texts:
Please help me understand which tense it is better to use in the following situation: Alan meets Steve by chance. Steve doesn't recognise Alan, but Alan does recognise Steve. Alan is Steve's sister's English teacher. Alan wants to get to know Steve  and a dialogue starts:

Hey, Steve, hello!
Hello, do we know each other?
I'm Alan – I ((teach) OR (am teaching)) your sister English.

What tense is it better to use (because I have found there to be different views on the situation)? It is a fact that Alan is an English teacher, so in theory I can use present simple. On the other hand it is a temporary situation (English classes will end sooner or later, everyone understands that). Although the action isn't happening at the time if speaking, the action is not still finished when they are talking. From this point of view, I should use present continuous.
Please tell me which tense would you choose. Also please explain your choice. Thanks for attention!


texts:
I'm not sure if we can use holiday for our weekend or off days and holidays are considered the days in addition to our normal off days.

Saturdays and Sundays are weekends in my country but my friend doesn't work Wednesdays and Thursdays.

How can I ask about it?

What days are your weekend?
What days are your off days?
What days are your ______?

If neither of the above sentences is correct what can I put in this gap?


texts:
I've always found backshifting to be one of the most challenging parts of English grammar. My current issue involves using it in questions and negations.

Recently, I got into a conversation about Russia with a guy, who clearly lacked knowledge on the topic, and as a result appeared ignorant. I then asked him:

  "Why do you make it sound like Russia is some backward hellhole?"

To which he replied:

  "I didn't say Russia is backward"

And here my problem ensues. For some reason I feel like he should have said "I didn't say Russia was backward", though I don't have any idea why. It just sounds more idiomatic to my non-native ear.

Another similar issue struck me during some other conversation. This time, when talking about some comic book characters, the girl I was talking to asked me:

  What did you say his name was?

Although I deem it correct, I immediately started to wonder: would "What did you say his name is?" be as viable in this case?

Slight edit: what about the utterance "I had no idea you were/are this tall!"? The same applies, i.e. "were" seems more fitting?

Of course, if you manage to find any other problems with my grammar, I'd be really glad if you could point them out.


texts:
I know a phrase:

to discuss in person

If I'd like to speak with person on the phone to discuss a problem using voice, how do I name it:

to discuss matters in/by/with voice

?


texts:
Does "contract tracing measures" mean "contact tracing measures" here? Or was the author actually intended to write "contact tracing measures" yet miswrite it as "contract tracing measures"?

A year into the Coronavirus pandemic, China has effectively controlled the spread of Covid-19 within its borders, putting in place efficient lockdown and contract tracing measures and conducting mass testing for the virus for every small outbreak.

Source: hindustan times


texts: Online translator versus me. Whose translation is correct and why?

texts:
I wrote the following sentences in my native language and translated them into English. I wonder if they are correct.

Yesterday, the participants of the club held a meeting. My friend and
I had been planning to join the meeting but the friend had been held
up at work, so I didn't go there without him.

I put my original sentences in an online-translator and it gave me this result:

Yesterday, the club members held a meeting. My friend and I were going
to join the meeting, but the friend was late at work, so I didn't go
there without him.

Who's right?


texts: Can "has been" be used in other than "continuous" forms of verbs? Below are sample sentences

texts:
1) He has been doing it for five years - Present Perfect Continuous, doing is the transitive verb
2) He has been quiet for five years - Which form of tense? Quiet is an adjective(or past participle maybe) here, Be is the intransitive verb I suppose because subject He receives the action.
3) He has been gone for 3 years- Present perfect? As it doesn't look like a continuous action.
I'm confused as to what's happening in 2nd sentence. Does in-transitivity of verbs affect it's form of tense? I'm not sure if I'm phrasing my question correctly :)


texts: I eat the potato because I like potatoes!

texts:
I've been doing German lessons on duolingo, and this is one of the questions that came up:

This got me puzzled. What does "I eat the potato" even mean? I imagined a huge house-sized potato that I'm getting a slice of every now and then. "Oh yeah, the potato is at the main square, everybody in the village eats it. I eat the potato too! It is nutritious and it never ends! It just grows back!"

So it sounded quite off to me and I decided to do some research. First off, I entered the expected German answer into Google Translate:

Did these guys used Google Translate to author the lesson? Google cannot be wrong, right?

Unsatisfied, I searched ngram for 'I eat the'. Well there were quite a few hits, but the examples were like:

I cut down what I eat the next day
The less I eat, the better I feel
Shall I eat the ice cream sundae?
I eat the way my parents eat
I eat the right kind of foods

None of which is similar to the phrase in question. I eat the potato does not return any results.

Is this usage correct?


texts: Your Grace, Your Majesty, Your Highness... Does it all mean the same?

texts:
A lot of ways you can actually address the queen or someone from the royal family. But do these all phrases mean the exact same thing or is there a difference between them?

Maybe it depends whether the person you're talking to is actually in power now or maybe just a member of the royal family...
Maybe it depends on what is your political status. I mean, clearly an army officer wouldn't title the queen the same way that a random baker does. Or maybe it doesn't matter and it's always the same?
And do members of the royal family title each other with "your grace, your highness, blah blah blah..."?


texts: "translation rate" or "translational rate"?

texts:
When expressing the meaning "rate at which the mRNA is translated to proteins by ribosomes", should I use "translational rate" or "translation rate"? And similarly, when describing efficiency of this process, should I used "translational efficiency" or "translation efficiency"?

I read that noun can be used as adjectives. When searching usage at website of a famous bioligical journal, both usage can be found:

https://www.nature.com/search?order=relevance&q=%22translational%20efficiency%22

https://www.nature.com/search?order=relevance&q=%22translation%20efficiency%22

Is there a correct one and the other is incorrect or both ones are acceptable?


texts:
I have some troubles with using this collocation. The main issue is where I should use take a liking to and where just like. For example:

  He took an immidiate liking to Anna.

Why don't we use

  He liked Anna immidiately.

?


texts:
I can not figure out how 'deciding' is being used here?
"The fame election management skill of the party  came under stress with the party deciding to replace candidate Mr. X with Mr.Y as the candidate for contesting the election."


texts: In the sentence "Did you use to go to a gym in town?" The Word program changed use to used. Is this correct?


texts: whats the best verb to describe this situation?

texts:
You have two bills for $100 each. You paid $150. So $100 paid/bought/was for the first bill and the other $50 paid part of your second bill. you still need to pay the other part of the second bill.

I know that the bold words are not accurate and maybe wrong but what is the best verb that suits the context? Are there any other mistakes in my sentence?


texts: is he's / she's + name a correct sentence?

texts:
Is it correct to include a name right after a he's or she's?

It would define fully written in: ''He is John'' or ''She is Maria'' but it somehow just sounds wrong or impolite to me.


texts:
What is the grammar construction behind the following question:
Why will you need to read? For essays? For lectures? For seminars?

Thank you very much in advance!


texts: Meaning of "by the time" in the mentioned sentence?

texts:
What is the meaning of the following sentence. Specially, I am confused about the meaning of the phrase "by the time".

  By the time honored principle that "Ought implies can", one can be
  obliged to do A only if one has an effective choice as to whether to
  do A.


texts: was not hit the stumps vs. did not hit the stumps

texts:
Please explain the difference between was not and did not in my below example.

No, ball was not hit the stumps.

Or

No, ball did not hit the stumps.


texts: Which tense should I use after "by the time you read this"?

texts:
Could you please advise which sentence is grammatically correct?

  By the time you read this, I have already bought tickets and I have
  reserved a hotel.

or

  By the time you read this, I have already bought tickets and reserved
  a hotel.

or

  By the time you read this, I had already bought tickets and reserved a
  hotel.

or

  By the time you are reading this, I.....

or

Any better way to structure the same sentence?


texts:
I am unsure about the use of the definite article in the following two cases:

The division between the public and the private is not very clear.
The division between public and private space is not very clear. (in this case without the)

Thank you very much for your answers!


texts:
A quote from The Innocents Abroad, by Mark Twain:

  A devout lady who died, left money and contracted for unlimited masses
  for the repose of her soul, and also stipulated that this lamp should
  be kept lighted always, day and night. She did all this before she
  died, you understand [Emphases mine].

Why did not he use the Past Perfect like this:

A devout lady who died, had left money and had contracted for unlimited masses for the repose of her soul, and also had stipulated that this lamp should be kept lighted always, day and night. She did all this before she died, you
understand.

Are there particular reasons for this besides otherwise we would have missed the funny remark about she did it before she died?


texts: Complement of "require" in this sentence

texts:
I wrote:

  In general, the proposed methods search for repetitive structures to identify data regions. As a consequence, they require, at least, two or several data records to exist on a web page for the region extractor to work.

My other options are:

They require, at least, two or several data records on a web page
they require, at least, two or several data records be on a web page
they require, at least, two or several data records to be on a web page
they require the existence of  at least two or several data records on a web page
they require the presence of  at least two or several data records on a web page

Which pattern of the above is more common for the verb "require"?


texts: I am started feeling or I have started feeling

texts:
a) Now I am started feeling dizzy.

b) Now I have started feeling dizzy.

Which one is correct to say for present situation?

1 Now I am feeling good.

2 Now I am started feeling good.

3 Now I have started feeling good


texts:
I have come across an article titled " Scientists have invented a software that allows you to see several minutes into the future".

Software is an uncountable noun. Don't we usually say" a piece of software" instead of  "a software"?


texts: The simple past tense in the main clause and the present perfect in the subordinate?

texts:
This is an excerpt from a news article. What confuses me is the tense used in the first sentence. The simple past was used in the main clause while the present perfect in the subordinate, which, from what I learned, conflicts with general grammar rules. Is this a kind of exception because of 'emphasis on immediacy,' which is one of the features in news writing?

    Korean state media Yonhap reported yesterday (March 2) that China’s national tourism administration has told travel agencies to stop selling group packages and offering free trips from Beijing to South Korea. Since July, relations between Beijing and Seoul have been icy after South Korea agreed to let the US deploy an antimissile system, a move China strongly opposes.

