texts: Adjectives in the introductory there structure can come after nouns?

texts:
I have seen in some grammar book the following pattern, which allows to place an adjective after a noun:

A shelf is empty.
➔ There is a shelf empty.

I want to know whether the above pattern is a general rule for the introductory there (if so, please also mention the reason because we do not have such a thing in similar structures; for example, we do not say "it is a book good") so that we can have similar examples like
"there is a man nice",
or it only applies to some certain class of adjectives (including "empty")?


texts: Use of "constellation" to mean "situation"

texts:
I was reading this question on the Personal Finance and Money site: How close is the fate of Berkshire Hathaway tied to Warren Buffett?

Will Berkshire Hathaway remain a good investment in the long term? Are there other examples in history with a similar constellation where conclusions can be drawn from?

Notice how "constellation" is used. In this context, it appears to mean "situation". This is the first time I have seen "constellation" used in this way. Is this common colloquial usage, or is it archaic?


texts: Does the following sentence make any sense grammatically?

texts:
"I agree with your point of him shouldn't have having been there in the first place"?
I get confused and mixed up when using the past tense and should/would/have sometimes.
Thanks.


texts: Does "go at each other" "have a go at each other" mean the same thing?

texts: I thought "go at each other" meant fight each other, but I am not sure, and I have been wondering if it's synonymous to "have a go at each other". I haven't been able to find anything on thefreedictionary.


texts: Why is it 'audience with', not 'audience of'?

texts:
context:

  As he showed me around the house, his gait was a bit awkward, as if,
  at some level, he was just not that interested in walking. I asked to
  see his office, and he pointed out an unremarkable chamber off a back
  hallway. He doesn’t get as much done there as he used to, he said;
  recently, he has been most productive on flights, when he has a block
  of hours away from email and all the people who hope for an audience
  with him.

source: NY times

Why people say with instead of of or to? Because I think it's not like friends or companions that should use with, but like a follower (not on the same class).


texts: Possessives - "this year's question paper" or "this year question paper"

texts:
I found this in a grammar book:

Wrong Sentence - All the candidates felt that this year's question paper was too easy.
Right Sentence - All the candidates felt that this year the question paper was too easy.

Is "this year's question paper" really wrong, and if so, why? What makes "this year the question paper" better?
Is there a rule here about constructing possessive sentences?


texts:
Somebody has checked my LinkedIn profile: I want to send him a message. I have found the following sentence on the web to start my message with

I noticed that you had stumbled upon my profile....

The word stumble looks a bit formal to me.

Is there any alternative for that?


texts:
Please imagine you have torn one of your socks and the other one (in the same pair) is OK. Which one of the following sentences is t he correct way to convey this message:

I have torn my sock.
2. I have torn my socks.
3. My sock has torn.
4. My socks have torn.


texts: Which of the following sentences is correct?

texts:
Which is correct?
a) He scored goals in 6 matches out of 10.
b) He scored goals in 6 out of 10 matches.
c) Out of 10 students, 4 are women.
d) Out of 10, 4 students are women.

Do I understand the following sentences correctly?
a) "3 out of 10 soldiers have been killed in the attack" means 3 soldiers out of every 10 soldiers have been killed, right?
b) "3 out of the 10 soldiers have been killed in the attack" means 3 soldiers out of these/those mentioned 10 soldiers have been killed, right?


texts:
A newspaper of the ruling Communist Party ( said Saturday ) that no religion is above the law in China, urging officials to stay firm while dealing with a rare protest over the planned demolition of a massive mosque in the northwest.
is it said on Saturday ?


texts: Which is right? "Why did you go there and do/did that?"

texts:
Why did you go there and do that?
Why did you go there and did that?

Why?

I feel the first sentence is correct but one of my friends argued that both the things are past, so, the sentence should have 'did' for the second thing too.

Isn't the 'did' in the beginning applicable for both 'go' and 'do'? If we have did in the second part, isn't it redundant?

I'm not a native English speaker. I apologize for any mistakes in advance!

Thanks for any help in advance!


texts: How do you describe someone who is very good at maintaining a home/doing household chores?

texts:
Females that are mostly home-based do house-hold chores very effectively and they're tend to be more pro at it. I looked up on the internet and the word I came across was "fine-fingered". I intend to use this term for "cooking, baking, sewing, doing bed with excellency" that basically connoted everything that comes under house-hold activities. Are there any more synonyms/ slangs?

I am trying to translate a word, and fine-fingered was the only option I found.


texts: Why do we say 'in the air', not 'in air'?

texts: Why is 'the' used before air in the expression in the air? Air is an uncountable noun. However, 'the' (the article) precedes the word 'air'. For example: He hit a ball in the air. How can air be specific?


texts: What does "a working majority of just 16" imply?

texts:
Of course, Britain is now in unknown, volatile territory. Brexit strains, combined with a working majority of just 16, could force her to seek a personal mandate from voters at an early election, or even bring down her premiership. At times the year will feel like a long series of arm-wrestles between the legislature and the executive. But Mrs May is cautious and, with neither Labour nor the UK Independence Party in a good state, will probably resist the temptation to cash in on her soaring poll leads. Indeed, these should help her keep a lid on impatience and dissent in her party.

What does the number 16 imply? Does that mean the party has half of the seats and 16 more?


texts:
Is there any difference between the two

I can scarcely see at night and

I scarcely can see at night.

Which is correct?


texts: "Start something" and "start on something"

texts:
I don't know when to use "start on" instead of "start", ıs there a difference in meaning if I omit "on" ?

  1- We're starting a new book in class that's supposed to be
  really interesting.

  1a- We're starting on a new book in class that's supposed to be
  really interesting.

  2- He's just started a new job.

  2a- He's just started on a new job

  3- You’d better start on your homework.

  3a- You’d better start your homework.

  4- I'll get started on the dishes if you want to put the kids to
  bed.

  4a- I'll get started the dishes if you want to put the kids to
  bed.

Is it possible to use the second versions of the examples ?


texts:
Is it true that questions in English cannot end on a preposition?

Somebody told me that, but the more I continue on my English tour the more I run into suspicions here.

Are such questions like:

  Where did she run to?

  What did he look at?

really wrong?!


texts: What to call an image-displaying unit which is integrated into a machine?

texts:
I'm writing a technical document for a large wall-mounted machine. The machine has one or more of what we would normally call "screens" integrated into it. I'm looking for a word, or a phrase, which I can use for unambiguously referring to the "screens".

Here's some background context:
Each "screen" unit consists of a display and a touchscreen. The unit is manufactured by disassembling a monitor, which is serially produced in very large quantities, and extracting needed components from the monitor.
To make things even more interesting, the unit will be displaying screens, such as pop-up screens, menu screens and so on. I'll most likely need to use all 3 words in the same document.

So up until now, the terms monitor, display and screen are already reserved. I could use something like "video display unit", "physical display", "display/touchscreen assembly", but I'm looking for something that is less cumbersome to use and a bit shorter.

So is there any alternative word, or short commonly understood phrase, which can be used to refer to what I have?


texts:
I came across this sentence on Facebook today.

  I think I might have overdosed on vitamins.

Does overdose on vitamins sound ok? Wouldn't it be better to say?

  I might have overdone on vitamins

Overdose on/with heroin or drugs somehow makes more sense than overdose on vitamins, but just technically is it ok to say so in English?

Thank you.


texts: The number of my opponents is or the number of my opponents are

texts:
I was reading the book "1100 Words", and for the section  "Week 19, Day 1" I read the following: (eg https://lelb.net/1100-words-week-19-day-1/)

  the number of the king’s opponents who were incarcerated* were legion

then I started to read exercises.

  "the number of my followers is legion," said the flamboyant politician.

In the first example, we read "were" which is plural and the second example shows the same in the singular.

Which is correct and what's the difference if any?


texts: Could somebody please tell me what does "to be on lead" mean? (As in "the law firm requested to be on lead").


texts: Can "in ways" be used as as synonym for "how"?

texts:
I used 'in ways' for 'how' in the following sentence. Is this correct? I appreciate it if you provide other examples using 'in ways'.

  In this view, imagination can be utilized to imagine universe both “in
  ways it is” and “in ways it is not”.


texts: What does the expression "scale the numbers" mean?

texts:
I was reading an article about web design and had problems understanding the meaning of the phrase "scale the numbers". Does it mean the results were sorted from 0 to 1?

Context:

  After creating a bunch of these algorithms, I ran it on some sample data, scaled the numbers between 0 & 1, and plotted the results.

Full text


texts:
Is it correct to say

  When you reached home.

or

  When did you reach home?

As per my knowledge,

  When you reached home (When you reach home you will find something)
  When did you reach home (when you reached home in past)

Is that correct?


texts: The movie is playing. Or the movie is being played

texts: First of all I am sorry for asking a question which is very easy for native English speakers. But it is not for me. I know that passive is used when the person in the sentence is not important or when u don't want to describe the person knowingly. But in my sentence, I think it is imperative that I use the second one because the movie cannot play by itself/on its own. But i recently saw the first one being used. So please tell me which one is correct. Thanks in advance.


texts:
In relative clause, does the verb agree with noun, even if the subject is relativized?

In other words: which one is correct?

  I love the apple that is still fresh

  I love the apple that are still fresh

How about these?

  I eat the apples that is still fresh

  I eat the apples that are still fresh

What if I change that into which?


texts: ...much to the increase of.. What is the meaning of "to"?

texts:
The following quote is from "Manfield Park" by Jane Austen:
Everything was now in a regular train: theatre, actors, actresses, and dresses, were all
getting forward; but though no other great impediments arose, Fanny found, before many days
were past, that it was not all uninterrupted enjoyment to the party themselves, and that she had
not to witness the continuance of such unanimity and delight as had been almost too much for
her at first. Everybody began to have their vexation. Edmund had many. Entirely against his
judgment, a scene-painter arrived from town, and was at work, much to the increase of the
expenses, and, what was worse, of the eclat of their proceedings; and his brother, instead of
being really guided by him as to the privacy of the representation, was
My question: 1) Is "much to" used expressing a resulting state or condition? i.e.The increase of the expenses resulted from the arrival of a scene-painter from town?
2) Does "of the eclat of their proceedings" refer back to "the increase of"? i.e. ...what was worse, much to the increase of the eclat of their proceedings,
3) By "what was worse",  I understand it to mean "the increase of the eclat of their proceedings" was worse. I can't figure out why "the increase of the eclat of their proceedings was something worse.


texts: Passive vs. Active voice for "selecting something for a purpose"

texts:
Which of the following sentence are correct:

  The RDFs for [hmim][PF6] at 348K and 1 atm were selected to report and interpret.
  The RDFs for [hmim][PF6] at 348K and 1 atm were selected for reporting and interpretation.
  The RDFs for [hmim][PF6] at 348K and 1 atm were selected to be reported and interpreted.

