texts: Is it correct to say "In case of high demand we may be open for longer" to indicate optional prolonged work hours?

texts:
My brother runs a night club, and he asked me how would one say in English that a night club may close later if there are still lots of customers, in a way to put this on a plaque with working hours?

I have thought of "In case of high demand we may be open for longer" or "In case of high demand we may close later”. I don't want to state "we work until the last visitor", because "last visitor" may never leave under certain conditions, which wouldn't make the staff happy :)

I am not so sure about "high demand" really meaning "lots of customers". Is it clear right away, or it can be misunderstood?

Is there any better, shorter, or commonly used way to say the same?


texts: What's the exact meaning of the word "nows"?

texts:
I've been reading an article from Newsela, and there was a sentence that goes

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, changed its guidelines the week of March 16. It nows says that hospitals should try to reuse surgical masks or have workers wear one through an entire shift."

I understand the meaning of the sentence, and I also get that 'nows' means similar to 'nowadays'. But no dictionary gives the meaning of the word 'nows'. I'm starting to wonder whethere the word really exists.
The only search result I found was from wikitionary(https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nows). It says "nows:
plural of now" But from what I understand, nows in the sentence above is an adverb, and adverb can not have a plural form.
Is nows a word?
Is it a short form for nowadays?
If it is, then why can't I find it from the dictionary?


texts: Do we put the indefinite article before "scales"?

texts:
(In British English)
What do we say?

I weigh food on a scales

or

I weigh food on scales

And what is the difference between scale and scales?


texts:
Do these sentences have identical meanings and are they grammatically correct?

What colour is her hair?
What is her hair colour?


texts: What is the meaning of "our time together "had come to a close."?

texts:
Don received a letter from one of his wives and reading it to his friend Winston:

  "I decided to go through with the pregnancy, and I had a baby, a son.
  "Your son. "I decided  to raise him by myself because our time
  together "had come to a close.


texts:
Morgan Stanley, the best-performing stock this year among the five
largest Wall Street banks, reported profit that beat estimates on
a smaller drop in fixed-income trading revenue than analysts
projected.
Second-quarter net income rose to $1.94 billion, or 94 cents a share,
from $980 million, or 41 cents, a year earlier, the New York-based
company said today in a statement. Excluding an accounting adjustment
tied to the firm’s own debt and a tax benefit, profit was 60 cents a
share, topping the 56-cent average estimate of 24 analysts
surveyed by Bloomberg.
-- Source

I've always run across "estimate of something" rather than "estimate on something". Does on here mean based on? Any other alternative prepositions could be used here?
And can I say "greater than the averaged 56-cent estimate" or "greater than the averaged estimate at 56-cent" in place of that part in bold?


texts: How much the pronoun "it", or "them" is common in formal writing

texts:
I don't know why, but somehow I don't like "it" or "them" as a pronoun in a formal writing (e.g. in a scientific article)
Is it just my style or is it common?
specially for the prepositional phrases with "it" or "them". for example (in it, for it, by it, using it, ...)

After creating a node we can choose a parent for it from the list ...
After creating a node we can choose a parent for this node from the list ...

The later also has repetition! Maybe another alternative exists!
I thought when the sentence gets long, the reader maybe lost the reference of "it" or "them" and someway repeating something is helpful.
For example it was my sentence

To restrict this context to a specific scope within the page, we can choose a “Parent context” for it from the list of previously defined contexts (e.g. “Products”).


texts: the difference between "few" and "little"

texts: in wiring and conversation I have confused to use the correct words from "little" and "few" how to use the words little and few in english writing and conversation


texts: I was wondering vs. I am wondering vs. I wonder

texts: If I would like to make requests, should I use “I was wondering…” instead of “I am wondering…” and “I wonder…”?  If yes, what’s the most appropriate situation to use “I am wondering…” and “I wonder…”?


texts:
The agency expects the U.S. will continue to produce more oil than Russia and Saudi Arabia for the rest of this year.

My question is, can I use "in the rest of this year", it is correct? What are the differences of "in the rest of this year" and "for the rest of this year"?


texts:
In the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary there is an example for "get by":

  We can get by with four computers at the moment, but we'll need a couple more when the new staff arrive.

(Emphasis changed.)

Shouldn't this be "arrives"?


texts: I'm writing a mail to my juniors and sharing a document with them in it. The document includes some links to videos and articles to help them understand a particular topic. I'm referring to these articles and videos by 'videos and articles' every time. I know it's not wrong but still, it looks very odd to mention these words again and again. Can anyone suggest a synonym or an alternative to it?


texts:
I'm studying Barron's 504 absolutely essential words and came across this sentence:

  "When the bank guard spied the sinister-looking customer, he drew his
  gun"

but it seems odd to me..we are talking about a snapshot of a time in past while someone was spying another..the correct form of the sentence should be like this:

  "When the bank guard was spying the sinister-looking customer, he drew
  his gun"

does the first sentence make sense to you?


texts: What is the tense of the archaic phrase "our ship was come"? Is it the same as "Spring is come"?

texts:
When authors have written, "Spring is come!," it means "Spring has come."

However in stories or plays by people from days long sped, I often come across this sort of sentence, for which unfortunately I cannot find a source offhand since this has been a lingering question in my mind to which I have paid scanty attention:

  When our ship was come to the shore, I said to my first-mate thus..."

Is this "was" the same as "had come"?


texts: Are there any mistakes in this introductory paragraph?

texts:
I think I’ve found two mistakes in this introduction:

  Parents play an important role in the child’s upbringing. However, it is not easy to be a good parent, much to the surprise of those who think dealing with young children is a piece of cake. In my view, to be a good parent you have to meet certain requirements that I am going to discuss further in the following paragraphs.

The first should be: much of a surprise to those who think

For the second, I think further is not appropriate because here it is in the introduction, so the speaker hasn’t discuss anything. It should be: discuss in details.


texts:
I usually say:

  I travel a long distance to get to work.

Today I saw:

  It travels over a long distance.

I didn't find any information about over a long distance.

Please help.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
Even if determinism isn't true for everything that happens -- even if
some things just happen without being determined by causes that were
there in advance -- it would still be very significant if everything
we did were determined before we did it. However free you might feel
when choosing between fruit and cake, or between two candidates in an
election, you would really be able to make only one choice in those
circumstances-though if the circumstances or your desires had been
different, you would have chosen differently.
If you believed that about yourself and other people, it would
probably change the way you felt about things. For instance, could you
blame yourself for giving in to temptation and having the cake? Would
it make sense to say, "I really should have had a peach instead," if
you couldn't have chosen a peach instead? It certainly wouldn't make
sense to say it if there was no fruit. So how can it make sense if
there was fruit, but you couldn't have chosen it because it was
determined in advance that you would choose cake?

[What does it all mean, Nagel, Chapter VI]
What does "If you believed that about yourself and other people" mean?
I think it means that "if you believed that's true about yourself and other people"? Is it correct?


texts: The definite article with the word "weather"

texts:
Generally the word "weather" is used with "the", like:

  What is the weather there?

But, what if the speaker wants to be more specific about the kind of weather,  will he still  need to use the article? For example:

  I would greet the weather that is a few degrees warmer.

Or would it be better to omit "the", as in:

  I would greet weather that is a few degrees warmer.


texts:
I am trying to figure out how a number together with measure unit name could be called as a whole. "Named number" is definitely not the right term.

Examples:

20,5 m
15 kg
-17 °C
0,00073 kg/L/°C

The question is about the name of those numbers in mathematics.


texts: "Getting something decreased" or "decrease something?"

texts:
I'm trying to set a title like:

  Choosing between decrease your skills and Death

Is it correct to say:

  Choosing between getting your skills decreased and Death


texts: What 'nitty gritty' means in this context exactly?

texts:
I understand 'nitty gritty' is something specific; the essential thing.  Is it also applied in these following lines?

"correcting the average amount of errors that I am presented with is too nitty gritty for me."


texts: "Right to" or "Right of" in this context

texts:
As a basic learner, we commonly use:
Will to play (verb)
will of car (noun)
Need to eat (verb)
Need of food (noun)
Similarly, we should write:
Right to read (verb)
Right of education (noun)
But we use Right to (education, liberty, property, etc.), why not "right of"?
If I use Right of (education, liberty, property), will it be grammatically correct?


texts: Is a physicist a specialist, an expert or both?

texts:
I am aware the definitions of "specialist" and "expert" on dictionary.

  specialist

  someone who has a lot of experience, knowledge, or skill in a
  particular subject

  expert

  a person with a high level of knowledge or skill relating to a
  particular subject or activity

However, I don't really understand the usage of them. For instance, is a physicist

  a specialist

  an expert

or both?

Could someone please give a hint? Thanks in advance.


texts:
I have a question about the difference between the following two sentences:

He might be punished if he is seen leaving the campus.
He might be punished if he is seen to leave the campus.

Do they mean the same thing?


texts: Can I use "whether" instead of "if" in this sentence?

texts:
In the past, some experts wondered if Tut died in a chariot crash.

Can I use whether to take the place of "if" in this sentence?


texts: "What date is it in China?" or "What date is today in China?"

texts:
These 2 both look correct to me:

  What date is it in China?
  What date is today in China?

Is any of them better than another?


texts:
Was she upset because her uncle (had died / has died) recently?

Which tense is correct here, past perfect or present perfect? And also if I changed "was she upset" to "is she upset", does that affect the tense?


texts:
I wonder if there's any rule behind using articles, both definite and indefinite, before "-ing" nouns, i.e. drinking, killing, upbringing and so on.

I feel like most of them can go both ways; I wouldn't mind saying:

  My friend says that his parents didn't manage to give him a proper upbringing.

But, on the other hand, I don't feel like there's anything off with:

  Proper upbringing is key.

Another such case presents itself with the word "killing".

  Killing may seem difficult at first, but soldiers claim you can get used to it.

But, in a Dropkick Murphys' song, they go with:

  The killing and dying - it was all done in vain.

Any thoughts?


texts:
Which form is better with the "this week, this month, and this year"?
I want to say about a shop.

