texts: Is there a semantical difference between “what do you study” and “what are you studying”?

texts:
What do you study at college?

What are you studying at college?

It seems to me that in 1 it can mean a generic YOU. Hence, 1 can mean "What does one study at college?"
In 2, it is more a specific you. I am asking my interlocutor what they are studying at college.
But on the other hand, they may mean the same with the meaning of the sentence 2.
That's what I think. Tell me what you think. What difference can there be between them.


texts: Choose only such friends (that/whom?) you can trust

texts:
Choose only such friends that  you can trust.

Is using that in above sentence incorrect? A friend suggested to use as in place of that but I think that is horribly wrong, although replacing as with whom seems feasible but I think even that is fine.


texts: What is the difference between "go on" and "go for" vacation?

texts:
For example,
I will go Mexico for vacation next month.
Vs.
I will go on vacation to Mexico next month.
Is there any difference? If not, which one is more common In colloquial AmE?


texts: I need some help. So, I have been doing some work with fractions, and this came up: 3/21. I have no idea how to pronounce the 21 part. Is it twenty-oneth or..? I have no clue, so can someone give me the correct pronunciation?


texts:
What is the meaning of "raised to some power" in the following sentence?

  In its most simple and basic form, a moment is the product of the distance to some point, raised to some power, multiplied by some physical quantity such as the force, charge, etc. at that point

Does "raised to some power" mean "after we apply some force to some point"? In this sentence, is some force a charge, a force?

If a comma appears in the middle (for example, ", raised to some power," ), is it a representation of the conjunction and subject omitted?


texts:
It costs a dollar or more.
It costs a dollar, or it costs more than a dollar.

Do they have the same meaning?


texts: What does "a requirement of Chinese manufacturing" mean?

texts:
Does it mean "Western equipment manufacturershave to transfer China manufacturing technology"?

"First, he believes the heavy hand of a state-owned enterprise is the wrong approach to cracking into the global commercial aircraft business. Second, he maintains that partnering with Western equipment manufacturers under preconditions such as a requirement of Chinese manufacturing will add risk and ultimately not bring the most current technology, due to intellectual property concerns."

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/08/chinas-new-passenger-jet-is-not-seen-as-an-immediate-threat-to-boeing-airbus.html


texts:
Continued from "Nothing is available, is anything?" Tag questions for negative sentences ---

  John: Finally I got a reply from the e-gov sysadmin! They say the system is "experiencing a technical issue" now.

  Paul: So there was nothing wrong with your submission...

  John:

  Of course! How could it be wrong?
  Of course not! How could it be wrong?

  Paul: (shrugs)

Which of them is correct?

How about "nowhere," "nobody," or "none of them" etc? Should I use "of course" or "of course not" to confirm the statement?


texts:
https://www.lingq.com/lesson/lesson-16-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-431409/

LISA:
I used to work as a teacher. I never thought of myself as a worrier, at least no more than the next person.

What does the phrase " no more than the next person" mean? I guess it means "no more than anybody else" but I am not sure.


texts:
This is a passage from a novel:

  Sometimes Neal would end the conversation or abandon it while she was still making her point, and she'd just go on arguing long after he'd checked out.

What does checked out mean? I tried looking for the term in the dictionaries, but I couldn't find a definition that fits the context.


texts:
Not all countries _________ to produce high quality product.
a) can
b) is able
c) are able
d) been


texts: Why in shops do they put “B sold here” instead of “B sells here”?

texts: I know “B sold here” is the right form. But I don't know why it's the right form instead of “B sells here”?


texts: Is 'to commute on foot' grammatically right?

texts:
Is it okay to say, 'He usually commutes on foot and hence he always gets 10,000 steps by the end of the day'? Do commute and on foot match?

In my effort to get an answer to this question, I googled the phrase and received some not convincing material; I opened the dictionary and found no mistake in the phrase in question. Now I need to get some judgemental feedback from experts at English.


texts: How to show my flat’s place in the apartment

texts:
Let’s say that I live in a apartment with 10 storey. While I was passing in front of it with my friend he asked me in which floor I live . If I told him sentence below would it be grammatically correct ? I asked this question for a specifical situation .

  It is two story below the flat with lights on.


texts: What does "two eye fulls" mean in this context?

texts:
A year in the making, the full six minute stopmotion short features the voice of Josie Long, one zillion hand carved tiny things, literally tens of carved foam puppets, two eye fulls of in-camera, long-exposure light trickery and a pair of tiny dolphins, smooching.

Source: The description of the stop motion short Marilyn Myller


texts: Can I use the sentence for the thing I want to say

texts:
At the end of the video, people are called upon to sign a petition. Can I use the following sentence to describe this?

'Then there are some more printed words after which the video ends with a call to the viewer to sign a petition.'

Or do you have a better sentence?

Thanks in advance


texts: Sentense-structure: Meaning of "Had I been"

texts:
I've seen this structure on a Quora post

  Had I been a Muslim man, I would've been able to have sex plenty, and society wouldn't know at all because I would've had no hymen, but as a Muslim woman, my sins were easier to track.

What does that "Had I + Past participle verb" mean?

This is the post I'm referring to:

https://www.quora.com/Why-did-you-stop-wearing-a-hijab/answer/Salma-Medina-1?ch=10&share=fc0fe9cf&srid=HF4KJ


texts:
I'm an English teacher in Japan. In the textbook I'm using now, there's a sentence that goes:

Medical services have greatly improved recently, but medical care is still not good enough to save the lives of children and mothers in many parts of the world.

Does this make sense? Aren't "medical services" and "medical care" synonymous?
If so, the sentence can be simplified by using one and the same subject:

Medical services have greatly improved recently, but still THEY aren't good enough to save the lives ...

Changing the first subject to "medical science" might also make sense, which could change the meaning, though.

Medical science has greatly improved recently, but medical care is still not good enough to save ...


texts: I met one friend. He was about to travel, but he hadn't had a passport yet. So he submitted his passport application. He told me "my passport is processing". I was wondering his words missed something? To my opinion, the correct one should be "my passport is under processing" or "my passport is being processed". But I am not sure if his version is also ok?


texts: Which tense is correct? (Things in the past)

texts:
Which one is correct?

I wouldn’t have thought that a few years ago.

OR

I wouldn’t think that a few years ago.


texts:
forgive me for my poor English - something which I always wanted to improve and its improving, could anybody here can tell me what is the differences between tenses below and how should I use it?

1.I have watered the plant yesterday night.

2.I had watered the plant yesterday night.

3.I watered the plant yesterday night.

Many thanks in advance!


texts:
While I was reading the book 'Introduction to Algorithms by CLRS', I came across the sentence:

  ...is equal to g(n) to within a constant factor.

I've seen something about it in Merriam-Webster, but 'to within' is not clear to me, as I am not a native English speaker.
Can anyone explain it to me?


texts:
He’s the one to do the job.
(The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, p.174)

CGEL says the meaning of the above “is comparable to that of the one who should do the job or the one whom we should get to do the job, with modal should”.
While I read that to-infinitives have the meaning of ‘potentiality’ (CGEL, p.1240~1243), I’ve not come across any mention about the modal meaning. Is the to-infinitive above has only the meaning of oughtness? Or could it have other meanings? (I think ‘He’s the one who would do the job,’ might be the candidate, but I’m not sure.)


texts: A non-native teacher said "it is ok to say: I look forward to hear from you". Wrong or right?

texts:
This site says:

  I look forward to hearing from you. (correct)

  I look forward to hear from you. (wrong)

I think "I look forward to something" not "I look forward to do something".

However, "to" can be used to show purpose.

Ex: He is looking for a part time job to save some pocket money. = He is looking for a part time job in order to save some pocket money.

Can this sentence "I look forward" make any sense?

If it makes sense, then we can just put "to" to show purpose. Ex: I look forward in order to (or: to) hear from you.

So, is that teacher wrong?


texts:
I heard this sentence in a movie, and I wanted to know the polite way to express this:

  They've f***ed up my reservation.


texts: "knock on the door" or "knock at the door"

texts:
Which one of the following statements is correct? Is it possible to please help me with the English rule on this one?

The stranger knocked on the door.
The stranger knocked at the door.


texts: Does "People hate me for being jealous." mean 'they hate me because they are jealous' or 'because I am jealous'?

texts:
This statement looks ambiguous: "People hate me for being jealous".

We got this in the dictionary

  hate somebody/yourself for something/for doing something
  I hated myself for feeling jealous.

So, here,  "People hate me for being jealous." means 'they hate me because they are jealous' or 'they hate me because I am jealous'?


texts: Use of "Must' and 'Should' for Future Certainty

texts: Is it possible to use 'must' or 'should' to express certainty in the future? Is the sentence 'He must/should be coming tomorrow.' correct?


texts:
What is the grammatical role of "signifying" in the following sentences? And what does mean the "signifying fear"?

  Intense contraction of facial muscles, such as those used in
  signifying fear heightens arousal.


texts: Do “how to proceed” and “how to do” express the same meaning when giving instructions?

texts:
Since "proceed" generally means to continue a course of action, how do you understand the sentence "how to proceed" when used before instructions?

  How to Proceed

  Step 01
  Step 02

  How to Do

  Step 01
  Step 02

Here's a real example of "how to proceed" being used to introduce a series of steps http://www.ceracfp.ca/en/how-to-proceed, but I'm not sure it would be the case if I want to teach someone how to perform an exercise (e.g., meditation) or how to edit an image in Photoshop.


texts:
What does "nip" mean in football (soccer) context?
SHOT! Mata nip past Ferdinand to open up space for a shot but it's on his right and he hits it straight at De Gea


texts: What does "long a storytelling asset" mean?

texts:
I'm not sure whether I'm right or not. I don't understand what "long a storytelling asset" means, but I assume that the whole first sentence says that the animation which used to make storytelling ease to grasp eventually became a liability. It means that the animation started to be used more for action scenes and less for storytelling itself. What do you think? Do I correctly understand this sentence?

