texts:
Let's suppose I want someone to give me more money.

Now I can say to that person:

"You need to give me more money."

or

"You must give me more money."

The request is meant to be somewhat harsh.

The question is not about alternative forms of the request, but specifically about the difference in meaning (if there is any) between the two forms.

Is there a the subtle difference between the two forms?
I have the impression that "you must" is a somewhat stronger request than "you need", but I'm really not sure.


texts: How to use "screw" in the following context?

texts:
I made up the sentence:

Screw the lid off the jar.

Is it correct? Does it mean to get the lid off the jar?


texts:
Watching an old Dr. Who episode, one character said to another,

  "Highness, it is not well to think of the past, there is still the future to make."
  ("The Ribos Operation", 1978)

To my ear, this sounds wrong and should have been,

  "Highness, it is not good to think of the past, there is still the future to make."

Unfortunately, other than the way it sounds, I cannot determine the applicable grammar rules to know if I am correct.


texts: Language capabilities and language abilities?

texts:
Using Google trends, it seems that language abilities is much more popular than language capabilities. Do they have the same meaning? And which one of abilities and capabilities could go in the blank?

  As a bilingual, he utilized his Chinese and English language _________ to guide English tourists in China.


texts: Do you have another job 'to' me? VS Do you have another job 'for' me?

texts:
Which one is grammatical correct sentence?

  Do you have another job to me?

Or

  Do you have another job for me?


texts:
Let me show you an example of this: blah blah

  Here is another subtle example: blah blah

Is it technically strange to combine "another" and "subtle" (or whatever adjectives) here, when the first "example" is not "subtle" ?  Do I have to say like this?

  Here is another example which is subtle: blah blah

Compare it with these sentences which I think are perfectly valid:

  Let me show you a subtle example of this: blah blah

  Here is another subtle example: blah blah

because both "examples" are "subtle".


texts:
The United States is the greatest perceived threat to the People's
  Liberation Army (PLA), a top military strategist told China Daily on
  Sunday, confirming remarks made last week to a group of visiting
  senior US officials.

  Style, text and frequency deﬁned the style of a text as ‘the message
  carried by the frequency distributions and transitional probabilities
  of its linguistic features, especially as they differ from those of
  the same features in the language as a whole’.1 Such deﬁnitions appeal
  to the empiricist, who would like to reduce a subjectively
  perceived phenomenon to something objective, but they tend to alarm the student of literature. We hope to reassure the latter by
  showing that quantiﬁcation is a less essential part of stylistics than
  this deﬁnition suggests.

  Russell and others took the view that everyday language is somehow
  deficient or defective, a rather debased vehicle, full of
  ambiguities, imprecision and contradictions. Their aim was to refine
  language, removing its perceived imperfections and illogicalities,
  and to create an ideal language.

  Two issues arise from studies of this nature. The first again relates
  to the pragmatics/sociolinguistics divide: listing the linguistic
  forms which can be used to perform a speech act in a given language is
  not pragmatics, any more than, say, listing all the words for 'adult
  human female' in a given language falls with in the realm of
  pragmatics. These are sociolinguistic phenomena. It only becomes
  pragmatics when we look at how a particular form in a particular
  language is used strategically in order to achieve the speaker's goal.
  'Doing' pragmatics crucially requires context. This leads to the
  second issue: as soon as we put a speech act in context, we can see
  that there is no necessary connection between the linguistic form and
  the perceived politeness of a speech act.

I often come across "perceive" being used in the same way as above.

Does "perceived" add any meaning to these examples? Can I remove them with the meaning unchanged?

Can I use "known" or "sensed" to replace them?

And another question is that I think "perceive" needs a complement like "to be + something" or "as + something".

If we altered the sentence structure, they would be: Threat, phenomenon, imperfections and illogicalities, or politeness of a speech act is perceived, which doesn't look like complete sentences.


texts: "would probably be" or "would be probably"?

texts:
In my other question ("The question is that" vs. "The question is") I said

  I guess the 3rd way ... would be probably grammatical and idiomatic.

where I used "would be probably", as I remember my grammar teacher told me that the adverb should be after the verb to be and all auxiliary verbs.

After I posted that question, I realized that "would probably be" fits with the rule as well.

And then I searched a bit on ELL, "would be probably" got 10 hits, "would probably be" got 454 hits. Which seems to indicate that the former might be no as common.

Is my understanding right? Are both expressions grammatical and idiomatic?

When I was writing this post, ELL recommended another one (“probably was” or “probably would be”, which one is correct?), which mentions "probably would be" that turns out to be incorrect due to the wrong placement of adverb.


texts:
I am confused about when one can omit the article "the"/"a" in front of a noun. Examples are

During (the) observation, it was noticed that ...
The results of (a) quantitative evaluation are listed in table 2.
(A) quantitative analysis shows that ...
(The) execution of the algorithm is very fast.

In all of these, omitting the article feels more natural to me. I tried to verify my gut feeling by comparing the sentences to the rules presented here, but I can't find any rule that justifies the articles' omission.
What is the correct way to formulate the above examples? Is my feeling just wrong? Also, does including/excluding the articles change the sentences' meaning?
Related questions:
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/239585/why-do-people-omit-the-definite-article
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/483505/omitting-article-before-evaluation


texts:
I have a sentence: "They appear willing to talk to us".

So can you tell me why don't use "They appear being willing to talk to us".

I think that the sentence in present participle can be written without "be"?

Please give me your comment for this! Thank you.


texts:
This generator seems to be not working currently. Or This generator seems not to be working currently.

Does it possibly mean that, I started few hours ago and after running 1 hour it stopped working is it right it's just a scenario.


texts:
I am translating a Korean news script to English, which I am having difficulty with.

As I am Korean, the Korean script makes perfect sense. But, however I translate it into English, it does not make sense to me.

The following example is the direct translation given as the correct answer.

  The issue of NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) is particularly problematic as it makes young people to miss the right timing to enter into the labour market and increases the number of young people eventually giving up on economic activities.

Is 'timing' a right word, and, if so, is 'miss the timing' a right phrase?
The word 'as' was used to provide a number of reasons: (i) makes young people to miss the right timing ..., (ii) ... increases the number of young people .... But, are these two sentences connected correctly by the word 'and'?

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.


texts: How do 'days' and other non-living things 'observe'?

texts:
Not only the OALD, but many dictionaries I checked broadly say only one thing about the verb 'observe'.

  to watch/study/notice (don't go literally, this is the broad meaning I could extract from the meanings)

However, the context is living things in most of the cases. I'm a content writer and often use observe for non-living things. Say..

  The mobile industry observed 325% growth (hypothetical) in a past few years

I know that such a construction for non-living things is acceptable because, after all, industries, companies etc. are formed by humans, living beings, but then, I read somewhere in an Indian newspaper.

  Thursday observed a huge crowd gathered outside the headquarters of X

While I was still reluctant to use it for industry and things the like, Days observing something raises a question in my mind. And I'm here, on this reliable platform! :)

Is it okay across the globe or another instance of Indian English?


texts: Different pronunciations for different parts of speech

texts:
I read http://www.dailywritingtips.com/careful-with-words-used-as-noun-and-verb/ and http://www.businessenglishresources.com/31-2/teachers-section/mini-lessons/pronunciation-lessons-pronunciation-changes-in-words-that-are-both-nouns-and-verbs/

How do you pronounce the noun correlate? How do you determine this?  Is it like the noun isolate?
What's this phenomenon called? Are there any general lessons to be learned here? Is it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initial-stress-derived_noun?
Are there any exceptions?


texts: What is the term for a physical division in a newspaper?

texts:
There are newspapers that are made up of several "mini-newspapers" (or "physical volumes"), for example, the  "main news" "mini-newspaper", the "classifieds" "mini-newspaper", and the "sports" "mini-newspaper". These "mini-newspapers"/"physical volumes" are placed one on top of another (the "main news" is always the top "mini-newspaper"), and sold to the reader.

What is the correct term for a "mini-newspaper"/"physical volume"?

I thought about "newspaper section", but each "mini-newspaper" could consist of sections too (e.g. the "main news" "mini-newspaper" could consist of sections named "domestic news" and "international news"). "newspaper section" also doesn't capture the fact that the divisions are physical.


texts: What do you call the digital displays that show the stations inside subway trains?

texts:
I'm talking about this:

The text in the photo says "digital voice announcement."  But I wonder if there's another way of referring to this piece of technology. Something like digital announcement or station announcement? Without putting emphasis in the sound part?

(Note: I'm not looking for a technical term, just a common one, or one that everyone would understand.)


texts: Did you surprise? vs Have you surprised?

texts:
I'm going to meet one of my friend next week. I want to ask about her feeling when her son announced that he will get married with a foreign girl.
(Maybe her son announced 1 month ago, I want to ask her feeling right at that moment)

Did you surprise?
Have you surprised?

Which one should I use? What is the difference between these two questions?
Thank you!


texts: noun pattern; fabrication, finishing, assembly

texts:
The sentence goes like this:

  Structures classified in group f1 are occupied for the purpose of fabrication, finishing, manufacturing, packaging, assembly or processing of materials.

Here the question is

Can fabrication and assembly be re-written into fabricating and assembling?
If not, why?


texts: Do dangling participles apply to "it clause" too?

texts:
I was wondering whether dangling participles apply to an “it clause” too. For example, does the following sentence have a dangling participle at the beginning of the sentence or is it grammatically correct?

  Excluding serious accidents, it is likely that every one will reach the finishing line.


texts:
Does "Mr. Just About" make sense as a nickname for someone who does not care about precision?

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: What does the expression "Happy is as happy does" mean?

texts:
I just read an article in The Economist's China section (2019/02/16) with the subtitle "Happy is as happy is told to".

Feeling confused, I googled about this expression, only to find a quite similar expression: "Happy is as happy does".