A shop closes  [this week | this month | this year].
A shop is going to be closed  [this week | this month | this year].
A shop will be closed [this week | this month | this year].

Which form should I choose?


texts: is the sentence "great business are built one productive person at a time" grammatically correct?

texts:
I read this sentence on the book :

great business are built one productive person at a time

It makes me wonder how a noun could come directly after "are built". In my view, some preposition needs to come between "built" and "one".  Is that sentence grammatically wrong or is it just some kind of literary expression? what does the author try to tell us eventually?


texts: I have difficulty in understanding this sentence: even more so

texts:
I have difficulty in understanding the following sentence :

  As surprising as the recent financial crisis and recession were, the behavior of the world’s industrialized economies and financial markets during the recovery has been even more so.

Does that mean :

  As surprising as the recent financial crisis and recession were, the behavior of the world's industrialized economies and financial markets during the recovery has been even more surprising


texts:
How do we use the phrase "To think..."? I am wondering how it should be used and what it means exactly? Is it used to say someone is astounded or surprised? I remember seeing it used before, but I am not sure how to use the phrase correctly?

For example:

  To think they would go this far to prevent us from winning.

Is the phrase incomplete? Do you need to put ellipsis (...) for the phrase to make sense, how can I fix the phrase to make it seem the person saying it is bewildered or surprised?


texts:
"Shall you have the chance to come to China, please feel free to
contact us."

Is this sentence grammatically correct?


texts:
When, in 1953, Chou En Lai, the Chinese Prime Minister, was in Geneva for the peace negotiations to end the Korean war, a French journalist asked him what does he think about the French Revolution; Chou replied: "It is still too early to tell."

Source: http://www.lacan.com/zizrobes.htm

Is the word order ("what does he think") OK? Would it not be better "what he thinks". Or is this a sort of Zizek's intentional approach to English (the same as he does in the case of his accent)?


texts: Who do you want [your best man to be] [to be your best man]

texts:
Who do you want your best man to be?

  Who do you want to be your best man?

If I want to ask the future bridegroom about who he will choose to be his future best man, which one is the correct one to ask?


texts:
I am about to take an assesment for responsible service of alcohol licence. There is a video question and I need to tell someone to leave in that video.

Once I saw a scene in The Simpsons and there was an expression like;

  Good evening sir. Would you please leave without a fuss, right now?

Is it common usage? Is using the without a fuss clause perceived as offensive?


texts:
How to tell someone I had weakness in my body sometime back?

Scenario:

I was playing football and suddenly felt weakness so I stopped playing and went home. When i reached home mother asked me what happened to you?

What should I say?

1) I have had weakness but am now feeling better.

2) I was having weakness but am now feeling better.

3) I had weakness.

any better options?


texts: Word for transfering functionality from one system to another

texts: I'm looking for a verb that means implementing the same functionality that already exists in another system. "To move" seems to imply that it's no longer present in another system. Is "to transfer" the best choice? (e.g. I'm working on XXX from system A to system B)


texts:
What is the correct way to say

  Your suggestion is great! As it always is.

  Your suggestion is great! As it is always.

  Your suggestion is great! As always.

  Your suggestion is great! They always are so.

Is any of the above variants correct?)


texts: Wondering what word could be used instead of "crunch" in this headline

texts:
US and Russia hold crunch london talks on Ukraine.

My intuition is that there are a lot of groans while speaking to each other? Is that right?!

Could you also simplify "hold crunch" in this sentence, please?


texts: Difficulty understanding the last sentence of this short piece of news

texts:
News piece:

  Hundreds of thousands of people have attended the Boston marathon, cheering on the nearly 36,000 competitors one year after tragedy struck.Many spectators chose to cheer on runners from the spot where the two bombs exploded on 15 April 2013, claiming three lives and injuring more than 260 people.Amid tight security on Monday, marathon attendees reported mixed emotions.They said there was a sense of defiance and solidarity, but the memories sparked by that stretch of pavement were difficult to grapple with.

Defiance? Does it have anything to do with solidarity? Is it good choice of word? Defiance? As far as I am concerned, the word "defiance" has to do with perversity. Doing something to show that you do not respect something or someone else. But defiance towards who? The writer did not mention.

Sparked by ? Memories caused by?

Stretch of pavement? ( I did not find it in dictionaries )

At last, What was difficult to grapple with?

Memories sparked by that stretch of pavement? What does the writer mean by saying " memories sparked by that stretch of pavement" ?

Many thanks in advance.


texts:
A scene from the movie Warrior:

  Paddy: Have a heart, Brendan.

  Brendan: You listen to me. You take your "have a heart" bullshit and you run it down the road. Yeah, run it out with someone that doesn't know you like I do.

Are run it down the road and run it out phrasal verbs here? I can't find dictionary entries of these two phrasal verbs that fit this context. It appears Brendan is saying: "You take your bullshit elsewhere." But what does run mean here exactly? I know run is one of the words with the most meanings in the English language. But I have looked through the Oxford Dictionaries and Merriam Webster, but can't be sure which meaning this usage is.


texts: "Took as its mission" or "took its mission as"?

texts:
The Mauryan Empire in the third century BC took as its mission the dissemination of Buddaha's teaching to an ignorant world.

In the above sentence, is "took as" supposed to be "took its mission as ~"? If I am wrong, please let me know.


texts:
I wished I would have handed in the exam the next day. ( = But I did not, I regretted not having handed in the exam the next day. );
For a start, is this sentence both grammatically and pragmatically correct?
As I believe it is, how would you rephrase it to make its time reference and meaning clear and, obviously, unambiguous? Should we put "the next day" in front position of the sentence?


texts:
In 1968, he submitted a letter to the secretary of the South African
  parliament, asking to pitch conservative legislators on a
  treatment program that would rehabilitate gays and lesbians.

(Dr. Shock, The Walrus, SEPTEMBER 2015 )

What does "to pitch" mean here?  Thank you.


texts: Grammatical Rule/Pattern for the following questions

texts:
What did she say was the best performance she ever did?

(What is the grammar pattern or formula for this kind of question? What specific topic should be discussed for this?)

  Who do you think that woman is?

(What is the grammar pattern or formula for this kind of question? What specific topic should be discussed for this?)

The story behind it is that by nature I guess the structure of the questions are correct but my friend is asking if the two questions have the same pattern or there is something that should be changed. For example, Who do you think is that woman? I want to explain the concept/pattern structure of the sentence.


texts: Use of 'that' and 'for' in "What do you think we can do to help her?"

texts:
This question came up in our school test and required the students to translate the sentence from Korean.

The sentence they were looking for was...

  What do you think we can do to help her?

However, some students wrote:

  What do you think that we can do to help her

and

  What do you think we can do for her to help?

They sound correct but what is the rule(if any) the English teacher at the school is curious and I'm at a loss for a specific rule to quote her offhand.


texts: Is the sentence right in terms of grammar?

texts:
Fast food or processed foods at convenience stores, for example,
causes harm to the development of adolescents due to its high-fat
levels.

Is this sentence grammatically correct ?
The verb causes should follow fast food subject or processed food or both?


texts: The trading team was disbanded. Is this sentence idiomatic?

texts:
The situation is this: A trading team made a big loss and was broken up. And all the team members get fired.
I want to tell this situation to others.
What would be the best word for the blank to express the situation?

The trading team was ___________.

I could think of words such as disbanded, broken up, dissolved, dispersed, etc. But I'm not sure what word or phrase would be the most idiomatic.


texts: Using a past participle adjective before or after a noun?

texts:
Why do "past participle adjectives" sometimes come after a noun( especially when "with" was used before them) but sometimes come before a noun( as normally should come) ?

  1- Send the email with the file attached.

  2- To take advantage of this offer please complete the attached
  forms.

  3- He sat there, with his eyes closed, looking white and ill.

  4- This is a image of a closed eye.


texts: "What if Bob himself doesn't want to be a doctor", is it necessary to put "himself" there?

texts:
An ELL post makes up a situation where Bob's parents think Bob wants to be a doctor while Bob himself doesn't.
To emphasizes the fact, the post says

What if Bob himself doesn't want to be a doctor?

Is it necessary to put "himself" there for this particular situation?


texts: What's the meaning of "you've failed" in this situation?

texts:
I was watching comedy series, Man Seeking Woman.

A group of people was discussing what to text a girl. I mean, they were discussing how to make good texts for the girl.

  Josh: Tell you what. I'm gonna start it off. "Hey, it's Josh."
  General: See? Already, you've failed. You've got a comma after your "hey" and a period after "Josh." What's next, semicolons and footnotes?
  Josh: Okay, fine, no... No punctuation.

Here is a video clip for the scene at 1:00.

I don't understand why General said you've failed. What's the point? I cannot find either gag point and grammar point.


texts: Can I write "at times thick" at the end of the sentence, after a comma?

texts: From the analysis of the bonding material and (of?) the bricks, it has emerged a partial detachment of irregularly-shaped flakes, at times thick.


texts: How is "a solid 8 hours every night" correct?

texts:
I'm watching Gilmore Girls. In the show, a guy says A: Here where they sleep, "a solid 8 hours every night."

But 8 hours is a plural. How can an a comes before a plural? As far as I know, you can only say "I waited for solid 3 hours."

Is the solid used in the first different than the one below?


texts: What does “spark our hidden creative streak“ mean?

texts:
There is a sentence (the bold one) that I can't understand what the writer talks about :

  All of the objects and animals in these images have been generated by
  a computer vision model called Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)!
  This is one of the most popular branches of deep learning right now.
  It certainly helps that they spark our hidden creative streak!

Source : https://www.analyticsvidhya.com/blog/2020/01/generative-models-gans-computer-vision/

Hope someone could help me.


texts:
Recently I looked up the meaning of "superscript" in the dictionary of
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/superscript

At Point 2 of "superscript" in American, the following explanation is given with an example such as;

  a figure, letter, or symbol written above and to the side of another

  in y2 and xn, 2 and n are superscripts

My question is what the "another" means in this case.  Basically another means something additional.