    Quarts : China is trying to punish South Korea by keeping its tourists away


texts:
What does the sentence in boldface mean? I'm confused about the unless in this sentence.

WEIROB: Well, consider these possibilities. One is that a single soul, one and the same, has been with this body I call mine since it was born. The other is that one soul was associated with it until five years ago and then another, psychologically similar, inheriting all the old memories and beliefs, took over. A third hypothesis is that every five years a new soul takes over. A fourth is that every five minutes a new soul takes over. The most radical is that there is a constant flow of souls through this body, each psychologically similar to the preceding, as there is a constant flow of water molecules down the Blue. What evidence do I have that the first hypothesis, the “single soul hypothesis” is true, and not one of the others? Because I am the same person I was five minutes or five years ago? But the issue in question is simply whether from sameness of person, which isn’t in doubt, we can infer sameness of soul. Sameness of body? But how do I establish a stable relationship between soul and body? Sameness of thoughts and sensations? But they are in constant flux. By the nature of the case, if the soul cannot be observed, it cannot be observed to be the same. Indeed, no sense has ever been assigned to the phrase “same soul.” Nor could any sense be attached to it! One would have to say what a single soul looked like or felt like, how an encounter with a single soul at different times differed from encounters with different souls. But this can hardly be done, since a soul according to your conception doesn’t look or feel like anything at all. And so of course “souls” can afford no principle of identity. And so they cannot be used to bridge the gulf between my existence now and my existence in the hereafter.
MILLER: Do you doubt the existence of your own soul?
WEIROB: I haven’t based my argument on there being no immaterial souls of the sort you describe, but merely on their total irrelevance to questions of personal identity, and so to questions of personal survival. I do indeed harbor grave doubts whether there are any immaterial souls of the sort to which you appeal. Can we have a notion of a soul unless we have a notion of the same soul? But I hope you do not think that means I doubt my own existence. I think I lie here, overweight and conscious. I think you can see me, not just some outer wrapping, for I think I am just a live human body. But that is not the basis of my argument. I give you these souls. I merely observe that they can by their nature provide no principle of personal identity.
-- from a dialogue on personal identity and immortality


texts: Meaning of the verb "recover" in context

texts:
It was in the 12th episode of the 9th season of Friends. Here is the scene. It's at around 13 seconds.
Rachel: Yeah, I just get a little bummed when my birthday's over.

Monica: Well, at least you have one thing to be happy about. That jerk
Gavin from your office didn't show up (Gavin shows up at the balcony
windows).
Rachel: Mmm hmm.
Gavin: Yeah, hey. (comes in to the balcony)
Monica: Oh, we weren't talking about you. No, no way to recover.

I looked it up in this dictionary and any of the definitions seem to fit.


texts: Which is the better choice here? Present perfect continuous or past simple?

texts:
Today is Sunday and I don't feel well because I have been drinking three days in a row: Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The drinking has stopped, but I can still feel its effect, so present perfect continuous is the appropriate tense to use.

On the other hand, the drinking happened in the past, even if it is a very recent past. So I'm in doubt about which tense to use. I feel that If I use past simple it makes it sound like it has no effect now, it is a past event. Am I correct about this?


texts: Help me understand the word "Doggo" in this image

texts: I study English, I like it very much. Help to figure out. "Doggo" it is not clear in the context. Please explain how a native English speaker understand this phrase. Maybe we can replace the word "Doggo" in other words "Pause".


texts: "...more I do something more..." Construction

texts:
I want to write some message about some programming language.

  The more I write a code on "language name" the more it's pleased to me.

Is this sentence correct? How I should say it correctly?


texts: Is it okay to use the word 'Important' negatively?

texts:
We can say--

  Five Important Tips to Bring Success to Your Business

But then, what about -

  Five Important Tips that Bring Failure to Your Business

I was thinking of a title like this -

  Five Important Factors that Contribute to your Business Failure

OR

  Five Important Hazardous Factors that can Make You Sick for More than a Month

Whenever we utter the word 'important', we get a positive vibe drawing our attention. Said that, 'important tips' have to be positive. Is it possible to use it in a negative way?

I'm not asking about using the words - 'unimportant' or 'not-important'.


texts:
I want to ask something very politely by email and I'm not sure it sounds okay.. this is what I wrote:

  May I know exactly on what day the result will be announced, by any chance? I have personal circumstances to need the result by <--date-->, so it would be very helpful if you let me know more specific date. Thank you.

I wonder if "May I know ~ "  and "I have personal circumstances to ~"  are grammatically correct and sound natural in English.

If not, is there a better way to say this politely?


texts: Don't talk gibberish, I don't talk gibberish

texts:
Someone replied to a question I asked( on a website).

He wrote:
Ajjdj skidid sksksko......

So I said:

  Sorry but I don't talk gibberish.

Is the use of "talk gibberish" natural?

Can it be:

  Please don't talk gibberish.

Is it a natural alternative for "speak"(of course colloquially).


texts: Is it craft an item "on the forge" or "in the forge"?

texts:
Or is it something else?

Here's some additional context.

  In Skyrim, we can craft items on the forge if we have the requisite
  material. My level 12 Nord already crafted 10 pieces of iron armor.


texts:
This Agreement is between you (either an individual or an entity) and A Software Products, (hereinafter called ‘A’) A is willing to grant you the following the rights to use the Software known as B PDF Editor and its accompanying documentation (collectively, the ‘Software’) only if you agree to be bound by all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, relevant to the version in use as distinguished by the term ‘End User.’  If you are not willing to agree to any of the terms of this Agreement, A is unwilling to grant you a license and  ... you must delete it completely from any storage media you may have saved it to.

Please explain the clause in bold type. Does "version" refer to the software or the agreement? What would be the object governed by the verb "distinguished"?


texts:
In the sentence below we have added three items together, "sunken, blue eyes", "dry blond hair" and "bruises on her skin". I wonder if I need to add "and" just before "the bruises on her skin". As there is one other "and" joining the two sentences, it is really confusing for me which the right way is.

  "I look at those sunken, blue eyes, her dry blond hair, the bruises on her skin and I try to imagine her without all those horrible features, finally recognizing Lily Din."


texts: Why "to" in "I’ve been leaving the worst to last" and what does it mean?

texts:
(I remember he once said about a Mondrian—“it isn’t whether you like it, but whether you ought to like it”—I mean, he dislikes abstract art on principle. He ignores what he feels.)

  I’ve been leaving the worst to last. Women.

From The Collector, by John Fowles

Why "to last" and what does it mean?


texts:
Does "once in a blue moon," an expression that means "very rarely," also require inversion?

Rarely does he work at night.
He rarely works at night.
Once in a blue moon does he work at night.
Once in a blue moon he works at night.


texts:
An answerer suggests

  Yes, once you fill in the blanks (teams, post-season). I think you need a written-out number at the start of a sentence.

I understand the meaning of "written-out", that is,

  to write especially in a full and complete form.

What does "written-out number" mean?

I googled it and went through top hits. None gives a clear explanation of it. One of them gives

  "2,002,102"

  Two million and two thousand and one hundred and two

Could someone please give a hint about the rules/conventions of it? Thanks in advance.


texts: Antecedent of 'whose' in 'to whose extent'? (1834 UK)

texts:
Source: p 377, A Treatise on Astronomy, by Sir John F. W. Herschel

  ... But between that remotest orb and the nearest star there is a gulf fixed, to whose extent no observations yet made have enabled us to assign any distinct approximation, or to name any distance, however immense, which it may not, for any thing we can tell, surpass.

My struggle with  'to the extent of which', inspired me to Google some examples of 'to whose extent' as practice. This is how I encountered this quote, not because I wish to learn astronomy.

Here, I guessed: to whose extent  =  to the extent of which.

What`s the antecedent of whose? What does to whose mean here? Please explain WITHOUT rewriting or paraphrasing the sentence.


texts: you should always use reasonable case -- what do they mean by "case" here?

texts:
This text is part of the copyright page from the book IP Addressing and Subnetting, Including IPv6 by Syngress (2000):

  You should always use reasonable case, including backup and other appropriate precautions, when working with computers, networks, data, and files.

I checked all possible meanings typically found in a garden-variety English dictionary, but I don't think I saw one fitting the way it is used in this legal sentence. Any idea as to what it really means here?


texts: A three room house but a three headED dog

texts:
Why doesn't

  A three room house

have the "ed" ending while

  A three-headED dog

has?


texts:
Google, like all search companies, is entasked with providing an easy way to access information that’s important to people.
-- What "viable search engine competition" really looks like, blog.nullspace.com

What is the meaning of entasked / entasked with?
Is entasked with an obsolete phrase?


texts:
I want to ask my boss that if our company bus goes near from his home then will he travel 45 min to railway station.

Would you travel 45 min to railway station if bus goes near from your home.
Would you travel 45 Min to railway station if bus would passing near from your home.
Would you travel 45 min to railway station if bus has passed near from your home.
Would your travel 45 min to railway station if bus is passing near from your home.

Which of these is best? Please correct me if none of the above are correct.


texts: What do you use to express that the marker lines are visible on the other page

texts:
I drew something in pencil, then I outlined it with a black marker. Maybe it got too dark, and I could see the outline of that diagram on the other side of the page (when I turned the page.) I could see the impression on the other page. So what can I use,

  The diagram got impressed on the other side of the page .

  The diagram got printed on the other side of the page.

Do these sound natural? If not then what would sound natural?


texts: Is "Estimated number of people who start going home" appropriate for the caption of a figure?

texts:
I'm writing a technical report and need to add a line chart to show how many people start going home during each hour (e.g. between 14:00 and 15:00). The numbers of people are counted (estimated) by some technical method. The line chart looks like the following.

My question is whether a caption below is correct or not.

