texts: and out stamped this Alabama varsity -- what does that mean?

texts:
Example:

  Q. Why do the Alabama Crimson Tide have an elephant as their mascot?A. A fan called them elephants during a 1930 game against Ole Miss and the name stuck."At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble," sportswriter Everett Strupper wrote in the October 8, 1930, Atlanta Journal. “Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, ‘Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,’ and out stamped this Alabama varsity.’’ Sportswriters dubbed the team’s linemen the “Red Elephants.”
  That 1930 team had a 10-0 record, outscored its opponents 217-13, defeated
  Washington State in the Rose Bowl, and was declared national champions.

I'm not exactly sure what that means.


texts: time expression with from ... to vs between

texts:
Which of these two expressions are correct?

I studied at school N4 between grades 1 and 4
I studied at school N4 from grades 1 to 4


texts:
A generic form of URI is:

  scheme:[//[user[:password]@]host[:port]][/path][?query][#fragment]

scheme here means protocol which whereas has no relation to its original definition.
I cannot really understand it intuitively.

In wikipedia Uniform Resource Identifier - Wikipedia

  Examples of popular schemes include http(s), ftp, mailto, file, data, and irc. URI schemes should be registered with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), although non-registered schemes are used in practice.[b]

I can understand it's meaning. I cannot interpret it usage why 'scheme' is used instead of 'protocol'.

Scheme in MW dictionary:
Scheme | Definition of Scheme by Merriam-Webster

  1.a concise statement or table

  2.a plan or program of action;

  3.a systematic or organized configuration

in Oxford:scheme | Definition of scheme in English by Oxford Dictionries

  1.A secret or underhand plan; a plot.

  2.A particular ordered system or arrangement.

It seems 'A particular ordered system or arrangement' make sense.

If it does, an ordered system or arrangement should comprise the completed URI.
'scheme:[//[user[:password]@]host[:port]][/path][?query][#fragment]' should be renamed as 'scheme' not URI.

So, what's the original meaning of the word to which 'scheme' here relate?


texts: is the expression clear? how to compute the 1,2,3 for a point in terms of barycentric coordinates?

texts:
i am asking a question on this post.

barycentric coordinates is another coordinates system that is different from Cartesian coordinates system.

in terms of barycentric coordinates, point B could expressed as (0,0,1)

{1,2,3} is another set of coefficients used to convert a point between the barycentric coordinates and Cartesian coordinates system.

i am concerned about if i express my question clearly by saying

  how to compute the 1,2,3 for a point in terms of barycentric
  coordinates?


texts: What is the meaning of "do better for a time"?

texts:
Thanks to his contacts with politicians in Tehran, such as Kermani and Khalatbari, and with Ilkhanipour, the mayor of Kermanshah, he did better for a time.

The text is part of a story of a man who had to hide from officials because of his political activities. I don't understand the meaning of "did better for a time". I didn't find a meaning for "do better" in any reference.


texts: What does wait 24 hours before writing mean

texts: I had writen an online boating exam and when I failed it said to wait 24 hours before writing it again. Does this mean that I have to wait 24 hours from the time I started the exam or from the time I had finished the exam.


texts: Difference between had been and have been

texts:
My friend just answered to one of my important questions. Now how should I reply to him?

1.Oh!That question had been on my mind for a long time, finally, I got my answer. ( Oh! I had that question on my mind for a long time, finally, I got my answer)

                                   or

2.Oh!That question has been on my mind for a long time, finally, I got an answer.( Oh! I have that question on my mind for a long time, finally, I got my answer)

Basically, I am confused with had and have. Since that question is not anymore on my mind after having got an answer, which one of the above two sentences should be used?


texts: How to make a relative clause point at the required referent?

texts:
Direct sequencing detected a heterozygous rs123456 mutation of the ABC gene in the mother of patient P20, who suffers from impaired carbohydrate metabolism.

The clause "who suffers from impaired carbohydrate metabolism" may point at "patient P20". Can anything be done to make it unambiguously point at "mother"?

Can one write:

  Direct sequencing detected a heterozygous rs123456 mutation of the ABC gene in patient P20's mother, who suffers from impaired carbohydrate metabolism.

Or would "patient P20's mother" look strange?


texts:
Do I need to use the definite article in a Park District name or acronym? IE, this hypothetical with the Chicago Parks Department:

  "The CPD will not compete against organizations currently meeting a program need."


texts:
How can I differentiate between the past indefinite and the past perfect?  What is the difference between the following examples?

I can't believe she ate my sandwich!
I couldn't believe she had eaten my sandwich!


texts:
I can pronounce th sound θ but the other th sound ð, I can't.
I mean the th sound in which there is a vibration in throat, I try to pronounce but there is just no vibration when I pronounce. How to do that?

When I pronounce th there is only voiceless sound. I am struggling to pronounce voiced th sound but I don't know how.

https://pronuncian.com/pronounce-th-sounds
Here it says vibrate your vocal cords but how?


texts:
Several times I came across the expression "I am a sweet tooth", not "I have a sweet tooth".
Is it allowable in colloquival speech?

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3


texts:
What is the difference between "to assuage somebody" and "to soothe somebody"
Both words have pretty similar meanings.


texts: "I will see the turn." What does it mean in gambling?

texts:
There is a gambling scene in the movie Michael Clayton. Several gamblers play an unspecified game.

  Gambler A: I'll see the turn. (lays some chips on the table)

  Gambler B: Check.

  Gambler C: Half the pot. 200.

  Dealer: 200 to go.

What does I will see the turn mean here? Does it mean that person is calling/raising?


texts: A subject is taught by a specific teacher

texts:
I want to say that

  Phonetics which is taught by Ms. Rose is my favourite subject ( I mean that I am not interested in this subject if it is taught by anyone else).

Can I say that Phonetics by Ms. Rose is my favourite subject?  Are there any other expressions to express my idea?


texts: “Every time no one’s around” or "every time when no one’s around"

texts:
I couldn’t help but stare at him every time when no one’s around

Or

  I couldn’t help but stare at him every time no one’s around

Which is correct?


texts: "enter into a partnership" VS "enter into partnerships"

texts:
we have entered into a partnership with a host of member companies
  we have entered into partnerships with a host of member companies.

I mean, can I use enter a partnership to express we have cooperate with each of these companes?

Which is the correct usage?


texts: "Even if I could have got over that, the eternal feud fretted and tormented my nature"

texts:
The annihilator, as it turned out, was really a good-natured young
man; but he soon went off to Cambridge; and with the rest, or some of
them, I continued to wage war for nearly a year. And yet, for a word
spoken with kindness, I would have resigned the peacock's feather in
my cap as the merest of baubles. Undoubtedly praise sounded sweet in
my ears also. But that was nothing by comparison with what stood on
the other side. I detested distinctions that were connected with
mortification to others. And, even if I could have got over that, the
eternal feud fretted and tormented my nature. Love, that once in
childhood had been so mere a necessity to me, that had long been a
mere reflected ray from a departed sunset. But peace, and freedom from
strife, if love were no longer possible (as so rarely it is in this
world), was the absolute necessity of my heart. To contend with
somebody was still my fate; how to escape the contention I could not
see; and yet for itself, and the deadly passions into which it forced
me, I hated and loathed it more than death. It added to the
distraction and internal feud of my own mind, that I could not
altogether condemn the upper boys. I was made a handle of humiliation
to them. And, in the mean time, if I had an advantage in one
accomplishment, which is all a matter of accident, or peculiar taste
and feeling, they, on the other hand, had a great advantage over me in
the more elaborate difficulties of Greek, and of choral Greek poetry.
I could not altogether wonder at their hatred of myself. Yet still, as
they had chosen to adopt this mode of conflict with me, I did not feel
that I had any choice but to resist. The contest was terminated for me
by my removal from the school, in consequence of a very threatening
illness affecting my head; but it lasted nearly a year, and it did not
close before several amongst my public enemies had become my private
friends. They were much older, but they invited me to the houses of
their friends, and showed me a respect which deeply affected me,− this
respect having more reference, apparently, to the firmness I had
exhibited, than to the splendor of my verses. And, indeed, these had
rather drooped, from a natural accident; several persons of my own
class had formed the practice of asking me to write verses for them. I
could not refuse. But, as the subjects given out were the same for all
of us, it was not possible to take so many crops off the ground
without starving the quality of all.
-- Suspiria De Profundis, Thomas De Quincey

The bold sentence made me confused. I would write it down this way, "even if I could have got over that, the eternal feud would have fretted and tormented my nature."
If the main clause talks about a truth, it'll be OK to avoid using the "would have + past participle" construction in hypothetical contexts?


texts: What do you call the wooden structure or the site where a boat docks?

texts:
The above two screenshots are taken from a FPS game. I thought we could call the wooden structure a jetty, but I'm not sure it's the right word for it. Any other words for this meaning?

Does the site qualify as a harbor or a dock?


texts: I can't understand this expression and what composition has phrase "execution time binding"

texts:
Virtual address: logical address in execution time binding which is different from the
  respective physical address

Is execution time binding an adjective clause?

Or where should I put comma? for example can I put comma before which?


texts: What does it mean to "pitch a response"?

texts:
I've tried to translate with Google and to look on wordreference but I would like to have a confirmation. To pitch a response means to give an answer? Should be interpreted as a figurated "throw"?

And how to interpret sentence like: "How To Write A Pitch Email That Actually Gets Answered" or "Crafting the Perfect Email Pitch"?


texts: Which one of these three versions is grammatical?

texts:
Arguably no other writer gave so much attention to detail as X did.

Arguably no other writer gave so much attention to detail as X.

Arguably no other writer gave so much attention to detail as did X.

Are all the above sentences grammatically correct? Please cite the reason alongside.


texts: Someone or some websites always make wrong prediction

texts:
Is there a simple way or words to describe someone or some websites always make wrong prediction to the future outcome?

Like if he/it says some tennis player is going to win, then we think that player is probably going to lose.


texts: Construction "Should + subj + verb + subj + will..."

texts:
There is the following sentence:

  "Should this bar deplete your weapons will automatically shut off..." (c)

What can I see here is that the sentence starts with question form and continues like conditional (frankly speaking I don't know how to call it correctly).
I have never faced such a construction before and therefore I really eager to understand it in more details.

