texts: Parsing problem - "...as with Shah Jehan and Aurungzebe when Cambell was with Murad Baksh and Dara Shekoh..."

texts:
I found the following sentence -

  But there are some grains of fact, as the men whom he mentions Robert smith, John White, Thomas Roach and William Gates are all mentioned by Manucci as with Shah Jehan and Aurungzebe when Cambell was with Murad Baksh and Dara Shekoh, Smith and Roach also appear in the Surat Records in 1667 and 1672 and the son of the latter is mentioned in 1704.

Context

It is being talked about the authenticity of a narrative. It turned out that the narrative can't be considered to be true. But there are little fact in the narrative mostly because some names mentioned in the narrative is also mentioned by Manucci. And that Cambell is the traveller whose narrative is being talked about.

Source

I have problem understanding the meaning of the sentence, mostly because of the bold part of the sentence. I have problem parsing that part. Any help would be appreciated.

What I think it means -

"He (the narrator) mentioned the name of Robert smith, John White, Thomas Roach and William Gates, Shah Jehan and Aurungzebe. Manucci also mentioned the names of Robert smith, John White, Thomas Roach and William Gates. Not Shah Jehan and Aurungzebe. He (the narrator) mentioned Shah Jehan and Aurungzebe when Cambell was with Murad and Dara."


texts: restrictive vs non-restrictive clause (that vs which)

texts:
Q1) Which institution had come to the narrator's town?

  The institution which had come to the narrator's town was called Gaiety Land
  The institution that had come to the narrator's town was called the Gaiety Land

Are there any rules to determine  whether the sentence is a restrictive or a non restrictive clause?


texts: Meaning of "with hindsight, I should never have gone"

texts:
It is hard for me to understand the underlying meaning of

  "with hindsight, I should never have gone"

Does it mean that I regret that I had gone? Or that in case I knew the outcome before that I should never have gone?

The excerpt comes from a dictionary definition.


texts: Difference between "snoop around" and "stick one's nose in other people's affairs"

texts: is there any difference between "snoop around" and "stick one's nose in other people's affairs" as opposite to "mind your own business"? Is it possible to say politely "I would like not to snoop around" to indicate that I'm not going to insist on my participation = make smb's life hard this way?


texts: The verb that means "to gain popularity"

texts: What is the verb to use when I want to say a festival becomes popular? For example: Christmas (verb) in the Middle Ages? (The time might be wrong, I'm just made it up)


texts: Meaning of "his footwork ginger and smile smug"

texts:
Sindhu, in fact, became a shuttlecock, so to speak, between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh chief ministers K.C. Rao and N. Chandrababu Naidu, respectively. Both tried to appropriate her success by bestowing lavish felicitations and money. Naidu even went to the extent of playing a few points of badminton with Sindhu on the dais at a celebration function in Vijayawada, his footwork ginger and smile smug.

Source.

I couldn't understand the meaning of the phrase in the bold text. I know the meaning of the words but the way the sentence was framed confused me. I understand what ginger means here, but the missing linking verbs make it difficult to understand the phrase.

Could you explain it?


texts:
Me: I need some mangoes.

  My friend: Take these mangoes. There are 85.

  Me: I don't need that many.

'that many' is correct? Like 'this much'/'that much', 'that easy', 'that thin'


texts: How to describe the meaning of "framework" to a non-english speaker?

texts:
In computer tecnology, the work "framework" is largely used to describe tools, software, processes and even models. Examples of frameworks are: CMM-I, SCRUM, VueJS, .Net and Spring to name a few.

According to the Merrian-Webster online dictionary:

Definition of framework is:

a basic conceptional structure (as of ideas)
a skeletal, openwork, or structural frame
FRAME OF REFERENCE
the larger branches of a tree that determine its shape

For me, a portuguese speaker, the definition in the dictionary does not fit the above uses of the work framework.

What is the relationship between the formal definition of the word and the uses I presented?


texts:
This method is more easy to understand.
This method is easier to understand.

Which one is correct sentence and why?


texts: Should tense agree with reality first or preceding tense choice?

texts:
The title was a bit of a meta-question. I mostly just wanted to ask about the tense choice 'was(in bold in the following dialogue)' by Jake's Dad in a clip from Brooklyn 99 S07E10 6:12-6:20

Jake's Dad: What the hell is my father doing here?
Jake: You said you wanted to reconcile.
Jake's Dad: I meant after he was dead. I planned on standing on his grave and yelling, ''I forgive you.''

I know Jake's Dad was probably thinking about the whole thing of him telling Jake about his wish to reconcile as a past event. But considering his father(Jake's grandfather) is still alive as he is complaining about him being in his house, wouldn't
he was dead sound a bit weird since he is still alive?
My native language doesn't inflect verbs to convey the concept of tense. We use more explicit adverbs of time to indicate when an action takes place.
So I get confused a lot in situations like this where some verb tenses(like 'was') when made to agree with the general tense choice for describing a past event may run counter to the reality(his father still being alive).
Is it a general rule of thumb to just keep the tenses all in the past in situations like this? Would using 'is' instead of 'was' be considered ungrammatical?


texts: Why does spell sound like "|sbel|" while in dictionary it is "|spel|"?

texts: I listened to the pronunciation of spell in Wiktionary, and it sounds to me that it's pronounced as |sbel|—it sounds to  me very clearly as a b sound. But in dictionaries, such as my Mac dictionary app, they say it's pronounced |spel| with a p sound. Could anybody please give me some information about this pronunciation, and why the p sounds like a b? My first language is Chinese.


texts: The definite article before the word "election"

texts:
Tell me please which of the following sentences is correct:

  It allowed for the election of senators.
  It allowed for election of senators.

I thing the first one is correct because "senators" modifies "election", so " the" is needed. But I have seen it being used without "the". So if the is not needed, explain it for me please why.


texts:
I am writing an essay and when I wanted to use this phrase I realised that I am not certain which one to use. Which one is true?

Whole sentence: "On a daily life, we humans see, hear, smell, taste and sense lots of things."


texts:
I've looked for the definition of the word "coil" in Oxford dictionary and the definition states:

  "Coil - A length of something wound in a joined sequence of
  concentric rings."

My question is what does it mean "something wound"?

Is the word "something" an intransitive pronoun? I knew just about intransitive verbs but rather than intransitive pronouns. Anyway, I don't know such structure in English.


texts: Should I use 'one' or 'that' in 'from {one/that} of' and 'to {one/that} of'?

texts:
I am trying to write a sentence in which the character's expression (or tone of voice) turns from surprise to derision. I am trying to write it in this way:

  His tone changed from one of surprise to that of derision.

Could you tell me if it is correct, or if the one must be replaced with that? Also show me additional ways to write it.


texts: What is the meaning of "Grab a hold of me"?

texts:
What is the meaning of:

  Grab a hold of me

And when to use it?


texts: One of the things that "fascinate/fascinates" us most about cats

texts:
One of the things that fascinates us most about cats is the popular belief that they have nine lives.

Can I use "fascinate" not "fascinates" to direct to the "one"?
I first thought that "fascinate’" should direct to "the things". When I saw it was "fascinates" I thought "fascinates" directed to the "one".

Why can't the sentence be written like the one below?

  One that fascinates us most about cats of the things is the popular belief that they have nine lives


texts: I think I have seen could in present tense, "Could you please buy me some fresh apples?" is this usage correct or not?


texts: Is it idiomatic to say "to cut the thread off" (context: a thread sticks out of your clothes and you want to get rid of it)

texts:
Ok, look at the picture, there is a thread sticking out of your clothes and you want to get rid of it.

Is it idiomatic to say "to cut the thread off"?


texts: the meaning of 'hard devout Christians that they were' here

texts:
The following is from The African Queen by C. S. Forester

  Her very father and mother, hard devout Christians that they were,
  who had never spared the rod in the upbringing of the children
  deferred to him then, and heard his words with respect.

Does the bold phrase mean 'even though they were hard devout Christians themselves' or ' because they were hard devout Christians themselves'?


texts: what does "too" in such circumstances mean?

texts:
Extracted from Oxford Dictionary:
used to emphasize something, especially your anger, surprise or agreement with something

‘He did apologize eventually.’ ‘I should think so too!’
‘She gave me the money.’ ‘About time too!’

I am wondering what the bold parts, especially underlined ones, could mean.
Any feed-back would greatly be appreciated


texts: What are the differences between 'need' and 'have need of'?

texts:
Alida had need of company.
Alida needed company.

Please say what are the differences between these two sentences.


texts:
I saw a boy riding on another boy yelled proudly to his mount, “So, giddy up!”

What did he mean by saying "giddy up"?


texts:
The following appears as an example sentence in this entry on UrbanDictionary.com:

  Timmy's got jokes if he thinks I'm going to sell him my $3000 rims for $500 bucks!

I need additional help in understanding what's mean by got jokes in this context.


texts: Using "to be sure" as to express it in an opposite way

texts:
The passage goes,

Some observers maintain that far from being a neutral judge of constitutional law, the supreme court has been a highly politicized institution from its beginning. It has focused on protecting the economic interests of the elites rather than the less powerful or the disadvantaged. This bias became readily apparent in the second half of the nineteenth century, when the Court issued a lot of decisions granting industrial corporations personhood rights and freedom from undue governmental interference in their operations. To be sure, the Court has issued many important rulings over the years - rulings upholding equality of opportunity and the civil rights of everyday Americans. Its landmark 1954 decision in Brown Board of Education, for instance, ended racial separation in public schools. However, some maintain that such rulings have done little to alter the underlying conditions of class inequality in the US. Edward S. Greenberg has argued that, the principal objectives of the Court and the federal court system at large have been to assure that those who own the main economic assets of society are secure in their control, use, and enjoyment of such assets.

What I am curious about is that I've seen using using words like Certainly, Of course or Yet in the place where To be sure is currently at, however, never seen using "to be sure".
I can see that the author is trying to say "Of course the Court did issue some important rulings for those disadvantaged, however, overall the rulings were too focused for those advantaged, and even the "important rulings" weren't as effective as possible. But, it seems to odd for me to used "To be sure" in such place.
Is to be sure also used to put emphasis on what the author is trying to say?


texts: What is the difference between "outnumber" and "outnumbered by"?

texts:
The women outnumber the men.
  The women are outnumbered by the men.