I didn't find any match for the bold parts, so I am confused which one is correct for this sentence.

I guess it be #3 because it must be in passive voice, but if we can select something for the purpose of another action then #1 and #2 can also be correct.


texts: What is the correct pronunciation of "tuple"?

texts:
I found someone who reads it as /t^pl/, who reads it as /tupl/, and who reads it as /tju:pl/.

What's the correct pronunciation of tuple?


texts: Is this sentence 2nd conditional or past tense?

texts:
No sooner had he said the word, when clatter, clatter, rustle, rustle,
  what should come down the chimney but a link of the finest black
  pudding the heart of man could wish for.

  If the woodman stared, the goodwife stared three times as much.
  'What's all this?" says she.

This is from a English fairy tale "The Three Wishes". Is "If the woodman stared, the goodwife stared three times as much." is 2nd conditional? But it doesn't have a word "would". Does it make sense just as past tense? And why is it "says she"? Does it mean "she would say"? Could you teach me?


texts:
Now, I'm talking about the past, something I'm not quite sure. (not the unreality)

  At that time,  if he took part in the meeting on the next day, maybe he was preparing the speech.

Is this sentence grammatical?


texts:
Are

  I found this, just as I found that.

and

  I found this, just as I did that. [omitted "find"]

equal? Additionally I would like to replace "just as" with "like", but I'm not sure if that's possible.


texts: The difference between "when + past simple" and "when + past perfect?"

texts:
Are these two correct in terms of grammar? Is there any difference in nuances?

1 When the concert began I had a feeling that I had already seen it.
2 When the concert had begun I had a feeling that I had already seen
it.

Would it be the right conclusion that in the first sentence the first action triggers the second one? The second happens straight after the first one. And the speaker watches the concert from the very beginning.
While in sentence 2 the speaker started watching the concert after a while since the concerted had started.


texts: Joining multiple questions using the conjunction "or"

texts:
I would like to unite these questions into a single uninterrupted expression:

Is she okay?
Does she need any help?
Does she need someone to keep her company?

But all the sentences I make sound strange to me!

Is she okay, or she needs any help, or just needs someone to keep her company?
Is she okay, or does she need any help, or does she need someone to keep her company?

Would you please let me know how I should join some questions together with the conjunction "or" and make a lucid one-sentence question out of them?


texts:
No technical support, hence fix, will be available for the system bug.
No technical support, hence no fix, will be available for the system bug.
No technical support, hence no fix will be available for the system bug.

I would like to know which of the 3 sentences above is correct.  I know sentence 3 is most likely the correct one.  I used sentence 1 in my report writeup but was asked to amend to use the sentence 2 version.  Can anyone explain?  Thanks.


texts:
A man like [Andrew] Lloyd Webber who has been much reviled for his conservative politics ... The Guardian

Can we replace it with a lot of?

Also it will be great if you could describe the below:

What is part of speech of much? and What is the function (Clause Element) of this word in the sentence?


texts: Combining Sentences with Participle Phrase and Conjunction

texts:
While we were walking through the park.

We saw lovely flowers.

1) While walking through the park, we saw lovely flowers.

2) Walking through the park, we saw lovely flowers.

Are those reduced sentences have the same meaning( with "while" and without "while")?

And should I write or omit "while"?


texts: "Stole data for employees" vs "stole data of employees"

texts:
Thief Stole Payroll Data for Thousands of Facebook Employees

[link]

Why use "data for" instead of "data of" ? Isn't that "for" means "data given to" and "of" means "data belong to" ?


texts:
Two people are talking, so a third person comes and cuts in, so the two people say:

You shouldn't speak in between.

And a kid asks questions in the middle of a lecture, the teacher says:

Don't ask questions in between.

Is the use of "in between" natural? If not hen what would you use?


texts: What is the meaning of "must" in the sentence

texts:
I have a sentense e.g. "White people are statistically shorter than black people, so they must be worse in basketball."

Ignoring if the sentence is true or not, how do you understand the function of must? Implication (possibility) or imperative?


texts: What's the difference between 'half a [noun]' and 'a half [noun]'? Are these structures used interchangeably? 'Half an hour'/'a half hour', 'half a mile'/'a half mile', etc. I'm used to use 'half' as a predeterminer (e.g. 'half an hour'). Can I forget about the second structure altogether?


texts:
I am trying to get to grips with direct and indirect object pronouns. In the sentence below I am unsure what is the direct and the indirect object.

Although I do not show it to you.

So I is the subject, show is the verb. Is it the direct object? I'm asking myself what does it show... it so that is why I believe it is the direct object and then you is the indirect object by process of elimination.

Is that correct? How would I tell other than by process of elimination what the indirect object is?


texts:
"Heaven opened and the water hammered down, reviving the reluctant old well, green mossing the pigless pigsty, carpet bombing still, tea-coloured puddles the way memory bombs still, tea-coloured minds"

I am having difficulty in understanding this part "carpet bombing still, tea-coloured puddles the way memory bombs still, tea-coloured minds". is it saying memory bombs tea coloured minds? how?


texts: Must I add a noun after "in retaliation for"? Can I add a gerund?

texts:
My own example:

  I kicked in his ass in retaliation for his bullying/he bullying me few days ago.


texts: Wanting to avoid vulgarity; alternatives for "a dick move"

texts:
I have heard the slang phrase dick move in contexts like this:

"Please don't do that prank to him. That'd be a dick move from you."
"Look at those drawings of Bob! Do you know who made them? That's a dick move!"

I understand what the phrase means, but what other colloquial expressions could I use to replace the slang dick move? I want to avoid swear words and convey the same sentiment in a way that is would be regarded as more polite and less offensive.


texts: The difference between these two sentences

texts:
"Sheep eat grass"
or
"sheep eat grasses

Which one is more appropriate?
I do not think that the word grass is an uncountable noun


texts: "this kind of question" or "this kind of questions"

texts:
Google Ngram gives this plot

It seems that "this kind of question" is more common. I guess I could deduce that "this kind of question" is more idiomatic than "this kind of questions".

The question is whether both are grammatical?


texts: Which is the proper use of an age group: 65 years OR older or 65 years AND older

texts: For use in scientific journals: Is it "more correct" to use the phrase "65 years or older" to describe an age group or "65 years and older".


texts: I'm confused with this sentence. There are multiple verbs, and one is plural. Does this make the subject-verb agreement incorrect?

texts:
Sentence -"Our pet alligator has been stalking neighborhood pets because my brother Billy forgets to feed the poor reptile."

My questions is two fold.
If the answer to my question is wrong, and the subject-verb agreement is correct, then can there be multiple subject-verb agreements in the same sentence?


texts:
My cousins are in a hospital, they had a narrow escape when their car drifted and crashed.

According to Cambridge dictionary, drift always give the impression of slow movement, and I want to write about a fast movement in formal way.  What is the right word?

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/drift


texts:
Can you help me to understand meaning of 'excess'' in sentence below:

  The project may, in fact, be hopeless when it comes to the absolute
  birth and death of being as meaning – here we can only gesture in
  the direction of sheer excess.

It's from article on philosophy.


texts:
If something is planned you have been imposed, can that be considered as an arrangment to use present continuous?

For example, you received an email saying there will be some work in 3 weeks along your road, and your internet connection is not working during the work.

Can I use present continuous in that case?


texts:
Is it possible to say "in some time" in English?
For example " I'll see you in some time" (I'm not sure whether I'll see the person in 1 or 2 weeks)


texts:
What is the difference between "partner" and "friend"?

Can somebody help me?


texts:
“… is being held captive by (zero article) American professor Robert Langdon.” (“Origin”)

“According to the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy...”  (“Objective IELTS Advanced”).

“ (zero article) Madrid palace PR coordinator Monica Matin…” (“Origin”)

”And to the incomparable Heide Lange – tireless champion of … “ (“The Da Vinci Code”)

I just fail to see the pattern with the use of the definite article here! After all, aren’t we talking about unique persons in all of the aforementioned examples?


texts: I am a bit confused with this two words. Okay, let take an example, in season 2 episode 23 of the Big Bang Theory, when Leonard is going to the North Pole and Penny said I wish you weren't going. But I thought it should be aren't cause he was not going yet. So I'm so confused with it. Can anyone teach me about it?


texts:
I need your help.

I have the following three statements:

  People should unplug toasters before they clean them.
  You should have unplugged the toaster before you tried to clean it.
  You had better unplug the toaster before you try to clean it.

the first one is in the present , the second one is in the past , the third one is in the future, my question is how the third one is in the future while had is in the past


texts: When a person (child) should cover something in soap

texts:
In Russian we have a verb "Намыль", which means take soap (assuming either wet soap or dry soap depending on context) and rub it to have it cover something. What is the equivalent in English?

I thought the word "soap" as a verb would help me out but unfortunately it means "wash with soap" while I needn't include washing.

I can't find the right word or phrase to use in English.

Edit: We mostly use it when we distinguish two actions. When, for example, a person is in a bath tub and asks somebody to cover his body (back or head for instance) in soap he would say this verb.


texts: "To all of you wanting to improve your English"

texts: So I have the sentence "To all of you wanting to improve your English ..." Is that sentence correct? Shouldn't it be something like "All those who want to improve their English"?


texts: How to understand "Astrology was a symbolic constant all over the world" in this context

texts:
My French stinks, Langdon thought, but my zodiac iconography  is pretty good. Taurus was always the bull. Astrology was a symbolic constant all over the world.