  Figure1. Estimated number of people who start going home during an hour

or

  Figure1. Estimated number of people starting to go home during an hour

I'm sorry for not mentioning very detail context. If you suggest a lack of information, I'll add it. Thank you.


texts: I can't understand the meaning of 'she has like 10 cars'

texts:
I saw a sentence on the internet containing this phrase

  she has like 10 cars

But I cannot understand the meaning of 'like 10 cars'. I think 'she has 10 cars.' is enough instead of 'she has like 10 cars'.
Why did the writer put the word 'like' here?


texts:
Is the usage of "and till" appropriate?

Personally I think it's not correct since "till" is a conjunction and should not be preceded by "and". But I noticed such usage in many examples in many circumstances.

  In those days, and till comparatively recent time, the country was densely wooded


texts: Shouldn't "He always knows what I am doing" be "He always knows what I do"?

texts:
I saw this sentence on a website

  "He always knows what I am doing"

shouldn't it be like

  "he always knows what I do"

Because what I am doing is in a progressive manner and the sentence means a general knowledge of what she does.


texts: Spine/stem synonym with figurative meaning

texts:
I know the word 'spine' can be used like a metaphor for person's courage or assertiveness or inner strength. I'm looking for synonyms for this meaning but with one additional meaning related to a tree trunk. So that I can write, "His (spine/stem/etc.) was cut down," and be sure that the sentence has an ambiguous meaning like "breaking the spine, the inner strength of the person" and "cutting down the tree's trunk."

What words can I use for this?


texts: "I took my shirt off" or "I took off my shirt"

texts:
Which usage is correct/formal with clothes?

  I took my shirt off.

or

  I took off my shirt.

I've seen both of these usage. Is there any difference?


texts: Why does Macklemore sing "If you're wondering, yes, I does my thing"?

texts: In the song Brad Pitt's Cousin Mr Macklemore says "If you're wondering, yes, I does my thing". Why he says does he say "I does"? And is that grammatically correct?


texts:
Can a personal pronoun such as I and they be used in passive expressions of mistake?
If yes, what is the meaning?

For example,

  I am mistaken.
  They are mistaken.


texts: How is the structure " Never have I been"?

texts:
I came across " Never have I been so glad to see anyone in my life.".

Is " Never have I been so glad" is the same meaning as "I have been so glad"?
How can I use the phrase " Never have I"?


texts:
I had turned on the AC and the room had cooled down after a while.  Later on my brother opened up the door,  so I wanted him to close the door.  I know I can simply say "Close the door",  but I want to emphasize on the consequence of opening the door.

  The cooling will go out.

By 'go out" I mean "go out of the room"

  The room will become hot.

  The room will get hot.

And  after it has happened:

  The room has gotten hot.


texts:
Here are two examples from the news:

  In July exports of goods continued to decline
  Pregnant women continuing to drink alcohol despite warnings from medical experts

Whats the difference between using "continued to" and "continuing" in terms of time/tense?


texts:
Reading the paragraph,

  We have been running this company successfully from the past twenty years and after having 5 branches we are going ahead and opening a new branch. This would not have been possible today because of the efforts and dedication of our management and employees. So we invite each and every employee to attend this programme as they too are a vital part of this company.

I was thinking if it is better to use "without" instead of "because of".
Would you choice to use "without" also? Why or Why not.


texts: Can I use the word 'conservative' in this sentence? Any alternatives?

texts:
The guidelines are quite conservative, leading to costly 'over-design'

I'm trying to express that these guidelines are 'on the safe side'. I saw someone use the word conservative in this context, but I'm not sure whether this is correct, because I receive a lot of frowns when using it among my Dutch colleagues. In Dutch, this word is used only for 'old-fashioned' or 'traditional'. However, I can't find a suitable alternative. Hence the question.

Edit: The guidelines are design guidelines for wind turbines. They are used to estimate wind loads. If the loads are too high, the turbine might break. So if the guidelines are 'on the safe side', the estimated loads will probably be higher than the actual loads. Naturally, you want to be on the safe side, but if the estimated loads are much higher than the actual loads, you're wasting money.


texts: "Comparing these stories is/are lazy": "is lazy" or "are lazy"?

texts: Am I talking about the gerund or the stories? Should I use is or are after the word lazy?


texts: Is there any difference between "changing mind on something" and "changing mind about something"? Are these two expressions interchangeable?


texts:
How to say correct:

  That house is my friend's

  That house is of my friend

  That house is of my friend's


texts:
Can we use the word "opponent" as an adjective as in follows?
"Our school beat the oppponent team 2-0."
Should we say "opposing team" or "rival team" in the above-mentioned sentence?


texts: "What happened during the earthquake" or" what did happen during the earthquake"?

texts:
I somehow know that the first one is the correct one. I just don't know how to justify it.

What do you think? Do we have to use an auxiliary all the time or is it correct not to in this case?

Why?


texts: What is the meaning of "rocks my world"?

texts:
From a discussion on Unix & Linux Stack Exchange:

  lsof rocks my world! grep on IPv4 as well to find various IP based things

The lsof is a command you can ignore, but how about the rocks my world? What's the meaning of it?


texts: I read a sentence "Where can I get a number 20 bus?" on a website. Could you please tell me what the difference is between "get a bus" and "take a bus"..


texts:
I am wondering how the modal "shall" affects the interepratation of the following sentence in traditional British English:

  My voyage is only now delayed until the weather shall permit my embarkation.

Does the until-clause mean the same as "until I am certain the weahter permits my embarkation"?


texts:
In Braveheart (1995), Hamish watches two runners running through hillside:

Hamish: William! It's several runners!

Two runners approaches Wallace and his band:

Runner 1: The English are advancing an army toward Stirling.
Wallace: Do the nobles rally?
Runner 2: Robert the Bruce and most of the others will not commit to
battle, but word has spread, and the Highlanders are coming  down on
their own.

If there are only two runners, so several means more than two, so word several fits here?


texts:
What kind of car has she got?

As far as I understand, there are different ways to answer such a question: old-fashioned, red, comfortable, sporty, a BMW, etc.

Can this question be asked about her old black car? (=What does her car look like?)

Please correct me if I am wrong.


texts: Does "be looking up" mean improving "so not correct"?

texts:
this post (https://ell.stackexchange.com/a/169966) says

  Looking up means improving so not correct

cambridge (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-simplified/look-up?q=looking+up) gives

  to become better

I cannot get the meaning of "so not correct" in this example.

  Our financial situation is looking up at last.

Is there some special situation where "Looking up means improving so not correct", if yes, what is that?


texts:
"Not only do the children need new clothes, but also need new bookbags."
" The Children not only need clothes but also need new bookbags."

Which one do you often write or say?
Are these the same? Are they correct?


texts: Is there a reason why, we use "up" and not "in". I always thought it wasn't intuitive to use "up", is there a semantic reason, or is it "cultural" or "historical"? Can someone explain, so that a non-native English speaker may understand why "up" "makes perfect sense" in this vulgar expression? Also, is there any similar example where we use "up" in a similar manner?


texts:
The candidate was likely to win the assembly elections (with a) sweeping majority.

My exam says "with a" should be replaced as "by a", but this doesn't sound correct to me.

can you help me out?


texts:
What does "cracker" mean in these passages  from The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth:

1:
QUINN. Where’s Michael?
CAITLIN. Flat on his cracker in bed.

2:
MICHAEL. Morning, Tom Kettle. Where’s m’da?
CAITLIN. Out in the black barn. Killing the goose.
MICHAEL. I’m s’posed to be killing the goose!
CAITLIN. Not flat on your cracker in bed you’re not. It’s gone six.


texts:
Actually I look for some English idioms, or as we say "proverbs" or "popular expressions". But I wonder if we use a lot of these expressions during a casual conversation that we could have with a new person we met in the street or somewhere else.

Some of them look very old school and it may be weird for me (I'm young) to use them with a group of young people.

Also, I would like to know if people use idioms in formal conversation or in academics test as TOEFL or TOEIC.

Some concerned idioms :
-fish out of water
-in the nick of time/ Instead of "We are almost late"
-Draw lines/ Instead of "set some limits"
-Cut corners
-Play it by the ear/ Instead of improvise
-Between a rock and a hard place
-Bite a bullet
Etc...

I won't list all of them here but you can get the gist.


texts: Reading task from English State Exam in Russia

texts:
I'm not sure whether it is appropriate to ask questions like the following one on StackExchange, but you are my only hope.

Here's an abstract of reading task and a question taken from 2019 Russian National Exam in English.

  ...Our new auditorium is one shining example that we are proud to
  support. Not only is this facility a marvel of world-class
  architecture and programming, it also strives to make the arts
  accessible to all citizens. These experiences spark curiosity and
  imagination in audiences, young and old, to remind us what it means to
  be alive in this era of technology and separation.

  It is implied that the new auditorium supports an education program in ..

  arts.
  architecture.
  technology.
  programming.

Which answer is correct? I suppose, it is neither architecture nor programming because those two were mentioned to describe the interior and facilities the new auditorium has. Having two options left, I guess the answer is arts.

Am I right? Could you, please, clarify?


texts: Two thousand seventeen VS twenty seventeen: What is the rule for year pronunciation?

texts:
When I started learning English in junior school I was told that I had to pronounce the year 1997 nineteen ninety-seven and the year 2007 two thousand seven.

I've always followed the rule and pronounced the current year two thousand something, while refering to the last century with nineteen-something.

However I have, on several occasions, heard people talk about future years - e.g. 2050 in this tune's intro - and pronounce it twenty something.

This made me think it was ok to say, for instance, twenty seventeen when talking about the current year and I thought about it no more. Lately, in English class, I was talking to my teacher about a trip I did in 2012 and as he asked when, I answered: "That was in twenty twelve". And well by the look on his face I imediately corrected myself - "Oops, I mean two thousand twelve!" - and he was happy. But I did not get the occasion of asking him about the rule.

When will we stop refering to the current year as two thousand something and start saying twenty something?

Two thousand seventeen is already long and laborious to say, but in ten years? Two thousand twenty-seven is even worse. By then will we be "allowed" to say twenty twenty-seven? If not, when? Why not now? And what about the year 4456, do I have to say four thousand four hundreds fifty six or fourty-four fifty-six?