I know the first sentence means that the count of the women is more than the count of the men. And I know that the meaning of the second sentence is the reverse: the count of the men is more than the count of the women. But why?

I am really confused. Why doesn't the second sentence mean: the count of the women is increased because of the count of the men?


texts: What's the meaning of "his fury rushed at me"?

texts:
I found this definition by Oxford Dictionaries for "rushed":

  Done or completed too hurriedly; hasty.1

I think it works and fits with the phrase below:

  When the stillness shattered and his fury rushed at me, I would know that something I had done was the catalyst, the cause.

but I am not sure. So,

could you please explain it to me?
Could you please tell me what "the strange sorcery of physics" is? (which she believes has saved her.)

  “You talk much to Audrey?” he said.
  “Not really,” I said.
  He seemed to relax, then he said, “Audrey is a lying piece of shit.”
  I looked away, fixing my eyes on the church spire, visible against the
  light from the stars.
  “I’d put a bullet in her head,” Shawn said, and I felt his body shift toward me.
  “But I don’t want to waste a good bullet on a worthless bitch.”

  It was crucial that I not look at him. As long as I kept my eyes on the
  spire, I almost believed he couldn’t touch me. Almost. Because even while I clung to this belief, I waited to feel his hands on my neck. I knew I would feel them, and soon, but I didn’t dare do anything that might break the spell of waiting. In that moment part of me believed, as I had always
  believed, that it would be me who broke the spell, who caused it to break.
  When the stillness shattered and his fury rushed at me, I would know that something I had done was the catalyst, the cause. There is hope in such a superstition; there is the illusion of control.

  I stayed still, without thought or motion.
  The ignition clicked, the engine growled to life. Warm air flooded through the vents.
  “You feel like a movie?” Shawn said. His voice was casual. I watched the
  world revolve as the car spun around and lurched back to the highway. “A
  movie sounds just right,” he said.
  I said nothing, unwilling to move or speak lest I offend the strange sorcery of physics that I still believed had saved me. Shawn seemed
  unaware of my silence. He drove the last mile to Buck’s Peak chatting
  cheerfully, almost playfully, about whether to watch The Man Who Knew
  Too Little, or not.

Educated by Tara Westover


texts: Usage of "mad" and "crazy" in conversational english?

texts: From English movies, I have got an impression to signify that a person is mentally ill, it is said "He is crazy" and that a person is angry upon somebody is signified by "He is mad on her". Although mad and crazy are synonymous, they are almost used the same way I have mentioned. Is it true? If it is, how far?


texts:
Should the word beyond in this text be taken as an antonym of behind?

  From his lifetime and beyond through the fourth century AD, Asclepius was worshipped as a Greek God associated with healing.
  (Source: Mosby's Pharmacy Technician: Principles and Practice by Teresa Hopper)


texts:
the conveying to an employee of unconditional entitlement to a share in a pension fund

(Source)

To me the sentence are just different confusing components: the conveying; to an employee; of unconditional entitlement;
to a share; in a pension fund.

For example, in a pension fund which subject it describes? a share, entitlement or employee``` ?

The same question for to a share :  what to a share? Does it describe the conveying to a share or the employee to a share?

I can understand easy-structured sentence but this one has so many parallel combinations of prep. and noun.

Edit:
After reading it repeatedly, I think a better grouping would be like this:
  the conveying to an employee and
  unconditional entitlement to a share in a pension fund
Hope my question makes sense y'all. ..
Thank you for helping out.


texts: Punctuation: in five countries; namely, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Turkey

texts:
Is the punctuation of this sentence correct?

  The table given illustrates the expenditure on various products in five countries; namely, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

Is the usage of a semicolon before and a comma after 'namely' correct? Because until now and even after reading lots of tips about semicolons still I get confused whether to use them or not?


texts:
I was using this messenger app Waike and i found one of user posting I ain't got no money. I felt it should be I don't have any money.

So does this both have same meaning or what?


texts:
There is something I don’t understand in between present perfect simple (PPS) and present perfect continuous (PPC).

As we know,

PPC = has/have + been + ing

PPS = has/have + ed

So why we use:

I have been married for 2 years

Not

I have been marrying for 2 years?


texts:
In what follows, I write some sentences (about my son in elementary school), which are word by word translations from Persian to English. Each sentence is self-explanatory, but native people may say something else with the same meaning. Please let me know if they are correct:

1) My son finished grade 1 (is "finished" a proper verb?)

2) My son starts grade 2 (is "starts" a proper verb?)

3) My son begins grade 2 (is "begins" a proper verb?)

4) My son is in grade 2 (is "is" a proper verb?)

5) My son goes to grade 2 (is "goes" a proper verb?)


texts: Is there an idiomatic way to say "go to the path of no way out"?

texts:
It seems that only "no way out" or "there's no way out" is common used, but I want to emphasize the action of entrapping/entangling oneself in the path of no way out. "Down to the rabbit hole" is close, but at least you can go out in another hole if you really want. (Not sure if this is true in the story). Depending on the context, its meaning can be:

you will never get out
the only way to get out is to go backward destroy everything because it has been doing wrong at the first place

Is there an idiomatic way to say this, or am I going to the path of no way out here?

FYI: What are other ways to say "going on the path that leads nowhere"? This question emphasizes on the non-awareness of the situation.


texts: Is there a word for 'encountering new ideas/perspectives'?

texts:
I'm trying to find a word that describes "meeting" a new idea. In a phrase it would be:

  Through this discussion I ____ a lot of new perspectives.

I recall a word similar to 'having a light source fall upon you'. You passively learn about something new.


texts: Where to add plural 's' in two connected words

texts:
I want to refer to many clients misconfiguration. I am not sure whether the s should be in the client or int he misconfiguration.

  clients misconfiguration

OR

  client misconfigurations

OR

  clients misconfigurations


texts:
Many of the pictures of herbs and plants hint/point that it may have been some kind of textbook for an alchemist.

Is it possible to prove to the national exam commission that point is correct answer? Can it be right here or absolutely no?
Thanks and sorry for strange question. That was in my exam. I made a mistake here. But I thought it's correct answer too.


texts:
I have been noticing in various dictionaries that the phrase 'it's a good thing' is used when something lucky has happened, but can it also mean that whatever 'it' refers to is in a literal sense something that you perceive as just positive (and not involving luck)?

For example: 'I overslept, but it's a good thing as I needed the extra sleep'.

Thanks!


texts:
In a speech last week, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president, was in defiant mood. The economy, he boasted, had refuted the doomsayers, recovering faster from the currency crisis of 2018 than many expected. That’s true. But now Mr Erdogan risks endangering that recovery by rushing it. He has been eager to revive credit and economic growth to protect his popularity from new threats, including growing frustration with his rule from former allies. To that end, he sacked the governor of Turkey’s central bank in July, replacing him with Murat Uysal, who loyally slashed interest rates by 12.75 percentage points over the subsequent five meetings. The central bank may well cut them again at its meeting today, even though inflation has started to rise again (and the currency has resumed falling). If these trends continue, Turkey’s economy may eventually defy Mr Erdogan’s confidence. But its central bankers dare not do so.

Isn't risk and endanger the same meaning?


texts:
There was a couple of months that were really stressful

There were a couple of months that were really stressful

Which one sounds better? Are they both acceptable?


texts:
Please help me figure out the meaning of the word "next" in the following text (not available online):

Along the way, you’ll see different space phenomena. You are required to gather pieces of stardust from nearby celestial bodies to reveal the next. Others are like the hands of a clock – you have to keep circling to wind them up until both are in line.

I am not sure if the word "next" denotes "celestial bodies" or "pieces of stardust" here.

The text is from the description of the game "Little White Rocket". Here is a description of the game from a different source:

Little White Rocket is an inexpensive tappable toy, where each touch launches your craft along a path of stars, some of which aren't visible until you get close or complete a particular orbit.

Thank you for your time.


texts: Does "should I have" mean "may I have" in this question?

texts:
Is this grammatically wrong?

  Should I have to come to road?

Doesn't it make the meaning like:

  May I have to come to road?

I wanted to say, "May I have to come to road? but instead of that I asked, "Should I have to come to road?" Is this wrong?

I meant: "Should I have to come to road to pick you up?"


texts: If I'm extremely hungry, I'm 'famished'; if I'm extremely thirsty, I'm .....?

texts:
I know the word that describes extreme hunger.

  I'm hungry. I can wait for food for some time.   I'm famished, waiting is not possible.

Famished is very hungry. Since there's a word to describe 'extreme hunger', I'm pretty sure there must be a word for 'extreme thirst'.

  I'm thirsty. But I can wait for water to come.   I'm ________, waiting is not possible.

What's the word to fill in the blank?


texts:
If I want to say that there are two people and each one of them is found in other side of the house. What is the correct way to say it?

  1) There are two people in each side of the house

  2) There are two people in each sides of the house

And by the way (in the same topic), are the two following sentences equal to the previous two - in the aspect of the meaning?

  1) There is one person in each side of the house.

  2) There is one person in each sides of the house.


texts: How can I understand a word "suspect" , even either to guess or to doubt in a certain sentence

texts:
Scientists would be more likely to suspect that Mars once held life if there were evidence ...

I thought that if there were certain evidence, the scientists would NOT be going to believe that Mars once held life.
Because, I thought that the word "suspect" means to doubt.

But the answer was the opposite.
The word "suspect" means to feel, so the sentence states that if there were certain evidence, the scientists would be going to believe that Mars once held life.

How I understand this situation. In the dictionary, the word suspect has both meanings.


texts:
We received a refund request from an insurance company. Now I have to send an appeal.
So, what is the correct way of typing the subject?
is it,

Appeal of Refund request.
Appeal for Refund request.


texts: What does mean to "get to the nuts and balls of something"?

texts:
just an expression I heard from a guy on a tutorial on derivatives in calculus.