I would be really grateful to you if you at least can give me the right direction to google!


texts:
I could not get it if it is a verb or an adjective.If it is a verb, to talk a lot in a way that expresses emotion or enthusiasm, shouldn't the word euphoric have written "euphorically" also ?

  Perhaps nowhere else in China more than in Beijing is the generation
  gap more visible. Appalled by the current drive to “modernise”, many
  older people still wax euphoric about Chairman Mao and the years
  of sacrifice for the socialist revolution. But most youngsters disdain
  socialist sacrifice and are more interested -like youngsters
  everywhere - in money, motorbikes, fashion, video games and rock music
  .


texts: How to describe a translation of a holy scripture?

texts:
Which one sounds better?

It is an English translated copy of Torah.
It is a copy of Torah translated English.
It is a copy of Torah translated in English.


texts: Which preposition for "I have no doubt {of/for/about} his ability"?

texts:
I had taken a quiz at school, and it was as follows:
Which one is correct:

I have no doubt _____ his ability.
a. of
b. for
c. about

I've chosen "of" but the correct answer was "for".
Was the question meant to assure that he is reliable and there is no need to hesitate to choose him?
So this way, I guess it could also go with "of" and "about," but why really "for"?
That doesn't seem that it could complete the sentence, and the others can't, or is that something grammatically that I should denote?


texts: What's the difference between "go meet" and "go to meet"?

texts:
Reading the book on which I'm learning English, I've come across a weird (for me) omitting the "to" in sentence: "I'd better go meet with him then."

Say, if it were "I'd better go to meet with him then.", would there be any difference between the two sentences? When I should prefer using one instead the other?

P.S. Sorry for my bad English. If I made a mistake somewhere, please correct me.


texts: "I played football at 6 o'clock yesterday"

texts:
which sentence is more correct to express that I started an action in the past:

1- I played football at 6 o'clock yesterday
2- I started to play football at 6 o'clock yesterday


texts: usage of "featured in something" in everyday English

texts:
I know what this phrase means, but should you use it only when something is definitely an important part of something else? Or is it just used interchangeably with 'included in'?

Thanks :-)


texts: the meaning of 'waiting on Beyonce' part in this sentence

texts:
I have seen the sentence like 'I have been waiting on Beyonce to call me.' on the internet.
And I can't understand the meaning of 'waiting on Beyonce' part.
What is the meaning of the sentence 'I have been waiting on Beyonce to call me.'
Please tell me.


texts: Difference between 'in' and 'on' - "Pamphlets were dropped on the city" or "in the city"

texts:
In the following sentence, could 'in' be possibly used instead of 'on'? Is there a difference?

  Pamphlets were dropped on the city to warn the civilians to flee from the attack of their enemies.


texts:
Which one is correct?

  the client connect to the server

Or

  the client connects to the server

Since client is singular, I assume there should be s after the verb. But the following to makes connect to sounds familiar to me. Can you help m please?


texts: At what time I should / should I come tomorrow?

texts:
Which of the following sentences is correct?

At what time I should come tomorrow?

At what time should I come tomorrow?

I'd like to know where I should put the word should.


texts: The present simple, the present continuous or the present perfect continuous when used with the time marker "these days"?

texts:
Could you tell me if all the following sentences are grammatically correct and natural?

These days lots of scientists try to solve the problem of pollution.
These days lots of scientists are trying to solve the problem of pollution.
These days lots of scientists have been trying to solve the problem of pollution.

If they are all perfectly grammatical and natural, are there any difference between them?


texts:
I have some question of the following sentences.
What should I do for fix? At least.

Dracula was last/latest movie when I saw.
Dracula was last/latest movie when I saw it.

And I have made some sentence like follows. But I'm not sure whether correct or wrong it.How can they improve throught very small change?

The first time when I was driving was at driving school.
When I was young 20 years old I was first driving.
When I saw the matrix that was my last movie
When I went to china that was my last honeymoon trip.


texts: "keep starting to follow me" or "keep starting following me"?

texts:
I'd like to say: "Several guys keep starting to follow me" or do I instead say "...keep starting following me."?

I got confused just now and both versions sound really wrong, and since I am not a native speaker, I thought I'd ask here.


texts:
What does "worth climb into" mean in:

  it (a place in Brooklyn) was a very good street, but not really worth a climb into Queens.

Thanks.


texts: comma + when / in which and and at the moment

texts:
I saw a girl studying at a coffee shop and I thought she was beautiful.And a couple of weeks after I'd seen her studying at the coffee shop,

I saw her dancing really hard at a club, in which I thought she was so attractive.

I saw her dancing really hard at a club, when I thought she was so attractive.

I saw her dancing really hard at a club and at the moment, I thought she was so attractive.

I'd like to know if all of these sentences are the same meaning.


texts: Connecting hands, so that fingers are woven together

texts:
How is the gesture called, when one connects palms together, letting fingers of one hand to go between fingers of the other, so that you're practically holding each hand with the other.

It's often associated with "So, let's get down to the business", also some people connect hands that way for prayer instead of just placing palms and fingers straight, together.


texts: Is there any difference in meaning between "blow someone off" and "cancel on someone" in the sense of canceling plans with someone?

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning between blow someone off and cancel on someone in the sense of canceling plans with someone? For example:

  I made a date with Monica for coffee, but she canceled on me.

  I made a date with Monica for coffee, but she blew me off.


texts: When giving a location, e.g. 10 degree West, 20 degree North, I do not put any space between the number and the degree sign (correct, isn't it?). But what is to be placed between degree and N/S/E/W (in UK English, if there are differences)? For example, 10°W or 10° W or (TeXish) 10\degree\,W, or what else?


texts: Misused word in "What topics can I ask about here?" section

texts:
Not sure if should be here or meta, but as a word doubt I post it here.

In the section What topics can I ask about here?
, there is a line about reposting questions on Stack Exchange sites.

  ...(but please do not post the same question on two difference Stack Exchange sites):

Is it a typo the use of word "difference" instead of "different"?


texts: Is it correct to say "penetrable to reasons"?

texts:
I heard this phrase before: "He is impenetrable to reasons.". It seems to me it means he is NOT a logical or sensible person.

However, can I say "He is penetrable to reasons.", to mean that he is a logical and sensible person?


texts:
I'm doing my homework and I can't figure out the answer of this exercise. It says:

  Even if I (...) I still wouldn't copy in a test.

A. Didn't study

B. Wouldn't study

C. Hadn't studied

I think the correct answer is C but I'm not really sure if it's A or C.


texts: What is the difference between 'The carpet lies on the floor.' and 'The carpet is lying on the floor.'?

texts:
There are two sentences,

  The carpet lies on the floor.
  The carpet is lying on the floor.

What is the difference between the two sentences?
And under what situation should we use 'present progressive' with a stative verb?


texts: How to say "говорящее название/фамилия"(speaking name) in English?

texts:
There is an idiom "говорящая фамилия" in Russian("speaking surname"). This means a last name that has a meaning. We could translate, for example, "Иван Кошкин" to "Ivan Cat".
Is there a similar idiom in English?

A little bit of IT. My first problem is to come up with a name for a test method of the feature:
I have an object
class User
  + name
  + username

Faker fill this object automatically. Faker guesses what data should be set in the property by its name. So the property "name" is filled with the value "Jhon"  and "username" is filled with the value "crazy-login-name". This feature is called "name guesser".
I wanted to call the test "fill by speaking names", but it could be silly.
I've got around this problem, but it is still interesting.


texts:
A: Good morning! You folks checking in?

  B: Yes. Wells.

  A: Of course. Carlton Wells. We have been expecting you! I'll take
  care of your luggage. You guys check in. I'll have it upstairs for you
  by the time you get up there.

  B:Oh! That is the spirit. Cheers.

  Move: Merry Kissmas

What does "to have something somewhere" mean? I think we have the causative verbs in the form of "to have something done".


texts:
I've been writing in English for many years, but there are certain recurring issues that come up in my writing, which I can't seem to resolve permanently. Primarily I have a problem with punctuation. In my native language, commas are very commonly used. One would place a comma to separate any portion of the sentence that serves a specific grammatical role. At least, this is the case according to the rules I was taught in school.
I can see when I write in English that there are extraneous commas, but I can't always figure out which ones, and why. When dependent clauses require commas, when do they allow them, and when are they definitely incorrect?


texts: "Everyone" versus "everybody" in a sentence?

texts: When can I use everyone, or everybody in a sentence?


texts:
After rollers, the invention was the wheel and axle.
  ( using "after" as an adverb phrase)
  The invention after rollers was the wheel and axle. (using "after" as adjective phrase)

I want to know if these sentences will be different  in meaning?


texts:
Ronald and Anthony are listening to a speech about Quantum mechanics.

  Ronald: "Can you make any sense of what the professor is talking about?"

  Anthony: "It's hard to say I understand it completely."

Does Ronald use "make any sense" to indicate that speech is too difficult to understand and assumes Anthony probably just understand it partly, in contrast to "understanding completely"?


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

The other Russian businessman who Trump somewhat resembles is Boris Berezovsky, a member of the first cohort of Russian oligarchs. A mathematician turned car dealer turned political operator, Berezovsky was a publicity-hungry megalomaniac inclined to overstate his fortune. "I never make millions or tens of millions," he once said. "I only make billions."

What do you think the term political operator means?


texts: 'Jumped to climb (verb)' but then 'Jumped to death (noun)'?

texts:
I always wondered this special use of the preposition.

  She jumped to climb/reach/any fitting verb

but then,

  She jumped to death?

Is it some special use of to death such as jumped to death, stabbed to death and so on?


texts: Is “Out of School” the idiomatic way to say “I'm learning material on my own, not as part of formal classes?”

texts: Or does "I'm learning a language Out of School" sound wrong somehow or MEAN SOMETHING ELSE?


texts: Am I correct to read the line which this judge is saying?

texts:
Could someone kind help me understand what she is trying to say.

