactly by saying "I'm at sea" (apart from its idiomatic meaning for sure).

Is he far away from the coast on the water in/on the boat or any vessel? Or is he on the coast anywhere near the sea? Or both are possible?

After learning the fact that "being at sea" and "being at the sea" are not the same thing, I have to include the following question in my post ; - how come the article "the" make such a difference like "being close to the sea(seaside)" and "being on an open sea/ocean" ?  (please mention it in your answers)


texts:
Given: Your son is in the front seat, and you are in the driver's seat.

Required: You want him to sit in the back seat whether you state it or not

Which is correct?

Get at/in the back, son
Get at/in the back of the car, son
Get at/in the back seat, son

What would native speakers informally say? (get ..., hop... etc)

Your answers are appreciated


texts:
Is this period grammatically correct?

The tower, built for military purposes, has undergone numerous changes, becoming from clock tower to bell tower of the church of St. Giustino.

If it is not correct, which verb could be used as a valid alternative?


texts: Is it grammatical to say "It's much more cheaper. . ."?

texts: I was confused when I corrected my student and he asked me if he could use "much more" in a sentence. I'm used to using "much" and "more" separately that's why I didn't know what to say.


texts: participle clause locked into specific tense?

texts:
today i come across the sentence: "She has gone downstairs looking for her children".Is this a correct usage of the participle clause?

In my English book, the unit states that you can join 2 sentence together using the above structure
EX: Seeing the police, the thief ran away.
However, all example only include the joining of 2  simple past sentences and no other tenses were mentioned.

So is it okay to use other tenses for the structure or you must use it to describe 2 complete action in the past that happen simultaneously?

Much oblige.


texts: Help understanding the difference between "to have+verb" and "to+verb"

texts:
I'm always confused about using 'to have'. I know it is a perfect infinitive but the meaning of it must have a different usage than 'to+verb'!

  If you go there you need to have registered a room.

Why it is not just "to" before register?

  It would've been possible to have met him if you'd been there.

  To appreciate the success, you need to have had the failure.

Why not just "to have" instead of "to have had"?


texts:
Which sentence is correct? If both are correct, do they have the same meaning?

A) Being happy is to have dreams in life
B) Being happy is having dreams in life


texts:
I need to ask a question like as "How many stations don't have electricity yet"
How do i ask this question in a passive mode?

How many stations are not electrified yet?
How many stations have not been electrified yet?
How many stations have not electrified yet?

Which sentence is more accurate here and why?


texts: Is "fell 50 feet down the ship" grammatical?

texts:
I am wondering how to put "the height from which someone fell" and "from what location someone fell in the same phrase, and trying to do that I struggled to find the correct phrases to put them into words.

One of my failed attempt is the following:

  He fell 50 feet down the ship and ended up in the ice cold water where
  the Titanic sank some 100 years ago.

What are some common phrases that can be used to express them in the same phrase?


texts: Parent and parents which one is appropriate in following context?

texts:
A: Sons of the same parent are called brothers.
  B: Sons of the same parents are called brothers.

Which one is correct?


texts:
Please tell me if

  "... Some of the objects can be classified as musical instruments while some cannot".

Is Correct ?

Or would

  "... Some of the objects can be classified as musical instruments while some are not".

be better.

Thanks.


texts: Is it correct to say "That is baby Tom" or "That is Tom baby" when older Tom is watching a clip about Tom when he was a baby?

texts:
Say, my son is 3 now and I show him a clip of him/himself (not sure him or himself) when he was 1.
I point to him in the clip.
Should I say "That is baby Tom" or "That is Tom baby"?


texts: Can we express future tense with simple tense?

texts:
Which sentence is correct to say? And when?

  a - If I do this, I hope she forgives me.
  b - If I do this, I hope she will forgive me.

One more example

  c - OK, I check that and send you again.
  d - OK, I will check that and send you again.


texts: What's the subject in this sentence containing the word "apart"?

texts:
Suppose I live with my family in a certain town, and I'm talking to someone who lives in another town which is 10 miles away. If I say:

We are 10 miles apart.

Does this "we" refer to "me and my family"? In this case the sentence would imply:

We are 10 miles apart from you. (Even though "apart from" would not be grammatically correct in this case).

I also found this sentence from Collins dictionary:

She saw Sheila standing some distance apart.

which means that Sheila is some distance apart (from whoever was present).
Or does "We" refer to "me, my family, and you"? In this case the sentence would mean:

We are 10 miles apart from each other.

In the first case the word "apart" would have the same meaning as "away", and I'm not sure the former can be used in this way.
I know that you'll probably suggest to add "from each other" to avoid ambiguity, but I'd like to know which meaning does the first sentence have if I don't specify anything else. Could it mean both?


texts: Advice for international student on how to improve oral English and get involved in American culture

texts:
Not sure whether this is the right place to ask this question, but it has bothered me for so long, and has impacted my life from every aspect.

I am from China. This is my fourth-year in United States as a graduate student, but I still feel like I don't speak English well. The consequent results are:

(1) A lot of times I feel I have good ideas, thoughts, opinions in my mind. But once I speak out, I am not able to convey most of what I think efficiently. Because of that, I feel frustrated many times.