Edit: guys thanks all of you for replying, yeah the thing is that is misheard the phrase, somebody already corrected me, the right phrase was" to get to the nuts and bolts of something".


texts: What is the difference between corridor and hall way

texts: My understanding is that corridor means there is no doors on both sides, and hall way means there are doors leading to rooms on both sides.


texts:
Is there such a rule:
get out of the car = get out the car
out the bag = out of the bag???

Recently I've come across some British native speaker video, he wrote idiom:
"let the cat out the bag". I commented that there should be the preposition "of".
But he answered "You'll see that 'of' preposition dropped in all sorts of 'out of' expressions. E.g 'Get out the car!'".

So now I don't understand. Does this "rule" really exist and I can drop "of" in 'out of' expressions?


texts: "be n-dimensional vector of variables" vs "be an n-dimensional vector of variables"

texts:
For the determiner in English, I learn that they are used in many different situations. For example, a is used before a noun. However, sometimes I misuse it. Therefore, I would like to understand it, so I can write my sentence correctly.

For example,

I have a vector of random variables.

As I understand, a in this sentence is a determiner used to identify the vector, not the random variables. Hence, it is correct to say:

Let X be a vector of random variables.

Because in this sentence, the determiner a refers to the vector X and did not refer to the random variables. Is that correct? if not, then, why?

However, similar to this sentence, I would like to specify the dimension of this vector. So, is it ok to say:

Let X be an n-dimensional vector of random variables.

Or I must not use the determiner an here because n-dimensional is plural in its meaning. Is that correct?

So, which sentence is correct?


texts: Order of words in long questions (math problems)

texts:
I have a task to translate rather large book in combinatorics into English. As it usually happens with math textbooks, there are lots of exercises, and thus, many long questions. I feel that the canonic word order is not acceptable in many of them as it confuses the reader. However, I am not sure about the best way to construct such questions.
Example:

  How many different integer-valued triangles are there, with the perimeter of 30?

  How many different integer-valued triangles are there, having the perimeter of 30?

These questions are not too long but they illustrate my point well. My questions are:

Is it acceptable to put "are there" in that part of a question?
Is it acceptable to use "with"/"where"/"having" in such positions in a question?
Should I put comma in front of "with"/"where"/"having"?


texts: If columnar is the adverb for column, what is the adverb for row?

texts:
Some linear algebra algorithms used for computing statistics or storing datasets deal with matrices on a column-by-column basis. As such, they can be referred to as being columnar. What would be the equivalent adverb for algorithms that work on a row-by-row basis? A similar question on Answers.com seems to indicate that no such adverb exists, and all I can think of is really not satisfying (to say the least):

Rowar (neologism) looks and sounds ugly
Rownar isn't much better
Linear could be misconstrued
Linar (pronounced lahy-ner) might be the least worst of them

Any better idea?


texts: How to improve: "not a friend, not a foe, just so"?

texts:
I was recently trying to explain to my U.K. friend lyrics of a famous song by a Soviet poet, V. Vysotsky, "Song About a Friend". I found an excellent translation here. However, I find a major inconsistency there which makes the whole idea diminished. Here's an excerpt:

  If your friend just became a man,
  Not a friend, not a foe, - just so,
  If you cannot decide from the start,
  If he’s strong in his heart...

Just so seems to be a literal translation.
The Free Dictionary suggests that just so means "precisely right".
The original meaning of "а так" is something like "but something in between" or "but nothing in particular".

What is the correct way to express it in English?

P.S. I don't care if it versifies well or not.


texts: Error correction : If you go on letting your dog chase cars he will be killed by being run down one day

texts:
If you go on letting your dog chase cars he will be killed by being run down one day.

Is the by used in the above sentence correct? This sentence is from an error spotting exercise as per the answer key it is suggested to replace run down by run over  but I don't think run down is wrong here as it also means to get killed by car although there is  nuance(between run over and run down). The reason I think by is wrong here because in another sentence I read of similar construction, by wasn't used before being . The sentence was:

  I am glad to hear that you narrowly escaped being run over yesterday.


texts: Should a positive Orr negative tag question be used with the phrase “only a few"?

texts:
I'd like to know whether a positive or negative tag should be used in a sentence with "only a few":

There were only a few tourists there, were / weren't there?

Note that I'm talking about ordinary tags, not same-way tags.


texts: Can we put a comma before another punctuation?

texts:
There's a show called "What Would You Do?" and I was wondering if you can put a comma after the interrogation mark.

For example:

  What Would You Do?, the popular hidden camera show, was canceled by
  NBC.


texts: Meaning of "down beside" in this context

texts:
In a book of children's poem I found:

  Twenty froggies went to school
  Down beside a rushy pool,
  .........

Being a learner I am having trouble understanding the need for the word down with beside.

Is it here for making the line look good?

Please explain the usage of down here.

Thanks in advance.


texts: Pronunciation of 'Fen', 'Fan', and 'Fang' in English

texts:
Can someone describe the difference in pronunciation between these three English words: Fen, Fan and Fang.

'Fen' is the easiest, because it's just like the first syllable in 'fence'. What other common / easy-to-pronounce words have the syllables 'Fan' or 'Fang' in them?

I can hear the difference in all three (based on listening to soundbites on dictionary websites), although I can't really describe the difference, it just sounds 'different'. And I can't seem to reliably pronounce the difference.

Apparently 'Fen' = /fen/, 'Fan' = /fæn/ and 'Fang' = /fæŋ/

What is the difference between a 'n' and a 'ŋ'? Are there any other common English word pairs that I could use to grasp the difference between 'e' and 'æ', and between 'n' and 'ŋ'. Any tips on practicing these similar-ish sounds?


texts:
A woman's butt was allegedly touched by a man several times during a commute on the MRT.

How to use butt, bottom, buttock and ass?
I am confusing with these words.


texts: What is more correct way to ask, "Do the railroads have future?" or "Do railroads have a future?"

texts: I prefer the first version because when we refer to the dogs as a class we say "the dogs", so the railroads should be the same. But I was corrected towards the second variant.


texts: 'Golden spoon' or 'Gold spoon' -if the spoon is made of gold?

texts:
Adjective or noun?

  A golden spoon or A gold spoon

What to use? A spoon is made of gold.

Dictionary says:

  golden (adjective) -made of gold

But then... (the same page)

  golden (adjective) - bright yellow in colour like gold

So, what should we prefer while referring to a spoon made of gold?


texts:
People on the Internet say that it's based on the context, but they suggest the form without the.

However, when I read the Wikipedia article, the first sentence is the following:

  The United States of America (USA or U.S.A.), commonly referred to as the United States (US or U.S.) and America, is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal district.

I always thought that it was with the definite article like "The United States" or "the USA" or "the UK" or "the United Kingdom" etc.

Are there any situations when the definite article is omitted in these cases mentioned above?


texts: How is the order of subject and verb decided on "Here/There ~" sentence?

texts:
In these sentences:

  Here she is.

  Here are our parents.

  Here is your book.

I don't understand why the first sentence takes the subject-verb order while the other two use an inversion.

Is it because the first one uses a subject pronoun? What is the rule of the order of the sentence on "Here/There ~" sentence? (and is there any difference of rules between "here" and "there"?)


texts: "The quartiles, whose importance is" - is the "whose" used correctly?

texts:
the question is already standing above.
For those who are not familiar with the word "quartile":  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartile (it is a statistical parameter)
I am looking forward for your answers!
Kind Regards


texts:
Consider these sentences:

  The next stage is to identify the defects in the image resulting from the previous stage.

  The next stage is to identify the defects in the image resulted from the previous stage.

Which is correct or common? why?


texts:
No one else could carry close to forty-five thousand people in such a short amount of time.

-- Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

There seems to be almost no other explanation but determiner or quantifier for ‘close to’ in the context. But I don’t find it on grammar books. What role does the phrase do?


texts:
I have to form compound adjectives for

  a) intolerant (mind)
  b) pleasing (warm)
  c) sensible (head)
  d) mean (fist)
  e) intelligent (wit)
  f) scary (raise)

but I couldn't do it. The example I'm given is artificial (make) =  man-made.

I've checked the dictionaries but I can't get how to form the compound adjectives.


texts: After you finish sleep, or After you'll be finished sleeping - or is there some other way of phrasing this correctly?

texts:
I have called my English friend and now she is sleeping.
So how can I say

After you finish sleep call me please.

and be grammatically correct?
Something like this maybe?

After you'll be finished sleeping, call me please.

or just use simple tense?
P.S My friend is from Indonesia but we both talk in English.


texts:
Apart from the Bob Dylan's song where many people have tried to interpret its meaning, as I have seen on the Internet, I would like to know if the phrase in question is common in current English and what is its meaning.

Before searching on the Internet, I thought I knew it but finding nothing palpable I began to have doubts. I imagined that the phrase means futile, în vain, pointless or to no avail for, what would be the point to blow in the wind?

But, as it seems, no one interpreted it this way, on the contrary, the interpretation of the death's metaphor or the breaking winds from the Urban Dictionary has nothing to do with what I thought about it, so I just wonder: do people actually use it? Does it mean anything? On what context?


texts: An idiom opposite to "every dog has its day"

texts: I'm looking for an idiom that means: There will come a time in everyone's life when they tumble down, or experience a hard time. Something you'd say to a smug but successful  person who laughs at your misery.


texts: Shift or displace, which is suitable for use with a mapping table

texts:
There is a mapping or correspondence table that defines a correspondence between people and tasks. For example, Smith, Johnson, and Jones are respectively assigned to go buy food, to cook breakfast, and to clean dishes.

When the correspondence is changed such that Smith, Johnson, and Jones are respectively assigned to cook breakfast, to clean dishes, and to go buy food, which of the following two sentences is more suitable for that meaning?

  The correspondence is shifted by one.
  The correspondence is displaced by one.


texts: Difference between 'In this respect' and 'In this aspect'

texts:
Is there any difference between the phrase 'In this respect' and
  'In this aspect' in writing?


texts: Where is the corresponding gap in a relative clause？

texts:
But I would be interested to read what others have to say on this.

Where is the corresponding gap in the relative clause located?