  The Da Vinci Code

Astrology is well defined in dictionaries:

  The study of the positions and motions of celestial bodies in the belief that they have an influence on the course of natural earthly occurrences and human affairs.

I don't understand why "Astrology was a symbolic constant all over the world". How should we understand it in this context?


texts:
For example:
I hope there is at least 1 person who when (s/he) sees the quality of final outcome, s/he will be delighted...

is this possible and if not what could be the appropriate structure that allows such use of "who when" together?

thank you


texts: Is "help" synonymous with "help and support"?

texts:
In a recent Siri interruption event, UK's Defence Minister handled the interruption by saying:

  ...So, if I may proceed, Mr. Speaker, without the help and support of Siri

This isn't the first time I've heard people using both the words together, conjunctioned by "and". From the dictionary, I read that "help" and "support" are synonymous to each other:

So, what is the point of using both the words together? Is it just to emphasize the level of help? If yes, then can't we just use some adjective, like "great help" or "informative support" to focus on the particular helpful trait?

The phrase ""help" and "support"" indicates to me that there has been "more help than usual". Now, in such cases, wouldn't it be more beneficial to use an adjective and highlight the specific manner in which there has been "more help"? For example, phrases like "timely help", "detailed help", "useful help", etc. are much clearer than the vague ""help" and "support"". Am I right?


texts:
The economic situation becomes more complex in the world. So there is an active search for methods for optimization of business.

These sentences are mine. I have the feeling that the second sentence is clumsy and does not sound natural in English. I can't remember how these sentences are called in English grammar when the pronoun "it" serves as the grammatical subject followed by the verb in the present continuous tense. For example, "it is snowing". So I want to formulate the sentence about the active search for methods of optimization in the same way. Is it possible to use the present continous tense in such a sentence?


texts: "You should eat less." vs. "You have to eat less." vs. "You must eat less."

texts:
What's the difference in meaning between these sentences?

You should eat less.
You have to eat less.
You must eat less.


texts: How to understand "As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school." in this context?

texts:
"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

  Their mother suddenly became very stern.

  "I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."

This is from the book Harry Potter. I had a hard time to understand the sentence in bold above.

"As though" looks strange.
The usage of "reminding of" is unusual and it's typically used as "reminding sb. of sth.".
It looks like a incomplete sentence and there seems something that has been dropped.

Can someone help me to understand the sentence?


texts: What does the word “only to” mean in this sentence?

texts:
The Taklimakan Desert, second in size only to africa’s Sahara Desert, occupies some 337,000 square kilometers.

Does this mean Sahara is the first and Taklimakan is the next in size? cause it is not!

What does only to mean in this sentence?


texts: Don't understand the Garfield's sketch of Feb 9 2017

texts: I read Garfield's comic strip every day but I didn't understand the sketch of February 9, 2017. What does the date of November 8, 1992 refer to ?


texts: Coordinate or cumulative adjectives? Beautiful mysterious dreamy feelings

texts:
I want to express that something brings me some feelings, then I wrote the following sentences.

  It brings me beautiful mysterious dreamy feelings.
  It brings me beautiful and mysterious dreamy feelings.
  It brings me beautiful, mysterious and dreamy feelings.
  It brings me beautiful mysterious and dreamy feelings.

But after I read this, I think that mysterious and dreamy pair with the feelings as a unit, and then beautiful modify the unit. So I think the first and the last sentence are more correct.

For the second sentence, it seems that beautiful and mysterious are coordinate adjectives and to modify dreamy feelings. Is that right?


texts: Is it possible to say 'I forgot my key' instead of 'I left my key'?

texts: I heard that it's not correct to say ' I forgot my key'. Could you tell me, is it possible to use such way of a sentence? P.S. I think the rules are changing, because time is changing and the language has developed today.


texts: Participle clauses with multiple subjects

texts:
I was told that the following sentence was incorrect because the participle clause has a different subject:

"When deciding punishments for crimes, criminals' intentions are important."

If that's true, then is the following sentence, which I think sounds quite natural, also incorrect?

"When creating a nutrition plan, age is an important factor."

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
I want to write

  "The date you are trying to write is not ... than the existing one."

when user wants to write and replace date in some document. Should I use "newer" or "later"?

Example:
Somebody has to overwrite 30.12.2018 with date, which is not earlier nor same as 30.12.2018, e.g. 31.12.2018. If he writes 29.12.2018 or 30.12.2018, I have to respond than the date he is trying to write is not later/newer than the existing one (30.12.2018). Which one should I use?

Edit:
Replaced 'older' with 'newer', as @virolino mentioned in his answer.


texts: At vs For when asking someone to do something now for future actions

texts: I know that for example if I want to ask someone to call another person at any moment in the future I should use at, an example: "Could you call a taxi at 6 pm" but let's imagine that it is 4 pm and I want the person to call the taxi at the moment so that it shows up at 6 pm should I still use at or should I use for?


texts: "Not funny 'ha-ha'", what does Siri mean?

texts:
When I say to Siri, the virtual assistant from Apple, "Ok, Google," or "Hey Cortana," Siri replies:

  Very funny. I mean, not funny "ha-ha", but funny.

I don't know how I should interpret this sentence. From what I understand, Siri found my remark "funny", although it wasn't funny in the sense that it makes one laugh aloud. I'm thinking of a few interpretations that seem possible:

It isn't funny in the sense of "causing someone to laugh", but it has good, more subtle and refined humour.
It's funny. It doesn't make me laugh though. I'm saying this ironically.
It's naturally funny and doesn't require any artificial laughter to be made.

I'm pretty sure Siri doesn't like me talking to her like this, so I feel the second should be the closest, but I'm at a loss for precise interpretation.
Dictionaries at hand don't list any specific idiom for "ha-ha."

What does this sentence mean? Also, is this an idiom that has specific meaning (rather than rhetorical invention that should be understood from context)?


texts: "the shadow of a doubt" or "a shadow of a doubt" or "shadow of doubt"

texts:
It seems all these three versions are in use: "the shadow of a doubt", "a shadow of a doubt", and "shadow of doubt", as suggested by Google Dictionary and Google search results. Google Dictionary (partially from the ODO):

  shadow
  noun.
  the slightest trace of something.
  "she knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was lying"
  "she knew without any shadow of doubt"

I have always thought "doubt" should follow an article, but strangely the article-less version seems more popular according to Ngram. Any difference in meaning? Or is this a BrE/AmE difference?

Google Ngram:


texts: Past participle usage in below sentences / passives

texts:
I hope all the below form of sentences give ‘Passive’ meanings, am I correct?

1) be + verb3 [i.e. past participle]

  be prepared.

2) being + verb3

  being processed (but in continuous form).

3) getting/get/got + verb3

  getting married.


texts:
I have a question about the usage of the verb "miss".  Suppose we have two separate and unrelated situations.  In one situation, a guy forget to take his medication.  In another situation, a guy driving on a road failed to take a turn into a sidestreet.  How should the verb "miss" be used to described the two situations?

  1a  He missed his medication.
  1b  He missed taking his medication.
  2a  He missed the sidestreet.
  2b  He missed turning into the sidestreet.

Should the a-versions or b-versions be used?


texts: Is it "you, who refuses" or "you, who refuse" or other?

texts:
I'm writing a piece in the second person and I've stumbled on a weird complexity of grammar that I can't wrap my head around. My original sentence in the first draft:

"You, who refuse to even think his name, understand suddenly why he was the man chosen for such a task."

On a reread, this doesn't seem grammatically sound. When referring to the reader in the third person to give extra information, which should it be?

"You, who refuse to even think his name, understand..."

"You, who refuses to even think his name, understand..."

"You, whom refuse to even think his name, understand..."

"You, whom refuses to even think his name, understand..."

Or something else?


texts: How do I describe a past state that was interrupted?

texts:
If we speak about a long term passive situation which was interrupted, is the tense correct?

  The box has been contained toys. (Now it is empty)

Or

  The box contained  toys. (Now it is empty)

My doubt is about the passiveness of that action and emphasis on the process.


texts: What is the meaning/role of the -ine suffix?

texts:
What does the suffix "-ine" mean? How it modifies the meaning of the root word?

Examples:

medicine
caffeine
bovine


texts: "He couldn’t hear her voice above the noise.", Someone help me understand this sentence

texts:
So in this sentence "He couldn’t hear her voice above the noise.", does "above the noise" describe "her voice"? if so, how come "he couldn't hear her voice".

Shouldn't he be able to hear the voice since voice is louder than noise, or "above the noise" describe something else?

Let me elaborate a bit, so these are two examples from dictionary

"he seldom spoke above a whisper"
"the doorbell went unheard above the din"

And quite obviously, in first sentence, the volume of "he spoke" is higher than of "whisper"; in second sentence, the volume of "din" is higher than of "doorbell".

but how does this make sense grammatically?

can the "above" be a bi-directional preposition?


texts: Why does the English language need the definite article to refer unique items?

texts:
Isn't that obvious what we are talking about in the following sentences?
If it is obvious, why we need an extra word in there?

The world is beautiful.

World is beautiful.

The pope said these words.

Pope said these words.


texts: Should I pronounce "would need" as /wudnt/?

texts:
This girl is saying (https://youtu.be/IW7IssCKgmI?list=PLD6t6ckHsruYoalxbzcjX1TNn4h7ShiRk&t=124)

  You would need to find a place that has veggie options, too.

it sounds like that she pronounces "would need" as /wudnt/, is it a common way or her own accent?


texts: Alternatives of a poor sentence, "Summer is increasing day by day."

texts:
Today I have come across a sentence that seems quite poor:

  Summer is increasing day by day.

The word increasing doesn't seem to be suitable here. Tell me the alternatives for this.

Is it okay to say:

  Winter is letting up.

Thank you.


texts: Is using "for too much" correct in this case?

texts:
Writing thoughts in English, I was compelled to put:

  He is reacting to this for too much.

Even though it seemed natural to me to use for too much (based on my experience of learning English), I was not completely sure whether I should use too much or for too much.

My questions:
1. Is usage of for too much grammatically correct in my case?
2. If answer to "1" is "yes", is for too much interchangeable with too much?
3. If answer to "1" is "yes", can for too much be used in formal writing?