For example, in the case of "m2", superscript is 2 which means square meter. Why does the superscript, 2 is expressed as written above and to the side of "another"?  There are no figures, letter or symbols to the side of "m".

Please explain what "another" means in this case.

Thank you in advance.


texts: How to formally give response message if my shop is closed

texts:
I'm trying to compose a response message for my Facebook page in case the page visitors send messages while my shop is closed (non business hours)

  Sorry our shop is closed at this hour, but our staff will serve your enquiry very soon, thank you.

My business is a salon service. How should I refer to my business in the message or any conversation? e.g. shop, store, etc.


texts: Pope Francis said "The yardstick we use for others..."

texts:
"The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us", said Pope Francis.
  He said this to the U.S. Congress last year.

I not quite sure what it means.
I'm guessing it probably means "Be nice, or some day it might get to you too." The concept of karma or comeuppance maybe?

Please explain it to me.
Thank you!


texts: What meaning does the word "respectively" add?

texts:
I do not understand what extra meaning does the word respectively add in a sentence.

Does it add meaning like "as in the order of the things mentioned"

For example:

  In the 200 metres, Lizzy and Sarah came first and third respectively.

When we say :

  In the 200 metres, Lizzy and Sarah came first and third in a row.

Does the meaning of the sentence change?

How can we rewrite this sentence?


texts: How to end a congratulation message, beside the 'Congratulations!'?

texts:
I just learned that ELL is going to be one year old soon (January 23, 2014, 19:00 GMT). So I would like to write a congratulation message to ELL. For example,

ELL is a great place for me to learn English. The community is always helping out. I am certain that my English has been improved noticeably since the time I joined the community. It is great to meet nice people here, be helped, and be able to help others in return. I wish the community to keep growing and thriving strong through this whole year. And not just this year, but also the next years to come.
Congratulations!!!

I feel that Congratulations! sounds good, but it's a little typical. So I'm looking for other possible alternatives, that also sound nice, and make a good impression both for the community and myself. What are the alternatives I can use here?
Thank you!


texts: What is the difference between "shut" and "close"?

texts:
It is obvious that shut and close are very similar in meaning. However, while learning English as non-native (a long time ago) the teacher underlined that the two words are not identical in meaning.

I was unable to find a "clear" explanation about this difference yet - so I am still confused.

I found:

the definitions of the words;
how the words are similar;

I did not find: how are these words different.

Edit: Based on the answers and on the comments, is it safe to assume that there is no "general" rule about when to use "shut" and "close"? And that one must learn the "correct" verb for each situation separately?


texts: "what is to come" in a novel when writing in past tense

texts:
Context: I'm editing a novel. The novel is written in past tense.
I'm concerned about the following passage:

  With a cough he faced the clan elders and said, “Everyone, the hour is late. For tomorrow’s ceremony, you should all rest well tonight.”
  At his words, the elders looked at each other with a hint of caution in their eyes. The clan head’s words meant well, but everyone understood what he was talking about. Each year, when vying for these young geniuses, the elders would fight among themselves to the point of reddened ears and bleeding heads. They should stay well rested and replenish themselves for what is to come.

The thing I'm concerned about is should and what is to come.

I'm not sure if the current usage of should is correct when the novel is written in past tense. It sounds okayish, but I have a faint suspicion that the construction may be different in past tense.

Regarding what is to come, it's equivalent to tomorrow in this case, and I'm not sure if it's what is to come or what was to come considering the novel is written in past tense.


texts:
Last year I was walking in the park, brooding about what happened when Susan left six months earlier. We'd been arguing almost every day, and eventually she walked out.

If the story time is six month after she left, would it be possible to use past perfect for "happen" and "leave". If past perfect was not used , is it because the leaving is a single action so past simple is possible or because "earlier" indicates very clearly that the leaving is before the walking and the brooding or may be  because of the past perfect continuous"had been arguing" that follows. The writer chooses to  emphasize the cause but not the result the leaving


texts: What does 'very' mean in this sentence and why do we need it?

texts:
Here is the sentence:

  The brothers, Primo and Secondo, want to serve the very best Italian cooking.

My question is what means very in this sentence? Why do we need the determiner very in this sentence?


texts:
Which word is correct in the following sentence

  They pay him handsome salary and he is earning fifteen thousand rupees monthly/per month.

I think both are correct


texts: Should I say "they're my brother and sister" or "that's my brother and sister"?

texts: This is a stand alone sentence, used as an exercise in learning Mandarin Chinese. It has no context. I feel that it is more natural to say "that's my brother and sister", in English. Am I wrong?


texts:
I found this sentence in an Oxford University Press ESL book.

Is it right?

We're going to a rock concert. A local band are playing, and they're really good.

Is the article before the "local band" determinant for the use of the verb in the plural? I know that "band" is a countable group noun; therefore, it allows you the use of singular and plural verb forms. But is the article correct, in this context?

Thank you.


texts:
I'm an English learner and today I faced a question where I was supposed to fill in the missing blank.
The question was:

  The large family _____ house had been destroyed by the storm was invited to stay at a hotel.

There were multiple options including:

i) whose

ii) that its

Can someone explain why option (ii) is wrong while option (i) is correct?

What is the grammar involved here?


texts: What does "rebuttal to termination" mean?

texts:
I read this sentense

  She didn't show up to hear her rebuttal to termination.

So I need to handle the final task for termination of her.

What is rebuttal to termination? Does it mean that the employee is angry and mad for this decision because he/she believes it is unfair?


texts: Capitalization when sentence begins with chemical name

texts:
It is generally considered poor form to begin a sentence with a numeric digit. For example,

  4% of people are old.

should be

  Four percent of people are old.

What is the rule when you need to begin a sentence with a chemical name that should not be converted to a word?

  2-chloroprocaine is an anesthetic.

It doesn't seem right to capitalize the first letter after the number, because chemicals are not normally capitalized.

  2-Chloroprocaine is an anesthetic.

Spelling it out seems inaccurate.

  Two-chloroprocaine is an anesthetic.

Rewriting the sentence makes it confusing.

  An anesthetic, 2-chloroprocaine, is.


texts:
Q:In the state’s legislative analysis, they pointed out that Silicon
  Valley would become the richest per capita state in the U.S. And
  another part of California would become the poorest. What about the
  issue of income inequality this would create among states?

  A:The issue is very interesting. For one thing, I’ve noticed that
  the people most adamant about creating their own state
  or being a part of their own state are the poorest regions, and
  in the current system, they are not happy, because it is not
  working for them. So if they had their own state, I believe all
  of those states would become wealthier. And I believe by managing
  their own state, they will become much more successful. A lot of those
  regions are rural, and they feel they’re being unduly influenced by
  the urban population.

I think the sentence in bold is wrong. I have two explanations ,they are :

  I 've noticed that the people most adamant about creating their own state or being a part of their own state are  in the poorest
  regions......

  2.I 've noticed that the people most adamant about creating their own state or being a part of their own state are the poorest
  regions'......

Are they right?


texts:
I met a sentence on Twitter:

  Russia is like an oddly solicitous neighbor who you eventually find out is stealing your mail and feeding your dog suspicious treats through the fence.

(https://twitter.com/MelissaAmour72/status/976048405666549760)

As an English learner, I'm a little confused by the structure of the sentence. How to understand "suspicious treats through the fence"?

My analysis is:

Russia [subject]

is [link-verb]

like an oddly solicitous neighbor [predicative]

who you eventually find out [attributive clause modifying "neighbor"]

is stealing your mail and feeding your dog [object clause]

suspicious treats through the fence. [???]


texts: How can I use 'in return for' in a sentence?

texts:
If you've ever swapped one of your toys with a friend in return for one of their toys, you have bartered.

I understand the meaning of the sentence but when I try to use the phase in my own writing I have no idea where I should use. I think it is because I do not understand the phrase grammatically.

If I had to write the sentence on my own, I would have written like this.

  If you've ever swapped one of your toys with your friends' toy, you have bartered

To me, it seems that the sentence that I wrote basically has the same meaning as the one with the phase "in return". But I want to write sentences with phrases in like "in return for". The problem is that I do not know how to use the phrase "in return for" by myself when writing an essay.

Can we say the phrase is used as a verb in the sentence? or is there specifically given a grammatical name to this type of phrase?


texts:
I know prepositions can be very confusing, at least for Spanih speakers. For example: The uses of "in" and "on"
We normally use "in" to say: "IN the morning"  or  "he is swimming IN the river" It makes perfect tense to me,  but why is it also correct to say:  "ON the morning of June 24".

The same happens with the preposition "on". I understand if one says: The boat is ON the river" But why is it also correct to say: "Theme park floating IN the Atlantic Ocean." Can you help?


texts:
I found this page, which title is 'Ropes Proverbs'.
http://proverbicals.com/ropes/

I wonder if the plural form of the adjective ("ropes") is correct - or should it be "Rope proverbs" - or maybe something else?

And if "ropes" is wrong, how would you rephrase that to clarify it's about plural "ropes" rather than "rope", without making the title too cumbersome?


texts: The Czech company X or simply Czech company X at first mention

texts:
Imagine the first sentence in a news report, where X and Y are company names:

  Czech company X and Tatarstan-based Y have signed an agreement..

Would it be okay to omit the articles? Or would it look better as

  The Czech company X and the Tatarstan-based Y have signed an agreement..

It seems to me that without the articles it looks more natural. We're introducing the companies, after all, and it is clear that there are more than one company existing in both the Czech Republic and Tatarstan.

I've googled Google News and found this:

  Two other auto manufacturers that are zeroing in on Israel are Spanish company SEAT and Czech company Skoda.

But:

  In the next presentation Andrey Denisyuk from the Czech company TESCAN talked about correlative microscopy techniques for electron...

And:

  The subcontractor of Spartans is the Czech company Aero Vodochody, which is owned by Penta investment group.