To make short, what is the rule here? I have no clue.

Thanks in advance!

P.S.: I also have no clue on how to hyphenate numbers but that's another story.


texts: How to hyphenate an adjective+noun+gerund adjective compound?

texts:
We're used to adjective compounds, such as:

  a decision-making process

or

  a  cancer-causing lotion.

But what if I want to add an adjective to the noun?

For example:

  a corporate decision-making process. (A process to make corporate decisions)

Or

  A malignant cancer-causing lotion. (A lotion that causes malignant cancer)

Should I put an hyphen between "corporate" and "decision", and between "malignant" and "cancer"?


texts: Is it mandatory to use a comma to separate independent clauses?

texts:
He walked down the street, and then he turned the corner.

I sometimes don't use a comma before "and" like this:

  He walked down the street and then he turned the corner.

Is the comma mandatory when the clauses are independent, or optional like I always thought it was?


texts:
The Big Bang Theory excerpt on YouTube

  The guy is one lab accident away from being a super villain.

What is the structure of this sentence? Does it mean:

  The guy is one lab accident

or:

  The guy is a super villain


texts: “I’m too tired to drive”: Why does removing 'too' make this sentence ungrammatical?

texts:
This is grammatical:

  I'm too tired to drive.

but this isn't:

  I'm tired to drive.

Why? How can removing an adverb make a sentence ungrammatical?

In a sentence like “He slowly walked down the street”, you can remove the adverb and still get a grammatical sentence: “He walked down the street.” What is different about “I'm too tired to drive”?


texts: "You look done" - does it make any sense?

texts:
You are done.
You look done.

Are these two sentences grammatically correct and make any sense? If two are correct, what are the difference between them?
*** I have learnt about "Predicate Adjectives" recently and it is found that we can use predicate adjective after linking verb. So does sentence 2 make any sense?


texts:
Example (Russia 'is building military base in Syria'):

  American officials express concern about latest intelligence suggesting Moscow is preparing to send hundreds of personnel to prop up Assad regime.

I don't understand why it's not THE latest intelligence. latest is the superlative form of the adjective late and those types of grammatical forms of adjectives usually require definite articles.


texts:
Interested in the language of this disciplinary technique, I read on the Internet that children can be in time out but I was also looking for how to tell a child that they are in time out and when they are done their time out.

So how would you say just that in both Englishes across the pond. An example would be very appreciated in order to show how to use the word/phrase/sentence in both cases.


texts: tense agreement (simple past tense after past perfect tense)

texts:
I found this sentence below in a test passage:

  Less well known at the time was the fact that Freud had found out, almost by accident, how helpful his pet dog Jofi was to his patients.

Why is "Jofi was" used instead of "Jofi had been" when the tense of the main clause is "had found out"?


texts:
Thank you guys,
As a non-native speaker, I wondered which one sounds more naturally. (in academic writing)

Mothers, traditionally, stayed at home to cook and look after their children.
Mothers, traditionally, stayed at home for cooking and looking after their children.

Thank you very much


texts: Use of "if", "whether" or "did" in a question

texts:
I had to send an email to a colleague from work to make sure I am registered to some kind of company event.

I wasn't sure what is the best grammar to go with. Options that are considered are:

  Sorry to bother you, could you tell me if I am registered already?
  Sorry to bother you, could you tell me whether I am registered already?
  Sorry to bother you, could you tell me am I registered already?
  Sorry to bother you, could you tell me did I register already?

I went with option number 2. Which one would native speaker choose?


texts: What is the sentence structure uses after "that"?

texts:
The first is the plethora of small businesses, from family-run corner shops and ice-cream parlours to hardware stores, that by and large are as scruffy as they were back then, eke out a meagre existence and remain stubbornly cash-only.

We usually see , sub+ verb/ only verb after "that",but in this sentence, uses by after "that" and uses "and". How do construct this sentence? And waht is the meaning of sentence?


texts: Choose right options for completing sentences

texts:
Fill in the blank with proper option.
We have these sentences : "He drove as ... as me" , "He was driving as ... as me"
1. quick
2. quickly

What are the correct options and why they are true ?


texts: Is it necessary to add hyphens before this location?

texts:
I am wondering whether I need to add hyphens to Karala in this context? Is it necessary?
Moreover, this specific education allows her to aid like no other to her home region --Karala, whose population is experiencing serious difficulties as a consequence of climate change. Intensive droughts, natural resource overexploitation, and minor governmental regulation have led to a decrease in biodiversity and water resources available for the people to survive


texts: What type of dependent clause is "just so you know"?

texts:
For example:
"Just so you know, I'll be at the beach."
I think it's an adverb clause but I'm not sure.


texts: Is there a noun/phrase to call someone living far away from their hometown?

texts:
Let's say that Jacob is a student of a high school coming from a place 150 miles away. Because it's inefficient to commute between his school and his home, Jacob decided to rent an apartment near his school and lives there, thus Jacob is now living far away from his home.

Now suppose there is a neighbor working as a consultant, Sasha, who also lives far away from his hometown but she has been living there for 3 years. Seeing Jacob struggling because this is the first time he need to live by his own, Sasha as a fellow ________ is symphatetic to him and often gives him advices.

Is there a noun/ phrase/ short and concise words to fill in the gaps? Note that Sasha's hometown, Jacob's hometown, and the school all are in a same country.

A simple google translate gives me migrant and settled foreigners, but I feel like migrant have somewhat negative connotation, is more appropriate when it's used in political context and draws lot association with border immigration... Also I think settled foreigners is not best choice, from the school area residents point of view, they're not foreigners.

Another word that came out from my head is fugitive. Google, Merriam-webster, and other popular online dictionaries suggest it's used to imply someone is living far away in the context of fleeing/escaping because of fear/other reasons. However, Jacob and Sasha are not necessarily running away from their hometown.

An answer from this question suggests suitcase student, but Sasha is not a student. Also it's somewhat uncommon to see its usage.

I'm confused. Please help.


texts:
George Hummel usually _____ with members of his department once a week to discuss schedule changes.

a) meeting
b) meet
c) meets
d) have met

The answer is c, Ok,that's easy. But if I change 'have met' into 'has met', is this sentence correct, especially in grammar? So my question is;

George Hummel usually has met with members of his department once a week to discuss schedule changes.

Is this sentence correct? As a non-native, I'm often confused in using present perfect. So, Can I use present perfect with 'once a week'?


texts:
“I think all of these things are kind of baked in right now, and the trade location is poor,” he said. “Even the dollar, I’ve been very negative on the dollar since January of 2017 but I actually turned neutral on the dollar a little bit lower than where we are right now ... just because these things seem like they’ve gotten too deeply into the consensus narrative.”
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/11/jeffrey-gundlach-bitcoins-price-action-is-nearing-bubble-territory.html


texts: "You are your self first supporter", a more proper way to say it

texts:
I want to say that the person himself/herself should be the first supporter of himself/herself. I came up with two different ways of saying that, and I want to know if they are all correct, and which one presents the best version.

  You are your self first supporter.
  You are the first supporter for yourself.

I prefer the first one as it sounds idiomatic, but I don't want the "your self" part to get confused with "yourself" when spoken loudly. So is there another word I can substitute "self" with?

P.S.

I want "support" to be about all the psychological aspects of the human being, not financial support for example. In other words, you would say that phrase to encourage someone in achieving his/her dreams and goals, to keep fighting in life (not literally), to overcome challenges, and so on.

By "first" I mean that you should support yourself before others do.


texts: How to ask someone in a questionary about the way the became familiar with us?

texts:
I'm going to make a questionary for my company and need to know how my customers have become familiar with my organization. Which option sounds more idiomatic and natural in this case and how the choices bellow are different from each other?

  How did you get to know about us?
  How did you learn about us?
  How did you hear about us?
  How did you get / become familiar with us?

PS, to me they all mean exactly the same, but I have my doubts whether natives think the same as me!


texts: Difference between "forethought" and "aforethought"?

texts:
I have a hard time understanding the difference between aforethought and forethought. Based on this link from wikidiff, the difference is explained this way:

  forethought is thought of, or planned, beforehand while aforethought is premeditated; planned ahead of time.

I fail to see any difference between "planned beforehand" and "planned ahead of time". I interpret these two statements as identical.


texts:
Which one is correct?

  I forgot about my password.
  I forgot my password.

(Meaning I forgot what my password is.)

Thanks a lot.


texts:
After an English class on the subjunctives, I am now confused about the usage of "would".

The definition provided for "would":

  (expressing the conditional mood) indicating the consequence of an imagined event or situation.

Before the class, I would typically say something like "I'm sure that would happen."

But come to think about it now, how could you be sure if the consequence is imaginary?

My questions are, instead of saying "that would happen" in the sentence, should I use "that will happen"? And is the original sentence grammatical?

Edit:
I'm not asking about the general usage of "will" and "would". I guess my question is more about the combination of word "sure" and "would" since the definition confused me in the first place. So I really don't think my question is a duplicate.


texts:
Father said to me,"Don't sleep at late and miss the train".

A. Father forbade me to sleep late lest I should miss the train.

B. Father asked me not to sleep at late and miss the train.

C. Father advised me not to sleep at late and miss the train.

Foe me, A and C could be possible answer. But A is given in answer sheet.
Thank you


texts: Difference between May, Could, Can or Might?

texts:
My teacher's sent an assignment and asked the difference among these modals. However, the more I do research,the more the sites say there's no difference. And previously I'd seen that may expresses higher possibly than might, so that's why I'm confused. And I'd also never seen could and can being used for possibly.

Could you help me?


texts:
The mobile and the internet infrastructure that existed and the ease with which  customers were able to access technology.