What do these sentences mean? Are they grammatically correct?


texts:
SOURCE

  Case in point: Javier Escovedo. Javier Escovedo, who most people know as one of the founding members of The Zeros, The True Believers and one of the pioneers of the ‘70’s West Coast punk movement has been writing, singing, and playing vital, heartfelt music since the mid-'70s, and it's clear he isn't stopping anytime soon.

Why not future simple instead of present progressive, I know progressive can be used as future may be that the case because of soon  or is it because of the use of present perfect progressive "has been writing, singing and playing"  which means it is happening now  or may be both


texts: What is the logical subject of the adverbial "with his gun aiming at David"?

texts:
I'm confused about a  mulitple-choice question:

He didn't answer, with his gun __________ at David.
a. aims
b. to aim
c. aiming
d. being aimed

My first reaction was that the gun was aimed at David, which pushed me to choose D. However, the correct answer was C; therefore, could some friends show me some conventional ways to use the verbal phrase "aim at"? By the way, what would be the common agent of this action?


texts: I see you have finished vs I see you finished

texts:
My question may sound stupid because I know when we are using it but I don't know how to explain it by words.
have finished means that something will end soon or later like when you have finished your test give it back to me
and
you finished means that something already ended and has no continuation
Am I right and I just answered my question or I made a mistake somewhere in my way of thinking? hah


texts: Differences between ''always stays'' and ''is always staying''

texts:
The sentences are:

She is in New York right now. She's staying (she/stay) at the Park Hotel.
She always stays(she/always/stay) there when she's in New York.

Why can't I use She is always staying in the second sentence?

I can't figure out what the difference is between  I always do and I'm always doing. My textbook said they were different.


texts: The month before the previous month vs two months ago

texts: Considering the following sentence - "Percentage change in the number of visitors in the previous month compared to two months ago". Considering the current month as December, would "two months ago" mean October (intended) or September (not intended) in this case. Should I change "two months ago" to "the month before that" to achieve the intended meaning?


texts: Right word for a person who makes comments to another person habits when they have there own habits

texts: What's the right word for a person who makes a comment towards another person habits, but they have their own habits?


texts: Which question is grammatically correct?

texts:
I'm not a native speaker, which of these is grammatically correct?

"How many amounts of information?"
"How many pieces of information?"
"How many information?"
"How much information?"

I think the 2nd and 4th ones are correct and the others aren't, am I correct?

I do understand that many is used with countable nouns and much is used to uncountable nouns.

And I also understand that the word "information" is an uncoutable noun in British English.

What confuses me is an exercise for school:

  How much information do you need? (use how many)

One of my friends said it'd be like the first example but I don't think so.


texts: two techniques, called "backlighting" VS two techniques called "backlighting"

texts:
This effect, my mother explained, was the result of two techniques, called "backlighting"and flash fill. " (From an ACT English test passage)

Am I right to think that it'd be better if I rewrite this sentence into "... two techniques called 'backlighting' and 'flash fill. ' " to make it kind of a restrictive relative clause decorating "techniques"? Instead of like the original sentence which uses a kind of a non-restrictive relative clause elaborating the whole sentence preceding it.


texts: "...as I and many others have..." - An exception to the rule of putting I last?

texts:
In Part 2 of my answer to this question I wrote the following:1                  (Focus on the bold print.)

  Both sentences mean the exact same thing: A general truth statement that low rain in a year produces rings that are "close together" (like shown in the picture). In this case, there is no significant semantic difference between using "are" and "will be". Either sentence can be substituted for each other, and it will convey the exact same thing.

  On the other hand, there are better ways to word this concept, as I and many others have pointed out. The sentences contain conflicting elements of grammar, semantics, multiple senses of time (both semantic and grammatical), and domain specific knowledge. All of these elements create forces that pull in different directions.

I'm not concerned about being first or last.  It sounds more euphonious to me the way I wrote it.  I think it has to do with the impersonal nature of "many others".

On the other hand, if it were someone's name, I would have written it like, "as @Cathy and I have pointed out."  I would even write, "As the other Answerers and I have pointed out."

What do you think?  Is this an exception to the rule?  Some other options:

as I, and many others, have pointed out.
as I--and many others--have pointed out.
as I (and many others) have pointed out.
as many others--and I myself--have pointed out. (I was imagining what Obama might say in a speech. But this seems stranger written than spoken.)
as many others and I have pointed out. (The standard rule.)

Footnote

1. I have since removed I and many others in the original source.  But the issue is still interesting as written here. :)


texts:
I noticed in several movies and video games (from the top of my head - The Last of Us, Beyond: Two Souls) that when a guy tells a girl "You are special" it actually means that he likes her.

Do I right understand that it's some sort of magic phrase specially for such cases? Do people in all countries understand it or say only in USA? Are there any other double meaning phrases like this I should be aware of?


texts: What's the meaning of the "moon" in this context

texts:
The situation is like this. A girl named Letitia was about to buy a
  house with atrium, but she found a naked divinity statue of Hecate, a
  goddess of the moon (it could be guessed because there was a crescent moon shaped tiara in her hair) in the center of the atrium. Letitia who didn't
  like this centerpiece because of the obsceneness, circled around to
  the statue’s rear and said this.

  “I see the moon all right.”

At first, I thought the moon refers to the slang word for naked buttocks but I'm not sure about it because Letitia said 'the moon' not 'moons'.

Can the moon be used to say the buttocks?


texts:
What's the difference between past simple and present perfect in this sentence?

If the past simple couldn't be used with past actions which are related to now, which sentence is correct and why?

  When have you been to France?

or

  When did you go to France?


texts:
a feeling of not being certain about something —macmillan

Doubt is often seen to be used in a sense that there is question whether certain things is going to happen or to be in a certain way, in other words, certain thing is true.

  There seems to be some doubt as to whether this is legal.

The above example states there's question whether "this" is legal.

But can we use doubt in the sense of "inquiry"?

  I found the works from the site you gave me, but I have doubts about how it works.

The above example is clearly trying to say "I don't know how it works".
It's more of a question asking than really expressing a feeling about certain things is true.

Is this usage correct?


texts:
Revenue dropped due to fewer units of property sold in 2013.

Revenue dropped due to fewer units of property were sold in 2013.

Revenue dropped due to fewer units of property being sold in 2013.

Which sentence is correct ?


texts:
What does each of these sentences mean? What are differences in meaning between them? Are they all grammatically correct?

  I practiced martial arts at a young age.
  I practiced martial arts since a young age.
  I practiced martial arts from a young age.


texts: Is the order of adjectives acceptable: "slim yet athletic bronzed man", "ugly wide wounds", "deep dark blue waters"?

texts:
Is the order of adjectives correct in the following sentence?

Also, is the usage of "yet" correct?

  "He was a slim yet athletic bronzed man."

What about this one?

  "I gasped as I saw his legs torn with ugly wide wounds that bore
  the signs of shark bites."

And this one:

  "A man on the deck, was shouting, flapping his hands and pointing to
  the below, the deep dark blue waters."
  "The invader was a ten foot shark."


texts:
Should I use "Has won" or "won" in the following context?

Here's the text:

  John: Subha, did you know our school team has won/won today's soccer match?
  Me: No! I didn't know that.

With the reference of today, should I use "simple past" or "present perfect" tense?


texts: What is the meaning of TV anchor words “scores of Russians"?

texts:
President can overcome the heating-oil shortage that has already
  killed scores of Russians.

I googled this words, seaches related "Customizable soccer livescore: Russian Premier league" are popping for me. what exactly scores of Russians means ?


texts: "Top up your phone with an ATM," "top up your phone through an ATM," "top up your phone at ATM" or "top up your phone from an ATM"?

texts:
Would you tell me which one of the following sentences is the most correct and natural?

If you don't have mobile data, you can always top up your phone with an ATM.
If you don't have mobile data, you can always top up your phone through an ATM.
If you don't have mobile data, you can always top up your phone at an ATM.
If you don't have mobile data, you can always top up your phone
from an ATM.

Is there any difference in meaning between the four?


texts: what does the phrase "get someone into something" mean?

texts:
I am reading a text. A line of it, is as follows:

Your daughter has a cocaine habit. Get her into rehab.

I have searched about the meaning of "get someone into something" and I found somethings. But I am not sure yet about the exact meaning of "get her into rehab". does it mean try to persuade her to start rehabilitation? or does it mean "take her to a rehabilitation center"? or the meaning is something else.


texts: Can we put 'a' in front of uncountable nouns?

texts: Can we put 'a' in front of uncountable nouns like love, hate, peace?


texts:
Does using two synonyms together always assert the meaning of the word?

I come across this a lot while reading.

  The skin was like faded parchment with an arrangement of puckers and
  wrinkles which created between them an expression of fathomless
  inscrutability

Here 'fathomless' and 'inscrutable' almost mean the same thing, to wit, the former means undecipherable and the later that cannot be easily understood; completely obscure or mysterious; unfathomable; enigmatic


texts:
Miss Brown came to this school in 2007. Now using a verb "live" we have to put the same sentence in the present perfect tense. examples:

Miss Brown has been at this school  since 2007, or
   Miss Brown has been in this school since 2007.

Which preposition is correct? I know that when the pupil is at school, it means he or she is there at the moment, and to be "in school" means to study there. What about teachers? And another question: Where can I find the grammar rules about prepositions with a word "been"? Thanks


texts:
So removing Jesus from the cross alive was
  not an accident on the part of the soldiers – they were following instructions.

  After examining the biblical evidence I have come to believe that Pontius Pilate was
  responsible for saving Jesus, by some lateral interpretation of the facts and events as
  laid out in biblical texts.

This is an adjective, so the aptest match is Definition 1.2. Yet I still doubt this; there's nothing inventive?

Source: p 177, Mastering the National Admissions Test for Law, Mark Shepherd


texts: Usually prefer to protect vs. Usually prefer protecting?

texts:
Are any of these incorrect?

Judges usually prefer to protect government agencies.
Judges usually prefer protecting government agencies.

Could anyone also help explain the difference if there is any?