The last two examples could've been written by non-native speakers, but they seem to be okay too..


texts:
When writing a letter or an e-mail to a man I know the (sur-)name of ("Smith"), I would write:

  Dear Mr. Smith,

What should I use when addressing a woman?
Is it (like for married women):

  Dear Mrs. Smith,

Or just:

  Dear Ms. Smith,

Or:

  Dear Miss Smith,

Or even:

  Dear Ms./Mrs. Smith,

What is more polite, particularly as I do not know whether she is married (coverture)?


texts: Difference between don't, won't and wouldn't in the below mentioned example

texts:
If they don't hurry up they will miss the flight.

If they wouldn't hurry up they will miss the flight.

If they won't hurry up they will miss the flight.


texts: Question about the pronunciation of "governance"

texts:
I looked the word governance up in dictionary and all dictionaries state its pronunciation is [ˈgʌvənəns] or [ˈgʌvərnəns]. However, I have several dictionaries that have audio and I can clearly hear they are actually saying [ˈgʌvərnənts]. The ending sound is the same as the word its. Is there a rule for this pronouncing behavior? Thanks.
Update
Add two Youtube videos (the link include the time, you just need to listen a few seconds):
https://youtu.be/s-l2ldsy3Kk?t=122
https://youtu.be/M0e3AeqGLaQ?t=1299


texts: Can we use two different tenses in a sentence

texts:
Is this correct ? Can we use two different tenses , like this one for example : ( happened and drops )

  “What my parents think happened when a bottle of shampoo drops on the bathroom floor.....” (then it continues with a meme).

I thought it would be better if we say:

  “what my parents think happened when a bottle of shampoo dropped on the bathroom floor ...”

Or

  “what my parents think happens when a bottle of shampoo drops on the bathroom floor...”


texts:
I am looking for three adjectives that describe locations based on their centrality, that have clear order between them:

A > B > C

(i.e. A is more central than B is more central than C).

I have "central" and its antonym "peripheral". I am looking for a third adjective whose strength is between "central" and "peripheral", or more central than "central", or less central then "peripheral".

I hope the question is clear..


texts: Is it correct to use "run the gamut" at the beginning of a sentence?

texts:
I searched the samples of using "run the gamut", but I could not find a case in which it is used at the beginning of a sentence. I was wondering whether my sentence is correct?

  Run the gamut from the early nomadic tribes to the skyscraper cities, laws were central pillars in making societies.


texts:
I was wondering whether the following sentence is correct?

  These guys qualified to lead the groups into the mountain.

I feel it should be "This guys are qualified ...".


texts: Which sentence is most appropriate? "Next year Anny and I {will have been / will be} married for 25 years"

texts:
Which sentence would be most appropriate?

Next year Anny and I will have been married for 25 years.
Next year Anny and I will be married for 25 years.

(this sentence came out of a grammar book. I had to fill in the gap "Next year Anny and I (to be) married for 25 years.)


texts: Usage of "With" at the start of non-defining sentence?

texts:
Can somebody please explain why "with" was used in the below sentence? And what is the grammatical rule in this case?
As for land degradation, the least affected area was North America, with only 5% of its land degraded.


texts: Present Perfect vs. Simple past in this situation

texts:
if somebody hasn't answered my question, what will be the difference of these two response in meaning?

"You haven't answered my question!"
"You didn't answer my question!"

thanks


texts: Should I say "genius at birth" or "genius by birth"?

texts:
Which preposition would a native speaker use in the following sentence?

  He was genius at/by birth.


texts: Using the word repeat to go out with someone

texts:
I went out with someone and I would like to say that we should definitely repeat that, but repeat sound so technical to me, somehow. That's what I would write

  It was fun. We should definitely repeat that.

or with the usage of again.

  It was fun. We should definitely do this again.


texts: What are the differences between "valley", "gorge", "ravine", "canyon", and "gully"?

texts: My Japanese-English dictionary gives valley, gorge, ravine, canyon, and gully as the translation of Japanese 谷(たに). So far I've only found that valley is wide/big, gorge and ravine are deep and narrow, and that canyon is larger and gully is smaller than ravine and gorge. None of my dictionaries gives the difference of gorge and ravine. What are the differences between these five? Are any of them interchangeable with another in some cases? Thank you.


texts:
This describes a certain natural process that takes 15 weeks

It describes what a certain component looks like at some point in time during a naturallly occurring process

What I don't get is if it means it appears this way starting in the third week or after ?

Here's the full sentence

"The malleus first appears as a cartilage model from the third week"

Thanks again for you support guys


texts: When you distress someone by your words and want to apologize him/her

texts:
Imagine in a meeting, you say something upsetting to a friend who did not expect it from you in a social setting! After the meeting you take the person aside and talk to him / her in private and want to lay stress on the fact that you didn't have any specific intention and apologize to him. Which one of the folloing self made sentences sounds natural to you and if none of them works properly please let me know what shall the person say in such a situation:

  1- Don't get distressed by/with my words.
  2- Don't get upset by/with my words.
  3- Don't let my words hurt your feelings.


texts:
Is the following sentence correct:

"I thank you for sharing with me your knowledge of and passion for X"?

If not, how should the sentence be phrased?


texts:
What is the general usage of "among others"?
In my current understanding, I would say it is similar to "and so forth".


texts: I don't understand the meaning of a phrase: "elections are all there is to democracy"

texts:
what's the meaning of this phrase: "elections are all there is to democracy" in:

  Perhaps this explains why descriptions of democratic politics
  often create an impression that elections are all there is to democracy


texts: Does the word have negative connotation or can it be used as a compliment?


texts: "May be the best" or "May be a best" or "Might be"?

texts:
I want to describe that something may be a very very good one. I would like to use "best" because I think it'd be really very good that I personally believe it's the best (just need more evidence).

Which should I say:

May be the best
May be a best
Might be the best
Might be a best

Thanks for helping out!


texts:
I often see the word Whereas  being used in formal letters in the University or at academic level. For example,

  Whereas by Charter of Her Late Majesty Queen Victoria, dated 20th April, 1880, the Victoria University was founded and constituted having its seat in the City of Manchester.

  — Charter of the University of Leeds

What is its precise meaning? What is its use in sentences?

Besides looking up its meaning in the dictionaries, I still feel uncertainty while using it in sentences. It is often used in the beginning of sentence in formal letters but I don't understand its meaning fully. I'd like to know its meaning so that I too can use it often in University.


texts: 'you gonna be surprised' vs 'you're gonna be suprised'

texts:
Can 'you gonna be surprised' be used instead of 'you're gonna be surprised'?

Google supports both almost equally:

You gonna be surprised (249k)
You're gonna be surprised (258k)


texts: Can "to-infinitive phrase" be an apposition of "that"?

texts:
For example,

  That, to quit smoking and take care of yourself, is up to you.

is this sentence grammatically correct? (I think it's grammatically correct if we think of "to quit smoking and take care of yourself" as a phrase referring to "that")
Is "to quit smoking and take care of yourself" the apposition of "that"? I mean it's referring to "that" ?
Is it okay to get rid of commas ? (I think it's okay, but there seems to be a little difference in meaning)


texts: Could be better or...? Usage of a perfect infinitive

texts: The essay is not bad, but could be better or could have been better? The essay was written a few days ago, but is being discussed and edited right now. Which form is correct?


texts:
Are all of those words used? How does the meaning of the sentence change when either one is used instead of the others?

1.I was disappointed with/by my result.

2.I am disappointed with/by/in you/him/her.


texts:
This sentence is from "Longman Advanced Learner's Grammar" by Mark Foley and Diane Hall. Is it wrong to use the past progressive in this example?

Ramses II was ruling/ruled over ancient Egypt for more than fifty years.

Or in a similar example:

By the middle of the nineteen sixties many parts of Europe experienced/were experiencing  a tremendous economic boom.


texts:
Here is a part of ACTIVE Skills for Reading 2, page 137:

Humans have traditionally been omnivores, with a diet of both meat and vegetables. But lately it seems we've become a society of meat eaters.

Is "omnivores" correct here? I think it should be "omnivorous" because after to be verbs we use an adjective.
So is it a typo or different grammar structure?


texts:
A new performance review has been conducted by NX Gamer, apparently showing that the Xbox One version of the game is ... Daily Express

Could you help me to analyze the above sentence? what the part of speech of showing? Is it verb (present continuous)? or noun (gerund)?

I think it is present continuous:

  A new performance review (has been conducted by NX Gamer) (is) apparently showing that the Xbox ...
  A new review is showing that ...


texts: Why does "I'm voting for John Doe" have the same meaning of "I will vote for John Doe"?

texts: I don't understand this particular use of the gerund yet. To me, such a phrase (the first) sounds more like a person is already voting for John Doe, in the present, not that they will do it in the future. Please explain it to me.


texts: Is "my current goal is to improve my skills in English" grammatically correct?

texts:
My current goal is to improve my skills in English.

I’m not sure and little bit puzzled whether the grammar construction of the sentence works like that and the sentence sounds natural.


texts:
I usually get to see :

  I have been to London.

But, what if I say:

  I have been in London.

Do they carry the same meaning?

Thank you.


texts:
I often hear (a)that of/those of, but I don’t hear (b) the one of.

Is (b) common or strange among native speakers?

  (a) Computers at that time were quite different from those of today.

  (b) Computes at that time were quite different from the ones of today.


texts: Can I use "It's cold" instead of "It's cold today" just to mean "The weather is cold today"? Once I used this "It's cold" but my friend argued that it was meaningless to say without using the word "today".


texts: Why is "there are the answers on the website" incorrect?

texts:
There are the answers on the website

I know this sentence is incorrect, but I don't understand why. This is from a conversation I had about a homework assignment. The questions for the homework assignment were on a website. So "there are the answers on the website" was said, but I know it is wrong.

I don't need help finding a correct wording, I just need help understanding why the original one is wrong.

I doubt the first definite article there.


texts: Time period for which the temperature A) has to be deviated B) has been deviated C) deviates

texts:
Let's assume that event Y occurs in a device if its temperature has deviated from its baseline for 10 or more seconds.