Research done before asking:
1. Google gave no relevant informaiton in response to "too much" and "for too much" and "too much" grammar
2. SkELL has 23 entries of for too much, although it seems that for in these cases belongs not to too much.


texts:
Which of the following is correct please?

1- I don't know which one is you.
2- I don't know which one you are.


texts: past simple vs present perfect before present modal

texts:
this was taken from game manual:

  After all players have taken an action, we can start round 2

and I wonder, does this sentence mean the same:

  After all players took an action, we can start round 2


texts: "It must have been .. " or "It must was "?

texts: I had a sentence transformation exercise and I had to say that sentence "I'm sure it WAS Tom who cleared everything up." with (It must...) and I wrote "It must was john who cleared up everything" but it's said it's wrong and the correct answer is "It must HAVE BEEN Tom who cleared everything up.". I don't think there's a mistake even if I write "It must BE John who cleared up everything.". So, Am I wrong and why?


texts: So I was watching a movie viz. Les Miserable, where some convicts sing a song with "Look down" phrase and they sing "Sweet Jesus does not care" for them and they wanted Jesus to look after them . So I thought if I try to say "look down upon us, O sweet Jesus", will it be meaningful? I mean can we use "down" and "upon" two opposite prepositions side-by-side?


texts:
I want to say the following sentence in the most formal manner:

  These stunning data are [?????] from instruments such as"

However, I'm completely doubtful about the precedence of each word in that regard.

(I think the verbs "gather", "collect", "achieve" well suits to being used in this context.)


texts: I was reading Beyond Good and Evil and came across this sentence: "For there are scoffers who maintain that it has fallen, that all dogma lies on the ground—nay more, that it is at its last gasp.". So, what is the meaning of "for there are"?


texts:
If something is very above. Then can one say that it is at height instead of saying that it is at long height?
Another example, if a city is 7000 m above sea level than to express its aboveness can one say that this city is at height or say that this city is at long height.


texts: It is correct to start the following sentence with "not?"

texts:
“Sure it was a friend?” Not an appropriate question for someone I'd
  just met, but I didn't want her to keep meeting her abuser.

(I wrote this myself.)

Is it gramatically correct? If not what's a better alternative?


texts:
Cambridge Dictionary gives IPA symbol /ɡraɪp/ for "gripe" while Merriam-Webster gives /ˈgraɪp/.
Both audio clips on them sound like grape, at least sound closer to  grape than to white.
When speaking very fast, do they sound nearly the same?


texts: Using past continuous to refer to past habits with adverbials of frequency?

texts:
Can we use past continuous tense to refer a past habit with adverbs of frequency words? For example:

  He was going for a morning walk every day.

What is the difference between these two phrases?

  He was going for a morning walk every day.
  He would go for a morning walk every day.


texts:
I think on the ground means among the general public

How can this text use''despite'' when the next sentence also talks about public opinion?

  That’s one of the most striking realities about the current situation:
  This critical decision about the future – one state or two states – is
  effectively being made on the ground every single day, despite the
  expressed opinion of the majority of the people.

In case I got the whole paragraph wrong, please give your definition of this paragraph.


texts: How to ask about the subject and objects in the following sentence?

texts:
I made up a sentence: "She feeds the shark fishes."
How to ask about the subject, the 1st object and the 2nd object?
Maybe:

Who feeds the shark fishes?
Who does she feed fishes?
What does she feed the shark?


texts:
I am  from Hungary  I translate  jokes  into  English
Of course ,  the  jokes  are  jokes in every languages .

I'd like  to  know  if  my  translation  grammatically correct  :

-WHAT are u  ABOUT TO DO TODAY,  bro ?     -Nothing .
-But  you  did   IT   yesterday  too .     -Yeahhh, but  I have not  complete
                                            IT  yet .

Please  send  me  a  better variant if  all  is  ok  .


texts: Need to mention receiving a scholarship "to study" in a country?

texts:
I am writing an essay and I wanted to know if it's correct to say

  I received a scholarship in America.

or should it be

  I received a scholarship to study in America.


texts: Why "ask someone on something" impossible?

texts:
There are similar verbs to "ask" in meaning or structure, such as "question" and "advise".
Both verbs can take "on" as in the examples below, but why do native speakers feel "on" very unnatural only when it's used with "ask" unlike "question" and "advise"? I think that "on" can be used instead of "about" with "ask".

  The students were questioned on the books they had been studying.(O)
  She advises the government on environmental issues.(O)
  The interviewer asked me on my future plans.(X)

Is it because "on" sounds too formal to be collocated with "ask"?, or there could be ambiguity in the sentence?


texts:
I heard a little strange expression in watching the movie.

That is, 'Do you know him where is?'

Nomarly, the speaker says "Do you know where he is?", and in our country
We learned the common expression like above.

I wonder that I'm mistaken about the expression.

Did I listen it wrong?


texts:
When a research is funded by (the) NSF, which one is more appropriate in Acknowledgments?

  This study was funded by the National Science Foundation.

  This study was funded by National Science Foundation.

With "the" is more common based on googling, but I often see both. Is the same true for the following?

  This study was funded by (the) Ministry of Science.


texts:
Theresa May to press Trump at G7 to reverse metal tariffs .

Link to this news was Here

The first "to" is vague for me but second "to" would mean "in the means of".
So, I would be glad for some help !


texts: Would you please show me how to use"it"?

texts:
A. We cannot consider worthless people who...

B. It cannot be considered worthless people who...

C. People who... cannot be considered worthless.

I would like to say the sentences like A.
My biggest problem is due to B, as I wonder if it is correct.

Any comment would be appreciated


texts:
The Grammy-winning singer, 71, said that he was devastated after he heard the news that his close friend had contracted the disease shortly after his diagnosis.

Source: https://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/elton-john-recalls-last-days-freddie-mercurys-life-1220440

I would like to ask whether the native speaker finds this sentence OK in terms of the meaning. In my opinion, it suggests that Mercury was at first diagnosed and then contracted…


texts:
. . . we reject an analysis that has gerund and present participle as
  different forms syncretised throughout the class of verbs. We have
  therefore just one inflectional form of the verb marked by the -ing
  suffix; we label it with the compound term ‘gerund-participle’ for the
  verb-form. (The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language)

is ‘sycretised’ a modifier or a verb? What does the first clause mean?


texts: How to understand "She gives a dinner for me"?

texts:
She gives a dinner for me.

Why not use :

  She gives a dinner to me.


texts:
Does this sentence have reduced relative clause ?

  She says she wanted to highlight pressure on women to sleep with
  men in powerful posts to enhance careers

Can we rewrite it in this way also?

  She says she wanted to highlight pressure on women who must sleep
  with men in powerful posts to enhance careers


texts: It is also okay to use in this way with the verb 'conclude'?

texts:
Here is a normal sentence from a dictionary.

  It is too early to conclude (jump to the conclusion) that he is the
  criminal.

But I would like to know if it is also okay to say like below.

  It is too early to conclude (jump to the conclusion) that he be the
  criminal.

There is a small difference in the shapes of 'Be' verbs.


texts: When is "seems to be" used instead of "seems"?

texts:
The baby seems happy/comfortable.
The baby seems to be happy/comfortable.

Are these both correct? If both are correct, what are the differences between them?


texts:
I am doing CAE Transformations and I came across the following transformation.
The answer (according to the answer key) is: "no idea whose folder it was"

Why can't " no idea whose the folder was" work here?
Are there other transformations you can suggest?


texts:
The word joke is used in the following idiom:

Take a joke which means "to laugh when someone says something funny about you and not be offended"

  I think we can use "prank" in a similar way, as both of these are synonyms.

I want to use it specifically in the following sentence:

  My friend has a very bad habit. He used to play pranks on others; but at the same time, he is not willing to take the same prank on himself.

If I rephrase it as follows, will it be correct:

  My friend has a very bad habit. He used to play pranks on others; but at the same time, he is not ready to be the victim of similar pranks.


texts:
I don't this that this sounds natural, but I'm not quite sure..  (Maybe this sentence sounds fine to me because I'm directly translating it from my native language...... Though when I think about it in English, it doesn't quite make sense...)

  I need to understand this concept from Ms. Brown.

That is, I need Ms. Brown (teacher) to explain a concept to me. Or should it be:

  I need to go to Ms. Brown to understand this concept.

  I need to understand this concept.

  I need Ms. Brown to explain this to me.


texts:
Once in a while, I see a few words that I am not totally solid on the meanings.

Or

Once in a while, I see a few words that I am not totally solid with the meanings.

I don't know which one is better. They both sound okay to me.


texts:
Which one is correct?

  A friendship build on business is much better than a business build on friendship.
  A friendship that is built on business is much better than a business that is built on friendship.


texts: How to use "any" in a question with "have"?

texts:
In a class situation, with a student asking another for coloured pencils, what is the difference in meaning between:
"Do you have coloured pencils?"
and "Do you have ANY coloured pencils?"


texts:
How would you say that you will read a certain book in a certain month, but you won't finish it? Would the future progressive do the trick. For example:

  I will be reading a book next month.


texts: Why do we have "were" in this sentence and not "are"?

texts:
I read the paragraph below and I am not sure why we have "were" instead of "are", when the writer is talking about children "nowadays".

Is it because he is talking hypothetically about the future? Can somebody help me out?

  With those children, he thought, that wretched woman must lead a life
  of terror. Another year, two years, and they would be watching her
  night and day for symptoms of unorthodoxy. Nearly all children
  nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means of
  such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into
  ungovernable savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency
  whatever to rebel against the discipline of the party.


texts: How do you sort 'should have [obligation]' and 'should have [expectation]'?

texts:
He should have been there.

means that "I think he had a duty to go there, but failed", doesn't it?

  He should have been there by yesterday.

and this implies "I think he might have arrived there at least not later than yesterday".

Then, how do you make a sentence which means "I think he had a duty to go there not later than yesterday, but failed" using with should've? This would seem kinda stupid question, but I'm struggling... please teach me.


texts: I am living in Denmark and there is a kind of ice-cream that they call "Soft Ice". Do we have the same world in English or is it just "Soft serve"?


texts:
Which is best to use:

  He hopes he finds the answer for the test before the next quiz.
  or
  He hopes he will find the answer for the test before the next quiz.


texts: Should names of types of wood species be capitalized?

texts:
Should the names of species of wood be capitalized when used within a sentence?