  Making matters even worse, the animation, long a storytelling asset, became a liability. After all, Springfield is populated by cartoon
  characters. Even the most gruesome injury or fatal fall can be shaken
  off in the next scene, and the audience knows it. All the taut music
  and sad dialogue in the world can’t make up for the fact that no one
  is in any real danger.

  source


texts:
One friend of mine and I were discussing stress and I talked about my experience about running a company. I started the sharing with this

I was the co-founder of a small company.

I used "the" because the company only had a founder and a co-founder though I didn't say it explicitly.
Should have I used this one?

I was a co-founder of a small company.


texts:
This is the whole paragraph. What confuses me here that why should the author have used hyphen between bit and will here also. Is this a typo error, which implies to have been used an emdash as a sudden change of thought or what?

I sit up in cold sweat on my bed and promise her questioning eyes that I will do my bit-will gather my faculties and stand up for you my baby. And her eyes invest a ‘childlike ‘trust in me. Yes, my child I owe it to you. Her eyes again throw a painful query at me- how can perpetuators of sin who violated my fragile body be given refugee - I fail to understand after withstanding pain beyond belief how can I be at fault?


texts: Which one is grammatically correct? past/met or present/meet

texts:
I'd like to thank you for taking the time to meet me last day.

or

I'd like to thank you for taking the time to met me last day?


texts:
I am reading this book, and someone says: it would be selfish OF us to stay here
Could it be “FOR us to stay here”?. Are for and of interchangeable in this case? Because I have heard people using both


texts: How should I interpret this sentence structure?

texts:
Glove shall be worn by employees whose work exposes them to injuries,
  such as exposure to cuts, burns, harmful physical hazards, chemical
  agents or electrical hazards which are encountered and capable of
  causing injury or impairments.

Does the bold part apply to "harmful physical hazards, chemical agents or electrical hazards" or "chemical agents or electrical hazards"?


texts: am i pronouncing the "r" in earlier correctly

texts:
I am trying to learn American accent.

I have a problem with the "R" sound.

Could you please listen to this sample I have recorded.

http://www.filedropper.com/untitled_20

Also, could you please tell me what the sentence I have said, just to be sure that I am speaking clearly.


texts:
What does “Last school attended” means?
I have form to fill with this question.
Is it year when I was in school or is it type of school?

The full question is:

  Please fill in the information required by your recruiter. Last school attended:


texts: How can I apologize and promise that a mistake won't happen again?

texts:
I want to apologize for some mistake in official mail and want to make them sure I will not do that again.

  "I will take care of this next time" .

or

  "I will take care of this onwards".


texts: "winning the lottery" vs "having won the lottery" vs "with/by winning the lottery"

texts:
I am working with clauses with adverbial meaning, and here is my sentence:

  Were I to win the lottery, I would have all (of) that money spent fast.

Keep in mind that I have to express condition.

Which of the following sentences can correspond to one above?

Winning the lottery, I would have all that money ......

Having won the lottery, I .....

By/With winning the lottery, I would ....

In my opinion, I would pick and use last one( with "by/with" preposition).


texts: When to use past participles? I can't find a clear rule

texts:
everyone. My understanding of past participles--and it's based on my own observations, not on my reading this rule--is that you use "had [verb]" when speaking about something that, in the past, happened in the past. Like, in the past TWICE. Example, if today is Wednesday, and yesterday (Tuesday) I turned on the TV at 9 because I heard on Monday that there would be a cool show on, I would say, "I turned on the TV tonight because I had heard there would be a cool show on." In the past I turned on the TV because, relative to when I turned on the TV, it was in the past that I heard about a cool show.

And then yesterday, I read on another site that you use the past participle when describing "something that happened in the past, but that is linked to another time."

So that seemed to somewhat confirm my own ideas of past participles, but is there a clearer way to think of it?

I have a situation at work right now that I'm confused about. Last week, my boss Phil told me to email Alex an article I had written because he, Phil, wanted Alex to fact-check it. Well, today, I still haven't heard from Alex, so I went to go write him. I said, "Hi, Alex, did you get my email last Friday? Phil had said he wanted you to fact-check it." But is "had said" correct? Could I just have said "Phil said"? In the past (last Friday) is when Phil told me to email Alex, and it was only ten minutes later that I actually did email Alex. So in the past (last Friday), after I sent the email to Alex, it was true that in the past Phil wanted me to email Alex. So is "Phil had said" correct?

Often either "had [verb]" or "[verb]" will sound better than the other, but in this case they both sound good to me.

I'm just trying to figure out a clear-cut explanation as to when to use "had [verb]," something that I can apply to future deliberations on the matter when I write anything.

Thanks!


texts: Can I use the word 'soon' in such context?

texts:
Sentence:

  Thank you for your soon response (soon response = quick answer)

I didn't find such way of using the word 'soon' but I think that I heard such using somewhere.

Question:

  Can I use the word 'soon' in this context (soon response = quick answer)?

Thanks in advance


texts: Worship someone as a sign of love, respect, etc

texts:
In my mother language when someone tends to imply that they respect or love someone else too much, they can figuratively say e.g:

  I worship my mother / my husband, etc.

Does it sound natural in English to say the same thing or does it sound idiomatically unnatural? I would be really thankful if you let me know the most natural equivalent in English if it doesn't work.


texts: What is a way to reword "He dashed and arrived in front of her"

texts:
He dashed and arrived in front of her.

Is there a way to combine the "dashed and arrived" into one word, or change the sentence so that only dashed is used but retains the original meaning?

This:

  He dashed in front of her.

That, to me, gives off a feeling that while being in front of her, he is dashing past her but not to the location that is "in front of her".

And this:

  He dashed to the location that was in front of her.

That sounds too wordy to me, and it would be prefered if it was kept short with minimal words. I am aiming for something like example #2 (the shortest one), but that just simply doesn't sound too right.


texts: "Who" instead of "whom" in the objective case

texts:
Is it grammatically acceptable to use "who" instead of "whom"?

  Who does this coat belong to?

or even

  Who does he love?

I am especially interested in the second case since I know that it's gramatically incorrect but I often chanced upon such examples.


texts: Difference between 'One to One' and 'One on One'?

texts:
I've had this confusion for a long time: what is the difference between one to one and one on one?
Which one is more appropriate:

We will have one to one meeting?
We will have one on one meeting?


texts:
How do we make a reflexive using the "oneself" when referring to actions or inactions in a sentence.

For examples:

  To take oneself's life is not an act of courage


texts:
I want to know how can I put the word "not" in these sentences :

Would you open the door?

** I know that I can say:"Would you close the door?" but I want to use the word "not".

I wonder if you would mind open the door ?
I want you to open the door.


texts: Which sentence is better, "campus" or "school","be beneficial to" or " be good for"? "children's bodies and minds" or "children's body and mind"?

texts:
My son (he's 7) constructed 2 sentences:

Let's make our school evergreen all the year round. The plants will be beneficial to children's body and mind.

Let's make our campus evergreen all the year round. The plants will be good for children's bodies and minds.

Which sentence is better?


texts:
If the 20th century's foulest villain was a dab hand at sunlight on stone walls, why do we still implicitly trust the beautiful?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/apr/29/hitler-painting-art

I do not know how to deal with the interpretation of this clause. The first sentence seems to be the conditional clause but probably it is not that case because of the use of "was" instead "of" were. I really do not know what type of the clause it is and how to understand it.


texts:
Context: One (younger one) of the father's sons furtively watches his dad trying to do a mediocre enough back flip but he generally never ever has tried doing it, couple of seconds later his older brother passes by him, so would the first son say the following statement to his big brother when big brother asks him what he is doing?

"Watch our father DO a backflip"

I'm not fully sure if "DO" indicates infinitive or subjunctive. A detailed explanation would be much appreciated.


texts:
There are two sources, which contradict each other.

The first one:

  Notice "Ought not" Remember that "ought to" loses the "to" in the
  negative. Instead of "ought not to," we say "ought not."

The second one:

  You say that someone ought not to do something: She ought not to go.

  You can also use oughtn’t: She oughtn’t to go.

So, what is correct: ought not to do or ought not do?


texts: We say "we got on the large ship" but "we got in the small boat". Do we say "we leapt off the large ship" and "we leapt out of the small boat"?

texts:
Because a large ship has a large platform, so we say "we got on the large ship".
And, because a small boat has a very small platform, so we say "we got in the small boat".
Now, you want to remove yourself from the ship or boat by jumping very high.
Do we say "we leapt off the large ship" and "we leapt out of the small boat"?


texts: I want to say "You need activate added user." but I don't know why I say it. I don't know any rule for which I can say added user.


texts: What is the subject, "there" or "their friend"?

texts:
Off they went to find him in the forest, and there atop a tall bael tree was their friend, sitting tight.

In the second part of the sentence, what is the subject, "there" or "their friend"?


texts: "Would nothing do but thou must at once break the eternal compact?" - meaning in the context

texts:
I am utterly lost in deciphering the very last sentence from the story Haita the Shepherd:

In the obscurity the maiden's figure grew dim and indistinct and her
voice seemed to come from a distance, as she said, in a tone of
sorrowful reproach: 'Presumptuous and ungrateful youth! must I then so
soon leave thee? Would nothing do but thou must at once break the
eternal compact?'

I tired hard to put together various meanings but e.g. the "eternal compact" is something I cannot understand.


texts: Usage of "A" and plural nouns without "any"

texts:
Can anyone please tell me if the following sentence sounds right. And have I used the article a correctly? Can I used the plural form photo without any?

John: Hey Subha, did you post photos on Facebook last night? Me: No, I didn't post (any)photos but posted a status.
John: Hey Subha, did you post a photo on Facebook last night? Me: No, I didn't post a photo but posted a status.


texts:
a. You didn't deliver the letter he told you.

b. You didn't deliver the letter he told you to.

a1. You didn't deliver the letter which he told you.

b1. You didn't deliver the letter which he told you to.

Are all of the above sentences grammatically correct?

Do they all have the same meaning?

Many thanks.


texts: Can this sentence’s relative pronoun be omitted?

texts: He was shackled by the remnants of guilt (which are) indissoluble with forgiveness.


texts:
I'll make up for the difference.