From 3 from the bottom

  When she handed down the verdict, Judge Anke Grudda said, "This trial is the very least that society can do to give ... at least a semblance of justice, even 70 years after and even with a 94-year-old defendant," according to AFP. She added:

Is she "regretting" or such kind that because of the age of the defendant, she was only able to give him the minimum punishment???

Thank you so much.


texts: Present Perfect and Present Continuous tenses in one sentence with only one subject

texts:
Are the tenses in this sentence correct:

  We have placed order for required parts and waiting to get them.


texts:
From this book "Deep Learning and Convolutional Neural Networks for Medical Image Computing"

  In 2013, I was fortunate to attract Dr. Holger Roth to be a
  postdoctoral fellow in my group. Holger had received his graduate
  training under David Hawkes at University College London. With this
  outstanding foundation, Holger was poised to enter the new deep
  learning field and take it by storm. He published early papers on
  pancreas and lymph node detection and segmentation, two very
  challenging problems in radiology image processing.

webster gives this definition about "poise"

  : to hold or carry in equilibrium

  : to hold or carry (the head) in a particular way

none of these seems to be the meaning in the book.

does "poise somebody" mean "invite", "ask", or some other meaning?


texts:
Please, explain what is the appropriate word here.

  But it was the class/subject/course of chemistry that really interested him. At the age of 15, he went to college to study it.


texts:
What is more natural use in English when you speak about the school where you study economy?
I heard some people say School of economics and in the other hand Economic School. What is correct? Is there any difference

Never used that in English, only in my language, so sorry if this is a stupid question but I need the answer.


texts:
I wrote:

  Hover the mouse over the item you want to add to the video, then right click and select 'Add to Content' from the menu (pop-up menu).

First, did I use "select" and "from" correctly? Can I use "click on" instead of "select", while keeping the "from the menu"?
How can I use "click" with "menu" in this sentence?


texts: "I would not X if I didn't Y" vs "I would not X if had not Yed"

texts:
What are any differences between these two conditionals in their grammaticality, meaning, connotation, and formality?

I would not be writing to you so soon to ask about my interview result if I did not receive a call for employment from another company to whom I have applied.
I would not be writing to you so soon to ask about my interview result if I had not received a call for employment from another company to whom I have applied.

Are those both grammatically permitted? Are they 100% interchangeable? When should you use one and when the other? How does changing the expected sequence of tenses affect the grammar or meaning or usage? Which sounds more natural, if either?


texts: The usage of "so that" with the present continuous

texts:
Is it correct to use the present continuous with SO THAT?
Give him what he wants so that he is not nagging at you.
I will show you how to do it so that you you working now.


texts:
I read in my grammar book that if there is a verb after "stop", it will be in present continuous form: I mean in "ing" form. But I found the following sentence in the book:

  You might stop to look in this when you're walking along a street.

Is above sentence correct? why?

Any response would be appreciated.


texts:
I want to know the difference between ' I go hungry all day.' and 'I am hungry all day.'
What is the difference in meaning?


texts: Am I using "back up" and "back over" correctly?

texts:
Can I use “back up” and “back over” in those ways?

  Does get “back over the line” mean “get back in line”?
  Could “back over here” mean “come over here”?
  Can “backup” mean “standup”?

Suppose a person just sat down in a classroom. When a Teacher tells the student "Get back up" it means "Stand back up", true? Or maybe they use up only when you are not done standing?

I saw a person in a movie one time saying:

  I bring backups in case we need any.
  or
  I'll put some backups in case you need them.

Is backup used in that sentence the same way you say “backup your files” or is it informal?

Can I say: I'm always running out of water when I travel, get a backup bottle so we don't run out.

Are the sentences above, correct?


texts:
There are pencils labelled A, B and C, and there are people (also labelled A, B and C) who have pencils A, B and C respectively.
Is Each person has the pen right a valid sentence?


texts: Should I use preposition 'IN' in these sentences?

texts:
Sentences:

  1) I've already had three coffee IN this morning

  2) I already had three coffee IN previous morning

  3) I already had three coffee IN last morning

Question:

  Should I use the preposition 'IN' in these sentences OR it's incorrect OR optional?


texts: Can you deputize me tonight or Can you pick up the slack tonight?

texts:
I want to ask my workmate if he can work for me tonight, because I do not feel so good.

Should I ask:

  Can you deputize me tonight?

or

  Can you pick up the slack tonight?


texts: Using the correct word against collaboration and Collaborative

texts:
To say as a third person that [I believe in collaborative work]
what is the correct usage

  beliefs on collaborative work
  or
  believe on collaborations
  or
  beliefs on collaborations
  or
  believe on collaborative work

Prefer it with a detail explanations


texts:
I am reading this page, and I found this sentence that sounds very weird to me:

  rotate your user agent from a pool of well-known ones from browsers (google around to get a list of them)

Here is the full context:

  Some websites implement certain measures to prevent bots from crawling them, with varying degrees of sophistication. Getting around those measures can be difficult and tricky, and may sometimes require special infrastructure. Please consider contacting commercial support if in doubt.

  Here are some tips to keep in mind when dealing with these kind of sites:

  rotate your user agent from a pool of well-known ones from browsers (google around to get a list of them)
  disable cookies (see COOKIES_ENABLED) as some sites may use cookies to spot bot behaviour

What does this mean?


texts:
Which one is better ? What's the difference ?

  For those who aren't aware yet, PRODUCT NAME is now available !

  For those who aren't aware of it yet, PRODUCT NAME is now available !

Thank you in advance


texts: What does "get someone all over something" mean?

texts:
I found it in Crash Course Media Literacy. It is at around 2 minute and 3 second. Here is the context:

  This campaign wants you to like their product because you like their spokespeople. Or a public relations firm might start a publicity campaign to get their client all over the media.


texts:
When writing an article, I often have to mention something but the detail about the something is actually described a little bit later. In that case, which of the following is most appropriate? Or how should I decide which one to use?

(see below for the detail)
(see below for details)
(see below for the details)


texts:
A canvas made, not only of homes, but of dealers. Competition is measured up. Every advertiser of a similar product is written for his literature and claims. Thus we start with exact information on all that our rivals are doing. Clipping bureaus are patronized, so that everything printed on our subject comes to the man who writes ads.

What's the meaning of canvas here? And what's the meaning of measuring competition? And more importantly, please explain about this sentence: "Every advertiser of a similar product is written for his literature and claims.
also I don't understand the meaning of "Clipping bureaus are patronized"


texts: Is it correct to use "at" while telling your age?

texts:
Please check the sentences and let me know your valuable feedback (My one friend said this to me and he meant to say "he is 24 years old" so I told him that "at" is unnecessary here, but he did not agree with me, so I just wanted to confirm this).

I think at is completely unnecessary here:

  I am at 24 years old.

It should be:

  1- I am 24.

  2- I am 24 years old.


texts: How do you pronounce "herons'"? (plural possessive)

texts:
Heron: Singular noun
Herons: Plural of heron
Herons': Possessive plural of heron

Do I pronounce it like "herons" or do I pronounce it like "heronses"?

There's only one 's', but there could be confusion between saying "This ball is the heron's." and "This ball is the herons'." if it were pronounced "herons" despite the difference in meaning.


texts:
I read this sentence in one of my son's picture books:

  "The tire was squashed, the tire was smooshed."

(It's talking about a bike).

The word "smoosh" is strange to me, so I consulted some dictionaries and it surprised me that I couldn't even find an entry for "smoosh".

What does it mean? How come it can't be found in dictionaries but can be found in a kid's book???


texts: A problem with the rule about articles in English

texts:
Some time ago a native English speaker said to me that

  That is the tool which I use to edit video

Means the person uses only this tool and

  That is a tool which I use to edit video

Means the person uses not only the tool under discussion, which is merely one of them

So I supposed that

  The central concern appears to be around a perceived lack of accountability and a belief that youth crime rates in Canada are increasing.

would, therefore, mean there is more that one such belief but that's impossible because I shrank down the number of possible beliefs to just this one (using the part right after the word 'belief'). Please, someone, explain this phenomenon.

Perhaps I'm supposed to get rid of the rest of the sentence if an indefinite article is used and think the following: of all the beliefs in the World there is one, and then name it using a clause. But that's not in alignment with the second example.


texts: What to respond if someone knocks on the door when you are using the changing room?

texts:
When I am in the changing room, sometimes others knock on the door to check whether the room is empty. As a non-native English speaker, I am curious what do you respond in this case?

I tried to say "I am here!" or "yes?", but I think it is kind of strange. So what do you usually say?


texts: "They are blindly optimistic to say the season is over."

texts:
They are blindly optimistic to say the season is over.

This is a line I am writing. I am trying to say

  It is blindly optimistic of them to say the season is over.

Do the two sentences mean the same thing? I vaguely recall there is the structure "subject + be + adjective + to do something" that means the subject takes an action because they can be described as adjective. But I can't remember what the structure is called; nor am I able to find any explanation on the Internet.


texts: Tense when saying "This is the first time" you've been somewhere

texts:
I'm very confused about tenses.  I have examples in two different situations here.
Situation 1: I went to New York two months ago and was talking to someone about it.

A. This is the first time I've been to New York.
B. That was the first time I'd been to New York.

Which is correct in a daily conversation?

Situation 2: I'm going to New York next month and talking to someone.

A. This will be the first time I've been to New York.
B. This is the first time I've been to New York.
C. This will be the first time I go to New York.

Which sentence is appropriate?

According to a grammar article I've read before, I think it says that I can use this sentence in both cases:

This is the first time I've been to New York.

But I'm not sure if this is really so. So I'd like to know which tense I should use in each case. Could you explain it?


texts: Question about apostrophe usage with 2 possessors

texts:
Normally, with a single person owning the object, I would say:
This is Tom's object.

However, if there are 2 people, should I have apostrophes on both subjects or just on the second one?

E.g. These are Tom's and Jane's objects. / These are Tom and Jane's objects.


texts: Why do so many people say "equals to" in maths?

texts:
I hear a significant number of English-second-language speakers, English-first-language children, and less educated English-first-language peers, say

  x equals to three times sine alpha

For example, when reading x = 3 sin(α).