Thank you


texts:
Which one is correct to say?

a) He was may be drunk when the incident occurred.

b) He may have been drunk when the incident occurred.


texts: Which verbs are used with the conjuction "and" in my example sentence?

texts:
I have a sentence in my job descriptions as below:

Assess seriousness of each case, select external service providers (e.g. surveyors) to participate in investigation and achieve expected outcomes in a cost-effective way.

When you see the sentence at first glance, do you think which pair of verbs are connected with the conjunction “and”? Select and achieve, or, participate and achieve?
My intention is to express “I will select an external service provider (e.g. surveyors) to participate in investigation and hope him to achieve expected outcome in a cost-effective way”. Obviously, the above sentence looks ambiguous, confusing me a lot (Readers may think "I select ... and will achieve the outcome in a cost-effective way").
Hope anybody can help me clarify the problem, or make the sentence more clear in keeping with the original meaning.


texts:
I read this in OALD about Noddy by Enid Blyton:

"Noddy is a small boy with a large head on which he wears a long blue cap with a bell on the end of it."
I'm quite familiar with how "in the end" and "at the end" are used, but "on the end (of sth) is new to me.Does it simply have the same meaning as "at the end" as it refers to the end of a physical object? If not, how is it different from the other two phrases?


texts:
Can you help me to determine which type of sentence that I should use in this situation?

I and my colleague attended a job on 8th September 2015 for promotion of new goods. At that time, we discussed and had an agreement that he would write the report, that meant his report would also cover my part.

Today, my company asked me about my report and my response will be as follows:

  I discussed with Peter for the report writing, he agreed that he will write report and I write the log only

Is it okay if I write it as above?


texts: The number of ballot papers did not tally with the number of voters. Why here in this question article THE is not used before BALLOT PAPERS and VOTERS while we are talking about certain ballot papers and certain people who voted?


texts:
Is it correct to say

  When do we going to bike

or

  When are we going to ride a bicycle /when we go to ride bicycle

or can I use either?


texts:
I'd like to know whether "the" or "any" should be used in the following:

  The porky fellow came into the cubicle, scarcely leaving me any/the room in which I was standing.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: What does “gonna go” mean precisely? Is it the same as “going to go”?

texts:
Recently, I have come across the phrase "gonna go".
What is the difference between all these sentences?

I am gonna go get some ice cream.
I am going to go get some ice cream.
I am going to get some ice cream.

Are they all same or is there any difference?
What does the sentence "I am gonna go .... " mean? Does this give a future feeling like “I will get some ice cream tomorrow” or “I am going to (on the way) get ice cream”?


texts:
Why would someone want a peeve as a pet?

Upon searching for pet peeve, one explanation for the usage of pet was

  the complaint is adopted like a pet

This meaning I can understand in

  pet project

where one takes it under one's wing and cares for it.  If I were to adopt a pet this is what I would do. Pets are usually warm and fuzzy, and certainly likeable. Peeves less so.

Except for possibly alliteration, why is a peeve, that I must always feel the need to complain about (another searched definition), a pet?


texts: Meaning of "as merry a band of children as I had ever seen before or since"

texts:
The long awaited moment at last came and we set out for station, as merry a band of children as I had ever seen before or since.

What is the meaning of the highlighted text? I think it means We were as happy as a band of children that we have never been before or since.

Am I right?


texts: How to ask people to help after you have filled in a wrong number

texts:
Here is the situation.

I was browsing some clothes on a web sites. Some time later, I decided to make the order for some lace ones.  So, I was then asked to fill in the order form.
I might be sleepy that I added an extra digit to my contact number in the order form.   Say, the correct contact number should be 123456789, but I mistakenly filled in the wrong one, 1234567890.  And I did not carefully check the information before I pressed the submit button.

Two days have passed after this happened, and now I am trying to call the customer service department for help, but I am not sure if it will sound weird if I use the word, "update" in this sentence.

  "I need your help to update my contact number"

Or the word, "Update" is readable in computers only?


texts: What's the meaning of "I can only imagine"?

texts:
I commonly see sentences constructed like:

  "I can only imagine how much time she spent on [something]."

I can't grasp the meaning of " I can only imagine", however. In what contexts would this expression be used? Is it for emphasis, or for poetic style, or simply to seem fancy or posh?


texts: "They have great senses of humor" or "They have a great sense of humor"

texts:
1-They have great senses of humor
2-They have a great sense of humor


texts:
I have seen sentences with both prepositions (The committee on & The committee for)

E.g. Consider below written sentences

  The committee on criminal justice reforms recommended a threefold strategy to arrest the drift and to prevent total disaster.

  The committee for criminal justice reforms recommended a threefold strategy to arrest the drift and to prevent total disaster.

Are they both grammatically correct? If yes is there any difference in meaning of these two sentences?

Say if this question is asked in exam as MCQ fill up question with ON and FOR as  options then which one will be the best answer?

If their usage varies in American and British English then please reply considering later one.


texts: The country of China VS The country China

texts:
I wonder if both phrases are correct and which one(s) sound(s) natural and idiomatic.

In "the country China", is 'China' in apposition with 'the country'?

Are there any differences if I say "I want to travel to the country of China" or "I want to travel to the country China"? Or if these two sentences are not correct in the first place?

Also, if I just say “I want to travel to China”, what would be the difference  from the two sentences above?


texts:
If one has two bedrooms and the other has two bedrooms, isn’t ‘there are two bedrooms in each house’ valid?
I see someone said there are two bedrooms in each house even though one has one bedroom and the other has one bedroom.
Is it valid or a common mistake in English?

"Price" is singular and "prices" is plural. For example: The price of
coffee is high. The prices for everything are high.

It’s not for ‘each,’ but a related statement.


texts: What does "vice president, European Union" mean?

texts:
I used these links but I couldn't figure out what she did at European Union because as far as I know, European Union has no President. How can there be a vice president.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/frances-g-burwell-phd
http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/about/experts/list/frances-g-burwell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_European_Union

"It's going to be tough for the British. I think that they're going to find that it's very difficult to achieve what they want and to not be part of the single market," said Burwell, vice president, European Union, at the Atlantic Council.

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/29/heres-what-investors-should-expect-as-Brexit-begins-experts-say.html


texts: What does `Danny boy` mean in plain English?

texts:
I heard the phrase Danny boy mentioned many times. I'm sure only British people get it. It can be also heard on this song on YouTube:

Tubthumping (I get knocked down) by Chumbawamba.

It sounds like, sort of a name but I'm pretty sure it has a meaning. I don't know why but it sounds good on my ears. What's the meaning of it in plain English?

EDIT: Wikipedia says  a son going off to war or leaving as part of the Irish diaspora. So does it mean a Patriotic boy?


texts: Is there a missing definite article before caliph in 'the group's leader, XYZ, as (the) caliph'?

texts:
I read news on the BBC (on its website) this morning. When I was reading the news I noticed the definite article the was missing in a sentence. As per my opinion, the reporter missed the article the. But I also thought that the reporter also had some point as he did not use the article there. So I just wanted to confirm so landed here to get some help on it.

  On the website:

  It also proclaimed the group's leader, XYZ  (name), as caliph and
  "leader for Muslims everywhere".

  As per my opinion it should have been:

  It also proclaimed the group's leader, XYZ  (name), as the caliph and
  "leader for Muslims everywhere".

Source link:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28082962


texts:
Some questions about the second conditional and relative clauses.

(My friend is eating a popsicle.)

(1) Me: If I had money on me, I would buy a popsicle you are eating right now.

(revised) Me: If I had money on me, I would buy the same popsicle you are eating right now.

Is the are correct here?

(2) Me: If I had the money that Bill Gates has, I would buy a mansion you see in luxury magazines.

(revised) Me: If I had the money that Bill Gates has, I would buy the type of mansion you see in luxury magazines.

Is the has correct here?
Is the see correct here?

(3) Me: If I had the money that Bill Gates has, I would build a mansion that would amaze you.

Is the has correct here?
Is the would amaze correct here?

So in a relative clause that modifies a noun in a conditional sentence, if we are talking about real things, we don't need to change the verbs into "would + verb" and just use the verbs normally depending on what we are talking about, but if we are talking about hypothetical things, we use "would + verb". Am I right?


texts: What is the meaning of "Jump into the bridge"?

texts:
During a one-to-one technical chat with my client, he sent me a meeting link and texted me:

  Jump into the bridge.

Is he trolling me (as there was a particular issue that had been left unresolved for a long time)? Or is it a normal phrase that is used to ask a person to join a meeting?


texts: Does '...time zone of in the morning' make sense?

texts:
I waited for my favorite time zone of in the morning.

Does the sentence above make sense? I mean that time zone is 'the range of time' in this sentence.


texts: Can you be on equal terms with something?

texts: Does something like "we are all on equal terms" make sense or does it require verbs like "play" or "compete"? "We all compete on equal terms." In school we should write about the advantages of introducing school uniforms and I wrote that "it would contribute to all students being on equal terms" but I dont know if this is optimal or even correct.


texts: I always get stuck between appositive and modifier. As first learner in writing, I need to distinguish them. What should I do?


texts: present simple or present continuous when describing a picture?

texts:
When describing how someone is dressed in a picture, should one use the present simple or the present continuous? For example:

  Charlie wears blue pyjamas.

  Charlie is wearing blue pyjamas.

Which is better?


texts: I'm unclear about why we use 'to be' in these expressions of preference:

texts:
In the phrase 'I would rather my computer be on the table' we see 'to be' being used in a very raw form. Why is that?

In an alternative: 'I would rather it if my laptop were on the table' we see a conditional form emerge... maybe because of the subject change? Suddenly the verb 'to be' goes into a weird form here (past form of 3rd person singular?). Is that the subjunctive? What's happening here?

Are either of these correct?


texts: out of vs from - one out of many, one from many

texts:
Is there a subtle difference between one out of many and one from many?
Would you prefer one to the other?
Is this the only case where out of and from are exchangeable?
Could one say: this is made from one piece and this is made out of one piece?
And what about this is made out of wood and this is made from wood?
I guess I could drop the out in the first one, couldn't I?
And this building is built out of stone vs this building is built from stone?


texts: Joining two interrogative sentences with coordinating conjunction

texts:
How should I join two interrogative sentences with a coordinating conjunction?