  I'll pay the difference.

  I'll pay the rest.

  I'll pay the remaining $12(money).

Here in the sentences above, a person is offering to make up for the difference for a customer who is $12 short.

And these sentences:

  Can I pay the remaining $5 later?

  Can I pay the difference later?

  Can I pay the rest later?

  Can I make up for the difference later?

  Can I pay next time? (Does "the" have to be included here?)

  Can I pay the remaining $5 next time?/ Can I make up for/ pay the difference next time?

A regular customer $5 short. The shopkeeper knows him well, thus, the customer asks if he can pay later.

Out of all these sentences which one is the least likely to be used?


texts: What does "taking copper at a ratio of 10 mg to 15 mg zinc for each milligram of copper" mean?

texts:
Most practitioners who supplement their patients' diets with zinc also recommend taking copper at a ratio of 10 mg to 15 mg zinc for each milligram of copper.

I think I understand
"taking copper at a ratio of 10 mg to 15 mg zinc"
which means if one takes 10 mg copper, one should also take 15 mg zinc.
The latter part "for each milligram of copper" throws me off. What does it mean? What is its connection to the preceding text?


texts:
"It was quiet all around, save for the snoring that rose from the lodgings of the servants."
Is it a phrasal verb?


texts: Should I use -ing in the following case?

texts:
Nothing beats the feeling of flipping through real paper;
  trace its contours, take in its musty scent.

I'm a bit confused. Should I write:

  ...tracing its contours, taking in the musty scent.

Instead?


texts: How to paraphrase "Must the citizen ever for a moment..."?

texts:
Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his
  conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then?

How to paraphrase the sentences? And

The meaning of "ever" in the sentence
Is "in the least degree"  parallel to "ever for a moment" or "for a moment"?
Is "Why has every man a conscience" the same as "Why does every man have a conscience"? Does it mean "Is it meaningful that everyone needs a conscience?" or "Conscience is useless, but why does everyone own it? "


texts: Idiom to indicate detrimental effect of crime

texts:
Is there any english idiom to describe detrimental effect of crime to the accused
Would crime does not pay suit that context? Or is there any other idiom suiting it best


texts: If I say I am Vietnamese. Is Vietnamese a noun or an adjective? According to OALD, Vietnamese can be a noun or an adjective. If it’s a noun, why don’t we say I am a Vietnamese? Because its meaning is a person from Vietnam.


texts:
As I've heard many people say "I feel you" without sexual connotation.
But I am a bit uncomfortable to say that.
When do you often use it?
Do native speakers commonly use it?


texts:
I am searching for

or I am searching to

necessary for

or

necessary to

I am confused with the usage of 'to' and 'for'. Can somebody help me to apply the proper preposition?


texts: A sentence with adjectival time prepositional phrase

texts:
1 A man after the storm is usually in despair.

My friend wrote this sentence, and it is fairly understandable. But there was a little problem. It is clear that the "who is" is deleted, but when I put this "who is" in the sentence, I get a nonsensical sentence that is not even close to being understandable.

  2 A man who is after the storm is usually in despair.

I can see that "after the storm" is used as the adjectival time prepositional phrase. It is used as adjective, but it does not seem right as is. Is this sentence correct? And if yes, why is that?

P.S. I find it very hard to use time prepositional phrase as an adjective that modifies a noun. Can you give me some examples of this usage?


texts: Whats the meaning of "advanced parental age"

texts:
Whats the meaning of advanced parental age

I know the dictionary meaning of advanced but this context

  In the presence of a genetic predisposition to autism, a number of nongenetic, or “environmental,” stresses appear to further increase a child’s risk. The clearest evidence of these autism risk factors involves events before and during birth. They include advanced parental age at time of conception (both mom and dad), maternal illness during pregnancy and certain difficulties during birth, particularly those involving periods of oxygen deprivation to the baby’s brain. It is important to keep in mind that these factors, by themselves, do not cause autism. Rather, in combination with genetic risk factors, they appear to modestly increase risk.

See for more http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism

Does it mean people who get children at his/her early ages?  Check whether my interpretation is correct?


texts:
I can't understand what's the difference between these sentences and which one is more correctly if (for example) during conversation with my friend I tell him about my wishing to make acquaintance with some person:

I wish I knew that guy

I wish I had known that guy


texts: Can you use “the undersigned” and “I” in the same paragraph?

texts:
"The undersigned" and "I", when used in a letter, both refers to me. So is it possible to use them both in the same paragraph?

Consider the following example:

The undersigned respectfully moves for the adjournment of today's meeting. I believe that our committee can make no progress today if one of our resource speakers is absent.


texts:
I read a sentence in a newspaper

The allocation appears to be a mix of bold change in the top four of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) with a status quo in the rest.

I think here changes should be used.


texts:
Is it correct to say:

  I got blushed when she looked at me.
  I get blushed every time she looks at me.

I know that's perfectly fine without "get", but I've heard some people do add the "get" in similar sentences, for example:

  I got slapped.
  I got fired.

Why do these sentences take "got" but "blushed" does not?


texts: What does the expression "go the pace" mean?

texts:
I'm reading a novel written at the beginning of the XX century and I've come across this sentence:
Half paralysed, over head and ears in debt, having gone the pace all his life--or so they said!--till at last that mine in Ecuador had done for him--before the secretary's day, of course, but he had heard of it.
From the context, I guess "go the pace" means something like "having a really good time", "being successful" or "conquering your goals", but I haven't found the expression in any dictionary.
Could anyone help me understand this?
Thanks in advance!


texts:
Regarding the sentence marked in yellow, also, there might be other errors, I am especially not sure about to furnishing and to delivering. Should they be as they are or should I write to furnish and to deliver?

  A. I. Root speculated that Orville might have done it because he was averse to furnishing machines for war. ... The telegram sent by Brigadier General James Allen to the Wrights, on February 8, 1908, informing them their bid, to delivering a flying machine to the US War Department for $25,000, had been accepted, is evidence the two inventors did not care too much their machines would be used for military purposes.


texts: What is the adjective of the word "pity"?

texts:
Context:
I feel "pity" for all those poor people.

In dictionary it is written that it is noun.
So if want to convert or I want to say pity so that it looks as an adjective, then how would I do?


texts: Is it a personal style or a kind of expression tip to put a "made" immediately after "error"?

texts:
This video is saying (https://youtu.be/yXJYRlxkfu4?t=320)

  This is incorrect. Well this is the most common error made.

Adding a "made" does not affect the meaning at all. I have no difficulty on understanding the meaning.

I just wonder is it a personal style or a kind of expression tip to put a "made" immediately after "error"?


texts: Is the simple tense better than the continuous tense in "When I lied to him, I crossed a line."?

texts:
I am wondering about the tenses in this sentence.

  When I lied to him, I crossed a line.

I think "lied" and "crossed a line" are correct since the lying results in me crossing the line. Does the sentence make more sense if I use "crossing" like this:

  When I lie, I am crossing a line.

How does that differ from:

  When I lie to someone, I cross a line.

Again, I think the simple tense is better than the continuous tense, since the crossing is a result of me lying to someone.


texts: Think in the shadow. What does it mean? Is it an idiom?

texts:
Ian sits in the dark, thinking in the shadows.

I've across the phrase above in a novel.

I don't understand the meaning.

Does "shadows" symply mean "shadows"?

Or  "thinking in the shadows" is an idiom?
Could you please explain it to me?

The fuller text:

  Beverly thought she caught an odd look on Ian’s face in the shadows,
  when they brought Bradley in. Something cold in his eyes that she
  hadn’t seen before. It gave her a chill. She’s not sure—the expression
  was so fleeting. She might have imagined it. [...] His wife[Beverly]
  appears silently at his side, kneeling down by his chair, making him
  jump. It’s almost as if she’s read his mind. “Henry,” she whispers,
  her voice so low that he has to lean his ear down next to her lips to
  hear what she wants to tell him. He can smell her breath. He wonders
  if she can possibly know what he’s thinking. “I think I know who the
  killer is.” He raises his head and looks at her frightened eyes,
  gleaming in the dark. Ian doesn’t like the way Beverly’s been looking
  at him. She’s gone over to her husband and is leaning close to him,
  whispering something in his ear. That’s interesting, seeing as usually
  she’s stayed a good distance away from her husband lately. He wonders
  what she’s saying. Maybe something about him.
  Ian sits in the dark, thinking in the shadows.


texts: I am writing an essay and I need another way of saying "mother tongue" to avoid repetitions. can you help me?


texts: "in Cambridge Dictionary" vs. "on Cambridge Dictionary"

texts:
From an ELL post

  There are two meanings of "action" related in Cambridge Dictionary ...

When talking about an website, we usually use the preposition "on".

When talking about a dictionary, we usually use the preposition "in".

"Cambridge Dictionary" in my quoted sentence is combination of both. In this particular situation, should I use "on" or "in"?


texts: Why was "wise advisor" better than "savvy person"?

texts:
See Question 10 in the image.

  He was to be loyal to his lord, courageous in his defense, and a (10) savvy person. Basically, he was to be a man of honor, who would stay true to his Christian faith and keep his word at all costs.

Here option B) perspicacious sage, is considered incorrect because it has a very complex language, which is not required for this passage.

On the other hand, savvy person, C) wise advisor, and D) master mind are very similar to each other. These choices are even of normal tone.

I tried to apply to the concept of parallelism and comparisons here: we are talking about a human (Man), so let's put man (savvy person) for right comparison and not bring mind and advisor here. However, I got it wrong. The correct answer is C.

I have no ideas. Please help me here


texts: "You let me one for read" or "Let me read one for you"

texts: There are some words and I have to rearrange these for making a sentence. those words are " me, let, you,  for, read, one". I arranged them like " you let me one for read" and the other sentence is " let me read one for you". I want to know that which sentence is correct?


texts: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple when there is still a chance for the subject to do what they are being asked about

texts:
The context: I am looking for a book at home. I can't find it anywhere. I think my roommate could help me.