In other words, these 10 seconds represent a time period. And I would need to say:

  This is the value of the time period for which the temperature ____ in order for Y to happen.
  A) has to be deviated
  B) has been deviated
  C) deviates

I am not sure whether the perfect should be used or if choice A is OK.


texts:
Let's say that a person Jane does something funny, like repeatedly forgetting her laptop in the bus. How would you make fun of John if he forgets his laptop on the bus.
I'm looking for something along the lines:

"John, make sure you don't pull a Jane."
"Did you just do a Jane?"
"Don't Jane yourself?"


texts:
Source

I dont know what its called but I can give a brief description of what I am looking for. Go as low as to do something, condescend to something. I heard just "go low" recently is this it?


texts: When is the neither-nor construction really useful?

texts: In many cases, if not always, we can rephrase a sentence with the neither-nor construction to eliminate it. Instead of "He neither likes apples nor dislikes them", I could write "He does not likes apples or dislikes them" and there are other natural alternatives.  When is it the case that something is gained with the neither-nor construction? I ask the question because I was told that this construction is not for kitchen speech. So being less usual, I feel we need to good reasons to use it


texts:
When I was a girl we called in the doctor alike when we had measles, or when mother's sister died in the far West.  He cut out redundant tonsils and brought the babies with the same air of inspiring self-confidence.
  Nowadays it requires a  different specialist for each of these occurrences.

The above is depicting the medical situation of 19 century, when the division of labor in medicine was not clear-cut. The phrase 'bring the babies with' doesn't seem to be an idiom since I can't find anywhere in dictionaries, but the meaning of the sentence is not very clear to me.

My guess is 'brought the babies with' means the doctor is helping the babies born or like. Am I right? Or is there any other meaning?


texts: things that shouldn't be allowed to exist / empty places that shouldn't be allowed to exist

texts:
Context: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxDUQ2jCgHk&feature=youtu.be&t=33m4s

"With enough time, I think things come into existence in empty places that shouldn't be allowed to exist."

Does "that shouldn't be allowed to exist" modify "empty places"? Or does it modify "things"?

If you don't understand my question, I can describe it another way. Does the original sentence, "With enough time, I think things come into existence in empty places that shouldn't be allowed to exist." mean "With enough time, I think things that shouldn't be allowed to exist come into existence in empty places."?


texts: Predict Cholera through water supplies; Help was in short supply

texts:
I've watched the video Sonaar Luthra: Meet the Water Canary on this website of TED. Some points in the first paragraph of his speech make me confused.

  Cholera was reported in Haiti for the first time in over 50 years last
  October. There was no way to predict how far it would spread through
  water supplies and how bad the situation would get. And not knowing
  where help was needed always ensured that help was in short supply in
  the areas that needed it most.

What is the relationship between Cholera and water supplies? (I just don't know how scientists can predict Cholera through water supplies!)
I guess 'help was in short supply' means we provided little help to the areas that needed help most. However, I still don't understand the last sentence. Would you explain it in the other ways?

Thanks.


texts: What's the name for those cards some companies use to promote customer fidelity?

texts:
I'm wondering if there's an expression for those cards (not necessarily a bank card), that some companies use to promote customers' fidelity, by giving out promotions, etc?

I was thinking of using the expression fidelity card. Is it okay?


texts: Meaning of draw in the following sentence

texts:
In the sentence given below

   U.S. objections draw in part from its eagerness to export liquefied natural gas to Europe, besides thwarting Moscow’s ambition to dominate the region’s energy market.

I don't understand the meaning of the word draw used. In this sentence the word draw is used intransitively but I think it must be used transitively because as a transitive verb it (draw) does not carry any meaning.


texts: Why this sentence is grammatically incorrect

texts:
I used below sentence and someone told me that it is grammatically incorrect, but I cannot find the grammatical error in the sentence and that person won't tell me. Context is that right now I am seeing a man standing somewhere, so I just told below sentence:

  I am seeing a man standing there.

Could an English grammar please help me figure out the error.


texts: When should I use "phantasy" rather than "fantasy"?

texts:
I am a native speaker of Italian, and since the equivalent word in Italian is fantasia, I write fantasy.
A friend of mine told me that phantasy is also an English word. Considering that generally, when in Italian a word uses an f followed by an a, the equivalent English word uses pha, I am confused about the correct spelling.

What is the correct spelling between phantasy, and fantasy? Is it correct to say that phantasy is an English word currently used?


texts: Using "their" or "its" when referring to an inanimate object

texts:
I'm a bit confused on the usage of "their" and "its". For example, if I had the following phrase:

  Each of these programs had ______ code reviewed by an expert.

Will I use "their code" or "its code"?


texts: "had already gone" vs "had already left"

texts:
Is there any difference?

  Did you meet her yeasterday? - I was late. When I came the train had
  already gone/left.


texts:
Imagine I am playing a game with some people. Every players is done with doing his/her actions/turns. So the game is basically over, but as very last step e.g. the game-master has to declare the winner.

Do I say to him "Could you please finish the game?" or "Could you please end the game?"

The main part of the game is over, in which the players can act, but the game as a whole is not over before e.g. the game-master declares the winner.

Note: I am not interested in rephrasing the question, so please focus on which word is the correct one. If you know a better one, that's okay, too!

Edit: I am still interested in further answers! :)


texts:
The wolf opened wide her grinning jaws, seized on first Romulus, then
  Remus, and ran with them to her lair.

ROMULUS AND REMUS

At first sight, I thought first as a modifier of Romulus. But then again, I thought it ought to be an adverb of the verb seized.

As an adverb: seized first on Romulus, then Remus
As an adjective: seized on first Romulus, then Remus

At any rate, could first be thought of as a modifier of Romulus?
Think of this interpretation "Romulus whose destiny was to be picked up first." Of course if you have three items/people then the notion would extend to second Dylan, but third Billy might be off on stylistic and prosodic or any other grounds you might think of.

My question:
If not in this context, would you come up with a sentence where "first Romulus", or any example of your choosing for that matter, is correct and has a similar interpretation as per above?

Edit:
- A pdf file with the exact quote can be found here
- The quote is merely a prompt to my question. You could safely ignore the quote and focus on the idea behind my question as an ESL learner.


texts:
Can I use an appositive phrase after a pronoun?
Because some non-native speaker said it was grammatically incorrect.
Such as,
"I, Deep, am learning the English language."


texts:
I know the meaning of broken, based on this Cambridge Dictionary's definition:

[ before noun ]
Suffering emotional pain that is so strong that it changes the way you
live, usually as a result of an unpleasant event: He was a broken man
after his wife died.

But I want to use it to say that when "xyz" happened last year, it broke me.
I couldn't find enough results online to show that broke also means same. In fact it showed results related to no money. Since broke is also a form of same verb, can it be used like this?
Or I must write it made me broken or something else (if any)?


texts: Poorly explained usage of grammar construction

texts:
The question in this context asks us to suggest a suitable rewrite for the underlined portion of the sentence [6]. That portion is numbered 29 and I've indicated it through an arrow. On the right you've to choose between four alternatives, the first option (not shown in picture) being "NO CHANGE" - indicating the current sentence as it stands is correct. The other three options are shown in the image.

I incorrectly chose C; while the machine says B is correct.

question courtesy KhanAcademy; the explanations below the options were unhelpful for me

According to what english I've learnt, the sentence "Take Bartlett pears for instance, unless ... time, they will..." creates a continuous tone of words (Take Bartlett pears for instance) - as I would speak it naturally - before the first comma, then separates off the "unless" block between two commas, then carries on the last phrase. This appears to be a more continuous and natural structure to me.

The option B - indicated as correct - results in "Take Bartlett pears, for instance: unless ... time, they will..." - which not only creates a pause midway through an incomplete phrase (There's a sudden pause after "Take Bartlett pears"), but also surrounds the "unless" block with a colon on the left and a comma on the right, which should not be correct imo.

I hope I've been as detailed as possible in explaining my problems and I hope someone can give back an as detailed answer explaining what exactly is/are wrong in my train of thought.


texts: Choosing between up and above in this context?

texts:
I have always been confused about the use of above and up. Lets say I in grocery store and I am supposed to describe the position of X in a high rack.

Should I say "It is 3 shelves up and in the back/front (of that shelf)." or "It is 5 shelves above and in the front."?

Can anyone please explain to me which is correct and why?


texts: How do Americans address this location? (The red part on the attached image)

texts:
Does the following address sound idiomatic to you:

13 – Fifth street - Independence Avenue – Apt 8 -  4th floor
Istanbul – Turkey – (Zip code)


texts:
I had asked this question on Bio.SE

Why are fearful stimuli more powerful at night?

OR

Why fearful stimuli are more powerful at night?

Which one is grammatically correct and please explain the reason.


texts:
I am teaching English in Korea. In my textbook, there is a biography of Bethany Hamilton who lost one of her arms in a shark attack. Here is the problem.

The following is an interview with Bethany.

  Reporter 1: Are you upset you didn't win today?
  Bethany: I didn't come to win. I came to surf.
  Reporter 2: If you could go back to that day, would you still have gone surfing?
  Bethany: I wouldn't change what happened to me, because then I wouldn't have this chance in front of all of you ― this chance to embrace more people than I ever could have with two arms.

I am confused because of the very last part since I have to translate the exact meaning of the phrase to my students in Korean.

1) than I ever had embraced when I had two arms
2) than I ever could have embraced if I still had two arms

Which is more correct translation from natives' point of view?


texts:
I listened a dialog from IELTS that was

  RECEPTIONIST: Yes, we operate several tours up the coast. Where in particular did you wan to go?

  CUSTOMER: Well, I like the sound of the holiday that mentioned whales. Was it 'Whale Watching'?

So, What is "the sound of" mean in English? Is it widely used in oral English?


texts:
According to the dictionaries, these four verbs have so many practical overlaps as well as some semantic nuances which restricts my understanding as a non-native speaker to use the natural verb in each case.

Sometimes I face some situations where some natives switch between these similar verbs in the similar situations. {it strikes me like that, but I'm sure there is a lingual reason behind their usage} and this is why I came to this question so that could find out the logic behind it.

I wonder if you could give me a hand to figure it out so that I could come to a conclusion about these similar concepts.