  Should the purpose of our education be focused only on ornamenting students with great degrees or it should be focused on equipping students not only with skills but also with moral qualities?
  Should the purpose of our education be focused only on ornamenting students with great degrees or should it be focused on equipping students not only with skills but also with moral qualities?

Sentence no. 1: there are two sentences connected with "or" coordinating conjunction. 1st sentence is in interrogative form and 2nd sentence is not interrogative. now, the query is: do both sentences need to be interrogative since they are connected by "or"?  (for example, sentence no. 2: where both sentences are in interrogative form)


texts: After all, if a courtroom can be "in recess", than could it not also be "in break" - why is the word order inverted in the second part?

texts:
After all, if a courtroom can be "in recess", than could it not also be "in break"?

I've never seen a sentence like this before, specifically than could it not also be 'in break'. although I can guess its meaning. but I'd like to get more details about this pattern so that I can use it in a idiomatic way.

What is confused to me is the fragment that than (then) could it not also be in break, like why it is in a inverted order rather than it could and not also instead of not only, as it's a sentence written in a comment from a contributor, maybe there's a little typo. However, either pattern (Then or Than) to my best of knowledge, is a rarely used expression.


texts: "Had been checked and then" vs "Had been checked before"

texts:
is it correct to say?
"This had been checked and then send it to you"
Or
"This had been checked before send it to you"

I would like to know use of Had been correct or not.


texts: Using coordinating and subordinating conjunctions in one sentence

texts:
My question is
can we use coordinators and subordinating conjunctions in the same sentence? If we can,  what is the right order of these two kinds of conjunctions in one sentence?

My sentence is:

  It was a great journey not just because I have learned more about this culture, but I have made many good friends.

Is it a correct sentence? Is the order because but correct?


texts: Meaning of the word "FOR" used at the beginning of a sentence

texts:
I have encountered the word for many times. But, even if I use the dictionary, I can not understand the meaning of this word used at the beginning of a sentence.

Here is an example:

  It would be an excellent match. For he was rich and she was handsome.

Does it always mean because?


texts:
If someone blows off something they should attend, they fail to show up for it.
If they blow someone off, they ignore them.

Let's say someone is supposed to show up for a date with me, and the person never does. Instead of She stood me me up can I say "She blew (it) off with me"?


texts:
The words "yer", "ter", "ernly", "der" and so on, are they Irish? Also the way the contractions are contracted, "don't" to "don'". Hagrid from Harry Potter speaks like that and actually I'm enjoying it:

"I don' want yer ter get hurt".

Is this just some accent or dialect, or simply really bad English? Where does it originate from?


texts: could "of" or "across" cause some inversion?

texts:
Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro.

It seems there is some inversion-the bold part, if so, would you please show me a resource or site- or if you could, give me some example- to teach me more as to inversion caused by the following?

across

of


texts: Can two or more third person conjugated verbs be chained together?

texts:
Recently I wrote a sentence and came to realize I've chained two third person conjugated verbs like this:

  The area of the screen where the expanded toolbar appears occludes a
  significant part of the screen.

"appears" is taking about one thing (the expanded toolbar), while "occludes" is taking about an entirely different thing (the area where the toolbar appears).

The meaning of the whole sentence seems clear to me, but its the first time I see something like that. Or at least that I'm aware of it.

Is this the right way to write that sentence?

Even when I can't come with a sentence off the top of my head that has three of those verbs chained together, is that acceptable for more that two verbs?


texts: Will vs Would - when writing about he past

texts:
I have this sentence that I can't figure out.

  I knew that If the pain won’t break me, embarrassment might will.

Or:

  I knew that If the pain wouldn't break me, embarrassment might would.

What's the right way to write it?

Thank you.


texts:
When asking about something that will be later I have two ways to ask it:

  At what time is the lecture today? At what time you will come tomorrow?

or

  What time is the lecture today? What time you'll come tomorrow?

When looking for information about it I found a comment (I can't find this site again) in which the the writer there wrote that in the US we can find "at what time" in the written language but not in the spoken language.  It seems that both are correct but one is formal and the the other is informal. Is it correct for both American and British English?


texts: Fictive vs fictional vs fictitious? Difference between them

texts:
As I consulted dictionary and looked them up, they all probably express similarly the same thing.

  fictive adjective
  /ˈfɪktɪv/

  created by imagination

  fictional adjective
  /ˈfɪkʃənl/

  not real or true; existing only in stories; connected with fiction

  fictitious adjective
  /fɪkˈtɪʃəs/

  invented by someone rather than true

Could you show us the difference between them?


texts:
Consider the sentence:

  The reason I didn't make it on time is that my car broke down.

Should I add that after "The reason"?

  The reason that I didn't make it on time is that my car broke down.

Is it correct to use two "that" in this sentence?


texts: How to refer to somebody who answered a question?

texts:
On StackExchange websites I often read the OP acronym to talk about a person who asks a question.

How about the one who answers the question? How would I refer to them? Is there an acronym or a common expression?

I've read the answerer on some translation websites, is it recommended? What about the replier?


texts: Can the phrasal verb 'fall apart' be used in present or past perfect tense?

texts:
Here are some dictionary examples

My poor old boots are falling apart.
My dictionary is falling apart now. I have used it so much.
After his wife died, he began to fall apart.
San Diego's public buildings are falling apart, but the city refuses to do anything about it.
She liked her old apartment, but the neighborhood was falling apart.

Let me modify all these sentences in present or past perfect tense.

My poor old boots have fallen apart.
My dictionary has fallen apart now. I have used it so much.
After his wife died, he had fallen apart.
San Diego's public buildings have fallen apart, but the city refuses to do anything about it.
She liked her old apartment, but the neighborhood had fallen apart.

Are these sentences grammatically correct ?

When we use 'ing' it is implied that action is still on. But what if the action has been completed ? Then do we use present or perfect tense 'fallen apart' ?

I dont know whether it's possible to use 'fallen apart' in a sentence or is it ?

If yes, could you please provide some examples and explanation ?

If no, why not ?


texts:
Which of the following phrases is correct: "to come to mind" or "to come to one's mind"?

If both are possible, do they have the same meaning?

If not, when should I use each of them?

Would you please give me some examples?


texts: Difference between "Should" and "Should have"

texts:
I have a question regarding use of "should have" and "should". Can you please tell me which one is correct in the following context?

Ram slapped a man who was molesting a woman. He did what he should have done.
Ram slapped a man who was molesting a woman. He did what he should do.

I think both are correct.Can anyone who knows the language well please explain this?


texts: Is "They always hurt her" present or past?

texts:
could someone in that sentence " they always hurt her "...how to know that it's past or present...?
if we assumed that the sentence is in present can be rewritten in passive voice such as   " She always gets hurt = she is always hurt "..and does both sentences write..?
if " they always hurt her " is in past ...so how to rewrite in passive voice..?


texts:
It seems that in some places "TV spot" and "commercial" are used interchangeably as a television advertisement.

Are they both equally used? I think that  "TV spot", could be understood as a short news broadcasting, so there is some room for confusion. And this site "Tv spots and commercials", so I'm not sure if it's a redundancy or there is some technical difference.


texts:
We can bring up the topic of anything using 'when It comes to 'sentence pattern. So here's a sentence.
When it comes to where I study,
But, the problem I'm facing is that I have no idea what exactly I should talk about where I study. I think the following are possible, but I don't know if they are:

the place that I prefer to study at; at a coffee shop or at home.

How silent it is to focus on.

How close it is from my home.

So I'd like to know how I can choose the topic so that the whole story makes sense.


texts:
Read the given sentence:

  He had been to China.

Now, read the following

  He has been to China.

Can you tell me the difference between the two sentences?


texts: Should I use all past tense in this case?

texts:
If talking about the ex experience , the verb and be-verb of the context should always be past tense ?
For ex.  If I  am talking about my ex experience of meeting an exchange student with my friend . In my conversation : I met an exchange student when I was in university and we became friends . (1)She "was "  Japanese . (2)She really "liked" Snoopy , so before she came back to Japan , I bought a Snoopy doll as gift to her.
 I used ".    "  because I was not I should use past tense or present tense there .
What confuse me is if I use "was" in sentence (1) , dose it mean she is not Japanese now ?  And for sentence (2), if I use "liked " , does it mean I thought she may not like Snoopy now ?(But I am quite sure she still like Snoopy now)


texts: concerns about something raised vs concerns raised about something

texts:
If you do decide to take an EPA/DHA supplement, I suggest choosing a
vegan version, rather than fish oil. They are free of the concerns
about impurities and odor raised by many fish oil brands.

Since I know for a fact that the concerns are not "raised by many fish oil brands", shouldn't 'raised' come right after 'concerns'?:

They are free of the concerns raised about impurities and odor by
many fish oil brands.

I googled "concerns raised about", and it's been used and seems correct. So is the original sentence correct?


texts:
Can we use however and although in one and the same sentence?

For example

  However, although there is small room for improvement.


texts: A particular usage of "would" in the context: they did return my car, why would they do it?

texts:
The following dialog is taken from the movie Sin.City.A.Dame.to.Kill.For.2014:

  Josh Brolin's first-person narration: I've taken a beating before but
  never like this. Never like this. The sounds go wet. Maybe he keeps
  hitting me. I don't know... ...I'm gone. Gone to that place where
  there's no pain or thought.

  Josh Brolin's first-person narration: I wake up in mid air. The
  pavement rushes up to give me a big sloppy kiss. I'll be damned. Door
  to door service. Then I spot my Mustang, which makes no sense. Why
  would they return my car?

  Josh Brolin: Get out of here.

  Eva Green: No.

  Josh Brolin: Put your clothes back on and get out of here, now!