  But I would be interested to read what others have to say___ on this.

or

  But I would be interested to read what others have___ to say on this.


texts:
I read that every interjection should be separated from the sentence, no matter where it's placed, with a comma. If that's true, would phrases such as these require a comma after "oh"?

  "Oh yeah" or "oh, yeah"?

  "Oh my God" or "oh, my God"?

I feel as if the phrases "oh yeah" and "oh my god" are both treated as interjections and that they shouldn't need a comma after the "oh." Am I wrong, or is there a rule to this?


texts: Is there a word that can be said instead of saying "I said your name to get your attention"?

texts:
Is there a word that can be said instead of saying:

"I said your name to get your attention"?

For example:
Q: "where's our friend?"
A: "He's over there I'll say his name to get his attention (so that he'll come to where I am)"
not by making a phone call


texts: Why can "that is" be omitted in this relative clause?

texts:
In the sentence below, "That is" before adjective permanent has been dropped.

  There is a saying, which says, “The only thing permanent in life is
  change”

According to this link, The relative pronoun and BE are not "dropped" when BE is followed by an adjective.

So my question is that how "that is" has been dropped in "The only thing permanent..." ?


texts: Usage of the words: "pivotal" and "paramount"

texts:
Can the words "pivotal" and "paramount" be used with the word "advantage"?

The most pivotal advantage of remote learning is...
The most paramount advantage of remote learning is...

I know that probably other words can be more suitable, but...
Does it sound too awkward or quite normal?


texts: Bluer or more blue in "its more blue offerings can get steamier"?

texts:
As I know, a monosyllabic adjective is usually made comparative with -er, while polysyllabic adjective is usually made comparative with word more. The problem is that I found an article that uses word "more blue" to refer to something that is closer to pornographic material. Is this correct?

  Romance is more nuanced here than the Shoujo style of "never been kissed", with its heroines often either unlucky in love, working through relationship troubles, or generally experienced. On the flip side, its more blue offerings (known as "Ladies Comics") can get steamier than even the most borderline Teens Love — harems getting sexual, pent-up coworkers, women with "pet"-like subordiates — with a subgenre even dedicated to adapting Harlequin romance.


texts: meaning of "lay out" in the context of building

texts:
I'm conscious of the meaning of "lay out something" on a typical basis.

  to arrange in a pattern or design; to plan something by showing how its parts fit together

I have some difficulty understanding it in this example

  Following the demolition of Bedford House, Russell Square and Bedford Square were laid out in 1804.

Does "lay out" here mean the same thing as "build", or something else?


texts: Can "connected" be used to ask about one's relation with another one?

texts:
I have found many expressions with connected that describe two people relationship, but it is often (if not always) indicate the souls' connection. Expressions like:

  What is the meaning of two souls that feel connected? source

  10 Signs You Have Connected With A Soulmate source

It won't work for my case as I want to inquire from someone about her relationship with another one (a male) as it seems unclear and vague to me. I want to use a structure that is similar to this one:

  Are you connected(?) to him?

There are many possible relations between stranger males and females, so I want a general word (participle adjective) that can include them all.

I also thought of related, but it is mostly known to ask about the relation in one's family. Cambridge Dictionary

I know there are many questions to ask for such cases, but, as I have stated, I want to use a structure that has a participle adjective in which will be the main word to express the kind of the relationship I'm asking about.

Would "connected" be a suitable fit? Or is there another word in English that will work fine?


texts: Why do we use 'of' with accuse while we use 'for' with blame?

texts:
I've gone through this post and I understand the difference between accuse and blame. What I don't understand is that why don't we use "for" with accuse. E.g we say,

  He's been accused of murder.

And in case of blame, we say,

  He has been blamed for the* murder.

Why don't we say "He's been accused for the murder"? I guess that we use for only to mention the reason and in case of accuse, He is not responsible for murder but is actually the murderer. Please explain which grammar rule is acting here and also please explain the meaning or sense of the incorrect version(accused for), i.e. how do native English speakers take it.

* I'm not sure that the should be there or not.


texts: Can the phrase "one by one " be used independent of time?

texts:
Put these balls in the boxes one by one.

I created the sentence above to say that one ball should be put in each box.

After looking up the meaning in some dictionaries, I am afraid that the usage of "one by one" in the sentence may be incorrect. For example, Collins Online Dictionary explains this phrase as follows:

  You can use one by one to indicate that people do things or that
  things happen in sequence, not all at the same time.

It doesn't matter to my sentence when the balls are put.


texts:
I am wondering whether "would" in the following sentence is correct:

  If John should lie to me, I would no longer talk to him.

How does the above differ from

  If John should lie to me, I will no longer talk to him?

I'd appreciate your help.


texts:
When should I replace an 'us' with an 'i'?

Are the following words valid?

Hippopotami (plural of hippopotamus)

Virii (plural of virus)

Bonii (plural of bonus)

When should I use 'i' and when should I just add es? Where does the i come from? And, when should I use 2 i's and when should I use just one? Thanks.


texts:
Is "as shown follows" the right way to say it? Here is a generic example:

  If X, then Y should be organized as shown follows:

If it actually is ok, does it sound natural or should I replace it with something else?

Edit: In case someone is interested, my copyeditor changed the sentence to:

  If X, then Y should be organized as shown next:


texts: Which one sounds "more English": Being/after 15 minutes in the icy water he turned blue

texts:
Which of the following two sentences sounds "more English":

  Being 15 minutes in the icy water he turned blue.
  After 15 minutes in the icy water he turned blue.

And if both of them sound "pretty English" do they differ in meaning or style?


texts: using **to follow** or **the following**?

texts:
I was reading a vocabulary book came across with:

  The excellent soup was harbinger of the delicious meal to follow.

I am confused of the "to follow". I know we can say "a delicious meal to eat" which conveys that it is a delicious meal for eating purposes!. However, I think the author tries to convey a sequence of actions happening subsequently one after another, e.i., first soup is eaten and then an awesome meal is waiting for us!. If not, why the author didn't say:

  The excellent soup was harbinger of the following delicious meal.

In brief,

Q1: Is there any difference between 1 and 2?

Q2: Given to the context, does "delicious meal to follow" mean:

There must be a good meal after this awesome soup. I'd better to stay and wait for the meal.(You talk to yourself and draw a conclusion based on the soup quality, speaking with doubt).


texts: How to say that you smoke sometimes and only for fun?

texts:
I wonder what do you normally say when you as a smoker would like to indicate that you do not smoke too much and you just do it sometimes and for fun?

  I'm not a heavy smoker. I......................

The only idiom that I know is "joypop" which reliable dictionaries rarely allude to. So I doubt if it is a common term, or at least it seems to be so colloquial that is used in street language as slang. But what is a common way to say that in English?


texts:
What is the difference between following two sentences:

I'm worried about not passing the test.
I'm worried about not having passed the test.

Or,

Excuse me for bothering you.
Excuse me for having bothered you.

If they mean aren't the same, are they used differently in different conditions with different meanings?


texts: Is the genderless mentioning of the person as "them" is correct?

texts:
I need to express the message avoiding mentioning the gender. The sentence is next:

  They are designed to store the team's work collectively, so if a
  document's creator moves off of the team that document doesn't go with
  them.

I did some research but the information regarding this question is very ambiguous.
Is it correct? If it is not, maybe there could be another wording?


texts:
On behalf of the President the head office is writing to you in regard to the development…

The phrase in bold is supposed to be used wrongly. The right choice is "regarding". I thought that "regard to" and "regarding" are interchangeable.


texts: When to use "verb + ed" not for the past but for the future?

texts:
I get always confused with the possibility to use verb + ed for the future. The text I'm writing brings the same problem and I'm not sure if I do a mistake if I write:

  "Once we receive and review it, we will confirm your order by e-mail."

rather than

  "Once we received and reviewed it, we will confirm your order by e-mail."

Which one is correct - can anyone please explain me the rule of how to use verb+ed in this case?


texts: What's correct here, "will" or "am going to"?

texts:
As an English learner, I've got a question regarding the following sentence.

"I've got a 10% pay raise. Next month, I ... have 2750 pounds."

Should I use "will" or "am going to" here? And why?

Thanks!


texts:
Is it grammatical to say "according to the law" instead of "according the law"?

If so, is there any difference in meaning?


texts: The adverb "today" before the verb "be" in the middle of a sentence. Correct? But there's no such a rule

texts:
I've come across these sentences:

"American society today is a world of conflict, challenge, struggle, and potential."

"Traffic jams today are hardcore"

They both violate the rules of placing adverbs of definite time in a sentence.
I've searched and haven't found any rule other than: You ought to put it in the front position or in the end of a sentence. Like "Today I'm going to buy ice-cream" or "I'm going to buy ice-cream today".

Is there such a rule?


texts:
What you should have accomplished  is ...

I cannot say if this is talking about future , perfect future for instance, or it is about past tense , making guess about past events or third conditional. Very confusing.


texts: How to parse "get done doing something"?

texts:
I have read the following sentence from Diary of a Wimpy Kid 1.

  After I got done mopping the floor with Rowley today, I headed
  home.

I understand this sentence as: After I finished mopping the floor with Rowley,  I headed home.

or I get mopping the floor done with Rowley today, i headed home.

My question is, how should I parse the structure of this sentence? Is there any likelihood that "I get done" means "I am done", meaning I am going to die? How can I comprehend it correctly?


texts: "For" as a preposition for simple past? " I lived in Berlin for 5 years, but currently living in Munich." Correct?

texts:
So, it is usually said that "since" and "for" are indicators for present perfect. For example : "I have lived here for 5 years."
But that implies that you are still living there, but you might be on the move soon.

What if you want to express that you used to live in a certain place for 5 years but you are not currently living there anymore?
Could you say: " I lived In berlin for 5 years ( but currently live in Munich)" . How would you express it ?

For since i think it's definitely true that you cannot use simple past with it , or can you? Do you know any simple past sentence with since?

Thank you so much, and i always appreciate if you correct any mistakes in the above text . Often i ask about one thing but then an
attentive reader draws my attention to another mistake by me i made in the text. I really appreciate this!


texts: Formulating a negatively-expressed question

texts:
I'm a non-native speaker completely stuck trying to formulate a negative question. Full disclosure: I'd like to use it as a title for a university paper and I could not find any help around.

