texts: Using 'on' with any social media platform

texts:
I normally use 'on' with mentioned site whereas I would like to know the main reason behind it.
I am wondering that should I always use 'on' with related sites?
To put it more clearly,

I saw your message on [ Internet | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | and so on].
I wrote you another comment on [ Internet | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | and so on].

How about 'in'?, would 'in' be used for the same purpose?


texts:
What is the use of "wouldn't" in this sentence?

"I was trying to get to sleep, but Jimmy wouldn't stop talking"

Thanking you
Scottish


texts: What does “We mortals are but shadows and dust” mean?

texts:
This is from a dialogue in the film Gladiator (2000):

  We mortals are but shadows and dust. Shadows and dust, Maximus.Source: Gladiator (2000) movie script - Screenplays for You

Could someone please explain this sentence? Apparently, the words “dust” and “shadows” are used figuratively. Does this “but” mean “only”?


texts: Difference between the usage of "a" and "any"

texts:
In the following writing of mine, can you please tell me "a" or "any", which one would you prefer? I know both can be used in the given context but want to which one is better. Can anyone having good knowledge in the language please answer this?

1- According to grammarians, "it is I" is grammatical. "It is me" is ungrammatical because Any/A pronoun that follows a linking verb should be in its subject case.


texts: "variety" definition is really confusing

texts:
I tried to figure out what is the difference between singular "variety" and countable "varieties".  According to Cambridge there is a difference in meaning.  Even the definition is confusing:

Singular definition: many different types of things or people.
Countable definition: a different type of something.

Why they don't remove the singular definition? I view this as a simple countable noun.  I think that all these examples under each definition can be used with the other version.  For example:

She does a variety of fitness activities.
can be changed to
She does varieties of fitness activities.


texts: "Set" temperature or "setted" temperature?

texts:
I'm writing a biology report in English (while it isn't my mothertongue), and I was wondering if I should write about the "set" or "setted" temperature of the machine I used for my experiments. I saw both versions in different articles and I was wondering which formulation was the best.

Thanks in advance for the help!

EDIT:

Examples of articles I found using "setted" temperature:

Dae-Young Lim and Young-Jae Ryoo, "Development of remote monitoring system for cold-storage," 30th Annual Conference of IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, 2004. IECON 2004, pp. 2252-2254 Vol. 3.
doi: 10.1109/IECON.2004.1432149
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1432149/#full-text-section

And even if I couldn't see the full texts of these two, it seems like they used "setted temperature" as well:

http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-HGJZ201009007.htm

http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-YBJI201010000.htm


texts: Does "crashing" sound appropriate in this context?

texts:
He was walking down a corridor of glass offices when a masked man came
crashing through the glass from inside one of the offices and shoved
him through the glass wall on the other side.

Can "crashing" be used here if the masked man was running or jumping through the glass deliberately to attack the other man without falling in the process?


texts:
I have recently learned to use nor in sentences and according to me, as I personally evaluated, nor replaces not even in many situations. For example:

He does not like studying, nor does he bring good marks.

Now I believe that the above sentence can be reframed as:

He does not like studying, not even does he bring good marks.

Is my interpretation correct, or I am missing something?


texts: He believed, moreover, that children are/were innately good

texts:
He believed, moreover, that children are innately good.

I've seen this sentence in an English test book. Shouldn't we use "were" instead of "are" in this sentence?

  He believed, moreover, that children were innately good.

If "are" is correct here, that means we can also say:

He believed that I am a good person.

I would use "was" instead of "am" here. But the first sentence confuses me. If a sentence starts with past tense, shouldn't it continue with past?


texts:
What does "shouting scorn" mean in:

  86 years before Boris Yeltsin  stood on a tank in Moscow in 1991, shouting scorn for a coup attempt, Russians marched to the Winter Palace  to present petitions to the Tsar.

What I understand is something like this:

  Russians marched to the Winter Palace to give petitions to the Tsar. 86 years after that, in 1991; Boris Yeltsin shouted "I feel contempt for any attempt to change the government" while he was standing on a tank.


texts:
To me, Most of the words are easy to understand by looking up the dictionary, but some words are difficult to understand even though i search dictionary, due to the context it comes with.
Here is one example.

  Processed Meat: These products are usually from conventionally raised cows [sic], then go through various processing methods. Examples include sausages and bacon.


texts: When to use "the lunch" (with the definite article "the")?

texts:
In most sentences that use the word lunch, I found this word does rarely take the definite article the. For example:

  I have lunch in three hours.

  Shall we go out for lunch?

  Let's have some lunch.

  I'll take my lunch to school.

But now I wonder if this word really cannot take the definite article, and if it can, in what cases do I use the definite article and in what cases not?

And also, if the word lunch cannot take the definite article, why cannot it have it?


texts:
Please look at this sentence:

  A student rebellion that afternoon in Room 13 resulted in the new substitute teacher racing out of the building in tears.

My questions are:

What is a 'student rebellion'? A student who dislikes his teacher and does something against the teacher in class, or an armed person who wants to shoot others?
I know 'substitute' is a verb, can it be an adjective?
What is the meaning of 'racing out of...'?
Could you express this sentence in an easily understandable way?


texts:
Can we use couldn't to talk about present and past ?
Does the meaning change?

(A) I'm locked here and I  couldn't open the door can you help me?        (Present)

(B) yesterday I couldn't open the door so I broke it.  (Past)

Are these sentences correct??

If yes , you mean we can use couldn't to talk about both past and present disability or impossibility??

How can we understand that it is about past or present if there was no time expression??


texts:
The verb (beat), when used as an intransitive verb, comes with these three prepositions (against / on / at).

Can these prepositions be used completely alternatively?

For instance, 'Webster Dictionary' gives the following examples:

1- He beat at / against / on the door with his fists.

2- The waves were beating on / against the shore.

3- Nina managed to free herself and began beating at the
   flames with a pillow.

In 2: is it wrong to say (The waves were beating at the shore.)

In 3: is it wrong to say (Nina began beating against / on the flames with a pillow.)

Thanks in advance.


texts:
I searched the meaning of prison on Goggle, and it gave an example sentence: "He died in prison." I wonder why there's no "a" or "the" before it when it's a countable noun, right?

  Somebody broke out of (a/the/no article) prison.

Following the pattern, I think I should put no article, but I wanna know the reason.

Also, could you tell me the difference if I change the preposition "break out of/from." Why not "break out from"?


texts:
In Solutions Advanced (2nd edition), there is a tricky sentence in the Grammar Builder and Reference part of the chapter 1B:

  My sister often gets annoyed with her husband, he ___ .

Option A: is always winding the children up.

Option B: will wind the children up.

Both seem logical to me for A expresses and annoying repeated behaviour and B is about a habitual action (in accordance with the adverb often in the main clause). Either of them can be correct, right?


texts:
I am a little confused when I should be using Optimalization or optimization. Some dictionaries say Optimization is a noun of Optimalization, but I have no idea what they mean by that.

Some of the sentences I would like to use it in:

I am writing an '...' plan for this project.
I am '...' the plan for
this project.
Can we '...' the strategy before next meeting?
Can you
write a '...' strategy before next meeting?

In all of these ways I am trying to make clear we are trying to make something better, improve it, perfect it. 'Optimizing' seems to be the word most used in my business, however it sounds rather awkward to me.


texts:
I read it somewhere but forgot it. What does "One and a half" take after it? A singular noun or plural? Why?

  One and a half hour or hours?   One and a half dollar or dollars?   One and a half day or days. And so on...

Here in India, I always hear one and a half hour arguing hour is applicable to the half as in half an hour and not half an hours.


texts:
Wikipedia provides the definition of a novel as:

  A novel is a long narrative, normally in prose, which describes
  fictional characters and events, usually in the form of a sequential
  story.

and that of an autobiography as:

  An autobiography (from the Greek, αὐτός-autos self + βίος-bios life +
  γράφειν-graphein to write) is a written account of the life of a
  person written by that person.

I wonder if there is a word for books that describe, not the entire life but, a single incident from the author's life? For example, the one I recently read, Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell. Calling it a "story book" sounds extremely childish.


texts: Definite article "the" with places/buildings

texts:
Could you tell if this is correct? Why sometimes the names of schools, museums and churches have the definite article while the others have not?

  Kazimierz Wielki Primary School in Przedbórz

  John Paul II Junior High School in Przedbórz

  Folk Museum in Przedbórz

  Church of Saint Alex in Przedbórz

Should I use "the" before the names? There is no "official name" in these cases (I mean whether is with "the" or not). What would you use?
I know that with "of" phrases the article "the" is used but I also found a confusing case:
In wikipedia there is the name:

  the Johns Hopkins University

but on their website there is:

  Johns Hopkins University

Could you explain this?


texts:
I am Korean English learner:)

This is a sentence from TOEFL.

  I prefer spending time with just a few friends to hanging out with a large group since one can cultivate more profound relationships and talk about things on a more personal level.

Here in this sentence, I have interested in the usage of "prefer".

I already learned that transitive verb "prefer" has different meanings and usages.

here "prefer" used as kind of comparative function, a person prefer spending time with just a few friends "more than" hanging out with a large group.

also I looked up dictionary for sure,

prefer + object
prefer + object + pp NP
prefer + doing
prefer + to VP (rather than)

and I am curious that if I change the sentence into

  I prefer to spend time with just a few friends to hang out with a large group ~.

is a grammatical sentence.

Also if this sentence is accepted ( if this paraphrasing is accpeted,)

Is the first model sentence more acceptable than my paraphrased sentence?
if so, then why..?


texts: Is there a short form of "greater than or equal to" (≥)

texts:
From this question I know that when mixing "greater than" (>) and "equal to" (=) the correct expression to say is "greater than or equal to"(>=). However, I remember that my math teacher, when writing on the blackboard, always spoke out loudly (in German) what he was writing, e.g. when writing 5x >= 2y, he would have said "fünf x größer gleich 2 y", which is, afaik, common when speaking out this operator in German.

I can't imagine that when speaking about this mathemathical formula in English you would say "five x greater than or equal to 2 y". Is it commonly accepted to say something like "five x greater equal two y"?


texts:
Is there a sort of standard that tells us how to order words, names, and adjectives? I am not sure, but I feel like often times the best authors will put the word with the least syllables in front.