The roommate is still at home.
I ask him/her "Have you seen the book?"
I think that the form is correct here.
The roommate is out (I'm calling him) and I am sure he/she will not come back untill I find the book. Should I say "Did you see the book" or "Have you seen the book?"
From what I know about the difference between the Past Simple and the Present Perfect, I should choose the first one.
The roommate is out, but there is a high probability that he/she could come back before I find the book. Again, should I say "Did you see the book" or "Have you seen the book?"


texts:
"I love you," say I.
  "I love you," say me.
  "I love you," says I.
  "I love you," says me.

Which is correct? I'm thinking that it should be the first one, since it's "I say 'I love you.'"


texts:
I am not sure about the meaning of the word "land" in the following made-up sentence from a racing game:

  Land tricks to increase your speed and finish times.

The lexical meanings of the word "land" do not seem to fit here.

In my opinion, the word land is being used as a verb here. However, it may imply the noun sense of "land" because the player has to pull off wheelies and flips which may involve landing.


texts:
I already know that cut to the chase is an idiom. Following is a example sentence

  I will cut to the chase.

and it means to get to the point without wasting time. But is it grammatically correct to say:

  Cutting to the chase, I am new at this thing


texts: Is there difference between "by then" and "until then"?

texts:
Is there difference between "by then" and "until then" in the following sentence?

  "I'll call you around 9 o'clock. By then (or "until then"),  sweet dreams!"


texts: Is "there" a dummy subject in "There seems to be a lot of heat in here"?

texts:
I would like an explanation of the difference between the two following structures as to the type of subjects that they have:

  "It seems hot in here."
  "There seems to be a lot of heat in here."

In my opinion, in the first structure (#1) there is a subject ("it"), whereas in the second structure (#2) we use "there" as a dummy subject.

Am I right?


texts:
In a TV show, one guy called another "the tax man." The other guy wasn't pleased, and asked to be called "a tax man," at the same time saying:

  Would you feel good if I called you the gas guy?

What is he upset about? What about "the" changed how the name was received?


texts: The most referring to the majority of people

texts:
Let's do what benefits the most.

Is this correct usage of the most when the meaning is the following?

  Let's do what benefits the majority of the people.


texts: What's the difference between "an operation" and "a surgery"

texts: What is the difference between "an operation" and "a surgery"?


texts: What does "narrowly defined questions" mean in this context?

texts:
I came across the following sentence in a book:

Political science should not seek to model itself on the strict application of scientific methods used in the natural sciences whereby research is driven exclusively by that which can be reduced to narrowly defined questions testable by the most rigorous, most specialized scientific procedures presently available.

I have no idea what narrowly defined questions could mean. I tried to refer to a dictionary, but understanding the words individually didn't help. I think the meaning of the 3 words as it combined is here is context specific.


texts: "What our dreams mean" vs "what our dreams meant."

texts:
If we could actually find out what our dreams mean, wouldn't that be great?

  If we could actually find out what our dreams meant, wouldn't that be great?

Now.
I was reading Stephen King's "The Stand" the other day, and I came across a line that read, "If I said I like doing something...(I don't remember), it would be a lie."

So, going by that, there's no problem whether I use Mean, or Meant there in the above given examples, right?
And, they both mean the same, right?


texts:
[q] Managers who go on to earn engineering degrees can make up to
  $100,000 a year.
  -- corpus.byu.edu/coca

What does ‘make’ mean?
I guess it might be either [a] or [b] below from Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s.

  [a] 14 a [linking verb] — used to indicate a total [b] 17 [+ obj] : to
   earn or gain (money, a profit, etc.)

But I’m not sure, for [q] has prepositional complement which I don't find in dictionaries. Which mean do I have to take? Can the prepositional phrase be used with the one you select?


texts:
"involved expense" vs "expense involved"

  If it were not for the expense involved, I would go there by air.

Could I use involved expense?

"objecting person" vs "person objecting"

  Any person objecting has a chance to give his views at the meeting.

Could I use objecting person?

"used materials" vs "materials used"

  The materials used have all been tested to make sure that they are safe.

Could I use used materials?

"received information" vs "information received"

  Acting on information received. the police raided the club.

Could I use received information?

"adopted methods" vs "methods adopted"

  One of the methods adopted is to organize visits to other factories.

Could I use adopted methods?

"approaching footsteps" vs "footsteps approaching"

  The sound of approaching footsteps could be heard down the corridor.

Could I use footsteps approaching?


texts: confuse with the sentence "There is more than 50 time ..."

texts:
I am confused with the following sentence. would anyone explain its structure, please?

  There is more than 50 times as much freshwater stored underground than in all the freshwater rivers and lakes at the surface.


texts:
Can you please tell me if my sentence is correct:
context: I'm writing to a substitute teacher to ask if he is interested in teaching 2 classes the next term.
Are you interested in the following classes:
(then I describe the classes)
which is better: in the following or in these


texts: What does "They need to know that they are heard" mean in this context?

texts:
“The family wants justice,” he said. “They need to know that they are heard, and they need to know that this type of conduct is wrong and they need to know that this is going to stop.”

I feel the phase "need to know" in this context is peculiar. It sounds like "want to make sure". My understanding to the sentence in bold above is that they want to make sure they keep updated with the status of this event.

So, what's the correct way to understand "They need to know that they are heard" in this context?

The full source.


texts: What does the phrase 'by lack of' in this context refer to?

texts:
Is the "by lack of" here grammatically correct? Here is the whole context, with emphasis added.

  6. Function fields

  I will only say a very few words about the "geometric" analogue (or "function field case") of the various theories described before, mostly by lack of proper competence. More detailed explanations will come in future chapters.


texts:
What does "It’s made you one. By hokey!" mean? Does it mean - Money made him a gentleman foolishly?

  As I said, you’re a gentleman. They say it takes three generations to
  make one. They’re off. Money’ll do it as slick as soap grease. It’s
  made you one. By hokey! it’s almost made one of me. I’m nearly as
  impolite and disagreeable and ill-mannered as these two old
  knickerbocker gents on each side of me that can’t sleep of nights
  because I bought in between ’em.”

Mammon and the Archer
by O. Henry


texts:
I put all the animals words together, and all the clothes words together, and so on. I find it's easier to remember the words (in) this way.

Should I use in before "this way" in the above sentence or it is optional?


texts:
1) Which is correct:

  A) At weekends, afternoon tea is a special occasion.

  B) At weekends, the afternoon tea is a special occasion.

2) Should I say "at the weekends"?


texts:
I asked about a version of the following sentence yesterday, but today my focus is different. Do you think "but" makes sense in the following sentences?

  Gorillas have often been portrayed as a timid species, but in truth these shy apes constantly fight over sex, food, or territory.

I'd like to know what function the conjunction but serves in the sentence.
Is it intended to debunk the notion that gorillas are timid? If so, wouldn't the purpose be defeated by the second clause acknowledging they are "shy apes," i.e. timid animals?


texts:
Consider this:

  We have got to go back
  - Luke Skywalker in Star Wars V

I don't think it is actually present perfect usage but certainly used like that syntactically. It is more like simple present usage. What do you guys think?


texts:
I've been reading HP and came across this para that I don't quite understand.

“Well, you can’t blame him for wanting to get out and about,” said Ron, when Harry discussed
his fears with him and Hermione. “I mean, he’s been on the run for over two years, hasn’t he,
and I know that can’t have been a laugh, but at least he was free, wasn’t he? And now he’s just
shut up all the time with that ghastly elf(Kreacher).”
Hermione scowled at Ron, but otherwise ignored the slight on Kreacher.

I want to know what the highlighted part means.
My understanding is that Hermione got angry at Ron for insulting elf but then she ignored this and went on to talk about something else and not fight with Ron.


texts: Can I say: I have not gone to the cinema for a long time

texts:
Joe asks me: "Do you often go to the cinema?"

I reply: "No, I have not been to the cinema for a long time"

This is correct.

But can I say:

  "I have not gone to the cinema for a long time"


texts: Can I use 'ask' and 'ask for' interchangeably? For example, there's no difference whatsoever (including stylistic difference) between 'ask forgiveness' and 'ask for forgiveness', is there?


texts: What does "submit for your inspection one John H. Watson" mean?

texts:
I submit for your inspection one John H. Watson.

The Perils of Sherlock Holmes

What is the meaning of this sentence?


texts: When can we use "is" at the end of sentence?

texts:
You must leave the furniture as it is. you mustn't move anything.

When can we use the verb to be  at the end of sentence?

UPDATE:

  The verb be is used in the following patterns:

  with a noun:

  My mother is a teacher. Bill Clinton was the president of the US.

  with an adjective:

  This soup is very tasty. The children were good.

  2.1 with the -ing form to make the continuous aspect

  We were walking down the street. Everything was wet. It had been
  raining for hours.

  2.2 with the -ed form to make the passive voice

  The house was built in 1890. The street is called Montagu Street. This
  car was made in Japan.

  with a prepositional phrase:

  John and his wife are from Manchester. The flowers are on the table.

  British Council

In the above description, the to be verbs is followed by adjective or verb.

So, When can we use the verb to be without adjective or verb?


texts: Can one use "in the same vein" as an adverbial connector that means "in this regard" or "Also", ...?

texts:
Suppose a self-made paragraph as

The university decided to offer a mix of in person and on line courses for the fall. In this vein, the university has announced that students should wear masks in common spaces and there would be penalties if they do not abide by the rules.

I am wondering if it is idiomatic to use "in this vein" in such contexts?  I mean, I know that I can use words and phrases like "also", "in addition", ... etc, but for the sake of variety, I want to know if it is fine to use "in this vein" as well?


texts: Why is there no subject between "guess" and "getting"? and why does this sentence use "guess" instead of "guessed"?

texts:
Mike: So you two are finally gonna get hitched. who popped the question? was it you? Matt, or did you propose to him, Allison?

  Matt: I decided to be the romantic one, I took Allison to the park where we had our five-year anniversary picnic, and asked her there...