This is the question/title:

  Why did the Industrial Revolution did not occur in China during the Ming/Qing period?

I highlighted the sources of my doubts.

In the title I'd like to ask why the Industrial Revolution (which happened in Britain) did not happen (during the same period) in China.

Should I rather say

  Why did the Industrial Revolution not occur in China during the Ming/Qing period?

Thank you in advance

Edit: maybe this question should belong to "english language learners"


texts:
What is "Bankers' row and sleight of hand at Seventh Avenue fashion houses" referring to?
I searched Google Maps for Seventh Avenue and 6 Seventh Avenue in the US, awkward.


texts:
I heard "I'm on cloud nine" in a song and realized it was an expression by reading it somewhere else.
I am learning English for years but I never heard of that before. I found informations about the meaning* and etymology**, but I was wondering:

Is it a common expression ?
Would it sound old or from elevated language ?
How would you use it ?

* I found different explanations, always talking about an extreme happiness
** 1. Cloud classification by the US Weather Bureau in the 1950s. 2. one of the stages to enlightenment of a Bodhisattva (Buddhism)


texts:
What is the structure of the following sentence?

  I need my history book back.

What is the grammatical role of the word "back"?


texts: interpreting present participle in the sentence

texts:
I'm so confused with this example.

  they saw the monkey climbing over the fence.

First I interpreted this like number 1 below and then,
that sentence came to me differently later like number 2.

1.They saw the monkey and it was climbing over the fence somewhere.

2.They were climbing over the fence in front of them while they saw a monkey somewhere.

Which interpretation is right?

and how can I cope with such an ambiguousness?


texts:
I have to put the adjectives in the correct order to complete the sentences.

They only had _____ _____ (leather, old-fashioned) gloves in the sale, so I'll have to keep looking for those.

Adjective order:
Opinion, Size/Age, Colour/Pattern, Material, Make/Type, Noun
In this sentence leather is material but what is old-fashioned - type or opinion? Thank you in advance!


texts: Opposite to 'online' where 'offline' won't work

texts:
This is in the context of the Internet.

While writing about two distinct things, I always find it difficult to explain in short. I'll have to extend my sentence to convey my message. Is there any short way to do it? That's my question.

The opposite to online is offline

  Whether online or offline, marketing is an important thing to boost your business.

This is clear. But if I'm talking about something that is on the ground and not on the internet, how do I say it?

  Whether you have an online store or a ground store, marketing is important thing to boost your business.

A ground store means the owner has a physical store, just down the downtown. What are the options for that?

  A ground store? (I did not like it)   A virtual store? (Looks more on the internet than ground)   A physical store? (It is good but in contrast of imagined store and a physical store)    A real store? (Does it mean the Internet store is not real?)

Any good suggestions?


texts: Is there a word that means "join bodies"?

texts:
I am not sure if there's a word for it, but it would make a lot of sense if there was, sometimes in the "acrobatic arts" people do this, so there might be a specific terminology for it, I suspect there's a word for it, but I might be wrong.

For example:

  The cheerleaders ____ to form a big triangle in front of the cheering
  crowd.


texts: To be off the ground for a few seconds and then fall on the floor

texts:
When somebody hits someone with his shoulder and the other person gets knocked over and his feet are off the ground and because of the momentum and the force, he literally falls a few meters ahead, how would a native speaker express the situation of the other person’s being off the ground?
What I’m looking for is a proper verb or phrase to describe the other person’s feet being off the ground (no touching the ground and moving forward in the air for a second) In my native language we would say “he flew off the ground” but I don’t think in English we can use “to fly” in this context. The phrase should emphasise that he was off the ground in the air for a second before he lands or falls.


texts: "Brexit:What just happened?" Does it emphasize "a suprising situation" or does it emphasize "an event that happened a short time ago"?

texts:
Today I have seen a sentence on CNN web site which reads ""Brexit:What just happened?".

The news text is about two British ministers resigning due to Brexit issues. This resignations are unexpected or surprising and happened suddenly that everyone got shocked.

So, I started to think about what the word "just" in this sentence emphasizes or why it was used.

1) The word "just" may have been used because the writer wants to give news about a situation which has happened just recently. If used for this function, it is ok. This is a common usage of just. We are familiar with this usage.

2) However, I also thought the word "just" in the sentence was used, because the writer wants to emphasize "The events that happened are unexpected or surprising  which happened suddenly and which nobody would have imagined to take place. And this situation came as a shock".

Although I think the word "just" might have also been used to refer to such a thing, I am not quite sure about whether "just" can be used in this way or if it has such a function.

I could not reach a decision. So what do you think? Why the word "just" was used in this sentence? Was it used 1)to mean "recently" or 2) to mean "shockingly, suprisingly, unexpectedly"?

Thank you.


texts: dependent words are far from a subject in the sentence

texts:
In the previous year, the travel expenses were also incurred as [when] the works were provided, in whose cost they were included.

The words 'in whose cost' modify 'works', but they are located far from 'works' in this sentence. Is it normal English in your opinion?  Is it possible to substitute 'in the cost of which' for the phrase 'in whose cost'?


texts: What does 'way up ahead' mean in this passage?

texts:
According to Macmillan Dictionary, 'up ahead' means 'not far in front,' while 'way' means 'far'.

  We are accustomed to thinking of light as always going in straight
  lines. But it doesn’t. This is manifest when you view a mirage on a
  long straight highway on a hot day. The road looks wet way up
  ahead because light from the sky refracts, bending as it crosses the
  many successive layers of warm air near the surface of the road, until
  it heads back up to your eye.


texts:
Soldiers were deployed along or to the boarder of the country.

In the above sentence, should I use deployed along or to? What difference does each preposition make?


texts: Difference between "Where are you living?" vs "Where have you been living?"

texts:
Where are you living?
  Where have you been living?

Both of them imply you are currently living in a place but what's the real difference between them?

Google Ngram


texts: What do you call a "random person" in a movie? I remember there was a word, in fact, several words for it, but I forgot all of them. For example, Hollywood will pay people to act like a random passerby. What are these called?


texts: Can I omit "we would" in the following sentence?

texts:
We wouldn't utter a single word, (we would) just listen to each other's feelings
  echoed in our songs.

Can I omit the we would in the sentence above? Why or why not?


texts: Is this an appropriate usage of "having said that"?

texts:
Here is my sentence -

We can always get a transfer to a different department in the office. Having said that one need a strong reason to do so.


texts: What is the meaning of the sentence 'Cotton flax and silk threads made of cotton silk and of semal silk (cotton tree) have been found in Maharashtra'

texts:
(1) I don't know what is 'cotton flax' or there is any comma between them is necessary i.e cotton, flax.
(2)and also, what is 'cotton silk'
I don't understand the structure of this sentence. OR there is any punctuation problem
Please explain structure of the sentence and what is made and out of which things


texts: A verb to describe cooking potatoes in burned down fire

texts:
Grilling, roasting, boiling, etc are used to describe different types of cooking. Is there a verb to describe cooking (usually potatoes) under a pile of hot ash? We do this sometimes outdoors in the wild. After making the fire and letting it burn down a little, we put potatoes under hot charcoal. Some wrap it in a foil tight and then put it under.

  Don't [the verb] the potatoes. I want them fried.

Informal words are also welcome because I personally don't know of an established word to describe this in even a neutral way in my own native language so I figure in English it might be the case too. However I can think of a word in a dialect of my native tongue which is not shared by all native speakers in my country.


texts: The preposition "for" and its function from Sherlock Holmes Story

texts:
I have to post a blog and its theme is Sherlock Holmes.

Reading its short story A Scandal in Bohemia, I encountered this passage:

  A man entered who could hardly have been less than six feet six inches in height, with the chest and limbs of a Hercules. His dress was rich with a richness which would, in England, be looked upon as akin to bad taste. Heavy bands of astrakhan were slashed across the sleeves and fronts of his double-breasted coat, while the deep blue cloak which was thrown over his shoulders was lined with flame-coloured silk and secured at the neck with a brooch which consisted of a single flaming beryl. Boots which extended halfway up his calves, and which were trimmed at the tops with rich brown fur, completed the impression of barbaric opulence which was suggested by his whole appearance. He carried a broad-brimmed hat in his hand, while he wore across the upper part of his face, extending down past the cheekbones, a black vizard mask, which he had apparently adjusted that very moment, for his hand was still raised to it as he entered. From the lower part of the face he appeared to be a man of strong character, with a thick, hanging lip, and a long, straight chin suggestive of resolution pushed to the length of obstinacy.

Now I am thinking that the function of this preposition for would fall under the following definition from the Merriam below. (Considering he was wearing a black vizard mask to conceal his face).

Am I correct to understand this?


texts: Would the sentence be okay without the 'it'?

texts:
I still can't get it out of my mind, how she reacted to it all the other day.

  I still can't get out of my mind how she reacted to it all the other day.

Are both these sentences grammatically correct?
Is inserting the it in the sentence necessary?


texts: how to interpret the progressive form ＂be winning＂

texts:
I read the following example sentence in Eastwood‘s Oxford Guide to English Grammar :

  You are lucky to be winning.

Also in OED is the same construct- that of the progressive found:

  the government is winning the battle against inflation

The verb win seems to me an action of achievement, i.e. it is rather instantaneous than durative.  So I didn’t expect any progressive aspectuality of it and  the progressive form
be winning sounds rather nonsense to me. Could any one help work out a reasonable interpretation of the meaning communicated via this progressive form?


texts: The change of the tense in the main and the subordinate clauses

texts:
I have found the two sentences in Michael  Swan's Practical English Usage .(page no 556)

1.This discovery means that  we will have to spend less on food.