I read this "x equals three times...", and I believe that to be the correct pronunciation and hear it more commonly among mathematicians in formal settings and among well-educated/well-read English-first-language speakers.

So what's origin of this (mis) pronunciation?

I am genuinely interested in how it came to be so pervasive among less fluent English speakers.


texts: difference between present perfect and past simple

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences?

1: You can not know how much I have written on a piece of paper

2: You can not know how much I wrote on a piece of paper


texts: Is it appropriate to use come up in that meaning?

texts:
I wanted to express that something appeared very unexpectedly. Is it even possible to say something like that:

  The job came up very unexpectedly.


texts: When to use was and had been in Passive Voice?

texts:
What is the meaning difference if we use was and had been in passive voice in below context.
In my example I come to know that He was taken / killed by police/uncle. Then how I imagine what exactly happen in past which writer want to say.

1) After accident he was taken to hospital by Police.
2) After accident he had been taken to hospital by police.

And

1) He was murdered by his uncle.
2) He had been murdered by his uncle.


texts: Reference for the level of formality of words and expressions

texts:
I often wonder how formal a words or expression is (e.g. Is “by way of conclusion" more formal than "In conclusion"?). Is there some comprehensive reference that would list the level of formality of words and expressions as accurately as possible?

Ideally I would like to have some crowd-sourced judgment, like Urban Dictionary does for validating a word:

Beyond the level of formality I would also be interested in knowing whether the word or expression sounds flatulent, pejorative, etc: anything that indicate what underlying "feeling" a word or expression conveys when we use it.


texts: "it has been written" vs "it is written"

texts:
What's the meaning of:

  It has been written in bible

To me, it sounds like "It was once written but it doesn't exist there anymore."

It should've been

  It is written in bible

because written is a state of being verb, like drunk, etc.


texts: Meaning of the expression "Whatever did we do?"

texts:
"whatever did we do before XYZ thing existed?"

I heard this statement in a sentence and found it weird because I heard such a thing for the first time. Is it correct? What does it mean? And could you provide more examples of such sentences.

Later, I read a similar sentence in my book:

"What do these thunderstorms care if we have a king on board? "

Here, I understand that the speaker is trying to convey that the thunderstorms don't care if the king is on the ship. However I am not sure about the sentence especially the part "What do".


texts: Verb “got” without verb “have”: “Got any kids, Detective?”

texts:
I met unusual situation when I was reading some text. On the secret it was gamescript from mafia.
I know what in Present Perfect has such form of usage:

In assertation: Face + have/has + verb in third form
In question: Have/Has + face + verb in third form

Next look at the gamescript sentences:

Got a business proposition for you, detective.
Got any kids, detective?

Instead that I expected to see it:

I have got a business proposition for you, detective.
Have you got any kids, detective?

Can you explain what is here happening? What kind of time in English have these sentences?


texts: The word that always gets me mixed up : JUST

texts:
I had just arrived at the hotel, checked in and gotten into my room. Just as I was about to unpack, I noticed that one of my bags was missing. At first I thought I had left it back at the airport, but it turned out that I had left it on the taxi.

Here, what's the meaning and role of "just"?

Why do you guys input the word "just" here?

What exactly does the word do grammatically?

Could you help me?


texts: Can a colon be regarded as a junction for complex sentences?

texts:
Bessie and Abbot having retreated, Mrs. Reed, impatient of my now frantic anguish and wild sobs, abruptly thrust me back and locked me in, without farther parley. I heard her sweeping away; and soon after she was gone, I suppose I had a species of fit: unconsciousness closed the scene.
  (Jane Eyre)

In the example, the semi-colon seems to denote compound sentence, and the colon complex one, for "unconsciousness closed the scene" makes a dependent clause of preceding sentence. Is it right? If yes, can this be generalized?


texts:
I don't know the difference between the words 'condemn somebody' and 'sentence someone' in court terminology ane making this question I am going to discover their right place of usage.
Which word sounds natural in the following sentence:

  He was condemned to 100 lashes of the whip.
  He was sentenced to 100 lashes of the whip.


texts: What's the most effective way to say "work for free, not for money, but for experience/training"?

texts:
Is there a way to say this? It has become a standard practice for small startup to take advantages of people with little work experience. They make you work for 3 months for free and then they let you go. How do you say that you're working for free for experience/training?

For example:

  I joined a startup and ___ and they let me go after 3 months.


texts:
Let's say your storytelling about the one that got away kind of thing (hehe).

  I hadn't had the chance to say I like her before we got separated.

Is this grammatical?


texts: key in charge -- how do you understand that?

texts:
Please, take a listen: audio clip

Transcript:

  Today it's really difficult for us to evaluate whether a particular fossil species is the ancestor of another one. You're always looking for the right anatomical features to link something up. In recent years, Meave Leakey, Richard's wife, has been running the Turkana field site. And today their daughter Louise is key in charge. And in 2001, Meave found a fossil skull on the west side of Lake Turkana. A fossil skull that was the same age as Australopithecus afarensis.

I'm not sure how I should understand that. Sure, to be in charge of something means to be in control of it—such as an enterprise or project. That's simple. But what I'm having real trouble with here is how the adjective key is used in conjunction with the expression in charge. If I said, "Who's key in charge here?", what would that possibly mean?


texts:
There is a sentence in my book

  It was me that raised the alarm

I am completely  confused with this construction. "I" is used with it but here "me" is placed.

Second confusion is "who" is used for living things but here "that" is used.

Is it grammatically correct? If yes please explain to me.


texts: Meaning of "still" within "Do you mind if he testify still; before, you said you didn't care if Mueller testifies?"

texts:
Does still within:

  Do you mind if he testify still; before, you said you didn't care if Mueller
  testifies?

means: even though ?

source: The reporter's question in this interview.


texts: I want to know a unique idioms or phrase for this

texts:
That you are the man of small mind. Or
  you don't seen the world you only know that thing you see in your boundary.

Don't make joke I am forgetting so I asking


texts: Can running deer be described as "churning"?

texts:
I heard a movie description

  With the reindeer's legs churning, they fly directly toward the moon.

Can a galloping/running ungulate be described as "legs churning"? Or did I hear it wrong? I don't think it's journeying either, because a person journeys, not legs. I am putting the audio clip here (uploaded to an audio sharing site Clyp) for reference.

Also what are other verbs that describe the legs of a galloping four-legged animal like shown in this pic?


texts: Is there any difference in meaning between "go on a job interview" and "go to a job interview"?

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning between go on a job interview and go to a job interview? For example:

I'm going to a job interview tomorrow.
I'm going on a job interview tomorrow.


texts: If I were not holding my pee, I think I might sleep

texts:
If I were not holding my pee, I think I definitely slept.

Is this correct grammar when I walk out of the movie theater and talk to my friends?

Update

I was trying to say that the movie is really boring and make me feel asleep. The only thing makes me awake is I was holding my pee.


texts: Can I use "my team" even if I'm not a manager of the team?

texts: Considering that I'm a member of a team and there is a manager, is it OK to say "my team" like "My team did that work"? Or should I speak "our team" instead? When I talk to a member of the team, it looks OK to say "our team", however, when I talk to people outside the team, I always feel strange as the team is not mine nor ours.


texts:
It sounds like some sort of an idiom, but I haven't found it in any dictionary. Maybe, it means 'lose one's pace', doesn't it? The context suggests it.

  Don’t lose your step

  Now we’re almost there

  Go wash your face and comb your hair

(an excerpt from the song My Love for Evermore by the band Hillbilly Moon Explosion)


texts: It has been three years since & It is three years since

texts:
It has been three years since Vick decided to give new life to old waste materials by re-creating them into sculptures and installations.
It is three years since Vick decided to give new life to old waste materials by re-creating them into sculptures and installations.

Which sentence sound natural?


texts: We were sleeping or we had been sleeping

texts:
Yestarday we were sleeping till 10 a.m.
Or
Yestarday we had been sleeping till 10 a.m

How should I say this


texts: Gerund as a noun 'having/taking a shower'

texts:
Can I use the phrase 'having/taking a shower' as a noun when it supposed to be present simple tense

Example:

  I wake up then (I) having a shower

Examples that I found:

1 use less water when washing their hands, brushing their teeth, or taking a shower

2 Finishing a good movie, and then having to face the reality of your boring life

3 Let’s go dancing at the club tonight

3.1 Swimming in the ocean has been Sharon’s passion since she was five years old

4 Wearing loose pants while riding a bicycle is dangerous

5 So more eating, more drinking and more taking of photos - many of them painfully embarrassing

Question:

Can I use the phrase 'having a shower' instead of have a shower in present simple cases (I wake up then (I) having a shower)?


texts:
Do these sentences mean the same thing:

I have nothing to do with the accident

The accident has nothing to do with me


texts: "wouldn't" vs. "won't" & "couldn't" vs "can't"

texts:
If we were talking about the importance of energy and that even machines need it what should we say?
What's the difference between these two sentences:

Machines wouldn't work without energy &
Machines won't work without energy

and between:

Machines couldn't work without energy &
Machines can't work without energy


texts: Can I write "as soon as we know all the ones (who are) willing to go"?

texts:
Which one if these is more appropriate?

We shall decide it together as soon as we know all the ones willing to go.
We shall decide it together as soon as we know all the ones who are willing to go?

I have three concerns over here.

Is the use of 'ones' correct?
Is 'who are' in the 2nd sentence redundant?
Earlier I used slickwrite.com to proof read my sentence when it showed the use of adverb 'soon' as an error. Is it really an error?


texts: Meaning of "My heart went on my stomach."

texts:
I heard this sentence in a speech today.

  My heart went on my stomach.

The context is that she realized that her mother might have died from an accident. Then she said that sentence.

I searched it on the web, and I only get a similar one "My heart fell into my stomach."

What does it mean in this context?  Is it another way of saying "my heart fell into my stomach"?


texts: is something difficult to do, or hard to do?

texts:
When do I say something is difficult to do or hard to do

Or difficult to understand or hard to understand

Thus, when do I use difficult and when do I use hard?


texts:
This is an excerpt from an ESL reading book. What I want to ask is whether "Their independence and ability" can be regarded as a single concept, so "is" can be followed.