In this sentence, does  "which "  refer to "the mobile and internet infrastructure that existed"?
And is "the mobile and the internet infrastructure that existed and the ease with which" dependent clause?


texts: The rules of the definite and the indefinite articles

texts:
I’m having some trouble understanding ”a/an”.
In sentences like this one:
”A gunman entered my store and held a gun to my head.”
What is ”a” really telling me as a reader about the gunman and the gun?That it is one, non-specfic, gunman holding one, non-specific, gun to my head? Or is ”a” in this sentence merely expressing the quantity; that it is ”one” gunman holding ”one” gun?


texts: Is it acceptable to have dangling participle a century ago? and what's the implication of a literally understandable sentence?

texts:
Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. (From The Gift of The Magi by O. Henry)

Clearly "being wise" here is a dangling participle. Since it was written more than a century back, is this an acceptable use? Or it's just a mistake?
Also I don't understand the implication of the bold text at the end, though knowing the literal meaning of it.


texts:
A majority of the students who attend the job fair expressed interest in becoming doctors or lawyers.

What does the word "fair" in this sentence mean?


texts:
What is meant by (I come from) in the following sentence:

I come from Canada, but my parents are Chinese.

Does it mean that the speaker (was born in Canada), or that (he has the Canadian nationality), or it simply means that (he arrived from Canada)?


texts: Alternative ways of saying "...., right?"

texts:
What are some alternative ways of confirming a point, situation, etc. apart from saying “…, right?” at the end of a sentence to make it a question? (e.g. You are going tomorrow on the 11:30 flight, right?)

What are some good similar ways to ask the same question (in a way that we are confirming our point and it is not all unknown to us)


texts:
She glossed over the company's declining profits.
 ( original text)

Can I use the word "declined" instead of "declining" so that the sentence becomes as follows :

She glossed over the company's declined profits.


texts:
if I am travelling in a foreign country and the local people there asked me when I entered this country. Are the following three sentences equivalent:

  I came here a week ago
  I got here a week ago
  I arrived here a week ago


texts: A question about relative clause and present participle

texts:
Consider:

  He hurt his arm while he was playing tennis.

  He hurt his arm playing tennis.

  He hurt his arm while playing tennis.

I can justify sentences 1 and 2 (2 is reduced version of 1). But, I have no idea about grammarian structure of the  while playing in sentence three (3).

Edit:

I want to now is there any specific rule for the reduction that happened in the sentence 3 ?


texts: What is the difference between "organize one's time" and "manage one's time"?

texts:
Could you tell me what the difference is between organize one's time and manage one's time? For example:

Kate meets her deadlines because she's good at organizing her time
Kate meets her deadlines because she's good at managing her time


texts: How to revise the use of "and" in this kind of sentence?

texts:
When writing sentences, I often want to use "and" after "and" between different objects.

See the examples:

  When writing stories, I often use a descriptive metaphor and simple and fresh plot to…
  Last night, I saw a truck with its logo and black and yellow company name.

So my point is:

First sentence: metaphor and plot, the and in simple and fresh adjective made the first less structure.

Second sentence: logo, and black and yellow company name.

I know they are probably both grammatical. But I am wondering if there are any ways to improve the sentence so that it flows better. Maybe one "and"? Many thanks. Any thoughts will be grateful.

Update: Sorry for being so confusing. In the second sentence, the logo and sign are two objects. I've revised it to company name. Thanks for the advise so far.


texts:
Does it mean "They couldn't reach an agreement"?
http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/fodder?q=fodder+
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fodder

"The negotiations foundered over multiple issues, but labor and the environment were not trouble-free. The reason was that the United States does not come up with brand new outlines of trade agreements every time it sits down with a partner. Each agreement builds on its predecessors. Thus, even with an advanced partner like the EU, whatever language was adopted on labor and the environment would be a strong candidate for a new trade standard, even when applied to countries with weaker protections. Hence, there was still fodder for a fight."

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/phillevy/2017/07/09/why-a-us-uk-trade-quickie-is-very-unlikely/#43e934cd20e8


texts:
I have a few ridge lines oriented in different directions. So, I want to check the orthogonality and parallelism of a ridge with respect to other ridges. I am struggling to figure out how to write this as I am unsure where each other should be placed. Here are my tries:

  It depends on how ridges deviate from the orthogonality and
  parallelism of each other.
  It depends on how ridges deviate each other by the relative
  orthogonality and parallelism.

Any assistance, please?


texts: What does it mean "the battery is sound"?

texts:
The whole sentence goes: "Ensure the battery is sound before leaving the site."

I don't know a lot about batteries...

Could this mean that the battery has a specific sound if they press a button on it just to check if it works properly before usage?


texts:
The following are my understanding about using "whosever." Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you.

❶ Whosever answer, if correct, comes out first gets the prize.
➜ Correct, and it means anyone whose answer, if correct, comes out first gets the prize.

❷ Whosever proposal promises the greatest profit will be adopted.
➜ Correct, and it means the proposal, no matter whose (proposal) it is, that promises the greatest profit will be adopted.

❸ Whosever number I dialed last night will show up today.
Correct, and it means anyone whose number I dialed last night will show up today.

❹ Whosever number I dialed last night has proven wrong.
➜ Correct, and it means the number, no matter whose (number) it was, has proven wrong.


texts: Walk in / on /over: Which is the right preposition in the following scenario?

texts:
I had to walk   IN / ON / OVER   frozen ruts in the snow.

In  my opinion it should be ON as I had to walk on a surface. However I came across 2 instances on the web where either it is IN or OVER.  May I know which is right and why is it so?


texts: "It'll be a very long time before someone inspires us the way Harvey did" meaning?

texts:
I was reading the script of "The Dark Knight Rises" where I encounter with a sentence

  "It will be a very long time before someone inspires us the way Harvey did"

I spent some time with this sentence and arrived at the following conclusion,which is according to me.
I broke this sentence into pieces "it will be a very long time before someone " which might be meaning "someone has to do a lot of hard work " ,"inspires  us the way Harvey did" which might be "to inspire us the way Harvey did.

I may be wrong ,so I'd like to know the exact meaning


texts:
I have this sentence

Finally, we check if there is any context whose parent is the current context; if so, we should reevaluate the context node's children with regard to ? OR according to this new context.

I don't know the usage of "with regard to", sometimes I need sentences which describe a situation which is dependent on another thing or situation. I don't know which phrase should I use.
For example,

Kids should be treated with regard to their age (is it correct?)
This variable should be assigned with regard to the value of Y variable.
We should build the building with regard to the new rule (or with regard to the sun direction)

What are the other usefull phrases for such situations?


texts:
In this comic strip, the man says "Boss, I could really use a bump in my salary."
It seems like that he is asking for a raise in his salary.
What does "use a bump" mean here?


texts:
When does a comma follow an exclamatory 'oh' or 'ah'?

Example 1 (no comma after oh)

  “Everybody can't come here, you know, how ridiculous can you get? There's just barely enough room on this planter box for you and me, and not much else! Oh you're crazy all right, Marshall, no doubt about it!” “Probably. You know though, we […].”
  (The Cosmic Lady Was Right: An American Journey by Marshall Motz)

Example 2 (comma placed after oh)

  “Oh, my gosh,” Ronald cried out. “You destroyed my ship, what are you doing?”
  (Monster Closet by G. L. Robins)

Is this only a matter of style, or are the uses of 'Oh' in the examples above somewhat different?


texts:
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one of the meanings of "to lay off" is :

  to lay off : to leave undisturbed.

How would this definition fit within the context "to lay off of him" for example ?


texts:
I am developing a game. When you tap or hold the screen with your finger, character goes up.

I want to display a tutorial at the beginning of the game. English is not my native language so I am a little bit confused. Which message is grammatically correct?

  Hold the screen to fly
  Hold on to the screen to fly
  Hold your finger on the screen to fly

If anybody has displayed a similar message in their game, can you share it with me?


texts: Can "who" serve complement in a relative clause?

texts:
1: He is no longer the person who he was ten years ago.

2: He is no longer the person that he was ten years ago.

Does the first sentence sound natural? Can "who" serve as a complement in a relative clause?

Thank you very much.


texts: What is the difference between "had been" and "would have been"?

texts:
I have this doubt when to use these two terms; for example:

  If I had been with you, I might be taking care.

or:

  If I would have been with you, I might be taking care.

Which is correct, and, if there is a difference between the two, how would you explain that difference?


texts: "Thick red dotted line", or "dotted thick red line", or...?

texts:
I would say "dotted red line", but I'm very unsure. Dictionary and web searches didn't lead to a definitive answer. This answer points to a British Council link which seems to confirm "dotted red line", but I would be happy to get an answer with references to grammar books or to concrete literature usage. Thank you!
Edit: Of course my question also concerns "solid blue curve", "dashed green circle", and so on.
In my specific case, both adjectives qualify the same line. In preparing plots one can distinguish lines by their colour, but to avoid problems in case of black & white printing, for example, it's useful to add additional distinguishing features such as the continuity (or thickness) of the line . So a plot could consist of a solid thin blue line and a dashed thick red line – or which permutation of the three adjectives should I use?


texts: Does "seldom...any more" mean "not...any more"

texts:
"No," Tyrion admitted,"not me. I seldom even dream of dragons anymore.
  There are no dragons."

I encountered this sentence in The Game of Thrones.
Is "seldom...anymore" equal to "not anymore"? Therefore, this sentence means Tyrion didn't dream of dragon.
I feel confused because according to the context of this chapter, Tyrion said he was mad about dragon and he used to imagine it.


texts: Can a movie have a great "replay value"?

texts:
This is about the idea of replay value of a game as it could be applied to cinematographic or televisual productions.1 Of course, nothing in either type of experience inherently bars repeat enjoyment or revisiting the work, even if the story arc were linear, and irrespective of ending. I take that to be the gist of some opinionated commentary underscoring the absence of the word replayability from most if not all online dictionaries(MW, OOD, Collins, Cambridge, AHD - at most you have playability, playable). The Google corpus shows it's not a very significant expression, but hindsight may be lacking.

So what to make of this absence of replay value or replayability from the dictionaries and books despite some modern colloquial use: in that context can a movie have a high/great/low "replay value" - is that an oversimplification, bad English proper, or the leveraging of an "incomplete definition"? Should I rather say for more precision a movie is "fun to watch many times over", or that another "relies on a one-trick pony type of device for its ending"(I may nevertheless enjoy repeat viewing, or not)? Is there a way to express the specific quality - or lack thereof - a movie would have which would elicit repeat viewing or is that generally considered a misnomer?