(2) I had very strong intention to stay out of the Chinese social group, hoping to get involved more with American students and native speakers. But a lot of times, though I am with them, I don't know how to start good conversations. As a result, I feel I don't make use of the time and the opportunities well. And I feel less confident to hang out with American classmates, as I would feel embarrassed without knowing what to chat.

I know living in another culture is not easy, and learning the culture and mastering the language are hard. I shouldn't expect that I can do great without time and efforts. But I really wish I can speak good oral English, have great communication ability with English, and embrace the American culture as I can.

In terms of my personal case, are there any practical suggestions (tips) on how I can train my oral English well and get involved in American culture? Are there any plans on daily activities that I can do to achieve that goal?

Any opinions are highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.


texts:
I saw the sentence like 'I will go on a vacation at Christmas'.

Could I substitute this sentence with 'I will go on a vacation on Christmas'

If so, What is the difference between 'at Christmas' and 'on Christmas'?

I'd like to know the difference.


texts: How to negate "I told everyone everything about the event."?

texts:
I found several ways to negate the sentence
"I told everyone everything about the event.":

I told someone everything about the event.
I told everyone something but not all about the event.
It is not the case that I told everyone everything about the event.

Which one correctly negates the sentence? And why?
Thank you very much for your time,
Leon


texts:
I have a question regarding the word-order in interrogative sentences. I think, the following two statements are grammatically correct; however, how do I explain the difference between them? (That is, when do we use No.2?)

1. Who is Shakespeare?
2. Who Shakespeare is?

Can the second sentence be said in situations like in a classroom for, instance, when the lecturer says, "Let me tell you who Shakespeare is"? Or, can it be a heading on the slide show:

"Who Shakespeare is...
1. He was an old bard
2. He was the playwright of innumerable sonnets and plays.."


texts: What's the difference among "extinguish fire", "fight the fire" and "put out fire"

texts:
I only know "put out fire" before.
But today I used Google to translate it into Chinese and translated it back into English, it becomes "fight the fire".

Also, I tried translating the most natural Chinese that means "put out fire", I get "extinguishing".

What's their difference?


texts: What is the appropriate word for "give/contain information"

texts:
I have the following sentence:

  It contains all the information that tells what one is thinking about.

What I am trying to say is that this thing gives/contains an information. I want to make sure that "that tells" is appropriate for this purpose. And if there are words that could give the expression a better structure.


texts: What is the English word or phrase for "nihithawan"? NA Cree word

texts:
What is the English translation of the NA plains Cree word >nihithawan  as found in Rosanna Deerchild's  novel Calling Down The Sky, page 5?
Our book club is studying this novel and we cannot find the Cree (NA Plains) to English translation on line anywhere.  We cannot guess its meaning by its context either.

Thank you for helping us out, if you can or cannot, the effort would be greatly appreciated.

Blessings

Wendy Noll

..


texts:
I have a sentence and I want to understand word "preoccupied" role in it.

  I became preoccupied with work.

My analysis:
Direct word order.
I - subject, personal pronoun.
became - predicate, irregular verb.
preoccupied - definition, participle II.
with - conjunction, preposition.
work - circumstance, noun.

Is this analyse correct? What's wrong? Please, help to write correct word order scheme.

Maybe the "preoccupied" is an indirect object and "with work" is a direct object with preposition?
Or "preoccupied" is the part of predicate?


texts: Do I need "from" in the following sentence?

texts:
The cat disappeared into a bush. There was no way it could have come
  out (from) the other side, since there was a wall right behind the bush.

Do I need that from? Why or why not?


texts: Help understanding some terms describing medieval fiction

texts:
Chivalric Romance is a type of narrative that developed in twelfth-century France, spread to the literatures of other countries, and displaced the earlier epic and heroic forms. Romances were at first written in verse, but later in prose as well. The romance is distinguished from the epic in that it does not represent a heroic age of tribal wars, but a courtly and chivalric age, often one of highly developed manners and civility. Its standard plot is that of a quest undertaken by a single knight in order to gain a lady's favor; frequently its central interest is courtly love, together with tournaments fought and dragons and monsters slain for the damsel's sake; it stresses the chivalric ideals of courage, loyalty, honour, mercifulness to an opponent, and elabourate manners; and it delights in wonders and marvels. Supernatural events in the epic had their causes in the will and actions of the gods; romance shifts the supernatural to this world, and makes much of the mysterious effect of magic, spells and enchantments. (Source)

First of all, I wonder if there is any difference between the following...

for the damsel's sake
for the damsel

Secondly, I am wondering what the bold and underlined part means, as well.
Finally, could you explain what the following means in simpler language?

together with tournaments fought and dragons and monsters slain


texts:
Ho can I say there is some time until an event? Suppose there is a puzzle whose answer is an image, which should I say:

five seconds to show the image
five seconds are left to show the image
five seconds are left until showing the image
five seconds are left until the image to be shown


texts:
If I wanted some tea, which verb would Americans use to ask someone for tea:

to make some tea?
or to brew some tea?