  The number of working women has been steadily increasing in recent
  years. Most significantly, many mothers with young children have been
  returning to work rather than staying at home. Furthermore, the “glass
  ceiling” that for so long has kept women from being promoted to
  executive positions seems to have been shattered. These women, who are
  able to balance their roles as both mothers and corporate executives,
  are being referred to as “alpha moms.” Their independence and ability
  is quickly erasing past stereotypes that portrayed working mothers as overworked and exhausted.


texts: relative and the meaning of the sentence

texts:
We watched a movie which he hates.

In this sentence, the object of the verb hates is the pronoun which

  We watched a movie he hates.

But in this sentence, the object of the verb hates is the noun movie

  He doesn't have the ability which is required to join the club.

Here, which is the subject in the relative clause.

  He doesn't have the ability required to join the club.

Both sentence modify the ability   ,  but for this sentence, I am not sure which serves as the subject for the word required, but I guess it should be ability?

Do the differences in objects(for the first example) and subjects (for the second example) change the meaning of the sentence?


texts:
If I search in the internet, I find "hypothesis" is a singular word as I see "is" after it. But I found the following line in the book "Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data" by Charles Wheelan (in CHAPTER 9) -

if the null hypothesis were true and this were really a bus full of
Changing Lives passengers;

Why "were" is used after "hypothesis"? Should not it be "hypothesis was true"?


texts:
In The Economist December 21st 2019:

  But vloggers such as Mr Wen are attracting huge audiences among overseas Chinese with commentary that does not follow the party line. They also appear to be penetrating the great firewall of China, as the country’s system of online censorship is often known.

So, the structure of the last sentence appears to be "as <something> is often known". I don't quite get the meaning of it, especially what the role "as" plays here.

My understanding is like:

it means "because the country’s system of online censorship is very famous or famous for being strict."
OR it means "the great firewall is often known to people as the role of  online censorship."


texts: "As if I had been hit" vs "As if I was hit"

texts:
First, here's a material that made me keep thinking about this issue in the first place.

http://www.grammaring.com/as-if-as-though

  I felt as if I had been hit by a hammer.

I wasn't hit by a hammer, but I had a headache like a person who was hit by a hammer.

  I felt as if I was hit by a hammer.

I was hit by something, but I'm not sure what exactly hit my head. Seeing as there was a hammer when I first walked in, I guess it was a hammer that hit my head.

Am I right to think this way? I'm really want to get used to using 'as if' naturally.


texts: 'One among the team' or 'Part of the team'

texts:
I would like to convey that I was one of the person in the organizing committee which successfully organized a corporate event.

  one among the team which successfully organized the event

or

  part of the team which organized the event successfully


texts:
"One result of this scientific theory was that it became easier than ever before to believe that there is no God. The zoologist Richard Dawkins has written, ‘I can’t imagine being an atheist at any time before 1859, when Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was published.’ There were atheists, of course, before 1859 – David Hume, the subject of Chapter 17, was probably one – but there were many more afterwards. You don’t have to be an atheist to believe that evolution is true: many religious believers are Darwinists. But they can’t be Darwinists and believe that God created all species exactly as they are today."

What is exactly the meaning of the sentence "I can’t imagine being an atheist at any time before 1859"? I've tried to rewrite the sentence like this:
"I can't imagine what it was like to be an atheist before 1859"
Is it correct?

Thank you!


texts: “There is a little point in doing anything about it.”

texts:
There is a little point in doing anything about it.

This sentence is completely unclear to me. I’ve been trying to translate it, but it is nonsense in my native language. Could you explain the meaning of the sentence in another way?


texts: So we say, "It's starting to rain, let's bring the washing in" or "....let's take the washing in"?

texts:
ok, so

  hang something ↔ out to hang clothes outside in order to dry them

  My job was to hang out the washing.

  Hang the wet things out to dry.

But if it's starting to rain, then we say:

"It's starting to rain, let's bring the washing in" or "It's starting to rain, let's take the washing in"?

This website says most people say: bring the washing in

However, bring shows movement toward the speaker, but take shows
movement away from the speaker.

Eg, Please take the baby from her bed and bring her to me.

So, say "bring or take the washing in", some may say "get the washing in" then we don't worry about bring or take.


texts:
Pop singer Sandra has a song Around My Heart where she sings "it goes around my heart". What is the meaning? Is it somehow related to what goes around comes around?
EDIT for more context:

one kiss on a flatbed truck
a hot rain
has completed our love
you said
words don't mean nothing
but you will be mine

IT GOES AROUND MY HEART

hey hey what a criminal man
life will go in circles
all around my heart
hey hey
it's such a dangerous game
i'm afraid
you'd lose your trust in love


texts:
I listened to a sentence from an IELTS listening

  What else should managers be looking for?

Why is there a need for a "be"?

  What else should managers looking for?

Is it not right?


texts: First-person pronouns in coordinate subjects - "Bob and myself are..."

texts:
I need help correcting this sentence:

  Bob and myself are thinking about founding an Internet company.

Please tell me why it is incorrect and what the correct subject and verb would be.


texts:
He was sorry for the birds, especially the small delicate dark terns that were always flying and looking and almost never finding, and he thought, The birds have a harder life than we do except for the robber birds and heavy strong ones. Why did they make birds so delicate and fine as those sea swallows when the ocean can be so cruel?

From "The old man and the sea" by Ernest Hemingway
What does they refer to here? I thought it's natural for this sentence to be expressed in passive form.
And does as here means "like" or "for example"? Or is it a part of so ... as structure? However, Longman says

Do not use so in comparisons without 'not'. Use as:
Your handwriting is as bad as mine (NOT so bad as mine).


texts: have problems to do or have problems doing?

texts:
Another question. The two sentences below:

I have some Maths problems to solve.
I have some Maths problems solving.

Which one is correct? Or both of them are correct?


texts: meaning of the phrasal verb "get up" in context

texts:
It is from this video. It is at around 3 minute and 16 second. The context is a coach shows how to do exercises.

  Do it in the one-and-a-half style to reinforce that you have got it up there with the muscle itself.


texts: "I have certain players who I look up to massively, but you have to remember there are so many variables that judging yourself against other people is quite dangerous. The only person I should judge myself against is myself.


texts: difference between "in the day" and "during the day"?

texts:
Tell me please what is the difference between the two expressions. Here is the context:

  Additionally, eating eggs has been linked to improved cholesterol levels and weight loss. In one study, women who ate eggs for breakfast, rather than a bagel, reported feeling fuller and ate less later in the day.

Would it have the same meaning if I were to use the word during instead of in? (Source)


texts:
Why use "asking for" - why not simply "Others called his house   "Dr. Butcher""? Using asking for sounds as if the house is inviting people to name it. I am not sure.

White became a target for protestors because of his head transplantation experiments. One interrupted a banquet in his honor by offering him a bloody replica of a human head. Others called his house asking for "Dr. Butcher". When White testified in a civil hearing about Dr. Sam Sheppard's murder case, lawyer Terry Gilbert compared Dr. White to Dr. Frankenstein.[9] The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals described White's experiments as "epitomizing the crude, cruel vivisection industry".[10]

Source: Wikipedia


texts:
The best design showed a 110% increase in click-throughs vs. the control design, and was projected to deliver a gain of between 80 and 120%, once deployed.

  The program delivered a gain of 5%—this is the performance of all of
  the tested designs vs. control, vs. the stats above which are those
  of the best performing single design.

How can I interpret "vs. the stats (versus statistics)" here? I think the sentence structure of the bold part is somewhat awkward. Shouldn't there be "and" before "vs. the stats"? Does the bold part mean "the 5% performance is the performance of all of the tested designs compared to the statistics above which are those of the best performing single design"?


texts: Can I write "having been developing ... for about four years"?

texts:
Is the following usage of participle clause correct?

  I have a good knowledge of C++/Qt, having been developing with them for about 4 years.

Here, it's meant that the speaker has been developing with C++/Qt for already 4 years, and he/she continues developing with it now.


texts:
The president is said to have warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he could put off growing pressure from the international community for only so long.

I have loved you for so long.

In sentence 1, "so long" seems to mean "a limited time", while it(so long) means "a very long time" in sentence 2.
Am I right? If then, why is that? Does the word "so" have different meanings in these two sentences?


texts:
Is the use of was not been offered grammatically correct in the following sentence?

While Friday prayers were not allowed in the historic Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area for 13th week, Khoj-e-Digar — the special evening prayer held at Naqashband Sahib shrine here — was not allowed on Friday.
It was for the first time that Khoj-e-Digar, which is a centuries-old tradition specific to Kashmiri Muslims, was not been offered.

I think it is not but I found it in a newspaper.


texts: Recommendations: register with an oncologist (?)

texts:
I'm translating a sample discharge summary into English. The summary describes the tests the person was subjected to (ultrasound, Spiral CT scan, etc) and some treatments he/she received. It is clear that a tumor has been discovered in the course of the person's hospital stay. However, the hospital does not specialise in oncological treatment.

The last part of the summary is titled "Recommendations":

  Recommendations:
  - consult at an oncology center (bring your histology slides)
  - register with an oncologist

I'm looking for a naturally-sounding phrase for this action.

In Russian, it does not mean you register with a specific person (doctor). You register with "the oncologist" generally in some clinic, most often the nearest to your home. Later on, the particular doctor who first received you in the office may be absent, and you will be allowed to visit another oncologist who works at the same clinic.

The key thing is, they create an 'oncologist' file which they update with each visit, keeping track of your condition, your treatments etc.

Will "register with [doctor speciality]" fit for the purpose, or do I need some other phrase?

I found a discussion of the same issue by native speakers of Russian, and they basically build their phrases around the verb "register".

The Russian original is:

  Рекомендовано:
  - консультация в онкодиспансере со стёклами (literally: "a consultation at an oncology center with glasses" \ meaning: a single visit)
  - встать на учет к онкологу    (literally: "enroll for an oncologist's record-keeping" \ I know it sounds weird)

I've just recalled the verb "enroll". "Enroll in a continuous follow-up course at an oncologist's office"?