For example:

  John made a foolhardy weird move that almost got him killed.

  Romeo and Juliette is an extraordinary story.

Is there a sort of untold standard in writing or am I just imagining things?


texts: Zero article before "advice", "fish and chips", "lunch"

texts:
Please explain next example:

My neighbour is a photographer; let's ask him for (!) advice about colour films.
We had (!) fish and (!) chips for (!) lunch.  That doesn't sound a very interesting lunch.
We'd better go by (!) taxi—if we can get (a) taxi at such (an) hour as 2 a.m.

Why do we not use articles where I put an "(!)"? What rules apply in these cases?


texts:
I asked my friend how his exam went and he said
"Math bent over for me"

What does it mean? Or is it some wrong phrasing? Either way, what is he trying to say?


texts: Trying to undertand if a noun an be an adverb given the struture of a sentence

texts:
I'm trying to teach my 7 year old daughter English and am clearly failing given I'm asking a question here.

The following sentence has me a little baffled in regards to the noun, verb and adverb.

  My sister plays at home

If it were

  My sister plays outside

Then I know the noun (well, noun phrase) is My sister, the verb is plays and the adverb is outside.

In the case of My sister plays at home, it could there are 2 nouns. Both Sister and home could be nouns, but given the sentence structure, I feel only sister is the noun.

So, given the sentence My sister plays at home, I think the noun phrase is My sister, the verb is plays and the adverb is at home.

Is this correct?


texts: Merchant of Venice "I'll die for't a women had the ring" (Shakespeare, 5.1, 221)

texts: Portia has the ring but Bassanio believes that he had given the ring to a male. Portia says "I'll die for't a women had the ring"(Shakespeare, 5.1, 221), which is funny as it really is a women who has the ring. I do not think this is a pun, as the line itself is not funny, rather its the situation the line is used in. Please correct me if I am wrong.


texts:
Are walking stick, dining table, dining hall, hummingbird, banyan tree, blackboard, etc. considered to be nouns or adjective plus nouns?

In other words:

What is the head noun in the noun phrase, The banyan tree in our garden ?  Banyan tree? Or tree?

The sunset is very attractive. What is the head noun in the subject position? Sunset?, Sun? Or set?


texts: “Whose hat is this?” vs. “Whose is this hat?”

texts:
While searching the internet I came across this and thought I would share it with you in order to understand whether there is something wrong there and why.

  Whose hat is this? The question word whose is used with a noun as a determiner.
  Whose is this hat? Whose is a possessive word meaning 'of whom'.

Then, are the assertions above right? If not, why?


texts:
The only area where progress is lagging is the provision of high-efficiency irrigation systems to growers, mostly owing to technical factors such as the unavailability of clean water to prevent clogging.

What is the purpose of comma which is after "growers".


texts: Is it rude to tell someone "I need to talk to you about this paper"

texts:
Today I wrote this sentence to my supervisor who is a native speaker of English:

  I need to talk to you about this paper.

Now I am worried this could be rude. Would you say this is rude, or not?


texts:
In the context: Ms. Johnson will be tired tonight due to the fact that she is busy with her work all day long. Is there any other way to say it correctly?

For example:

  A) Ms. Johnson will be tired tonight as she will be working all day long.

or

  B) Ms. Johnson will be tired tonight as she is working all day long.

I would choose the option "B" but I'm not so sure.


texts:
I am getting confused while using an article an.
Because an is used while referring to vowels (a,e,i,o,u).

But today I read an article where for user they used a user.

My question is, why was an not used?

Could someone explain this with an example?


texts: "Drug levels in the blood" vs "drug levels in blood"

texts:
The resulting molecule has a prolonged therapeutic effect even after a single-dose administration and a lower risk of adverse effects associated with fluctuations of drug levels in blood.

and

  The resulting molecule has a prolonged therapeutic effect even after a single-dose administration and a lower risk of adverse effects associated with fluctuations of drug levels in the blood.

Do these sentences mean the same, or does the second imply that some particular blood is being mentioned?

I wrote "in the blood", but another translator said he would write "in blood". The ngram is as follows:

Would "in the blood" be understood as "in the blood of the patient who took the drug" and thus be for 99% of intents and purposes equal in meaning with option 1?


texts:
In his early matches he was not quite good.

But if I would like to say the same:

  When he was playing { gap }  he wasn't quite good.

Should I put early as an adverb in the gap?


texts: a joint defense agreement vs a defense agreement

texts:
I only found the phrase "a joint defense agreement" that seems to relate to the forcing laws but I'm a foreigner and don't get it so well.
About the other, what is "a defense agreement" though? Give me expressions as much as possible please.


texts: what does "fulfill" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I don't understand this sentence:

  In Turkmen society, the song of men and women fulfilled important but quite different functions.

I don't understand what "fulfilled important" means. Can anyone explain?


texts:
I know that if you fall victim to something or someone, you suffer as a result of them, or you are killed by them. But this rule is also not followed hard and fast, like in the sentence given below:

  You either take what you want or become a victim to someone else who
  will.

So I would like someone to clarify in which context to use  "to" and "for" with the word "victim".


texts:
I saw a sentence in an article:

  Janey saw her friend steal a bangle at the shop.

Why not stole, as it use saw?

Why her friend is singular but steal with no 's'?


texts: "Go off" vs. "go" when describing an event

texts:
I don't hear "go off" very often used in conjunction with "event" to mean "to happen." What is the difference between

  It's amazing that our party went off so well!

and

  It's amazing that our party went so well!

Is it a BrE/AmE thing?


texts: What does {dysfunctional quiver} mean in this sentence?

texts:
Consider this sentence from a film review:

  What looks at first like an [sic] conventional Brit period drama about royals is actually a witty and elegant new perspective on the abdication crisis and on the dysfunctional quiver at the heart of the Windsors and of prewar Britain.

-- https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/21/kings-speech-review-colin-firth

I can't  understand on the dysfunctional quiver at the heart of the Windsors and of prewar Britain."

Does the word quiver mean a slight shake here? And what is the meaning of dysfunctional?


texts:
Can we say that as compared to train a taxi has only one carriage?

I checked the meaning of "carriage" in Oxford and Cambridge, but I didn't find any such meaning. However, I found that it is being used in such a manner in many places.

For example, it is used in this way as mentioned on this page of Wikipedia:

    In the same year in New York City, the Samuel's Electric Carriage and Wagon Company began running 12 electric hansom cabs.

Do we have any other replacement of "carriage" here, which is more suitable in this context?


texts: Does "be done -ing" mean "not doing something"?

texts:
This video is a debate about gun control after mass shootings in Florida. (3:05)

  Ted: And I think people, republican members of congressman and republican senators, who think this is the right thing to do, ought to vow that they're not going to support their leader. They should be done voting for Paul Ryan unless he's willing to stand on the side of the victims, the families, the kids, the students from Stoneman Douglas.

  ...

  Alison: How about that, congressman Curbelo? Do you still support their leaders?

I understood this sentence, "They should be done voting for Paul Ryan" in this context, as "they(Republican Congressmen) should not vote for Paul Ryan (in the next election or something), unless he's going to support gun control."
I'm not used to the usage of this phrase(done -ing), so I'm not sure if it's right or not.

Does done -ing mean not doing something in the future?


texts:
Source: The Conceptual Self in Context ... by Ulric Neisser, David A. Jopling DPhil (Oxon)

  ... The Western philosophical tradition
  provides a venerable partial answer to the question of who we are: What
  characterizes the essence of who we are is a locus of consciousness and
  rationality  ...

  [I already read this:] First, to know whether to use "who" or "whom," we need to talk about the difference between subjects and objects because you use "who" when you are referring to the subject of a clause and "whom" when you are referring to the object of a clause.

My guess: we is the subject. In this relative clause, the speaker represents we as another OBJECT. Since OBJECTS require 'whom', whom we are is right, and who we are is wrong.

Yet my guess jars with the following. So am I wrong?

  [User 'RuthP' dated 2012 Dec 26:]
  That is a(n incorrect) hyper-correctness, to which many people are prey. No, because the only verb you have is to be (are, in this case). To be cannot take an object, because it is an identity, so in your sentences, who and we are the same. Since we is the subject, so is who.

If apt, please see user 'leonAzul' 's comment, dated 2012 Dec 26 (also in this same thread).


texts:
Consider the expression:

a company's turnover

Would you say that it can be interpreted in 2 ways: 1) the value of the goods and services that a company sells and 2) the rate at which people leave a company and new people arrive?
Or is the phrase not ambiguous at all?
I'm sure we can interpret it as 1) and say "turnover of staff" to avoid ambiguity, but still can "a company's turnover" mean 2)?


texts:
Can we use genitive constructions in sentences like this:
The cat loved Jill with all his cat's heart;
...or should it be "with all his cat heart"?
Thank you!


texts: What should I say in response to "I hope next year is better"?

texts: How should I reply to this statement without using a bland "me too"? I want the conversation to keep going past this, but I'm not sure how to respond well.


texts: Can I use "overstrike" to say "make a font a bold font"?

texts:
After looking up a dictionary, I found overstriking as noun.

As striking also has a meaning when talking of HTML markup (referring to text rendered with the <strike> tag), can I use overstrike to say "make a font a bold font"?


texts: What is the difference between future perfect and future in the past?

texts:
It would be nice to buy a new car.

It will have been nice to buy a new car.

Please explain the difference between these.


texts:
How to compare ability between 2 species of an animal?

Can I use just "more"?

  Species A has the ability to maneuver more than species B.


texts: is it correct to use (each activity he engaged to)

texts:
Is this sentence correctly used ?

  They wish him to be the best in each activity he engaged to ...

To be engaged in an activity/to be engaged to a person

engage in something :

to take part in something; to make someone take part in something


texts: In the video http://www.ted.com/talks/john_lloyd_inventories_the_invisible?language=en#t-592626 at 2:36 there is a phrase "I bet he thought he wished he was invisible ...". What is he saying at the end? "Lethem"? I guess it's about Jonathan Lethem who is author of The Fortress of Solitude. Is it possible?


texts:
Is this onomatopoeia ok?