  Matt: she was in a bad mood that day, I almost lost my nerve, I thought she was gonna turn me down

  Allison: He's right... I almost left him in the park. I had a terrible migraine. Stress at work. And he'd been acting so strange, I guess getting ready for the big question.


texts: "Not self-conscious at all.—No, that's a big part of it." What does it mean?

texts:
I am not a native English speaker and have been studying English. I was watching "Casual", and I didn't understand what they were talking about.

Alex asked Leon to have sex with two women. However, he kicked them out and he was in the living room. One girl came and talked to him, and they talked about Leon.

ALEX: Doing really well in there.

EMMY: He's doing very well.

ALEX: Not self-conscious at all.

EMMY: No, that's a big part of it.

I don't understand who is "Not self-conscious at all." and what the meaning is of "that's a big part of it" in this conversation. It might be a very strange question. However, please help me to improve my English skills and kindly inform me. Thank you in advance.


texts: What does the word "delicacy" mean in the following context?

texts:
The following excerpt is from John Adams by David McCullough

  "The delicacies of the Comte de Vergennes about communicating my powers [to Britain] are not perfectly consonant to my manner of thinking," Adams wrote to Congress.

Does "delicacies" here mean "skills/tactics"? I'm not sure.

I have checked the word up in the WordReference.com Dictionary and seemed not to be able to find a matching meaning. The closest meaning I can find is "extreme sensitivity;precision of action or operation;minute accuracy". I still find it somewhat off the mark.


texts: How do native speaker understand suffix-forming nouns?

texts:
Even if native speakers who know what 'require' mean, if they meet this noun and adjective first 'requirement' and 'requisite', don't know what they mean exactly? and have to search the words in a dictionary?

Also in this case the verb 'apply' it is related to a few noun-forming words, such as application , appliance, and applicant, native speakers have to browse the words to know what they mean definitely?

Anyway, in my opinion, English speakers might have learned noun forms of verbs one by one at times they have heard a word, talking with people.


texts:
I want to ask a question related to hyphens. Is there a hyphen between the words white and Thai in the sentence below?

I saw a white-Thai temple.


texts:
Example (Why Medieval Knights Were Just Bros on Horseback):

  By the time the Normans and William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, they brought with them not only a mounted cavalry but also an emerging code of honor, one that preached restraint even to those one had bested on the battlefield — a sort of medieval Geneva Conventions.

As far as I know, the verb best actually means to outwit someone. What you really do on the battlefield is you fight and kill your enemy. It has nothing to do with outwitting someone. So, I'm not sure what the author is really saying there.


texts: Meaning of 'be careful of too many too fast'

texts:
But I know that makes no difference to you because you’re 80 years old and you don't care if you think you will be a hero no matter what, and I am not interested in you, what will it do to this court? You will destroy it. And I am thinking that. And I am really thinking it. And there we are. … There’s a lot in here about the court and how it should function and it would be weird of drawing too many generalizations. I’ll start with the one that you started with. I think that's this is a pretty bad situation here. And it proved to be such. For a lot of complex reasons. And lessons, there must be lessons. Be careful of too many too fast. And believe in the obvious. But it has kept us, at least the judges, in this room, absolutely fascinated for three hours and 10 minutes because of the quality of the argument in part, and because the the nature of the materials, and because of the kinds of problems that have been posed.

Notice that the transcript below the video doesn't transcribe Justice Breyer's words 100% correctly.


texts:
What's the difference between these four phrases:

a variety of flowers
varieties of flowers
a variety of flower
varieties of flower

I can't quite distinguish the difference between variety and varieties.

I understand variety as a number of different types of things and it makes me wonder why the plural form varieties even exists.

I would appreciate some insights into this.


texts: Is it correct to say "She held the scooter backwards"?

texts:
Look at this picture

A child is holding a scooter like the picture above.
Is it correct to say "She held the scooter backwards" or "She pushed the scooter backwards"?


texts:
Can I use the word confusion in a countable sense?

For example, can I say like this:

  She was very considerate and observing and noticed every little
  confusion that I would have every now and then.

?


texts: There is[n't] nowhere I'd rather be than here with you

texts:
A. There isn't nowhere I'd rather be than here with you.
B. There is nowhere I'd rather be than here with you.

Elsewhere I have read that two negatives in English destroy one another, although they are not always equivalent to an affirmative.
I'm not sure precisely what this means. So my questions are:

What is the difference between A and B?
Is A "standard" or acceptable English?


texts: "That's as much as we ever really saw of them at the time". What does this sentence mean?

texts:
Below is a paragraph from my English textbook:

  Bob – both my parents were in the theatre and they had made quite a
  name for themselves on the stage. As a child I remember our house
  being constantly full of famous people, laughing and talking. My
  sisters and me would be brought down by our nanny to kiss parents
  goodnight and then we would be packed off to the nursery. That's as
  much as we ever really saw of them at the time. It's better now,
  but it has left a mark on all of us – we ring each other now and
  again, but that's about all. I think my father understands this, but I
  am not sure my mother does.
  Source: http://sinhngu.com/f_view.asp?CID=1908&QID=17677

I'm quite confused about the meaning of the bold sentence. I guess its meaning may be:

(1) That's the most we at any time (during our childhood) really met our parents when we were children.

or I can explain it in another longer way:

(2) During our childhood, we rarely met our parents except when our nanny brought us down to kiss our parents goodnight.

Could you please tell me whether or not I have understood that sentence correctly?


texts: How we should pronounce /ɔː/ phonetician in American English?

texts:
I have no problem with its pronunciation in British English, but in American English, yes. Do it have a sound like /əʊ/ as in 'go' or /ɒ/ as in 'got'?
And I know that /ɔː/ and /əʊ/ aren't pronounced exactly like each other, and /ɔː/ and /ɒ/, but I can't write the sounds and my mean is their likeness.


texts: Meaning - there was yet time for that tiny slip

texts:
I can't understand the meaning of the bold part. Please help.

  The earl was obviously happy with the job she was doing, and he had decided not to summon the housekeeper from London, which she took as a great compliment; but, she thought apprehensively, there was yet time for that tiny slip, that fatal error, which would spoil everything: the dirty dinner plate, the overflowing sewer, the dead mouse in the bathtub. And the the earl would be angry.

Context -

She was appointed as housekeeper in place of regular housekeeper due to the fact that the regular housekeeper was ill. But the earl was happy with the work she was doing.

I really can't understand the two thing here -

What is the meaning of the bold part? Does that mean "In spite of all these appreciation, there might be time when error might happen"?
What is the meaning of "earl"? I have checked the dictionary, and I couldn't understand the hierarchy. Can anyone please explain it?


texts: YouTube full of people which smoke their ears vs YouTube is filled with people etc?

texts:
I'm looking for the suitable word for the following context:

  YouTube full of people which smoke through their ears
  YouTube is filled with peoplewhich smoke through their ears


texts: “Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do”

texts:
How does the quote

Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do.

relate to ethics?
(from Justice Potter Stewart)


texts: The grammar of this "definition" -- Please be noted this could be offensive

texts:
I always liked Aerosmith and one of their songs, Rag doll.

Anyway, I haven't known up until now exactly what the rag doll means and I now think the song is about the 3rd definition of this page.

Thus said, I can not figure out the structure of the part of the definition in exact way, especially here.

  To have *** so wild that the chick gets all tossed around and like hair is sweat stuck to her face

so ～ that ---- part is fine.

But, is the last part,

  like hair is sweat stuck to her face.

grammatically correct?

What confuses me is, I think the writer is using the word, like, as a conjunction but shouldn't he/she have inserted her or the chick's after the conjunction "like"?

Thank you in advance for your any kind of assistance with many many thanks.


texts: Difference between "assist in" and "assist with"

texts:
He assisted in the editing of the movie.
He assisted with the editing of the movie.
He assisted at the editing of the movie.

Is "assist in" the same as "assist with"? Can I always substitute the one where the other is used, or is there a difference in meaning?
(I think "assist at" refers to a place where a person is assisting, as in "He assisted at the place where the editing was taking place".)
When I use Google to look for the definition, it gives me the following as the main definition:

help (someone), typically by doing a share of the work

And gives two example sentences:

"a senior academic would assist him in his work"

and, after a bullet point with the following extra explanation:

help by providing money or information.

"they were assisting police with their inquiries"

So is the distinction between in and with really tied to the definitions above, or are these example sentences just a coincidence?


texts: the usage of 'never done' in colloquial English

texts:
Dialogues:

Have you been to Paris?

No, never been.

Have you heard John's ex-wife?

No, never heard.

Can I shorten the answers as above in colloquial English?


texts: Is the sentence incomplete without the use of There at the end of the sentence? What is the purpose?

texts:
SOURCE   (British Council LearnEnglish Teens)

I was doing some reading on a web site. Here is the sentence that I am thinking why they have to put the adverb (There) at the ending of the sentence.

  My biggest sister is actually the smallest...
  She also loves horses. When she was younger,   she used to go to a local farm regularly to help look after the donkeys and horses there.

Is sentence incomplete without the use of There?

Can I just say

  she used to go to a local farm regularly to help look after the
  donkeys and horses.

What is the purpose of using There?


texts: What is the difference between "Some would argue that..." vs "Some may argue that..."?

texts:
What is the difference between these two expressions:
"Some would argue that..." vs "Some may argue that..."


texts:
Is there any general rule dictating the omission of prepositions?
I often come across sentences where prepositions are omitted and where I would normally have used them.
Just to clarify, here is an example:

I will throw you out of the window.

This is rendered as:

I will throw you out the window.

I did read about Zero marking and telegraphic style but the information provided was meager at best.
Could anyone please enlighten me about this concept and how it works?


texts: Using indefinite articles before adjectives: "Let's have a good breakfast"

texts:
Let's have breakfast
Let's have a good breakfast

I've learned that indefinite articles aren't used before uncountable nouns, so why is a used before the adjective "good" here?

Is there an exception to the rules or is it wrong?


texts: I know the error. I just don't know why it is an error?

texts:
"The orbits of comets in our solar system are much more eccentric than planet Earth, which revolves around the Sun following a relatively circular path.

According to the sentence above, the error contained in the sentence above is "than planet earth".