P.S. I've got 2 suggestions:

get regular check-ups with an oncologist
follow-up by oncologist


texts:
What would be a more formal way to say something like

  The data has all been processed by now, so there's no need for further action

in an email?

I'm worried that "by now" might sound a little aggressive.


texts:
Is to and about interchange in this context?
I  was indifferent to the subject.
or
I  was indifferent about the subject.


texts: We Korean think this is a wrong sentence. are we correct?

texts:
Having studied for the test well, his mark was good.

The sentence above makes sense to me. but Korean think this is not grammatically correct. and they say 'Having studied' should be the activity of 'his mark'.
so it should be something like "Having studied for the test well, he did well on the test."

I don't think native people think the same way as koreans do.


texts: Do I have to touch someone's shoulder to say 'there there'?

texts:
To say 'there, there' do I have to touch someone's shoulder?
If so can I say it while touching another part of the body?
For example:

There, there, don't cry. Everything will be OK.

Or can I say it without doing it?


texts:
All the grammar books that I have consulted state quite clearly that the definite article can be used in generic reference with singular count nouns, as in the following examples:

The elephant is a clever animal

The radio was invented in Italy

I haven't been able to find any information as to how common this use actually is though, so now I'm wondering whether this applies generally, to any countable noun in the singular, or if there are any limitations to this rule. To me, it sounds odd saying things like

?The woman has been marginalised throughout history

?The human began walking upright 6 million years ago

I would much rather use the indefinite plural form in these examples. Is this intuition (that the + singular count noun doesn't quite work in the latter two examples) correct, and, if so: why?


texts: How should we interpret present perfect tense usage below context?

texts:
Context: At a meeting a colleague explains why she must handle a project stressing some points as she thinks other colleagues don't understand her. Then just after her explanation I say "I have understood the same" or "I have thought the same" to state I already agree with her points.

"Understanding" or "thinking the same" happens during the colleague's explanation. Considering its recency and relevancy with the present condition is it correct to use present perfect tense here with the verbs "understand" and "think"?

I know basically simple present or simple past is just enough therefore "I understand", "I understood",  "I think the same" or "I thought the same" can be preferred, however is present perfect inherently wrong in such context? How should we interperet present perfect usage in such context?


texts: What do cars do with their passengers? They can "transport" them, but I don't like the word. I doubt they "carry" them: people are not their cargo. Do they "drive" them?


texts: Opportunity analysis or Opportunities analysis?

texts:
Please help me to say it correctly in other words in English:
The Anasysis of opportunities. (it's from the SWOT analysis).

 Considered options are:
1) Opportunities analysis
2) Opportunities' analysis
3) Opportunity analysis

I've seen that 3rd option is commonly used, but is it correct for using as plural form?

How is it to distinguish plural form from singular if it is written: Opportunity analysis ? From the context of following text? Or using singular form we should always use the indefinite article an, for example:
An opportunity analysis?


texts: "Alliance," "consortium" versus "syndicate"

texts:
From Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (in the sense related to a particular group):

  ❍ alliance : a group of people, political parties, etc. who work together in order to achieve something that they all want

  ❍ consortium : a group of people, countries, companies, etc. who are working together on a particular project

  ❍ syndicate : group of people or companies who work together and help each other in order to achieve a particular aim

The definitions of those three words look alike. Are there any differences between them?


texts: Which tense should be used after "once"?

texts:
Which of the following is correct?

I will update you once I reached my home.
I will update you once I reach my home.
I will update you after I reaching my home.


texts: What does "don't turn this back on me" mean?

texts:
I want to know what does "don't turn this back on me" mean in conversations? Does its meaning is always "don't blame me" or it also have another usages?

I see this in a movie and with the help of subtitle I knew that it's about blaming someone. but one of my friends told that it could also mean "don't change the subject".

So this caused I ask this question. However, maybe it's better I ask which meaning is more general or in which situations we may use that?


texts:
I have a technical document and one of its sections is entitled

  Hypervisors vs. emulators

The next section is entitled

  How they differ from Docker and ScummVM

Is it correct? Or maybe I should use the word "different" instead, i.e.

  How they are different from Docker and ScummVM

?


texts: What is the difference between habit, custom, practice and convention?

texts: What are the differences between them? They all indicate doing something regularly throughout time and space.


texts:
I can’t understand that how do we use of after adjectives ?

  It was beautiful of you to...
  It was kind of you to...
  It was generous of you to...

As I know, it is possible to use of after “nouns”.

  It was beauty of you to...
  It was kindness of you to...
  It was generosity of you to...

But how can that be possible in terms of adjectives?


texts: "X and Y are the length(s) of A and B, respectively": should length be plural or singular?

texts:
In the sentence:

  X and Y are the lengths of A and B, respectively.

The intended meaning is that:

X is the length of A
Y is the length of B

Should length be used with the plural or the singular form?


texts: Phrase:I can't remember what (_something_) WAS THAT/IS THAT

texts:
Let's say you are watching a video clip, then while watching, there is a portion that suddenly reminds you of a book. You know that book but you can't recall its name. And you say:

  "I can't remember what book is that''

Or

  "I can't remember what book was that

Which is correct between them?


texts: Text in Asterisks in 3rd person singular

texts:
•starts waving my hand faster•

is it idiomatic to use third person singular form when there is first person determiner, my?

I've often seen these constructions in text messages like

  •waves hello•

  •gives shy look•

but starts waving my hand has first person determiner so I was wondering if it's alright?

Similar question- When -s is used with third person singular. What's its use in this context?


texts:
Situation is like as follows:

  The more A is reduced, the better the performance is.

  The more B is reduced, the better the performance is.

  The more C is increased, the better the performance is.

The sentence is like this:

  Since blah~blah~blah, both A and B have been significantly reduced, (and, but) C also has been increased.

1st thought: increased is a counterpart of reduced, so "but" is correct.

2nd thought: the former sentence gives better performance, the latter one also gives better performance, so "and" is correct.

I do not know which is correct.


texts:
1a.  This football team won the league championship 3 times over the last 5 years.
  1b.  This football team won the league championship 3 times during the last 5 years.
  1c.  This football team won the league championship 3 times in the last 5 years.

  2a.  This football team has won the league championship 3 times over the last 5 years.
  2b.  This football team has won the league championship 3 times during the last 5 years.
  2c.  This football team has won the league championship 3 times in the last 5 years.

  3a. He achieved great success over the last 5 years.
  3b. He achieved great success during the last 5 years.
  3c. He achieved great success in the last 5 years.

  4a. He has achieved great success over the last 5 years.
  4b. He has achieved great success during the last 5 years.
  4c. He has achieved great success in the last 5 years.

For these sentences, we have three choices for the preposition.  How do we choose?  Does the tense of the sentences (past vs. present perfect) influence the choice?


texts: Difference between 'amazing at' and 'amazing in'

texts:
She is amazing ---------- painting.

What's the difference between amazing at and amazing in?

What would be used, at or in? And also tell me what is the grammatical role of painting in the sentence.


texts:
I wonder if I can reduce below sentence :
"The man who won yesterday's lottery lives next door."
into
"The man winning yesterday's lottery lives next door."

If no, can you please let me know the reason behind?
Thank you.


texts:
Under this Youtube video there is a comment.

When you returned to a game you haven't played in years and discover you're still beast at it.

What does beast at it mean? I looked it up in the dictionary but can't find this usage. Does it means very good at something? Thanks.


texts:
Someone said the following sentence is grammatically correct.

  If the lava will come down as far as this, we will evacuate these houses.

I think this is grammatically incorrect because there is the following grammar rule.
http://www.englishcafe.jp/englishcollege/etense2/e1-2-4.html
"In the time and the conditional clauses, both of the present tense and the past tense are used, but "will" and "shall" is usually not used even if it means the simple future. It is inevitable that the present tense is used instead."

I wonder which one is correct.

EDIT
Some people say that there are exceptions that we use "will" in if-clauses.

  Practical English Usage §260 If … will

  We normally use a present tense with if (and most other conjunctions) to refer to the future.
  I’ll phone you if I have time. (NOT … if I will have time.)
  But in certain situations we use if … will.

  1 results
  We use will with if to talk about what will happen because of possible future actions – to mean ‘if this will be the later result’. Compare:
  –
  I’ll give you ￡100 if I win the lottery. (Winning the lottery is a condition – it must happen first.)
  I’ll give you ￡100 if it’ll help you to go on holiday. (The holiday is a result – it follows the gift of money.)
  –
  We’ll go home now if you get the car. (condition)
  We’ll go home now if it will make you feel better. (result)

  2 ‘If it is true now that …’
  We use will with if when we are saying ‘if it is true now that …’ or ‘if we know now that …’.
  If Ann won’t be here on Thursday, we’d better cancel the meeting.
  If prices will really come down in a few months, I’m not going to buy one now.

  3 indirect questions: I don’t know if …
  We can use will after if in indirect questions.
  I don’t know if I’ll be ready in time. (NOT … if I’m ready in time.)

  4 polite requests
  We can use if + will in polite requests. In this case, will is not a future auxiliary; it means ‘are willing to’.
  If you will come this way, I’ll show you your room.
  If your mother will fill in this form, I’ll prepare her ticket.
  Would can be used to make a request even more polite.
  If you would come this way …

  5 insistence
  Stressed will can be used after if to suggest insistence.
  If you WILL eat so much, it’s not surprising you feel ill.

Edit 2(19 July 2015)
Some person wrote to me as follows.

  (a) If the lava comes down as far as this, we will evacuate these houses.

  (b) If the lava will come down as far as this, we will evacuate these houses.

  Syntactically, both (a) and (b) are correct.
  But semantically, (a) is not understandable because if the lava ( from the volcano ) comes down as far as THIS, it will be too late to evacuate THESE houses.
  So if the lava WILL ( = is likely to ) come down as far as this, we must evacuate these houses immediately.

Edit 3(20 July 2015)
I posted a similar question here(https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/260903/if-the-lava-comes-down-as-far-as-this-we-will-evacuate-these-houses).


texts: 'Us' or 'We' when we remove 'About' from 'About Us'

texts:
'About Us' is a popular tag in any menu of any website. Of course, it is important to tell the world who you are.