  I could hear the tree nuts tinkling in the wind.

What other possibilities come to mind?


texts: General term to refer to acquiring knowledge of news or an event

texts:
I am trying to find a way to refer to acquiring the knowledge of something new or to be aware of something that recently happened.

Usually we can say,

  I heard on the news...

  I read on the news...

or even besides news,

  I heard that your brother got a new job.

  I read that they are builiding a new house in front of your work.

  Didn't you hear what happened? There is this virus outbreak in China.

I am wondering whether is there a specific verb or expression I can use for this.

Sometimes I think I hear some people using to learn with this meaning, but I am uncertain whether it is correct.

  I learnt you'll become a father.

  Did you learn what is the team doing next year? They will play with a new jersey.

  I learnt today they are planning to build a new airport in the city.

Is this correct? otherwise, is there any way to refer to this?


texts:
Which one should I use in the sentence below?

  Their intention/intentions are vital information for us to make a decision.

In this context, I want to express that what other road users intend to do is important.


texts:
The set will get small for these #WildTalkers
  (https://twitter.com/thezooonlatv/status/783105706689912832)

In the example above, what does "get small for" mean? Does it mean that the set will less spacious since these people are coming? Is this just another way of expression that these people will come to the set? I couldn't find any definition regarding this expression, so I think it's not an idiom.


texts: relation between 'course' and 'discourse'

texts:
I am always confused by these similar words.

Do they have the same meaning in some case?

If not, why are they so similar to each other?


texts: Does adding a "while" change the meaning

texts:
There is plenty of work to be had catering for weddings and parties.

I think it is same as

  There is plenty of work to be had while catering for weddings and parties.

Am I right?


texts: "They have *both* got ..." or "They *both* have got ..."

texts:
So I had to check my friend's homework, but I myself don't even know the answers. For instance:

"Yes, they are. They are both tall and they have both got brown eyes.

"Yes, they are. They are both tall and they both have got brown eyes.

I am leaning towards "they have both got" (#1), but I cannot rationalize why, or why the other option would be bad.
Which is correct, and why?
Edit: Her teacher wasn't exactly of much help when she said that it is just the way it is. The answers are shown below.
A copy of her homework is below:

A copy of the answers (provided by her teacher):


texts:
Question sentence: I am supposed to suggest the correct rewrite of the emphasized part.

  The Tibetan system of meditation is more closely tied to its surroundings than Zen meditation

I thought along the lines of

  The Tibetan system of meditation is more closely tied to its surroundings than the Zen meditation is tied to its surroundings

and hence answered "the Zen meditation". However, the answer given is "that of Zen meditation". I don't have any clue how they (khanacademy) arrived at this answer.

Please help me understand why this is the correct choice.


texts: "A place which we can stay" or "A place which we can stay in"?

texts:
1. (a) We need a place where we can stay.
   (b) We need a place (that) we can stay. (no preposition at the end of clause)

2. (a) We need a house where we can stay.
   (b) We need a house (that) we can stay in.
   (c) We need a house which we can stay in.
   (d) We need a house in which we can stay.

Questions:

Why are prepositions not used when antecedent is 'place'? (like 1.(b) )
If we use 'which' with antecedent 'place', which following noun clauses are correct?

Nc1. A place which we can stay. (no preposition at the end)

Nc2. A place which we can stay in.

Nc3. A place in which we can stay.


texts: I have a shiny mood / My mood is shiny OR I feel shiny

texts:
which of the following expressions is better English / sounds better? Which one would you prefer?

I have a shiny mood / My mood is shiny
I feel shiny
I feel shining

Thanks in advance for your answers :)


texts: How can I understand “to” in this sentence?

texts:
I saw the title of article on the internet

Amazon to buy self-driving technology company Zoox

I can roughly understand what this sentence means, but I want to know what’s exact meaning of “to” in this sentence.
Plus, I want to know what it is called grammatically.


texts: What's difference between " It is too tiring to~" and " It is too tired to~"?

texts: What's difference between " It is too tiring to~" and " It is too tired to~" ??


texts: Follow the plan vs follow through with the plan

texts: What’s the difference between saying ‘I will follow the plan’ and ‘I will follow through with the plan’? I have encountered both constructions but couldn’t figure out the difference in meaning.


texts:
Context: I'm walking with my friend, my friend sees something mean written on the wall for example, he says "Why would someone do this?.", how should I understand it? as:

1-" Why someone did this?."

2-" What motivated someone to do this?."

3-" Why would it occur to someone to do something like this?."

4-" What reasons someone had to do this?."

If none of the 4 sentences above is correct, please tell me what it means.


texts:
However, work continued and today the major structural restoration is virtually complete. The building has been painted in a stone colour (as it was in 1827) to recreate as true a likeness as possible to the appearance of Bath stone blocks.

What is the present relevance to justify present perfect  for painted is it today and to emphasize the comparaison withe original in 1827

https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/history/conservation-and-restoration/


texts:
Probably this question is too imbecile but I need to ask:

If a pronoun replaces a noun why in English language this, that, these, those are called 'pronouns' when they are used + a noun?

I understand when this, that, these, those are used as pronouns:

  Who's that?

  Whose shoes do you prefer - these or those?

But I don't understand why this is still called a 'demonstrative pronoun' in this situation:

  Do you like this picture?

Shouldn't be called something else?


texts:
Below is a quote from Matt Lewis's writing:

"Instead of kicking Trump while he's down, these Republicans think they can finesse and co-opt their way to the top. They've been making the same mistake for years. They think Trump will eventually reward loyalty — that the old man will retire and turn the store over to you to run. It never happens."

What does the "co-opt" mean in this sentence? Does it mean contrive to do something?


texts: How do I use contraction in sentences like 'My brother and I have got a lot of toys'?

texts:
My question is as follows: is it grammatically correct - I would like to be referred to reliable sources - to contract such like subjects and the main or auxiliary have:

  My brother and I have got a lot of toys.

  My Mum and I have been to Greece twice.

Is there any rule that advises us to contract or not contract in the above instances?

And is there any rule of thumb at all that helps us to use contraction properly with proper names? E.g.:

  Peter and Pavel have graduated from university.


texts:
I would have liked if she would have said no.
I would have liked if she had said no.
I would have liked if she'd said no.

Is it correct to use would have twice in the same sentence here? Is the contraction fine?


texts: "How to be back the previous state" is a grammatically right sentence?

texts:
There is a sentence, is it right?

  How to be back to the previous state?

I know that

  How to back to the previous state?

is not grammatically right since here back is a transitive verb.


texts: using 'th' when writing date in British English

texts:
Which format is more correct when writing date in UK?
"5 January 2019" or "5th January 2019" and why? Should I use "th" at the end? What is the best way to write it?


texts: What is the difference between buy and purchase

texts: When we use the word "to buy" and when the word "to purchase"? I do not understand the difference between these words.


texts:
I have seen a sentence like this:

  She came and stood over him as he lays on the bed

İs it not supposed to be like tist because is is past tense?

  She came and stood over him as he ''laid'' on the bed


texts: To have [noun] of [noun]: adjectival construction or meaninful phrase with specific connotations?

texts:
In the song Faith of the Heart, as in its title, you have two nouns connected with the preposition of. Please consider the following segment for instance:

  Cause I've got faith of the heart. I'm going where my heart
  will take me. I've got faith to believe. I can do
  anything. I've got strength of the soul. And no one's
  going to bend or break me.

  [ Faith of the Heart, by Diane Warren, for movie and television (sample) ]

It's formatted in a way that feels indicative of the material of substance (of the second term), but I think it's rather the origin, like with the preposition from. At the same time it doesn't use a personal pronoun i.e. it's not faith in my heart; neither is it I have a faithful heart. What I'm trying to describe seems to be further emphasized by the fact you have the verb to have (I've got) i.e. it's not to be as in I'm strong of/with the soul, it's not phrased as an attribute but rather as something you possess/hold.

Why is it of and not from the heart/soul; is it really about the
origin; is the type of origin better suited for either preposition in this very case or is it just a choice?
What does using to have do here that to be    doesn't/couldn't
do; is that to undergo; does the native speaker pick up the bill
of materials feeling or any other connotation with this sort of
phrasing?
Can you provide an idiomatic and/or well known example of this
sort of [ to have + noun + of + noun ] construction (without a
personal pronoun) which would better showcase its meaning and
whether there's more to this than the sum of its parts (1+2)?


texts: Is "upgrade" the right word to use in this context?

texts:
My friend said to me,

  "I need to upgrade my mobile."

Generally, "upgrade" means "to improve the quality of something you already have".
But my friend wanted to say that he's gonna buy a new phone. Should I correct him or not?
Because I have heard lot of people saying it that way.


texts:
What does "off" mean as in "He chose a three-star hotel off fashionable Orchard Road."

As a foreigner, I was not sure. It seems to me that hotels are always "off the road", it's always "on the side of some road."

Does "off the road" mean it's near the road (off the road but on the side) or far away from the road?


texts:
I made a little research but I found very difficult to discriminate their pronunciation. Also, I think that in informal speech it's harder to distinguish than in a slow and clear voice.

Then, in practice, Is there any difference between the pronunciation of "Write" and "Right"? Or the difference comes through the context that they are placed in.

In addition, if you could help me with a non-specific question:

Should I try to be more clear in my pronunciation rather than try to be more similar to native (US, UK, etc.) pronunciation?

I ask this because sometimes when I try to speak with a better pronunciation (like trying to remove my portuguese accent), it turns out to be more unclear, indistinguishable.

Thank you!


texts: Difference between so called and called so

texts:
What is the difference between so called and called so in the following sentences?

  The active voice is so called because the person denoted by the
  subject acts. The active voice is called so because the
  person denoted by the subject acts.

so as an adverb is used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned, so according to me the second sentence sounds more correct.


texts: Help with the meaning of Eric Schmidt's speech

texts:
Could you please check my rephrase to make sure if I get the speech right?