Please consider my examples and help me to fill in the following blanks where I'm struggling to find the fitting verbs for each sentence:

  1- No matter what the sorrounding people say or ask from you................the way you're going. Everyone, wants you the way they like. (self-made sentence) [verb + noun phrase]

a) go on
b) carry on
c) continue
d) keep on

  2- That's a great story....................... [imperative, stand alone form of the verb]

a) go on
b) carry on
c) continue
d) keep on

  3- Even though the athlete was injured, he.................running. [verb + verb + ing]

a) go on
b) carry on
c) continue
d) keep on

Thank you.


texts:
if I ask someone to tell me something in the future if there’s a problem.

They answer: “of course I would tell you”

The would is throwing me. Wouldn’t, “of course  I will tell you”more correct? Since would is past tense, referring or meaning they have no intent to speak up?


texts:
Some dictionaries say "have done with . . . " is a Briticism. I'd like to know whether the "have" is a lexical verb or auxiliary. When in a question, does the phrase require an auxiliary like "did"?

Have you done with the project?

OR

Have you had done with the project?

OR

Did you have done with the project?


texts: What's the meaning of "creep" (noun) in this sentence?

texts:
There's a sentence I don't understand. A girl is thinking about a man she likes:

  She would nestle herself against him for warmth, for comfort, and that small act would abate the creep of isolation that always threatened her.

I understand the general meaning, but what does "creep" mean exactly?


texts: Is the past perfect correct? - "I had forgotten that I was going to read ... when the guests came home ..."

texts:
Is the following sentence correct or incorrect? I think it should be a past perfect sentence.

  I had forgotten that I was going to read a book when the guests came home and we started talking to each other.


texts:
Chuckling about Malfoy, they waited, Norbert thrashing about in his crate. About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness. Charlie's friends were a cheery lot. They showed Harry and Hermione the harness they'd rigged up, so they could suspend Norbert between them.

  -Harry potter and the sorcerer's stone (J.K Rowling)

'Cheery' means happy and cheerful, but what does it mean by 'they were a cheery lot'? Is it saying

(A) Charlie's friends were very (= a lot) cheery?

(B) Charlie's friends were a lot of people, and they were all cheery?

For me neither of these seems right because I think 'a' and 'lot' cannot be written separately since 'a lot' as a whole means 'very or very much'. And also it looks weird to put an adjective 'cheery' between 'a' and 'lot'.


texts: "On one hand" not followed by "On the other hand"

texts:
Reading the following articles on The New York Times, I observe that the journalists use the phrase "On one hand" through their pieces.

The Freedom of an Armed Society  by Firmin Debrabander.

Modifying a Child's Behavior Without Resorting to Bribes by Bruce Feiler.

Just after having read in those article that phrase, I expected  to find afterwards its counterpart counterpoint "On the other hand". But neither I found.
So, the question is: Is it okay English or good English style to use in a piece "On one hand" without using subsequently its counterpart counterpoint "On the other hand" in the same piece.
Could the lack of "On the other hand", after having read "One one hand", confuse the English reader?


texts: Omission of subject and verb in parallel sentence

texts:
Is it correct and appropriate to omit the subject and verb in the second sentence below?

  On the top half of the left face, they injected water. On the bottom
  half, ethanol.


texts: "We meet to discuss about something" - is the use of "about" appropriate here?

texts:
Teachers of various schools met to discuss about how to improve the standard of English.

Generally we meet in order to discuss about something. So in the above sentence becomes wrong when about is used in it?

Suggestions please.


texts: Collective noun query: "A fleet of cars are parked."

texts:
Which of the following is correct according to the rule of collective nouns:

  A fleet of cars are parked.
  A fleet of car are parked.
  A fleet of car is parked.


texts:
I can say:

  I have a vague memory of something.
  I have a vivid memory of something.

So are they opposites?


texts:
On math, chemistry, physics etc tests we are supposed to show our "work" (or "workings".) Can "calculations" be used with "show"? Like a kid asks:

  Do we need show our calculations?

Or should it be:

  Do we need to show our work?

I couldn't find "show the calculations" anywhere on the internet. So is it wrong? What's more likely?

Thank you


texts:
"What do you usually do on Fridays?" she asked.

I have to rewrite this sentence using did.

  She wanted to know what I usually did on Fridays.

Is this sentence correct?


texts:
Why is "has" correct in Sentence 1 and "have" correct in Sentence 2?

  Earth has soil.
  Mars doesn't have soil.


texts: The use of "write" or "write down" in context

texts:
Let's say a teacher is going to have their student to write a few example sentences with a certain word in their notebook. Would they say write or write down to tell the students to do that. For example:

  Now I want you to write a few example sentences in the present continuous.

  Now I want you to write down a few example sentences in the present continuous.

Can both be used in the context? If so, is there any difference in meaning between them?


texts: Why did the author use Present Continuous in the second part of “...pushed himself away, leaving the card on the table”

texts:
English is my second language. I've been reading a book for 2 days and I faced with a misunderstanding.

The man in the wheelchair pushed himself away, leaving the card on the table.

Here is a question. Why did author use Present Continuous in the 2nd part of the sentence?
(Also , sorry for my English level, it's awful.)


texts:
Can I use "renew" instead of "regenerate"  in my sentence?
"Sleep renews our brain and body."


texts: "I want you to do" vs. "I want that you do"

texts:
I want you to prepare the report.
  I want that you prepare the report.

What is the difference between these sentences above? Which one is correct to use when I want to inform another person that they should prepare a report?


texts:
Should I use "a" or "the" in this sentence?
"A role model is the/a person who you want to be like."


texts:
It was empty except for Ron, who was still lying motionless in the end bed.

The phrase "in the end bed" looks strange to me. I've never seen 'end' is used like that. Usually, I see "at the end of" or "in the end of". I think it's used as an adjective here, but according to the dictionaries I consulted,
'end'- when used as an adjective- means final or ultimate as in the end result, which isn't fit for this context.

What does "in the end bed" mean exactly? Is it a normal use of the word 'end'?


texts: How do you call 2 friends who are together without mixing it up with "a couple of friends"?

texts:
I am having a problem trying to translate something here.

I would like to explain that two of my friends (who are together, as a couple) are coming around, but I cannot find the right sentence for it.

If I say "a couple of friends" it really means that I am talking about two random friends. If I say "my two friends xx and xx, who are together" or similar, it just sounds really long and not natural.

What is the best way to put it ?

Thank you :)


texts:
“Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew.”
  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

What’s the meaning of the highlighted part?


texts:
I came across a woman talking about having a massage at a massage shop.

What do you call a venue where relaxation massages (as opposed to remedial massages) are done? Is there something better than "massage shop"?


texts:
I came across this sentence

  He was brisk and of ready, lively wit, so that nobody or nothing could
  worst him.

This is from English Fairy Tales. What's the meaning of this phrase "of ready" and usage of this "of "?


texts: What is the meaning of "for" in this sentence?

texts:
I've encountered this sentence, but I can't understand what is the function of for in it. Also, what is the subject for ... is to understand ...

  But it is worth trying, for to understand the initial shock of those images is to understand the extraordinary power and magic of cinema, the unique, hypnotic quality that has made film the most dynamic, effective art form of the 20th century.


texts: what is the meaning of "you don't get to say that"?

texts:
Ellerbee(cop) met by three beach lifegaurds who chased
some bady guys.

  Ellerbee: Police do pursuits! When you do it,  it's just some guys
  chasing some other guys. No offense.

  Summer: None taken. Hey, what are you saying? You're just gonna let
  those guys walk?

  Ellerbee: Okay, um, how do I explain this so that you people
  understand?

  Matt Brody: "You people"? "You people"?

  Mitch: Oh, you don't get to say that. You're just tan.


texts: What is better to use in modern English?

texts:
Which sentence is better to use in Modern English between two sentences having the same meaning. The sentences like

Be he ever so skillful
However skillful he may be.

I guess number 2 can be used in modern English. I think number 1 is also correct but rarely used only for some special purposes and its uses cannot be said to be modern.


texts: Difference between "in the interest of" and "in order to"

texts:
Exercise shouldn’t be drudgery, although too often it is when we’re
  slogging on the treadmill or doing mindless laps in the pool. In the
  interest of combining exercise with an element of fun, the Los
  Angeles Athletic Club in downtown L.A. kicks off its “Move to a Movie”
  monthlong workout series that combines films with complementary themed
  workouts.

  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-aug-30-la-heb-workout-20100830-story.html

What is the difference between "in the interest of" and "in order to"? They seem similar in their definitions. Why does the writer use "in the interest of" here?

  in the interest of (something):

  In order to accomplish, improve, or advance something.

  https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/in+the+interest+of

  in order to:

  For the purpose of

  https://www.thefreedictionary.com/in+order+to


texts:
I'm going to write two short sentences and then I will ask my question:

Sentence 1:

Women have the more risk for stroke more than men, but men have more risk for heart attack than women.

Sentence 2:

Because of that, both of the genders should be aware about their life style.

The question:
Can I say about the first sentence: "The statement of which I opened with, is true and it's proved scientifically." and will it have an equal meaning if I use "that" instead of "of which" (I mean if I replace them)?


texts:
We use a building tool named Gradle in our project, but we don't know how to pronounce the a in it.

Someone speaks it like a in cake, but someone speaks it like a in bad.

How may we determine the correct pronunciation of this unique proper name, which does not appear in dictionaries?


texts:
I used these 2 links:

http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/throttle-back?q=throttle+back+

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/throttle+back

Chandler also noted that the results showed that the market may be able to throttle back concerns about other risks.

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/23/why-the-euro-is-walking-back-its-post-french-election-spike.html


texts: Is the word speculation positive or negative?

texts:
I want to translate the word speculation/speculative into my language, but I'm wondering whether it is actually a negative word because of this meaning:

  investment in stocks, property, or other ventures in the hope of gain but with the risk of loss.

which sounds like what a gambler is doing.


texts:
I have read the following conversation:

  —Have you finished your homework?
  —__. Just half of it．How about you?