Which of these two verbs are commonly used? Is there a better word?


texts:
Is "at outset" grammatically correct to use as in the following

  These dormitories were at outset for senior girls

or is "at the outset" better?


texts: "A patient who presented with some infection secondary to procedures done to facilitate to drain CSF." what is the verb in the sentence?


texts:
I watched a lot of American movies & it seems that most people would say "Why wouldn't you tell me that?"

Not many would say "Why didn't you tell me that?"

I think "would" here is future of "will" which means "willing to do something".

So, "Why wouldn't you tell me that?" would mean "why weren't you willing to tell me that?"

That is my thought but I may be wrong.

So, Why do people prefer to say "Why wouldn't you tell me that?" rather than "Why didn't you tell me that?"


texts: Is "for causing autism in X" grammatical?

texts:
I am not sure, but "for causing autism in X" seems ungrammatical when X is a person, when x is a particular group of people it doesn't sound off, but when it's a particular person, it sounds ungrammatical. Is it?

For example:

  The pharmaceutical company Avalon was sued for causing autism in
  Michael.


texts: "This chick's playing with Confederate money." (Seinfeld)

texts:
"This chick's playing with Confederate money."

It is from Seinfeld. Elaine said that when was trying to convince Jerry that some girl had fake breasts. How to decipher it?

There is probably an interplay between the words 'silicone' and 'silicon'. Maybe the Confederate States of America had something significant in the Silicon Valley.


texts:
The orange arc-lamps faded and the crowd depleted a little as they walked along the Stillwater River in the trench of morning.

I googled the phrase, but found nothing useful. Can someone help to explain the meaning of the phrase?


texts: As there was a fallen tree ... the path,I had to walk ... it to go to the other side

texts:
As there was a fallen tree ... the path, I had to walk  ... it to go to the other side.

Options:

a). out of/in
b). under/around
c). out of/into
d). along/along
e). across/around

My Approach: I am confused between d) and e).

Reason:

I found along meaning  that correlated in the sentence like

  beside, by the side of, on the edge of, alongside.

Example: Trees grew along the river bank.

I found across meaning the following:

  from one side to the other of (something)

in other words, it is expressing movement over a place or region.

Can anyone guide me on how to solve the problem?


texts: "Never attribute to malice THAT WHICH is adequately explained by stupidity"

texts:
The following sentence is part of a famous saying called Hanlon's razor:

  Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity

I'm confused by the "that which". Why do you need "which" here? Doesn't "that" alone makes it a complete sentence?


texts: Do we need the definite article after "watch out for"?

texts:
In the phrases like:
Watch out for (the) avalanche.
Watch out for (the) flame.

Note: It shouldn't mean immediate warning. And there is no question of a particular avalanche or flame.

Examples (these are just examples from the Internet, I don't know if they are correct).

A. Moreover, the stag receives amazing sambuca show in one of the bars – so, watch out for the flame!

B. Just continue on, but watch out for the flame when you get there.

C. So, good luck on the seventh stage. Also, watch for avalanche.

D. Watch out for the avalanche though. Listen to the locals for the news about the avalanche ahead.


texts: What is the word for this type of shade mixed with spots of sunlight?

texts: What is the word/phrase which describes that type of shade which one can witness on a sunny day under a tree which doesn't have very thick foliage; the one which is a mixture of shadow spots formed by the leaves and light spots from the sunlight coming between them?


texts:
She began her acting career in hollywood, winning 15 awards for her work between 2008 and 2012.

Q: Does sentence 1) sound like she won 15 awards first and then began her acting career or is the sentence correct as it is?


texts: Which tense is better to talk about progress and development : present simple/ continues/ perfect?

texts:
Prices are increasing.

  Prices have been/ have increased.

  Prices increase.

I know all of them are grammatically correct and all mean that prices increased in the past and still continue to increase in the future but I wonder what's the difference in meaning between the three of them.


texts: "accounting for high fasting blood glucose"- help about the meaning

texts:
I have an doubt about the meaning of the words "accounting for high fasting blood glucose".

This is the full sentence:

  "Excess glucose produced by the liver is a major source of high blood
  glucose in type 2 diabetes, accounting for high fasting blood glucose"

As a non-native English speaker, I can understand the following meaning but I'm not sure that this is the right meaning:

"accounting for high fasting blood glucose"- people who account on high sugar levels while they are fasting


texts: Can you help me and check my sentences using Either, Neither, So, and Too?

texts:
I write sentences and have a problem with the understanding of too/either, So am I/Neither do I.
Can you check my sentences and correct mistakes?
1.
– I ate a tomato.
– I ate it too. (So did I.)
2.
– I don’t eat ice cream.
– I don’t eat it either. (Neither do I.)
3.
– I’ve had dinner.
– I’ve had dinner too. (So did I.)
4.
– I like candies.
– I like them too. (So do I)
5.
– I like watching TV series.
– I like watching them too. (So do I)
6.
– He likes playing basketball.
– I like playing too. (So do I)
7.
– I went to the shop today.
– He went to the shop too. (So did he)
8.
– I killed the mosquito.
– I killed one too. (So did I)
9.
– I don’t want to dust.
– I don’t want to either. (Neither do I)
10.
– I can’t play hockey.
– I can’t either. (Neither can I.)
11.
– I can’t cook soup.
– I can’t either. (Neither can I.)
12.
– I have not written one sentence.
– I have not written one either. (Neither have I)
13.
– I can’t speak French.
– I can’t either. (Neither can I)
14.
– I have never swum in a pond.
– I have never swum either. (Neither have I.)
15.
– I have never fished.
– I have never fished either. (Neither have I)


texts: grammatical explanation for "When given all the data on the corpse,...."

texts:
what's grammatical explanation for "given" in following sentence:

  When given all the data on the corpse, Columbo was able to solve the murder.


texts: Word for "question that forces someone to answer yes or no"?

texts:
I recall reading somewhere a word that was a synonym of "question that forces a yes/no answer", but I don't remember which word was it. Googling gives completely unrelated results.