2 This Discovery will mean that we spend less on food.

It was explained that " if the main verb of a sentence  makes it clear that what kind of time the speaker is talking about , it is not necessary for the same time to be indicated again in subordinate clauses"

The author talks about the tenses in the clauses  but I could  not understand whether the change of the tenses in the
main and subordinate clauses changes the meaning  of the two sentences given above

I would like to know if  both the sentences mean the same thing or do they differ in meaning


texts:
As we ate, he started telling me his story. He was a little hesitant at first. “I knew this lady … as a matter of fact, well, she was my mistress.” The man he’d had the fight with was this woman’s brother. He told me he’d been keeping her.

I'm not familiar with the use of keep in the sentence above. I've never heard someone said "keep somebody". Looking it up in the dictionary, I found a meaning which I think is what the author's trying to say:

to guard or protect someone: The Lord bless you and keep you.

Can somebody confirm this to me ? And Is this common in spoken language ?


texts: What does "labeling music with explicit language" mean?

texts:
In the following text what does labeling music with explicit language mean?

  The executive pointed out that Apple isn't getting into the parenting business. He says that there are no standards for parenting, thus no standards on screen time. "People have different views about what should be allowed and not," he noted. But Cook did say that Apple is merely giving parents the controls to limit their kids' app usage if they feel that it is required. He added that Apple is working on a way to create age limits for apps and require parental approval for certain titles. The company also wants to label music with explicit language.

When I looked up "explicit" in the dictionary I found "obvious" and "clear". I don't know what is the act of labeling music with explicit language.


texts:
Consider this statement:

  Had to send this in a hurry as partner walked in... and now I can' edit the post.

  As with the re'homing of the cats.. they are my kids.. I can't. And
  even if it were to get to that stage, it's another thing that's going
  to happen, showing what a failure I have become..

  I am sorry to be laying this out here,..

This is a post by a user on a suicide forum seeking advice. I am guessing laying out here means something like 'writing this post here'? he is sorry for posting his story here?


texts: What is the meaning of speed is good in the context?

texts:
I saw an advertisement of a telecom company which says:

  speed is good

What is the meaning of speed is good? Is it a habitual action like speed is always good? Or they are talking about their internet speed? But if they are talking about their speed, shouldn't they have said The speed is good. Right?


texts: Should it be find instead found in Ed sheeran's song?

texts:
Ed Sheeran's song 'Thinking out loud' has a line

  Maybe we found love right where we are

I think it should be

  Maybe we find love right where we are


texts: Do we use present perfect or past perfect when talking about repeated actions in the past?

texts:
I have a short query -

Which of the following is the correct variant?

"...just try to remember how many times you were angry that a new episode of your favorite series hasn’t been translated into Russian yet, although it was released a week ago.

or...

"...just try to remember how many times you were angry that a new episode of your favorite series hadn’t been translated into Russian yet, although it was released a week ago.

Kind of undecided here.

What are the specific grammar rules which govern cases like this?

I would be really grateful for your help.


texts:
Someone had written

  “Persistent much, huh? Well, then let’s start with my family background.”

What does “Persistent much” mean? I looked it up, but I couldn’t find it’s meaning.........


texts: How to break up my lengthy parallel structure into multiple sentences to convey a clearer meaning?

texts:
Nice to meet you~
I am an applicant for graduate programs from the universities in Canada.
Now, I am preparing my statement of purpose. Unexpectedly,I wrote an extremely lengthy parallel structure to demonstrate my command of English but now I have realized it is a poor way to express my meanings in this way. So any suggestions on how to break it up into multiple sentences to convey a much more coherent and clearer meaning?
The poor lengthy parallel structure is as follows:

  Over the past 6 years, I have grown tremendously from a newbie who could barely write 10 lines of code without errors to a seasoned programmer who can manage a software project that consists of thousands of lines of code, from being lost every time a program crashes for seemingly no reasons to being confident and patient every time I set breakpoints and single-step through a faulty method or function, from not knowing where in the intimidating lines of code is mistakenly altered to utilizing version control systems like SVN or Git to ease the whole development process.

Thank you so much in advance!
Any suggestions or better expressions in this context are much appreciated!


texts:
Does "they should have been" mean "they should have been (given notice)"?

"Why are they only counting them whenever the place is cleared out with no witnesses," Pick asked.

11Alive was able to determine that this part is true. The media and the party monitors were not given notice that counting would continue into the early morning hours and they should have been.

Source:  FACT-CHECKING CLAIMS ABOUT FULTON COUNTY'S ELECTION | THESE 'SUITCASES' ARE ACTUALLY BALLOT CONTAINERS


texts: "Multi-tasked woman" vs "Multitasking woman"

texts:
When talking about a woman (or even man) who makes a lot of tasks at the same time, what's more appropriate or more common between the following sentences?

  You are multi-tasked woman.

  You are multitasking woman.

Google shows more than 50K results for multitasking woman, and a few hundreds results for multi-tasked. I wonder how a noun could be used as an adjective.


texts:
In other languages, sometimes there are rules which tells you how to write a word. For example, in Spanish, you can never write a word with "nb" together, if a word sounds like it, then it's spelled with "nv". (For example, it's written invierno and not inbierno, both words sound the same, but there is only one way to write them rightly)

In English I have the problem of remember which words are written which 2 equal consonants together. Those words usually have a spanish alike equivalent, which is written with only one consonant, which leads me to have several times written mistakes. Therefore I would like to know,

Is there any grammatical rule which tells you when an english word has to be written with 2 equal consonants together?


texts:
Since fireworks are danger many cities have laws preventing businesses from selling them.

Why is are danger incorrect? Could you please explain that, and how we can correct it?

Can we really count fireworks?


texts:
having a good day.

Mary has BORNE a son(give birth to...)
Does this book lie to me?


texts:
Pull over: (of a vehicle or its driver) to move to the side of
  the road in order to stop or let something pass

  pull off | pull off something: (of a vehicle or its driver) to
  leave the road in order to stop for a short time

So, When talking about "driving", are "pull off" & "pull over" almost the same?

What are the differences between "pull off" & "pull over"?


texts:
What is the difference between using IN or WITH in the sentences below?

He broke the thick sheet of glass IN/WITH one hit.
Everyone was surprised that he won the fight IN/WITH one punch.

Additionally, I would like to know the specific definition of IN in these sentences. Using WITH would denotes "by means of", which fits its usage above. However, I can't find a dictionary entry that closely matches the usage of IN in the same context. Any links you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.


texts: What does "the x" refers when x is not mentioned previously in a passage

texts:
would you please take a look at an LSAT passage:

Teenagers tend to wake up around 8:00 A.M., the time when they stop releasing melatonin, and are sleepy if made to wake up earlier. Since sleepiness can impair driving ability, car accidents involving teenagers driving to school could be reduced if the school day began later than 8:00 A.M.

What exactly does "the school day" refers to? I thought a definite article designates a specific referent to the noun which follows the definite.
In what grammar or usage could I use "the" to refer to a general concept? The usage of "the" is so confusing!
Thank you very much for your help.


texts: Which is correct, getting cheap day by day or getting cheaper day by day?

texts:
Which is correct and why?

  memory is getting cheap day by day
  or
  memory is getting cheaper day by day

The original paragraph context is

  Though memory is getting cheap day by day, still there are massive demand for the low memory algorithms for practical problems which need to be run on tiny devices, for example, sensors, GPS systems, mobile hand-sets, small robots, etc.


texts:
Get me a giant cauldron?” said Aeger, looking brighter. “Then we can brew all we need”. There was a great guffaw in the hall. “Invited us to stay for a while, have you Aeger?”
“Of Course I’ll help, I said, but where will I find a cauldron big enough for all of us?” My friend Tyr, a brave young god, though of giant stock, and full of courage piped up: “We can take my father’s, it must be a mile deep!”

What is meant by ‘though of giant stock’?


texts: 'For many people in the United States, undergoing a medical procedure can be a stressful, confusing, and sometimes overwhelming ordeal'

texts:
For many people in the United States, undergoing a medical procedure can be a stressful, confusing, and sometimes overwhelming ordeal.

Is the following the correct way to describe the parts of this sentence:

The dependent clause:

  For many people in the United States

The independent clause:

  undergoing a medical procedure can be a stressful, confusing, and sometimes overwhelming ordeal.

Verb in independent clause:

  Can be

Subject:

  Undergoing a medical procedure

Object:

  stressful, confusing, and sometimes overwhelming ordeal.

Im not sure what is the verb, subject, and object in the independent clause. To be honest I think the object is adjective but if so, is the sentence structure subject, verb, adjective?

Thanks!


texts: How to express the meaning that I am trying to figure out a concept?

texts:
I asked a question just now

  What an input space exactly is in the context of machine learning?

I am not sure where should I put "exactly", which one in the following is more appropriate?

What an input space exactly is?
What is an input space exactly?
What exactly an input space is?

If there is any other expression that is more clear, please tell me.


texts:
(1) He killed himself.
  (2) He was killed by himself.

Which one is better? If I want to passive 1st sentence is it correct to use 2nd one? If it is possible or not possible.


texts: Why is "the pharmacy" supposed to be appropriate in the context? What about "a pharmacy", "pharmacies", or "pharmacy"?

texts:
I've been studying English for many years, but still struggling with learning the usage of English articles.  Below is one example.
From a news article I read on this site.

How some drugs can turn into a cancer-causing chemical in the bodyBy
C Michael White, University of Connecticut
NEW YORK - When consumers get a prescription drug from the pharmacy,
they assume that it’s been tested and is safe to use. But what if a
drug changes in harmful ways as it sits on the shelf or in the body?

I thought of the following 4 possibilities in terms of articles combined with countable or uncountable noun form of "pharmacy".

When consumers get a prescription drug from the pharmacy, they
assume that
When consumers get a prescription drug from a pharmacy, they assume that
When consumers get a prescription drug from pharmacies, they assume that
When consumers get a prescription drug from pharmacy, they assume that

Could you explain why No.1 is supposed to be appropriate in the context? Is there anything wrong with the rest three?


texts: The clerk concerned VS the concerned clerk

texts:
I want to meet the concerned  clerk
  I want to meet  the  clerk concerned

According  the grammar book by  David  Green  the first sentence means I want to meet the clerk  who  is  tense  or  worried

The  second  sentence  means   I want  to meet  the  clerk who is incharge of the section.