Many companies love to play with words just to add fun and so to engage people more. I do it for my company as well!

But while surfing a Richmond based (?) company's website, I came across the tab 'US'. I believe it should be 'We'. I don't have any problem with 'About Us' but when you are, for any reason, removing 'About', it should then use 'We' as a pronoun. Because we are not an object ('us') anymore.

Is it grammatical to use 'us' instead of 'we' there?


texts: What makes difference between 'I walked the dog.' and 'I made the dog walk.'

texts:
I have been curious that verb 'walk' means 'causative verb' in  'I walked the dog.' sentence.
And I know these verbs (have, let, make) are causative verb, but how  verb 'walk' in  'I walked the dog.' sentence means 'causative verb' without these verbs (have, let, make)?
And what is difference in both?


texts: What did Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. mean by 'molar to molecular actions'?

texts:
Preface: I originally posted this on Law SE but was advised to post here instead.
Secondary Source: Introduction to The Study of Law (8 edn, 2016), p. 11 Middle.
Primary Source: p 218, writing by Dickson J., Harrison v. Carswell, [1976] 2 S.C.R. 200

  The duty of the Court, as I envisage it, is to proceed in the discharge of its adjudicative function in a reasoned way from principled decision and established concepts. I do not for a moment doubt the power of the Court to act creatively—it has done so on countless occasions; but manifestly one must ask—what are the limits of the judicial function? There are many and varied answers to this question. Holmes J. said in Southern Pacific Co. v. Jensen16, at p. 221: “I recognize without hesitation that judges do and must legislate, but they can do it only interstitially; they are confined from molar to molecular actions”.

Holmes's use of the scientific words 'interstitially' and 'molecular' implies the chemical signification of 'molar', but I don't understand the chemical metaphor here.


texts: Vigorously remarket vs aggressively remarket

texts:
Which sentence is stronger and implies that the re-marketing agent is working his behind off to do the job?

Vigorously remarket the fleet.
Aggressively remarket the fleet.


texts: Can i really use a present participle to describe one of them casually?

texts:
For example:

  "He whistled to himself as he walked down the road"

In the example above, may I change it into either "whistling to himself, he walked down the road," or, "he whistled to himself, walking down the road"?

I saw a expression like "when two actions occur at the same time, and are done by the same person or thing, we can use a present participle to describe ONE OF THEM"

OP definitely said "ONE OF THEM". Doesn't it mean I can describe  whatever I want using present participle?


texts:
Does "tree-borne raft" mean that the raft is made of trees (woods)?

  Freddy wants a tree-house, and I always meant to build one in the copper beech. Nothing fancy – just a sort of tree-borne raft, like the one me and David Ockeridge built in his dad's orchard, when we were kids in Black Swan Green. In my daydream I'd tell Fred that the copper beech is guarding his prezzie, and I'd watch him run down, find the rope ladder, and climb up to a better, leaf-shushed world. The thought of another man building Freddy's tree-house in an ordinary green beech made me hurl my trowel through the shed window.
  (Excerpt from David Mitchell's The Massive Rat.)


texts:
It is common to thank somebody for "a kind invitation". However, when somebody writes

  I kindly invite you to event xyz,

does that not suggest that the person who invites the other is doing the invited person a favour? If yes, the meaning would be quite different from phrases such as

  I cordially invite you ...

or

  It is a pleasure to invite you ...

My google search produced many hits for the phrase "kindly invite", but all of them point to websites of non-native speakers/institutions.


texts: meaning of "the man" in historical context

texts:
It is from Crash Course World History. It is at around 5 minute and 30 second. Here is the context:

  That meant that the National Assembly, which had been the revolutionary voice of the people, had killed people in an attempt to reign in revolutionary fervor. You see this a lot throughout history during revolutions. What looked like radical hope and change suddenly becomes "The Man" as increasingly radical ideas are embraced.

What does the presenter mean by "The Man" there? Could you please explain the last sentence of the excerpt for me please?


texts: They may not know if there are/there were?

texts:
In this sentence :

  If you ask passers-by , they may or may not know if there were any
  restaurants in this area , but if you ask a local , they will give you
  many options for sure .

should i say "there are" or "there were" here ? can either one be used in this context ?


texts: Coupling words that express uncertain things with "will", which indicates likelihood or certainty

texts:
The following quotation is from Anthony Trollope's The Small House at Allington:

  But it seems as though she will be so far separated from us. It is not the distance, but the manner of life which makes the separation. I hope you'll never be taken so far from me.

The expressions it seems and as though both indicate or give the impression of something that is uncertain, irreal or hypothetical, that is, is not palpable or tangible.

On the other hand will indicates a strong likelihood or certainty, yet they are coupled together.

The whole thing puzzles me, I just can't understand the way they are doing properly their jobs in the sentence in question.

If I were to write that sentence I would probably use would instead of will but I'm not sure of both the author's reasons and if my suggestion might be correct.

Would you please throw some light on this so as to help me understand it?


texts: How do I refer to a word in a vocabulary list in regards to what position it has there?

texts:
I have a list of vocabulary words (it can also be a list of idioms). Now, how do I refer to a particular word in regards to what position it has in the list? I really don't know how to formulate this properly but it should be something along the lines of, for example, when you receive an invoice and in that invoice there are lines and each line has something written on it (maybe, some kind of service that you paid for). So, you can refer to a particular item listed in the invoice as a line item. Can you think of something similar but for words in a vocabulary list? Does list item sound alright to you guys?

An example of a word list (note: adjectives and nouns):

prehistoric
naughty
dough
shy
utility

An example of an idiom list:

rain cats and dogs
cop a plea
aim high
my dogs are barking
count me in

I need this term as a table column name for my database application.


texts: You have been there 5 hours, it is a new record!

texts:
I have been trying to comprehend the difference between present perfect and present perfect continuous.
So I came up with the situation, I say

  "Dude, get out from the toilet, you have been seating there for 5 hours !"

perfect continuous, because I am emphasizing the time , how long?

  "Dude, it's going to be a new world record, unless you get out from the toilet, you have seated there for 5 hours [already]"

perfect simple, as i am emphasizing the result/score, how many hours?

Are the sentences correct? Is this explanation accurate?

Thanks!


texts:
I am going to present a slideshow in a few days' time.

I am going to start writing out now what I will be saying in this presentation.

Should this written document be called a script or a transcript?


texts: Are there other ways to say "The store is farther from the motel than we expected."?

texts:
The store is farther from the motel than we expected.

As the comparative form "farther" is a bit distant from "than" in the above sentence, it doesn't sound intuitive in relation with "than we expected" to me who is a non-native English speaker.

So I wonder whether I can use the different sentence like below.

  The store is far from the motel, more than we expected.

Any explanations or examples will be appreciated. Thank you.


texts: Don’t understand some part of movie script

texts:
I’m reading this movie script and don’t understand some part of it. Can you explain it to me?

Script:

  -I had to settle.
  -Well, your mom might think so, but a lot of people think I'm a catch.
  -No. The case.
  -I was this close to nailing it, and then my client gets scared and settles.
  -I'm sorry.

(Don’t understand first and second sentence and I know the word “settle” in legal term)


texts: She said that, over time, they lose their ability to "full charge", or " fully charge"?

texts:
She said that, over time, they lose their ability to full charge.

why is the above sentence wrong?   FULL is adjective, FULLY is adverb, CHARGE is noun.
Isn't it adjective +noun, and adverb+verb(or adjective, or adverb)?

Thank you.


texts: What's the meaning of "take their word for it"?

texts:
From NPR, Charleston Mayor: Company Behind Chemical Leak Run By 'Renegades,

It was an interview with the mayor of Charleston, W.Va., about the city's water supply that had been contaminated. The following is what Danny Jones, the mayor, said after being asked "But how do you convince people that the water supply is, in fact, safe?":

  "People want to drink water and people want to bathe in it. People want to use it to cook with and they're looking to take the word. And there have been a lot of precautions. We have a very capable health director here in the county. He's watching this very closely. This water is being tested by the hour, by the day. And I believe if they say to go ahead, I would take their word for it and I think the public, at large, will, too."

What's the meaning of the two variations of take their word for it above?


texts: Articles with food and structure "I have"

texts:
I have a pineapple for lunch.

  I have pineapple for lunch.

Which version is correct?

What about these examples?

  I have soup for dinner.

  I have a soup for dinner.

  I have apple and chocolate bar for lunch.

  I have an apple and a chocolate bar for lunch.


texts: To take good qualities from your parents or elder siblings?

texts: If we talk about resemblance we say "take after someone" but for qualities , be it bad or good, how do we say it?


texts: What to say when you want to reach out to a professor

texts: Is it correct to use ‘Hello, XYZ this side’ in a formal conversation over text?


texts:
The example below is from a grammar guide

  This glass is cracked. ~ So it is. I hadn't noticed.

Why not "I haven't noticed"? - Present Perfect, as it is something he hasn't noticed until the moment the other one said "It is cracked".

Or that can be just "I didn't notice" - Simple Past.

Can anyone explain why?


texts: Error correction : Although their visas will expire in September they can have them extended for six months

texts:
Although their visas will expire in September they can have them extended for six months.

My book says that I need to remove will from the above given sentence because for fixed events of future we use Simple Present tense E.g. We leave for London tomorrow.
This may be right that we can use simple present tense for such future events but is using future tense incorrect ?


texts:
I moved my question from English Language & Usage:

This article has the title "How to Transform Your Food Photos from Good to Bloody Beautiful".

What does "Bloody Beautiful" mean?


texts:
A dialogue in the shopping mall:

  — Can I help you find anything?
  — No, I'm just browsing, but... wow, this is a really cool store.
  — Well, thanks a lot. That means a bunch. We just opened two weeks ago actually.
  — I didn't think I'd seen it when I walked by last time.
  — Yeah, I just decided to open the store. It's been an idea that's been floating in my mind for about a year now and I just made the decision to pull the trigger and opened the store and here we are.
  — Wow, it's your store. You're a self-starter. It's awesome.
  — Yeah. Well, if you need anything, just let me know. I'm happy to help.
  — Okay. Thanks.