  You now see so many strong tech platforms coming, and you are seeing a
  reordering and a future reordering of dominance or leaders or whatever
  term you want to use because of the rise of the apps on the
  smartphone.

  All bets are off at this point as to what the smartphone app infrastructure is going to look like' as a 'whole new set' of players
  emerges to power smartphones, which are nothing but super-computers,
  the Google chairman argued.

Here is my try:

You  can see now that many new tech companies has been created, and you have been seeing or you can see  the change and a POSSIBLE ( for future) change of giant dominant firms or leaders or whatever
 term you want to use because of the rise of the apps on the
 smartphone.

All predictions on how the future of smartphone apps will be is not clear or unknown these days yet, because "completely new technology firms start up to flourish smartphones which are considered as new super-computers

( Does he mean new firms will play a key role and change the balance of power in the world of new tech)

And can I ask what the difference is among these sentences below in the sense in the first paragrahp.

  You see a reordering.

  You are seeing a reordering.

  You  have been seeing a reordering.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2922460/Google-s-Eric-Schmidt-claims-internet-disappear-life-gets-connected-says-robots-WON-T-world.html


texts: What is difference between "has been taken residency" and "has been taking residency"?

texts:
Which one is correct, or if both, what is difference between "has been taken residency" and "has been taking residency"?

EDIT: few more details about the question

I write this phrase in "proof of address" letter for tenants living in my house. I am based in United Kingdom.

Full sentence:

  This is to confirm that John Doe has been taking residency at the
  property since XXX.


texts: For the one o'clock meeting or one o'clock meeting?

texts:
Are you prepared for one o'clock meeting with the board members?
Are you prepared for the one o'clock meeting with the board members?

Both sound right to me. No2 has an article for "one o'clock meeting"

Is there a subtle difference between 1 and 2?


texts:
I have a question regarding "so v-ed as not to". Here are some examples:

Reading their litanies of untruth, so concocted as to spread the maximum terror and mistrust and discontent, is not an arduous undertaking. (The Islamic State, Ebola, and the Appeal of Conspiracy)

the liberal epic is that of the individual threatened by concentrations of privilege, prejudice, and power, and liberated from these by the creation of a sacred sphere of noninterference as well as by that of a state so conceived and constructed as not to be capable of becoming an enemy again. (Jane and Minerva)

I guess I know what "so as to" means (like in order to), and maybe also what "so adj as to" means (I am not so foolish as to say that)(I guess it means that someone is foolish to the extent that he can even say that? Am I right?). But with the construction in title I am a bit confused. I don't know how to analyze it. Can you help? Thank you!


texts: Can "quintuple," "sextuple," etc. be used as determiners?

texts:
I've seen treble and double used as determiners. Is it valid to use quadruple, quintuple, sextuple, and the equivalent words for greater numbers in the same way?

For example:

  The outlay on housing was quintuple that on education.


texts: In my work I need to describe "groups of metrics". I'm not sure if I should write "metrics groups" or "metric groups" (I tend to "metrics metric groups" now). And now I'm confused with "names of groups of metrics". "Metrics groups names" sound odd, as do "metrics group names". How should I write this?


texts: Do we say "accuse somebody for" or "of"?

texts:
In one of my essays, I wrote:

  She accused him for lack of morality

and it was marked as a syntactic error. Do we use for or of with the verb accuse?


texts: Doubtful about whether this is the appropriate usage of "in which"?

texts:
I've been writing essays preparing for an IELTS exam, and writing this particular paragraph i'm not 100% sure whether this is the right usage of the expression "in which".

  Whereas in the past books were the main source of knowledge, the arrival of the internet has drastically altered the relevance of books, because of the easiness in which such information can be accessed.

Is this the proper usage of the expression?


texts:
Jeffrey Epstein’s gal pal Ghislaine Maxwell spotted at In-N-Out Burger in first photos since his death

Maxwell was surprised she was located and told an onlooker:

  “Well, I guess this is the last time I’ll be eating here!”

Why does use "will be eating" here? Why not "this is the last time I'll eat here" or "... I eat here"?


texts: Prepositions: ON the interview and FOR the interview?

texts:
Do they convey same thing when I say,

Good luck on the interview?

or

Good luck for the interview?


texts: Why not say ‘in a pencil’, but say ‘in pencil’?

texts:
We say:

  Shall I write in ink or in pencil.

Why not say:

  Shall I write in ink or in a pencil?


texts: I find something interesting about grammar and lexicology

texts:
First, lexicology:
pregnant adjective

(of a woman or female animal) having a child or young developing in the uterus.

Even though the dictionary says 'a child,' we can say someone is pregnant with 3 babies.
Second, grammar:
Noun Phrases
A noun phrase is a group of two or more words headed by a noun that includes modifiers (e.g., 'of them,' 'with her').
Even though the grammar says 'modifiers,' we can say a noun phrase includes one modifier.
That is, I think there are differences between usage and grammar & vocabulary. Especially when it comes to articles (a, an, and the) and grammatical numbers.


texts:
He pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very
  solid.  He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their
  way to platforms nine and ten.  Harry walked more quickly. He was
  going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble --
  leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run -- the
  barrier was coming nearer and nearer -- he wouldn't be able to stop --
  the cart was out of control -- he was a foot away -- he closed his
  eyes ready for the crash –  It didn't come...  (Harry Potter
  and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Ron’s mother told Harry how to get onto his platform – all you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. And he walks and then start running toward the barrier. Now, what does ‘a heavy run’ mean?


texts: How to understand "still less fear" here?

texts:
From DEEP MOAT GRANGE:

  Not once did she manifest the least emotion or contrition, still less fear.

I think "still less fear" is an adverbial modifier, but what does "still less fear" modify?

Besides, I noticed there is a "less" in that phrase, and so it seems there should be a comparison in that sentence. But I can't find any comparison in that sentence.

Could anyone give me some hints?


texts: Is there an idiom for when two things don't interact with each other? For example, two bacteria next to each other don't interact with each other and behaves like they are not near each other. It doesn't have to be a person or anything and I mean it in the most general way possible. I couldn't think of any idiom that refers to this situation or fact.


texts: What is the difference between "exist" and "are" in being modified by adverbial phrase?

texts:
1.The stars exist two million miles away.

  2.The stars are two million miles away.

I know that in the 1, 'two million miles away' is modifying 'exist' as an adverbial phrase, but why we cannot consider it to be modifying 'are' in the 2?
At least to me, it can, even in the 2, because 'be verb' clearly has existence meaning as the verb 'exist'.


texts: How is the correct for for saying someone still didn't did something?

texts:
I have an VSCode extension, and when someone tries to open the recent opened projects list, if he didn't used the extension to open any projects, it gives the user the following message:

  It seems you didn't opened any project using Git Project Manager yet

And a user opened an issue asking if the correct way to write that message would be:

  It seems you haven't opened any projects ...

Which one should I use?


texts:
Is the first one possible or completely wrong?

  I saw a dream where ...

or

  I had a dream where ...


texts: "In what ways does Strindberg show...?" vs. "In what ways do Strindberg show...?"

texts: Personally, I think the former is correct. My question is why this is the case. How would I know which pronoun is the one with which the verb agrees?


texts: I work there/I'm working there/It's where I work

texts:
A man gets into a Taxi and says this:

Man: Hi. Could you please drive me to the Chrysler Building. I work there. We're having an office party tonight.

Is I work there natural? Or would I'm working there or it's where I work be more natural in this context?


texts: sentence grammaticality? "47 cities were being supplied with piped gas"

texts:
Is this sentence grammatically correct:

  "47 cities were being supplied with piped gas"

Thank you


texts: What is the adjective for low libido (woman)

texts:
It starts with letter f I think, but I can't recall the word.

Anybody?


texts: present simple or present perfect for this case

texts:
Our company produced   the car which Pope John Paul II used during his visit to South America last year.

Will it be possible to use present perfect if the company  still produces this car


texts:
Is it correct to use an adjective before an article? For example:
This is called a toy
Here in this example "called" is considered as an adjective that modifies "a toy", (according to the information provided by the Collins Dictionary) ?

If it's correct,  please tell me why it's correct.


texts:
What is the soft part of the palm called in English?

I don't know the name even in my native language, so I cannot look it up in the dictionary.


texts:
I am new to English. I don't know what is meaning of it and also I don't know where to use ‘not my cup of tea’ and in which situation.

I read this sentence in one website

  Looking at old paintings is not my cup of tea.

Could you please tell me what it means and when I should use it.


texts: Talking about colors. Orange juice and a juice of orange color

texts:
"Orange juice" is a juice from an orange,

but what if I wanted to say that the juice is orange in color? Can it be also "orange juice"? What are the different ways to talk about a color? I think of "of ... color" but I'd like to know more way to describe and talk about colors. Other expression than "of...color"?


texts:
I want to express that people respect each others' beliefs as well as uphold their own beliefs and systems. Tolerant means respecting others' beliefs, but what word stands for "uphold their own beliefs"?

Does "authentic" convey this meaning clearly in the following sentence? What are the other alternatives? Authentic person generally means one who is not fake.

  People are tolerant and authentic.

Does "traditional" work here? Does it have any negative connotations?


texts:
I would like to paraphrase the following paraghraph:

The family is considered the most influential single agency of socialization for the following reasons :

Is that it has the main responsibility for socializing children in the crucial early years of life.
Is that the family is located somewhere in the social structure.

My attempts:

The family is considered the most influential single agency of socialization for the following reasons :

It has the major responsibility for socializing children in the first decisive years
It is lies somewhere in the social structure

Could someone correct me or help me to paraphrase it Thanks in advanced.


texts: What is the meaning of "Giraffe can see things from a great distance"?

texts:
What is the meaning of "Giraffe can see things from a great distance" ?

Does it mean "Things is far from the giraffe. Giraffe can see things that is far from giraffe" or "Giraffe is far from things. Giraffe that is far from things can see things"?


texts:
I would like to know whom a street was named after. That's how I am asking it:

  Whom was this street named after?