  Eva Green: No. You had your chance. You could've stayed away but you
  came for me. You still want me, and I'm yours, now!

I find that would confusing as well. Since they did really return his car, why use would there?

I think it should be: Why did they return my car?

Would makes return my car hypothetical or imaginary, I suppose. So what is the particular usage of would here?

Meanwhile, since the car return occurred before Brolin woke up, why not say "Why would they have returned my car" instead?

After I considered JGL's answer, I think the original line could be paraphrased in a similar way:  they returned his car and now Brolin is wondering why they would have done such a thing.

So why would have done is used here instead of would do?


texts: What do you call the act of changing camera?

texts: In films, you sometimes have the camera focusing on someone's face and then switching to a camera filming something else from a different angle. What do you call the act of switching camera in a film?


texts: What is the negative form of 'eco-friendly'?

texts:
The methodology to treat the infection of XXX mostly use chemical pesticides, which is less effective and not eco-friendly, as well as it produces a residue.

Is "not eco-friendly" a negative form?


texts:
I want to write a short instruction for a sentence-making exercise.

The student gets a list of words and he or she has to come up with a sentence for each single word. Personally, I think "for" is the best preposition. However, if I am not mistaken, I have heard a native speaker using "on" in situations like this. She said, "I asked her to make a sentence on XYZ".

Which one is the most suitable?

Make a sentence on every single word provided below.
Make a sentence for every single word provided below.


texts:
Why in the examples down below were used verbs in present perfect, although it's stories about  finished events. I mark these verbs with Caps letters.

  "When I first discovered that I was asexual, I tried to come out to a few people, and while some were very open to it, I've had some very negative reactions. A group of team mates from my university sports team decided to arrange a night out for me... "

  "I have been met with scorn, disbelief and disgusted looks when I have shared my asexuality with other people. People have told me that 'it's not a real thing' and that 'I'm making it up for attention.' I have only now begun to think of myself as a whole human being, with no 'missing pieces'."

  "I have never discussed this with my wonderful mum, she is not blind to the fact that I live happily alone, child-free and have no interest in dating.  She has even been on the brink of tears, concerned that - and I quote - 'It might be something I did that made you... not normal.'"


texts:
"We are going to our houses?" (the house is not the same for both speakers)
I feel like there is something wrong with it. As if it's incomplete, or missing something..


texts:
Could anyone please tell me the difference between one and the one?
1- He is one who committed many crimes.
2- He is the one who committed many crimes.
3- He is one who killed two people.
4- He is the one who killed two people.


texts:
What does "would" mean here?
In the context you provided, I would say X.
I would say X in this situation.


texts: Purpose of using it is okay..is it being polite?

texts:
What's the difference between

  You can have a drink now.

and

  It is okay to have a drink now.


texts: Does 'we know not what' sound incomplete?

texts:
At the 1 hr 10 mins 0 secs instant, Justice Stephen G Breyer says: (I ask a disparate question here)

  I obviously have not convinced you. [laughter] I’m just trying to acquaint you with the arguments on the two sides. I forgot one which is important, psychologically. It’s not a logical argument, but it is a support in psychologically [Did I mistranscribe here?]. Every one of us, while you are there, I am there, not one of us thinks that we are doing at any minute, what 99% of the people think we are doing, which is doing what we want. I think almost all the time, I am not. We are trustees, that’s what we think of. We are trustees of an institution, and that institution has served America, well in the past, OK we hope in the present, and who knows about the future. So some of us may think, if we were to vote for something with the implications of change we know not what, be careful. That is called being very conservative about working major changes on this institution. That’s not a logical argument. It is a psychological argument, but I would not understate its importance.

Would someone please decompose or enlarge on we know not what? Is a preposition is missing? I guess that it equals the following, but what are the steps or thought processes in transforming/rewriting

  ...with the implications of change and we don't know what these are...

to effect/induce the original bolded construct?


texts:
"Measuring blood pressure and also heartbeat is/are important for everyone"  "is" or "are" ? Why?

I think "is" is correct but I'm not sure.

Is the word "also" important here? Does it add another subject to the sentence?


texts:
So I've been learning English for three years now and I really love the language. But the further you get into the language, the more complex it gets and I often find myself confused by all those tenses. In my english book there was a sentence "It rained every day of our holiday" and I was wondering if you could also say "It was raining every day of our holiday."
If not, could you please tell me why?
Thanks a lot!


texts:
Should the "ask" be in an "ing" form? Consider the following conversation,

A: I think I can ask a question on Stack Exchange.
B: What do you mean by ask a question?

Should I convert the verb into a gerund? It seems that the verb differs from the gerund, and if B does the conversion, it doesn't quote A exactly. Something changes.


texts: Where do commas go in "My sunshine she has spared my soul" and "She my sunshine has spared my soul"?

texts:
Where should I put commas in these sentences?

My sunshine (1) she (2) has spared my soul.
She (1) my sunshine (2) has spared my soul.

A) Only at (1), B) at both (1) and (2), or C) at neither?


texts: Hi I'm trying understand these phrases if I use do for ask... e.g.: Do you have a car? Or Have you a car? Another example: Do you've seen Pedro? Or Have you seen Pedro?


texts:
(1) She says the U.N.  does not have  enough food for all  of the
  refugees, so  it  helps  those  most at risk.

  (2) Last year, U.N. agencies  worked to establish who were the most
  at risk among all registered Syrian refugees.

How should I understand "most " in (1)sentence and "the most" in (2)sentence?  Are they the same? Do they both modify the words at risk in the same way?


texts: Should I use an article for the part "aesthetics of mind and body" in this sentence?

texts:
Should I use an article in the part "aesthetics of mind and body" in this sentence? If yes, then what article should I use?

  I am into meditations, philosophy, psychology, aesthetics of mind and body.

I am into aesthetics of my mind and body so it's specific and I should use an article "The" but in the sentence above it's not clear if I am talking about my or all minds and bodies so should I use an article "A"?


texts: verb plus ing in the begining of a sentence

texts:
I've been reading some books and confusing about how to use "verb plus "ing" in the beginning of a sentence".

Here are some examples:

  A large crowd was still huddled around Bird, blocking him from site.
  He's going to be okay, Mrs.Banks interrupted, seeing the frightened looks on her son's faces.
  You don't look so great, Greg blurted out, stepping up cautiously to the bed.
  Shari and Greg, "running" side by side at full speed, reached him together

In the fourth example, reach is also a verb, why couldn't it be a verb+ing form ?
If there's any rules to learn how to identify the difference?


texts:
I know that meaning of bon appetit is enjoy your meal, but I want to know when shall I use it?

Like if I am eating and someone else joins me, can I say that?

What if I am leaving the table?


texts: Does "blanket charge" have two distinct meanings?

texts:
I couldn't find definitions for "blanket charge". What I've gathered from my Google searches is that the term seems to have two distinct meanings:

  A lump sum that is charged (Google find: "...his services were not included in the $750 blanket charge.")
  An overly generalized accusation (Google find: "The blanket charge is often made by TNOJ purists and others that Dixieland jazz was
  merely the white musicians' watering down of the black players'
  TNOJ.")

Is my assumption correct?


texts: What is the construction of this sentence?

texts:
It is to an exceeding degree dependent not on how happy you were overall, but on how much delight you took in just a couple of things, how rosy and comforting your reflection will be on your school days, which way of thinking eludes our pathetic circumscription of mind as a young person. (RAMBLING MUSINGS ON THE PAST)

I don't understand the construction of this and this use of "circumscription."


texts: What does "wears his opposition to trade deals as a badge of pride" mean?

texts:
Bernie Sanders, the rival to Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic candidate, wears his opposition to trade deals as a badge of pride.

I don't know what are "wear his opposition", "trade deals" and "badge of pride".

The context is:

  The anxieties that such findings stoke have made trade a touchstone issue in America’s presidential election. Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, promises to slap prohibitive tariffs on imports from China and Mexico. Bernie Sanders, the rival to Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic candidate, wears his opposition to trade deals as a badge of pride.

  Source: The case for free trade is overwhelming. But the losers need more help | The Economist


texts:
How do I use the phrase "in terms of"?

Can there be a clause after "of"?

For example, can I say "This is a great show worth watching in terms of how hard the actors have been working to prepare for it"?


texts: "Quote Shakespeare" or "Quote from Shakespeare"?

texts: If I quote a line from one of Shakespeare's works, will I be quoting Shakespeare or quoting from Shakespeare? Are "quoting someone" and "quoting from someone" interchangeable?


texts: Where to use too much and very much in a sentence?

texts:
Which one of the following is correct?

The house is very good but too much small to accommodate the full family.
The house is very good but too small to accommodate  the full family.
The house is very good but very much small to accommodate the full family.

Please note: Here small is an adjective , which is describing the house or small can be considered noun here.


texts:
Vietnamese culture has existed for ages.

Is the use of "for ages" correct in this sentence? In OALD, "ages" is an informal word. If so, I think the phrase "for ages" should not be used in this sentence. Please explain it to me.


texts:
how to pronounce "Daniel Dunglas Home" correctly in american english?

from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Dunglas_Home


texts: comma usage following two alternative prepositions

texts:
Could someone please tell me which of the two phrases is more correct (and why)?:

  They fly at speed in, or even above, the clouds.
  They fly at speed in, or even above the clouds.


texts: What's the difference between "When I did see ..." and "When I saw ..."?

texts:
source

  "He wouldn’t come out of the house that much. When I did see him drive
  by, I’d wave and he wouldn’t wave back," said Gareth Crites.

I can't sense the difference.


texts: Is there a verb that means you "belong to a political ideology"?

texts:
I think you can use the verb is, as in "she is far-left", but is there a verb that's more specific, because whenever I use the verb "is" I might not get understood by everyone especially if the person I talk to is not a native English speaker.

For example:

  She ___ the far-left.


texts: What this construction is called, "have time", "go to university"

texts:
Consider the following constructions. take lessons, give lessens, take a nap, take a shower, go to sleep, go to school, have time, spend time, play football, suffer damage, do homework, do a mistake, make a mistake, make a decision, say prayers, ...