The word might be restricted to political discussions as a tactic to make the opposite opinion to seem more extreme than it is.

Example:

  A: - I think we spend too much money on NASA.

  B: - But if the amount we spend is the minimum needed to make the findings we do, and even a bit less budget would mean zero findings, wouldn't you keep it as it is?

  A: - You are using a _____, and here we can do other than yes or no.


texts: How to understand this sentence about sights in Cambodia with many clauses?

texts:
There is plenty to see in Phnom Penh, the capital of Combodia, starting with a tour of the Silver Pagoda, the National Museum and the market areas where hand-woven silks and antiques will compete for your attention.

For a learner like me, this sentence is difficult to understand.
How can I divide this sentence into simple sentences?


texts:
I was going to write:

  if the founded rule classifies the node as "content", it will be added ...."

Any rule in a list matching some criteria will be returned by a searchRule method.  I can use if the matched rule, but I was surprised as I googled and found that we don't have "founded".... why? then what is used for such things?

  The founded person ....

  The founded object ...


texts:
How to use to pick a fruit if you only pick one fruit or collect more than one fruit.
Should I use the word branch to sound casual or not?

The man ate the apple that he picked (up) from the tree in a garden
which he passed by.
The family collected fruit from trees for the first time in this year
and ate them together.


texts: Does "accounted for by" here mean "overshadowed by"?

texts:
In "Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book" by Austin Freeman", a detective was talking to a doctor, who was summoned to check a dead woman, saying:
In the aspect of the room there was something strangely incongruous with the tragedy that had been enacted within its walls; a mingling of the commonplace and the terrible that almost amounted to anticlimax. Through the wide-open window the bright spring sunshine streamed in on the garish wallpaper and cheap furniture; from the street below, the periodic shouts of a man selling "sole and mack-ro!" broke into the brisk staccato of a barrel-organ and both sounds mingled with a raucous voice close at hand, cheerfully trolling a popular song, and accounted for by a linen-clad elbow that bobbed in front of the window and evidently appertained to a house-painter on an adjacent ladder.
Does "accounted for by" here mean "overshadowed by" or "its existence explained by"?


texts: What does "I can't stress enough that..." mean?

texts:
Does it mean "I can't fully express...."?

"I can't stress enough that I want to serve as an open door between Silicon Valley and Medicaid," he said.

Source: Silicon Valley is missing a 'big opportunity' because it doesn't understand poor people - Medicaid chief


texts: Should I say "a week ago" or "a week before" or "a week earlier"?

texts:
She asked me while she was handing me the pathology report and trying to look relaxed.Her gynecologist took a uterine biopsy "a week before" and the results finally came out on this day.

Should I say "a week ago" or "a week before" or "a week earlier" ?


texts:
So while it might seem surprising that the experience of tasting
chocolate could be nothing but a complicated physical event in your
brain, it would be no stranger than lots of things that have been
discovered about the real nature of ordinary objects and processes.
Scientists have discovered what light is, how plants grow, how muscles
move - it is only a matter of time before they discover the biological
nature of the mind. That's what physicalists think.
A dualist would reply that those other things are different. When we
discover the chemical composition of water, for instance, we are
dealing with something that is clearly out there in the physical world
-- something we can all see and touch. When we find out that it's made up of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, we're just breaking down an external
physical substance into smaller physical parts. It is an essential
feature of this kind of analysis that we are not giving a chemical
breakdown of the way water looks, feels, and tastes to us. Those
things go on in our inner experience, not in the water that we have
broken down into atoms. The physical or chemical analysis of water
leaves them aside.

[Thomas Nagel, What does it all mean?, Chapter 4]
I've got 2 questions to ask:

What does "those other things" refer to?
Does "we are not giving a chemical breakdown..." have the same meaning as "we are not breaking down chemically..."? The word "giving" makes me confused.

Thank you.


texts: How can I express "Get ready people, now I'll give a little bit of information about the person/thing" succinctly in English?

texts:
In my native language, when an additional information needed in support of the subject we talk about, we do it in the following way

  In the absence of Marty, Alberto will stand in for him. I should open brackets for Alberto. He has worked in the similar industry for 30 years and he ....

  The UK and Ireland pledged to protect the deep ties of family and friendship. I'll open brackets for Ireland. They left the UK after 1921

We use "open brackets" term to say that "Get ready people, now I'll give a little bit of information about the person/thing."