Is the question correct?


texts: Contradiction - 'And get your story straight, you faitheists!'?

texts:
55% down the page, under Point 4: 4. Dawkins attacks a straw-God religion, for until fairly recently nobody believed in the literal truth of the Bible.
Gray writes:

Quite apart from the substance of the idea, there is no reason to suppose that the Genesis myth to which Dawkins refers was meant literally. Coarse and tendentious atheists of the Dawkins variety prefer to overlook the vast traditions of figurative and allegorical interpretations with which believers have read Scripture. Both Augustine and before him the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria explicitly cautioned against literalism in interpreting the biblical creation story. Later, in the twelfth century, Maimonides took a similar view. It was only around the time of the Reformation that the idea that the story was a factual account of events became widely held. When he maintains that Darwin’s account of evolution displaced the biblical story, Dawkins is assuming that both are explanatory theories—one primitive and erroneous, the other more advanced and literally true. In treating religion as a set of factual propositions, Dawkins is mimicking Christianity at its most fundamentalist.

Even I, a lowly biologist, know that many of the “church fathers”, including Augustine and Aquinas, took the Genesis story literally (including Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden); only after you accepted the historicity of these events, they said, could you also read into them other meanings. And get your story straight, you faitheists! A common contention of liberal believers (just as false) is that literalism began with the rise of Fundamentalism in the early twentieth century, while Gray says it began with the Reformation. Which is it? (It’s neither, of course.)

I sense sarcasm but am confused. By this definition, a faitheist shouldn't criticise, so what does the author, Prof Jerry Coyne, tell faitheists to 'get your story straight'?


texts: Is it “is” or “are” after “that” in the expression …X of Y that is/are? Context provided in the question

texts:
I am aware of solutions that use "can" or "will" to circumvent the issue, but I really want to know the answer. In the sentence below, "efficacy" is what I want to center on. It is what "that" describes. However, the word "that" immediately follows "gamification mechanics", which got me confused.
Cross-platform comparison of multiple pro-green programs will be a valuable addition to the literature because it helps researchers measure the efficacy of gamification mechanics that is/are particularly robust in some situations but not others.
If you have better ways to rewrite the sentence without contorting or undermining the message, please share.


texts: "We was" vs. "We were" and "Be you" vs "Are you" in song lyrics

texts:
Listening to an english song, I noticed the following sentences:

"We was hitchhiking down..." (1:15) https://youtu.be/_lK4cX5xGiQ?t=75

"Be you angels?" (2:36) https://youtu.be/_lK4cX5xGiQ?t=155

Why is it not:
"We were hitchhiking down..." and "Are you angels?"

Is this grammatically correct or is it more used to "style" the language in a certain way?


texts: Wondering if you would or wondering if you wanted

texts:
I was proofreading a story, and I came across the following sentence :

  Person: I'm going to throw a party tonight, and I was wondering if you
  wanted to join us. (conversation is happening right now and is talking about the present).

I'm not sure if it is the same as:

  Person : I'm going to  throw a party tonight, and I was wondering if you
  would like to join us. (conversation is happening right now and is talking about the present).

To me, the first sentence does not sound appropriate for present situations. It's something I would use if I were describing something that happened in the past.

For Instance:

  Person: When I threw the party last year, I was wondering if you
  wanted to join us.
  (conversation is happening right now but is talking about the past).

I'd appreciate it if someone could tell me what the difference between the two statements is.

Is the past form of a modal verb (could, should and would) interchangeable with the past form of 'want' in indirect questions, or is my conclusion valid?

Another example;

  1) Person 1: I have got two tickets for tonight's show, so I was
  wondering if you would like to go to the concert with me.

  Person 2: I would love to, but I will be busy tonight.

  2)  Person 1: I have got two tickets for tonight's show, so I was
  wondering if you wanted to go to the concert with me.

  Person 2: I would love to, but I will be busy tonight.

Any help will be appreciated.


texts: Can I use "that" as pronoun to refer to the subject preceding a comma?

texts:
this is what I would like to write in my book:

  The relative direction you were born within the map of your home country, that is where you will find your inner peace in the same direction of the world map.

I mean to say this

  ... country is where you will.....

Is this possible? my friend says it is not. she thinks "that" should be replaced with "it" OR "comma and that" should be totally left out. if she is correct, what is the reason that lies behind?


texts:
This probably has been asked before but I don't know exactly what good keywords are to search for an answer. I wonder if the plural form has to follow a list of descriptors.

Given the following sentences:

  A) You will find screws in the red, green, and blue boxes.

and

  B) You will find screws in the red, green, and blue box.

I tend to think that A) is the valid form because we talk about several boxes here, one red, one green, one blue. However, how would we know that there are not multiple red boxes?
Equally confusing - would B) mean that there is one box, and it is red, green, and blue? Or is B) simply an invalid construct?

I am specifically interested in lists connected with "and". For "or", I found this thread which is imho reasonably answered.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.


texts:
Are both sentences grammatical? If they are, which one sounds better to your (native) ear?
Option B) sounds off to me but I can't quite put my finger on it.....

A) Organizers have been intent on ensuring they go ahead in July [adjective form]
B) Organizers have been intending to ensure they go ahead in July [verb form]


texts:
Sam will be lead man of my team.

If lead man is a noun phrase, why isn't it preceded by an article to turn into " a lead man" or "the lead man"?


texts: "This pamphlet says..." or "In this pamphlet says..."?

texts:
I know that in the following sentence, the pronoun "it" is used in an incorrect way (repetitious pronoun):
In this pamphlet, it says that campers should bring their own tents and blankets.

How should I correct the mistake?
a: In this pamphlet says that...
b: This pamphlet says that...


texts:
Which of the following is correct?

  Your grammar is so good. Why do you need a grammar book for?

or

  Your grammar is so good. What do you need a grammar book for?


texts: Is 'simplify something to' correct (for example in the context of maths)?

texts:
My question concerns the preposition that is used with the word 'simplify'.
I am unsure which of the following is correct:
'By substitution, the problem is simplified to a system of linear equations.'
or
'By substitution, the problem is simplified into a system of linear equations.'
Or is neither of them correct?


texts:
Which one is more grammatically correct?

  He was woken up by his alarm clock.

  He was woken by his alarm clock.


texts: The difference between 'robe' and 'cloak'

texts:
I'm learning new words from Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality and I don't get the difference between 'robe' and 'cloak'. The dictionary does not explain it clear to me.

Here is some sample sentence from the book.

robe:

  One of Malkin's two assistants was examining the white-haired boy and the chequerboard-gridded robe he was wearing;

cloak:

  The letter said: This is the Cloak of Invisibility of Ignotus Peverell, passed down through his descendants the Potters.


texts: The definite article in sentences with relative clauses

texts:
Is it always necessary to have the definite article in sentences with relative clauses:

  The waitress who served us was awesome.

Thank you for your help!


texts: A comparison between the verbs "replace" and "substitute"

texts:
I know that when you substitute X for Y it means that you replace Y with X. According to this rule, I need to make sure whether the following pairs mean the same or not. If not, then why?

  1.a. Yesterday l, I argued with the Boss and I think he's going to replace me with Sam. (The boss is going to fire me from the company and bring "Sam" as a permanent replacement for me.)
   1.b. Yesterday l, I argued with the Boss and I think he's going to substitute Sam for me.

And:

  2.a. While I'm away on vacation, another teacher will substitute for me.
  2.b. While I'm away on vacation, I will be replaced with another teacher


texts: Difference between "nice to see you" and "nice to meet you"

texts:
What is the difference between "nice to see you" and "nice to meet you"?

Are they the same or not?


texts: Is there a word for (the metaphorical meaning of) "Stellschraube" in English?

texts:
The German word "Stellschraube" means, in its technical sense (according to dict.cc):

setscrew
binding screw
regulating screw
set screw
setting screw
adjusting screw

However, in a metaphorical sense, it can also mean a "leverage point" to adjust something non-technical. For example, motivation might be a "Stellschraube" for teachers to create a fruitful learning atmosphere.

Is there an English word having a similar meaning?


texts:
Are there any grammatical correctness and fluency differences between these sentences:

  Depends on the side you look from
  Depends on the side from which you look
  Depends on the side which you look from

in spatial terms?


texts: they lost only to a couple of Russian dogs -- in what manner did they lose to them?

texts:
Example with a context:

  Those two monkeys were the first American animals, and some of the first animals in general, ever to travel into space and make it back alive (they lost only to a couple of Russian dogs).

I don't think I'm following that part. They lost to a couple of Russian dogs in what manner?


texts:
In everyday language, people call "1/100" 1 percent. How do I say "1⁄1000"?

  O point one percent

  1 thousandth

or something else?


texts:
The two word families "quote", "to quote" and "citation", "to cite" seem to be synonyms to me as a German native speaker, if we look at their meaning to reproduce information somebody else published.

Are they really? Or is there a slight difference in their meaning? If yes, when would I use one and when should I chose the other?

Update:
As the problem I have seems to be unclear for people who don't speak German: In German we only have one word for both of them! We say "zitieren" if we say/write/... something that was originally published by someone else and reproduce it word by word, as well as with giving a reference. From what I already learned, those two aspects are the main differences, but my language does not make any difference here. I hope this helps you to understand that it is not really possible for a German native speaker to easily distinguish those two words with a simple dictionary.


texts: what is the difference between - I make it to go and I make it go?

texts:
What is the difference between sentences like these:

  I make it to go.
  I make it go.

or

  You make me to cry.
  You make me cry.


texts: Can you tell me proper words in this situation?

texts:
John: I've found what you're looking for! (Actually, he hasn't found what Jennifer is looking for, that is a lie)
Jennifer: Oh, you've found what I'm looking for. What you've found is very shiny.
In this case, what is the best word for 'to accept something not true as valid.'


texts: Subject verb agreement in "The art of some cultures have/has..."

texts:
The art of some cultures have/has shorter histories than others.

In this case, the verb should agree with "art", not "some cultures", as far as I know.

I am wondering if "have" is correct in this sentence.


texts:
I'm reading a book and in the terms-definition section, there is a phrase that I can't understand!

  Card Content:  Code and Application information (but not Application data) contained in the card that is under the responsibility of the OPEN e.g. Executable Load Files, Application instances, etc

I want to know, what is the difference between data and information?

Would you please explain with examples?