Why is that?
The question just tells me the error; Not an explanation of why it is the error.


texts: What do the British call the dish which is called 'pudding' in the US

texts: I think the word pudding is used mostly as a general name for sweet dishes in the UK, whilst in the US it is a specific dessert. What do the British people call it? It looks delicious innit?


texts: How Should we use comma with present participles acting as adverbial clauses?

texts:
Compare:

  This portrait was drawn using watercolors.  (PP at the end, Passive Voice)

  Using watercolors, the artist drew this portrait. (PP at the front, Active Voice)

  The artist drew this portrait, using watercolors. (PP at the end, Active Voice)

I get confused when I want to use present participles acting as adverbs. How we should use comma in these cases? In terms adverbial clauses with subordinate conjunctions, I know how I should use comma. It is very straight forward.

Similar things on the Internet:

In this link, and on this page, there is a bunch of discussions in the case of the present participles coming at the end of a sentence.


texts: Which to use "do" or "does" to emphasize with third person singular?

texts:
For example, I can say "I do like apples". May I similarly say

  A kitten do like to play with a clew

or should I use does instead.
Also, in sentences like

  Only then do/does it really matter, which choice you make.


texts: I have questions on problems on the textbook/ from the textbook?

texts:
When you want to email your teacher to ask questions on problems on a textbook, which one should I use?

I have some questions on problems on the textbook

I have some questions on problems from the textbook

Or is there any other way of saying this?


texts: about 'be worthy of ~ing', 'be worthy of being p·p'

texts:
What's difference between

  His essays are worthy of reading.

and

  His essays are worthy of being read.

Is there anything ungrammatical in either sentence?


texts: Had been/ was -- what would be a better choice to go with in the given context?

texts:
I was out of committing any crimes for quite some time until a few days ago when I committed a felony.

I had been out of committing any crimes for quite some time until a few days ago when I committed a felony.

Which would be a better choice to go with here, was or had been?
What difference does it make meaning wise?
And when I say "Until a few days ago", I mean a few days ago from today/now, and not sometime in the past.


texts: Can the preposition "to" be immediately followed by a "that + Subject +Verb + Object" clause?

texts:
I was trying to proof read an article about USA/Philippines trade with the following paragraph:

  The statistics of 2016 help us predict the future of fastener business
  between the USA and Philippines. According to the statistics, the Philippines business in November 2016
  has not been affected, and it can be translated to that the U.S. and
  Philippines continue their relationship as before.

I wanted to correct it to "it can be translated to the fact that the U.S. and Philippines continue their relationship as before", or "it can be translated to a situation where the U.S. and Philippines continue their relationship as before" but I'm not sure if the author of this paragraph was grammatically correct in the first place.

Could anyone tell me whether I'm right to correct it or how should I correct it if need be?


texts: Why should one use "back" in these examples?

texts:
Back at home, it was so dim.

  I used to play football back in my school days.

  We used to eat by hands back in my country.

Is back optional in these sentences or does it change their respective meanings in any way?


texts: Simple present for speaking about the future the way natives do

texts:
I searched the whole internet but couldn't find anything else than the standard rules/guidelines as to how to use the simple present for future events. I understand that when something is scheduled, e.g. 'The train arrives at 10am,' the simple present is being used. I moved from Germany to California and since I'm here I hear people use the simple present all the time for non-scheduled events in the future or things they think are facts. I'll give you three example sentences I came across in conversations with native speakers:

We were in a furniture store and I sat on a fluffy white seat, the ones that look like huge pillows, and the person I was with said:

  'Can you imagine how dirty it gets over time?'

...instead of:

  'Can you imagine how dirty it will get over time?'

In another situation, I changed the headlight bulbs of my fiancee's car with her brother and since I'm not really familiar with cars I asked him why I should avoid touching the bulbs and he said:

  'The grease from your fingers will burn into the bulb and then it breaks'

...instead of:

  'The grease from your fingers will burn into the bulb and then it will break.'

Then, last evening my fiancee had a really bad stomachache and she said:

  'I hope it goes away overnight'

...instead of:

  'I hope it will go away overnight.'

Is there an exception to the rule here or is it just colloquialism? If so, could someone elaborate on this?


texts: Is "Please give me one day of time" correct?

texts:
I want to take one day for someone. What will the correct way to write be?

Please give me one day of time.
Please give me one day at time.
Please give me one day time.

Through I know "Please give me one day" is sufficient to pass my message, I would like to also know its association with time.


texts: What does the nutshell in “in a nutshell” stand for?

texts:
I know the meaning of “in a nutshell” but do not know what “nutshell” or “nut” itself stands for in this idiom.

Since it is a metaphor, I would like to know what it recalls to the speakers/listeners’ mind whose first langage is English. Etymology of the idiom would also be greatly appreciated.


texts:
How to convert sentences using 'has' or 'has been' into questions?

For example:

  His uncle has a big car.

  She has been working at that company for three years

What are the basic rules for such scenarios?


texts: which one is correct (have been or was)?

texts:
Which one is correct (have been or was)?

  I have been receiving allowance from the office from the above dates.

or

  I was receiving allowance from the office from the above dates.


texts:
Cambridge online dictionary pronounces "often" without the "t" but also gives the pronunciation with the t. I checked in many other dictionaries but it is silent.
UK: /ˈɒf.ən/ /ˈɒf.tən/
US:  /ˈɑːf.ən/ /ˈɑːf.tən/
or US: /ˈɔf(ə)n/, /ˈɑft(ə)n/.
Some people do pronounce the "t" in often but most of the time it is silent. There are some other words that also have a silent "t". I did not know that the "t" in the word "fasten" was silent. I used to pronounce it with the "t" but when I looked up its pronunciation, it was silent. Is there any reason why it is silent?


texts: How is an academic course structured in its content (USA)?

texts:
I don’t even know if “course” is the better word choice in the title of this question.

Those things may be obvious for Americans, but it’s tricky to understand the elements of the academic life in a given country because the words are similar or the same in other countries, but with different meanings. I searched those meanings, but it’s hard to understand them isolated and without examples (how they usually appear). I assume those things are too obvious to be explained (even by colleges themselves), but only learned in practice. If someone has a link to a college explaining the structure of what it teaches through a diagram I would be amazed.

If I want to become, for instance, a Nutritionist, I would get into a Nutrition ____ (program?/course?) in order to earn a Nutrition ____ (degree?). When people ask me what I do in college, I answer that I ____ (study? / am coursing?/ am majoring in?) Nutrition. In this semester I have a _____ (course?/subject?/either of both?) called Physiopathology of Nutrition II that is really hard. If I wanted to say that I want to give up Nutrition, I'd say "I want to give up this ____ (course?/major?/college?/degree?)."


texts: "if either of them isn't correct" or "if any of them isn't correct"?

texts:
Tell me please which sentence is correct and why.

  If any of them isn't correct, the teacher will help you.

  If either of them isn't correct, the teacher will help you.

And by the way, is it either of them is or either of them are?


texts:
In the song I wrote a few years ago, I was always singing the last part of the final chorus as "I beg you, dear, please don't do you cry" (I will attach an audio example below). I didn't really think about it, it just fit rhythmically, and that was it for me. However, recently I tried to record it, and when I finally played it back, it occurred to me that it is not at all correct (as far as I know).
You can find the part of the song here: https://sndup.net/5n3v/d. Beware, it's really really far from the final product, it's really just in the beginning stage, so the sound quality is just bad.
Would you be so kind to help me with these several questions?

Is there any way (or meaning) that would make this phrasing correct?
If not, does it hurt your ears to hear it like that? (I know that there are lyrics that are not grammatically correct, so I ask if this is above the "limit")
If not, does it convey the message? (e.g., I want to say "please don't cry")

I would really love to keep it that way because it really builds up before the final part of the song, but I don't want people to think I don't speak English, so I guess you see my dilemma here.


texts:
It took so long years to complete

It took so long years to be completed

Which is right? Both are okay?


texts: differentiating between "as soon as" and "when"

texts:
As soon as I arrived home, I opened the door.

When I arrived home. I opened the door.

Do you distinguish or feel any difference between the two semantically?

Thanks in advance


texts: How do I speak about a respectful person?

texts:
How do the native speakers usually point to a respectful individual? For me, only three self-made sentences comes to mind; I was wondering if someone could let me know which one of them works better here:

  He is deserving of respect.
  He is respectworthy.
  He is a respect-worthy individual.

On Google Ngram, I googled the following three expressions
deserving of respect, is respectworthy and is respect-worthy

and found out that the adjective "respect-worthy" is not used in the way I have used them. How I made these two latter ones? Once I read them in a dictionary and wrote them down in a paper.

All these matters aside, I need to know if the adjective I mentioned above is used in contemporary English these days or it is something that only dictionaries recommend it.
Also, some other dictionaries have no idea about this word or at least they did not provide any examples like here or here.


texts: Difference between we all and we are all

texts:
What is the difference between the given two sentences?

  We all are teenagers.

  We are all teenagers.


texts:
Which of the following two sentences is the most idiomatic?

This justifies the permanence of the candidate in the current institution
This justifies the maintenance of the candidate in the current institution

Is there any suitable alternative?


texts: Can we use the word 'production' for compost making?

texts:
Can we use the word production for compost making?

A. Methods of our study were: a) compost making, b) green house construction.

B. Methods of our study were: a) compost production, b)green house construction.

  Wastes of leave and grass, cow manures, soil, and burning husks are needed in this compost making, before it is used as a media to cultivate seeds. Could you say it as a production?


texts:
How do we pronounce THE in sentences? I heard that THE can be pronounced as "tha" and "thee".
What is the criteria for pronouning as such?


texts: A formal way to request for updated information in business email writing

texts:
I'm looking for a formal way to request for updated information (I call it "seeking the updated things") in business email writing.
I'm thinking when you ask for information, you are actually seeking the updated things. So, is it okay to leave "updated" in these sentences?

May I know if there is any (updated) information?
Is there any (updated) information?
Please let us know if you have (updated) information on this issue.

Also, can anyone give me some good examples of professional business email writing?


texts:
utilitarianism = the belief that the right course of action is the one that will produce the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people

I would've first chosen happiness + from or to, so would someone please explain the preposition of here? Could others be used? If so, which? What are the similarities and differences?