Is there a native/natural way of doing that in English? Because I know that "open brackets" is not used in English in the way I used


texts: What does "that being so" actually mean?

texts:
Here's an example from Brisbane Times,

  "What we do know is the world is more indebted now than it was before
  the financial crisis." That being so, financial markets are seemingly
  willing to disregard the flashpoints building up.


texts:
I wrote:

  The whole extraction command is optional and if it isn’t specified, no extraction is performed.

But I think "specified" is taken place when the user writes the command, then should I use another tense like:

  The whole extraction command is optional and if it wasn’t specified, no extraction is performed.
  The whole extraction command is optional and if it hasn't been specified, no extraction is performed.
  The whole extraction command is optional and if it wasn't provided by the user, no extraction is performed.
  The whole extraction command is optional and if it hasn't been provided by the user, no extraction is performed.

If yes, which is better?


texts: Use of past simple or past perfect in this sentence

texts:
However, after she ____ (teach) English for a few years, she ______ (decide) to try her hand at her real passion- writing.

I'm not sure how i'm supposed to implement the past perfect and or the past simple in this sentence.


texts:
Are there any differences between "has not to be" and "does not have to be"?

For example:

  if you check the list, the list has not to be empty.

  if you check the list, the list does not have to be empty.


texts: How to Transcribe A Word That The Speaker Doesn't Known

texts:
When transcribing spoken dialogues between individuals, what do we write if the words are ambiguous?

Example 1:

  Hyun: How do you spell witch in English?

  Jim: Which 'which' are you asking about?

(Is the second 'which' the right choice?)

Example 2:

  Teacher: In English, homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings. For example, we have three different words for too: 'two' the number, 'too' meaning 'in addition', and 'to' as a verb.

(The speaker isn't referring to the word 'too'. They are referring to the sound /to͞o/. It would seem odd to have a pronunciation there though.)


texts: Is it 'John and Mary's party' or 'John's and Mary's party'?

texts: Which is proper? I have looked for an answer but have not located any info for this question. I always thought John and Mary's was correct but a friend disagrees. Is it John's and Mary's party? Or John and Mary's party?


texts: Why do you say "to speaking" in this phrase? The surprising secret to speaking with confidence" What is the reason to use ING at the end of the verb speak?


texts: Is the sentence "games that have us like (whoa sign)" correct?

texts:
Is the following sentence correct:

  Games that have us like (whoa sign)

The sentence above is a heading of the description of the most interesting apps in 2019.

I am curious to know if the sentence "Games that have us like (without whoa sign)" makes any sense. Let me make this clear that in the sentence above I am asking if the sentence makes any sense without whoa sign.


texts: What does "get by" mean in this context?

texts:
This is a passage from a novel:

  "So?" Seth asked.
  "So what?" she said
  So, how'd it go?"
  He meant with Neal. But he wouldn't say "with Neal"--because that's how they all got by. There were rules.

What does get by mean in the passage?

The setting is in the office. Seth is her co-worker; she is asking Georgie how it went the conversation with Neal (her husband) last night about not being able to go on a vacation planned with him because of work.


texts: Is there a name indicating the following graph?

texts:
I know that the following graph is called a "Histogram".

On the other hand, what ist the name of the following graph?

I think this is one of the most common graphs, but I do not know this graph's name. (I always just called it a "graph".)

Actually, I drew two graphs for my data set.
One is drawn in the histogram fashion, and the other is in the below way.
I want to explain the graphs well, but I cannot know how to say the below graph.

Please let me know the below graph's name.


texts: What do you call the standing ads outside of a store?

texts:
You have the store sign, which is usually hanging outside of the store. Then you have the billboards, which are bigger and are held high with metal support.

What do you call the store ads that are standing? Usually, outside of a store?


texts: When we speak about time, we often say like one-twenty one.  Is it common to write time like this, especially to teach primary students to write time like this ?


texts: Is it correct to use "can be commonly seen" in this sentence?

texts: Another resistor can be commonly seen around us is marked with E96 Standard.


texts: What is the meaning of "As with" in the following sentence?

texts:
What is the meaning of "As with" in the sentence, "As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it" ?

Does it mean "If we compare with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it" ?

What does "as" and "with"  in this sentence mean?

I have encounted with "as with" in many sentences and I hardly know what it exactly means.

For example:
She bought up as with the connivance of school.
As with all good catfights, there’s a boy involved.


texts:
The water gives the trees their wide shape. Large trees can store as
  much as 140,000 liters. Thirsty elephants tear off the trees’ bark and
  wood to get to the water inside.

Is the definition #3 and #1 in the links below correct?

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/tear1_1?q=tear

https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/tear+off


texts: "government has felt it necessary" - why not "government has felt it IS necessary"?

texts:
The military government is committed to a very different policy – postponing for many years a return to democratic rule, giving first priority to economic recovery and the elimination of Marxist influence, and relying ideologically on a combination of Catholic integralism and free-enterpise economics. Why that government has felt it necessary to engage in repressive measures is also related to what went before…

Source: Paul E. Sigmund: The Overthrow of Allende and the Politics of Chile, 1964-1976, p. 11.