1. TFD copies from a version of the Wikipedia article (replay value) which has since been edited to remove an earlier reference to replayability and any field but gaming(yet the word replayability still appears in the text of the wikipedia article).


texts: "Please come to me" or "Please come here" or "Please come to my desk."

texts: In my workplace many of my colleague are using the phrase "Please come to me" is that a correct a sentence?


texts:
I've been at parties or other gatherings, and, when it was time to leave, native speakers would come up with odd ways of saying "It's time to go."

One way would be:

  Let's make like a bakery truck and haul buns.

Another was:

  Let's blow this clambake.

I'm wondering if someone could explain why these phrases get used, and if there are any underlying puns or jokes that I may not be catching.

In short, why do these mean, "It's time to leave?"

Disclaimer: I already understand these expressions, but thought they would be interesting for the English language learner. (In fact, this question is based on an “actual problem I have faced”: in the past, some non-native friends have asked me to explain these phrases; I found them easy for me to understand, but hard to explain in a way that a non-native speaker could fully appreciate their whimsicality. Non-natives, feel free to give this one a try – it might be a fun “practice question.”


texts: Can a dependent clause specify a verb phrase?

texts:
I am not sure if "specify" is the right word here, so please edit it if there is a more suitable expression.

So I know that noun phrases can be "specified" by dependent clauses, like this,

  The cat that was lying there woke up.

In which that was lying there is a dependent clause that "specifies" cat. But can you do the same thing with the verb phrase/verb?


texts: What's the difference between "If I had done" and "If I did"?

texts:
If I had known she was coming, Id have come too.

1st Question: I really understand this sentence but what if I say it like “If I knew she (would come or not or was coming or not?), I'd come too.”
Am I wrong to think that the second one might be incorrect because you haven't yet known whether she will come or not?

(a) If I do it, it will be a mistake.
(b) If I did it, it would be a mistake.

See! Both of them are related to the future somehow.
2nd Question: What's the difference? Is it the difference of the gap of time? I think in sentence (a), it indicates that he's gonna do something right away. So, how about the sentence (b)?


texts:
Is there a way to say that someone has a very poor aesthetic judgement?

For example, you go to a house and you think everything is tacky or just ugly. How can you call the owner of the house?

I tend to say something like "This person has such a bad taste" or "This person has a very poor taste". But I don't know whether that means what I actually want to mean.

I know that in poor taste and in bad taste typically mean something that was done was offensive.


texts:
Can we use the word "from" (again) instead of "out of" in the following sentence? Does it not make sense if we use or it was not used in order to avoid repeating the word from ?

  ...Here's the formal definition from the ABC Institute out of their
  book called...

How about this sentence

  ...Here's the formal definition from  their book called...


texts:
The sentence goes,
"He is not, like his father, optimistic about future."
It means he is not optimistic but his father is.
But I dont' understand the logic of negation here because it says'like his father'.
Please explain.


texts:
What if an abbreviation is at the end of a declarative sentence? Should I duplicate a full stop sign? If the following sentence begins with a proper noun, not putting two periods may be confusing, in theory.
Edit: It used to be 'contraction' instead of 'abbreviation'.


texts:
And still, we are compel to a critical approach to our practices if –as Ferrajoli claims- even very realistic reasons –that is, prudential reasons- are invoked: our own lives –and not even ever more the maintenance of our current welfare- might be at stake.

In the piece above, quoted from a paper study, is "and not even ever more" grammatical?

Apart the fact that I have general problems to understand usage of words like "even" and "ever", especially when they are joined with "not", I ask because I found only an instance of "not even ever" on The New York Times ( "That may not even ever happen") , and this circumstance make me suspicious that in that phrase there is something wrong, but I don't understand what.


texts: Difference between photograph and picture/ photo

texts:
I don't know where should we use photograph, where picture and where photo.

Are there and difference in meaning.

thanks


texts:
This is a sentence from a book.

  I knew an executive with a large public relations company who won a major account with a redevelopment agency tasked with the project of securing federal dollars to help New Orleans recover after Hurrican Katrina.

"a redevelopment agency tasked with the project of.... after  Katrina."

"which was " should be placed between "agency" and tasked" , making it an adjective clause, but is omitted to make it concise, is that correct?


texts: What do you call the main part of a joke?

texts: If I start a joke with a question, then answer it as part of a joke. What is the answer of the joke called? Is there a specific term for it? I am pretty sure there is, but can't remember what it was. Also, what if the main part of the joke isn't an answer? What would it still be called?


texts: What does "we are hardwired differently" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I'm reading a book which is about men and women's body development. The book has a sentence.

  On a biological level, it has always been necessary for males to be physically stronger, but never for females, so we are hardwired differently.

I'm studying English and I was taught that adverb can't follow "to be";only adjective can (ex: They are different, but not "They are differently"). In this sentence, I think "hardwired" is a adjective, and "differently" is a adverb, so "hardwired differently" can't follow "are" in this sentence, right? Does writer write it incorrectly? And what does "we are hardwired differently" mean in this sentence?


texts:
In the following sentence

  I did not________at the examination as my circumstances are bad.

Which one of the following two would be correct?

1.appear

sit

I think it should be sit, because sit an exam is correct.

But I have never seen its use with preposition at


texts:
In th English translation of The Kindly Ones, a 2006 novel by Jonathan Littell set during World War II and its aftermath, the narrator states: the source

  I picked a woman from a good family; she was relatively good-looking, a proper sort of woman, and I immediately got her with child, to keep her busy.

I have two questions according to the text:

does it mean he made her pregnant?
why is child written with no article a?


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

texts: Now, researchers from the Hanns-Christoph Nägerl Institute for Experimental Physics of the University of Innsbruck, Austria have observed a system of quantum particles tunnel through five potential barriers, succeeding where but one particle could not.


texts: What does "We've been fooled by our tool" mean?

texts:
Today, I watched the TED video "Chip Conley: Measuring what makes life worthwhile".
In the video, the speaker quoted an Abe Maslow saying:

If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like
a nail.

After that, he says, "We've been fooled by our tool." In the next scene, he says, "Excuse that expression," and audience laugh.
I cannot understand why they laughed then.


texts: Can't trust them WITH IT/USING IT (a pager as a communicator)

texts:
In the movie Captain Marvel, she was sold out by Nick Fury, as Nick Fury had thought captain Marvel was an enemy.
What is the difference between these two sentences: (Nick Fury used an old pager to communicate)

  captain Marvel to Nick Fury: "You obviously can't trust them with it"

Vs.

  captain Marvel to Nick Fury: "You obviously can't trust them using it"

If I were to say that, I would use sentence 2, since it's more common to my ear.


texts: "The day of February 20, 1909 fell on a Saturday." Should I use "a" in front of Saturday or not?

texts:
Should I use "a" in front of Saturday or not?

  The day of February 20, 1909 fell on a Saturday.


texts: Is "We are running the red lights" right?

texts:
I read the following dialogue which I think is quite weird.

  Look! Some people are running the red lights.
  We should wait although others are breaking the rule.

I don't think the sentence "Some people are running the red lights" is correct. Suppose there is a scene: There is the red light, but we still run across the road without stopping. We can't say "we are running the red light", right? So how to say it in an authentic way?


texts: Correct preposition before advance payment

texts:
Which preposition should i use before payment in sentence below?

  We mostly sell with/for/on advance payment of 50%.

I thought “with” is the best choice but please correct me if it is wrong .


texts: The perplexity of 'offshore' and 'outsource'

texts:
We are an IT company in India that receives IT projects from the first world countries. I search for the terms *offshore/offshoring', 'outsource/outsourcing', and leads me to confusion.

Who are we?

  (a) An outsource company?  (b) An outsourcing company?  (c) An offshore company?  (d) An offshoring company?

If we are 'outsourcing company'; do we outsource? No, we don't!
Do we offshore something? No, we don't!

Furthermore, Offshoring is a noun (Collins and OALD) and not an adjective! But then offshoring company is a  widely used phrase.

For a verb usage, OALD suggests 'offshore something' but then what if I want to use a present continuous for that as we do with other words? Offshoring something then becomes noun!


texts: would vs would have done in this context

texts:
Here's the context: I talked to my friend yesterday and this morning I didn't check my messages. Later I tell him:

  I didn't think you would reply that fast.

or

  I didn't think you would have replied that fast.

Can someone explain clearly what is the difference? My teacher makes it complicated for me.

Thank you in advance.


texts: "..and however they like each other." Does the meaning change with commas?

texts:
Does "and however they like each other" mean "doesn't matter how much or how they like each other?
And if you add commas "and, however, they like each other", then it means as "despite that/although"


texts:
The sun rises “east.”

“East” can have this meaning: “in the east.” Then can the sentence above be used?


texts:
After Harry had given the lecture, while he was descending from the
  podium, however, one of the research assistants intercepted him, and
  began to ask him a question on the theory of relativity.... one that
  involved a lot of complex calculations and equations. Harry  replied
  to the assistant “The answer to this question is very simple! In fact,
  it’s so simple, that I am going to let my chauffeur answer it!”

Why is it not will let as the decision was taken when he was replying, he did not make any plan before answering?

Is going to used to say that the chauffeur is going to answer right now?


texts: The use of the verb abstract in a question

texts:
Is this correct?

What Java object type would abstract the number of apples to?

The context: An apple or another real-world object can be abstracted into a specific object in the Java programming language. I am trying to ask the other person what Java object type they would use abstract to.


texts:
I want by the following sentence to express that death causes anxiety for souls:

  And why do souls become anxious of it?..

It refers to death

I have looked for the phrase, but it gets corrected each time for "anxious about". I think those two phrases are kind of opposites to each other because, here, souls are not concerned about death but afraid (anxious to be more precise) of it.

Also, I want to preserve the sentence structure as it is if possible.