What such constructions are called? (compound
verb? phrasal verb? idioms?....)
What is the role of the noun (school, time, damage) in these constructions? are they all adverbs or part of an adverbial phrase?
Why the noun in these construction doesn't take any article? Does it make them generic? if they are even countable?
How can I distinguish them? Why I can say go to school but not go to jungle?

For some of them like (go to sleep, take lessens, have time, take a nap) the verb (do, take, have) without the noun has less meaning in the context.


texts: What's the difference between "have to", "must", "shall", "should"?

texts:
Where is the difference between below sentences and which one of them is the correct usage to express "strong internal necessity or Inner passion" and in which tense (time) should I use each of them?

For example, which one of the below sentences is true:

  I have to say to you, you are a very good person.

  I shall say to you, you are a very good person.

  I should say to you, you are a very good person.

  I must say to you, you are a very good person.


texts: Is "contains himself" exactly the right phrase here?

texts:
(James is about to leave a bar with a girl he knows Mark likes.)

James grins at Mark, who's pissed but contains himself.

Is "contains himself" exactly the right phrase here to mean that Mark controls himself from exploding even though he really wants to?


texts: What does "two large, disheveled shapes" refer to in this context?

texts:
Harry felt as though he had barely lain down to steep in Ron's room when he was being shaken awake by Mrs. Weasley.

  “Time to go, Harry, dear,” she whispered, moving away to wake Ron.

  Harry felt around for his glasses, put them on, and sat up. It was
  still dark outside. Ron muttered indistinctly as his mother roused
  him. At the foot of Harry's mattress he saw two large, disheveled
  shapes emerging from tangles of blankets.

  “'S time already?” said Fred groggily.

  They dressed in silence, too sleepy to talk, then, yawning and
  stretching, the four of them headed downstairs into the kitchen.

I don't know what "two large, disheveled shapes" refer to. Are they persons, Fred and Ron maybe? It's really miserable.


texts: What's the correct (British) pronunciation of 'the'?

texts:
I've been an English student since school, however, I always feel like I'm mispronouncing the word "the".
Oxford online dictionary defines the pronunciation of 'the' as: /ðə/, /ðiː/, /ðɪ/.
So, are the three correct in every situation?, if not, when should I use each of them?


texts:
Let's bring a sentence here, "You do not know that I love you", and I want to remove a word, "that". When describing this, which is correct to say "that is a word to be removed" or "that is a word to remove"?

"something to remove" vs "something to be removed"


texts: What is the meaning of "tight" as in "This website is tight"?

texts:
I saw the sentence in a fraternity guestbook on the internet, but can't find what "tight" means. Specifically, when it describes a website or web page.
I looked in my dictionary, and found tight means rigid, hardly fixed, etc.
But I think none of those are suitable for the sentence.
Could someone tell me the meaning, please?


texts: Past tense (past subjunctive) used after "as if" to indicate a non-habitual action in the past

texts:
Question:

Can the past tense used after as if indicate an individual (non-habitual), or in other words, isolated action that is unreal, or might be true?

Let me explain the question:
I have seen the past tense used after as if often conveys a habitual action or a condition or a state that is unreal or that might be true.
For example, knowing something is a state,

(1) She laughed at the question as if she knew how to solve it.

And when describing an individual (non-habitual) action in the past which is hypothetical or might be true, I feel like using past perfect is more natural.
For example, solving something is an action happening only at a particular timing, so I use past perfect in the below sentence (could simple past be used in this case?).

(2) She laughed at the question as if she had solved it.

And I feel weird about the sentence below and I don't know why:

(3) She laughed at the question as if she solved it.


texts: Asking the position of a person in a sequence

texts: How to ask the position(?) of a president (like 10th) of a country, correctly?


texts: Report what someone said about his habitual affairs

texts:
Let's say you read a story and see this sentence:

  ; and finally he went off on a tangent about how he worked as a carpenter's apprentice for little remuneration and about how he gets itchy cheeks after a horse nuzzles his face.

I don't like that those verbs are in the present, while the whole situation is in the past (went off). A native speaker said that the sentence is fine. But I can't believe that I can say:

  A day before his death he said that he never tips waiters.

(Here I used death to make sure the subject does not exist at the moment of utterance.)

Am I right that the present tense here is illegitimate? If yes, what tense should I use?


texts: makes disaster likely or makes a disaster likely?

texts:
A quote from The Economist:

  But the central government has the fiscal strength both to absorb
  losses and to stimulate the economy if necessary. That is a luxury few
  emerging economies have ever had. It makes disaster much less likely.

Can we write instead "It makes A disaster much less likely", since disaster may be both a count and a noncount noun? If not, why?


texts: What's the difference between "have been" and "would have been"?

texts: Is there any difference between have been and would have been? Please also provide sample sentences if possible.


texts: I have worked in/at/within (the) x industry for a while

texts:
I would like to ask which preposition should be used with the word industry in an example as follows.

  I have worked at/ in / within  the tourism industry for a while.

Is the necessary or does it add extra meaning to the sentence?


texts:
Imagine two 12-13 years old brothers. One of them will have an exam the next day and the other one has lots of free time and feels bored. This is why he goes to his brother and starts to talk to him. Their mother notices that the free brother is bothering his brother and decides to ask her free son not to distract his brother. She tends to say: "Don't bother him to this great extent."
I was wondering if someone could tell me which one of the following choices fits better in my self-made sentence below:

  Don't talk to him ..... much Jim. He has an important exam tomorrow.
  so
  this

For me, they both mean the same here.


texts:
What I am trying to say: "It is important to design efficient selection algorithms and more generally efficient resource allocation algorithms". Note that the resource allocation algorithm include the selection algorithms.

Is the following sentence correct to express the above idea:

  It is important to design efficient selection algorithms and more generally resource allocation algorithms.

In other words, should I add another 'efficient' after 'and more generally'?


texts: What is the meaning of "rather one" in the sentences?

texts:
What is the meaning of "rather one" in the following sentences, (Source: Are coronavirus tests flawed? By James Gallagher )

  There has also been some discussion about whether doctors testing the
  back of the throat are looking in the wrong place. This is a deep lung
  infection rather one in the nose and throat.

Does "This is a deep lung infection rather one in the nose and throat" mean "This is a deep lung infection rather than infection in the nose and throat" ?


texts:
"Would you please clear the table."

or

"Could you please clear the table."

From above which is correct


texts: What type of comma is this (comma before "but")?

texts:
According to this university's website, there are four types of commas: listing, joining, gapping, and bracketing comma.

In the section dedicated to bracketing commas, there's this bit:

  The problem is that the interruption in this sentence is only the
  sequence finding them; the word and is not part of the interruption,
  but an essential part of the sentence.

"... an essential part of the sentence" isn't a complete sentence (so it can't be a joining comma). Nor it's a weak interruption; if you leave the part after but, half of the meaning is gone (so it can't be a bracketing comma).

Therefore, I was expecting to see this:

  ... the word and is not part of the interruption but an essential part
  of the sentence.

What kind of comma is this? Maybe the author made a mistake based on his own comma rules?


texts: What is the difference in this case between present progressive and present perfect continuous

texts:
For the following questions you can answer using

"I have studied for 2 hours.

"I studied for 2 hours."

"I am studying for 2 hours."

First Question: What can she say at 4pm?

"I am studying for 2 hours." or "I have been studying for 2 hours"

Because she is describing the PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE she can use the PRESENT TENSE. Here the CONTINUOUS ASPECT because it is TEMPORARY, ACTIVITY focused. See Chapter 1 for more details. Would it be possible to use present perfect continuous

//www.englishadam.com/learn.php?content=56&_2_The_Past_Simple_and_Present_Perfect_Simple


texts: According to dictionaries, "to date" seems to be "to this day".  So, could "to date" be really used in place of "to this day" in all contexts?  Or are they subtly different?


texts: I don't remember me having a problem at home. what does this imply?

texts:
Here's the sentence that I get mixed up.

Q: Tell me about a problem you had at home.
A: I don't remember me having a problem at home.

I'd like to know what it implies.

a. I had a problem at home, but I don't remember in detail.
b. I'm not sure if I had a problem at home. I'm pretty sure that I didn't have a problem at home.
c. I haven't had a problem at home ever


texts: What is the difference between "get my hair cut" or "have my hair cut"

texts:
I have my hair cut.
  I get my hair cut.

What is the difference between the two sentences in meaning?


texts: How to ask someone to observe a hierarchy in managing levels of an organization

texts:
Please imagine an organization in which the hierarchy is not observed. E.g. an area manager (a low manager) contacts to the chairman of the whole system instead of his / her upper / direct manager like a CEO. The Chairman wants to ask him / her to observe the organizational hierarchy ever after and instead of contacting the chairman, contact with his / her higher manager. What shall the chairman say in natural English?

  Please observe the organizational hierarchy.
  Please observe the organization's hierarchy.

I was wondering appreciate it if someone could let me know which one of the above-mentioned self-made sentences works here properly. If no one works then please let me know what shall the chairman say here?


texts: What is the role of "all" in phrases such as "All gone!"

texts:
This evening one of my cats, during crazy time, bashed her way at a gallop into the kitchen, her tail an absolute bottle brush. "Oh, Bársony!" I said, "what's the matter? Your tail is all big!"
Then I started to wonder: What did I just say?
The phrase of encouragement and approval when a child has cleaned her plate -- "Irene, good for you! Your egg is all gone!"
The phrase of exhaustion, completion -- I'm all in.  It's all over, it's all done.
And then, Bársony's tail.
If someone can point me toward a discussion of "all", standing alone rather than with "of", as an intensifier (or of why it ISN'T an intensifier), I shall be grateful.


texts:
I'm making up a children's vocabulary handout in the form of a quiz. The children work in pairs, A and B, they must ask each other questions and the guess the right answer. The definitions have to be brief and easy for Italian 7 to 9 year-olds to understand and say. One of the questions is the following

  It's a hand action you do / make / give when you say “hello” or “goodbye”

The answer (which can also be mimed) could be "shake" but it doesn't match the answer in the handout, and in the hints section, the clue reads: "It begins with the letter ‘W’"

Should I write "it's a hand action you make" or "It's a hand action you do"? We can also give a wave to someone, so should I  use that verb instead?