Most  of  the nonnative  speakers  I know  say  I want  to meet the  concerned  clerk.

Is  there really  difference between  the  two  sentences?


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase "outside of opens/clicks"?

texts:
Kindly explain the meaning of the second sentence. I am confused with phrases "email measurement" and "outside of opens/clicks".

From our own data we’ve seen a sharp rise in the use of hashtags. This is no longer just a fad – subscribers use the hashtag to search for the promotion in social media instead.This has profound implications for email measurement, as a substantial percentage of responses are being generated outside of opens/clicks as a result.
https://econsultancy.com/blog/67297-what-were-the-key-email-marketing-trends-from-2015


texts: Water the plant with water! How to say this?

texts:
Well, this may come as a surprise to many but if your vitamin sirup is expired, you can actually pour it into your plants. True; such sirups with vitamins serve as the best fertilizers. I do that. However, I'm not here to prove this point. My question is related to the English language.

I know 'water' as a verb.

  Water the plants

But then, I want to instruct my daughter about giving water to some and sirup to others. How do I say that?

  Water the first two plants with water and rest with sirups?

I mean..."Water the plant with water" -does it work? If not, what are the other way to address my concern?


texts: Is present continuous ok with "this is the last time"

texts:
Is it possible to say or write

  this is the last time I am bothering you with that I won't do it again

or is it better to write or say

  this is the last time I have bothered you with that

I think the first one with present continuous is not possible because using present continuous means that the action is not finished. I can't use the last time if the action is not finished


texts: Use of 'if simple present' followed by would infinitive

texts:
The lyrics say

  If I say no, if I resist

  Would it be a lesson or a loss?

(Seal with Buika, from the song You Get Me).

How can I justify the use of would in the 1st conditional?


texts: Meaning of "shook the bottom out of all my Sunday-school teachings"?

texts:
What does the sentence in bold mean?

  He was not heard of for a long time. At last he turned up as an apprentice engineer on a steamboat. This thing shook the bottom out of all my Sunday-school teachings.

(Source: A Young Boy's Ambition by Mark Twain)


texts: Punctuation used in the celebration of a festival. (full stop vs exclamation mark)

texts:
Please tell me the difference between these two example letters:
(1).
Dear teachers,
Happy New Year!
sender's name
(2).
Dear teachers,
Happy New Year.
sender's name
If a student used an exclamation mark with "Happy New Year", does this mean that he had a stronger desire to wish the recipent have a happy new year?


texts:
We can say "that dress looks nice on you" or "you look nice in that dress"
But for small objects such as glasses or rings.
It's okay to say "the glasses look nice on you" but it sounds strange to say "you look nice in the glasses".
Is it natural to say "Do the glasses feel comfortable on you" or "Do you feel comfortable in the glasses"?


texts: What is the noun corresponding to verbose?

texts:
Consider the following sentence.

  I am a verbose person.

What would be a good substitution for the adjective if one'd like to express the same thought using a noun?

  I am a person who likes xxx.

I'm thinking verbosity but it might be verbality, verbing or something like verboseness etc. Can't decide which is the best or if any suffice at all.


texts:
I just read the sci-fi short story "And all the earth a grave", and I don't get the punch line.

To summarize the story: A company starts an aggressive marketing effort on selling coffins, which results in (almost) all of the world's population buying coffins and happily going extinct.

In the end, a lone man and his donkey find an abandoned city and have the following exchange:

  A half-buried piece of newspaper fluttered in the breeze. He walked forward slowly and picked it up. It told him enough so that he understood.

  "They're gone, Evie," he said to the burro, "all gone." He put his arm affectionately around her neck. "I reckon it's up to me and you agin [sic]. We got to start all over." He stood back and gazed at her with mild reproach. "I shore [sic] hope they don't favor your side of the house so much this time."

What does the expression "favor your side of the house" mean in this context?


texts: The use of the phrase "that is all" in context

texts:
Tell me please if used the phrase correctly in the following context.

  Person 1: How is this bottle called in English?

  Person 2: Water bottle

  Person 1: and that is all?

What I want to convey by that phrase is that person 1 is surprised by the fact that the bottle is simply called a water bottle, and there is no any specific name to the bottle. I doubt that that phrase was right in that context. I just translated it word for word from my native language. Tell me please what is the natural way to convey the meaning in English.


texts: Register to/register for or register from?

texts:
Let's say there are multiple test centers to choose from, but one is different from the rest because it has freebies to offer only to registered clients. Assuming a friend has just given you that tip, and he says:

  "You can get free review materials when you register to/for/from their test center."

Which is the correct preposition?


texts: What is the idiomatic way to express "The man is supporting himself by placing his palm against the wall"?

texts:
Look at this picture

"The man is standing and supporting himself by placing his palm against the wall"

Do we say "He is standing with his palm against the wall"? or is there any idiomatic way to say it?


texts: Is 'subject-predicate form' to be used as countable or uncountable noun?

texts:
Willard Quine writes about Kant's formulation of an analytic statement that 'it limits itself to statements of subject-predicate form'. In this context I want to ask a question about the form - what is it? But I am not sure how to formulate the question in correct grammar. Quine does not use 'the', other people use. I feel like to use 'the' in the context, but I am not sure.
What question would be  more correct:

'What is subject-predicate form?'
'What is a subject-predicate form?'
'What is the subject-predicate form?'


texts:
When the following sentence can be asked:

  How much excess weight do you have?

a) When e.g. someone wants to know about your weight e.g. to recommend you how to avoid being more fat.
b) When an officer in an airport wants to calculate your luggage weight.

Asking this question I want to know if the sentence above can be used in both of those senses 'a' and 'b' or not?


texts: Are sentences number 3 and 4 grammatical?

texts:
We can say these two sentences.

  He is a better person than him.
  A person better than him should behave excellently.

My question is, can we swap them like this?

  He is a person better than him.
  Better person than him should behave excellently.

I think sentence 4 is wrong and sentence 3 is correct. Am I right? If not, why not?


texts: The use of the modal verb "would" in context

texts:
Tell me please if the following sentence is gramatically correct.

  John, would not it be better to visit Rachel tommorow, if it would not, then could you please explain why?

What I am in doubt about is the use of would after if.


texts: Is "... to bring to your attention ..." a typo?

texts:
I'm writing to bring to your attention the unprofessional attitude of one of your staff member.
  (From a book and some online resources)

I feel like it should be:

  I'm writing to bring your attention to the unprofessional attitude of one of your staff member.

Is it a typo or not? Thank you!


texts: 'advise of' vs 'advise on' vs 'advise + some other preposition'

texts:
What are the similarities and differences? Google produced http://www.grammarly.com/answers/questions/1959-advise-someone-of-something/#answer_2105:

  ...We use 'to advise someone of something' when we are warning someone....

I doubt the above, because definition 1.2 http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/advise?q=advise+ says nothing about any element of "warning"?


texts: A comparison between the words port and harbor

texts:
Do the words "port" and "harbor" mean the same in marine terms? I looked these two words up in the NOAD dictioanary, and found:

Clearly, each one can have their own meaning – harbor can be used figuratively, for example. Also, port seems to be more focused on where you might find goods being imported and exported, while harbor seems to focus more on geographical shelter.

However, the part I'm most confused about is the part I've put in red. That makes it look like the word port could always be used in place of harbor.

Could all harbors also be considered ports, or vice-versa? The dictionary definition of port implies that the two words can be used to mean exactly the same thing. Is there something else I should know before I start using the terms interchangeably?


texts: Why are the 2 verbs in this sentence different tenses?

texts:
Why are the two verbs in this sentence in different tenses? Why is one in the past tense “interviewed” and “working” in present tense?
-The actor interviewed by Frank is working on a project in Spain.


texts: Is it correct to say "prop one end of the slide on the platform"?

texts:
Look at this slide.
If children want to play on it, they need to put one end of the slide on the platform to create a slope as shown in the picture.
Is it correct to say "prop one end of the slide on the platform, so that you can slide on it"?


texts: Change "I must go and look for my brothers." from active voice to passive voice

texts:
Sentence: I must go and look for my brothers.

I need to change this sentence to passive voice. What would be the correct passive voice form of this sentence?

I think the verb here is "look".

My attempt: To look for my brothers is why I have to go.

Context:
This sentence has been assigned as part of homework assignment for a 4th grade kid. The assignment is to convert sentences from active form to passive form. It may be possible that the teacher made an error, and this sentence cannot be changed to passive form. However, I am not sure.


texts: How to name correctly categories marked as grey or black

texts:
Suppose there is online store with hundreds of categories. Some are inactive or disabled. The other ones can be browsed and are enabled. Respectively, inactive are greyed out, active ones are marked with black. How to say correctly?

categories greyed out
greyed out categories
categories marked as grey
black marked categories

How to use names of colours in this way to make meaningful sentences?
Thanks


texts:
Does the phrase "a loss that has proved durable and decisive" mean "the loss has been proved to be durable and decisive (a durable and decisive loss that has been proved)"?

Mr. Barr’s comments came as another Trump ally signaled he was ready to move on after a surreal month of lawsuits, conspiracy theories and denials by the president of a loss that has proved durable and decisive.

Source:  NYTimes
Justice Dept. Has No Evidence of Fraud That Would Undo Biden’s Win, Barr Says


texts: "Payment on your order has failed." Is this grammatically accurate?

texts:
Payment on your order has failed.
Payment for your order has failed.
Payment of your order has failed.
Your order payment has failed.

I prefer 1st, but which one is correct for error message in online store?

EDIT:

All 4 sentences seem to be grammatically accurate, so the question is about which of them is more common.


texts: What does "away to insignificance" mean?

texts:
The concept of the gene seemed to be the missing piece in Darwin's
  jigsaw. It completed his picture of natural selection by showing that
  traits can't be blended away to insignificance...

away means somewhere else, or to or in a different place,
position, or situation.
insignificance means the fact of being small or not noticeable,
and therefore not considered important.

but I don't understand the phrase's meaning.

So could you please explain it to me?