Q2: Does code and application information mean "information of code and information of application" or mean "code + information of application"?

Source of the text that is quoted: GPCardSpec_v2.2.pdf (page 5)


texts:
Which one is more correct? "web design" or "website design"?

For a non-technical people let's say you are going to search the internet using any kind of search engine. For a design agency for your blog what words you will use - "web design" or "website design"?

I ask this because English is not my native language and I do not know how natives people are thinking and doing that.


texts: What do you call a short sung part sung by the second singer?

texts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxaaGgTQYM
Here's an example. The male singer sings a few phrases during the chorus. What are those sections or phrases called?

[Wake me up] Wake me up inside
[I can't wake up] Wake me up inside [Save me]
Call my name and save me from the dark [Wake me up]
Bid my blood to run [I can't wake up]
Before I come undone [Save me]
Save me from the nothing I've become


texts: please can someone tell me which one is correct (Thesis's title vs Thesis' title). Or if both options can be used?


texts: When something is wrong at the beginning of a series of some related actions

texts:
Please imagine someone is going to do an action which is a phase / step of a series of completely related actions, but whereas they have not accomplished the most primary steps properly are there are some lacks in previous steps and prior to beginning of this phase, they cannot fulfill this step too.

-----------OR-----------

Please suppose a government which is taking the necessary measures for some higher steps of a national project in a country, but whereas they have not laid the requisite foundations to the higher steps beforehand, they are unable to go forward anymore or their progress will not be quite satisfactory as it was predicted from the outset.

In the both of the above mentioned scenarios and many similar cases like a soccer team which its responsible have not worked on its youths teams in the past and expect its adult team work well (which consists of those old youths who were not trained well), we can use an identical proverb / saying in our language.

I will put a direct translation of it here. We say:

  The foundation of the house is shaky.

I am sure it makes sense to you, but I need to no if there is an equivalent for it in (especially American) English?


texts: When can we use 'much' in affirmative clauses?

texts:
I found the below in Cambridge Dictionary web-site:

  We use much in questions and negative clauses to talk about degrees of something.

  We don’t use much in affirmative clauses.

Also, it the same web-site, I found the following:

  She runs much faster than he does. here

also I noticed that some web-sites use much with affirmative clauses:

  May we all be having this much fun and getting this much exercise when we're his age! PJ Media

Is it Okey to use much in affirmative clauses? If yes, when can we use it? and what is the rules?

Update:

Here is another example on how often the word "much" is used  in informal style:

  After much consideration I will NOT be performing at the Inauguration with my improv group Capitol Hill-arious Ike Barinholtz


texts: What is the meaning of "sneeze up a storm" in the following sentence?

texts:
What is the meaning of "sneeze up a storm" in the following sentence(Source: THE BIG SNEEZE by WILLJAM VAN HORN),

  "Goodness, Bert," said Charlie.

  "With sneeze like that, you could sneeze up a storm!"

  It so happened that the sky was growing dark and stormy-looking.

  But the three dinosaurs didn't notice anything.

  They were waiting to see if Bert would sneeze again.

?

Does "you could sneeze up a storm" mean "you sneezed. A storm arose after(because of) your sneezing" or "A storm arose. You sneezed toward the storm. The storm disappeared because of your sneezing" ?


texts: Dixson's "Graded Exercises in English" - answers..?

texts: I've been looking for the answers of the classic, best-seller "Graded Exercises in English", by Robert J. Dixson. Please, was it published somewhere, somehow? Thanks in advance.


texts:
Is there a single word to express - I feel asleep unconsciously or like when it happens you just
want to relax on bed but fell asleep. How do you communicate that efficiently with a single word
or better way


texts:
a. This is a gun, to use in case of emergency.

b. This is a gun, to use only in case of emergency.

c. This is a gun, to be used in case of emergency.

d. This is a gun, to be used only in case of emergency.

Are the above sentences grammatically correct?

Obviously, 'only' changes the meaning somewhat. But does the comma work in those sentences? It is there to give the sentence a double focus. We are conveying two bits of information that are equally important. It is possible that the second part is added as an afterthought. In that case, it becomes less important.


texts: Habitual 'would' without any adverbs in the sentence

texts:
When I was a child I would attend English courses for children in my home town. My character used to be quite complicated so I refused many tasks I was offered there.

Do these two sentences make sense or there's something wrong with them?
Is would attend a habitual usage of would? Or it can't be used to describe a regular action in the past without an adverb like often?


texts: How to say: "there are some hidden hands involved in a dealing" in AmE?

texts:
I am writing a business letter and I would like to bring it to a directing manager of another company's attention that as far as I am concerned, unfortunately I do not feel good, and I want to refer to some fishy activities and some immoral, dishonest and fraudulent business dealings of some people who are interfering between the two company's business affairs (mine and his companies) and mention that for some reasons they would like everything not to work properly. No matter how, they are trying to make their own benefits and they are acting up. (Consider them as some people who were trying to achieve this business prior to the contract between the owner of that company and I and at the time being they are green with envy). In such cases we say:

  I feel there are some concealed hands in the story.
  I feel there are some people behind the curtain.

I hope I could make myself understood. If so, please let me know what shall one say in the identical situation (not only in a very formal business letter, but in everyday conversation; because I am not looking for something too formal.)


texts:
In a movie, a cat says

  I bring her a red dead bird. She throws it out. I bring her a red dead
  mouse. Right in the garbage!

I think the word 'red' here means "covered in blood".
Please help me to understand it better. Thank you.


texts: Titles, Labels, Headings, Notices, Slogans Missing Stuff

texts:
Michael Swan in his book http://ielts-house.net/Ebook/Vocabulary/Practical%20English%20usage.pdf (page 1) writes:

Titles, labels, headings, notices and slogans usually consist of short phrases,
not complete sentences. Articles are often left out, especially in the names of
buildings and instituations.
ROYAL HOTEL
SUPER CINEMA
INFORMATION OFFICE
BUS STOP
POLICE OUT
MORE MONEY FOR NURSES

The question is which of this is what and what all of this would look like if it were written in a full way? As I can see
ROYAL HOTEL -signboard/possibly a label
SUPER CINEMA - signboard/possibly a label
INFORMATION OFFICE - signboard/possibly a label
BUS STOP - signboard/possibly a label
POLICE OUT - unknown.../possible a notice
MORE MONEY FOR NURSES - slogan
On the other hand, if something of this is published in a newspaper, it will become a title or a headline. So, I guess all of it can be anything of the list...
Now the full forms. The author doesn't mention any verbs or other words except for the articles that can be left out. So, the matter is in the articles and in a full way all of this should look like
THE ROYAL HOTEL
THE SUPER CINEMA
THE INFORMATION OFFICE
THE BUS STOP
THE POLICE OUT
MORE MONEY FOR THE NURSES
Right?


texts:
In the early hours of July the 28th, 1794, the leaders of the French Republic's Committee of Public Safety had gathered for one last time.

This is the opening sentence of narrator's voice in the documentary on the French Revolution (here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suZdYkZ_feM). Could you clarify to me why the Past Perfect is used there and not just the Past Simple. Its usage is for me uncomprehensible all the more so that the mentioned gathering of the members of the Committee of Public Safety in fact happened after the events that consist the content of the documentary.


texts:
Can I use "There has been" in the way that I have used in the following sentences: I've tried to use it in the sentences below:

There has been a mistake in my Writing.
There has been a serious discussion at my home.
There has been a accident on the way to school.
There has been a dangerous misunderstanding between us.

Am i correct here to use the phrase "There has been" in the sentences above?

Or there is different usage of this phrase ?


texts:
Sacha Baron Cohen allegedly walked from the movie when May outlined a story to him where Mercury’s death comes halfway through, “and the band goes from strength to strength”. May denied that was the case, and if ever it was, they thankfully changed tack.

Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/oct/23/bohemian-rhapsody-review-freddie-mercury-biopic-bites-the-dust

I am not sure if I properly understand the passage in bold. Does it mean that May (who denies it) wanted the film about Mercury not to end with the death of Mercury? So in the planned script, the death of Mercury would come in the middle of the movie and the second part would be devoted to the story of the remaining members.


texts:
On page 10 of book The 21 Day Happiness Challenge, the second paragraph is

  "A good question to ask is, why do feel like you don't deserve
  happiness?".

Is the sentence correct?


texts: Give an opinion about an object was done in the past

texts:
When I see an object, a person or a draw and I want to tell it for someone, What should I say?

  I saw a very cool graffiti on the train.
  I have seen a very cool graffiti on the train.

I think which both are corrects, but to be more exact when to use Simple Past I should detail with "words" that will give me more time precision, for instance:

Yesterday, Last week ..


texts: quantity words used adverbially to describe the extent of something

texts:
I've noticed the word plenty can be used as an adverb:

  We're plenty [=very] busy with the work we have already.

  It's plenty cold outside.

  There's plenty more where that came from.

  The car is plenty large enough to fit six people.

I'd like to know whether or not other quantity words can also be used adverbially to describe the extent of something.


texts: I started to wear or I started wearing reading glasses

texts:
When someone has just asked you about your reading glass. Can you say:

  I started wearing my reading glasses when I was 9.

  I started to wear my reading glasses when I was 9.

You are saying that, the start of you wearing reading glasses started when you were 9 years old.


texts:
What is the difference between "should" and "must"?

e.g. "They should have called the police." Can I use "must" in that sentence or not?

e.g. "You should read his new book." How about this sentence?


texts:
Is "clear-watered" an adjective like "soft-petalled"?
Is it right to say, "The clear-watered pond was serene to look at"


texts: Why can't I use 'the shadow' of something

texts:
I'm creating some application UI. Say when the user clicks a button, a shadow will be created for the given object in the page. And a message will appear saying: Do you want to keep the shadow?
I'm not a native English speaker so when someone suggested me to change the wording to a shadow I feel so hard to accept.
Is it correct that I need to change the wording like he said? And why can't I use the here?
What I have in mind is that the refers to some particular thing - the created shadow.


texts: 'Raise' or 'Rise' as NOUNS and not verbs

texts:
This question rose from this question!