Examples:

Bocote
Cocobolo

Which is correct:

  The pool cue's forearm was made from Cocobolo wood.

...or,

  The pool cue's forearm was made from cocobolo wood.


texts:
This discovery was to have a major effect on the treatment of heart
  disease.

Does was to have mean supposed or destined in this sentence?


texts:
My question:
When we have a clear context, can we omit words, phrases, clauses, or even sentences? Because I think they are sometimes too long or kind of wordy.
Is there a rule of thumb or something in terms of this?

Examples I came up with:
I came up with these scenarios; I don't know if they are acceptable or not to you guys.
The contents in the parentheses are things I think we can omit.
Scenario 1

A: You played for the varsity basketball team. You must be skilled (at basketball).

B: Yeah, I am proficient (in playing basketball).

Scenario 2

A: Do you know Estée Lauder? Their products are good.

B: Yeah, I have an eyeliner (of Estée Lauder) and a lip gloss (of Estée Lauder).

Scenario 3

A: I am going to that breakfast shop.

B: Ok, you go first and I will catch up. I will probably have a burger and tea (from that shop).

Scenario 4

A: The venue has lots of equipment. We have to know all the devices' locations

B: Yes, we should be familiar (with their locations).


texts: "seeing as you don't know anyone but me" meaning in this context

texts:
"I didn't want anyone to talk to me," said Harry, who was feeling more and more nettled.

  "Well, that was a bit stupid of you," said Ginny angrily, "seeing as you don't know anyone but me who's been possessed by You-Know-Who, and I can tell you how it feels."

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I don't quite get the meaning "seeing as you don't know anyone but me" in this context.  Probably, the phrase "seeing as" confuses me. How should we understand it here?


texts: "Be the first to do something" vs. "be the first to have done something"

texts:
Could you tell what is the difference between be the first to do something and be the first to have done something? For example:

The country is the first to use nuclear power.
The country is the first to have used nuclear power.


texts:
I am informed the typical usage of "wake", that is "wake up"

  Cambridge Dictionary

  I woke up with a headache

I guess both of these are correct

  I had a massage yesterday which really helped me to fall asleep. When I woke up I felt I was full of energy.

  ... When I woke back up I felt I was full of energy.

A native speaker told me, the latter sounds more natural, why is that?


texts: Difference between "won't" and "wouldnt"

texts:
Here's an example :

  "My tastes are very singular, you wouldn't understand"

Now my question is keeping this sentence in my mind we can substitue "wouldn't" with "won't" here right? But what would that mean here?


texts:
I wonder whether it is correct to write “with all good wishes of health and happiness”? Is it ok to use the preposition “of” here.
Thanks in advance for your help.


texts: When to add "up" after a verb and when not?

texts:
This has always confused me for example:

  He took a pack of cigarettes and lit it (no up).

  The candles lit up the whole room (up).

  He stood up from his chair (up).

  She was woken
  by the alarm clock (no up).

  Hey, don't wake her up (up).

Is there any rule o way of knowing when and when not to add it?


texts:
I read this somewhere: It was all too much, it was too scary. So my question is, how is this even a correct sentence. It is joining two independent clauses together using a comma. It seems to be ungrammatical. One more example:  The people had to resort to foods like the inglorious snail and the frankly sessile nut, their tools show considerable improvement. This second one also confuses me. I really struggle with constructing long sentences. Can someone explain to me, and clarify my doubts please!
 I have one more question : We had our chance and it came up on one of the house numbers -- double zero, I guess. Here also i'm confused. "I guess" is written right after a comma."I guess" seems to be an independent clause. Is it acting as a modifier? Or is it just an intentional grammar-rule-break from the author. Can someone clarify this?


texts: "have I ruined everything now or are you still going to come tomorrow?"

texts:
So, have I ruined everything now or are you still going to come tomorrow?

Is "are you still going to come tomorrow?" closer in meaning to "are you still coming tomorrow?" or "are you still planning on coming tomorrow?"?


texts: I’ve encountered this term in this video. I tried looking up guest soap on the internet, but I only got information about buying them. Are they soaps for guests in the USA?


texts: "Far apart" vs "Far away" (about comparing two objects)

texts:
Are "far away" and "far apart" interchangeable in this context:

  A <--------->B

  A and B are far apart from each other.

  A and B are far away from each other.

Are "apart" and "away" interchangeable here?


texts:
coming next after somebody/something
I am wondering what near means here.

She has a 12-point lead over her nearest rival.

UPDATED: What does"lead" mean here?
 Extracted from:

enter link description here


texts: What is the word to describe an opposite changing relation between two variables?

texts:
For example in y=1/x, variable y and x are inversely proportional.

If y and x have a different relation than inversely proportional, but still y decreases as x increases and vice versa, how do you describe their relation? Thanks!


texts:
Most people like to rest after a day's hard work but he seemed to have an inexhaustive supply of energy.

Is the above sentence grammatically correct ? Is the phrase day's hard work correct or is it hard day's work ?


texts:
I am learning an ELU post, which says

  The inclusion of 'over' as a pre-modifier to the locatives / directionals 'here' or 'there' connotes the intervening area.

Cambridge Dictionary gives this definition about "intervening"

  happening between two times or between other events or activities

Based on which, I guess "intervening area" means an area between other areas. So, is it the correct way to describe the area pointed out by red rectangle shown below as "intervening area"?

If yes, it is an "intervening area" between which areas? the other 8 blocks? Could someone please give a hint? Thanks in advance.


texts:
In the following three sentences, the verb 'see' have been used with the same definition.

  A game that sees people playing dead.

  A stunt that sees people eating corn off a rotating drill.

  Latest internet fad sees daredevils throw themselves to the ground.

I've consulted multiple dictionaries to search for a 'see'
 definition that closely matches its usage above. However, none of the entries I scanned through is satisfactory to me. Please explain what 'see' means in those examples, and if possible provide a link to the right entry or even idiom.

Many thanks.


texts: Position and different meanings of "still" in the sentence

texts:
Is there any difference in meanings of "still" if I put it in different places in the sentence?:
 He had a fever...
 1. He lay still in the bed
 2. He still lay in the bed
 3. Still he lay in the bed


texts: a month later / a month after now / a month from now

texts:
I’m currently doing a job of designing a website for the competition that I’m currently participating in. Given that I’m majoring in architecture engineering, which I think is totally different from what I’m currently doing, everything is so new to me that I can’t figure out anything at once. As the time when I have to submit the final things, I feel obliged to do my best. I don't have enough time to do this slowly.

It's about a month later that I have to submit.

I think it is acceptable. And how about these?

It's about a month from now that I have to submit.

It's about a month after now that I have to submit.


texts: When is 'to' prepositional and when particle of infinitive?

texts:
1.Having been in that kind of situation I can tell you it's not the good place to be.

2.Having been in that kind of situation I can tell you it's not the good place to being.

3.Having been in that kind of situation I can tell you it's not the good place for working.

Second sentence looks akward but when I change to being to for working as in third sentence it makes sense. How to know that to is part of an infinitive or a preposition? Transitive verbs can take to-infinitive as an object but that's not the case here. Please explain


texts:
Which word is appropriate for the blank in this sentence and why?

Dreams are _________ in and of themselves, but, when combined with other data, they can tell us much about the dreamer.

A) disordered B) inscrutable

The definition of disordered is given here:

  disordered

  adj not arranged in order

  Synonym: unordered  Antonym:
  ordered

  adj lacking orderly continuity

  Synonyms: confused, disconnected, disjointed, garbled, illogical, scattered, unconnected
  incoherent

  adj thrown into a state of disarray or confusion
  “the small disordered room”

  Synonyms: broken, confused, upset, disorganised, disorganizedSource: Definition of “disordered” on vocabulary.com

Per the last definition, “disordered” can mean thrown into a state of confusion. If that were the case, it is meaningless unless combined with other data. On the other hand, “inscrutable” is a very good fit. That’s why I was having a confusion regarding which of the words fit best here, as both of them could be reasonable to a certain degree.


texts: "forwards/backwards" vs "forward/backward" vs "rightward" and "leftward"

texts:
Is there a difference between

  The car moves forward

  The car moves forwards

as well as between

  The car moves backward

  The car moves backwards

and can the same pattern be used for other directional terms such as:

  rightward / rightwards

  leftward / leftwards


texts:
To improve my pronunciation, I was trying to imitate a native speaker friend and found some pronunciation is difficult for me to speak. I said this to him

I can hear it, even it is spoken very fast by native speakers, I just can't speak it fast

should have I said it like this

I hear it, even it is ...

Which one is more natural? Are there other ways more natural to convey that idea?
A similar situation is that, another learner lacks listening practice and can't/don't follow native speakers when they speak fast.


texts:
in English we can say,

" i was interested to hear that he has left his job "

or,

" i was interested to hear that he had left his job "

can anyone explain the difference between these two sentences..?


texts:
I'd like to know whether the phrase the sick man of . . . has a tone of ridicule to it in the following:

  Today, Europe again looks like the sick man of the global economy.’

  ‘Many is the occasion that I have lauded the economy's transformation from the dire days of the 1970s, when Britain was the sick man of Europe.’

I'd appreciate your help.


texts:
Sorry for bothering you again. In that book, I continue to meet a paragraph which is hard for me to understand. What do the highlighted words mean in the following context?

  To “be” confident, straighten your back, which is easiest to do by balancing your head properly on the spine first. Interestingly, feelings of pride tend to emerge after you assume this physical stance, even though you have accomplished nothing, because feelings originate inside your body, not from the outside world.
  With proper posture, you will already be standing taller than otherwise but you should plant your feet firmly on the ground as well, at roughly shoulder-width apart. This will allow you to assume an unyielding and balanced stance, which matches the unyielding personality of a man

What does "proper posture" mean here? Does it mean "your posture when you are confident"? and "you will already be standing taller than otherwise" mean "you will already be standing taller than when you don't have proper posture", right? And does word "but" (after "than otherwise") has a special meaning or has any relation to "otherwise"? I've searched on Google many times but I don't believe in my opinion. Thank for your help!


texts:
Can I use "aeronautic / aeronautical activity" when referring to what the Wright brothers did between 1903 and 1905?
For example:

Huffman's farm was a place where, in 1904, the Wright brothers moved their aeronautical activity.