So, is anxious of right to convey the intended meaning (in bold)?


texts: How can 'turnover' be interpreted figuratively?

texts:
[OED:] A. 1. a. The action of turning over, in various senses: see quots.;
(Polit. slang) a transference of votes from one party to another.

I understand the morphemes 'turn' and over' and the literal meaning of 'turnover', per above. Instead, how does turnover figuratively mean the following?   A business doesn't turn over the money received.    'Turning over people' sounds barbarous, but this noun is frequently used with neutral connotation.

[ODO:] 1. The amount of money taken by a business in a particular period:
2. The rate at which employees leave a workforce and are replaced
[I ask NOT about definition 3 for 'A small pie ...', which is literal enough for me to  understand.]

Footnote: I don't think that this question concerns etymology, but if I've erred, please advise.


texts:
Would you please clarify, if I can use
'I am not driving the car'
 instead of
'I am not going to drive the car'?


texts: Can you teach me what the difference between ‘round’ and ‘around’?

texts: I see ‘round’ and ‘around’ are uses in the book. Most ones can be placed by the other ones, I think. Can you teach me what the difference between them?


texts: Difference between "didn't" and "hadn't"

texts:
Is didn't or hadn't correct below?  What is the difference?

  Please do not dock my pay as I was in the office but didn't brought my ID card.

or

  Please do not dock my pay as I was in the office but hadn't brought my ID card.


texts:
What type of sentence should be structured to say that:

Use this word and make it has a positive meaning?

  a) Use this word in a way that it has a positive meaning.

  b) Use this word in a way that it's having a positive meaning.

  c) Use this word in a way that it means something positive.

1) Do these sentences are grammatically correct and suitable to tell the situation?

2) If these sentences are grammatically incorrect or don't give the overall gist clearly, then what type of sentence should be structured?


texts:
See this dictionary

See the meaning number 4:

  so that/in order that somebody/something would: used for saying
  why somebody does something.

  She burned the letters so that her husband would never read them.

We can say "We packed all the books in wooden boxes so that they wouldn't get damaged."

But how about future actions? Can we say:

We're going to pack all the books in wooden boxes so that they wouldn't get damaged.


texts: What does **The introduction into curricula of education about** mean?

texts:
Ran into this complex sentence:

  The introduction into curricula of education about the value of tourist exchanges, their economic, social and cultural benefits, and also their risks, should be encouraged;(Source: Global code of ethics for tourism)

What does The introduction into curricula of education about mean? Does it mean Trying to teach about? Would you please rephrase it?
Moreover, Would someone kindly rephrase the whole sentence? What is it trying to convey?

I find the English of the whole Code a bit not-fluent and complex. Am I right?


texts: "It's stressful this managing lark, ..." meaning

texts:
"Sorry I was a bit short with you earlier, Potter," she said abruptly. "It's stressful this managing lark, you know, I'm starting to think I was a bit hard on Wood sometimes." She was watching Ron over the rim of her goblet with a slight frown on her face.

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

What does "It's stressful this managing lark" mean? Does it mean this managing lark is stressful?


texts: The indefinite article before the word "love"

texts:
Tell me please why the author decided to put a before love in the following sentence.

  To begin with, in ruminating about your past love, or a love neither returned nor perhaps even shared with your heart’s desire, the object of unrequited passion is idealized.

I am aware that love can be used as a countable noun meaning someone's crush, but there it was used, it seems to me, as a  concept.


texts: prerequisites vs requirements vs qualifications

texts:
Can somebody please help me with an explaination about the difference between

course prerequisites
course entry requirements
course qualifications

This is about a course which consists of different modules.
To start with the course the candidates must have some qualifications (or entry requirements?)
For every module the prerequisite is the candidate has succesfully ended the previous module.

Is this correct?
What is the difference between those three? (if there is any difference)

Thanks in advance,
Danny


texts:
I have one doubt about the structure “to be + past participle”

In some cases I have seen ‘to be + past participle’ replaces ‘is to be + past participle’

Example:

  this work is to be done ⤏ this work to be done.

My question is, does ‘to be + past participle’  replaces ‘was to be + past participle’ also?

Like example:

  this work to be done ⤏ this work was to be done.

in any of the cases can we use like that?


texts: I want to express 2 kinds of balance in one sentence, How?

texts:
I want to express something like this:

  we should pay same attention to certain teams and normal staff; and we should provide food to certain teams and normal staff.

Actually I think it's not just simple "same", so I'm thinking about using "keep ...in balance", or "balance ..." (or any other including "balance") to combine above in one sentence.


texts:
a. My cousins who have cars like the new regulation.
Can I use use (a) if all my cousins who are car-owners own one car each?
=============================================
b. My cousins who have a car like the new regulation.
Can I use (b) if all of my cousins who are car-owners have more than one car each?
Can I use (b) if some of my cousins who are car-owners have more than one car each?


texts: How to say one street branches from another?

texts:
My house is located on a side street that branches from a main street. If I wanted to formally write my home address, how should I do it? I'm thinking:

  [Side street name], branching from [main street name]

Edit:

I'm going to send this information to US State Department via this web-form:


texts:
Only sentence (3) is precise in its meaning, and the other two would need context to make them clear.

Does it mean:
a) ...need context in order to make them clear.
Or
b) ...need context that could make them clear.


texts: Why do you say "The Force is strong with him" instead of "in him"?

texts:
I've just heard again the famous Star Wars line "The Force is strong with him", and I've been struck by a question: why does it say that the Force is strong with him? Why is the preposition "with" used?

I'm not a native, but it sounds weird to me. Wouldn't it be better to say that the Force is strong in someone? In Episode VI, "Return of the Jedi", Luke himself says that the Force is strong in his family. It's also said again in the Official Teaser Trailer #2 of The Force Awakens.

I am certainly influenced by the way it is said in my native language, Italian ("la Forza è potente in lui"), and also in German ("Die Macht ist stark in ihm"). But "with" just sounds terribly out of place to me.

Of course I realise that such a famous sentence can't really be wrong, but I still find it strange enough that I'd like to ask about it. Does this word choice make the sentence sound more solemn, maybe?

...Or is it just me, and there's really nothing special about it?


texts:
I found the sentence:

We got to meet all the stars after the show.

Does it mean we met them or we just had the opportunity to meet them and we didn't necessarily meet them?


texts: What is the meaning of depression student's words?

texts:
To enter into the GED classes, you gotta get an 8.0 or better on the
  TABE. There's always something wrong with these tests.These tests
  paint a picture of me with no brain.These tests paint a picture of me
  and my mother,my whole family, as less than dumb. Just ugly, black
  grease to be wiped away find another job for. Sometimes l wish l was
  dead.

Somebody explain this highlighted sentences here.


texts: Gift someone something or gift someone with something

texts:
I would be thankful if you could let me know which one of the following self-made sentences mean the same as "I gift this book to you":

  I gift you this book.
  I gift you with this book.

I searched on the internet; there are both versions of the verb "gift". I mean:

  To gift someone something
  To gift someone with something

I doubt which one is correct.

Actually in spite of the dictionaries definitions I doubt if using the noun "gift" as a verb sounds natural to AE natives or not. I have a specific dictionary which doesn't consider "gift" as a verb.


texts: What is the name of the horizontal wooden piece between the wall and the floor in this image?

texts:
What's the name of the horizontal wooden piece that separates the wall and floor, is there a technical name for it?

Thanks


texts:
I have a question about the usage of the verb "measure" in this website:

  Trafficking charges are as serious as it gets in the drug unit. If convicted of trafficking, a defendant is faced with a mandatory active jail sentence — the length of which depends on the level of trafficking and the substance alleged. These jail sentences are measured in years, not days, and the only discretion afforded to judges who are handing down the sentence is in the realm of substantial assistance, which means working for the state to help them catch other drug dealers.

I understand how to measure a distance, a length, or temperature.  But "to measure a jail sentence" seems off.  As always, this usage could not be found in dictionaries accessible to me.  Could the usage be some sort of figurative extensions only known to native speakers?


texts: In this sentence, Atmosphere vs Atmospheres?

texts:
Here's a sentence written in my book.

  The atmosphere in the two parks is completely different.

As there are two parks that the writter want to compare, why is not plural form of atmospheres put instead of atmosphere? If that is the case, I shoud change 'is' to 'are', right?

  The atmospheres in the two parks are completely different.


texts:
I am working on my resume and I am looking for a short way to introduce that I was working on a project with X other students.

I am currently using "Team of X students." at the beginning of the paragraph, but it does not sound right. I then thought about "X students per team" and other variations, but now I am confused.

How would you say that in proper English?

Here is a more detailed sample:

  Programming of a game
  Team of X students. Development of a game using C++ and SFML.


texts: Can I use 'a' after 'are' in a conjunction sentence?

texts:
'Black mold or toxic black molds are a hazardous health variety of micro fungus that usually grow in your buildings' damp areas—for example, bathroom, basement, kitchen, etc.'
Q1: In the above sentence, is the use of 'a' after 'are' appropriate? If so then why?
Q2: In this part' black mold or toxic black molds' isn't using 'toxic black mold' more appropriate instead of the plural form as they are referring to the same type of thing?


texts:
What does a child do (the verb / idiom / expression) when they look at their elderly and try to do what they are doing?
E.g. it is said that you'd better be careful when you're smoking etc. so that children are not in the surrounding are (you'd better do that in your own privacy,) so that children (that are so sensitive), do not tend to emulate your actions and they don't find any interest towards such stuff?

You, as an adult person, doubtlessly are acting as a role model for them, so what they do in return?

  Can we say that they are taking a role model from their adults?

The only idiom I found is:

  To take a leaf from someone's book.

But I'm not sure if it works in this sense.

I wonder if you could let me know about it.


texts: "This product is good value" vs "This product is of good value" in a sentence

texts:
1.This product is good value.
2.This product is of good value.

Are there any difference in meaning between "good value" and "of good value"?


texts: Which action/verb in this sentence does "that deeply" modify?

texts:
I saw a sentence on OED:

  ‘It made his innards ache and his heart squeeze tightly with pain to feel the only woman he loved refuse him that deeply.’