Which of the three verbs in bold fits the best and sounds the most natural?


texts:
I came across this piece of text and I for the life of me can't understand why "twelve" is written tpelf. I have encircled other numbers that are strange.
My friend who lives in New York sent me this and told me that "twelve" was pronounced with a P sound and it has now diverged from how it actually was. He said that "twelve" was tpelf but people changed it to twelve like we have changed "going to" to "gonna" and "want to" to "wanna".

Source: The History of English Spelling By Christopher Upward, George Davidson
I have underlined other strange words too. When I search "tpelf" on Google, it says "Linkou Hotel - New Taipei City | Four Points by Sheraton Linkou" and other places and I don't know what to do. How did it come about? Can anyone help me?


texts:
I am interested to know which is the right way to say:

  wait me?

Or

  wait for me?

I was debating over this with my girlfriend, and she claims that we can also say "wait me". Is she right?


texts: Can you hear the difference between "immeasurable" and "measurable"?

texts:
sound track

There are several "man is immeasurable" and "man is measurable" in this sound track. But I can only hear out "man is measurable".

I want to know it is an ear problem or it is a listening problem.


texts: Meaning of "would be" in "announced that he would be leaving Google"

texts:
On August 3, 2012, Bloch announced that he would be leaving Google.

(Source)

What I can understand:

  I will leave Google.

  I would leave Google.

What's the meaning of:

  would + be + verb-ing


texts:
That may seem deliberately and needlessly lavish. Yet even boosting vaccine funding tenfold to $100bn or more, in line with the most ambitious proposals, pales in comparison with the $7trn which governments across the world have spent or pledged since the pandemic began in order to preserve incomes and jobs. The real extravagance would be to wait until a successful vaccine candidate emerges before rushing to boost production. In terms of the economic output that is saved, to say nothing of lives, it would make sense for the world to spend as much as $200bn on bringing forward an effective covid-19 vaccine by just one week.

What's the subject of this sentence? Does it miss a "it" before pales?
"Yet even boosting vaccine funding tenfold to $100bn or more, it pales in comparison with the $7trn"


texts: "It was recommended that" + verb in present tense

texts:
It was recommended that the international development partners develop guidelines or a roadmap to help countries take the necessary steps to select the right tool for their purposes.

Why is it using present tense "develop" in the sentence which is actually a past tense "It was recommended"?


texts: Are these sentences grammatically accurate?

texts:
Half the people who are interested in me, are people I'm not interested in.

Would it be grammatically correct if the above sentence was shortened to:

  Half the people who're interested in me, I'm not interested in.

Is this sentence grammatically correct:

  The guy who loves me, I don't love back.


texts:
Which preposition do you use with "arrive" when you want to say that an item (e. g. parcel) arrives at a  persons doorstep?
I don't want to use "at their doorstep" but to the person themselves, so an item arriving with/at/to a person.
If it arrives with person A? "Arrives at a person A" sounds odd to me.


texts: Use of "to can" meaning be capable of doing something

texts:
Can the verb “to can” be used when saying that someone is capable of doing something bad or reprehensible like in the sentences below:

  I know we are talking about kidnapping and murder, but you must agree
  that these are things a man like him can do.

  When it comes to conquering power everybody knows the things politicians
  can do.

Also, these sentences being correct, should the word "that" be used before the subject (...things that a man like him can do / ...things that politicians can do) or is it not necessary?


texts: Difference between "the main (something)" and "a main (something)"

texts:
Normally, the adjective "main" is used to mean "the most important", but can I also use it to mean "one of the most important" if preceded by an indefinite article?

For example:

  That area was a main marketplace in Rome. (one of the most important)


texts:
What is difference between prepositions in and on ?

  Cornwall is in the south-east of England.

  The Partridge Tree English School is near Norwich on the east coast of England.

Thanks for help.


texts:
I'm wondering if the boldfaced preposition in the following sentence is properly used.

In November 2020, Virgin Hyperloop held the first passenger trials on its high speed vacuum tube transport pods. The transportation system uses magnetic levitation, or maglev, train technology.

Compare:

Virgin Hyperloop says it made transportation history on Sunday when it tested human travel in a lightning-quick hyperloop pod for the first time.

Are both sentences correct in terms of preposition use? If so, why is "on" used in one but "in" in the other?


texts: What does "this rather old photo up" mean?

texts:
I had participated in the lecture hosted by Tim Brown at TEDGlobal 2009.

The title is "Designers- think big!".

He said something like

  "I'd like to talk a little bit morning about what happens if we move from design to design thinking. Now this rather old photo up there is actually the first project I was ever hired to do, something like 25 years ago....".

I am not sure what "Now this rather old photo up" means.


texts:
All I can say is give them rest.
  All I can say is to give them rest.
  Give to me.
  Give me.
  We just asked him to join our dance trope.
  We just asked him  join our dance trope.

Should I use "to", or not?


texts: In the natural way of speaking, How to pronounce "next stop"?

texts: If I were reading this phrase I would read "next" "stop", but when people talks it seems to me they say something like "nextop". Is this a sort of shortening like "acopotee" instead of "a cup of tea"?


texts: Usage of " or " within compound sentences

texts:
I am confused with the usage of " or " . Here is two sentences that confused me;

i)  He obviously doesn't have a plan, or he would have  said something.
ii)  He obviously doesn't have a plan, or would have  said something.

I have taught that the second sentence is more advisable than the first sentence, yet grammar book which I studying from doesn't say so. Isn't the second "he" unnecessary? I don't know whether in English there is a  incoherency due to using objects which are unnecessary.


texts: Why can "where" be used after a non-location word in "a new job where he can get more free time”?

texts:
In a multiple-choice question:

It's said that he's looking for a new job, one____ he can get more free time.

I think the best answer would be "from which," which is not an option. The answer given is "where," which I don't think makes much sense.
If it were "where," the sentence could be rewritten as "a new job where he can get more free time." I don't understand why "a job" could be the antecedent of "where," since the antecedent should be a location or "case," in other words, where being a location-relative pronoun.

PS:
This question is all about why "where" can be used after an antecedent that's not a place.
(If there is anything that's not written as clear as it should be, please let me know)


texts: What is the meaning of "adopter" in the phrase "adopter questions and suggestions"?

texts:
This database systems book has been successful through eight editions because the authors, editors, and the publisher paid attention to the impact of technology and to adopter questions and suggestions. We believe that this ninth edition successfully reflects the same attention to such stimuli. Furthermore this ninth edition marks the addition of a new
  co-author, Steven Morris. Steven brings his wealth of knowledge, teaching experience, and expertise to this work.

I don't understand how the word adopter is used in this passage.


texts:
I saw this example on Cambridge Dictionary

  The company has been listed on the stock exchange for 35 years.

My question is that:

is the verb "list" a stative verb?

If it was, then it could not be used with progressive tenses.

Dictionaries say nothing about whether it is a stative verb or not.

Can we say "The company has been being listed on the NASDAQ for years"?


texts: What do you call the two different styles of television?

texts:
I can remember that in the 1990's, people used to watch a thick television that looked like a big box, that you changed the channels by hand. Now we watch a very thin television, and conserve much more electricity.
My question:  What are these two different types of televisions called?


texts:
By this point in their careers, most students have already seen a ...

here, what does mean "By this point"? does it mean "so far"?

thank you.


texts: "Have visited here once before" vs "visited here once before"

texts:
Suppose I have visited France for the second time. Someone welcomes me saying "Hi, welcome to my country. Have you been here before?" Can I reply "thank you. No, this is not the first time I have visited here. I have visited/visited here once before this visit."

I think both have visited and visited work here. Am I right?


texts: Is there a way to avoid saying 'that that'?

texts:
I know that in many cases, a double 'that' is grammatically acceptable, but I still feel it is distracting for readers to see a 'that that' pop up in the middle of a text.

Is it acceptable to simply remove the second 'that'?

Can I say

  The fact that was the only evidence available was shocking.

instead of

  The fact that that was the only evidence available was shocking.

If not, how else can I avoid the double 'that'?


texts: What makes a group of people able OR enable to form a community

texts:
What makes a group of people able to form a community is not physical factors such as living in proximity but rather communication.
What makes a group of people enable to form a community is not physical factors such as living in proximity but rather communication.

Which one of the two sounds more natural, able or enable?  Could you help me clarify it?  Thank you so much always.


texts:
I'm studying English at BUSUU and there's a sentence below that's confusing me.

You are starting your journey to improve your English in our B1 Intermediate course!

What does "You are starting" mean? I think the word "start" is an instantaneous action, it can't be in the middle of an action, so what does "you are starting" mean here, and has the action started or is it about to start?


texts: Are 'when' and 'by the time' interchangeable?

texts:
I'd like to know whether 'when' and 'by the time' are interchangeable or not.

  When your plane takes off, I will be back at home.
  By the time your plane takes off, I will be back at home.


texts:
At the French baccalaureate, there was this sentence (and the candidates had to say whether it was true or false according to the corpus):

  Mr Fonseka’s goal is likely to have a prestigious career.

Is this sentence correct? What is disturbing for me is that I often see the word "likely" used like this:

  It's likely that he will be coming tonight

where "likely" is used to express a probability.

But in the context of the sentence of the baccalaureate, I don't understand what it means because for me it looks like it's the goal that is likely to...

Personally, I would have better understood:

  Mr Fonseka's goal is to have a prestigious career.

or (even if the meaning isn't the same)

  Mr Fonseka is likely to have a prestigious career.

If this sentence is correct, is it the best way to express this? Or does it sounds a little bit weird?


texts:
I don't understand the function and meaning of the "at" in the following examples. Is the "at" necessary in these phrases? Could it be omitted?