I'm quite clear on using raise and rise as verbs. However, when it comes to using them as nouns, I am bit confused. Say, I'm talking about the increment in my salary. Would it be 'raise' or 'rise'?

  How much 'raise/rise' you are likely to get in this year's increment? ~ Not much, I guess 10%.


texts: How do you rephrase this sentence as concisely as possible?

texts:
Go there and get top marks on your exam to make us proud and beat
  your bullies to a pulp to make us proud.

Is often rephrased as:

  Go there and get top marks on your exam and beat
  your bullies to a pulp to make us proud.

However, both of them are not really synonymous, because it can be interpreted that "to make us proud" is only attached to the sentence "beat your bullies to a pulp". So is there a way to reformulate this without repeating "to make us proud" twice?


texts: In the sentence "How did John do?", should the verb "do" be replaced with "does"?

texts:
While giving my exam online, there was a comparison with John. There I found one sentence:

  How did John do?

Is it right grammatically? I think John is one person so does should be used. Please explain.


texts: Why isn't present participle correct in "feeling both personal and cultural"?

texts:
In an ACT English test:

Dismayed by the loss, ___　both personal and cultural, Santiago responded through his art.

Why is "which felt" the accepted one for filling the blank while not "feeling" ?
I think when "feeling" is used, I have a participle clause–"feeling both personal and cultural–which has the logical subject "Santiago." It sounds right to me: Santiago felt both personal and cultural about the loss.


texts:
I know this is the basic grammar knowledge, but I can't figure out the differences between these sentences:
1)We sure hope Brad is regretting those hateful tweets now.
and
2)We sure hope Brad regrets those hateful tweets now.
Is regretting an ongoing and continuous feeling?? And Regret is just present feeling, not future??
And does it matter if I use on and not the other??


texts:
Father bought university male student to the house.
& Daughter commented about it.

  Daughter: I heard once that the Rabbi, Who must praise himself has a
  congregation of one.

  Student: Your daughter has a quick and witty tongue.


texts:
I found lots of people using "You can also", more than 1k hits only on ELL. And myself use "also" a lot as well.

However, after I went through 2 posts and one grammar dictionary, I still don't know what type it is.

per another post

  There are at least eight different kinds of adverbs and these are adverbs of manner, adverbs of frequency, adverbs of time and place, adverbs of relative time, adverbs of degree, adverbs of quantity, adverbs that focus, adverbs that function as attitude markers.

And then which type of adverbs "also" is?

To discuss conveniently, please take the following quotation as example.

  I'm cold, and I'm also hungry.


texts: What are the possible meanings of the expressions "on the fly" or "on the volley"?

texts:
I have heard some football commentators using the expression "on the volley" and of course I know what it means in that context, but are there other contexts where we can use the expressions "on the fly" or "on the volley"? Is there a difference between them? In which contexts should I use one rather than the other?

In football (soccer), shooting on the volley means that you cannot stop the ball before shooting it or that the ball cannot fall before you shoot, so you have to be fast. On the fly has a similar meaning, you do something quickly.


texts: Using words "again" and "anymore" in a specific example

texts:
Imagine because of a severe nightmare you wake up at night. I was wondering if someone could let me know which choice works in the self-made sentence below to fill in the blank:

  I woke up abruptly from deep sleep last night and couldn’t get back to sleep..........

  a) again

  b) anymore


texts: "Which is better" or "Which are better"?

texts:
Which one is grammatically correct?

"Which is better, cats or dogs?"
"Which are better, cats or dogs?"

If they are both ok, what is the difference between them?


texts: An equivalent for the proverb "A creaking door hangs longest or..."

texts:
Please have a look on the following scenarios and let me know what is the current English equivalent for the meaning in my question that can be used to fill in the blanks:

  Please imagine a couple including an old man and a young person are hiking in a mountainous area! The young man cannot keep up with the older one! The young says: Hey; you're so strong! I'm not able to walk as fast as you! The older says: heh; you know! ................................. (said humorously)

or

  Did you see how the grandmo danced yesterday? She was better than everyone else! Even youths couldn't dance like her! Somebody eslse says: yea! .......................

There is a proverb in my language which can be used in such occasions, which leterally says: a log smokes.

connotation: a log (a thick wood) will smoke more tha  just a narrow wood piece (a young person); meaning that although one is old, but older prople are sometimes more experienced and better than any other youth!

I have found three English alternatives which I found it a bit of a translated type of some other languages:

  A creaking door hangs longest.
  The life is between the old dogs yet.
  There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle.


texts: Say ABCDE is a pentagon. Is "ABCDE" the name of this pentagon?

texts:
This could be the start of a maths' exercise: "ABCDE is a pentagon."

In french, we would say "nom" (name) of the polygon to refer to "ABCDE", while "nature" of the polygon would refer to "pentagon".

Reading wikipedia, I figured out that, in english, "pentagon" is the name of this polygon. So, what is "ABCDE"? Is it possible to call it the name of the polygon, too, or is there any specific word?

Some context: I need a correct english word that I can use as a variable name in a software I develop, in order to store, for instance, the string "ABCDE" as a polygon's property whose name would be understood by anyone. For instance, if I write polygon.name, I guess anyone would guess it stores something like "triangle" or "pentagon" etc. Now it's about this "ABCDE": I cannot store it in polygon.name too. So, polygon.?????


texts: Difference between 'is started', has started, has been started, and has gotten started

texts:
What is the difference between these sentences :

  1) The show has started.
  2) The show is started.
  3) The show has been started.
  4) The show has gotten started.


texts: 'How much is the world so hard to live in, that some people give up their lives?' Is this sentence correct?

texts:
I want to express

  'The world is so hard to live in, that some people give up their lives.'

as an interrogative form, so that I can emphasize the meaning of it. Please let me know if this sentence is too redundant and awkward or if there is a better and clear expression:

  How much is the world so hard to live in, that some people give up their lives?


texts: When do we add 'ed' at the end of a verb?

texts:
I read a sentence from a forum:

  Because the Community College has limited research opportunities, ...

I notice that there is 'ed' with limit. I don't think it follows the rule: have/has + past tense verb.


texts: What is the reason for the " 's " in the following context?

texts:
You're a friend of Tom's, aren't you?
Question: What does the 's in Tom's stand for?


texts: What's most common way to wish for the weekend?

texts: What is the most common phrase for wishing good things for for people about the weekend? I thought about something like "have a nice weekend" or "have a sweet weekend" etc.


texts: What does "put something in control" mean?

texts:
This product has capabilities that put users in control so that pre
  and post document processing costs can be reduced.

Since "put something in control" means "take control of something", does it mean "the capabilities that have automation feature" so that it doesn't need users to control things?


texts:
It's bedtime.

I make a bottle for him.

"Go to bed and drink" I passed the bottle to him.

Go up the bed.

Go to bed.

Do I need to add up when I asking him to climb up the bed?


texts: What is better/shorter phrase "phone is on blacklist" or "phone is blacklisted"?

texts:
I found two different translations for this phrase. Which is more correct, or is more commonly used by native speakers?

That phone is on the blacklist.
That phone is blacklisted.

Context: I wish to say that a particular phone is listed somewhere as the phone of someone engaged in wrongdoing such as fraud.


texts: Present/past perfect when the object is a dead person

texts:
I remember (vaguely) reading somewhere that it is wrong to use the present perfect when the subject of a sentence is someone who is long dead:

  *Einstein has visited the Philippines.

My question is, What if the dead person is not the subject but an object:

  Leo is the best president our country has/had ever had. (The ones who
  succeeded him were inferior, even our current president.)

Which tense is proper here


texts: what are the differences between "Her eyes twinkled" and "Her eyes lit up"?

texts:
In the dictionary

  twinkle (intransitive): if someone’s eyes twinkle, they have a happy expression

  twinkle with

  Her eyes twinkled with amusement.

  light up: if someone’s face or eyes light up, they show pleasure,
  excitement etc

  with
  His eyes lit up with laughter.
  Her face lit up with pleasure.

My question is

What are the differences between "Her eyes twinkled" and "Her eyes lit up"?

For example, "Her eyes twinkled with pleasure / amusement" & "Her eyes lit up with pleasure / amusement"


texts: What is the word for "separate into 2 parts"?

texts:
I'm looking for a word which basically means "separate an object into two parts", for example, boy and girl (gender), vegan and non-vegan, extrovert and introvert.
I remembered that I have read that word somewhere, but cannot recall it now. It likes "bipolar" or "bilingual".


texts: Why would "don't" be used with a proper noun that can be replaced with "he"?

texts:
There's a song called "Where The Devil Don't Go" by Elle King and I'm confused with its title and lyrics:

  Cast me down where the devil don't go

  Devil don't go where I make my home

I expected "where the devil doesn't go" but there's "don't". I could explain to myself that the second line is an addressing to the devil himself but what's with the first?

My modest theories are:

It's a kind of religious form like "God bless you".
I missed an important part of my education and now I'm not able to understand that simple things.


texts:
yuppie is short for Young Urban Professional
DINKs is short for Dual Income, No Kids

For each of these two words: Is it an acronym or a portmanteau?

It sounds to me like they are not real acronyms, not being strictly one letter per word.

References appreciated.


texts: “The human's brain” vs “The human brain”: Possessive or not?

texts:
The human's brain works better in the morning.
  The human brain works better in the morning.

Which is the correct sentence and why?


texts: What do you call the gesture of mildly hitting someone else with your elbow?

texts:
When you mildly hit someone else's elbow with your own as a gesture of complicity, what do you call that?

All I've found in dictionaries from my mother tongue to English is jostle, which is way too aggressive, isn't necessarily intentional, and doesn't convey the element of complicity.

Some more information: if you saw a girl or boy you find cute while with a friend, you could make this gesture to tell your friend to look at him or her. You could also do this if you're in class/a conference/a meeting next to someone who is sleeping in order to wake them up.

Here is a photo of what I mean (not a great fit, but it's close enough):


texts:
Or like the woman who was watching a lush imbibing dry martinis at a Third Avenue bar in New York City. The drunk downed the contents of each cocktail glass at one gulp, daintily nibbled and swallowed the bowl, then finally turned the glass over and ate the base.