Is the last sentence OK? I mean whether there is not by chance ommitted "is" ("has felt it is necessary"). Or is this the example of usage of dummy "it"?


texts: decided by themselves/them/them themselves

texts:
Which of the following options is correct?

There are more and more career women. Their value is decided by them / themselves / them themselves.


texts: What's the meaning of "practical" in this contect?

texts:
Technique is defined on OALD as:

  [countable]
  a particular way of doing something, especially one in which you have to learn special skills

  The artist combines different techniques in the same painting.
  marketing techniques
  Teachers learn various techniques for dealing with problem students.
  [uncountable, singular]
  the skill with which somebody is able to do something practical

  Her technique has improved a lot over the past season.

For the second definition of technique, what does practical in the definition mean? Does it mean sense #1 from OALD: connected with real situations rather than with ideas or theories?


texts:
I'm aware that 'if not' can be used to mean 'perhaps even' as in 'million if not billions of people...' I was wondering if the use of 'if...not...' was something along those lines in the below?

  People who believe this readily accept that 'socialism' in a mild social democratic version, remains, and will long continue to be, part of the political scene of capitalist societies, and that it may even become, if it is not already, a stronger current of thought than laissez-faire capitalism.

So what I initially read was: Social democracy seems rampant enough at the moment & it is already kind of a stronger current of thought & if there are any uncertainties about this claim, there won't be in the future.

Or does it mean: Even though social democracy is not really a stronger current of thought nowadays...it will certainly become so in the future??


texts:
I don't know which one is correct.

  Let me know when you comes here.
  Let me know when you will be here.

Please tell me which one is correct.


texts: What does it mean: a six-pack was how you bought your beer?

texts:
I want to understand what is the context of quoting  "a six-pack was how you bought your beer"

  At 44, I am old enough to remember when reconstruction was something
  you read about in history class, when a muffin top was something
  delicious you ate at the bakery, a six-pack was how you bought your
  beer, camel toe was something one might glimpse at the zoo, a
  Brazilian was someone from the largest country in South America and
  terms like thigh gap and bikini bridge would be met with blank looks.


texts: Is "we saw in the hall a boy" correct? I think the position of "in the hall" is weird

texts:
We saw in the hall a boy.

I think the position of "in the hall" is weird. Shouldn't it be "I saw a boy in the hall"?


texts: Where is the error in "He ate nothing since yesterday"?

texts:
In the following sentence, where is the error?

  He ate nothing since yesterday.

The book offer these choices:

  (1) He ate
  (2) nothing
  (3) since yesterday.
  (4) No error

It seems to me "no error," but the book I am reading states it has an error at the first part.

Perhaps "He had eaten" should be used instead?


texts: "was insisting that he come visit" or "was insisting that he should come visit"

texts:
Am I constructing the subjunctive correctly in this sentence:

  Mary explained that Sarah was insisting that her son Rino come visit his father at New York.

Or should I write this instead:

  Mary explained that Sarah was insisting that her son Rino should come visit his father at New York.


texts:
In the technology field we constantly see the terms "Tech Leader" or "Tech Lead", as if there was no difference between them.

I assume that the term "Tech Lead" is correct, as I see it everywhere, but it makes no sense to me, once "lead" is a verb as in "to lead". So in this case the correct one should be "Tech Leader", because "leader" is an adjective.

I appreciate if someone could explain it to me.


texts:
I will be asleep by the time you get home, so please don’t make too much noise.

  I will asleep by the time you get home, so please don’t make too
  much noise.*

What is the different between will and will be?


texts: Should 'like' or 'as' is used in this context?

texts:
Jack is not so weak ____ you. A: like, B: as

My intuition tells me it should be 'as'(B). However, according to this site and a previous post, 'like' sets up a comparison, which this sentence is trying to do.

So, I am wondering which one is correct in this context and why?


texts:
We use the present perfect tense to address something that happened in the past, but we don't specify precisely when it happened. We also use present perfect to suggest some kind of connection between what happened in the past and the present time.
Does every present perfect sentence have some kind of connection between what happened in the past and the present time?
If so, what connections can be drawn in these sentences?

  I have seen that movie.
  You have said that.
  I have visited China.


texts: structure of as much as often as possible

texts:
What are the structures of the following sentence:

  Read as much and as often as possible.


texts:
Adults should learn their role in society even if you don't like to
live in it.

There's a mismatch in pronoun here, is this ok? I thought it was ok, because the pronoun you is general and can be used to refer to anyone and nost a particular person you're directly talking to. Is this correct or not?


texts:
When I wrote down "Thanks for your arduous help", I thought I've chosen the proper word to convey the correct meaning, unrealized of the problem until it was pointed out to me:

  arduous is the wrong word; I think you mean extensive or comprehensive (or possibly detailed) in this case. They are similar, but arduous would be used for the process of producing help, not for the help-output.

Yes, I did mean to express extensive, comprehensive and detailed, but from the translated meaning, none of them mean the same level as arduous. I.e., none of them is as powerful as what I want to express. So,

Why I can't say "arduous help" in this case? I still want to know that fine difference.
What are the proper words for this, emphasizing on the "excessive" part? The only thing come to the top of my head is "zealous", but I want avoid it because it is most often used in a negative way. Oh, oh, "tremendous" is one, but that only stressed on the "big help" part, not on the part that the other person went overboard to help me.