  At over 17 minutes in length, it is a tour de force that requires multiple listens to truly appreciate its majesty. (Is it possible to just say  "over 17 minutes in length")

  At 5 minutes in length, the complete "Murder to Excellence" is the longest track on the album. (Is it possible to just say  "5 minutes in length")


texts: The usage of the word makeshift: "a makeshift volcano as a school science project"

texts:
I came across this following sentence here but I could not understand what she means by makeshift science project.

  Wilmot, now 19, said that in April 2013 she brought a science project
   to school in Bartow, Florida -- a makeshift volcano that she was very
   excited to show her teacher.

Volcano is what she did for the science project.

Does she imply her project was not well prepared so it did not look like a real volcano already or is this a standard usage for different meaning than being temporary?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/florida-girl-arrested-similar-circumstances-ahmed-mohamed-advice/story?id=33838741


texts: The definite article before names of professions without earlier reference

texts:
Is it correct to use "the" before the name of professions or occupations, even so I mention it for the first time? For example, I explain gymnastics rules for my friends and say:

  To get the highest score the gymnast have to perform his routine cleanly.

I don't mean any particular gymnast there. By "the gymnast" I mean that I was talking about all gymnast. So tell me please If my thinking is correct.


texts:
I wanted to say "Please take a look at the ones with check marks beside them". But I was kind of confused whether it is more correct to say "Please take a look at the ones with a check mark beside them".

Also, would "I've attached the copies of the photos" be more correct than "I've attached a copy of the photos"?

EDIT:
Sorry for recycling old questions, but I didn't want to start a new topic...

Can I say "Please find attached the copies of A, B, and C" although A, B, and C are very different? I'm not sure if I can group different things together (I think someone said it is okay to say "this here is your chair and desk" because a chair is very different from a desk, while you have to say "these are your coworkers," since you can't have more than one type of coworker).


texts: Do you say "I got/had/took a vaccine for the flu"?

texts: I thought all of them were correct, but I was told "had a vaccine" is the idiomatic usage. Why is that? Is there a particular reason for this?


texts:
What is the difference between be to do and have to do?

I googled it and searched for other options as well though I couldn't figure out the differences.

Examples:

  I am to do these things.
  I have to do these things.


texts: What does "which" refer to in the below sentence?

texts:
This is a feature of a computer which is new in the market.

Does the above mean that the feature is new in the market or that the computer is new in the market or both the feature and the computer are new in the market. Or are they ambiguous?
And how do sentences structured like this behave?


texts:
I'm a bit fuzzy as to whether I should put to in the following sentence or not.

  Why not (to) try natural remedies first?


texts:
Explosions shook the ground, artillery shells, mortars and bombs
  continuously rained down, fires blazed, and smoke bellowed high into
  the sky.

Doesn't bellowing mean "make a loud sound"? If that's the case, then why are we using it as if it meant "moving high into the sky"? It doesn't make sense. What kind of figure of speech is being used here? Or how do you explain such usage?


texts:
I want to ask her if she works in / at the same company as she used to work earlier.
Which is correct? Any other improvements.

Do you still work in / at the same company as earlier?


texts: How to understand the figurative meaning of whiplash?

texts:
I understand the literal and physical meaning of whiplash. But I'm a little of confused of its figurative meaning. Does it come from the movement of a whiplash, or otherwise from the feeling someone got whiplashed? Does it mean something change very quick? Or very sudden? Or very Often? Or a sudden change followed by a sudden turning back together? Or hurt or shocked?
some sentences may include (all quoted from vocabulary.com):

Readers may experience whiplash, toggling between her personal journey and the outrageous vignettes starring her fellow group members.

Regardless, the weather whiplash will be a welcome change and will hopefully dampen this year’s nearly continuous fire season.

As Election Day approaches, unresolved voting lawsuits are producing headlines — and whiplash — almost daily.

I'm a new English learner. May anyone give me some examples to help me understand?


texts: How to say a movie is not for the general public?

texts:
In Czech we say it's "viewer-demanding" (divácky náročný). This can either mean it's "a movie that requires deep comprehension on the part of hte viewer" or that it's "a movie that requires being an artist or a movie critic".

How could I say something like:

  The OA is not a series for the late Sunday night. It requires you to concentrate and to be sensitive to every little allusion in the way people speak.

Is there a similar idiom in English?


texts: "Before moving to Poland I have lived in Italy for 15 years"

texts: Hey I'm writing my CV in three languages and I've been sitting in front my PC for most of the day so I'm starting to second guess myself. Is this sentence correct? Present perfect has always been a tough one.


texts: Is a structure with "past past perfect" possible?

texts:
In the following example

  If I hadn't have been too nice, I would still have my wallet.

is past past perfect a possible structure? If so, shouldn't it be "hadn't had been"?


texts:
In this example:

"Being students, they didn't have much money and they worked as waiters at weekends"

We can use in this example only "didn't have" because in this case it means "Possession", right? Also we can use "worked" or "were working" and it means same things,Am I right?


texts: Explaining the process where "x*(a-b) < ac-bc" becomes "x < c" by dividing both sides by (a-b)

texts:
I would like to explain the process that an expression "x*(a-b) < ac-bc" becomes an expression "x < c".
I think one of the following would be correct according to my googling and my dictionary.
Which one is correct?

"x < c" is obtained by dividing (a-b) on the both sides of "x*(a-b) < ac-bc".

"x < c" is obtained by dividing the both sides of "x*(a-b) < ac-bc" by (a-b).

Thank you.


texts: Another word for "gain" when talking about subscribers

texts:
Difficult to explain and I'm not sure such concept does exist but here's the question - suppose we're talking about a facebook page and we want to artificcially increase the number of subscribers by any mean possible (including black hat tactics). What kind of word should we use instead of just 'gain'?
To be more clear - in Russian language such word has a meaning which is opposite to "rewinding" odometer of your car - it would have been used to decribe when someone would rather add some milage to his car with certain tools.
Or can we just say "subscriber fraud" or something?


texts:
we know that "you may know that..." is used in the present or "you may have known that..." is used in the past?

But when you say "you may know that..." to a listener, then it could be that that listener may already have known that in the past.

For example,

  A: You may know that your mom will never do that

  B: Right (but there is a high chance that B may have known that a few days ago.

So when to use "you may know that..." and when to use "you may have known that..."?


texts:
When finishing the formal or informal letter is it necessary to use a comma after the closing? For example:

Yours sincerely,

X. Y.

I have found both alternatives and I would like to know if there is a rule regarding this matter.


texts: The difference between ‘It was at one o’clock’ and ‘It was one o’clock’?

texts:
The difference between:

  It was at one o’clock

and

  It was one o’clock’

I saw these two sentence in one book.


texts: What does the phrase 'no doubt a lot' mean?

texts:
'no doubt a lot'

I never understand this phrase. Does it mean that people don't doubt? or that people doubt it much.


texts: Which word best describes the state just before a person is about to sleep?

texts: I am looking for a word that describes the state just before a person slips into sleep. I am not talking about the state when the person is inactive or sedentary, but specifically in reference to sleep. The last two minutes before you go out.


texts:
Excerpt from "The Babe and the Dragon", by P.G. Wodehouse (1902).

  ...The lady’s steady and critical inspection of his style of carving a chicken completed his downfall. His previous experience of carving had been limited to those entertainments which went by the name of “study-gorges,” where, if you wanted to help a chicken, you took hold of one leg, invited an accomplice to attach himself to the other, and pulled.

I looked up "gorges" and found different meanings. There's one connected with eating (eating much), but I am at a loss how to combine it with "study" (perhaps, "preparations"?)...


texts: What is the difference between "solicitor" and lawyer?

texts:
I've tried to understand the difference between solicitor and lawyer based on Cambridge dictionary, but it is not clear to me. What is the difference between them?

In the mentioned dictionary it's written:

  Solicitor:  a type of lawyer in Britain and Australia who is trained to prepare
  cases and give advice on legal subjects and can represent people in
  lower courts:

Based on my knowledge it is exactly what's the typical lawyer does. Isn't it?


texts: term describing the fact that the predecessors share their experience with successors

texts:
What's the term in English describing the fact that some predecessors share their experience with their successors?

For example:

  The major flaw of this company is that the experienced ones leave too
  early and don't share the results of their experiments with the new
  arrivals. A a result, the new ones have to start from scratch and do the
  same experimentation, and as soon as they come up with some results,
  they also leave without even having any interaction with the next
  ones. So that's the whole problem - there is no
  ________________________ in this company.

1) succession?

2) inheritance?

3) passing-on of knowledge?

4) inheritance of experience?

5) transfer of experience?

6) ?


texts:
Nowadays he teaches physics because the teacher of physics has been absenting himself for a month.

This is an error spotting question asked in my exam, I see two possible ways to correct it but don't know which one is correct.

Nowadays he is teaching physics because the teacher of physics has been absenting himself for a month.
Nowadays he teaches physics because the teacher of physics has been absent for a month.

Which is the correct way to go?


texts:
China’s economic growth decelerated in the fourth quarter of 2018.
  China’s economy decelerated in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Which one to choose when the meaning is that the Chinese economy grew at a slower pace?


texts: Are these two pronunciations for "depreciation" correct?

texts:
As I looking for the pronunciations off word 'depreciation', I found that for the letter 'i'(first one), there are two different pronunciation. one is /i/ like 'ee' in bee, and another one is /ɪ/ as 'i' in bit.

Specifically, on www.thefreedictionary.com, the entry for depreciation lists

  (dĭ-prē′shē-ā′shən)
  (dɪˌpriːʃɪˈeɪʃən)

it seems that both of them is right and the /i/sound  is more popular, is that right？


texts: I am not commenting for you vs I am not commenting about you

texts:
I am not commenting for you

  I am not commenting about you

Someone was talking crap on my Facebook comments when I asked him why he was doing that. He said “I am not commenting for you”

Shouldn't he have said about you?