2. What's this phenomenon called? Does it occur to other words?


texts: What is the correct word for someone rotating into a rotation?

texts:
We have people at work rotating into our group through a rotation program.  I call the people rotating in/out "rotatees" but MS Word and apparently StackExchange puts red squigglies underneath that word so I'm wondering what is the correct word for someone rotating in and out of our group in a professional, work sense.

They have their feature team that they work with but for now, all new employees under 1 yr exp with the company come thru our team to learn some debugging and routing skills for a 6 week period. I don't know think they see themselves as a separate identifiable group when they come into my team, they just see themselves as serving time with us for 6 wks before they go back to what they were hired to do.


texts: When should I use fast, nimble and swift?

texts:
Looking up in a dictionary, I found as synonyms of nimble, among some words, fast and swift.

So, if they're synonyms, is there any rules or some particular situations, should I use one of these words rather than another?

Thanks!


texts: What does this sentence in Harry Potter mean?

texts:
“Well, Voldemort’s going to try other ways of coming back, isn’t he? I mean, he hasn’t gone, has he?”
  “No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share… not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, Harry, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time — and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power.”

  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Sorry I wanted to write a more specific title but I'm having difficulty with the whole sentence so.. I read the question alreday asked here, but I still don't get it. And my question is more about what this sentence means, not how it grammarly works.

To me, 'take [someone] what seems like a losing battle' seems [someone] is losing the battle. (As in Many homebuyers will probably take what seems like the easy option without thinking through the long-term costs. Here, [homebuyers] take [what seems -])
 But considering the context, it doesn't make sense at all.

I also don't get it why "merely=only" is used here. It will 'only' take someone else who can make Voldemort lose power..? If someone can fight against Voldemort, it truly is a courageous and big thing, not 'only' a thing.

I know I'm totally misunderstanding this sentence but that's just how I understood this.. which is total nonsense.  Can anyone help me with this sentence?


texts:
  "I'm going to show you a telegram from the German foreign
  minister, Arthur Zimmermann, to the German ambassador in Mexico."
      She looked astonished. "Where did you get that?"
    "From Western Union," he lied.     "Isn't it in
  code?"     "Codes can be broken." He handed her a
  typewritten copy of the full English translation.     "Is
  this off the record?" she said.     "No. The only thing I
  want you to keep to yourself is where you got it."
  "Okay." She began to read. After a moment, her mouth dropped open. She
  looked up.     "Gus," she said. "Is this real?"
     "When did you know me to play a practical joke?"
    "The last time was never." She read on. "The Germans are
  going to pay Mexico to in-vade Texas?"     "That's what Herr
  Zimmermann says."  (Ken Follett, Fall of Giants)

What does the highlighted part mean? When never were in the front –– “Never was the last time” –– I might have passed smoothly the spot. Can the never be stranded at the rear of the sentence? Or is it some other structure?


texts:
Suppose a friend of mine are talking with his girlfriend about Kevin Durant, and I also like watching NBA, so I join in with them, how should I say?

I know Kevin Durant. This means I am familiar with KD, and vice versa.
I know of Kevin Durant. This means I just hear about him.

Is there an expression containing know which can be used in this context?


texts: Help me with conditional tenses and could/would usage

texts:
Correct my sentence if it is wrong please:

  "X could be helpful in a very simple case: where there is only one Y of each X type."

How would it be correct to say it in the past?

How to fix this:

  "X could be helpful in a very simple case: where there was only one Y of each X type."


texts: "I had been away for so long that I ended up starting a new novel when I was on the road"

texts:
This book is supposed to be a funny and a quick read but I had been away for so long that I ended up starting a new novel when I was on the road.

Is "I had been" correct or should should it be "I have been"


texts:
Is the following sentence active or passive? Or can we say it is active and it is also passive?

  They were absolutely fascinated by the game.


texts:
As far as I know we use "was able" on single occasion in the past and "could" when we are talking about repeated actions. But in the example below I can use both of them (taking on board that it's a negative sentense)? And what verb native would rather chose?

  She was ill that time and wasn't able to / couldn't phone (ring up, call).


texts:
Can you make me some tea- correct.

Can you make me a tea- wrong.

we all know articles aren't used before uncountable noun.


texts: Can "the + noun (pl)" imply any of a group in some cases?

texts:
When we say this way:

"The workers are lazy", then we are telling that all workers of the company are lazy.

But what happens when one says this (in the examples I assume that I mention the workers for the first time) :

1) "If the workers of the company are lazy, what can you do about it?"

2) "If the workers of the company want to ask for help, who should they address?"

Can the sentences 1 and 2 connote any workers, not all of them?

So, I do not say that if "all the workers are lazy", I say "any of the workers are lazy". And not "all the workers want help, but "any of the workers". Yes, they are specific workers, so "the workers" can be used, but does it specify here about how many of them I mean in a relevant situation?

This is very confusing to me. I can show you the example that seemed very suspicious to my mind:

"If the users of this device do not follow safety recommendations, they..."

I am sure that it can't only mean "all the users at a time" or something like that, but the usage of the + noun (pl) seems confusing here to me since "the + noun" means "all the" - this is what I learnt.

Can someone clarify the matter, please? Thank you in advance.


texts:
Look at them playing in the water.

Do you use LOOK AT + somebody + gerund form?

How is this different from look at them play in the water?


texts: “I'm new here and would appreciate your guidance”

texts: I'm a Hong Kong English learner. There's a Chinese phrase usually used when introducing yourself to a new group, that means "I'm new here and would appreciate your guidance." Would it sound strange to your ears? Thank you!


texts: What's the time reference for this would?

texts:
A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe
  and a frown.
      "You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"
      "I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy –– he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."

  –– Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

The highlighted part, I would say, has different Reference Times: telling’s RT is the past; put’s RT is after the Speech Time. If this is true, I can imagine this sentence: ‘If I told him what you’re going to do, he’d put a stop to this’. Is it right?


texts: Has vs had grammaticality for something that happened last week

texts:
In my English class, my professor posed the following question:

  Manuel (has / had) asked Pedro to help him fix his computer last week.

He said the answer was has, but that seems present tense to me, but he said that the “last week” part is entirely irrelevant. Any help?


texts: "would have been possible without " VS "is possible without"

texts:
Jane is keen to point out that none of this would have been possible without the dedication of the entire  team.
  Jane is keen to point out that none of this is possible without the dedication of the entire team.
  Jane is keen to point out that none of this has been possible without the dedication of the entire team.

Jane wants to express her appreciation for the hard work of everyone involved in a project. In this context, which one above should I use?


texts: Meaning and usage of the phrase "to be cool with something"

texts:
Could you explain to me the meaning and usage of the phrase

  "to be cool with something"?

Where and when would it be appropriate to use it?


texts: What is the meaning of "Not much something than yours"?

texts:
For example, if a guy tells another that "My hair is not much spikier than yours". Does it mean:

Both their hairs are about the same spikiness
The first guy's hair is little less spikier

I know the meaning of the sentence without adding the "much" but adding it kinda confuses me.


texts: Would you use "used in the real world" or "used in real world"?

texts:
I have written a computer tutorial, but I am not sure if I have this sentence correct:

"Build three high-quality computer applications used in the real world!"

I am trying to say that these computer applications that are to be built are not just trivial toy applications, but applications used in reality in the industry. Would you write "used in real world" instead without the "the"? Any other third alternative would be appreciated.


texts:
I have come across the words 'self-operated' and 'self-owned' in corporate documents. The meaning seems to be 'operated by oneself' and 'one's own'. Examples:

The company has five self-operated stores. (i.e. the stores are operated by the company's staff instead of franchised)
The company will finance the acquisition with self-owned funds. (i.e. the company will use its own money instead of borrowing from a bank)

This seems odd to me. I imagine something 'self-operated' would be like an automated machine that does not need manual operation, and by https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=self-owned 'self-owned'  means one humiliating oneself by one's own device. But these usages are so prevalent in the documents I read so that I begin to doubt myself.
Are they actually correct? If not, what are the correct ways to express the meaning?


texts: Which tense to choose: "Is dinner ready? - I'm afraid, it isn't. The potatoes are not done/haven't been done yet."


texts: What do "...or will I?" constructions mean?

texts:
I've seen this construction, but I can't understand its meaning:

  "I will do something, or will I?"

I can't understand why there's a question after an affirmative sentence with the same meaning.

This question is difficult to research.


texts: What does "hold a desire to be good" mean?

texts:
In the article Autonomy | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, there is a sentence:

An agent has a preference if he or she holds a certain first level desire to be good

"First level desire" is a technical term, and can be replaced with "desire" without problem. I am wondering what does "hold a desire to be good" mean. Is it:

That desire (whichever it is) is good itself?
She desires to be good (e.g. become healthy)?

In all phrases and phrasal verbs of "hold", I can only see two phrase and phrasal verb that seem to be relevant:

Hold good: to still exist, or to still be valuable
Hold someone to something: to make someone do what they have promised or decided

But both of them don't really fit.


texts: Is it grammatically normal or acceptable to use the present tense while saying something in the past?

texts:
I am watching Breaking Bad on my computer, a somewhat "dated" TV series. Now I am at senson 4, the 10th   episode, when Mr white is there talking to his son about his childhood memories of his father's death.

I suddenly noticed that he was using the present tense, like "there lying is my father", "he is all twisted up", "my mon, she puts me on her lap..so I can get a good look at him", "I can't even be sure that he knows who I am", etc.

My question is, is it grammatically normal or acceptable to use the present tense while telling a story (I mean, not only fairy tales, but also ture past events) in the past? Why doesn't Mr White use the past tense then? Isn't tense important in speaking daily English?