The options for the blank are the followings:

A．Not at all
B．Not likely
C．Not a bit
D．Not yet

I will choose the D option.
I would like to complement all these options as followings:

Not at all.= I haven't finished my homework at all.

Not a bit. = I haven't finished my homework a bit.

Not yet. = I haven't finished my homework yet.

What confused me most is that I don't know how to complement "Not likely."

  Not likely=

  (1) I haven't likely finished my homework.

  (2) It is not likely to have finished my homework.

  Which sentence is correct? Why and why not?


texts: Which is more correct: input into the system or input onto the system?

texts:
I'm confused about the one to use, should I say

  The Lecturers are already on the system

or

  The Lecturers are already in the system


texts:
He made forty drawings for the book and himself traced them for their lithographic reproduction.

what is wrong with the sentence? Each time I type this in MS word, a green line appears, indicating a grammatical error. But when I put the pronoun he again before "himself" the green line disappears. My question is not concerned with MS word, but I want to know why the use of himself in the above sentence is incorrect.


texts: Am I right when using "make some noise"?

texts:
As title, I hear in Youtube that someone used "make some noise" and don't know if it is right or not.

Anyone knows?


texts: Is it common to use "wanting" in informal English?

texts:
wanting (adjective) (formal): wanting (in something) not having enough of something. Oxford Learners Dictionaries

  wanting (adjective): not having something; lacking. Cambridge Dictionary

  In fairly rare, formal English, "to be wanting" can mean "to be lacking", "to be deficient". English Language and Use

it seems wanting a formal word, but I noticed some people use it in informal English, the following is an example from a social website:

  I'm really wanting to sit and watch a movie with my girlfriend. Can anyone recommend a good girlfriend?

First Question, Is it common to use wanting in informal English?

Second, what is the meaning of "I'm really wanting" in the above example? Does it mean "I really want" or "I'm really lacking"?


texts: "If I have some questions I will write you"

texts:
I need to know if it's OK to use have and some in this sentence, and why?

  If I have some questions I will write you.

I've been told it is more typical to use any here instead of some. Is there a logical explanation for it?


texts: Turning 'What value of T is just small enough to make the bulb light?' into its affirmative form

texts:
I am somehow confused with regard to the way the following question is constructed

  What value of T is just small enough to make the bulb light?

The question below, in contrast, is clear and we can see how it was formed starting from its 'original' form.

  What is the value of T that is just small enough to make the bulb light?

First: The affirmative form

  The value of T that is just small enough to make the bulb light is (What).

Second: Bringing the wh-word to the front

  (What) The value of T that is just small enough to make the bulb light is.

Finally: Subject-verb inversion

  What is The value of T that is just small enough to make the bulb light?

I cannot apply the same procedure to first question to see how it was obtained; is it even grammatical?


texts:
He wants to know whether we want dinner.
He wants to know whether or not we want dinner.

What is the difference between two sentences above？


texts:
Wisely, he stopped short of counting his chickens, but his confidence was clear.
  (theage.com.au)

There is an idiom, stop short of doing something. I suppose short of doing something could be interpreted as a predicative adjunct/complement: describing the subject semantically; modifying the verb, stop, syntactically. Is it what you have in your mind?


texts: What is a word or phrase which means constantly changing?

texts:
I am writing an essay and I am writing a sentence which has to do with the ever changing world of computers with constant innovation.

This is what I have currently written "is insufficient to cope with the ever evolving world of the computing "

I need a better word for this


texts: usage of THE with the plural subject (or noun)

texts:
I have following construction.

  Table 4 shows the parameters used by the filtering approach. The
  parameters are determined by the knowledge about the data and landscape.

I want to clarify, whether second sentence should be started with THE or without THE. I am confused, as with plural words we are not normally use THE (As I know, is that so?)


texts: "with a combination" or "by a combination"?

texts: We have the following statement: "The final 3D effect is realized by a combination of the native 3D effect and a shadow effect". Is it all right to say "realized by ..." or should it be "realized with ..."?


texts:
Does "-esque" mean something?
For example, grotesque, arabesque, burlesque, picaresque, and picturesque


texts: Could you simplify or paraphrase only the highlighted part of this passage in simple English

texts:
Reclaiming positive stories can help couples that have become distant, strained and stressed find ways to connect and strengthen their relationships. Dr. Karen Skerrett, a staff clinician and faculty member at The Family Institute at Northwestern University, explores this concept in her co-authored book, Positive Couple Therapy: Using We-Stories to Enhance Resilience (Routledge, 2014).
Using the authors' combined years of psychological expertise, the book teaches couples and therapists unique methods for uncovering positive potential within a relationship, and focuses on "We-stories": shared stories between the members of a couple that define and guide their relationship. The book defines and illustrates in concrete ways what is meant by the "we" -- an element increasingly found in research to be a key dimension for couple resilience. "We-stories serve four vital positive functions for couples," says Dr. Skerrett. "They help shape the couple's mutual identity; provide meaning and purpose in the couple's life; serve as guides for current interaction and future growth; and are positive repositories of the couple's wisdom and a means of transmitting their legacy to others in their lives."
The book demonstrate these "we-stories," and how they help couples connect. Couples that are able to find their stories, share them with each other, and then carry them forward to family, friends and a larger community are more likely to preserve a sense of mutuality that will thrive over a lifetime of partnership. " The book arose from a joint passion to rebalance the negative emphasis in the field of couple treatment ," says Dr. Skerrett. It is filled with vivid couple stories, and case examples of couples from a diverse perspective such as LGBT and military couples. It contains exercises for partners and couples, and illustrates opportunities and challenges for couple growth at various stages across the life cycle.

What does the writer mean by saying a joint passion & rebalance negative emphasis ?


texts:
Which one is correct?

  A series of policies across the DoD and Federal Government has/have been developed.


texts:
He switched the light on and off rapidly.

"Don't turn/switch the light on and off."

Does it sound natural to a native speaker?


texts: How to you call the (paid) available holidays in a year?

texts:
What are they called? Also, I'm interested in their adjectival version. Example:

  Anna hated the seven-to-five nineteen-day-holiday existence.

I wrote it like that, but I'm not sure if it's correct.


texts:
How about the sentence below? Is this correct way to say?

My deepest condolences. Let her soul RIP.


texts:
Scene : He has been crawling in the dark in a cramped shaft of ventilation duck for god knows how long.

Crawled for what seemed like days. His eyes conjuring strange displays
of light that appeared with greater frequency the longer he stayed in
darkness. Vivid bursts of color. Imaginary auroras. Haunting
radiance in the black.

What's this Haunting radiance in the black? is it a radiance of light in the black (darkness?) or is it a black radiance that hunting him?
Novel: Pines, Blake Crouch


texts: What is the correct sentence structure for this passive voice sentence?

texts:
By whom will the flower pot have been broken?

or

  By whom the flower pot will have been broken?

I'm not clear about the structure, whether the auxiliary will should precede the subject the flower pot.


texts: "This shouldn’t have been killed this soon" - how to say it using different words?

texts:
Someone wrote the following in an email:

  Why have you not redirected Simon’s old email address to his new one?
  This shouldn’t have been killed this soon.

I don't really understand the second sentence in the context of email. Can someone explain what it does really mean?


texts: The usage of "to be" in double comparatives?

texts:
I read when "be" is used in double comparative, it is sometimes omitted in the book of "Top Notch", like:

The better the quality of health care (is), the higher the life expectancy (is).

According to the above rule, do I have to eliminate both "is" or could I remain either of them?
What if I keep both of them?
In the book of "Top Notch", there are some examples; one of them is like below:

The higher the life expectancy, the larger the elderly population is.

In this example, "is" is used, while the first part does not have a verb. It seems that one of to be verb can be kept while comments below tell me both of them should be eliminated. To this end, I am getting confused which is which.


texts: In the structure "verb + adverb of direction (up) + prepositional phrase", Does the adverb "up" modify the verb or the prepositional phrase?

texts:
They live up in the mountains.
I pinned the notice up on the wall.
She went straight up to the door and knocked loudly.
Lay the cards face up on the table.
We're going up to New York for the day.
We drove up to Inverness to see my father.
I went into town to visit my friend.

It'impossible to say lots of strings of sentences without taking a breath. To know where to take a breath and that still makes the sentence sound natural, we need to split the sentence into small chunks.

In this case, all the above 7 sentences have the same structure: verb + adverb of direction ("up" or "into") + prepositional phrase, but I don't know how to split every sentence into small chunks, which also means small pauses when talking . So...

  ...(1) Do you put an adverb and verb into a group, when talking, to show that the adverb modifies the verb (verb + adverb/ prepositional phrase) or  you would put the adverb and prepositional phrase into a group, when talking, to show that the adverb modifies the prep phrase (verb/ adverb + prep phrase)?

Note: Slash indicates a pause.

Below are the possibities of chunk splitting within each sentence below, but I'm not sure if they are correct splittings or not.

  (2) Which versions of below sentences do you think makes sense
  and sounds more natural after they're split?

I. Sentence No.1

They live/ up/ in the mountains. (This is also the same with "They live up/ in the mountains")
They live/ up in the mountains.

II. Sentence No.2

I pinned/ the notice/ up/ on the wall. (This is also the same with "I pinned the notice/ up/ on the wall" and "I pinned the notice up/ on the wall")
I pinned the notice/ up on the wall.

III. Sentence No.3

She went/ straight up/ to the door/ and knocked loudly. (This is also the same with "She went straight up/ to the door/ and knocked loudly")
She went/ straight up to the door/ and knocked loudly.

IV. Sentence No.4

Lay/ the cards/ face/ up/ on the table. (This is also the same with "Lay the cards face/ up/ on the table" and "Lay the cards face up/ on the table")
Lay the cards face/ up on the table.

V. Sentence No.5

We're going/ up/ to New York/ for the day. (This is also the same with "We're going up/ to New York/ for the day")
We're going/ up to New York/ for the day.

VI. Sentence No.6

We drove/ up/ to Inverness/ to see my father. (This is also the same with "We drove up/ to Inverness/ to see my father")
We drove/ up to Inverness/ to see my father.