  The fuller text is here: The concept of the gene seemed to be the
  missing piece in Darwin's jigsaw. It completed his picture of natural
  selection by showing that traits can't be blended away to
  insignificance, although this wasn't recognised immediately.
  Genetics also solved another problem of Darwin's theory: the source of
  the variation within a population. Darwin's starting point was that
  any population naturally contains a variety of individuals, providing
  the raw material for natural selection. A key source of this variation
  was now shown to be mutation--spontaneous changes in the structure of
  a gene, leading it to code for something new. Such changes had been
  observed by Morgan and others as they traced the position of the genes
  on chromosomes.


texts: Punctuation in the case of two independent clauses with introductory phrases

texts:
It’s well known that introductory phrases should be followed by commas. Here is an example:

  To stay in shape for competition, athletes must exercise every day.

Consider now the following two sentences:

  In the best case, it is like this. In the worst case, it is like that.

Suppose one wishes to write them in one sentence using the coordinator and. What is the right way to punctuate this new sentence?

In the best case, it is like this, and in the worst case, it is like that.
In the best case, it is like this, and, in the worst case, it is like that.

Another example that I often stumble upon is the following:

It is like this, and therefore, it is like that.
It is like this, and, therefore, it is like that.

What is preferable: sentences 1 and 3 or sentences 2 and 4? Is there some rule in this regard?


texts:
You know how to turn on (the) printer(s)!

A child has turned on a computer and you are making a mark. It is the printer, but you are not limiting your meaning to this occasion and you mean printers in general. Would "the" printer convey this meaning?


texts: distinguishing between facilitate, possibility , and no way

texts:
Now, would you please show me the concept or the subtle difference between these, semantically?

Higher education is not possible

There is no way to study higher education

Higher education is not facilitated.


texts: Is "The chances of her saying yes are high" a valid sentence?

texts:
Is this a valid sentence?

  The chances of her saying yes are high.

Gerunds always confuse me. Should I say that (if possible) or

  The chances that she says yes are high.


texts:
"first of all" could be used to indicate the first part of a sequence of steps.

It sound like the tutorial is saying

  first of all more line them up

what does more mean here?


texts:
I looked at this answer but it didn't solved my doubt:

Do I need to use a comma if a subject follows "and" in a sentence?

Source:
https://fee.org/articles/would-you-press-the-button/

  Careful analysis of these questions suggests that everyone – regardless of the considerations above – should want to press the button, and presents practical strategies for actually doing so.

The subject of the last indepedent clause is "careful analysis of these questions", so it is the same subject  of the first one. I don't think the comma before the "and" can be omitted. Shouldn't there be a "it" added after the "and"?


texts:
This is a past paper of a national test in Thailand. (Manee is a common Thai name and Songla is a province). The answer to this question is (4)How have you been? But I wonder why (3)How do you do? is wrong. I think I can just fill in any greeting so (3) and (4) are both correct.

So is (3)How do you do? okay for this question? and what is the difference between those two?


texts: "The Collins French Gem Grammar" and "Collins French Gem Grammar" -- why use an article?

texts:
Source:

  The Collins French Gem Grammar offers the learner of French extensive coverage of French grammar in a compact, portable format with a clear, colour layout. Collins French Gem Grammar has been written for everyone who is learning French and is the ideal text for anyone who needs a wealth of reliable grammar information in a portable format. Have confidence: the Collins French Gem Grammar offers extensive coverage of French grammar, with a handy guide to French pronunciation. Get it right: it also contains pages of fully conjugated French irregular verbs. Get there fast: clear, colour layout ensures that you can quickly find the information you need.

Collins French Gem Grammar is the textbook's title which means that it's a proper noun which in turn means that you don't need any articles at all (at least in most typical cases). But why do you think they wrote its title with a definite article at the beginning of the annotation and just a few lines below they refer to it as would normally be expected? What's, grammatically speaking, going on here?


texts:
"We need these shipments made as soon as possible." > Is this sentence correct?

Someone who's American said it like that, so I asked someone who's Korean about this sentence, and he said it's not correct and it should be changed to "We need to make these shipments as soon as possible".  Is he right?


texts: Is there an idiom that means "the more powerful you are the more enemies you have" or something similar?

texts: It's difficult to find an idiom on Google for a certain idea, but I honestly couldn't find anything even after looking for idioms and a keyword like "power".


texts: A: "I saw a girl" / "I saw it"; B: "was she beautiful?" or "is she beautiful?" / "was it nice?" or "is it nice?"

texts:
See this conversation

  A: I saw a girl

  B: was she beautiful? (or is she beautiful?)

  A: My mom gave me a pen.

  B: was it nice? (or is it nice?)

So, which responses are ok or idiomatic?


texts: The use of the verb "think" in the progressive form in the sense of having some kind of opinion on something

texts:
I am aware that the verb think can be used in the progressive form in some contexts, but it cannot be used in the progressive when someone is expressing one's opinion. But in this video a stand-up comedian who is seemingly an English native speaker uses it in the progressive form in the sense of having an opinion. It is it 4 minutes and 55 seconds. Here is the piece:

  But what they were probably thinking was Joe farted and then fell down on his chair.

Does that mean that the sentences such I am thinking that he is a doctor are actually acceptable and natur in day-to-day conversation?


texts: Conditional sentences without if type clause

texts: Can sentences such as "I could have been a contender," be considered conditional on its own without an if type clause? Same thing with questions such as, "Should you have spoken to him that way?" Or is it not really a conditional sentence but a main conditional clause?


texts: I know less than is to describe the relationship between two words. However I found another usage that is "A is 2 less than B". Does it mean A = 2 - B, A = B - 2 or other meaning?


texts:
Rodin: So... how do we find this Reacher?
  Emerson: Obviously, you don't find this guy unless he wants to be found.
  Secretary: Excuse me, sir. There's a Jack Reacher here to see you.

Can we use indefinite articles (a) with people names? Is it mistake? or informal?


texts: -ing after helping verbs such as "might"?

texts:
Is it grammatically correct to use a verb with -ing after an helping verb like "might" like so?

"It might make people feeling bad".

If it's not, is it a rule which applies to all of the helping verbs?


texts: How to understand: "a topic that comes with exponentially higher stakes" in this context?

texts:
Former Yale basketball coach Tom Brennan watched the hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee with keen interest this week. Brennan has a loose tie to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, as he cut him from the Yale basketball team in the early 1980s. That gives Brennan the unique role of keeping Kavanaugh from the court, a topic that comes with exponentially higher stakes this upcoming week as the FBI investigates multiple allegations tied to Kavanaugh in high school and college.

I think "a topic" refers back to the main clause "That gives Brennan the unique role of keeping Kavanaugh from the court". "stakes" means "risks". But I don't understand how (or in any way) a topic comes with exponentially higher stakes?

The full source.


texts: Is there a better way to say "fast-moving rollercoaster car"?

texts:
I am not sure why, but it sounds awfully unidiomatic, but I can't think of a better way to say it. I am not sure if I should even use the word car, and if I should even use rollercoaster as a noun adjective.

For example:

  He was listening to music inside the fast-moving rollercoaster car
  before the car jumped out of the track and led him to his death.


texts: why is there an underscore and a dash in this sentence

texts:
I am reading this article about being single, where the opening line is:

  You're single — a heat-seeking bachelor, committed to no one in particular, able to party like John Belushi and sleep until noon with no one underfoot to tell you to do otherwise. It's a great life, and why shouldn't it be?

Why are the underscore and dash there? And what does "heat-seeking" mean in that context?


texts:
"And, Dick, all kinds of queer folk live in the trunk of the Faraway Tree," said Jo."

The is not capital here, which means it is not the part of the name?
Why is the used here?


texts: "I have waited for you for two hours" vs. "I've been waiting for you for two hours"

texts:
Could you tell me if there is any difference in meaning between the following sentences?

I have waited for you for two hours. I'm leaving.
I have been waiting for you for two hours. I'm leaving.


texts:
I am wondering which of the following sentences is properly written:

  This is due to {First Clause} and to {Second Clause}.

or

  This is due to {First Clause} and {Second Clause}.

The question is how we should distribute "to" between clauses? This question also remains for other phrases which have "to" at the end of.


texts:
Why "fall asleep to the music" not "fall asleep with the music"?

I think with would be better but there's nobody use with in this case. Why? How should I pick the prep word?


texts: What does "barely" imply when used with a quantity?

texts:
I was recommended to post this question here, instead of on English Language & Usage. In summary, I understand "barely" to mean "equal to, or more than, but not less than" when used with a quantity, but I think this is inconsistent with the definition "certainly not more than" as specified in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 7th edition. This is the full definition of "barely" from the Dictionary.

I believe I understand the first and second definition: "barely" implies that something did happen, although it was very close that it didn't. As is also explained here https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/148031/what-does-barely-imply.

However, I am having trouble understanding the third definition, describing a quantity. Using the first example sentence and substituting in the provided words from the third definition, changes how I understand the  meaning of the sentence.

To me, stating that

  Just 50% of the population voted.

is similar to the definition in 1 and 2 and means the population percentage hit 50%, and maybe trickled over a tiny bit, but it is definitely not less than 50% (don't confuse this usage of just with how it can be used as a synonym for only).

Meanwhile, I interpret

  Certainly not more than 50% of the population voted.

as if 50% or less (but probably close to 50%) of the population voted, but definitely not more than 50%.

Combining these two interpretations creates a third definition of  "barely", as a synonym to "precisely", meaning no less and no more than 50.000...% of the population voted. I realize this interpretation could also be derived from "just" alone. Maybe this could also be related to the root "bare", as it would be a "naked" 50%, nothing more and nothing less?

Which, if any, of these interpretations is more accurate to how "barely" should be used with a quantity? Does this correct definition reflect the everyday use of "barely", or is it used less strictly to mean "around" or "about" a quantity?


texts:
Is walking up/down the road/street applicable if the street is not sloped?

I think I heard something about "with/against the numbering of houses" but I'm not sure if it's correct.

Also, if that were correct, why is walking down the street more popular than walking up the street?


texts: An adverb modifies an adjective, an adverb, and a verb, then  an auxiliary verb can be modified or described by a preposition phrase or adverbs? Feel free to say anything.