Thanks


texts: Would "on" be the right preposition to use in this context? Other options would be explodes "by contact" or "after contact". Is any of these used when talking about such devices or is there a different expression altogether?


texts: "as one would expect" or "as one may expect"

texts:
As one may expect, Jim would not eat that if he know how seriously harmful it
  is.

  As one would expect, Jim would not eat that if he know how seriously harmful it is.

Are the above both correct and meaningful? Which way is more idiomatic?


texts: How about "paper used in ancient Egypt to write and draw on" instead of "paper used in ancient Egypt for writing and drawing on"?

texts:
Below is an explanation of sense 2 meaning of the word, "papyrus", in Oxford English dictionary.

  paper made from the stems of the papyrus plant, used in ancient Egypt for writing and drawing on.

I wonder whether it is also okay to change the above explanation into the below.

  paper made from the stems of the papyrus plant, used in ancient Egypt to write and draw on.

Thank you.


texts:
What's the meaning of got in "You've got to be kidding me!"?
I already knew that "have got" and "have" can be used interchangeably in some cases. But I'm not sure about this one.

I even saw "You got to be kidding me!".


texts: I'll bring a cup of tea to you. vs I'll bring a cup of tea for you

texts:
Consider:

Don't get up – I'll bring a cup of tea to you.
Don't get up – I'll bring a cup of tea for you.

I would think they both can be rephrased into: I'll bring you a cup of tea.
Does the choice of "to" or "for" make a difference here?


texts: What is the meaning of Detective Tom words: “you want my scalp nailed to your wall”?

texts:
In Street Kings, Detective Tom & Captain James Biggs have some conversation:

  Captain James Biggs: Did you really think I was gonna do nothing
  about you?

  Detective Tom: If you are gonna do something, do it now. I know you
  want my scalp nailed to your wall.


texts: Should I always use the perfect present, when the sentence uses "never"?

texts:
In my English classes, I was taught that never should not be used with past forms, only with present perfect forms; this is also what I read in a grammar book I bought some years ago. (I bought the book in the USA; I guess the book is about American English grammar, but I don't have any reason to believe there is any difference between American, and British English in this case.)

Is it correct to use never with the past tense?

  I never said that.

  I have never said that.


texts: See you later or talk to you soon grammar parsing

texts:
What is the grammar behind such phrases as:

  See you later.
  Talk to you later.

Are they just contractions with some words omitted?

  [I will/shall/'m going to] see you later.

Or is it the subjunctive?


texts: "you can have a meal." or "you can have meal."

texts:
I'm reading an English vocabulary book, in the book there are the following sentences:

  you can have breakfast.
  you can have lunch.
  you can have dinner.
  you can have a meal.

Why do use article (a) with meal and don't use it with other words?

Should/shouldn't using it with: snack, supper, brunch, sandwich, coffee, drink, ice cream  ...


texts: There are many grammar books which suggest that we can change active voice into passive voice by using let, but when we consult the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, it refuses to form a passive sentence by using let. Why is this?


texts: Finding the difference in "the shop opens/is open at 8:30am to 9:30pm"

texts:
Is there a difference between the two sentences:

  The shop opens at 8:30am to 9:30pm.
  The shop is open at 8:30am to 9:30pm.


texts:
I read a sentence in "The Hindu" which was:

The opposition parties on Sunday demanded that the Bhartiya Janta Party led state government should refrain from making populist or policy decisions.

Populist means related to populism.
Is it anyhow synonymous with policy?


texts:
The following quote from Inception movie I'm trying to understand:

  Eames: They come here every day to sleep?

  Elderly Bald Man: [towards
  Cobb] No. They come to be woken up. The dream has become their
  reality. Who are you to say otherwise, son?

I emphasized a sentence I'd like to understand. What one means there?


texts: "sorry for the inconvenience to you", is that correct?

texts:
I used to use:

  I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Today, I've encountered someone saying:

  I am sorry for the inconvenience to you.

Is that correct? Why or why not?


texts: lure (someone) to do something or lure (someone) into doing something

texts:
First of all, I'd like to know why this verb is usually followed by an object rather than a verb. For example:

  John lured Kate to his house.

(rather than)

  Jack lured Tim into stealing money from his mom.

Why do most of the examples I found in the dictionaries show only the first use of the word?(see for example Collins) Does the second example sound so strange? If so, are better verbs to use?

Second, suppose we agreed to use lure+verb, which of the following should be used?

  Jack lured Tim into stealing money from his mom.

  Jack lured Tim to steal money from his mom.


texts:
As I know, gerunds must be used after prepositions but I heard the sentences below in a movie. Is it possible to use such constructions ?

  1-"He is waiting for me to call him" I thought it must be "He is
  waiting for my calling him"

  2-"I am not asking for her to be changed" I thought it must be "I am
  not asking for her being changed"


texts: What is the grammar for "it mistakenly believed" in this sentence?

texts:
I just find a sentence in NYTimes quite uncomfortable even though it reads quite smooth and articulate. I never saw that kind of sentence structure as following.