It appears to me "that deeply" can only modify the nearest verb, "refuse". But can you refuse someone "deeply"? What does it mean to refuse someone deeply?


texts:
My wife and I got into a discussion in the use of make and making.

Her sentence: Gabriel was make a living working as .....

I told her she should say "was making" and not "was make." She said I was wrong,  because she was taught, in her ESL class that "was make" is correct.

Is there a rule that covers this?


texts: Word that means work together and add to each other

texts: What's a word that means two things work together and add to each other to make them better? I have a specific word that I want in the back of my mind but I can't remember what it is.


texts:
He threatened me with guys around.

In this sentence what confused me is that he threatened me with his guys or he threatened me and guys around. What does this sentence mean?


texts:
I am an intelligent and independent man whose doesn't need any help.

Or

I am an intelligent and independent man who doesn't need any help.

If both is correct, then what is the difference between them.

Feel free to correct my any sentences. Thank you! :)


texts: Positive or negative meaning of 'weren't I...' expression

texts:
A simplified sentence context would be like following:

'If I wasn't lucky enough, something bad would've happened to me.'

I am trying to reshape the sentence as following.

'Something bad would've happened to me, weren't I lucky enough.'

So I am trying to understand if I use a concept correctly.

Does "...weren't I lucky enough..." have a positive meaning of "if I was lucky enough" or a negative meaning of "if I wasn't lucky enough"?


texts: How does the number of eyes represent the number of persons?

texts:
I had an exam today (Egyptian GSEC english exam) and in a passage about library it said:

  The book slipped from his hands and fell on the floor with loud noise, 20 eyes looked at him and his face turned red.....

It then asked: approximately,how many persons where at the library?

Ten or twenty or forty

But I would like to know if twenty eyes represent 10 persons or is it like a metaphor and represents 20 persons?

Is this expression even correct?

Edit : in the passage it was obvious that it is a normal library with normal people i just cut a part out of its context that serves the question


texts:
The following two sentences both contain the phrase " charge somebody to do something ", but I wonder if the meaning of the phrase varies in different contexts.

  The federal funds rate is the interest rate that the Fed charges banks to borrow money.

For this one, I think it means that when banks borrow money from the Fed, Fed will charge them?  In this case, the implied subject of to borrow money should be banks.

  For the 43-year-old who sleeps in a tent outside a local church, the library is pretty much the only place he can go that won't charge him to provide safety, warmth, useful services and entertainment.

This sentence shares a similar structure with the one above, I think it means that the library provides safety, warmth and other stuffs, and the 43-year-old do not have to pay for those?

But based on the context, it seems like the implied subject of to provide safety, warmth,... is the library instead of the homeless guy. Why is that?


texts: "Face still", what's the meaning of "still" here?

texts:
I would like to know what does "still" refers to exactly. I guess it has to do with movement. I have to translate this into Spanish and I don't know its particular meaning here:
"I have a year", she had said, face still and certain as the grave, full of a cold fire that Kate had never seen before.

Could you tell me a synonym?
Can it be similar to "blank face"?
Or "serious"?

Thank you all in advance.


texts:
He is about to open the door.

What part of speech is "about to" in this sentence? Is it an adjective, or an adverb?

I am really confused, and somewhere I read that it is idiomatic as well.


texts:
Epilepsy is considered to be disease of the brain defined by any of
  the following conditions: 1) at least two unprovoked (or reflex)
  seizures occurring >24 h apart;"

Does it mean that the seizures should be in two different days (in more than 24 hours)? I'm a little bit confused with this phrase.


texts:
Many dictionaries define "only too" as "very." If so, what does "only too" mean in the following?

  "That was only too good to be true"

Does it mean "that was very good to be true"? Or "that could not be true at all"?
What is the meaning of "only" here?
I'd appreciate your help.


texts:
What is the connection between "Provision" and "Provisional"? It seems the don't have anything in common. Are those two words looking similar just of a coincidence?
Provision

the action of providing or supplying something for use
an amount or thing supplied or provided
a condition or requirement in a legal document

Provisional

arranged or existing for the present, possibly to be changed later


texts: What tenses to use in writing meeting minutes?

texts:
I understand that you must use past tense when writing minutes. However, there are some instances when I am not sure if past tense should be used as it would either change the meaning of the sentence or sound weird. Below are some situations which I have trouble with:

When something is in progress / happen in future.
Example:

  1) The team is checking on the machine. (Should it be: The team was    checking on the machine)
  2) Checks on the system are being done.    (Should it be: Checks on the system was being done)
  3) All the members    agree to build a new building. The construction of a new building    will start February next year (in February Year 2021). (Should it be:    All the members agreed to build a new building. The construction of a    new building would start February next year)
  4) The Sun will rise at 5.20 am every morning in Sydney. (Should it be: The Sun would rise at 5.20 am every morning in Sydney).

When Something is not Certain.
Example :

  5) If there are sufficient data to support the efficiency of the new system... (Should it be: If there were sufficient data to support the efficiency of the new system...)
  6) If the project is successful... (should it be: If the project was successful)


texts: What is more acceptable "Easy admission" or "comfortable admission"?

texts:
When the admission to a university it's not so difficult,  what is the more acceptable in using by English native speakers?

  "Our university has an easy admission"

  "Our university has a comfortable admission"


texts: Different ways to interpret compound-complex sentences

texts:
Compound-Complex Sentences:

Do adverb dependent clause in a compound-complex sentence modify multiple independent clauses?

It seems like if the adverb dependent clause is at the beginning position, it is more likely to modify both independent clauses, while at the end position, it seems to merely modify the independent clause followed by it.

Let's take the compound-complex sentence below as an example; the dependent clause is at the end position.

  The man believed in the system, and he knew that justice would prevail after the murderer was sent to jail. (Source: https://reurl.cc/RdW3Me)

In my opinion, the order of the events might differ according to different ways to interpret to the sentence.

First way

  (The event of the first independent main clause happened first. Then after the "after" clause, the event of the second independent clause happened.)

  The order:

  The man believed in the system > The murder was sent to jail > The man knew the justice would prevail

Second way

  (Events in both independent clauses happened after the "after" clause.)

  The order:

  The murder was sent to jail > The man believed in the system > The man knew the justice would prevail

Finally, if we rephrase the example sentence to:

  After the murderer was sent to jail, the man believed in the system, and he knew that justice would prevail.

or a sentence like this:

  After the two soccer players lost their game, they joined their other teammates for lunch, and they went to the movies. (Source: https://reurl.cc/RdW3Me)

It is clear, from my point of view, that both events of the independent clauses happened after the dependent clause's event.

Of course, I might be wrong. If there is anything wrong, please correct me and let me know. Thanks.


texts: Which sentence structure is correct/better and why? Please explain

texts:
I have applied for admission to post-graduation course at a few universities.

I have applied at a few universities for admission in post-graduation course.


texts: Please tell me the diffrence in nuance between the following two sentences

texts:
Would you please tell me the difference in nuance between the following two sentences?

When the sun sets, I will still be running toward the goal.
When the sun sets, I will be still running toward the goal.


texts:
Context of the sentence: One day, my dog ran away and couldn't be found.

'A week later, a letter came from my aunt saying that the dog has returned.'

Is it grammatically correct to use has or had?

Thank you!


texts:
I have several minor questions as regards the following extract：

  There was a time in the country when you'd be considered a jerk if you passed by somebody in need. Now you are a fool for helping. With gangs, drug addicts, murderers, rapists, thieves lurking everywhere, "I don't want to get involved" has become a national motto.   (From The Kindness of Strangers, written by Mike Mclntyre)

Is the bolded "for" used to show a reason or cause here? Is it better to insert "or/and" between the "rapists" and "thieves"?


texts: I would like to express the fact that I don't have confidence in what a scientist has told me concerning an experiment he has led. Can I say that "his experiments are doubtful"?


texts: A work by smb, a work of smb or smb's work—which of them is better?

texts:
Example:

  1) War and peace is a novel by Leo Tolstoy.
  2) War and peace is a novel of Leo Tolstoy.
  3) War and peace is Leo Tolstoy's novel.

An English language test which I have passed told me that only the first variant is correct. I doubt a little about that. Which variant is indeed correct, or the best of the three variants mentioned above?


texts: Sylvester Stallone on Donald Trump - "Dickensian character" and "larger than life"

texts:
According to Wikipedia:

  In the 2016 election he described Donald Trump as a "Dickensian character" and "larger than life,"

This piece of information is retrieved from the article: Sylvester Stallone on Donald Trump, Republicans and Running for Office

  “I love Donald Trump,” he said. “He’s a great Dickensian character. You know what I mean? There are certain people like Arnold, Babe Ruth, that are bigger than life. But I don’t know how that translates”—he let out a laugh—“to running the world.”

So I can say it's a compliment, great :) But what exactly do "Dickensian character" and "larger than life" mean in this context?


texts: seeing something looked or seeing that something looked?

texts:
1 Seeing the table cluttered, I decided to tidy it up.
2 Seeing everything looked so in order, we didn't clean anything else.

Are they correct? Or should they be as follows:

3 Seeing that the table was cluttered, I decided to tidy it up.
4 Seeing that everything looked so in order, we didn't clean anything else.


texts: Can I say :” make something five meters higher “ or “ make something higher by five meters “ ? I mean Can I use “ five meters “ in these ways ?


texts: I know it is formally incorrect, but does "He neither likes apples nor oranges" sound bad?

texts:
I know the correct statement is "He likes neither apples nor oranges", but I also know that we can say "He does not like apples or oranges" and this puts the negation before the verb and it sounds better to me like that, with a negation before the verb. Therefore, for me, "He neither likes apples nor oranges" sounds better than "He likes neither  apples nor oranges". Logically, I see it as a shortcut for "He neither likes apples nor likes oranges", the second "likes" being implicit.
My question is: in day to day usage among native English speakers does putting neither before the verb in this sentence sound OK or does it sound weird?   I don't care about rules. I care about how it sounds and that ordinary people can understand.