P.S. I then heard Mr White said in this very same story, "this rattling sound, like if you were shaking an empty spray-paint can——like there was nothing in him", right after using the present tense. How could that shift happen?


texts:
A movement in the trees behind Ronan made Hagrid raise his bow again, but it was only a second centaur, black-haired and -bodied and wilder-looking than Ronan.
  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

There is no lexical word of -bodied. Is it a shortened form of black-bodied?


texts:
Does it mean SAVE?
Governments and central banks have promised to shell out $19.5 trillion since the coronavirus erupted to "put a floor under the world economy," according to the International Monetary Fund. Some countries need even more help to recover from the crisis, but they might not get it.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/17/economy/global-economy-coronavirus-bailout-imf-annual-report/index.html


texts: "whom,them" vs "that, which " as appositive

texts:
Sixty people, most of whom were females, liked the party.
Sixty people, most of them were females, liked the party.
The animal, which is sick, needs treatments.
The animal, that is sick, needs treatments.

Are all of those sentences correct?  If any of them is wrong, please explain.


texts:
What do the bold parts mean? Or rather, I should say that I'm confused by the bold parts, and I'd like to know what the sentences mean, and what kind of flavor they have to them. And what does win away mean?

  (1) He ran away on me.

  (2) They won several games away on us already.

  (3) Today I’m pissed, so I will quit early for the day on him [e.g., my boss].

I suppose bold parts are related to some kind of adversity, because in the same place (pp. 33-34) the following sentences appear:

  (a) I (adversely) experienced his running away.

  (b) Due to our carelessness we (adversely) experienced their winning several
  games away from us.

Do (1) and (a) mean the same? And do (2) and (3) mean the same? And still, what kind of flavor do these sentences have?


texts: Can someone be an administrator of a festival?

texts:
Someone is in charge of organizing a festival/meeting/conference etc.
What do we call him? Can we say he is the administrator of that festival? What word suits better?


texts: I am taking a 6 day off for some personal chores. Is the sentence right?

texts:
While speaking to a lady from HR dept. I told her:

I am taking a 6 day off for some personal chores.

Is the sentence construction grammatically correct and does it sound natural?


texts: Word request: "the idea * into my dreams*

texts:
I was thinking about it so much it even [got into] my dreams

Is there a verb I could use here to express some idea spread all over my mind it penetrated (?) my dreams (subconsciousness)? The synonym in my mothertongue translates to something like "pervade" or "infiltrate" through a barrier.


texts:
The book is so good it will leave me crying.
Is this a grammatically correct way to say "I cried reading/finishing the book"?


texts:
Friendship is not a subject we give a lot of thought to. As the saying goes, we know who our friends are. But we've probably never considered the difference between, say, "convenience friends" and "crossroads friends." Judith Viorst has, and the classification of friends she outlines here will probably ring true to you.

Please tell me, "What does this 'crossroads friends' mean?"

And also is this sentence grammatically wrong: Judith Viorst has, and the classification of friends she outlines here will probably ring true to you.


texts:
In a text I found:

  .... like the other giant planets Uranus has a ring system and numerous moons. It is the seventh planet out and it ......

Is the out is adverb here? Give some examples and explain.

Thank you


texts: Have something done or have done something

texts:
Think of this situation:
You are really bored and suddenly say to your friend:

  At least let's tickle ourselves so that we have done something
  Or
  At least let's tickle ourselves so that we have something done.

  At least let's tickle ourselves to have something done.
  Or
  At least let's tickle ourselves to have done something.

I'm trying to make a connection between these kinds of sentences and a tense in my language.

There are so many examples like this:

It's holiday. Everybody has gone to somewhere outside the town (maybe near the lake) but you and your friends are in the house. You say:

  let's go to the roof and pretend(suppose) that we have gone somewhere

  Shorter form??

  let's go to the roof so that we have gone somewhere (at least) or (so far).


texts: What are the subject complements in "Opportunity is missed by most people and it is dressed in overalls and looks like work"?

texts:
Opportunity is missed by most people and it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

In the sentence, are the words 'missed' and 'dressed' subject complements? And I'd like to know whether past participles can be used as subject complements or not.


texts: Can we use the verb "watch" without any object?

texts:
I am sharing a link to a video on my WhatsApp and I'm not sure if the caption I'm writing is correct.

  Watch with the subtitles on.

Do I need to say "watch it with..."?

Or "watch the video with..."


texts: Sentences with (noun+adjective+preposition) structure

texts:
I found these two sentences
He is a man suitable for any post.
**The subject is a matter worthy of note.
Why is there no relative pronoun and be verb between the noun and the adjective? What are the rules for forming this kind of sentences?  I am very much confused.  Kindly clear my doubts


texts:
Please have a look at these sentences

Why did I receive less than I expected? Our banks do not charge any fees to you when we transfer payments in euros in the Single Euro Payments Area.

My girlfriend is more wrong than I had expected. By: BigKokujin. Hachiman ends up dating Yui after her initial confession wasn't interrupted. Things work out for ...

I know one is past simple and the other past perfect .In the first sentence what the man did first is that he had expected   until  he received and felt disappointed . So the first sentence should be past perfect
And the second is past perfect I think it should be past simple because what happens now"is more wrong" so what came before should be past simple. Am I right?


texts:
I prefer pork to beef - usual day a day expression.
  I prefer pork rather than beef - less common but grammatically correct.
  I prefer dancing to swimming. - usual day a day expression.
  I prefer dancing rather than swimming - less common but grammatically correct.
  I would prefer to stay home rather than go out tonight - "would prefer" MUST always be followed by the infinitive and not the "-ing" form.
  I prefer to eat candy rather than to eat ice cream - probably the less common but grammatically correct.

I would like to know if my understanding and notion of these sentences is 100 percent accurate, and could perfectly be used by any native speaker if they were to give a presentation on Perfect English Grammar At college.


texts: A verb in present continuous or a gerund?

texts: In the sentence "I can't stop thinking about you" is thinking a verb or a gerund? I'm a little bit confused, because there is already one verb stop.


texts: How to understand: "he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen"?

texts:
"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so.... Bane was furious... he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen.... They must show that Voldemort's coming back .... Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me.... I suppose that's written in the stars as well."

The sentence in bold looks ungrammatical to me. I think that sentence can be separated into two sentences:

he was talking about interfering with what the planets say.
what the planets say is going to happen.

The original one simply puts those two sentences together, which doesn't look grammatical.

Maybe, I just misunderstood it. What's the correct way to understand it?

-- Excerpted from Harry Potter.


texts: Can we say "How much guitar do you play a day?"?

texts:
In my experience, people can say sentences like:

  "How much guitar do you play a day?"

instead of:

  "How much do you play guitar a day?"

Do you think they are interchangeable? I think so.


texts: Is it okay to name a section in a document "Body Text"?

texts:
I have a large guideline document. It starts with some preliminary sections describing the guideline's scope and its legislative and regulatory underpinnings. Then goes the section titled (literally) in Russian "The Main Text of the Document". It contains the guideline proper, that is, the requirements and the rules and so on.

Is it okay to name it "Body Text" in English? Or is this term used only by typesetters and designers?

What could be other acceptable titles? "Main Section"?

Multitran offers these translations for Russian "основной текст" but I guess "Main Section" might be better.


texts: what does "non-standard form of ..." mean?

texts:
Usually I found the word "informal" beside the word in dictionaries.

e.g.

  thanks exclamation INFORMAL: thank you noun Cambridge Dictionary

but sometimes I found the expression "non-standard form of ..."

e.g.

  alright : non-standard form of all right. link

So, what is the difference between informal and non-standard form?


texts: Introduction of more than one person: Sir, this is Tom, Jerry, and their sister Mary; or should it be "these are"?

texts:
Reading the article "How to Introduce People", I (not a native English speaker) found no rules for introducing of two (or more) people. Neither could I find links to the related posts here, on ELL.

Were it I to do the introduction, I'd say, for example:

  ..., this is Tom Smith, our business partner;  and this is Jim Blake, our
  lawyer.

  ..., this is Mr. Smith, our business partner; and this is his wife Helen.

I am wondering, if it would be possible and not incorrect to make do without "and this is" here, saying:

  ..., this is Tom Smith— our business partner, and Jim Blake— our lawyer.

  ..., this is Mr. Blake--our lawyer, and his wife Helen.

  ..., this is Mr. and Mrs. Blake, their son Mike, and their daughter Jane.

Maybe I'm  over thinking it, or maybe I missed something important, studying English grammar, but more than one and "is"… Well, I've never had the occasion to think about it until just now.

What really confuses me is what if I had to introduce, say, some of my friends to my father? Would it be possible (I myself doubt it, though) to say:

  "Dad, this is Tom, Jack, and Sandy, my cronies"?

If it would, wouldn't it lead to:

  "Dad, this is my classmates: Tom, Jack, and Sandy"?

(Which is rather confusing compared with "these are my classmates")

This question wasn't spun out of a thin air:

In  the digital edition of Collins Cobuild English Usage (para 1.126), I have read that when introducing people, one can use this even when he is introducing more than one person:

  "When you are introducing people, you can say 'This is Mary' or 'This
  is Mr and Mrs Baker'. Note that you use this even when you are
  introducing more than one person."*

(* Added on June 12)

Hard as I tried, I couldn't find any other source backing this statement.

In this regard, would it be correct to make introduction like these:

  Mom, this is Jane's favorite pupils Pete, Jack, and  Andrew.

  Sir, this is the two men I've just told you about.

Would someone kindly help me clear that up?


texts: Should there be an indefinite article in front of "very bad work manager"?

texts:
Are both of the following proper English or only the second one?

  1: You are very bad work manager.

  2: You are a very bad work manager.


texts: Shouldn't it be "he was the most famous fighter to have ever lived"?

texts:
I came across a line in a movie:

  You told me your dad was some fighter. You didn't say he was the most famous fighter to ever live.

This is a line spoken by a girl to a guy, and the guy's father is dead. Shouldn't it be:

  You didn't say he was the most famous fighter to have ever lived.

Or

  You didn't say he was the most famous fighter who ever lived.

What about

  You didn't say he was the most famous fighter who has ever lived.


texts:
In a group discussion, they give some topics and said to speak about that topic.
consider the topic was tiger.

I want to share it with my friends.. how can I form a sentence??

this below sentence is correct or not.
if its correct then explain me?

  we were asked to speak about tiger