VII. Sentence No.7

I went/ into/ town/ to visit my friend (This is also the same with "I went into/ town/ to visit my friend").
I went/ into town/ to visit my friend.


texts: After the second world war, the city of Berlin was divided ______ USSR, USA and UK

texts:
Which word is the best suited one to fill the blank, and why?

After the second world war, the city of Berlin was divided ______ USSR,USA AND UK.
Options:

by

with

between

among

I think "between" is the best suited one, though I am not sure.  What do I need to learn for these types of questions?


texts:
All he was looking for was peace of mind. And he did many things to attain that. He read various western intellects but peace of mind would not come.

I heard these words in a documentary film made in 1980's on a famous personality.

I am rather confused about the would not. As a modern learner I would have used did not in this context.

Is it a matter of formality?

Please explain.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
I have the following sentences.

  Decomposition of data into simple blocks are presented by Lin (2013).

  Lin (2013) illustrates that the data gaps can be manipulated with the symmetric constraints.

Can I combine them as follows?

  Decomposition of data into simple blocks are presented by Lin (2013)
  and illustrates that the data gaps can be manipulated with the symmetric constraints.

I am not sure this is grammatically wrong, as the subject of second sentence is Lin, not the decomposition. (I think subject of the first sentence is decomposition of data.)

So, how should I correct this? I feel it should be "and he illustrates [that the …]."


texts: meaning of let loose in the following sentence

texts:
I don't understand the meaning of let loose used in the following sentence

  It is a feel-good genie let loose every year during the British summer, while cricket provides an echo from Lord’s and other grounds across England.

 Link


texts:
What does will start over for new uploads mean?
I can not understand does it start from 0 or continious to add to previous number? And what is 'uploads'? They mean 'Views'?

  You can’t merge or link separate YouTube channels or automatically
  transfer data from one channel to another.

  However, you can manually re-upload your videos to a different channel
  that you manage. Watch time and other metrics will start over for any
  new uploads.

from youtube help


texts:
Instead of that, he had just sailed over a party of friends from his own place on the Long Island shore.
  (Link to source)

How do you analyze this sentence? Does he go to a party of friends from his own place?
Is it same thing as "He had just sailed from his own place on the Long Island shore over a party of friends."?

If not, what is the proper understanding of this sentence?


texts: I'd like to say that I liked Celtics more than I do Cleveland now. - Can I say like this?

texts:
I was a huge fan of Boston Celtics when there were Big 3 on the team. They have disappeared and now I'm a fan of Cleveland. But I'd like to say that I liked Celtics more than I do Cleveland now. In this situation, these sentences are possible to use? Or is there any difference between them?

I used to be a bigger fan of Boston Celtics than I am of Cleveland now.

I'm not as big a fan of Cleveland as I used to be of Boston Celtics.


texts:
Can "don't search" and "don't be searching" used interchangeably for the present situation meaning "now"?

Don't search for it. [in general/now.]
Don't be searching for it. [now]


texts:
Please consider this context:

we are on Day 0
there is a meeting on Day 4
I am leaving the country for 15 days at some time between Day 2 and Day 5

Is the following sentence correct?

"If I haven't left the country already, I will attend the meeting."

Please consider the verb tense and the choice between already/yet.


texts: Shove/Chuck clothes into the luggage (or closet)

texts:
If someone doesn't fold the clothes properly while packing and rather puts them in, in a disorganized manner, what is natural way to describe it?

  I chucked/shoved my clothes into the luggage.

And if someone simply throws his/her clothes into the closet rather than folding or hanging them, what is a natural way to describe it?

  I threw/chucked/shoved clothes into the closet.
  Thank you:)


texts: does the phrase "to get all sad" is used anywhere? If so, can you give me an example?

texts:
I am translating a short story from Turkish to English and in one of the places where the emotions are supposed to be really intense I cannot achieve the same meaning, at least I think I don't. In the context a weird man connects with a white coat and wants to buy it. After struggling for some time he finally buys it and then "He turned around himself and he smiled for the first time while he is looking around himself. Then he got all sad as if he would never smile again." How does it sound to you?

EDIT: this is the source text btw
Beyaz mantosuyla topuklarının çevresinde döndü; ilk defa
gülümsedi çevresine bakarak. Sonra, sanki bir daha hiç
gülümsemeyecekmiş gibi mahzunlaştı birden.
the word "çevre" here means environment, surroundings but also when you say "topuklarının çevresi" it means around his heels. he uses it twice with different meanings so I thought I would use around twice.


texts: Two unrelated questions: (1) meaning of "_____-speak" (2) placement and referent of "at all"

texts:
(1.1)It is widely known that any English conversation begins with
  The Weather. (1.2)Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in
  Dr. Johnson's famous comment that "When two English meet, their first
  talk is of weather." (1.3)Though Johnson's observation is as accurate
  now as it was over two hundred years ago, most commentators fail to
  come up with a convincing explanation for this English weather-speak.

  (2.1)Bill Bryson, for example, concludes that, as the English weather
   is not at all exciting, the obsession with it can hardly be
  understood. (2.2)He argues that "To an outsider,the most striking
  thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it."
  (2.3)Simply, the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather
  is almost unknown in the British Isles.

  (3.1)Jeremy Paxman, however, disagrees with Bryson, arguing that the
  English weather is by
  nature attractive. (3.2)Bryson is wrong, he says, because the English
  preference for the weather has nothing to do with the natural
  phenomena. (3.3)"The interest is less in the phenomena themselves, but
  in uncertainty." According to him, the weather in England is very
  changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the
  outsider.

  (4.1)Bryson and Paxman stand for common misconceptions
  about the weather-speak among the English. (4.2)Both commentators,
  somehow, are missing the point. (4.3)The English weather conversation
  is not really about the weather at all. (4.4)English weather-speak is
  a system of signs, which is developed to help the speakers overcome
  the natural reserve and actually talk to each other. (4.5)Everyone
  knows conversations starting with weather-speak are not requests for
  weather data. (4.6)Rather, they are routine greetings, conversation
  starters or the blank "fillers". In other words, English weather-speak
  is a means of social bonding.

How to understand and parse the meaning of the phrase in bold?
"the English weather is not at all exciting"
Does it mean "the English weather is not exciting at all"? If so , what does "at all" modify?


texts: In a letter, we may write "Attn. to: Mr. XYZ". What is the verb for "Attn. to"?

texts: So if I want to write a letter which is "attention to" XYZ. Is there any verb for substitution?


texts: Doing something than doing other thing or than to do other thing?

texts:
She pulled her toolbox toward her on the table, fishing through it
  for no other reason than to keep her hands busy.

If this sentence use "than doing", does it sound natural?

  ...  fishing through it for no other reason than keeping her hands busy.


texts:
According to OALD

Explain somebody something is wrong for example

  Can you explain me the situation(this sentence is wrong).

But I found the following sentence in a book

  She is very weak in the subject and does not understand things though the teacher explains her repeatedly.

I think the sentence given above is wrong.

Instead it should be though the teacher explains to her repeatedly.

But isn't it awkward?


texts: Should "Foods that spoiled" in "Foods that spoiled could not be shipped far" be replaced by "Foods that spoil"?

texts:
In Our Country by Joan Garland Atkinson, she writes about foods around 1850 in the United States.

  Foods that spoiled could not be shipped far, so you could only eat fruits and vegetables that were grown near where you lived.

Considering "foods that spoiled" those days and "foods that spoil" these days are exactly the same, I think "foods that spoil" should be used in the sentence for clarity instead of "foods that spoiled". Am I wrong?


texts:
I made a conversation based on my understanding of a grammar practice for future tenses. See and correct it please, if I was wrong.

  Togo people A : Hey, wanna see the next match? The one for us against Germany?

  Togo people B : Nah... Germany will win. :<

40 mins later

  A : Hey, we are winning. It's 1:0. Come and watch it together.

  B : Sorry, Germany would win, no matter what...

2 mins left until it's over. Togo:Germany = 5:2.

  A : You know, we are going to win this game.

  B : What? Damn, I should have watched it from the beginning.


texts: What is the difference between "regarding" and "about"?

texts:
How are the words "regarding" and "about" different?
What are the differences in usage, meaning, and grammatical differences?
Is "regarding" more formal than "about"?
I read some iPhone game development book. Following is part of it.

The iOS Simulator can be used to verify that your code functions, but it cannot measure how well your app performs— questions regarding slow Simulator performance are aplenty on the web. In
Itterheim, Steffen (2014-11-21). Learn SpriteBuilder for iOS Game Development (p. 4). Apress. Kindle Edition.

I think here we can use "about" instead of "regarding".
But almost book used "regarding" include this.


texts: Kojak starred Telly Savalas as the bald-headed, lollipop-sucking New York City policeman Lieutenant Theo Kojak. The reason that Kojak loved lollipops was because Savalas was a heavy smoker, and in the face of growing anti-smoking feeling in the USA he decided to suck on a lollipop instead. This became his trademark and, along with charisma and humour, it lightened the gritty storylines.


texts: Present Continuous after if/when/what/as sentences

texts:
Why is Present Continuous used after when/if/what clauses, if the Present Simple tense is preferable in the sentences with general meaning after if, when they refer to future/present?

  Work on improving your listening skills so you can follow what people
  are saying. You can do this by listening to audio files from course
  books, watching films or TV series.

  Additionally, listening to music can improve your mood if you're
  listening to it with the intention of becoming happier.

  If you’re listening to something with a lot of angry bass, it tastes more bitter.

  The app has lots of prompts to alert you when you're doing something
  that could hurt your credit score, such as getting too close to a
  payment date while having drawn down 30 percent or more of your credit
  line.

  Reading books is a great way to improve your English. As you’re
  enjoying the story, you’re learning hundreds of useful words,
  phrases and expressions without even realising it.


texts: Relation between "precede" and "antecede"

texts:
Are the terms precede and antecede equivalent semantically?

I sense that they are but with a stylistic difference that the latter's more formal and less commonly used.

Also, I wonder if, perhaps, antecede is less frequent than its counter part predece but instead more applied as antecedent than its what precedent is.