  By putting off repairs that it mistakenly believed were not critical, Amtrak set the stage for two of the derailments.

Can anyone help me explain the role of "it mistakenly believed"?
Thanks.


texts: The meaning of "All that’s French for a liver pill."

texts:
“Eyes, Pansay—all Eyes, Brain, and Stomach. And the greatest of these
three is Stomach. You’ve too much conceited Brain, too little Stomach,
and thoroughly unhealthy Eyes. Get your Stomach straight and the rest
follows. And all that’s French for a liver pill. I’ll take sole
medical charge of you from this hour! for you’re too interesting a
phenomenon to be passed over.”

This is from "The Phantom Rickshaw" by Rudyard Kipling.
I don't understand the meaning of

And all that’s French for a liver pill.


texts:
The following is a line from a famous movie -- 2001: A Space Odyssey.

"Dave, although you took very thorough precautions in the pod against my hearing you, I could see your lips move."

I understand the meaning: Dave did lots of preparation to prevent HAL noticing him, that's why "against" is used.

What I don't understand is the grammar of "my hearing you". If it was "against/prevent I hearing you", I would be in tune with the meaning.

Could someone please tell me what is the grammar rule of "against my hearing you"?


texts: How to use "Think" and "Mix up" when reporting news?

texts:
Several resources indicate that present perfect tense is preferred to give new information/hot news therefore that's why we see present perfect in the news and on the newspapers (such as "The prime minister has resigned", "The athlete has broken the world record" etc)

When giving hot news, do we use present perfect considering current relevance semantically or do we just focus on the fact that action happened in recent past?

Allow me to demonstrate my question with regard to some confusing verbs for  me which are "to mix up" and " to think"

Example 1-Giving new information to someone

  A: Tell me how did it go?
  B: I've mixed up Jessica with somebody else. I couldn't give her your letter. Then I recalled her face but it was too late.

Example 2-Giving new information to someone

  A: Tell me how did it go?
  B: I've thought the blonde girl in the hall was Jessica.  Apparently she wasn't. I couldn't give her your letter. Then I recalled her face but it was too late.

Example 3- Reporting the news

  The prime minister has mixed up finance committee member with tourism committee member.

Example 4- Reporting the news

  The prime minister has thought Mr. Mike Jones was from tourism committee.

On examples 3 & 4 mixing up is over too and the prime minister knows the correct committee member now which is also known by the reporter.

Can you please inform me whether using present perfect is correct in all these examples focusing on the fact that mixing up action happened in recent past? Or should simple past be used?


texts:
Against All Odds: Counterterrorist Hostage Rescues
By Samuel M. Katz

  Under intense pressure and with the highest odds at stake, these
  professional soldiers and police officers must perform and get it
  right.

I am not sure if "odds at stake" is idiomatic. Doesn't that translate to "odds at risk"? How can an odds be at risk? I would understand if they said "odds they face", but "odds at stake" doesn't seem to be right. Is there something I am missing?


texts:
For example:

  "Can you get sued for putting malware in your product?" the Microsoft
  CEO asked the independent lawyer.

Can we use your to refer to the company? Why? Is it accepted or not?


texts: What's "Meant a fair old bit of paperwork" supposed to mean in this context?

texts:
"The Department of Magical Transportation had to fine a couple of people the other day for Apparating without a license. It's not easy, Apparition, and when it's not done property it can lead to nasty complications. This pair I'm talking about went and splinched themselves."

  Everyone around the table except Harry winced.

  "Er - splinched?" said Harry.

  "They left half of themselves behind," said Mr. Weasley, now spooning
  large amounts of treacle onto his porridge. "So, of course, they were
  stuck. Couldn't move either way. Had to wait for the Accidental Magic
  Reversal Squad to sort them out. Meant a fair old bit of paperwork, I
  can tell you, what with the Muggles who spotted the body parts they'd
  left behind....."

  Harry had a sudden vision of a pair of legs and an eyeball lying
  abandoned on the pavement of Privet Drive.

I don't understand "Meant a fair old bit of paperwork". It looks elliptical (maybe sort of inversion) and it doesn't specify what kind of paperwork it was. How should we understand it?


texts: As and like, which one is more natural for this sentence?

texts:
If it was an hour later, it'd be the same time as yesterday.

or

If it was an hour later, it'd be the same time like yesterday.

I saw the comment that the first one is more natural than the second one, but I don't know why and wanna know the reason.


texts: What is imperfective and perfective in English?

texts: I know both of them are categorized under aspect, but do imperfective refer to "was doing" and perfective refer to "have done"? Then how about "have been doing" and "is doing"? What do they belong to?


texts: I am curious how would you translate this sentence

texts:
My two questions are related to "slid out" and "prophetic metaphor".

  Patrice opened the minivan's sliding door and the large ceramic plate that had held the bagels she took to church slid out. In a moment that was hard not to take as a prophetic metaphor, it shattered on the driveway.

I checked slide out and it means that something to slip or glide, but what is the meaning here - I guess is used like a noun?

Second question: "prophetic metaphor" I checked and it is hard to understand why those two words are used in this case and why not "that was not hard to" instead of "that was hard not to take" ...

I am curious.