Entries in the diary of Milton Wright, related to the aeronautic activity of his sons, also exist for the the last half of 1904.

Also, I am unsure about the difference between "aeronautic" and "aeronautical".


texts: American's 'I've got' and British 'I've got'

texts:
So when I think I heard an American said “I got (something)”, actually he/she said “’ve” after the “I” and it’s present perfect? And this is the time where present perfect should be used? And then it's not really possession but is more about acquirement, right?

(I’ve learned from Swan’s Practical English Usage (237.5-7) that it’s British English that says 'have got' and that is double form of have and means just exactly ‘have’ to mean possession and this is not present perfect but present tense. (No wonder I’ve been confused..))


texts:
Capitalization Math & English, for example:

  I registered for math-121 or Math-121?

Also:

  I registered for English-101 or english-101?


texts: Getting rid of things you don't need any more

texts:
I was looking for the difference between 'discard' and 'dispose of' at:
https://wikidiff.com/dispose/discard#:~:text=As%20verbs%20the%20difference%20between,to%20throw%20away%2C%20to%20reject.
But it's not that clear. I think 'a plastic bag' is 'disposed of', not 'discarded' because in 'discard' it feels as if you have just got rid of it, no matter where you throw it, however in 'dispose of' it looks as if the bag has been placed where it should be.
Question:
We discard a plastic bag.

OR
We dispose of a plastic bag.

Please note that we are careful about the hygiene process.


texts: What do "bundle" and "shape" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I find two verbs in this sentence from a sports site elusive in meaning.

  But there was to be no fairytale, with Oliver blowing for a penalty after adjudging Mehdi Benatia to have bundled over Lucas Vazquez as the winger shaped to score from point plank range.

Having checked Google, bundle over doesn't appear to be idiomatic. Bundle as a verb means rush, hurry. But what does it mean here? Is it a non-idiomatic usage?

Also shaped to score supposedly means was about to score, but I can't find this usage in dictionaries either. It also appears to be quite different from shape up to be.


texts:
Please look at the following

1: By the time I left my apartment, my friend was still there, so he might have taken it.

2:When I left the apartment, my friend was still there, so he might have taken it.

I know what 2nd expression means, but not so sure about the first expression. Does it convey the same meaning as the 2nd expression?

Thanks


texts: The difference between Past Simple vs Past Continuous vs Used to & every day

texts:
Which tense should I use if I was on holidays which lasted 2 weeks and during that time I rode a bike every day?

  It was a great time because I rode a bike every day.
  It was a great time because I was riding a bike every day.
  It was a great time because I used to ride a bike every day.

Personally, I would opt for Past simple because of "every day" but on the other hand if "every day" wasn't there, I would choose Past continues.

But if I used Past continuous would that mean that I only did it once?

Also, I always thought that we're supposed to use "used to" when we say something about things we don't do anymore but in my mind it was about very distant past. Now I am wondering if we can use it if it relates to something that we did on regular basis but rather recently for short period of time (like in my example, 2 weeks time holidays)?


texts: The difference between ‘should be seen’ and ‘could be seen’

texts:
The Victorians used to believe that children should be seen, but not heard.

Can I replace ‘should be seen’ by ‘could be seen’?


texts: "corner caught against the coffee table"

texts:
This is a comment someone made about their dog during a discussion on dog tricks,

  Mines a lost cause, he had a cone on the other day because he was scratching his ear, and he tried walking over to me on my couch and a corner caught against the coffee table.

  And he couldn't figure out how to take one step to the side and walk past it.

  He just stood there, pushing against the cone.

  Living room was wide open to the side of him.

What does he mean when he said "a corner caught against the coffee table"? Though I'm not quite sure what a cone is he's talking about, but I'm guessing it's those plastic things that shaped like a cone that you wear it on a dog's head to prevent them from biting others? If that's what it is I figured that couldn't be possible because a cone don't have corners right, and he couldn't be possibly talking about the corners of the coffee table 'cause that wouldn't make sense. So, what does he mean?


texts:
He defined the dandy, in the later "metaphysical" phase of dandyism, as one who elevates æsthetics to a living religion, that the dandy's mere existence reproaches the responsible citizen of the middle class being "an ordinary, working-class 'anti-star' who nevertheless loves to hog the spotlight.

Is this not a comma splice? Doesn't the clause starting with that begin an independent sentence. When is that subordinate and when isn't it?

  The secret ingredient used in the recipe. That was the secret to his success.

This would be correct right?


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

texts:
Wikipedia's article on Mozilla Foundation states:

  Most Mozilla Foundation employees transferred to the new organization at Mozilla Corporation's founding.

found is a verb and foundation is the noun, not founding. So what is the meaning of at Mozilla Corporation's founding?


texts: What does "this" used as a single word sentence mean?

texts:
I found this comment on an answer at Workplace.SE.

  This. Also, in a properly organized scrum, there is no team member over another. The team self-organizes. The scrum master is there to ensure that things like the daily scrum meeting happen, and to facilitate them He's not there to lead anything. (emphasis added)

I have noticed this single-word sentence "This." being increasingly used these days. What does it mean?

As you might expect, with "this" being a frequently used word, internet search wasn't much useful. Sentence word article on Wikipedia was the most relevant among the results, but it seems nowhere near to being relevant to this question.


texts: A word meaning “to take something with you since it is not difficult for you anyway”

texts:
I am looking for a word that I could use when I am asking someone to help me by taking something with them, and I’d like to stress that I am asking for this favour because I know it is not a big deal.

Examples:

Your family member is leaving the house and you shout:

  — ??? the garbage please!

meaning

  You are going outside anyway, so please take this garbage bag with you and dispose of it.

You are hosting a party and call your friend and tell them:

  – ??? your playstation gamepads please!

meaning

  We’d like to play some game for 4 players, and I have only 2 gamepads, I know it is not hard for you to bring yours too, so just throw them into your bag on your way out.

I think I saw “grab” used in this context, but I am not sure if it was correct, as I was under the impression that “to grab” has this “quick” meaning, but does not convey “easy” and “you won’t even notice it”, which are more important in these cases, as well as “it is not for your own benefit, but a favour I am asking for”.


texts: On several occasions I read or heard expressions like "look you in the eye" (without "at" between the verb and the pronoun). This struck me as incorrect. Yet the same people who use this construct always use "look at" in most other contexts. So perhaps is it just colloquial and not used in formal discourse by convention ? Can the experts clarify ?


texts: Two Grammatical questions over sentences extracted from The Economist

texts:
The capture of the drone took place on the outer perimeter of China’s expansive claim to the sea, about 50 miles (80km) from the Philippine port of Subic Bay, which was once home to a large American naval base (see map). It appeared calculated to show China’s naval reach, with only minimal risk of any conflict—the American ship that was operating the drone, the Bowditch, is a not a combat vessel.

The above paragraph is extracted from Warning shot

Does the first sentence in bold means that 'it appeared that it was calculated to...'?
If it is, what is the it referring to?
If not, how should I put it?

The second sentence, is it grammatically correct?


texts: What do you call those ash particles flying out of a fire?


texts: Question on article and preposition 'of' usage

texts:
Could you please explain, why the article isn't required before the word function in the following sentence (from a book):

  There are two ways to do this.
  1. Extend the definition of function.


texts: Meaning of "a white-looking black girl with no ostensible power"

texts:
Dr. King’s spellbinding message of hope, love, and the universality of
  mankind instilled the confidence that even someone like me, a
  white-looking black girl with no ostensible power, could create
  words to arouse passion, insight, and social change.

  -- The Power of Words by Benita Porter

What does the highlighted part mean?


texts:
I have heard the phrase:

  Do such easy questions really come?

What if I am pointing to a single question and asking:

  Does such an easy question really come?

I feel that the second sentence is not correct. Will there be any sentence used in this context beginning with 'does'.Or do we always have to use 'do' in this context.


texts: 'Local folks' and 'local inhabitants': What are the differences between those terms?

texts:
My English exercise book has this multiple-choice question:

  Will local ___ get employment in the new business?

a. folks
b. civil
c. civilian
d. inhabitants

To me, b & c sound weird in this case, so I wonder if a or d is the correct answer.
Although I found the original sentence in Macmillian's dictionary using the word 'local folks', I also searched on Google and realized that the phrase 'local inhabitants' is used quite a lot in English.

Can you tell me what are the differences between those terms and which one is correct in this case?


texts:
In Neal Brennan's stand up comedy show:

Neal Brennan: "How many of you believe, by round of applause, that men actually wanna get married? And yet you force us to do it... without shame or regret and the pimpier shit you do is you convince us it's our idea..."

What does "pimpier" mean? It should mean "worse" by the translated subtitle but I can't find it in dictionary, the meaning of "pimpy" doesn't seem fit here. Why does it mean "worse"?


texts:
The Queen of England is very popular and is loved and respected by her
  subjects.

  This sentence is too factual. It sounds like every single of her
  subjects loves and respects her. Probably there are some people who
  don’t love and respect her and she might not be popular with everyone.
  A better sentence WOULD be one using tentative language, for example:

  The Queen of England appears to be very popular and seems to be loved
  and respected by many of her subjects.

Could someone explain how "would" work in the above sentence? And what does it mean?


texts: Article "the" before uncountable nouns and "of"

texts: Although I have observed that "the" is not generally used before the word "proof," it is still unclear why it is not used even if it is an "of phrase." For example: "we have to procure proof of his involvement in the crime." The word "proof" is modified there by "of his involvement," so why is the definite article is not used there like: "We have to procure the proof of his involvement in the crime"?


texts: Someone who lends usurious money and their action

texts:
What do you call a person who achieves lots of money without working, just sitting at home lending people money with the agreement that they will pay him/her back a very much larger amount of money in a specific time in a written or verbal agreement?