I can't get the meaning of the expression highlighted in bold.

I understand the words separately.

to swallow - to move food into your stomach by the muscles of your throat
a bowl - a round container for food.

I thought whether it could mean that he consumed the drink wholly. But I am doubting that martini is served in bowls.

Could you help me out?


texts:
I'm trying to find the right verb for when the radio is ... broadcasting? ... a particular channel. In my native language, a direct translation would be "the radio was playing BBC 4" but that doesn't sound right in English. "Broadcasting" sounds weird when it's just a radio receiving signals. Receiving?

To broadcast? To receive? Something else?


texts: Can we use "plausible" to describe a speech?

texts:
There is a multiple choice exercise:

  The president won the election because of the ____ speech he made, which won him people's trust successfully.

  a. astonishing
  b. plausible

The definition from Cambridge dictionary is "likely to be true"

I can accept that we use it like, "plausible explanation". But for me, it seems to be negative to say a speech is plausible.


texts:
From mega trade shows to small individualized meeting.

Would it be ok to write "meeting" with no "s", or it would be more accurate with an "s" just to make it plural and go parallel with trade shows?


texts: As far as this from success was Dawe when he grasped editor'sleeve... can anyone tell me with the other words the meaning of the phrase? thank you!


texts:
Can I use "It's natural" in my sentence?
"Why do men flirt?" "They are men. It's natural."


texts: Doesn't 'it had been' need a complement?

texts:
The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass
  number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living
  room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the
  night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the
  owls. (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

It seems ‘had been’ needs to be followed by a complement, yet its place is vacant. Is this right, or does ‘it had been’ need no complement?


texts: How do native speakers say 'I have completed all the missions/levels in the game'?

texts:
I read on one forum you can say "finish" but that was it, there were no examples. So what I am looking for is how to ask someone if he or she has "gone through" all the missions, played every single level and completed the game.
Would this work?

  -Hey, Mike, ever played BioShock Infinite?

  -Yep. My fav actually.

  -Cool. Finished it all? (Have you finished it? Have you finished it all?)

And are there other ways to ask this, even if it's "gaming slang"?

These also sound good at least to me :) "Have you played it all?", "Have you played the whole game?". Can the word "pass" be used in this context?


texts: There is a variable in my code that I don't how to name. As its value increases, the precision (of some calculations) decreases. I feel like it would be misleading if I called it "precision" but I can't think of the opposite. For a moment I thought about granularity but I am not sure if that is better.


texts:
For example, "I can't get in touch with him, not since he said he would bring them back."
Does "not since" mean "from that point forward"/after?


texts: What is the referent of "it" in "under it"?

texts:
The following quote is from Mansfield Park by Jane Austen:

Mr. Crawford, approaching Julia, said: "I hope I am not to lose my companion, unless she is afraid of the evening air in so exposed a seat."  The request had not been foreseen, but was very graciously received, and Julia's day was likely to end almost as well as it began.  Miss Bertram had made up her mind to something different, and was a little disappointed; but her conviction of being really the one preferred comforted her under it, and enabled her to receive Mr. Rushworth's parting attentions as she ought.

My question is: what is the referent of it in under it?  What does under it mean?


texts: Why is a re-distilled whiskey "outrageous" item?

texts:
I can't understand why the author say re-distilled whiskeys is a "outrageous" item.
Also, I can't understand the sentence below.

  You drink it, and as it melts with the alcohol, the whiskey ages!

My understanding is "when sorbet melts with the alcohol, the whiskey become old.", but that doesn't make sense.

  You'll find outrageous items like a re-distilled whiskey, where they separate the old part of the whiskey that has a woody taste and use it to make a tea sorbet. You drink it, and as it melts with the alcohol, the whiskey ages! And 80 percent of their imaginative and potent house creations cost a lot less than at a highbrow cocktail bar.

source: https://www.timeout.com/barcelona/bars-and-pubs/pastrami-bar-el-paradiso


texts:
What does "public acceptance" here mean?
Does it allude to their confession to spiritual interpretation before the public?

“We have had experience in these latter days of mediums giving
themselves up in the same unreserved way to scientific investigation
and being betrayed by the investigators, who had not the moral courage
to admit those results which would have entailed their own public
acceptance of the spiritual interpretation.”

The History of Spiritualism   By A.C Doyle
XI.THE RESEARCHES OF SIR WILLIAM CROOKES (1870-1874)


texts: Are "Put it on" and "Put them on" phrasal verbs?

texts:
Are "put it on" and "put them on" phrasal verbs? I noticed that when Americans pronounce "put them on" they don't say "them". They use the weak form of "them" that sounds like "əm" (schwa sound + m).

"Put" and "them" together sounds like [pʊ_dəm] with a flap T (fast /d/ sound as some people say). Is my observation right about the word "them"? If these phrases are phrasal verbs I think the stress is on the particle "on" in both phrase. Am I right?

Any suggestion is appreciated. Thank you!


texts:
What college are you (in/from)?

When trying to find out what college someone goes to, do we ask them "What college are you?", or "What college are you in?"


texts:
Here is an example:

  The show was ably interned by Kate.

Does it mean Kate was helping to create the show as an intern.
It was at the end of Crash Course World History.


texts: Is there any rule when replacing apostrophe intead of some letters?

texts:
In some English songs I found words like:

nothin'
'em
gon'
'bout

Is there any rule to make words likes that? Is they are formal? Is there any more such examples?


texts: What is the diffenence between ' specially' and ' especially'?

texts: Can anyone tell the the difference between these two words, and in which condition should  they be used?


texts:
I found this sentence in Cambridge dictionary when looking up the word "relive":

  Whenever I smell burning, I relive the final moments of the crash.

Cambridge Dictionary

Then I looked up the word burning in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary and saw these meanings:

(of feelings, etc.) very strong; extreme
a burning issue/question: a very important and urgent problem one of the burning issues of the day
(of pain, etc.) very strong and giving a feeling of burning
very hot; looking and feeling very hot
burning eyes (literary) eyes that seem to be staring at you very hard

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th edition © Oxford University Press, 2015

And it says that burning is used only before noun when it's an adjective and in the phrase burning hot as an adverb. Here it's not before a noun but after a verb and I don't know which meaning is the one of "burning" in the example.


texts: May he rest in peace. Why subject-auxiliary inversion?

texts:
I understand that this is a kind of a set phrase to express the hope that his spirit has found peace after death, but I don't understand why subject-auxiliary inversion occurs, and the "May" comes first in this example.
The same sentence structure can be seen in some other examples too like the below ones.

May the Force be with you.
May God bless you!

Is there any grammatical rule? Are there any other examples that follow the same sentence construction?


texts:
I am a learner of English and have been learning it naturally for a few months. I get confused, when I read something which does not make sense to me. Please check below sentences to understand what I mean.

On newspapers:

  John slapped again while campaigning in New York.

But John did not slap anyone but he was slapped by someone. So, I think this sentence should be written something like that:

  John was slapped again while campaigning in New York by a man.

Or

  John got slapped again while campaigning in New York by a man.

Or

  A man slapped John again while he (John) was campaigning in Mumbai.

Thanks in advance.


texts: "For the/a Xth year running in..." meaning?

texts:
Years running means consecutive years. No problem with that. But I saw it is used in sentences like:

  That helps explain why Greece probably beat its primary budget target for a fourth year running in 2018.
  There was a shortfall in zinc production for the second year running in 1996.

To my understanding:

  Sentence 1. Greece beat its primary budget target in the last three years, and do the same in the 2018 which is the fourth year.

  There was a shortfall in zinc production in 1995 and in 1996 too which is the second year.

As far as I understand that's the sense that it gives but I can not be sure.


texts:
A line from Stanley & Iris

There are lots of pretty women in this town, but I don't see them for dirt. I keep thinking about the one who sleeps with her arms above her head and has a little mole, never mind where.

"I don't see them for dirt" sounds a little strange--just a little. The meaning is clear, but I am not sure about this construction. I guess it means "I don't think too much of them" or "I don't see much in them". But "not see something for dirt" doesn't appear to be idiomatic. Considering that to "see A for B" means to realize A is B, I am not sure "I don't see them for dirt" makes sense structurally. This question is about the idiomatic use and syntactic structure of "not see someone for something". Any other attestations of similar usages?
More background: Robert De Niro's character Stanley is poorly educated and illiterate. Iris, played by Jane Fonda, helps him learn to read and write. Stanley goes away to take a job in another city and writes a letter to Iris, from which the line in question is excerpted. Stanley is saying that although he sees a lot of pretty women in his new environment, only Iris is on his mind.


texts: When there'a a general or an emperor in front of them, soldiers do a gesture to salute that person. Is there a word for such gesture? I am wondering if we just use the word salute, which is a weird word to use, because it can be confused with many other things and not just the salute gesture soldiers do, which depend for which country you serve.


texts: Present simple and present continuous with NOW

texts:
What difference does “now” make when used with the Present Simple and the Present Continuous?

Do you smoke now?
Are you smoking now? (not right now but these days)


texts:
Grammatically speaking, should there be a comma before "of course" when it's preceded by a conjunction?

Examples:

  He ordered a batch of cup noodles and other instant food. And(,) of
  course, beer.

  They tried fighting that losing battle, but(,) of course, they failed
  in the end.

Why or why not? (Maybe there should be a comma because "of course" is a parenthetical phrase?)


texts:
I want to say El listado de la última semana (The new listing in the 7 past days) in English to make the translation in a website I´m doing, miami-partners.com/index.php#quick-search.

I try Listed last week but my boss say it doesn't sound good.
Listed Past Week should be fine or are there another way to say it?


texts: Is there any difference in meaning and usage between "in a job interview", on a job interview" and "at a job interview"?

texts:
According to Ngram Viewer, they are all common, except in a job interview is even more so. I wonder if there is any nuance of meaning between the three. For example:

  I am really afraid of screwing up in a job interview.

  I am really afraid of screwing up on a job interview.

  I am really afraid of screwing up at a job interview.


texts: What is it called, "the ledge of the ship or the barrier's rail of the ship"?

texts: What is this called, the ledge of the ship or the barrier's rail of the ship?