I suppose this is just a colloquialism. I think I've heard it used a few times before, but I just wanted to ask you guys what it really means and what you think of this expression.


texts:
I wonder which choice below is the most correct one? Please let me know why the other choice do not work:

  Person A) Sorry I'm late. The traffic on the way in was crazy!
  Person B) This is your third time.
  .......................................
  You should have thought of that before you agreed to do it. I warned you about it.

a. I don't accept any excuse.
b. I don't accept any excuses.
c. I won't accept any excuse.
d. I won't accept any excuses.

Ambiguities:

1) I think while "won't" is more about "willingness", is more appropriate, but it doesn't mean that "don't" is incorrect.

2) Also, I need to know whether you normally use a plural noun after "any" in this sense or not.


texts: When someone has no idea about your difficulties and says "do something" or asks you not to do something

texts:
Please imagine someone is dealing with a very difficult challenge in their lives and you as the second person who is watching everything from afar and is outside of the matter just say: you have to do lalala or you shouldn't do ...

There is a proverb in my mother language which says:

  [Direct translation]: He stands on the side of the pit and says: “through him down!”.

Meaning that it is not his / her problem, so he doesn't have any idea how difficult it can be! So, just orders doing... because has no idea about the challenge.

I was wondering if you could let me if there is an equivalent for this proverb in English at all or there isn't.


texts: Term for someone who moved to the US that started going to college?

texts: Is there a term for someone who moved to the US and started going to college there? I was born and raised elsewhere and moved to the US in my teens. My parents went to college, but not in the US. Is there a term for this? I know that first generation means someone who's parents didn't go to college. I figured maybe there might be a term for this as well?


texts: Are they the same? "to sit / lie there" vs "to sit / lie on there"?

texts:
Are they the same? "to sit / lie here" vs "to sit / lie on here"?

"There" can be a noun or an adverb

    there [noncount] 1  : that place

    Get away from there.

  there 2 /ðeə $ ðer/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb     1 in or to a particular place
  that is not where you are → here

  We could go back to my cottage and have lunch there.

  Scotland? I’ve always wanted to go there.

  Hold it right there and don’t move.

  Can you pass me that wine glass there?

  Look, there’s that bookshop I was telling you about.

  Who’s that man over there?

  It’s too far to drive there and back in one day.

  Are we going to get there (=arrive) before the banks close?

  out/in/under etc there   I know there’s a mouse under there somewhere.

  We flew to Miami and from there to La Paz.

Know that "out / in / under / over /  up / near / around / down there" are common but not sure if "on there" is common

My question is that?

Are they the same? "to sit / lie there" and "to sit / lie on there"?


texts: Shall I use 'at' or 'in' or 'on' with a website?

texts:
If I want to say something like

  I watch videos at/in/on MIT open courseware.

Shall I use 'at'/'in'/'on'?
More generally, when talking about websites, which one shall I use?


texts: A word for something judges do before issuing a final verdict?

texts:
I am not sure what it is, but I vaguely remember that judges tend to do something before issuing a final verdict. They do it to maybe buy some time or something, I don't really know, but I feel like I've heard the word before, but can't remember it at all. It might be a phrasal verb.

For example:

  The judge ___ before issuing the final verdict upon the criminal.

  The judge was ___ to issue the final verdict upon the criminal.


texts: The usage of another. Is it ok to say another jeans?

texts:
I learned "another" is followed by singular noun. But what about this situation?
I go to the mall to buy jeans, and some sales person recommends some jeans. But I don't like them, and want to see another.
In this situation, is it ok to say " Can I see another jeans?"


texts: What does "teleport anywhere in the world" mean?

texts:
The definition says:

  To transport by teleportation.

But what's not clear is if "teleport anywhere in the world" means "teleport from anywhere" or "teleport to anywhere" or "teleport to anywhere from anywhere".


texts: Certain kinds of fish or certain kinds of fishes?

texts:
Below is an excerpt taken from the passage given at
Passage Comprehension page.

  Many scientists are working on safer and better ways to kill
  mosquitoes, but so far, there is no  sure way to protect everyone in
  the world from their deadly bites. Mosquito nets can be placed over
  beds  to protect people against being bitten. These nets help people
  stay safe at night, but they do not kill any  mosquitoes. Mosquitoes
  have many natural enemies like bats, birds, dragonflies, and certain
  kinds of  fish.

My doubt is regarding the bolded phrase. Is the bolded phrase correct?

Shouldn't it be either certain kinds of fishes or certain kind of fish.


texts: "They vary mainly in ..." or "They mainly vary in"

texts:
I have this sentence

  They vary mainly in the degree of automation they provide by reducing human efforts as much as possible.

But as I know adverbs come before the verb, could it be

  They mainly vary in the degree of automation they provide by reducing human efforts as much as possible.

If no, what makes the exception here?


texts: What's the term for a person who can/will do anything for money?

texts:
Is there any term that describes a person who can/will do anything for money? Help me filling the blank.

  Do you know what did Tom do? He sold secret information of his own country   Yeah, possible! He's a/an ______________________. He will/can do anything for money.


texts:
Katia asks John to tell her whatever he knows about her father. John
  responds with Litvenko's age, medical condition (rheumatoid arthritis)
  and that he speaks several different languages - including Tamil. He
  also says that he has stage 3 lung cancer. With these facts, Katia
  figures out that her dad would be living in a country which has a warm
  climate where orchids can grow, moreover with advanced medical
  treatments available.

  Source: Hitman: Agent 47

I think the bolded would is epistemic, signifying a higher possibility than could/might, but less sure than will.

The question is how to backshift it. I think it would be:

  Katia figured out that her dad would have been living in a country which had a warm climate where orchids could grow...

But this backshift could bring an ambiguity with it.

Consider this:

  Katia figures out that her dad will have been living in a country
  which had a warm climate where orchids could grow...

If we backshift it, I think it would be the same as the former.

Did I get it right?


texts:
In the Seinfeld series, Jerry says:

  Well, birthdays are merely symbolic of how another year has gone by and
  how little we've grown. No matter how desperate we are that someday a better
  self will emerge, with each flicker of the candles on the cake, we know it's not to be, that for the rest of our sad, wretched pathetic lives, this is who we are
  to the bitter end. Inevitably, irrevocably; happy birthday? No such thing.

I can't get the verb "be". Does it have any thing that's dropped?


texts: What do you call the person that distributes medication to GPs?

texts: What do you call the profession of the person that goes to a medical doctor such as a GP to distribute medicines, instructing the doctor about which medicine to prescribe for what purpose? Thanks.


texts:
Does "strength" here mean "power or ability (to do things that need a lot of physical or mental effort)"?

Vaccine effectiveness was estimated with a test-negative case–control study design, a preferred design for assessing vaccine effectiveness against influenza (see the Supplementary Appendix).2 A key strength of this design is the ability to control for bias that may result from differences in health care–seeking behavior between vaccinated and unvaccinated persons.

Source: New England Journal of Medicine


texts: Are these two questions both grammarly correct?

texts:
What is the most suitable method of xxx for improving xxx?

or

What method of xxx is most suited to improve xxx?

or

What method of xxx is most suited for improving xxx?

Sorry for the xxx, but I'd rather keep it generic.
I used the second form, but I've been told that it's not properly constructed. Which form should I use?


texts: What does "Although the Second Amendment people" mean?

texts:
I don't quite understand what Donald Trump just said, especially the phrase in bold:

  "Hillary wants to abolish—essentially abolish the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know."

  Source


texts: "for" versus "of", meaning "concerning someone or something"

texts:
Consider:

Netting is a clause in virtuall all agreements for derivatives that will be cleared bilaterally.
Basel III: A Global Regulatory Framework for More  Resilient  Banks  and  Banking  Systems.
The average gross income over the last three years for each business line.
The New Challenge for Financial Markets. The regulatory capital requirements for credit risk. Monte Carlo simulation for loans in the portfolio over a one-year period. The balance sheet for the oil company. The world record for the 100 meters.
The result of the debate. A national shortage of teachers. The present value of future credit losses. Historical data on the credit spread changes of companies. Examples of scenarios of this type.

I think these "for" here fits the 3rd definition (concerning someone or something) in OALD, so does "of" (relating to). Some of these examples may be idiomatic, while others may be not.
But I wonder if "for" and "of" can be used interchangeably in some of these examples. Plz help to clarify.
Note: For this question I asked, "for + noun" examples are selected deliberately to qualify the noun for comparison.


texts: Present Perfect Simple vs. Present Perfect Continuous

texts:
I explained to my student that the Present Perfect Continuous is used for emphasis on the repetitive nature of an activity.  Can someone explain why the Present Perfect Simple is used in the phrase:

  It's the third time I have shown you how to do it.

when "third time" is a repetitive action?


texts: help me understand "off" when it comes to phrasal verb , thank in advance

texts:
I have seen those words on the internet

Based off....

Better off...

I thought "off" meaning get away from something

but why does "off" mean quite not the way I thought


texts:
can I please get some suggestion on how to improve the following sentence by removing "there are"?

  However, there are no unforeseen limitations to apply the framework on
  other microblogging platforms.


texts:
This is the blockquote from the book that I read

  They were about as smart as dogs, too. But what they lacked in brainpower, they made up for in sheer tenacity. He had seen them hurl themselves at their enemies until the ground was piled high with their corpses … and their opponents had depleted their ammunition.

I can't understand sequence of tenses in the last sentence. I see the grammar structure of sentence as follows:

  [principal clause | past perfect] [subordinate object clause | present simple] until [subordinate adverbal clause of condition | past simple] ... and [subordinate adverbal clause of result | past perfect]

First clause (principal) is in past perfect tense because it describes events that happened before than other context (correct me if I'm wrong). But I can't explain tenses in other clauses neither with attracted nor natural sequence of tenses.


texts: Does the phrase "take from something" mean "understand from something"?

texts:
The take something from something mean exectly the same as understand from something? For example:

  No that you have watched the movie, I would like to know what you took from it.