Meanwhile, how shall I allude to such action in normal English? (Please note that aside from a true person, a legal entity like: banks, government related organizations etc. can do the same thing.)
Does it sound natural to say: "They offer usury"?


texts: What does "bringing prior knowledge of a subject to a text" mean?

texts:
in the following sentences:

  A better way is to practice "elaborate rehearsal". This involves assigning semantic meaning to a piece of information so that it can be filed along with other pre-existing long term memories. For example, a reader engages in elaborate rehearsal when he brings prior knowledge of a subject to a text.

the sentence *a reader engages in elaborate rehearsal * seem ambiguous to me.
Which interpretation of when he brings prior knowledge of a subject to a text is right?

1)when he writes what he knows like an essay.

or

2)When he writes some points he thinks is of importance in the margins of a passage he is reading.


texts: I still didn't fall in love or I didn't still fall in love?

texts:
What is the correct structure to refer to something that's true up to the present moment?

  I still didn't fall in love

  I didn't still fall in love


texts: If this was two years ago, I would've/ would

texts:
I was taught that for counterfactual situations whose time frame is in the present: if + simple past, would/could/might

Then why is would have used instead of would in this case?

  If this was two years ago, I would have given five stars and raved about the quality of the food that I had ordered.

Another example:

  The speaker is talking to his enemies:

  "I don't want to hurt anyone. I'll do everything I can to keep myself from having to." That's how the old me would've approached this. But things are different now.

Again, it seems to me the time frame is in the present. Why not say "That's how the old me would approach this"?


texts: What is the exact meaning of urge - an order or request?

texts:
What exactly does 'urge' mean? It's an order or request. I am confused, can any one explain clearly. For example:

  Stalin urges ministers

Does this mean that Stalin is requesting ministers, or ordering ministers.


texts:
Quoted from On 'The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences' by Sorin Bangu,

My conclusion, however, is the same-that Wigner's riddle can be (dis)solved.

I am well versed in solving puzzles but what does dissolving a puzzle actually mean?


texts: First class(one week ago),Second class(yesterday),Third class(now;at the present time) how can we mention the first class?

texts:
First class ( one week days ago )
  Second class ( yesterday )
  Third class ( now ; at the present time )

We can mention the second class by saying " last session " but how can we mention the first class?
We can say this sentence about the second class :

  As I recall, the teacher wrote something on the board last session

But How can we talk about the first class in this sentence
 ( we are not allowed to say " during the first class " as the answer ) :

  As I recall, the teacher wrote something on the board ___________ .


texts:
Eventually, this claim is still challenging and should be pursued by governments, in case , in near future, all cities' streets would lead to complete anarchy.

I am wondering if the tense of the verb that I have used, is grammatical.

Thanks in advance


texts: What is the difference between "bring someone/something" and "bring someone/something over"?

texts:
What is the difference between bring someone/something and bring someone/something over? For example:

I am having a barbecue, so please come
and bring your friends.
I am having a barbecue, so please come over
and bring your friends over.

For that matter, could you tell me how meaning changes when I use over after come?


texts: "On the flatcar" versus "on to the flatcar" versus "on to flatcar" versus "on flatcar"

texts:
Mike helps John to get on the flatcar.

  Mike helps John to get on to the flatcar.

  Mike helps John to get on flatcar.

  Mike helps John to get on to flatcar.

  Mike helps John to get onto flatcar.

Note, I'm referring to a flatcar, so you can't use "get in".


texts: How is the term "radix-point" (math) used for base b?

texts:
If in the following phrase it is b=10 then the untested term 'b-unital' becomes 'decimal'. How do I use the term 'radix-point' in conjunction with base b in this phrase?

"b=base. S:number of the different cycles of digits in the b-unital expansions of 1/p,...,(p-1)/p where p=n-th prime."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radix_point


texts: Is it correct to use by, at, around and after with the present perfect tense?

texts:
Please let me know, can we use them (by, after, around and at) with the present perfect tense?
I have written some examples. Please check the examples and let me know if they made the sense?

  Examples:

  I have been going to school by 8:00 a.m.

  Have they been coming to the office at 9:00 a.m?

  He has been moving around 7:00 p.m.

  Has she been calling after 10:00 a.m?


texts: Often I hear things like ' The crowd were noisy', which I feel is wrong - a crowd is a singular entity. What about 'The Commonwealth games is /are starting soon'?


texts: What's the onomatopoeia of a champagne bottle being popped out?

texts: Just a reminder that an onomatopoeia is basically a word which imitates the natural sounds of a thing. I am not sure what are the possible onomatopoeia associated with the popping out of a champagne bottle. I imagine there are a dozen, but I want the ones that are the most widely used.


texts:
Discussion on Can I say "for a vacation" to emphasize "not a business trip" in the sentence below? does not explain why should "for vacation" be used, rather than "for a vacation".

In contrast, Cambridge Dictionary gives this

  The family had just left for a vacation in the Bahamas.

Consider this one

  I'd like to travel to New York City for vacation

should I use "for a vacation" or "for vacation"?


texts: 'not only reflected ..., but also the fact that ...'

texts:
I found this sentence:

  Margaret Thatcher’s legendary nickname Laura Norder not only reflected her political preferences, but also the fact that, like most of her compatriots, she pronounces law and order with an intrusive /r/ between law and and.

(From: Perception of intrusive /r/ in English by native, cross-language
and cross-dialect listeners. Annelie Tuinman, Holger Mitterer, Anne Cutler.)

Almost instantly, the use of not only and but also of the sentence jumped out right at me. My first instinct was like: this is incorrect, it should be "reflected not only ..., but also the fact that, ...". (Another possibility I think possible is: "Not only did Margaret Thatcher's legendary nickname ..., but also the fact that, ...".)

Then again, maybe I think too much, and it's not really incorrect, just a matter of style.

What is the right way to think of the sentence?


texts: Convert "want not*, waste not" to the passive voice

texts:
Please convert Waste not, want not to the passive voice.

(This was asked in an exam, by the way.)

Normally, converting a sentence to the passive voice requires a clear subject and object, which makes the inversion obvious.  However, this common aphorism is phrased in the imperative, with only an implied subject and object.

Questions:

Can the imperative be phrased in the passive voice?
Is it possible to convert this aphorism to the passive voice?
If possible, can it still be phrased in the imperative, or does it need to be completely changed?


texts:
a. That poet was thought to receive inspiration from gods by his contemporaries.
b. That poet was thought to receive inspiration from the gods by his contemporaries.
Is there a difference between the meanings of the above sentences?
What does 'the' change?
Does (b) mean the poet in question receive inspiration from all the gods?
I think that is the difference. In (a) it is not clear if all the gods gave him inspiration or only some of them. In (b) however, it seems that all of them gave that poet inspiration.
I didn't want to mention any specific poet. I am not sure that the Greeks thought Homer received inspiration from gods, but I think that was the case. One can easily imagine a society where a certain poet (or a number of poets) are thought to be inspired by gods.


texts: "Ladies tracks" and "hallmark" in this sentence

texts:
When Fabolous and Jadakiss connected for their 2017 collaborative project, Friday on Elm Street, the lyrical tandem shook up the city of New York with their visceral raps. Despite being a punchy lyricist, Fab's penchant for ladies tracks continues to be hallmark of his. On Friday (July 13), Fab recruited Ty Dolla $ign once again for his latest earworm, "Ooh Yea." (source)

What does "ladies tracks" refer to in this sentence? I thought it possibly means "records made by female musicians", but there seems to be no females mentioned in this article. Knowing not much about music, I can't figure out if "ladies tracks" is a thing or if I read the sentence totally wrong.

Also, since "hallmark" is a count noun, shouldn't there be an indefinite article before it? Shouldn't that part of the sentence read: "...continues to be a hallmark of his."?


texts:
Is it popular to contract "this is" to "this's"? Or is it better to keep the full form?

This's where we'll go tomorrow.

Or

This is where we'll go tomorrow.


texts: What is the gramatical foundation for "both of which" in the following sentence

texts:
Doctors prescribed antacids (which reduce stomach acid) to patients
  and instructed them to modify their lifestyle and eating habits, both
  of which resulted in little success.

Source:https://brilliant.org/practice/skeptical-empiricism/?p=3

I can understand the meaning of the sentence, but if I were to construct the sentence myself, my first attempt would be :

  Doctors prescribed antacids to patients and instructed them to modify their lifestyle and eating habits, which both resulted in little success.

My question is:

Does my sentence contain grammar mistake? If so, what's the problem?
What's the name of the clause the original sentence used?


texts: What is the "s" at the end of some words and where does it go when talking about multiples?

texts:
I just recently wrote a sentence to a client, then had to correct the sentence and wondered about one of the words.

I wrote the sentence:

  Any Sunday in September works

Then I realized I could also do any Sunday in October, so I had to change the sentence to

  Any Sunday in September & October work

Where did the "s" go in "works"?  What is that called and what are the rules?


texts: "Whose three interior angles each measure" or "measures"?

texts:
I get stuck by this sentence:

  Equilateral triangle: A triangle whose three sides are all equal in length and whose three interior angles each measure 60°.

Is measure in this sentence a verb or a noun? If it is a verb it should be measures or measuring, and if it is a noun the attribute should be each measure is 60°. What am I missing here? Any suggestions?


texts:
Sorry for such a basic question, but I don't know how to google it.

How to correctly ask questions with whether?

Questions like these:

  Whether she made it blue or green?
  Whether she made it or I made it?

Hope it is clear what I mean to ask in these questions.

The problem for me that as far as I know in questions I always must put the verb before subject, but whether is already there and "Whether has she make it blue or green?" sounds confusing to me. I got even more confused when there are two verbs, e.g.: "Whether has she make it or have I make it?" Do I really suppose to add verbs in such questions?

Maybe I can't use whether like this at all? Then how do I ask a question in order to know which out of two situations is present, the first one (she made it) or the second (I made it)?


texts:
The government said it would replace the program with a new Immigrant
  Investor Venture Capital Fund, which will require immigrants to invest
  money, rather than just loan it. The shift comes as part of a major
  years' long overhaul of the Canadian immigration system aimed at
  choosing newcomers who Ottawa believes are a better fit for its
  economy and society.

I think a major years' should be a major year's. If not, how to parse it?


texts:
(1) I gave her a pouch for a birthday present.
  (2) I gave her a pouch as a birthday present.

Can the two above all be used? If they do, Isn’t there nuance difference?


texts: Which statement is more idiomatic, or they all have grammar mistakes

texts:
1.Here are two pictures, if you use the small one to compare with the big one, you will find some differences.

3.Here are two pictures, if you use the smaller one to compare with the bigger one, you will find some differences.

2.Here are two pictures, if you use the smaller one to compare with the big one, you will find some differences.


texts: Is it considered as impolite to say, what's up when someone asks you to help

texts:
I was in a fashion shop for some clothing, and a man in the same shop suddenly came to ask me if I could help him fill in a short questionnaire.
Because I didn't expect such thing to happen in a fashion shop, I was surprised and said this without thinking:

  what's up

Is it impolite to say what's up when someone asks you to help?


texts: how to form a sentence. find below example

texts:
please find the below work status.
Please find below the work status


texts:
It would be great if you know them both

vs

  It would be great if you knew them both

How do these sentences differ from each other?


texts:
In an answer I wrote:

  sources of insomnia: improper food, some (yet) undetected illness / disease / affection, accumulated stress, some strong expectations about the (near) future, love, ...

and in exchange I received a comment:

  "sources of insomnia: [..] affection" Hehe I think you meant affliction

Of course, I used "affection" with the meaning of "state of illness".

A search reveals that "affection" might be archaic, but not all sources share this information / belief.

On the other hand, I am not very familiar with "affliction", so I am hesitant to use it.

So my question (to native speakers) is: which one of them fits better? Which one is more common in every-day language? Of course, they might also be totally interchangeable, but I do not know.


texts: What does "hats defied gravity" imply in this sentence?

texts:
I am so confused about the speaker saying that "hats that looked as if they defied gravity." What does she imply? Did she mean the the hats are weird? or light? Or if she was being sarcastic, but then for what?

Could anyone help please?

The context is that the speaker is observing all the guests in the wedding .

Here is the sentence:

  While the vicar droned on, and the little ballet-shod bridesmaids
  shuffled in their pews, I gazed around me at the other guests. There
  was barely a woman there who didn’t look like she might appear in the
  pages of a glossy magazine. Their shoes, which matched their outfits
  to the exact hue, looked as if they had never been worn before. The
  younger women stood elegantly in four-or five-inch heels, with
  perfectly manicured toenails. The older women, in kitten heels, wore
  structured suits, boxed shoulders with silk linings in contrasting
  colours, and hats that looked as if they defied gravity.

  Me Before You by Jojo Moyes


texts: Dickens: some of its noisiest authorities insisted on **its being received**

texts:
in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

I understand what the author means, but I am confused about the construction of this phrase:

  they insisted on its being received in that way

it would make more sense to me if it was "it being received" instead of "its being received" in that phrase

can somebody explain?


texts:
I have sometimes problem understanding these structures. I just came across this expression:

  Materials to make sarin gas and perhaps other toxic chemicals moved freely cross-border from Turkey to Syria.

"Materials to make sarin gas and perhaps other toxic chemicals ."              Here we can sense that materials are not the subject which will make sarin and other chemicals by itself.In this context , we can infer that the infinitive clause is used in a way that the meaning is close to "materials which is necessary to make sarin gas and other chemicals".

I will give another example and hence my confusion will be revealed.

  The woman to save you
  The institution to supervise the process

In these examples , we can safely infer that the subject is nouns which are both followed by infinitive clause. The woman is subject. The institution is subject.

So why there is difference? Am i missing a point? In the very first example I gave , the subject is not clear as it is understood from the context.We don't know the subject.
Genereally , in the pattern of noun+to+verb+object i want to be enlightened as to subject-object relations of this pattern.


texts:
When I saw a receipt of an e-commerce, I found a sentence "Exclusions apply."

  "Apply your 20-character promote code to receive this discount. Exclusions apply. See details at xxxxxxxx.com. Expires MM/DD/YY" on a receipt of an e-commerce.

What does the phrase mean?
Particularly, I do not understand what "Exclusions" means in this sentence.
Could you give me some concrete examples of "Exclusions"?


texts: Can you tell me how ''r'' sound is pronounced in British English?

texts:
Mother

  Daughter

  Fork

  Near

  Bird

Can you tell me how the ''r'' sound is pronounced in British English?


texts:
Suppose an application user selects certain objects and then attempts to perform an operation involving them.

Which of the following responses is correct, and why?

  Operation is not supported by some selected objects
  Operation is not supported by some of selected objects

It would make sense with "some of the", but does it also work without "of" completely?


texts: Is there a word for every cinematographic techniques used by cameramen? I can only think of specific terms like "scene transitions" and "shots", but I am wondering if there's a word that include all of them and more. I need to know what such a word might be so I can do more research on the subject.


texts: Is past continuous possible with duration?

texts:
I’m wondering if it is possible to write:

  I was standing there for a few minutes when the police cars stopped.

and

  I stood there for a few minutes when the police cars stopped.

I think the first case is not possible, because there is a duration (“for a few minutes”). Therefore, past perfect continuous would be better: “I had been standing”.

In the second case we don't know which action takes place first, so past perfect continuous is the better choice here as well.


texts: What is the subject of this sentence? Does the sentence make sense?

texts: “The quality of written work submitted for his Science Final should have been completed with more thought and care".


texts: What is an idiom used for when we say something unfortunate and it comes true?

texts:
There is a Chinese idiom 乌鸦嘴 or Crow's Mouth which means saying something unfortunate, and then it comes true. For example:

  Anthony: I think there will be a thunderstorm later
  [Some time passes and there is a thunderstorm]
  Brandon: You and your crow's mouth, now there is really a thunderstorm!

Otherwise it is just a response to a negative remark.

  Cody: We don't have many customers these days. I hope our boss will not cancel the year end bonus.
  Donovan: Watch it, you and your crow's mouth!

Are there similar idioms or proverbs in English?


texts:
What is the correct version? Or what are their real meanings?

This process is essentially done of 2 parts
This process is essentially done in 2 parts.


texts: Adverbs with suffix ‘-ly’ meaning ‘in a specific way’

texts:
Can adverbs with suffix ‘-ly’ meaning ‘in a specific way’ be used only with an action word?
For example, doesn’t I am happily ( in a happy way) in the bedroom make sense because ‘am’ is not an action word?
Way: manner or method of doing or happening
I know it is true according to the dictionary, but I want to know about usage. People maybe use ‘way’ as if it means ‘manner or method of being something.’


texts: A director will tell us how she chooses/chose the actors

texts:
(An excerpt from an English book's audio script)
Situation: You and other students will meet a director of a play.

  "We're going to meet a director. She'll describe the whole process of producing a play, including how she chose the actor."

Why is it that "chose" was selected as the grammatical verb here instead of "chooses" (present simple=fact), which I believe is the one that should be used instead.


texts: Understanding the use of the phrase "as best she might"

texts:
Reading The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope I came across the expression as best she might in the following quote:

  But she had been a good daughter, assisting her mother, as best she might, in all family troubles, and never repining at the cold, colourless, unlovely life which had been vouchsafed to her.

I think I understand its meaning from this question and from some of the adequate answers.

I'm aware that the author wrote the book almost two centuries ago and as such the expression might be archaic but I don't think it would be appropriate to say it is a sloppy language use.

However, I wonder what would it sound like if used in today's English? Would it sound fine or weird?


texts:
I came across a definition on  Google Dictionary that appears very uncommon:

  informal

  rob; mug.

The ODO's page on yoke says:

  US informal

  Attack, especially by strangling.

The example sentence they both use is

  Two crackheads yoked this girl.

Since Google cops its content from the Oxford Dictionary, it does not surprise me they have similar, if not the same, content. However, I can't find this definition in any dictionary beside these two, including MW, Collins, Cambridge, Wiktionary. I'd think since it is informal language the Urban Dictionary would have relevant entries, but no not a trace. I wonder if the OED has this usage (I can't view it since it is subscription-based.)

I can't find any instances of this usage on Google Books or general Google search results either. Does yoke really have the meaning of rob, mug?


texts: "Though fully aware that to his well-known interest in psychical things was partly due his presence..". - meaning of the sentence

texts:
Reading an old story by A. Blackwood, I am unable to decipher the sentence in bold:

He had told no fearsome story. He had evaded, indeed, many openings
expressly made for him, though fully aware that to his well-known
interest in psychical things was partly due his presence in the
week-end party. “I never have experiences—that way,” he said shortly
when some one asked him point blank for a tale;

I am confused by the "to" preposition as well as the usage of "due" - to me, it seems as if there were some words missing.


texts: Is it "guild Foo", "Guild Foo", or "the guild Foo"?

texts:
Suppose there is a guild whose name is Foo. When I address it should I capitalize guild? In other words, which should I say:

  He joined guild Foo.
  He joined Guild Foo.
  He joined the guild Foo.


texts: Is this sentence with no actor or subject in the passive voice?

texts:
I don't see any actor or subject in the following sentence

  North Carolina Is Ordered to Redraw Its Gerrymandered Congressional Map.

Am I correct and is this sentence in the passive voice?


texts: How can Present perfect describe my current status?

texts:
I've read before that present perfect describes my current status. Could anyone please explain this concept?

For example when i say "I've written something" how can this describe my status?


texts: Indefinite article "A" with uncountable noun?

texts:
In the following sentence:

Peter hears a noise in the middle of the night.

1- Why did the author use "a" before the uncountable noun "noise"?

2- Does the indefinite article add to or change the meaning of (noise) in any way?

Thank you.


texts: Idiom to describe a poorly executed task

texts: Are there any idioms to describe a situation where the task given was very poorly executed, nothing can be done to re-do the task, and the task ends up a failure.


texts:
I wrote:

  Therefore, we reject the null hypothesis stating that these variable are independent.

The null hypothesis is "The variables X and Y are independent". Using a hypothesis testing we decided to reject this hypothesis. Could I write the sentence above as:

  Therefore, we reject the null hypothesis that these variable are independent.

In general, can I use "that" instead of "which states that" or "which says that" or "which shows that" ...?